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UPSC Essentials | Daily Quiz : History and Culture (Week 134) — Test your knowledge for UPSC CSE Prelims 2026

UPSC Prelims 2026 MCQs : Sharpen your UPSC Prelims 2026 preparation with daily quiz on History and Culture. Cover key topics such as Gandhi’s autobiography, Indus Valley sites, ancient literature, and more. Missed previous quizzes? Find links in the end of the article.

UPSC history quiz prelims 2026 gandhi autobiography

Gandhi’s autobiography completes 100 years, still topping Navajivan’s bestseller list with over one crore copies sold. Find more in our upsc quiz today. (Express photo by Renuka Puri)

UPSC Essentials brings to you its initiative of daily subject-wise quizzes. These quizzes are designed to help you revise some of the most important topics from the static part of the syllabus. Attempt today’s subject quiz on History and Culture to check your progress. Find links to previous History quizzes for UPSC towards the end of the article.

QUESTION 1

Consider the following statements with reference to Mahatma Gandhi’s autobiography “The Story of My Experiments with Truth”:

1. It was originally written in Gujarati language.

2. Jawaharlal Nehru wrote the preface for the first English translation of Gandhi’s autobiography.

Which of the above given statements is/are true?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Explanation

— November 29 marked 100 years of the publication of Mahatma Gandhi’s autobiography in Gujarati – Satya na Prayogo Athva Atmakatha – in his weekly journal Navajivan in 1925 in a serialised format. During these 100 years, the autobiography has remained one of the most popular literary pieces from Gujarat and has been translated into around 50 languages across the world.

— On November 29, 1925, the first chapter of Gandhi’s autobiography was published in Navajivan. And the serial ended on February 3, 1929. The autobiography, originally written in the Gujarati language, was published in a total of 166 chapters. In a similar serialised manner, the English translation of the autobiography was published in Young India, another weekly journal published by Gandhi. The first chapter of the English translation was published on December 3, 1925 and ended in the edition of Young India dated February 7, 1929. Hence, statement a is correct.

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— The English translation of the chapters, except for chapters 29 to 43, was done by Mahadev Desai, Gandhi’s secretary. He also wrote the first English translation of Gandhi’s autobiography. Chapters 29 to 43 were translated into English by Pyarelal Nayyar owing to Desai’s absence in Bardoli during an inquiry on the Bardoli Satyagraha by the Broomfield Committee in 1928-29. Hence, statement b is not correct.

— The title of the autobiography in Gujarati is ‘Satya na Prayogo athva Atmakatha’ whereas, the title of its English version is ‘An Autobiography or The Story of My Experiments with Truth’.

Therefore, a is the correct answer.

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(For more, refer: 100 years of Gandhi’s autobiography by Parimal A Dabhi, The Indian Express)

QUESTION 2

Consider the following pairs of books and authors:

Books	Authors
1. From Yeravda Mandir: Ashram Observances	M.K.Gandhi
2. To the Princes and their People	VallabhbhaiPatel
3. The Indian State Problem	Dadabhai Naoroji

How many pairs given above is/are correctly matched?

(a) Only one of the three pairs

(b) Only two of the three pairs

(c) All three pairs

(d) None of the three pairs

Explanation

— All three books were written by M.K.Gandhi. In the given question, only the first pair is correctly matched.

Therefore, a is the correct answer.

QUESTION 3

Consider the following statements:

1. The ‘Aryan Invasion Theory’ for India was propounded by Mortimer Wheeler, who claimed that the Indus Valley Civilization was destroyed by an invasion of Indo-European tribes.

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2. The term ‘Aryasatya’ refers to meditative stages that a true Arya practices.

Which of the above given statements is/are incorrect?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Explanation

— Aryasatya is a foundational concept in Buddhism that refers to the four noble truths. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

— The ‘Aryan Invasion Theory’ for India was propounded by Mortimer Wheeler, who claimed that the Indus Valley Civilization was destroyed by an invasion of Indo-European tribes. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

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Therefore, a is the correct answer.

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(For more, refer: The use and abuse of Sanskrit, Ranabir Chakravarti, Express Opinion, The Indian Express)

QUESTION 4

Consider the following sites of the Indus Valley Civilisation:

1. Banawali

2. Ropar

3. Ganweriwala

What is the correct order of the above-mentioned sites from north to south?

(a) 1-2-3

(b) 2-3-1

(c) 3-1-2

(d) 2-1-3

Explanation

— Ropar archeological site is located in Punjab, India.

— The Banawali site is located in Fatehabad district of Haryana.

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— The Ganweriwala site is located in the Cholistan Desert of southern Punjab, Pakistan.

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— The correct order of the above-mentioned sites from north to south is Ropar-Banawali-Ganweriwala.

Therefore, d is the correct answer.

QUESTION 5

Who is the author of Dashakumaracharita?

(a) Banabhatta

(b) Bharavi

(c) Dandin

(d) Harshvardhana

Explanation

— Dashakumaracharita was written by Dandin (7th to 8th centuries CE), an ancient Indian author of Sanskrit prose. The book is a collection of stories about the adventures of ten princes, and it is celebrated for its realistic portrayal of society, wit, and humor.

Therefore, c is the correct answer.

Previous Quizzes:

Daily Subject-wise quiz — History, Culture, and Social Issues (Week 133)

Daily Subject-wise quiz —International Relations (Week 138)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Polity and Governance (Week 138)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Science and Technology (Week 138)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Economy (Week 138)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Environment and Geography (Week 138)

Daily subject-wise quiz – International Relations (Week 137)

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For more MCQs on other subjects and current affairs for UPSC Prelims CLICK HERE.

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Manas Srivastava

Manas Srivastava leads the UPSC Essentials section of The Indian Express (digital). He majorly writes on UPSC, other competitive exams and education-related projects. In the past, Manas has represented India at the G-20 Youth Summit in Mexico. He is a former member of the Youth Council, GOI. A two-time topper/gold medallist in History (both in graduation and post-graduation) from Delhi University, he has mentored and taught UPSC aspirants for more than five years. His diverse role in The Indian Express consists of writing, editing, anchoring/ hosting, interviewing experts, and curating and simplifying news for the benefit of students. He hosts the YouTube talk show called ‘Art and Culture with Devdutt Pattanaik’ and a LIVE series on Instagram and YouTube called ‘LIVE with Manas’.His talks on ‘How to read a newspaper’ focus on newspaper reading as an essential habit for students. His articles and videos aim at finding solutions to the general queries of students and hence he believes in being students' editor, preparing them not just for any exam but helping them to become informed citizens. This is where he makes his teaching profession meet journalism. He is also the editor of UPSC Essentials' monthly magazine for the aspirants. He is a recipient of the Dip Chand Memorial Award, the Lala Ram Mohan Prize and Prof. Papiya Ghosh Memorial Prize for academic excellence. He was also awarded the University’s Post-Graduate Scholarship for pursuing M.A. in History where he chose to specialise in Ancient India due to his keen interest in Archaeology. He has also successfully completed a Certificate course on Women’s Studies by the Women’s Studies Development Centre, DU. As a part of N.S.S in the past, Manas has worked with national and international organisations and has shown keen interest and active participation in Social Service. He has led and been a part of projects involving areas such as gender sensitisation, persons with disability, helping slum dwellers, environment, adopting our heritage programme. He has also presented a case study on ‘Psychological stress among students’ at ICSQCC- Sri Lanka. As a compere for seminars and other events he likes to keep his orating hobby alive. His interests also lie in International Relations, Governance, Social issues, Essays and poetry. ... Read More

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