A Greek ambassador Megasthenes came to the court of which Indian ruler?

(1) Chandragupta Maurya
(2) Asoka
(3) Mahapadma Nanda
(4) Bimbisara

The Harappan town planning of the lower town was designed in a particular pattern. What was the correct pattern of the town construction?

(1) Vertical pattern
(2) Approximate grid pattern
(3) Round pattern
(4) No pattern was followed

Arrange the following chronicles and memories of the Mughal emperors in a chronological order:

(A) Humayun Nama is prepared by Gulbadan Begum.

(B) Alamgir Nama, history of Aurangzeb was compiled.

(C) Babur’s memoirs was translated into Persian.

(D) Jahangir writes his memoirs in Jahangir Nama.

(E) Lahori composes first two daftars of Badshah Nama.

Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

(1) (B), (A), (C), (D), (E)

(2) (A), (C), (D), (E), (B)

(3) (E), (A), (D), (C), (B)

(4) (A), (B), (C), (D), (E)

Karaikkal Ammaiyar was a devotee of ________.

1. Vishnu

2. Shiva

3. Goddess Kali

4. Indra

________ was called the father of Indian Archaeology.

1. Alexander Cunningham

2. M.S. Vats

3. R.S. Bisht

4. B.B. Lal

Match List I with List II:

Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

1. (A)-(I), (B)-(III), (C)-(IV), (D)-(II)

2. (A)-(IV), (B)-(III), (C)-(I), (D)-(II)

3. (A)-(III), (B)-(I), (C)-(IV), (D)-(II)

4. (A)-(I), (B)-(IV), (C)-(III), (D)-(II)

Where was the ‘Jalshaghar’ by Satyajit Ray filmed?

1. Chittorgarh Palace

2. Amber Palace

3. Jaigarh Palace

4. Andul Raj Palace

Who is the author of the book ‘The Other Side of Silence’?

1. Khushdev Singh

2. Khushwant Singh

3. Urvashi Butalia

4. Yasmin Zamindara

In 1943, some of the younger leaders in the Satara district of Maharashtra set up a parallel government which was known as:

1. Seba Dals

2. Prati Sarkar

3. Praja Mandal

4. Tufan Dals

Identify the correct options from the statements given below.

(A) Al-Biruni wrote ‘Kitab-ul-Hind’ in Persian.

(B) He translated several Sanskrit works such as Patanjali’s work on grammar into Arabic.

(C) Al-Biruni was born in Khwarizm, present-day Uzbekistan.

(D) Al-Biruni was born in Ghazni, Afghanistan.

(E) He translated the works of Euclid (a Greek mathematician) into Sanskrit.

Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

1. (B), (C), (E) Only

2. (A), (B), (C) Only

3. (A), (C), (E) Only

4. (B), (D), (E) Only

Which Government set up a commission of inquiry to investigate into the causes of the Deccan Riots?

(1) Bombay

(2) Bengal

(3) Madras

(4) Delhi

When the Governor-General declared that a gesture of leniency and a show of mercy would help in winning back the loyalty of the sepoys, he was mocked in the British press through a cartoon published in Punch. Name the caption which was given to the cartoon.

(1) Relief of Lucknow

(2) In Memoriam

(3) Justice

(4) The Clemency of Canning

Arrange the following in a chronological order:

(A) Subsidiary Alliance introduced in Awadh.

(B) Nawab Wajid Ali Shah deposed.

(C) Revolt starts in Meerut.

(D) Rising in Lucknow.

(E) British suffer defeat in the battle of Chinhat.

Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

1. (B), (A), (C), (D), (E)

2. (A), (B), (C), (D), (E

3. (C), (D), (A), (B), (E)

4. (D), (C), (A), (E), (B)

The journal “Harijan” was published by:

1. Govind Ballabh Pant

2. Vallabhbhai Patel

3. Mahatma Gandhi

4. B.R. Ambedkar

Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

(1) (A)-(I), (B)-(III), (C)-(II), (D)-(IV)

(2) (A)-(II), (B)-(III), (C)-(I), (D)-(IV)

(3) (A)-(IV), (B)-(I), (C)-(II), (D)-(III)

(4) (A)-(IV), (B)-(III), (C)-(II), (D)-(I)

Name the Mughal emperor during whose reign the book ‘Char Chaman’ was written.

(1) Jahangir

(2) Aurangzeb

(3) Shah Jahan

(4) Akbar

Who among the following participated in the Revolt of 1857?

