Culture and History of India

1. (a) Kuttippuram is an archaeological site in the state of Kerala, India. The Kuttippuram archaeological site is located in the village of Nagaparamba in the Malappuram district of Kerala. The site is known for its megalithic hat stones, which are laterite stones that were used as lids for burial urns. The discovery of these stones was made during archaeological excavations that were conducted by the State Archaeology Department.

 

2. (c) The Kashi Culture Pathway is associated with the G-20 bloc.

 

3. (a) Thiruvonam is a festival that is celebrated primarily in the state of Kerala.

 

4. (c) The ancient city of Kalhu is located in modern-day Iraq. The archaeological site of Nimrud, which was known as Kalhu in antiquity, is located in the Nineveh Plains in Upper Mesopotamia, about 30 kilometers south of Mosul. 

 

5. (a) The Shinon Meeras, a museum dedicated to the Dard-Shina tribes, is located in the Gurez Valley of Jammu and Kashmir. The museum was inaugurated by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha. 

 

6. (b) The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) launched the “Adopt a Heritage 2.0” programme under which corporates are invited to fund amenities at monuments from their corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds. The aim of “Adopt a Heritage 2.0” programme is to enhance the visitor experience at centrally protected monuments, improve amenities, and bolster the culture and heritage value of the country.

 

7. (b) Santiniketan is located in West Bengal, India, and was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in September 2023.

 

8. (b) The Hoysala temples that are now UNESCO World Heritage Sites are located in Karnataka.

 

9. (b) The first Lighthouse Festival in India was held in Goa from September 23–25, 2023. The festival was held at Fort Aguada in Panjim, Goa. The festival was part of an effort to promote India’s 75 historic lighthouses as tourist destinations. The festival included a variety of activities, including.

 

10. (a) The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is the organization responsible for the conservation and preservation of cultural heritage in India, including cultural property museums. The ASI is a government agency under the Ministry of Culture.

 

11. (b) Bhartiya Bhasha Utsav, a 75 day-long event to celebrate the Indian languages started 28th Sep 2023 in Lucknow.

 

12. (d) Valley Queen Heritage Train in Rajasthan is a heritage train that replicates the design of a 150-year-old steam engine.

 

13. (d) Puja Special Tram has been created to commemorate the UNESCO Heritage designation for Durga Puja and to mark the 150th anniversary of Kolkata tramways. It travels along the Tollygunge-Ballygunge route, from Durga Puja to the new year. Kolkata’s iconic trams have been plying through the city since 1873.

 

14. (b) Dhorodo is a village in the Kutch district of Gujarat, India. It’s located on the edge of the India-Pakistan border, about 86 kilometers from the city of Bhuj. 

 

15. (a) The Arattu festival is a famous festival celebrated in the state of Kerala, India. It is a ritual that takes place during Hindu temple festivals, where a priest dips the idol of a deity into a river or temple tank for a holy bath. The Arattu festival is celebrated twice a year, in the spring (March–April) and autumn (October–November). The festival usually lasts for 10 days. 

 

16. (b) Bathukamma is a festival celebrated in the state of Telangana.

 

17. (b) The third edition of the North East India Festival (NEIF) cwas held in Vietnam from October 27–29, 2023. The festival was organized by the Embassy of India in Hanoi and the Consulate General of India in Ho Chi Minh City. The festival took place at September 23rd Park and the Rex Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City. 

 

18. (b) Two ancient temple caves were recently discovered near Rajapur, Ratnagiri in the state of Maharashtra.

 

19. (b) The Unboxing BLR Habba (UBH) festival is organized by the state of Karnataka. The festival is a citywide event in Bengaluru that celebrates the city’s culture, art, literature, heritage, music, technology, and more. The festival is organized by the UnboxingBLR Foundation, a not-for-profit organization that works to make Bengaluru a more vibrant and liveable city. 

 

20. (c) The Hornbill Music Festival is held in Nagaland, India. The 2023 festival featured over 800 artists from India, the United States, Germany, Colombia, and South Korea, along with artists from Nagaland. 

 

21. (b) The Sadar festival is celebrated in Telangana, India. The Yadav community in Hyderabad celebrates the Sadar festival, also known as Dunnapothula Panduga, on the second day after Diwali. The festival is a buffalo carnival that features the display of healthy bulls, acrobatics, swordsmanship, and dances. 

 

22. (c) The UBH is an 11-day festival that showcases the city of Bengaluru’s art, culture, history, food, and films. The festival includes a variety of events, such as heritage walks, a bullock cart procession, and an open-air concert.

 

23. (c) The Hornbill Festival is held annually in the state of Nagaland in India. The festival is celebrated from December 1 to 10 and is also known as the “Festival of Festivals”. The festival is named after the hornbill bird and celebrates the rich cultural heritage of Nagaland’s diverse tribes. 

 

24. (a) The Lokhimon faith, founded by Kurusar Lokhan Engti Hansek, revolves around principles of reform, emphasizing non-violence, restraint, peace, friendship, faith, devotion, and purity. To transform Karbi Anglong into a tourist destination, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced the construction of a Lokhiman temple in Dolamara, Karbi Anglong, with a budget of Rs 5 crore.

 

25. (c) The 28th European Union Film Festival (EUFF) was held in New Delhi. The festival was organized by the EU Delegation to India in collaboration with EU Member States. The festival showcased 28 movies from 27 EU countries and Ukraine in 25 languages across three venues. The festival also provided an opportunity for the audience to interact with European filmmakers and artists.

 

26. (a) Boita Bandana is celebrated in Odisha.

 

27. (b) The Krishnaveni Sangeetha Neerajanam festival is associated with Andhra Pradesh. The 2023 festival was held in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh from December 10–12, 2023. The festival was organized by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture, Sangeet Natak Akademi, and the Government of Andhra Pradesh. 

 

28. (c) The Sikh community mark Guru Nanak’s Prakash Utsav with various rituals, including Asa di vaar, ardas, Nagar kirtan, Akhand Paath Sahib, langar, and cultural programs. The festival includes worshipers singing hymns in procession during the pre-dawn hour.

 

29. (b) A diplomatic row sparked between Greece and the UK after British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak cancelled a meeting with his Greek counterpart Kyriakos Mitsotakis over the status of the Parthenon Sculptures housed at the British Museum. Over the years, Greece has repeatedly asked for the sculptures’ permanent return to Athens, but Britain refused to do so. The Parthenon Sculptures are more than 30 ancient stone sculptures from Greece that are more than 2,000 years old. Most of them adorned the walls and grounds of the Parthenon temple on the rocky Acropolis hill in Athens. Completed in 432 BC, the temple is dedicated to the goddess Athena.

 

30. (b) The Raas Mahotsav, also known as the Raas Leela festival, is celebrated in Assam.

 

31. (a) Sikh holy premises Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib and Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib in Delhi mark the places of execution and cremation of Guru Tegh Bahadur.

 

32. (c) Notes: Styangkung village shrine of Islamic preacher Akhone Muhammad Shareef in Ladakh has been included in sustainable development programme by Kargil Development Authority for preservation as a heritage site.

 

33. (b) The Kharsawan massacre happened in the state of Jharkhand. The massacre took place on January 1, 1948 in the town of Kharsawan. 

