Day-794 | Daily MCQs | UPSC Prelims | HISTORY

Answer: A

Explanation:

While studying the history of reform movements, we find two categories of people who differed in their approaches towards the reform movements.

• • One group involved, where reformers believed that in order to bring changes in the society, true knowledge of India’s past was needed. They believed that too much emphasis on idolatry, polytheism and priest culture had distorted the past. So, they started looking for scriptural authority which approved of the prevailing social practices and if any practices were not aligned according to it, they rejected it. In this category were people like Raja Rammohan Roy, Dayananda Saraswati, etc.
  • Other groups involved people who were not concerned about religious sanction or whether they existed in the past. Their arguments were mainly based on their effects on society. In this category were Akshay Kumar Dutt, Gopal Hari Deshmukh, popularly known as Lokahitavadi. Deshmukh was of the view that if religion did not sanction social reform, he advocated that religion itself should be changed as it was made by man and what was laid down in the scriptures need not necessarily be of contemporary relevance.

Answer: D

Explanation:

The socially debilitating influence of the caste system which perpetuated social distinctions was universally recognized as an area which called for urgent reform during the nineteenth century. The most virulent opposition to caste came from Jyotiba Phule and Narayana Guru. A conversation between Gandhiji and Narayana Guru is significant.

• • Gandhiji, in an obvious reference to Chaturvarna (four-fold division of society) and the inherent differences in quality between man and man, observed that all leaves of the same tree are not identical in shape and texture. To this Narayana Guru pointed out that the difference is only superficial, but not in essence: the juice of all leaves of a particular tree would be the same in content.It was he who gave the call — ‘one religion, one caste and one God for mankind’ which one of his disciples, Sahadaran Ayyapan, changed into ‘no religion, no caste and no God for mankind.’

Answer: C

Explanation:

• • The social reformers highlighted innumerable practices marked by constraint, credulity, status, authority, bigotry and blind fatalism. Rejecting them as features of a decadent society, the reform movements sought to create a social climate for modernization. In doing so, they referred to a golden past when no such malaise existed. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
  • The nineteenth century witnessed a cultural-ideological struggle against the backward elements of traditional culture, on the one hand, and the fast hegemonizing colonial culture and ideology on the other. The cultivation of vernacular languages, the creation of an alternate system of education, the efforts to regenerate Indian art and literature, the emphasis on Indian dress and food, the defence of religion and the attempts to revitalise the Indian system of medicine, the attempt to probe the potentialities of pre-colonial technology and to reconstruct traditional knowledge were some of the expressions which represented the later.
  • If the reform movements had totally rejected tradition, Indian society would have easily undergone a process of westernisation. But the reformers were aiming at modernization rather than westernisation. A blind initiation of western cultural norms was never an integral part of reform. Hence, statement 2 is incorrect.

Answer: B

Explanation:

• • The formal proclamation of the Swadeshi Movement was made on 7 August 1905, in a meeting held at the Calcutta town hall. The Indian National Congress took up the Swadeshi call and the Banaras Session, 1905, presided over by G.K. Gokhale supported the Swadeshi and Boycott Movement for Bengal. Hence, statement 1 is incorrect.
  • The extremists led by Tilak, Bipin Chandra Pal, Lajpat Rai and Aurobindo Ghosh were in favour of extending the movement to the rest of India and carrying it beyond the programme of just Swadeshi and boycott to a full fledged political mass struggle. The aim was now Swaraj. The Moderates, by and large, were not as yet willing to go that far.
  • The differences between the Moderates and the Extremists, especially regarding the pace of the movement and the techniques of struggle to be adopted, came to a head in the 1907 Surat session of the Congress where the party split with serious consequences for the Swadeshi Movement. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

Answer: D

Explanation:

• • Fairs in honour of gods, or religious rituals and ceremonies have within their framework musical plays are known as Jatra. This form was born and nurtured in Bengal. Krishna Jatra became popular due to Chaitanya’s influence. Jatras were extensively used in disseminating the Swadeshi message in an intelligible form to vast sections of the people, many of whom were being introduced to modern political ideas for the first time.