(A) Danka Shah

(B) Shah Mal

(C) Kunwar Singh

(D) Devi Choudhrani

(E) Siraj ud Daulah

Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

(1) (B), (C), (D)

(2) (C), (D), (E)

(3) (A), (B), (D)

(4) (A), (B), (C)

The European commercial companies had set up base in different places during the Mughal era. Identify the incorrect match.

(1) Portuguese in Panaji in 1510

(2) British in Madras in 1639

(3) French in Pondicherry in 1673

(4) Dutch in Bombay in 1605

________ residence is a practice where women after marriage remain in their natal home with their children and the husbands may come to stay with them.

(1) Patriliny

(2) Matriliny

(3) Matrilocal

(4) Patrilocal

Match List-I with List-II:

Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

(1) (A)-(IV), (B)-(I), (C)-(II), (D)-(III)

(2) (A)-(I), (B)-(II), (C)-(III), (D)-(IV)

(3) (A)-(I), (B)-(III), (C)-(II), (D)-(IV)

(4) (A)-(IV), (B)-(II), (C)-(I), (D)-(III)

Before the railway age, which region was a collection centre for cotton from the Deccan?

(1) Mirzapur

(2) Murshidabad

(3) Muzaffarpur

(4) Daulatabad

In 1916, a major public appearance of Gandhi was at the opening of the ________.

(1) Bombay University

(2) Rajasthan University

(3) Banaras Hindu University

(4) Bhartiya Hindu Vidhyapeeth

Which of the following statements are true about Jain philosophy?

(A) Stones, rocks and water have life.

(B) One cannot be freed from the cycle of karma through penance and asceticism.

(C) Monastic existence is necessary for salvation.

(D) The cycle of birth and rebirth is shaped by karma.

(E) Freeing oneself from the cycle of karma cannot be achieved by renouncing the world.

Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

(1) (B), (C), (D) only

(2) (B), (C), (E) only

(3) (A), (B), (C) only

(4) (A), (C), (D) only

Which historian among the following has remarked that “South Africa was the making of Mahatma Gandhi”?

(1) Ramachandra Guha

(2) Joseph Lelyveld

(3) Bipan Chandra

(4) Chandran Devanesan

Name the traveller whose account compared the betel as a tree which is cultivated in the same manner as the grape-vine.

(1) Al-Biruni

(2) Ibn Battuta

(3) Francois Bernier

(4) Abdur Razzaq

Who organised a zoo that became the ‘Calcutta Alipore Zoo’?

(1) Lord Irwin

(2) Lord Minto

(3) Francois Bernier

(4) Francis Buchanan

Arrange the steps in manuscript making during the Mughal period in the correct order.

(A) Scribes or calligraphers to copy the text.

(B) Gilders to illuminate the pages.

(C) Paper makers to prepare the folios.

(D) Book binders to gather the individual folios.

(E) Painters to illustrate scenes from the text.

Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

(1) (A), (B), (C), (D), (E)

(2) (C), (A), (B), (E), (D)

(3) (A), (C), (B), (D), (E)

(4) (B), (C), (D), (A), (E)

Who among the following composed the ‘Prayaga Prashasti’?

(1) Tulsidas

(2) Harishena

(3) Kalidas

(4) Surdas

What was the first site of the Indus Valley Civilisation that was discovered?

(1) Mohenjodaro

(2) Dholavira

(3) Lothal

(4) Harappa

Consider the pairs and choose the correct one.

(A) Vinaya Pitaka → Includes the teachings of Buddha.

(B) Tipitaka → Three baskets hold three types of texts.

(C) Abhidhamma Pitaka → Deals with philosophical matters.

(D) Sutta Pitaka → Includes monastic rules and regulations.

(E) Dipavamsa → The Chronicle of the Island.

Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

(1) (A), (C), (D) Only

(2) (A), (C), (E) Only

(3) (B), (C), (E) Only

(4) (C), (D), (E) Only

Who was the leader of the Santhal Rebellion of 1855–56?

(1) Sidhu Manjhi

(2) Gonoo

(3) Danka Shah

(4) Shah Mal

Read the statements carefully regarding Buddhist literature.

(A) Buddha gave teachings through writings only.

(B) None of Buddha’s speeches were written during his life-time.

(C) Buddha’s teachings were compiled by his disciples after his death.

(D) Some of the oldest Buddhist texts are in Pali, while later compositions are in Sanskrit.