 

34. (b) Gujarat set the Guinness World Record in 2024 for the most people performing Surya Namaskar simultaneously at 108 venues: 

 

35. (a) Wancho wooden craft is from Arunachal Pradesh, which recently received a Geographical Indication (GI) tag. The Wancho community’s wooden craft is an integral part of the socio-cultural fabric of the Wancho tribes of Longding and Changlong districts in Arunachal Pradesh. The craft has been practiced by the Wancho tribes for many generations. 

 

36. (b) The Lanjia Saura paintings, which recently got a Geographical Indication (GI) tag, are from Odisha.

 

37. (a) The red ant chutney, also known as Kai Chutney, that received a Geographical Indication (GI) tag is from Odisha.

 

38. (b) The Ganga Sagar Mela is celebrated in West Bengal.

 

39. (b) Pongal festival is closely tied to the Tamil calendar, commencing with the arrival of the Tamil month of Thai. Celebrated in mid-January, Pongal coincides with the auspicious transition to the Thai month, signifying the harvest season’s prosperity. It is a time when Tamilians express gratitude to nature for a bountiful harvest and celebrate with various rituals and festivities.

 

40. (a)  Thiruvalluvar was the author of the book ‘Tirukkural (also known as the Kural). It is a classic Tamil Sangam literature consisting of 1330 couplets or Kurals. The book is also called the fifth Veda or ‘Bible of the Tamil Land’. The Tirukkural, or shortly the Kural, is a classic Tamil language text consisting of 1,330 short couplets of seven words each, or kurals. The text is divided into three books with aphoristic teachings on virtue (Aram), wealth (porul), and love (inbam), respectively.

 

41. (a) Mamani festival or the Ethnic Food Festival is one of the most awaited festivals of Kargil Ladakh During this day people prepare traditional dishes like Thukpa Popot Grain Soup Hrtsrap Khur Yeast Bread Markhur Azoq Skinn Kabchey Puri Poli Pane Cakes of Buck Wheat Curd Suggoo Kash or Pachae etc.

 

42. (c) The 42-day Mahamandal festival was inaugurated in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, India. The festival began on January 24, 2024, in the sanctum sanctorum of the newly constructed Ram Janmabhoomi Temple complex. The festival includes a daily Kalash puja with 48 worshipped urns placed in the sanctum sanctorum. 

 

43. (d) The Salar Jung Museum is an art museum located at Dar-ul-Shifa, on the southern bank of the Musi River in the city of Hyderabad, Telangana, India.

 

44. (b) Tamil Nadu’s Republic Day Parade 2024 featured the Kudavolai System, an ancient electoral method dating back to the 10th century Chola era. Documented in Uthiramerur inscriptions, it was employed to elect village administration representatives. The system involved dividing villages into wards, with residents choosing their representatives through a unique process: contestants’ names on palm leaf tickets (volai) placed in a pot (kuda), and a boy selecting tickets to declare elected leaders. Tamil Nadu’s tableau showcasing this historical system earned the third-best award.

 

45. (a) Mesolithic era rock paintings have recently been discovered in Telangana, India. Location:-The paintings were found at Sitamma Loddi in the Peddapalli district of Telangana. 

 

46. (c) Subika paintings are linked to the cultural history of the Meitei community of Manipur, India: 

47. (a) India’s first digital National Museum of Epigraphy is located in the Salar Jung Museum in Hyderabad. The foundation stone for the museum was laid on February 6, 2024 by Union Culture Minister G Kishan Reddy.

 

48. (a) The Ajanta and Ellora caves are located in Maharashtra, India.  Ajanta Caves:-Located near Aurangabad, these caves are a collection of 30 rock-cut Buddhist monuments that date back to the 2nd century BCE. The caves are known for their rock-cut architecture that depicts the life of Buddha. 

 

49. (d) Kokborok is an official language of the state of Tripura in India. The state government recognized Kokborok as an official language in 1979. It has been taught in schools in Tripura since the 1980s. 

 

50. (a) The Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS) temple was inaugurated in Abu Dhabi, UAE on February 14, 2024. The temple is the first Hindu stone temple in the UAE and is located on a 27-acre plot in the Abu Mureikha area of Abu Dhabi. 

 

51. (b) Adichanallur in Tamil Nadu was chosen as one of the locations to set up a world-class museum, highlighting the significance of the site’s historical and cultural importance.

 

52. (b) Two products from Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri and Anantnag districts—the Rajouri Chikri woodcraft and the Mushqbudji rice variety—have earned the coveted Geographical Indication (GI) tags.

 

53. (a) Kuttippuram is an archaeological site in the state of Kerala, India. The site is located in the village of Nagaparamba in the Malappuram district, close to Tirunavaya.  The Kerala State Archaeology Department recently excavated the site and discovered a large number of megalithic hat stones. These stones were used as lids on burial urns and are believed to be around 2,000 years old. The artifacts may provide insights into the region’s culture and ancient burial practices. 

 

54. (c) The Kashi Culture Pathway is associated with the G-20 bloc.  The Kashi Culture Pathway is a document that was unanimously adopted by the G-20 Culture Ministers at a meeting in Varanasi, India in August 2023. The document outlines the G-20’s priorities for cultural policies.

 

55. (a) The Shinon Meeras, a museum dedicated to the Dard-Shina tribes, is located in the Gurez Valley of Jammu and Kashmir. The museum was inaugurated by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha. 

 

56. (b) Established in rural West Bengal in 1901 by the renowned poet and philosopher Rabindranath Tagore, Santiniketan was a residential school and centre for art based on ancient Indian traditions and a vision of the unity of humanity transcending religious and cultural boundaries.

 

57. (a) The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is an Indian government agency that is responsible for archaeological research and the conservation and preservation of cultural historical monuments in the country. It was founded in 1861 by Alexander Cunningham during the British Raj who also became its first Director-General.

 

58. (b) The Toto language is spoken by the Toto tribal community, a small group of people living in parts of West Bengal near the Bhutan border. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) lists it as a critically endangered language.

 

59. (d) The Valley Queen Heritage Train is Rajasthan’s only heritage train service. It replicates the design of a 150-year-old steam engine, providing passengers with a nostalgic experience.

 

60. (c) Telangana hosts a biennial festival known as the Sammakka Saralamma Jatara, which is renowned as one of the world’s largest gatherings of tribal people.

 

61. (b) Santiniketan is a university town in the state of West Bengal.

Location:-Santiniketan is a neighborhood of Bolpur city in the Birbhum district of West Bengal, India. It’s about 152 kilometers north of Kolkata. 

 

62. (b) The latest cultural heritage included in the list is Garba, a tradition dance form from Gujarat.

 

63. (c) 1500-year-old sculptures with Gupta and Pala artforms were recently discovered in Mizoram.

 

64. (a) Magh Bihu is a harvest festival celebrated in the state of Assam. Bihu is also known as Bhogali Bihu, which means “of eating Bhog” or “enjoyment”. It is celebrated in the month of Magh, which is usually January or February. The festival marks the end of the harvest season and is a time for farmers to thank the gods for a good harvest and pray for a bountiful year ahead. 

 

65. (b) Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Swarved Mahamandir in Varanasi, billed as the world’s largest meditation centre. The grand seven-storey superstructure can accommodate 20,000 people for meditation at a time. Its interiors depict verses from Swarveda carved on walls, columns and ceilings. PM Modi highlighted how the mammoth meditation centre will help revive interest in India’s spiritual traditions that faced deliberate destruction during foreign rule. The Swarved Mahamandir reflects Modi’s emphasis on restoring India’s heritage across various spheres.