Answer: A

Explanation:

• • Historians divide the Vedic corpus into two parts—early and later Vedic texts. Early Vedic literature refers to the family books of the Rig Veda Samhita. Books 2–7, the oldest books of the Rig Veda Samhita, are also known as the family books because their composition is attributed to the families of certain seer-poets—Grit-samada, Vishvamitra, Vamadeva, Atri, Bharadvaja, and Vasishtha. Later Vedic literature includes Books 1, 8, 9, and 10 of the Rig Veda Samhita, the Samhitas of the Sama, Yajur, and Atharva Vedas, and the Brahmanas, Aranyakas, and Upanishads attached to all the four Vedas. So, all samhitas of the four Vedas are not part of early Vedic literature, rather only books 2-7 of the Rig Veda Samhita are part of early Vedic literature. Hence, statement 1 is incorrect and 2 is correct.
  • Vedic texts can be used as sources of history for the areas in which they were composed. The family books of the Rig Veda Samhita were composed in eastern Afghanistan and the Punjab, the land of Sapta-Sindhu or the seven rivers. The core geographical area of later Vedic texts was Kuru– Panchala, which comprised the Indo-Gangetic divide and the upper Ganga valley. Hence, statement 3 is incorrect.

Answer: D

Explanation:

• • The word rajan (or raja) occurs many times in the family books of the Rig Veda. Since a full-fledged monarchical state had not yet emerged, this word is best translated as ‘chieftain’ or ‘noble’, rather than as ‘king’. Hence, statement 1 is incorrect.
  • Early Vedic period did not witness the emergence of a regular taxation system. Bali refers to an offering made to a god; it also means tribute periodically offered by the clansmen to the rajan. So, it was voluntary in nature during the early Vedic period. Hence, statement 2 is incorrect.
  • The Rig Veda mentions assemblies such as the sabha and samiti. The sabha seems to have been a smaller, more elite gathering, whereas the samiti appears to have been a larger assembly presided over by the rajan. Such assemblies may have played an important role in the redistribution of resources. Hence, statement 3 is incorrect.

Answer: B

Explanation:

• • There are about 300 clearly non-Indo-European words in the Rig Veda. These ‘loanwords’ show that the Rig Vedic people were interacting with people speaking Dravidian and Munda languages. There are many tribes with non-Indo- Aryan names in the Rig Veda, such as the Chumuri, Dhuni, Pipru, and Shambara. The text also refers to Arya chieftains with non-Indo-Aryan names, e.g., Balbutha and Bribu. All this is indicative of processes of cultural interaction.

Answer: C

Explanation:

The family books of the Rig Veda throw light on various aspects of life of the Rig Vedic people.

• • The tribal chief was known as janasya gopa.
  • Measures of time included godhuli (dusk) and samgava (morning)
  • Measures of an area/distance included gavyuti and gocharman.
  • The buffalo was known as gauri or gavala.
  • The daughter was duhitri (she who milks cows).
  • Gojit (winner of cows) was a word for a hero.
  • A wealthy person was known as a gomat (owner of cattle).
  • One of the epithets of the god Indra was gopati (lord of cattle).

Answer: B

Explanation:

Tanjore painting is a traditional art form originating in the region of Tanjore. This art form dates back to the 1600 AD during the rule of the Nayaks.

• • Tanjore Painting is primarily composed of main subject characters from Indian mythology such as Ramayana and Bhagavada Purana Common themes were various depictions of Krishna, Rama’s coronation and variations of Vishnu and Lakshmi (Goddess of Wealth) or used to be royalty. Secondary subjects are elephants, horses, cows and parrots. Tanjore paintings are known for their surface richness, vivid colours, compact composition and especially the glittering gold foils used to give the paintings their rich look. Tanjore paintings are mainly panel paintings (murals are very few) done on solid wood planks, and hence referred to as palagai padam in local parlance.

Answer: A

Explanation:

• • The Cham Dance is a vibrant masked and costumed ritual with its roots strongly connected to Buddhism. Associated with Tibetan Buddhism that prospered in the Great Himalayan, it is a religious tradition performed by monks in multiple festivals and religious events. The rituals are performed for the greater good of humanity, destruction of bad spirits, and for moral instruction to viewers. Dressed up in vibrant colours with extravagant headgear and masks, the monks take up the roles of deities and demons and put up a mock battle with good prevailing over evil. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
  • Cham Dance is said to have originated in the Himalayan range and by far the date and year are kept as a treasured secret to this date. According to a legend, the Cham dance tradition was started by Guru Padmasambhava in the late 8th CE to show the dominance of good over evil. Hence, statement 2 is incorrect.
  • In Tibetan, Guru Padmasambhava is generally referred to as Guru Rinpoche, which means “precious master.” Guru Rinpoche is considered an enlightened being, a fully awakened one, a buddha.