(E) Mahavamsa is known as the “Great Chronicle”.

Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

(1) (B), (C), (D), (E) Only

(2) (A), (B), (C), (E) Only

(3) (A), (C), (D), (E) Only

(4) (B), (C), (D), (A) Only

Mahatma Gandhi’s biography was written by ________.

(1) C.R. Das

(2) Krishna Pillai

(3) J.M. Sengupta

(4) D.G. Tendulkar

Around the middle of the first millennium C.E., the ‘Jatakas’ were written in __________.

(1) Pali

(2) Prakrit

(3) Sanskrit

(4) Devnagiri

Which of the following statements about Subsidiary Alliance are correct?

(A) The British would be responsible for protecting their Indian ally.

(B) A British armed contingent would be stationed in the Indian state.

(C) The Indian ally would have to provide the resources for maintaining the British army.

(D) The Indian state was empowered to transfer British officers.

(E) The Indian ally could enter into agreements with other rulers without seeking any permission from the British.

Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

(1) (A), (B), (D) Only

(2) (C), (D), (E) Only

(3) (A), (B), (C) Only

(4) (B), (C), (E) Only

Match List I with List II:

Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

(1) (A)-(I), (B)-(IV), (C)-(III), (D)-(II)

(2) (A)-(II), (B)-(I), (C)-(III), (D)-(IV)

(3) (A)-(II), (B)-(III), (C)-(I), (D)-(IV)

(4) (A)-(IV), (B)-(II), (C)-(III), (D)-(I)

Sources of the seventeenth century refer to a group of peasants who were residents of the village in which they held their lands. What were these peasants called?

(1) Muzarian

(2) Raiyat

(3) Khud-Kashta

(4) Pahi-Kashta

The Kingdom of Awadh as “a cherry that will drop into our mouth one day” was a statement made by which Governor-General of India?

(1) Lord Wellesley

(2) Lord Cornwallis

(3) Lord Bentinck

(4) Lord Dalhousie

Arrange the following Bhakti saints in a chronological order.

(A) Ramanujacharya

(B) Raidas

(C) Lal Ded

(D) Mirabai

(E) Appar

Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

(1) (A), (C), (E), (D), (B)

(2) (E), (A), (B), (D), (C)

(3) (A), (B), (E), (C), (D)

(4) (E), (A), (C), (B), (D)

Match List I with List II:

Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

(1) (A)-(III), (B)-(II), (C)-(I), (D)-(IV)

(2) (A)-(II), (B)-(III), (C)-(IV), (D)-(I)

(3) (A)-(IV), (B)-(III), (C)-(I), (D)-(II)

(4) (A)-(I), (B)-(IV), (C)-(II), (D)-(III)

The paragraph refers to which kingdom?

(1) Hoysala

(2) Vijayanagara

(3) Pallava

(4) Chola

Why did the rulers encourage temple building in their kingdoms?

(1) To protect their empire from outside attack

(2) To utilise infertile and barren land

(3) To win the support and recognition for their power, wealth and piety

(4) To conduct large scale religious conversion successfully

Which of the following was NOT the function of temples?

(1) To carry on religious ceremonies and organise rituals

(2) To serve as a body of culture and learning

(3) To function as landholding body assigned with the grant of revenue

(4) To fix the revenue demand and other taxes in the empire

The shrines of Virupaksha and Pampadevi existed in which of the following kingdom?

(1) Vijayanagara

(2) Maratha

(3) Chola

(4) Chalukya

Which of the following was NOT an important component of temple architecture?

(1) Gopuram

(2) Garbhagriha

(3) Mandapa

(4) Barahdari

Who said the words given in the passage?

(1) Jawaharlal Nehru

(2) N.G. Ranga

(3) Jaipal Singh

(4) Gobind Ballabh Pant

According to the speaker, the people who are minority were:

(1) Jains

(2) Sikhs

(3) Muslims

(4) The masses of this country

What was the condition of education in rural India?

(1) Elementary education was given to all.

(2) Elementary education was given to every child.

(3) The rural poor were not having elementary education.

(4) The village poor were taught in private schools.

The term ‘Malguzar’ refers to:

(1) The group of exploiter

(2) Minorities

(3) The group of leaders

(4) The group of poor people

According to the speech, the speaker is urging the Constituent Assembly to interpret minorities in __________.

(1) Social terms

(2) Political terms

(3) Economic terms

(4) Religious terms