 

66. (a) Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tributes to Sikh Guru Teg Bahadur recalling his martyrdom. He was the ninth of ten Gurus of the Sikh religion and was the youngest son of Guru Hargobind. He was born to Mata Nanki and Guru Hargobind, the sixth Sikh guru, who raised an army against the Mughals and introduced the concept of warrior saints. After Guru Ram Das, the fourth Sikh guru, the guruship became hereditary. His writings are housed in the sacred text, ‘Guru Granth Sahib,’ in the form of 116 poetic hymns. During one such mission, he founded the town of Chak-Nanki in Punjab, which later became a part of Punjab’s Anandpur Sahib. He was publicly killed in 1675 on the orders of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb in Delhi for refusing Mughal rulers and defying them. Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib and Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib in Delhi mark the places of execution and cremation of his body.

 

67. (b) Maithili litterateur Basukinath Jha has been awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award-2023 for his Maithili essay collection “Bodh-Sanketan”. Maithili litterateur Basukinath Jha is a resident of Samastipur district of Bihar.

 

68. (c) Ladakh has been included in sustainable development programme by Kargil Development Authority for preservation as a heritage site.

 

69. (b) Gujarat set the Guinness World Record in 2024 for the most people performing Surya Namaskar simultaneously at 108 venues. The event took place on January 1, 2024, with over 50,000 people participating. The Modhera Sun Temple in Mehsana district was one of the venues. 

 

70. (c) Harbin is the Chinese city that hosts the annual Ice and Snow Festival known for its large-scale ice sculptures.

 

71. (a) The Hattees are specifically from the Trans-Giri Area of Sirmour district in Himachal Pradesh, and their potential inclusion in the ST list has been a subject of debate and legal scrutiny.

 

72. (c) Kelucharan Mohapatra helped to revive and popularize the Odissi dance

 

73. (a) The red ant chutney, also known as Kai Chutney, is from Odisha. It received the Geographical Indication (GI) tag on January 2, 202

 

74. (c) India’s Prime Minister recently visited Kalaram Mandir in Nashik, Maharashtra, built in 1792 by Sardar Rangarao Odhekar. Situated on the Godavari’s banks, the temple’s name, Kala Ram, signifies the black statue of Lord Ram. Notable features include statues of Ram, Sita, Lakshman, and a Hanuman idol at the entrance. The main temple has 14 steps symbolizing Ram’s exile years and 84 pillars representing the cycle of 84 lakh species to attain human birth.

 

75. (b) Pongal festival is closely tied to the Tamil calendar, commencing with the arrival of the Tamil month of Thai. Celebrated in mid-January, Pongal coincides with the auspicious transition to the Thai month, signifying the harvest season’s prosperity. It is a time when Tamilians express gratitude to nature for a bountiful harvest and celebrate with various rituals and festivities.

 

76. (c) The Pakke Paga Hornbill Festival is celebrated in Arunachal Pradesh, a state in northeast India. The festival is a state-declared event that focuses on wildlife conservation, especially hornbills.

 

77. (d) The four Shankaracharyas, leaders of Hindu maths established by Adi Shankara, declared their non-attendance at the Ayodhya Ram temple inauguration. Adi Shankaracharya, or Shankara founded maths in Dwarka, Joshimath, Puri, and Sringeri, each safeguarding a Veda. For instance, Govardhan Math in Puri protects the Rig Veda. The Shankaracharyas oversee the Dashanami Sampradaya, a renunciate order. Originating in the 8th century, these maths serve as centers for religious practice, knowledge dissemination, and Vedic literature preservation.

 

78. (a) The author of Thirukkural is Thiruvalluvar, an Indian poet and philosopher. Thirukkural is a collection of 1,330 couplets on ethics, politics, economy, and love. It is considered one of the most revered ancient works in the Tamil language. The book is also known as the fifth Veda or “Bible of the Tamil Land”.

 

79. (d) The Prime Minister visited Guruvayur Temple during his two-day Kerala trip, praying at the Sreekrishna Temple. Guruvayoor Sree Krishna Swamy Temple, known as the Dwarka of the South, is dedicated to Lord Vishnu and Lord Krishna’s young form. Located in Guruvayur, Kerala, the temple dates back to the 17th century, possibly even 5000 years. Notable features include traditional Kerala architecture; a 1638 C.E. rebuilt central shrine, ancient murals, and a 70-foot gold-covered Dwajasthamba. Thulabharam, where devotees are weighed against offerings, is a popular ritual. The temple also houses a significant number of captive male Asian elephants in the nearby Punnathur Kotta elephant sanctuary.

 

80. (a) The Jagannath Temple in Puri, Odisha is an example of Kalinga-style architecture.

 

81. (a) In Jammu and Kashmir, a Popular Festival known as ‘Gole Mela’ was organized at Jagannath temple in Udhampur.

 

82. (a) Mamani festival or the Ethnic Food Festival is one of the most awaited festivals of Kargil Ladakh During this day people prepare traditional dishes like Thukpa Popot Grain Soup Hrtsrap Khur Yeast Bread Markhur Azoq Skinn Kabchey Puri Poli Pane Cakes of Buck Wheat Curd Suggoo Kash or Pachae etc This festival can be a .

 

83. (c) Uttar Pradesh:-Following Ram Lalla’s Pran Pratishtha, the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya hosted a 42-day Mahamandal festival.

 

84. (b) The Batadrava Than temple is located in the state of Assam. The Batadrava Than, also known as the Bordowa Than, is a sacred pilgrimage site and temple complex in the Nagaon district of Assam. It is located at the birthplace of Srimanta Sankardeva, a revered Vaishnavite saint and social reformer. Sankardeva established the Than in 1494 AD at the age of 19. The Than is one of the most sacred sites for Assamese Vaishnavites.

 

85. (a) Grantham, a historical script, once scribed Sanskrit across South East Asia and Tamil Nadu. Originally named for literary works in Sanskrit, it later influenced Malayalam and became Arya Ezhuthu.

 

86. (d) Shumang Leela is a traditional form of theater performed in Manipur, a state in North East India. The name Shumang Leela is Meitei for “Courtyard Play”

 

87. (b) Tamil Nadu’s Republic Day Parade 2024 featured the Kudavolai System, an ancient electoral method dating back to the 10th century Chola era. Documented in Uthiramerur inscriptions, it was employed to elect village administration representatives. The system involved dividing villages into wards, with residents choosing their representatives through a unique process: contestants’ names on palm leaf tickets (volai) placed in a pot (kuda), and a boy selecting tickets to declare elected leaders. Tamil Nadu’s tableau showcasing this historical system earned the third-best award.

 

88. (a) Gujarat was the theme state for the 37th Surajkund International Crafts Mela in 2024.

 

89. (a) Mesolithic era rock paintings have recently been discovered in Telangana: 

Sitamma Loddi Located in the Peddapalli district, these paintings are on a 1,000 ft long and 50 ft high sandstone rock shelter. The paintings depict human figures, including men and women dancing in a line, and a person with a bow and arrow. The site also has handprints and footprints of animals like deer, antelope, tortoise, and wild cat.

 

90. (a) India’s first digital National Museum of Epigraphy was inaugurated in Hyderabad.

 

91. (a) The reality tech firm Hexagon unveiled a digital twin of Mohammed Quli Qutb Shah’s tomb in Hyderabad, India. The digital twin was created using a variety of technologies, including 3D scanning, geospatial mapping, and an autonomous flying drone.

 

92. (c) The Sominsai festival is associated with Japan. The festival was recently in the news because it was ended due to Japan’s aging population crisis.

