UPSC Essentials : Daily Subject-wise quiz | History, Culture, and Social Issues (Week 38)

The above-mentioned lines refer to:

(a) Ramdas

(b) Pratap Rao

(c) Tukaram

(d) Netoji Palkar

QUESTION 2

With reference to the Kakori Train incident, consider the following statements:

1. The train robbery at Kakori was the HRA’s first major action which took place in 1925.

2. The objective was to fund the HRA and garner public attention for their work and mission.

3. The only major leader of HRA at this time who evaded arrest was Ram Prasad Bismil.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

QUESTION 3

With reference to the Uttaramerur inscription, consider the following statements:

1. It provides details of local self-governance.

2. The inscription gives details on how members were selected, the required qualifications, their roles and responsibilities.

3. The famous inscription from Parantaka I’s reign is found on the walls of the Vaikunda Perumal Temple.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

QUESTION 4

Consider the following statements :

Statement-I:

During the early 20th century, the Ezhavas emerged as “the most educated and organised untouchable community in Travancore.

Statement-II:

It resulted in advancement of the community and helped in obtaining jobs in the government service in huge numbers.

Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

(a) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I

(b) Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is not the correct explanation for Statement-I

(c) Statement-I is correct but Statement-II is incorrect

(d) Statement-I is incorrect but Statement-II is correct

QUESTION 5

The Guru was born in Amritsar in 1621 to Mata Nanki and Guru Hargobind. He was also known as Tyag Mal because of his ascetic nature. He spent his early childhood in Amritsar under the tutelage of Bhai Gurdas, who taught him Gurmukhi, Hindi, Sanskrit, and Indian religious philosophy, while Baba Budha trained him in swordsmanship, archery, and horse-riding. At the age of 13, he distinguished himself in a battle against a Mughal chieftain.

The above-mentioned lines refer to:

(a) Guru Angad

(b) Guru Amar Das

(c) Guru Ram Das

(d) Guru Teg Bahadur

ANSWERS TO THE MCQs

1. (a)

FYI:

— Samarth Ramdas (circa 1608 – 1681), also known as Sant Ramdas or Ramdas Swami, was a Hindu saint, philosopher, poet, writer and spiritual master.

— A devotee of Lord Ram and Hanuman, he toured the entire Indian subcontinent for 12 years, during which he came across various spiritual teachers and diverse religious traditions.

— Ramdas has influenced Hindu nationalist thinkers across the years such as, Lokmanya Tilak, RSS founder KB Hedgewar, and VD Savarkar.

— His paean to Lord Hanuman, Maruti Stotra, is still commonly recited by school children as well as wrestlers akhadas across Maharashtra.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

2. (b)

FYI:

— In 1927, four revolutionaries of the Indian independence movement were hanged on December 17 (Rajendranath Lahiri) and December 19 (Ashfaqullah Khan, Ram Prasad Bismil, Thakur Roshan Singh). It came two years after the Kakori Train Robbery, in which members of the Hindustan Republican Association (HRA) had looted a train transporting money to the British treasury.

— The Hindustan Republican Association (HRA) was founded by a group of young men who were disillusioned by Gandhi’s tactics and what they felt was zealous preaching of “non-violence.”

— Ram Prasad Bismil and Ashfaqulla Khan, both poets, were among the group’s founding members. Sachindra Nath Bakshi and trade unionist Jogesh Chandra Chatterjee were among the others. The HRA would also include figures such as Chandra Shekhar Azad and Bhagat Singh. Their manifesto, Krantikari (Revolutionary), was published on January 1, 1925.

Kakori Train Action incident

— The train robbery at Kakori was the HRA’s first major action, in August 1925. The Number 8 Down Train ran between Shahjahanpur and Lucknow. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— The revolutionaries planned to rob this money, which they believed legitimately belonged to Indians anyway. Their objective was both to fund the HRA and garner public attention for their work and mission. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

— On August 9, 1925, as the train was passing the Kakori station, about 15 km from Lucknow, around ten revolutionaries, including Ram Prasad Bismil and Ashfaqullah Khan, entered the train and overpowered the guard. They looted the treasury bags (containing approx Rs 4,600) and escaped to Lucknow.

