Day-681 | Daily MCQs | UPSC Prelims | HISTORY

Answer: D
Explanation:
Statement 1 is incorrect: In the period under the Satavahanas, the Kushanas, the Indo- Parthians and the Saka rulers, India’s trade with Rome and Central Asia was at its zenith. Kushana kings ensured the security of the trade-routes which was one of the causes for the prosperity of towns. There was growth and prosperity of several towns in the post-Mauryan period, i.e. from 200 B.C. to 200 A.D. Vaishali, Pataliputra, Varanasi, Kaushambi, Sravasti, Hastinapur, Mathura, Indraprastha etc. were some of the prosperous towns of North India during the Kushan period.
Statement 2 is incorrect: Foreign trade during the post-Mauryan period was also highly developed. India had good trade relations particularly with the Roman Empire. At first, this trade was carried on by road but later on the Persian interfered with it. As a result, trade through the sea route started. The most famous ports on the western coast were those of Sopara and Broach and on the eastern coast Arikamedu and Kaveripattanam.
Statement 3 is incorrect: The artisans were organized into guilds. It can be drawn from the authority of various books that the artisans organised themselves into guilds to encourage their particular crafts. These guilds also acted as bankers and accepted deposits on which interest was paid. The decline of the Mauryan empire (200 BCE) led to political disintegration and laxity in state control over guilds, allowing them better chances to grow.
Additional information:
● The economy during the post-Mauryan Period is one of its most striking features. The economy prospered throughout the period of five centuries and remained more or less stable despite numerous invasions from central Asia.
● The economy of the period can be bifurcated into two different sections – The Northern Zone and the Southern Zone. The northern zone was dominated by the ‘Silk Road’ and a broad network of trade routes running between then China and the West.
● The southern zone was dominated by the oceanic trade between the Orient and the west via Peninsular India.
● One of the most salient aspects of the post-Mauryan period was the growth of internal and external trade and commerce.
There were two major internal land routes in ancient India:
● Uttarapatha: Connected eastern and northern parts of India with the north-western areas, and
● Dakshinapatha: Connected peninsular India with northern and western parts of India.

Answer: B
Explanation:
Statement 1 is incorrect: The Ahoms formed a new state by replacing the old system of landlords (Bhuiyans). They relied on forced labour, known as Paiks, for state work. The main army, called Paiks, included both serving and non-serving members. Non-serving Paiks formed a standing militia mobilized by military organizers. The Paik system, a type of corvee labour neither feudal nor Asian, served as the foundation of the Ahom kingdom’s economy.
Statement 2 is correct: The Ahom king served as both the head of the state and the military.
Statement 3 is correct: The Ahom navy, known as the Marang Gompa, played a crucial role in riverine warfare. They used war boats and ships to secure control over waterways.
Additional information:
● Ahom Kingdom, which thrived in the Brahmaputra Valley of present-day Assam, India, was a remarkable historical realm that emerged in the 13th century and endured for almost six centuries until the 19th century.
● The rulers of the Ahom Kingdom hailed from the Tai-Ahom ethnic background and were instrumental in establishing a formidable realm celebrated for both its military prowess and effective governance.
About Ahom Kingdom
● Founder: Chaolung Sukapha, a ruler in the 13th century, established the Ahom kingdom, which governed Assam for six centuries. The British annexed the province in 1826 through the Treaty of Yandaboo.
● Political Setup: The Ahoms formed a new state by replacing the old system of landlords (Bhuiyans). They relied on forced labour, known as Paiks, for state work.
● Society: Ahom society was organized into clans (khels), each overseeing multiple villages. While they worshipped tribal gods, the Ahoms embraced Hinduism and the Assamese language. The kings retained some traditional beliefs even after adopting Hinduism, and intermarriage with locals contributed to assimilation into Assamese culture.
● Art and Culture: Poets and scholars were rewarded with land grants, and theatre was actively supported. Sanskrit works were translated into the local language. Historical texts, called buranjis, were initially written in Ahom and later translated into Assamese.
History of the Ahom Empire
● The Ahom Empire was a powerful kingdom in India’s northeastern region. It was mainly in present-day Assam, from the 13th to the 19th century.
● The Ahoms originally migrated from Southeast Asia and settled in the Brahmaputra Valley. They established their rule by defeating local rulers and creating a strong kingdom. The Ahoms were skilled in warfare and administration. They built impressive monuments and temples.
● The empire’s economy relied on agriculture and trade. The Ahoms were known for their unique irrigation system and successful cultivation of rice. The empire faced challenges from the Mughals and other invaders.
● However, it managed to maintain its independence for a long time. In the 19th century, the British gradually took control of the region.

