Day-719 | Daily MCQs | UPSC Prelims | HISTORY

Answer: B
Explanation:
Hampi city is located near Tungabhadra River has been described by UNESCO as an “austere, grandiose site” of more than 1,600 surviving remains of the last great Hindu kingdom in South India that includes “forts, riverside features, royal and sacred complexes, temples, shrines, pillared halls, mandapas, memorial structures, water structures and others”.
Additional information:
● Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is known for a Group of Monuments. The site is located in Vijayanagara district, Karnataka.
● Hampi continues as a religious centre, with the Virupaksha Temple, an active Adi Shankara-linked monastery and various monuments belonging to the old city.
● Hampi was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1336 to 1565.
● It was a fortified city. Chronicles left by Persian and European travellers, particularly the Portuguese, say that Hampi was a prosperous, wealthy, and grand city near the Tungabhadra River, with numerous temples, farms, and trading markets.
● By 1500 CE, Hampi-Vijayanagara was the world’s second-largest city, after Beijing, and probably India’s richest at that time, attracting traders from Persia and Portugal.
● The Vijayanagara Empire was defeated by a coalition of Muslim sultanates; its capital was conquered, looted, and destroyed by the Sultanate armies in 1565.

Answer: A
Explanation:
● Bodhisattva ‘Akashgarbha’ denotes Bodhisattva of infinite happiness generated by helping countless numbers of sentient beings.
● Akashgarbha, also known as Khagarbha, is regarded as the essence of the ether belonging to the Ratnesa family. Akasa and kha mean the sky or boundless space.
● He is described and represented in many ways. The Sadhanamala describes him ‘as green as the sky.’ He holds the Chintamani jewel and displays the Varada mudra.

Additional information:
● Buddhism arose in the 6th century BCE in the Gangetic plain during the time of second urbanisation and social changes in India.
● As Buddha’s teachings resonated with people discontented with Vedic rituals and caste system, Buddhism quickly spread across northern India. Political and economic support by merchants and artisans supported growth.
● Further, under the Mauryas, Buddhism expanded both in India and outside. Doctrinal debates within Buddhism led to the emergence of major schools like Theravada and Mahayana.
● Buddhism started to decline due to many socio-political factors. Its decline started with the Gupta dynasty, and by the 12th century CE, it almost disappeared in India; however, it continued to thrive in other Asian countries.
Bodhisattva
● Bodhisattva is a Buddhist deity who has attained the highest level of enlightenment, but who delays his/her entry into Paradise in order to help the earthbound.
● The bodhisattva, known in Sanskrit as Avalokitesvara, takes both male and female form and is associated with the qualities of mercy and compassion; its Chinese incarnation, Guan Yin – who is always represented as female – translates as the ‘perceiver of sounds’. Guan Yin, Buddhists believe, can recognise the cries of all those who suffer on earth and guide them towards salvation.
Some other Bodhisattva are:
• Avalokitesvara: The bodhisattva of compassion, the listener of the world’s cries who uses skilful means to come to their aid; the most universally acknowledged Bodhisattva in Mahayana Buddhism. Known as Guan Yin in East Asia, Chenrezig in Tibet, and Migjid Janraisig in Mongolia. He is described as holding a lotus flower.
• Ksitigarbha: It means Earth Womb. The bodhisattva of the beings suffering in hellish realms, or the bodhisattva of great vows. He is revered as the guardian of children and patron deity of deceased children.
• Mahasthamaprapta: Represents the power of wisdom, seen on the left of Amitabha.
• Maitreya: Also known as Ajita Boddhisattva. The bodhisattva to be reborn and to become enlightened, thus succeeding Gautama Buddha in the future. Known for his benevolence. He keeps a Kumbha in his hand and is destined to rule Varanasi (Pure Land).
• Manjusri: Bodhisattva of keen awareness and wisdom. Wields a flaming sword in his right hand.
• Nagarjuna: The founder of the Madhyamaka (Middle Path) school of Mahayana Buddhism.
• Nio: Two wrath-filled and muscular guardians of the Buddha, standing today at the entrance of many Buddhist temples in Japan and Korea under the appearance of frightening wrestler-like statues. They are manifestations of the Bodhisattva Vajrapani.
• Padmasambhava: Most associated with Tibetan Buddhism and Bhutanese Buddhism. The Nyingma school regards Padmasambhava as a second Buddha.
• Samantabhadra: Represents the practice and meditation of all Buddhas.
• Sangharama: Only revered in Chinese Buddhism-Taoism, Sangharama refer to a group of devas who guard Buddhist monasteries and the faith, but the title is usually referring to the legendary Chinese military general Guan Yu, who became a Dharmapala through becoming a Buddhist and making vows.
• Sitatapatra: The goddess of the White Parasol and protector against supernatural danger.