 

93. (d) The Kapilvastu Relics are associated with Lord Buddha and his disciples Arahata Sariputra and Arahata Maudgalayana. The relics are bone fragments that date back to the 4th or 5th Century BC and are currently housed at the National Museum in Delhi. 

 

94. (c) Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) strives for UNESCO recognition of the ‘Paruveta’ festival at Sri Narasimha Swamy temple in Ahobilam, Andhra Pradesh. Also known as the ‘mock hunting festival,’ it promotes communal harmony, with devotees from diverse backgrounds participating. Legend traces its origin to Lord Vishnu’s incarnation as Narasimha marrying Chenchulakshmi, a tribal girl. The Chenchu tribes revere Ahobila Narasimha. While Paruveta rituals are widespread, Ahobilam uniquely observes them for a ‘mandala’ (forty days), emphasizing cultural richness and religious inclusivity.

 

95. (a) The world’s first Vedic clock has been installed in Ujjain, this clock will display the Panchang, planetary positions, and Muhurat. The clock time will calculate from one sunrise to another. It is located on an 85-foot-high tower in Jantar Mantar, Ujjain.

 

96. (b) The Tawi Festival is celebrated in Jammu and Kashmir. The festival is a four-day celebration that showcases the region’s art, culture, and heritage. The 2024 festival took place from March 1–4 and focused on the diverse art forms and cultural treasures of the Jammu region.

 

97. (b) The Chapchar Kut festival is celebrated in Mizoram, a state in the northeastern region of India. It is a harvest festival that takes place in March, after the completion of the jhum cultivation, or jungle-clearing. 

 

98. (c) Archaeologists in Italy have made a remarkable discovery of a 5,000-year-old cemetery that belonged to a Copper Age society. The cemetery, located in San Giorgio Bigarello, northern Italy, contains 22 tombs with human remains and various artifacts, including flint weapons, soapstone beads, and pottery

 

99. (a) The state that recently discovered a Neolithic child burial site is Tamil Nadu: 

 

100. (a) Majuli Manuscript Painting and Majuli Mask Making, representing Assam’s heritage, were registered as Geographical Indications. The crafts date back centuries and depict stories from Hindu epics, highlighting the rich cultural heritage of Assam.

 

101. (a) Gautamiputra Satakarni was the first Satavahana king to issue coins with the ruler’s portrait on them. He learned this practice from the Western Satraps after defeating them. The coin legends were in Prakrit. 

 

102. (a) Pulakeshin I, the Chalukya king, performed the Ashvamedha yajna, a horse sacrifice ceremony, to gain power. According to his Badami Cliff inscription, he performed four Ashvamedha Yajnas

 

103. (c) In the Belan valley (Uttar Pradesh), all the three phases, the Palaeolithic, Mesolithic and Neolithic, have been found in sequence.

 

104. (d) In the Mauryan empire, the post of Devatadhyaksha was related to religious institutions. 

 

105. (a) According to the Dharmashastras, Anuloma Vivah means a marriage between a man of a higher caste and a woman of a lower caste. 

 

107. (d) Kotada Timba is the local name for the archaeological site of Dholavira, which is located in the Kutch district of Gujarat. Dholavira is an important Indus Valley Civilization site and one of the five major Harappan sites in India. It’s also a UNESCO World Heritage Centre. 

 

108. (b) For the first time in Indian History, the description of the State Administration was found for Mauryan period in the Arthashashtra of Kautilya.

 

109. (c) Sugarcane was not cultivated in the Indus Valley Civilization.

 

110. (b) The Kena Upanishad is part of the Samaveda.

 

111. (b) Senguttuvan, the king of ancient Tamilakam, had erected the temple for Kannagi around 2000 years back at Vannathiparai and called it ‘Kannagi Kottam’. He is known as Red Cherra.

 

112. (b) The Buddhist philosopher Nagasena persuaded the Indo-Greek king Menander to accept Buddhism.

 

113. (c) The Rigveda contains about 10,580 richas. The richas are organized into 191 suktas, which are then combined into 10 books, or mandalas. The Rigveda is the oldest and most sacred Hindu scripture, composed around 1500-1000 BCE. 

 

114. (d) The Arabs were the first to use the word “Hindu” to refer to the people of India. The word “Hindu” comes from the Sanskrit word Sindhu, which means “a large body of water” or “river, ocean”. The Arabs and Persians pronounced the “S” as an “H” and called it “Hindu”.

 

115. (b) Nimbarka, a Telugu Brahmin philosopher and yogi, founded the Sanaka Sampradaya: 

 

116. (c) The name of the Satavahana king Satakarni is inscribed on one of the gateways of Sanchi Stupa. Satakarni was the third ruler of the Satavahana dynasty and is considered to be the first powerful ruler of the dynasty. He was also known as the “Lord of Dakshinpatha”.

 

117. (a) Chaitya is a place of worship, while Vihara is the dwelling place of the monks. Chaitya is a place of worship, while Vihara is the dwelling place of the monks. Both early Chaityas and Viharas were made by woods and later stone-cut Chaityas and Viharas were made.

 

118. (b) The name of the poet Kalidasa is mentioned in the Aihole inscription. The Aihole inscription is a copper plate inscription that was written by Ravikirti, the court poet of Chalukya King Pulakesin II. The inscription is engraved on a stone slab in the Meguti Jain temple in Aihole, Karnataka.

 

119. (a) The Lingaraja Temple is located in Bhubaneswar, the capital of Odisha.

 

120. (c) The “Atharva Veda” is an ancient Hindu scripture and is one of the four Vedas commonly known as the fourth Veda. It is a Vedic-era collection of spells, prayers, charms, and hymns.

 

121. (a) Charles Masson. Charles Masson was the pseudonym of James Lewis, a British East India Company soldier, and explorer. In 1826 Charles Masson, hiding out from the British army came across a large city of bricks in Punjab.

 

122. (b) The Brahuis are an ethnic tribe community currently found residing in Balochistan region located in western Pakistan. Genetic evidence and oral history suggests they are possibly descendants of or have intermingled ancestry with the original Harappan people after their civilization declined.

 

123. (a) Archaeologists discovered four excellent bronze images in Daimabad, a Chalcolithic site: A chariot pulled by two bulls, An elephant, A rhinoceros, and A buffalo.

 

125. (c)  The Harappans were very well acquainted with the manufacturing and use of Bronze. Copper was obtained from the Khetri copper mines of Rajasthan and Tin was possibly brought from Afghanistan.

 

126. (a) The initial differentiation between Vedic and non-Vedic people was based on varna, which means “color” in Sanskrit. The Vedic people were considered to be fair-skinned, while the non-Vedic indigenous people were darker-skinned. The Rigveda mentions the arya varna and the dasa varna. 

 

127. (b) Udayana was the king of the Vatsa mahajanapada. Udayana was a powerful and warlike ruler of the Vatsa kingdom in the 6th–5th century BCE. He was a contemporary of Gautama Buddha. 

 

128. (c) Magadha was a powerful kingdom and for several years its capital was Rajagriha (present-day Rajgir) in Bihar.

 

129. (c) “The four lions,” according to her, “very likely signify “the sovereignty of both Ashoka, since the pillar was erected near the capital of his kingdom and of the truths taught by the Buddha, whose clan, the Shakyas, used the lion as their emblem.”

 

130. (b) The Maurya Empire was the largest empire in India, stretching from the Himalayas to Assam and into parts of modern Pakistan and Afghanistan.