Answer: D
Explanation:
The Justice Movement aimed to address the socio-political concerns of the non-brahmin communities. Its primary aim was to secure jobs and representation for the non-brahmins in the legislature. It was supported by the Madras Presidency Association in raising awareness about the disparities faced by non-brahmins and advocating for affirmative action policies as it was at odds with M. K. Gandhi, owing to his support for Brahminism. The party campaigned against the non-cooperation movement in the presidency. It was opposed to Annie Besant’s Home Rule movement because it believed it would benefit the Brahmins. They obtained reservations for non-Brahmins through the Government of India Act of 1919 by petitioning the imperial administration, which was more than willing to oblige. The Justice movement was started by C.N. Mudaliar, T.M. Nair, and P. Tyagaraja in Madras Presidency.
The Madras Presidency Association was founded in 1917 to demand separate representation in the legislature for the lower castes. In 1938, Periyar was elected as the leader of the Justice party.
In 1944, the Justice Party and the Self-Respect Movement were renamed Dravidar Kazhagam.
Objectives of the Justice Movement
● To promote the educational, social, economic, and political advancement of all communities in South India other than the Brahmins.
● To work for the development of non-Brahmins through a constitutional government.
● To create a government that is truly representative.
● To mobilize public opinion in support of Non-Brahmins’ demands.
Additional information:
Sri Narayana Guru Dharma Paripalana (SNDP) Yogam
● The SNDP movement was an example of a regional movement born out of a conflict between the depressed classes and upper castes.
● Initiation by Sree Narayana Guru Swamy: Initiated by Sree Narayana Guru Swamy (1856-1928) among the Ezhavas, a backward caste of toddy-tappers in Kerala, who were considered untouchables and denied education and entry into temples.
● Ezhavas’ significance: The Ezhavas constituted the largest caste group in Kerala, accounting for 26 per cent of the total population.
● Symbolic act at Aravipuram: In 1888, Narayana Guru, himself from the Ezhava caste, installed a stone as a Shivalinga at Aravipuram on Shivaratri.
● Issues addressed by SNDP Yogam: The SNDP Yogam took up various issues on behalf of the Ezhavas, including the right to admission to public schools, recruitment in government services, access to roads and temples, and political representation.
● Impact of the movement: The movement brought about significant structural changes, including upward social mobility, a shift in the traditional distribution of power, and the consolidation of a federation of backward castes into a larger conglomerate.
Satya Shodhak Samaj
● Jyotiba Phule (1827-1890), born in Satara, Maharashtra, belonged to the Mali (gardener) community and organised a powerful movement against upper caste domination and Brahminical supremacy.
● Formation of Satyashodhak Samaj: In 1873, Phule founded the Satyashodhak Samaj (Truth Seekers’ Society), with leadership from the backward classes such as Malis, Telis, Kunbis, Saris, and Dhangars.
● Aims of the movement: The main aims of the movement were social service and the spread of education among women and lower caste people.
● Inspirational works: Phule’s works, Sarvajanik Satyadharma and Ghulamgiri, became sources of inspiration for the common masses.
Self-respect Movement
● The movement was initiated by E.V. Ramaswamy Naicker in the mid-1920s.
● Objectives: It aimed to achieve several transformative goals such as:
o To reject Brahmanical Religion and Culture.
o Question the authority and practices of Brahmin priests, considering them as perpetrators of oppression.
o To challenge the dominant position of the Brahmins and dismantle the cultural hierarchy based on birth.
o To empower lower castes and combat their socio-economic marginalisation.
o To uplift and provide opportunities for education and social mobility to individuals from the marginalised communities.