Answer: D

Explanation:

• • Baiza Bai (1784-1863) was born in Kagal, Kolhapur, Maharashtra in 1784. In February 1798 in Poona, at the age of 14, she was married to Daulat Rao Scindia, the ruler of Gwalior. She was known as a superb horsewoman and had been trained to fight with a sword and spear. She accompanied her husband during the Maratha wars with the British, and she fought against Arthur Wellesley, the future Duke of Wellington, at the Battle of Assaye. During the British campaign against the Pindaris, she had urged her husband to support the Peshwa Baji Rao II against them. When Daulat Rao submitted to British demands, she even left him briefly, accusing him of cowardice. She was also fiercely opposed to the Scindia surrender of Ajmer to the British. Baiza Bai died in Gwalior in 1863.
  • Queen Didda was the ruler of Kashmir from 958 CE to 1003 CE. Most information pertaining to her is derived from the Rajatarangini, a twelfth-century Sanskrit treatise on Kashmir by Kalhana.
  • Velu Nachiyar, the little-known queen from Tamil Nadu, was the first Indian ruler to fight and triumph against the British. She did this in 1780, 77 years before the First War of Independence. Popularly known as ‘veeramangai’ (brave woman), she also devised the first recorded suicide bombing in history, with her Dalit commander-in-chief Kuyili. After the British invaded Sivagangai with the son of the Nawab of Arcot and killed Velu Nachiyar’s husband in what is known as the ‘Kalaiyar Koil War’, she was forced to flee her kingdom with her daughter. She found a safe haven at Virupachi in Dindigul, and lived there for eight years under the sanctuary of Gopala Nayaker.
  • Uda Devi was born in a small village in Awadh, Uttar Pradesh. Seeing the rising anger of the Indian people against the British administration, she reached out to Begum Hazrat Mahal to enlist for the war. In order to prepare for the battle that was headed their way, Begum helped her form a women’s battalion under her command. Uda Devi and her Dalit sisters were the warriors or Veeranginis of the 1857 Indian Rebellion against the British East India Company.

Answer: C

Explanation:

• • The first organised strike by any section of the working class occurred in a British-owned and managed railway. This was the signallers’ strike in May 1899 in the Great Indian Peninsular (GIP) Railway and the demands related to wages, hours of work and other conditions of service. Almost all nationalist newspapers came out fully in support of the strike, with Tilak’s newspapers Mahratta and Kesari campaigning for it for months. Public meetings and fund collections in aid of the strikers were organised in Bombay and Bengal by prominent nationalists like Pherozeshah Mehta, D.E. Wacha and Surendranath Tagore.

Answer: D

Explanation:

• • The Swadeshi upsurge of 1903-8 was a distinct landmark in the history of the labour movement. The number of strikes rose sharply and many Swadeshi leaders enthusiastically threw themselves into the tasks of organising stable trade unions, strikes, legal aid, and fund collection drives. The first tentative attempts to form all-India unions were also made at this time, but these were unsuccessful. Hence, statement 1 is incorrect.
  • The All-India Trade Union Congress was formed in 1920, with Lala Lajpat Rai as its first president and Dewan Chaman Lal as its general secretary.
  • The most important feature of the labour movement during the Swadeshi days was the shift from agitations and struggles on purely economic questions to the involvement of the worker with the wider political issues of the day. The labour movement had graduated from relatively unorganised and spontaneous strikes on economic issues to organised strikes on economic issues with the support of the nationalists and then on to working class involvement in wider political movements. Hence, statement 2 is incorrect.
  • In Bengal, Sasipada Banerjee, a Brahmo Social reformer, set up a Workingmen’s Club in 1870 and brought out a monthly journal called Bharat Shramjeevi (Indian Labour), with the primary idea of educating the workers. In Bombay, Narayan Meghajee Lokhanday brought out an Anglo-Marathi weekly called Dina-Bandhu (Friend of the Poor) in 1880, and started the Bombay Mill and Millhands Association in 1890. All these efforts were admittedly of a philanthropic nature and did not represent the beginnings of an organised working class movement. Moreover, these philanthropists did not belong to the mainstream of the contemporary national movement. Hence, statement 3 is incorrect.

Answer: C

Explanation:

Gandhi’s views on labour are part and parcel of his basic economic ideas evolved from his broad political, sociological and philosophical ideals. These ideals are directed to the moral development of human beings, real economic progress, provision of basic needs for life and existence, economic self-sufficiency and the guarantee of economic freedom, justice and equality.