 

131. (b) Dandin, a poet of 6th century AD described Harisena as “powerful, truthful and bountiful, glorious, lofty, and a penetrating critic of ethical and economic compendia”.

 

132. (b) The southward march of Emperor Harsha was stopped by Pulakeshin II, the Chalukya king of Vatapi in northern Mysore. Pulakeshin II defeated Harshavardhana in 618 AD on the banks of the Narmada river. This victory prevented Harsha’s ambition to conquer the south.

 

133. (a) Al-Masudi, an Arab traveler, referred to Mihira Bhoja as King Baura. Mihira Bhoja was a ruler of the Gurjara-Pratihara dynasty in India who lived from around 836–885 CE. 

 

134. (b) Mahendrapala I adopted the title Maharajadhiraja of Aryavarta. His court was adorned by Rajashekhar, who was an eminent Sanskrit poet, dramatist, and critic who wrote many famous plays like Karpuramanjari, Kavya Mimansa, etc.

 

135. (d) The Bhagavata Purana is the book that popularized the worship of Krishna.

 

136. (c) With regards to metrics Utpala was the only important writer on Sanskrit metres. He lived in the latter hall of the tenth century AD. He was a commentator of V?r?ha Mihira’s Brihat Samhit.

 

137. (b) Aryabhata II who wrote the Aryasiddhanta was the most important author of the medieval age. Aryadiddhanta is a lost work on astronomical computations.

 

138. (c) Three temples at Aihole are particularly famous which are the Ladh Khan Temple, the Durga Temple, and Hucchimalligudi Temple. The Huchimalligudi temple seems to be the earliest of the Aihole group and it contains a Sikhara of the Nagara type.

 

139. (d) Paramesvaravarman II was succeeded by 12-year-old Nandivarman II who belonged to the collateral line of Pallavas called the Kadavas. Nandivarman II has a long reign as he ruled from 731 A.D. to 795 A.D.

 

140. (a) The corporate organisations during the Chola administration were also referred to as samaya as they were created through an agreement or contract. The members of samaya were governed by a code of conduct called bananju-dharma.

 

141. (c) The most common type of seal in the Indus Valley Civilization was,The Indus Valley Civilization, also known as the Harappan civilization, was the earliest known urban culture of the Indian subcontinent. The civilization is considered a Bronze Age society, with nuclear dates of about 2500–1700 BCE. 

 

142. (c) Siddhartha Gautama, also known as the Shakyamuni Buddha, was born in 623 B.C. in the gardens of Lumbini. The exact spot of his birth is marked in Lumbini, which is now a World Heritage Site and a major pilgrimage site. The Indian emperor Ashoka visited Lumbini and erected an inscribed pillar there, which is the oldest inscription in Nepal.

 

143. (b) The concept of Kaivalya is associated with Jainism,Kaivalya, also known as Kevala Jnana, is a Jain term that means omniscience, supreme wisdom, or complete understanding. It is believed to be a natural quality of all souls, but is masked by karmic particles.

 

144. (b) Achievements of Samudra Gupta have been engraved on the Allahabad Pillar inscription. Allahabad Pillar: The Prayag Prashasti Pillar is considered to be erected during the time of the Mauryan empire.

 

145. (c) Elephanta cave is a network of sculpted caves located in Mumbai harbour. They are located on Elephanta island (known as the island of Gharapuri) in Maharashtra.

 

146. (b) Megasthenes: A Greek historian and diplomat who was sent to the court of Chandragupta Maurya by the Hellenistic king Seleucus I. He wrote a book called Indica that is a major source of information about the Mauryan Empire.

 

147. (c)  There were 16 Mahajanpadas existed in the 7th and early 6th centuries BC, during the lifetime of Lord Gautam Buddha. The ancient and modern names of the 16 mahajanapadas:-(1) Kashi (Benaras), (2) Kosal (Lucknow), (3) Malla (Gorakhpur), (4) Vatsa(Allahabad), (5) Chedi (Kanpur), (6) Kuru (Delhi), (7) Panchal (Rohilkhand),(8) Matsya (Jaipur), (9) Shurasen (Mathura), (10) Ashmak (Aurangabad, Maharashtra), (11) Avanti (Ujjain), (12) Ang (Champa East Bihar), (13) Magadha (South Bihar), (14) Vrijji (North Bihar), (15) Gandhara (Peshawar), (16) Kamboj (Near Gandhara)

 

148. (b) Gandhara attained its height from the 1st century to the 5th century under the Buddhist Kushan Kings. A unique style of Buddhist sculpture called Gandhara art developed in ancient times in the Gandhara region of the Indian subcontinent.

 

149. (d) There are 24 spokes in the Chakra of the Indian National Flag. It was adopted on July 22, 1947. The chakra is called the Ashoka Chakra because it appears on several edicts of Ashoka.

 

150  (d) There are six major (āstika) schools of Vedic philosophy—Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Samkhya, Yoga, Mīmāṃsā and Vedanta—and five major non-Vedic or heterodox (nāstika or sramanic) schools—Jain, Buddhist, Ajivika, Ajñana, and Charvaka.

 

151. (a) The Qazi-ul-Quzat was the supreme authority in justice during the Mughal Empire, after the emperor. The Qazi-ul-Quzat was responsible for administering justice in all cases in accordance with Muslim law. 

 

152. (b) As an ambassador of Emperor James I, Sir Thomas Roe reached in the court of Mughal Emperor Jehandri at Agra in 1615. Jehangir presented him the Mansab of 400.

 

153. (c) Surdas was a disciple of Vallabhacharya. Surdas is said to have met Vallabhacharya while on a pilgrimage to Vrindavan in 1510 CE. Vallabhacharya gave Surdas diksha and became his guru. Vallabhacharya taught Surdas about Hindu philosophy and God’s lila through discourses. 

 

154. (a) The Koh-i-Noor diamond was probably found in India in the 13th century and was initially owned by the Kakatiya dynasty. The Kakatiya dynasty used to rule over the region in Warangal.

 

155. (c)  Padshahnama or Badshah Nama is a genre of works written as the official history of the Mughal Emperor, Shah Jahan’s reign.

 

156. (c) Jujhar Singh, a Bundela Chief, revolted against Shahjahan.The revolt of Jujhar Singh Bundela withdrew the attention of Shah Jahan from Khan Jahan. He was, rather, asked to help the imperial army in suppressing that revolt. After the revolt, Shah Jahan ordered Khan Jahan in 1629 A.D. to visit the court.

 

157. (b) Gopala was the founder of the Pala Dynasty of Bengal,Gopala’s original kingdom was in Vanga, which is located in southern Bengal. The core region of this kingdom includes present-day southern West Bengal and southwestern Bangladesh. 

 

158. (d) The Lodi dynasty ruled over the Delhi Sultanate from 1451 to 1526. The octagonal architectural design of mausoleums was developed during the last stage of the Sayyid dynasty and continued throughout the Lodi rule. The tombs of rulers of the Lodi dynasty consisted of a high dome on top of an octagonal chamber, surrounded by a pillared veranda on each side. The tombs of Muhammad Shah and Sikandar Lodi are examples of octagonal tombs. 

 

159. (b) Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s council of administrators and advisors was called Ashta Pradhan. They were Peshwa, Pandit Rao,  Sumant, Sachiva, Senapathi, Amatya, Mantri and Nyayadhyaksha.

 

160. (b) Firoz Shah Tughlaq introduced new coins Adha (50% Jital) and Bikh (25% Jital). The other coins prevalent during that period were Shashgani (6 jitals) and Hastgani (48 jitals).