Answer: D
Explanation:
The terms kuli, veli, padagam refer to units for land measurement during the Chola government.
The small land was known as Ma and the bigger one is known as Veli.
Ma is 1/20th of Veli.
One Veli is equal to a Hundred Kuli.
Taxation during the chola administration:
● For the purposes of assessing tax, the Cholas undertook extensive land surveys and revenue settlements. Rajaraja-I (1001), Kulotunga-I (1086) and Kulotunga-III (1226) appointed people for land survey so that the land could be classified and assessed for the purposes of taxation.
● Like other functionaries of the State, the surveyors of the land called nadu-vagaiseykira too hailed from the landholding communities. Various units of the land measurement such as kuli, ma, veli, patti, padagam, etc. are known, with local variations.
● Generally, taxes were collected in different forms. The taxes collected included irai, kanikadan, iraikattina-kanikadan and kadami.
● An important category of tax was kudimai. Kudimai was paid by the cultivating tenants to the government and to the landlords, the bearers of honorific titles such as udaiyan, araiyan and kilavar.
● The tax rates were fixed depending on the fertility of the soil and the status of the landholder.
● Opati were levied and collected by the king and local chiefs. Temples and Brahmins were exempted from paying the taxes.
● The tax paid in kind was referred to as iraikattina-nellu. All these were mostly realised from the Kaveri delta but not widely in the outskirts of the kingdom.
● At the ur (village) level, urar (village assembly) were responsible for collecting the taxes and remitting them to the government. At the nadu level, the nattar were responsible for remitting taxes.

Answer: B
Explanation:
Statement 1 is incorrect: The main impetus for the formation of Hindustan Socialist Republican Association was Mahatma Gandhi’s decision to call off the Non-Cooperation Movement in 1922 as a result of the Chauri Chaura incident.
Statement 2 is correct: With revolutionary zeal, Barindra Kumar Ghosh launched a ferocious anti-Partition movement. He and his twenty-one followers gathered weapons and explosives and built bombs, laying the groundwork for the organization known as the Jugantar.
Additional information:
Hindustan Republican Association (1924)
● The Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA) was a revolutionary party founded by Ram Prasad Bismil and his associates to fight British colonial rule in India and, if necessary, achieve independence for the country through an armed rebellion.
● While some leaders of the Indian National Congress split off to form the Swaraj Party, some of the younger nationalists and workers became disillusioned with the idea of nonviolence and looked to revolutionary movements to achieve freedom.
● Manifesto: Their manifesto released on 1st January 1925, was titled Krantikari (Revolutionary). It proclaimed the revolutionary party’s aim: to establish a federal Republic of the United States of India through an organized, armed revolution.
● It characterized the revolutionaries as neither terrorists nor anarchists, rejecting terrorism for its own sake while considering it as a potent retaliatory measure when necessary.
Yugantar
● The Yugantar (Jugantar) Party was colonial Bengal’s most powerful revolutionary terrorist organisation.
● Barindra Kumar Ghosh established Yugantar (also known as Jugantar). He was Aurobindo’s younger brother and a revolutionary and journalist in India.
● In April 1906, an inner circle of the Calcutta Anushilan Samiti led by Barindra Kumar Ghosh and Bhupendra Nath Datta (with Aurobindo Ghosh’s advice) launched the weekly Jugantar (New Era).
● The organisation is named after the Jugantar, the militant nationalists’ mouthpiece.
● Barindra vowed to free India from British colonial rule through religious inspiration tempered by acts of violence.