Day-610 | Daily MCQs | UPSC Prelims | HISTORY

Answer: A
Explanation:
Statement 1 is correct: The Subika painting style is intricately linked to the Meitei community’s cultural history through its six surviving manuscripts: Subika, Subika Achouba, Subika Laishaba, Subika Choudit, Subika Cheithil and Thengrakhel Subika.
Statement 2 is incorrect: It is done on handmade paper, and the materials for manuscripts, such as handmade paper or tree bark, are prepared locally.

Answer: B
Explanation:
Statement 1 is correct: The Act introduced bicameral legislature i.e the Lower House or Central Legislative Assembly and the Upper House or Council of State.
Statement 2 is correct: The Act introduced dyarchy (rule of two individuals/parties) for the executive at the level of the provincial government. The diarchy was implemented in eight provinces:
Assam, Bengal, Bihar and Orissa, Central Provinces, United Provinces, Bombay, Madras and Punjab.
The provincial governments were given more powers under the system of Dyarchy.
The governor was to be the executive head in the province.
Statement 3 is incorrect: The Indian Council Act 1909 introduced the concept of separate electorate. Under separate electorates, the Muslim members were to be elected only by Muslim voters. Some constituencies were earmarked for Muslims and only Muslims could vote their representatives.
Additional information:
In 1918, Edwin Montagu, the Secretary of State, and Lord Chelmsford, the Viceroy, produced their scheme of constitutional reforms, known as the Montagu-Chelmsford (or Mont-Ford) Reforms, which led to the enactment of the Government of India Act of 1919.
Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms which came into force in 1921.
The sole purpose of this Act was to ensure Indians of their representation in the Government.
The Act introduced reforms at the Central as well as Provincial levels of Government.
They introduced significant acts, commissions, and policies that shaped the modern view of education, still persisting in India.

Answer: A
Explanation:
Statement 1 is correct: The Gupta empire controlled rich sea ports and overseas trade.
Statement 2 is correct: The Gupta empire was able to bring the entire Ganga valley under their control.
The Ganga valley with its populations and resources was the basis for expansion of their control over Gujrat and they were able to control sea ports and overseas trade.
Additional information:
Around the last decade of the 3rd century CE (about 275 CE), the dynasty of the Guptas came to power.
The Gupta empire established its control over a good part of the former dominions of both the Kushanas and the Satavahanas. The Guptas kept northern India politically united for more than a century (335 CE- 455 CE).
The Guptas are believed to have been feudatories of the Kushanas.
The original kingdom of the Guptas comprised Uttar Pradesh and Bihar with their centre of power at Prayag (U.P).
The Guptas set up their rule over the fertile plains of the Madhyadesha, also known as Anuganga (the middle Gangetic basin), Saketa (U.P Ayodhya), Prayag (U.P) and Magadha (mostly Bihar).
The Guptas made good use of the iron ore reserves in central India and south Bihar and also took advantage of their proximity to the areas in north India which carried on silk trade with the Byzantine empire (eastern Roman empire).
The Gupta period in ancient India is referred to as the “Golden Age” because of the numerous achievements in the field of arts, literature, science and technology. It also brought about the political unification of the subcontinent.

Answer: B
Explanation:
Statement 1 is correct: A Sanskrit College was started in Varanasi by Jonathan Duncan for the study of Hindu philosophy and laws In 1791.
Statement 2 is incorrect: Warren Hastings established the first educational institution, Calcutta Madrasa for Islamic Law Studies in 1781.
Statement 3 is correct: William Jones founded the Asiatic Society of Bengal to understand and study the culture and history of India in 1784.
Additional information:
The British Education System in India introduced the concept of practical learning and modern education in India. Initially, the British established educational institutions for learning about the local customs, traditions, and laws to understand the country better.
In education under British rule, there were three agents of modern education, i.e., Indian intellectuals and reformers, Christian Missionaries, and the East India Company.
They introduced significant acts, commissions, and policies that shaped the modern view of education, still persisting in India.
However, after they started ruling India, they abolished the ancient gurukul system. They established certain educational institutions to educate a small section of Indians and introduced them to English.

Answer: A
Explanation:
Statement 1 is incorrect: The Satnami revolt was a major peasant uprising that took place in 1672 during the reign of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb.
Statement 2 is correct: The Satnamis were subjected to oppressive taxes and discriminatory policies under Aurangzeb’s rule, which led to widespread discontent among the sects.
Statement 3 is incorrect: The rebellion was crushed when Aurangzeb himself took personal command and sent 10,000 troops with artillery to crush the Satnamis.
Additional information:
The Satnami sect was founded by a saint named “Birbhan” in 1657 in Narnaul in Haryana. The major religious activity of this sect is to chant and meditate on the true names {Sat-Nam} of God specially Rama and Krishna.
This sect is thought to be an offshoot of Ravidasi sect and comprised people from different castes and communities of Hindu society. The followers of this sect kept their heads shaved {thus called Mundiyas}. Today, there are at least 1.5 million followers of the Satnami sect spread in Rajasthan, UP, MP, Bihar, Gujarat and Maharashtra.
During the rule of Puritan Mughal Aurangzeb, there was resentment among Hindus for revival of Jaziya and general destruction of temples under imperial orders. The revolt triggered when a Mughal soldier killed a Satnami. The Satnamis killed the soldier in revenge and in turn Mughal soldiers were sent to teach them a lesson. Some 5,000 Satnamis stood up in arms and routed the Mughal troops in the town, drove away the Mughal administrators and set up their own administration under their leader Birbhan.