 

161. (d)  The ruling period of Bahmani dynasty ruler Kallimullah was 1525–1527 AD.

 

162. (a) Narasimhavarman I, a Pallava ruler, invaded the Chalukya Kingdom and captured Badami,Vishnuvardhana, the brother of Pulakeshin II, fought in wars with Narasimhavarman I. Vishnuvardhana ruled over a kingdom that extended from Nellore to Visakhapatnam. He took the title of Vishamasiddhi, which means “conqueror of difficulties”. Vishnuvardhana may have died in a battle in 641, and his son Jayasimha I succeeded him. 

 

163. (a) The Paramara ruler Bhoja founded the Bhojshala, a college near Dhar, India,Bhoja was a celebrated king of the Paramara dynasty, who ruled the Kingdom of Malwa in central India. His capital was Dhara-nagara, which is modern-day Dhar. The Bhojshala is a historic building in Dhar, and its name translates to “Hall of Bhoja”.

 

164. (c) The Senas called themselves Brahma Kshatriya and Kama Kshatriya,The Sena dynasty ruled Bengal in the 11th and 12th centuries. The dynasty was founded by Samantasena, who was a Brahmakshatriya immigrant from Karnataka. The Senas are known for: Merging the caste framework in Bengal, Building Hindu temples and religious communities, and Being benefactors of writing.

 

165. (c) Anthony Monserrate and Ralph Fitch visited during the reign of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb.

 

166. (d) Humayun, the second Mughal Emperor of India, died after falling down the stairs of his library in Delhi in 1556,Humayun, Some say he was carrying books when his feet got caught in his robe and he tripped, fracturing his head. Others say he bent down to answer the Muslim call to prayer, the Azaan, when he fell

 

167. (a) Bahadur Shah Zafar was the last ruler of the Mughal dynasty: 

168. (a) Khetri is a well known copper belt. Kolar Fields is a gold mining region and taluka, in the Kolar District of Karnataka state. Sindri is famous for coal fields. Jharia is famous for its rich coal resources, used to make coke.

 

169. (b) Bhima I (reign 1022–1064 AD) was a king of Chalukya of Gujarat dynasty who ruled parts of Gujarat (including Somnath) when Mahmud’s plunder happened. During the invasion, Bhima-I had to flee and take shelter at Kanthkot. After return of Mahmud, he regained his power. He also appeared to have built earliest Dilwara temples and Modhera sun temple. In end of his career, he made an alliance with the Kalachuri king Lakshmi-Karna, and played an important role in the downfall of the Paramara king Bhoja. His queen Udayamati is known to have constructed the Rani ki Vav step-well in Patan in Gujarat, which is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

 

170. (c) Aurangzeb was called ‘Zinda Pir” due to his simple living and high thinking. He was the sixth ruler of Mughal Empire and is also referred to as Alamgir meaning conqueror of the world.

 

171. (c) KHALIFAH is an Arabic word literally meaning “one who replaces someone else who left or died”. In the context of Islam, however, the word acquires a narrower meaning. The Muslim Khalifa is the successor to Prophet Muhammad’s position as the political, military, and administrative leader of the Muslims. The prophetic role of Muhammad is strictly not included in this definition, as the Qur’an and Hadith clearly state that Muhammad was the last of the prophets. Khilafa is a related Arabic word which, in the context of Islam, is used to denote the government of the Muslim state, of which the Khalifa is the head.

 

172. (b) The Maratha coin of Peshwas called “Shivrai” was minted from copper,The British government ordered the collection of all shivrais in 1885 to eliminate the native rival and introduce the new pice, worth 1/64 of a rupee.

 

173. (a) There was a distinct court in the capital town which was known as Adalat-i-Ala. It was empowered with the same duty as the present High Court.

 

174. (c) Mangalesha, younger brother of Pulakeshin I, held titles like Ranavikranta and Prithivi-Vallabha. A devout Vishnu worshipper, he strengthened the Chalukya dynasty, built the Mahakuta Pillar with key inscriptions, and expanded territory through military victories over the Kalachuris and Kadambas.

 

175. (a) The Battle of Tarain was fought between Muhammad Ghori and Prithviraj Chauhan,In 1191, the Ghurid army led by Muhammad of Ghor fought the Rajput Confederacy led by Prithviraj Chauhan. The Rajputs won the battle, but Muhammad of Ghor escaped and returned to Ghazni.

 

176. (b) The Persian poet, Firdausi also completed his epic Shah Namah which is also called as Book of Kings at the court of Mahmud of Ghazni in about 1010 A.D.

 

177. (c) Ruknuddin Firuz Shah was the immediate successor of Iltutmish, but Razia Sultana became the actual ruler after deposing him in 1236,Ruknuddin was the surviving eldest son of Iltutmish, and was appointed as the new king by the nobles after Iltutmish’s death. However, his reign was short-lived as Razia Sultana seized the throne in November 1236. 

 

178.(a) The Supreme Court was established at Fort William in Kolkata in 1774: 

 

179. (c) Rani Roopmati (kavi roopmati) was a Poet queen of Mandu and the consort of the Sultan of Malwa, Baz Bahadur. Roopmati features prominently in the folklores of Malwa, which often describe the romance of the Sultan and his consort. Roopmati with Baz Bahadur, Sultan of Malwa.

 

180. (a) Iqta land was land given to officials as a form of compensation instead of payment for their services during the Delhi Sultanate. 

 

181. (b) Sher Shah Suri’s original name was Farid Khan. He was given the title of Sher Khan by Bahar Khan Lohani, the Subedar of South Bihar, after he killed a tiger that attacked the governor of Bihar. The name Sher means “lion” or “tiger” in the older pronunciation of Persian.

 

182. (a) The British achieved political power in India after the Battle of Plassey, which took place on June 23, 1757, The British East India Company, led by Robert Clive, defeated the Nawab of Bengal, Siraj-ud-Daulah, and his French allies in the battle. The victory at Plassey was the beginning of British rule in India, which lasted for almost two centuries. The British became the most powerful economic and military force in India after the battle. 

 

183. (d) Fakir Aziao-Din: A renowned poet, musician, and scholar who was well-known for his literary works, particularly in mysticism and Sufism in India. He played an important role in the cultural and architectural developments of the Mughal court during the reign of Akbar. 

 

184. (c) The East India Company was established in 1600,The East India Company was an English joint-stock company that was formed to trade with India, East Asia, and Southeast Asia. It was originally called The Company of Merchants of London Trading into the East Indies.

 

185. (d)  Major centers of the Company school of art: Calcutta, Madras, Patna, Benaras, and later Delhi. Delhi paintings used ivory, influenced by Mughal miniature tradition, depicting monuments and court scenes. Artists emphasized detail and vibrant colors, achieving smoother finishes and finer brushwork.

 

186. (c) During the reign of Sher Shah Suri, Qazi Fazilat was the Governor of Bengal from 1541 to 1545. He was previously an army qadi for Sher Shah Suri. 

 

187. (a) Malik Kafur was the commander of Alauddin Khalji’s forces during his Deccan Campaigns,Malik Kafur was a slave who became a general in the army of Alauddin Khalji, the ruler of the Delhi Sultanate. He was also known as Taj al-Din Izz al-Dawla. 

 

188. (c) Purana Qila ( lit. ‘Old Fort’) is one of the oldest forts in Delhi, India. It was built by the second Mughal Emperor Humayun and Surid Sultan Sher Shah Suri.