Trusteeship, strike and arbitration are part of Gandhi’s philosophy for labour.

• • Trusteeship theory is deep-rooted in the first verse of Isopanishad and is the guiding principle in the Gandhian scheme of thought to resolve the labour problems. The theory envisages that the rich should hold all their property in trust for the poor and expand it for their benefit. Similarly, each labourer should consider himself to be a trustee for the welfare of his fellow labourers. Thus, the trusteeship theory is not unilateral and does not imply superiority of the trustee. It is perfectly a mutual affair and each believes that his own interest is best safeguarded by safeguarding the interest of the other.

In the following situations, Gandhi suggested, not to take recourse to strikes:

• • if the capitalists are open to arbitration,
  • if there is not a real grievance,
  • if the persons concerned are not able to support themselves out of their own savings or by engaging in some temporary occupations such as gardening, spinning and weaving,
  • strikers must fix an unalterable minimum demand and declare it before embarking upon the strike.

Answer: A

Explanation:

• • The Pala empire was founded by Gopala. He unified Bengal under his control, and even brought Magadha (Bihar) under his control. The system of administration in this empire was based on the ideas and practices of the Gupta empire and Harsha’s kingdom. The empires consisted of areas administered directly and areas ruled over by the vassal chiefs.
  • The directly administered territories in the Pala empire were divided into bhukti (provinces), and mandala or visaya (districts). The governor of a province was called uparika and the head of a district, visayapati. The uparika was expected to collect land revenue and maintain law and order with the help of the army. The Visayapati was expected to do the same within his jurisdiction. In the Pala empires, the unit below the visaya was called pattala.
  • Below these territorial divisions was the village. The village was the basic unit of administration. The village administration was carried on by the village headman and the village accountant whose posts were generally hereditary. They were paid by grants of rent-free lands.

Answer: C

Explanation:

• • During the early mediaeval period, an important feature which emerged was the rise of hereditary revenue officers called nad gavundas or desa gramakutas in Deccan India.
  • In north India during this period we find the increase of samantas or bhogapathi ( smaller chieftains). They were autonomous as far as their internal affairs were concerned, and had a general obligation of loyalty, paying a fixed tribute and supplying the quota of troops to the overlord (Kings).
  • These developments had an important bearing on society and politics. As the power of these hereditary elements grew, the village committees became weaker. The central ruler also found it difficult to assert his authority over them and to control them. This has been referred to by historians as ‘Feudalism’.

Answer: D

Explanation:

• • The Pala rulers also had close cultural relations with Tibet. The noted Buddhist scholars, Santarakshita and Dipankara (called Atisa), were invited to Tibet, and they introduced a new form of Buddhism there. As a result, many Tibetan Buddhists flocked to the universities of Nalanda and Vikramshila for study.
  • The Pratiharas were patrons of learning and literature. The great Sanskrit poet and dramatist, Rajashekhar, lived at the court of Mahipala, a grandson of Bhoja.
  • The Rashtrakuta kings were great patrons of arts and letters. In their courts, we find not only Sanskrit scholars, but also poets and others who wrote in Prakrit and in the apabhramsha. The great apabhramsha poet, Svayambhu, and his son lived at the Rashtrakuta court.

Answer: D

Explanation:

• • The Chola rulers fought constantly with the Chalukyas who had succeeded the Rashtrakutas. These are called the later Chalukyas and their capital was at Kalyani. The Cholas and the later Chalukyas clashed for the overlordship of Vengi (Rayalaseema), the Tungabhadra doab, and the Ganga ruled country in northwest Karnataka. Hence, statement 1 is incorrect.
  • The Chola empire continued to flourish during the twelfth century, but it declined during the early part of the thirteenth century. The place of the Cholas was taken by the Pandyas and the Hoysalas in the south, and the later Chalukyas were replaced by the Yadavas and the Kakatiyas. Hence, statement 2 is incorrect.

Answer: C

Explanation:

• • Nanniah, who lived at the court of a Chalukyan king, began the Telugu version of the Mahabharata. The work begun by him was completed in the thirteenth century by Tikkanna.
  • The Rashtrakuta king, Amoghavarsha, wrote a book on poetics in Kannada.
  • Kamban’s Ramayana is considered a classic in Tamil literature. Kamban is believed to have lived at the court of a Chola king.
  • Pampa, Ponna and Ranna are regarded as the three gems of Kannada poetry. Although they were under the influence of Jainism, they also wrote on themes taken from the Ramayana and Mahabharata.