Answer: B
Explanation:
Statement 1 is incorrect: The Sacred Books of Jainism are collectively known as Agamas or Agama Sutras. They include the teachings of Lord Mahavira, methodically compiled by his disciples. Tattvartha Sutra (Book of Realities) written over eighteen centuries ago by the monk-scholar Umasvati (also known as Umasvami) is also considered among the primary scriptures of the Jaina community. The Tattvartha-sutra is made up of hundreds of sutras or aphorisms. Organised into ten chapters, these sutras explore the seven tattvas or ‘realities’.
Statement 2 is correct: Jaina Canonical was established at the Council of Valabhi, presided over by Devaridhi Kshamashramana around 512 CE. There was no clear division until the 5th century, when the Valabhi council resulted in editing and compilation of scriptures of the Svetambara tradition.
Additional information:
Evolution of Jain Literature
● Tirthankaras taught in a divine preaching hall called Samavasarana, which ascetics and laypersons heard.
● These discourses were called Shrut Jnana and always comprised eleven Angas and fourteen Purvas.
● According to Jain tradition, the divine Shrut Jnana of a Tirthankara is then converted into Sutta by his disciples, and from such suttas emerge the formal canons.
Types of Jain Literature
The Jain literature is classified into two major categories: Digambara and Svetambara.
Svetambara Siddhanta
● According to Svetambara tradition, the agamas were composed in the first Jaina council (300 BCE) at Pataliputra.
● The canons of Svetambara include twelve Angas, twelve Upangas, ten Prakirnakas, four Mulasutras, six Chedasutras, and two Chulika sutras.
● Acharanga Sutra is the first of twelve Angas based on the teachings of Mahavira.
● It was recompiled and edited by Kshamashramana Devaridhi.
Digambara Siddhanta
● The Digambara canon, or Siddhanta, comprises numerous texts. Two are believed to be all that remains of the original Purvas, composed in the 2nd to 3rd centuries.
● The two oldest scriptures are the holiest because they contain elements of the Purvas created by Mahavira’s chief disciples that captured and shaped his teachings.
● Both the Shatkhandagama and Kasayapahuda are highly technical works on karma.

Answer: A
Explanation:
Statement 1 is incorrect: Sher Shah divided his whole empire into 47 divisions called ‘Sarkars’ and these were again subdivided into smaller administrative units called ‘Parganas’.
Statement 2 is correct: The system of tri-metalism which came to characterise Mughal coinage was largely the creation of Sher Shah Suri (1540 to 1545 CE). Sher Shah issued a silver coin called Rupiya. This weighed 178 grains and was the precursor of the modern rupee. It remained largely unchanged till the early 20th century. He also issued gold coins called the Mohur weighing 169 grains and copper coins called Dam.
Statement 3 is incorrect: Peasants had to pay jaribana (survey charge) and muhasilana (tax collection charge). The rates of these charges were 2.5 per cent and 5 per cent of their produce respectively.
Additional information:
Sur Empire
● The first half of the 16th century CE witnessed the Afghan–Mughal contest for power in the Sub-continent. After defeating Humayun, Sher Shah Suri emerged as a powerful Pashtun Afghan ruler and established the Sur Empire.
● The Empire’s strength lay in the great administrative capacity and reforms of the ruler, aimed at the benefit of people. The Empire boasts of extremely well thought of governmental systems and policies as well as great architectural marvels.
Central Administration
● The Tarikh-i-Sher Shahi (History of Sher Shah), by Abbas Khan Sarwani, provides detailed citations about Sher Shah’s administration.
● As a skilled and proficient administrator, Sher Shah divided the empire into Sarkars, but held the central authority of administration with him and he exercised the power for the benefit of the people.
1. Each administrative branch was in Sher Shah’s personal supervision. He held all the threads of policy and civil and military command in his hands.
2. His ministers had no authority to initiate any policy or change the ways of transactions and administrative setups. They were in charge of the routine work of administration on a daily basis.
3. Like the Sultanate period, Sher Shah also appointed four important ministers:
I. Diwan-i-Wazarat: Financial Department
II. Diwan-i-Ariz: Military Department
III. Diwan-i-Risalat: Department for royal orders, and
IV. Diwan-i-Insha: Department for religious matters, foreign affairs, and judiciary
4. Sher Shah re-established law and order across his empire with severe punishments for criminals, robbers and also the Zamindars disobeying his government.

Answer: C
Explanation:
Statement 1 is correct: Man Singh is credited with the invention of dhrupad, a classical musical genre, and he wrote Manakautuhala, the first music treatise in Hindi, making classical music more accessible to a wider audience.
Statement 2 is incorrect: Sawai Jai Singh was a Rajput ruler of Amber, which is later known as Jaipur. He was honoured by the last powerful Mughal emperor Aurangzeb with the title of Sawai which means superior.
Additional information:
Raja Man Singh of Gwalior
● Gwalior, known for its rich musical history, played a pivotal role in the development of the Gwalior gharana, one of the oldest and most influential gharanas in Hindustani classical music.
● Raja Man Singh Tomar, a patron of music and a ruler of Gwalior during the 15th century, made significant contributions to the gharana’s growth.
● He inherited his musical lineage from his great-grandfather, Dungarendra Singh Tomar, who was a musician and scholar.
● Dungarendra composed Vishnupadas and introduced a unique singing style that he passed down to Man Singh.
● His efforts to promote Indian music extended to replacing Sanskrit songs with simpler Hindi compositions and conducting music sessions in grand music halls within his palace.
● His musical contributions were appreciated not only by his subjects but also by Sufis and Muslim Sultans.