 

189. (d) In the First Battle of Panipat, Babar faced the armies of Ibrahim Lodi,The First Battle of Panipat was one of the first battles in the Indian subcontinent to use gunpowder firearms and field artillery. Babur’s victory marked the beginning of the Mughal Empire and the end of the Delhi Sultanate. 

 

190. (c) The silver coin “tanka” was introduced by Iltutmish. Iltutmish was a ruler of the Delhi Sultanate who reigned from 1211 to 1236. He was the first to introduce a pure Arabic coin in India. The tanka and the copper jital were the two basic coins of the Sultanate period, with a standard weight of 175 grains.

 

191. (b) Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah was the Qutub Shahi ruler who wrote poems in Telugu, Persian, and Dakhini Urdu. He also had court poets, including Ganesha Pandita and Saranga Thammayya.

 

192. (b) Abul Hasan Qutb Shah, also known as Abul Hasan Tana Shah was the eighth and last ruler of the Qutb Shahi dynasty, sovereign of the Kingdom of Golconda in South India. He ruled from 1672 to 1686. The last Sultan of this Shia Islamic dynasty, Tana Shah is remembered as an inclusive ruler.

 

193. (b) Bahadur Shah (First) was born in 1643. He was born on October 14, 1643 in Burhanpur, India. He was the third son of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb and his wife Nawab Bai.

 

194. (a) Shivaji is credited with pioneering guerrilla warfare. Shivaji’s strategy was to use surprise attacks to capture enemy forts and win quickly. This was a new strategy at the time. Shivaji’s strategy relied on precise military intelligence and geographical details gathered by Bahirji. 

 

195. (d)  On 26 December 1530, Humayun succeeded his father Babur to the throne of Delhi as ruler of the Mughal territories in the Indian subcontinent.

 

196. (d) The Amuktamalyada by the Vijayanagara ruler Krishnadeva Raya was written in Telugu, Amuktamalyada is an epic poem that was composed in the early 16th century. The title translates to “one who wears and gives away garlands”. Krishnadevaraya was inspired by the southern Tamil tradition, unlike most other Telugu poets of the time who based their work on Sanskrit purāṇas or other Indo-Aryan mythological sources. 

 

197. (b) The Suri king Sikander Shah Suri was defeated by Humayun to regain his kingdom. Humayun’s victory over Sikander Shah Suri ended the Suri dynasty’s 15-year rule over the throne of Hindustan.

 

198. (b) Vasco da Gama, a Portuguese explorer, was the first to discover a sea route to India in 1498. Da Gama’s route went around Africa, via the Cape of Good Hope, to reach India. 

Time: Da Gama’s voyages took place between 1497–99, 1502–03, and 1524. 

Significance: Da Gama’s discovery opened up trade routes from Europe to the East and Southeast Asia. It also established Portuguese trade and maritime presence in the Indian Ocean and Kerala. 

 

199. (b) Dadra and Nagar Haveli was a Portuguese colony until 1954,The Portuguese occupied Dadra and Nagar Haveli between 1783 and 1785 and ruled it until 1954. In 1954, local supporters of the Indian Union took over the territory from the Portuguese. 

 

200. (a) Moalijat is a specialty in Unani medicine focused on health and disease. Ilmul Atfal addresses pediatric growth, nutrition, immunization, and disease management. Ilmul Jarahat encompasses surgical procedures like thyroidectomy and tonsillectomy. Ilmul Qabalat Wa Amraze Niswan pertains to obstetrics and gynecology in Unani medicine.

 

201. (c) Kranti Publications Private Limited. A private company that was incorporated in 1968 and was involved in the manufacturing, publishing, printing, and reproduction of recorded media. The company was registered in Mumbai, Maharashtra. 

 

202. (d) Although a socialist, Jawaharlal Nehru did not join the CSP, which created some rancor among CSP members who saw Nehru as unwilling to put his socialist slogans into action.

 

203. (c) Some claim that Indian National Flag was designed by a Muslim woman, Suraiya Badruddin Tyabji, from Hyderabad, who was the ICS officer in PMO in 1947. She designed the flag and it was approved on 21st July, 1947. This has been a controversial historical topic as there is an equal claim about Pingali Venkayya being the designer of National Flag of India.

 

204. (d) The Bardoli Satyagraha was a movement against the increase in taxes for farmers in Bardoli that began in 1928. Patel led the movement, and it was a major part of the Civil Disobedience Movement. The movement’s success made Patel a key leader of the independence movement

 

205.(d) Veda Bhashya Bhumika – This book was written by Swami Dayanand Saraswati. It serves as an introduction to the commentary he wrote on the Vedas. Conclusion: Based on the analysis, it can be concluded that the book “Satyartha Bhumika” was not written by Swami Dayanand Saraswati.

 

206. (d) Major Thomas Adams was the British officer who defeated Mir Qasim in a series of battles in 1763. The British East India Company was led by Hector Munro in the Battle of Buxar, which took place in 1764. The British won a decisive victory in the battle, which was fought between the East India Company and the combined armies of Mir Qasim, the Nawab of Bengal, the Nawab of Awadh, and the Mughal Emperor Shah Alam II. 

 

207. (d) After being released from Mandalay prison, Ajit Singh attended the Congress session in Surat and went on to found the Bharat Mata Society, a revolutionary organization, in 1907. He later founded the Bharat Mata Book Agency, which drew the attention of the British government due to its strident anti-government, propagandist publications.

 

208. (d) Lala Lajpat Rai said ‘the congress movement was neither inspired by the people not devised or planned by them.

 

209. (a) Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay was a literary luminary and influential figure in the Bengali renaissance. He founded Bangadarshan to create a medium of communication between the educated and uneducated classes. The magazine played a key role in shaping Bengali identity and nationalism. It featured work by many writers, including Bankim himself, Haraprasad Shastri, and Akshay Chandra Sarkar. The magazine also included articles on the Puranas, the Vedas, and the Vedanta. 

 

210. (d) During the period of 1922-1924, Mahatma Gandhi largely withdrew from direct political involvement and focused his efforts on what is called the “Constructive Programme,” which included social reforms like removing untouchability, promoting basic education, and encouraging village industries, rather than actively participating in political movements. 

 

211. (a) The National Planning Committee was established in October 1938 by Subash Chandra Bose, who was then the president of the Indian National Congress. Its main objective was to focus on the development of industries in India. The Committee was chaired by Jawaharlal Nehru from Prayagraj.

 

212. (a) At the time of INA Trial Jawaharlal Nehru admitted that: “Never before in history had such unified sentiments been manifested by various divergent sections of the population”

 

213. (b) Hindu nationalist parties like the Hindu Mahasabha openly opposed the call for the Quit India Movement and boycotted it officially.

 

214. (a) Mahatma Gandhi proposed talks with Jinnah based on the C.R. formula, also known as the Rajaji formula, in April 1944. The C.R. formula was a proposal to resolve the political impasse between the Indian National Congress and the All India Muslim League over British India’s independence. The formula was proposed by Chakravarti Rajagopalachari, a close associate of Gandhi. 

 

215. (c) The Independent Labour Party (ILP) was a political Organisation formed under the leadership of B. R. Ambedkar on 15 August 1936.