— The only major leader of HRA at this time who evaded arrest was Chandrashekhar Azad. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

3. (c)

FYI:

— Uttaramerur is located in the Kanchipuram district, about 90 kilometres southeast of Chennai. It is a small town with a population of around 25,000 according to the 2011 census. It is well-known for its historic temples constructed during the Pallava and Chola periods.

— The Uttaramerur inscription gives details of local self-governance. The inscription gives details of the functioning of the local sabha, i.e. the village assembly. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— The inscription describes a number of important sabha committees, each with its own distinct function. The garden committee, tank committee, annual committee (an executive committee that required prior experience and knowledge to be a part of), committee for supervision of justice (for supervising appointments and wrongdoing), gold committee (in charge of all the gold in the village temple), and five-fold committee (its role is unclear in the inscription) are among them.

— The Uttaramerur inscription details how members were selected, the required qualifications, their roles and responsibilities, and even the circumstances in which they could be removed. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

— The famous inscription from Parantaka I’s reign is found on the walls of the Vaikunda Perumal Temple. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

4. (c)

FYI:

— On March 30, 1924, in the temple town of Vaikom in the princely state of Travancore, a non-violent agitation started, marking the beginning of “temple entry movements” across the country.

— At the time, caste discrimination and untouchability was rife across India, with some of the most rigid and dehumanising norms documented in Travancore.

— Lower castes such as the Ezhavas and Pulayas were considered polluting, and various rules were put in place to keep them separate from the upper castes. These included not only a ban on temple entry, but also on walking on the roads surrounding temples.

— The princely state of Travancore had a “feudal, militaristic, and ruthless system of custom-ridden government,” according to cultural anthropologist A Aiyappan in Social Revolution in a Kerala Village: A Study in Culture (1965).

— In the second half of the 19th century, a number of social and political developments would usher in social change much faster than ever before.

(i) Christian missionaries, supported by the East India Company, had expanded their reach and many lower castes converted to Christianity to escape the clutches of an oppressive system that continued to bind them.

(ii) The introduction of a modern education system with free primary education for all – even lower castes.

(iii) Forces of capitalism and these reforms created new social hierarchies – which were not always congruent with traditional ones.

— During this time, the Ezhavas emerged as “the most educated and organised untouchable community in Travancore. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— However, although some Ezhavas successfully pursued education as a portal to advancement, overall it offered little help in obtaining jobs in the government service, because such posts were reserved for members of the upper castes. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

— Furthermore, while a small Ezhava elite had begun to emerge, ritual discrimination remained rampant, and in many cases, this outweighed material and educational progress.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

5. (d)

FYI:

— Guru Tegh Bahadur was born in Amritsar in 1621 to Mata Nanki and Guru Hargobind.

— Tegh Bahadur was called Tyag Mal because of his ascetic nature. He spent his early childhood in Amritsar under the tutelage of Bhai Gurdas, who taught him Gurmukhi, Hindi, Sanskrit, and Indian religious philosophy, while Baba Budha trained him in swordsmanship, archery, and horse-riding.

— At the age of 13, Tegh Bahadur distinguished himself in a battle against a Mughal chieftain. His bravery and heroic swordsmanship in the battle earned him the name of Tegh Bahadur. (“Tegh” is ‘sword’ in Punjabi.)

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

Previous Daily Subject-Wise-Quiz

Daily subject-wise quiz — Polity and Governance (Week 38)

Daily Subject-wise quiz — History, Culture, and Social Issues (Week 37)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Environment, Geography, Science and Technology (Week 37)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Economy (Week 37)

Daily subject-wise quiz – International Relations (Week 37)

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