 

216. (a) Lord Macaulay was associated with the codification of laws, English education, and social and educational reforms,Macaulay established a Law Commission to codify Indian laws. The resulting codes replaced the personal and religious laws of the rulers. These codes include the Civil Procedure Code (1859), the Indian Penal Code (1860), and the Criminal Procedure Code (1861)

 

217. (a) The Indian Councils Act of 1861 legalized the portfolio system, which was introduced by Lord Canning in 1859. The portfolio system gave each member of the Viceroy’s council charge of a specific government department. The members were then able to issue final orders on behalf of the council for matters related to their department

 

218. (c) The Coromandel Coast in India was considered a major source of high-quality saltpeter for Europeans, particularly during the period when European East India Companies were actively trading in the region; it was often referred to as “Indian saltpeter” and was highly sought after for its use in gunpowder production.

 

219. (d) The Portuguese were driven out of Hughli in Bengal in 1631 by Qasim Khan, who was the Subahdar (governor) of Bengal under the Mughal Empire. Qasim Khan led the Mughal forces in a successful campaign to expel the Portuguese from Hughli, which was an important Portuguese trading post and stronghold in Bengal. This event significantly weakened Portuguese influence in the region and marked the decline of their presence in Bengal.

 

220. (d) Cochin was the early capital of the Portuguese in India: 

 

221. (c) R.M. Bird, which stands for Robert Merttins Bird, is widely recognized as being associated with the introduction of the Mahalwari System in India, alongside Holt Mackenzie, during the British Raj. 

 

222. (b) The Rowlatt Act was passed during the term of Lord Chelmsford, who was the Viceroy and Governor-General of India from 1916 to 1921.

 

223. (c) Lord Irwin made the “Dipawali Declaration” in 1929. 

 

224. (a) Indian National Congress Fifth Session at Bombay of the Congress had 1889 Delegates.

 

225. (a) Keshab Chandra Sen founded the Indian Reform Association in 1870. The Indian Reform Association was a social and religious reform movement that aimed to bring about progressive changes in Indian society. 

 

226. (c) The Nair Service Society, a synonym for selfless service and social commitment was founded by the late Sri. Mannathu Padmanabhan on 31 – 10 – 1914.

 

227. (a) `Asthavana’ is Land revenue department. In the Chola period, land revenue was a major source of income for the government. The amount of land revenue collected was one-sixth or one-third of the produce, depending on the fertility of the soil. The tax was collected in cash, in-kind, or both, depending on the farmer’s preference.

 

228. (d) The peasantry largely remained distant from the Swadeshi Movement of 1905, as the movement was primarily led by the urban elite and middle class, failing to effectively mobilize the rural masses and address their specific concerns like land issues and high taxes. 

 

229. (c) Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India, said “The light has gone out of our lives” in a speech on January 30, 1948, after the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi. The speech was delivered ex tempore over All-India Radio. It is often regarded as one of the greatest speeches in history.

 

230. (b) Chakravarti Rajagopalachari, also known as Rajaji, was the last Governor-General of India: 

 

231. (d)  Baba Ramchandra led the Awadh peasants during the Non-cooperation movement.

 

232. (c) The first editor and founder of The Hindu was G. Subramania Iyer.

 

233. (b) The first issue of Kudi Arasu was released in Periyar E. V. Ramasamy on 2 May 1925 in Erode with K. M. Thangaperumal pillai as the editor. The Madras government of the British Raj banned the magazine at several occasions for various reasons including sedition and for propagating communism.

 

234. (d) Kapilendra Deva was the founder of the Gajapati dynasty of Orissa, The Gajapati dynasty was a medieval Hindu dynasty that ruled parts of eastern and southern India, with Odisha as its center. The dynasty expanded to include parts of Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Central Madhya Pradesh, and Jharkhand.

 

235. (a) The primary aim of the Akali Movement, which began in Punjab in the 1920s, was to improve the management of Sikh shrines, or gurdwaras,The Akali Movement, also known as the Gurudwara Reform Movement, aimed to remove corrupt practices and mismanagement from the administration of Sikh religious institutions. The movement sought to restore the sanctity of the gurdwaras, which are considered an important part of Sikh identity and spirituality. 

 

236. (b) Haipou Jadonang (1905–1931) was the first tribal leader to be inspired by Mahatma Gandhi and his ideology.

 

237. (b) The All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) was formed in 1936,The AIKS was formed in April 1936 at the Indian National Congress (INC) session in Lucknow.

 

238. (c) It came under the leadership of Periyar E. V. Ramaswamy and his Self-Respect Movement. In 1944, Periyar transformed the Justice Party into the social organisation Dravidar Kazhagam and withdrew it from electoral politics.

 

239. (c) The first free university in India, completely independent of the Government and receiving no grant from it was Visva-Bharati University in Santiniketan, established by Rabindranath Tagore.

 

240. (a) The Rowlatt Satyagraha was a mass strike that began in Mumbai in 1919 against the Rowlatt Act, which gave the British government the power to detain political prisoners without trial. The Rowlatt Satyagraha was a major milestone in India’s freedom struggle and the first large-scale use of Gandhi’s non-violent civil disobedience technique on a national level. 

 

241. (d) Lord Ellenborough was the Governor-General of India when Sindh was annexed in 1843,In September 1842, a troop led by Sir Charles Napier was sent to Sindh to take control of British Indian troops there. Napier led the military action that led to the annexation of Sindh. He also served as the governor of Sindh from 1843–47. 

 

242. (a) The Indian Association played an important role in arousing national consciousness through the formation of the Indian National Congress. The Indian Association was the first openly nationalist organization in British India, founded in 1876 by Surendranath Banerjee and Ananda Mohan Bose. The Association’s objectives included promoting the political, intellectual, and material advancement of the people. It became a forum for India’s aspirations for independence and later merged with the Indian National Congress. 

 

243. (a) Abhinav Bharat Society (Young India Society) was an Indian Independence secret society founded by Vinayak Damodar Savarkar and his brother Ganesh Damodar Savarkar in 1904.

 

244. (d) JP Narayan convened a meeting in Patna on 17 May 1934, which founded the Bihar Congress Socialist Party. He was a Gandhian Socialist. Narayan became general secretary of the party and Acharya Narendra Deva became president.

 

245. (c) Lord Ripon is generally acknowledged as the pioneer of local self-government in modern India,Lord Ripon. Lord Ripon is regarded as the father of local self-government in India. He was considered to have given the Indians the first taste of independence by establishing the Local Self Government in 1882.

 

246. (d)  Lord Mayo. Lord Mayo’s Resolution of 1870 on Financial Decentralisation visualised the development of local self-government institutions. Its resolution pertained to financial decentralization which was a legislative devolution inaugurated by the Indian Council Act of 1861.

 

247. (a) Charles Napier led the battle of Miani and ended up with the annexation. Later he confessed, “We have no right to seize Sind, yet we shall do so and a very advantageous, useful, humane piece of rascality it will be.

 

248. (a)  The Theosophical Society was founded by Madame H. P. Blavatsky and Colonel Olcott in New York in 1875. The movement was popularised by Annie Besant in India. In 1882 , the headquarters of the Society was established in Adyar, near Madras (now Chennai) in India

 

249. (d) In 1939 Subhash Chandra Bose and Pattabhi Sitaramayya fought for the election for President of the Congress party. In which Subhash Chandra Bose got 1580 votes and Sitaramaya got 1377 votes. Thus Subhash won by defeating Pattabhi Sitharamayya.

 

250. (d) Jamanalal Bajaj was a capitalist who served as the All India Congress Committee (AICC) treasurer for many years and went to jail in 1930. He was unique among capitalists because he was a full-time Congress activist.