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UPSC Essentials Daily Quiz | History (Week 153) : From Agamas to Cholas — can you solve these questions? Find explanations with relevance
UPSC History Quiz Prelims 2026: Test your exam preparation with today’s History and Culture quiz covering Agamas, the Chola dynasty, UNESCO Memory of the World inscriptions, and key historical personalities. A focused revision tool for aspirants.
The Cholas have been frequently in the news in recent years due to renewed cultural commemorations, including millennium celebrations linked to Rajendra Chola I’s maritime expeditions. Find a question on this dynasty in our quiz today. (Image: Chola architecture, wikimedia commons)
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 quizzes for UPSC towards the end of the article.
🚨 Click Here to read the UPSC Essentials magazine for March 2026. Share your views and suggestions in the comment box or at manas.srivastava@indianexpress.com🚨
Note: Dear aspirants, in the History quiz (Week 152), there was an error in the explanation of Question 4, as pointed out by readers. The error has now been corrected. There is no effect on the question or its answer. Kindly revisit the article by clicking here.
QUESTION 1
What are Agamas?
(a) Ancient Buddhist texts dealing with monastic discipline
(b) A collection of scriptures related to temple worship, rituals, and iconography in Hindu traditions
(c) A set of medieval revenue records maintained by Mughal administrators
(d) A category of customary levies and cesses imposed by South Indian kingdoms on temple lands and agrarian produce during the medieval period
UPSC Relevance:
In the past, UPSC has frequently framed questions around ancient terms and concepts. When such terms also have contemporary relevance or appear in current affairs, they become even more important and must be thoroughly covered.
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Explanation:
The term Agamas was recently in the news in the context of temple administration and priest appointments in South India, especially in Tamil Nadu. Agama Shastras refer to a collection of scriptures pertaining to matters like construction of temples, idol creation, conduct of worship of the Deity, etc. It prescribes specific qualifications, rituals, and procedures for temple worship, including who can perform priestly duties.
| FYI
Supreme Court’s ongoing Sabarimala hearings has brought forth the faultlines in the saffron camp on an issue close to its supporters’ hearts: freeing temples from state control. Submissions by the BJP-led Centre to the nine-judge bench presided by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant reflect the Narendra Modi government’s reluctance to cede complete control of temples to the faithful — something the party has often accused Opposition-ruled states of. One of the key questions before the bench is “the interplay between the rights of persons under Article 25 of the Constitution and the rights of religious denominations under Article 26”. The reference is testing the limits of the constitutional framework to deal with the relationship among religion, religious denominations and the state. Story continues below this ad Hindu outfits say that state governments have used Article 25 to establish perpetual control over temples, grab their wealth, appoint priests and sometimes even dictate — as in Tamil Nadu — what prayers should be recited in the sanctum sanctorum, or prevent saffron flags in temple festivals as in Kerala. On the issue of appointment of temple priests (archakas), Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, was categoric that it is not a secular function. “Even in a public temple, appointment of a pujari who requires certain expertise, qualifications and knowledge of Agamas (scriptures that explain the manner of consecration and worship in temples, their construction, etc.) can never be left to the government,” he said. “It (appointment) cannot be done under an act or by the state… Tomorrow, by this very logic…Shankaracharya can be removed by the state, some archbishop can be removed by the state. These kinds of things will have to emanate from the religion itself, from the society itself, from the denomination itself. It cannot be state-controlled. That is the real secularism… If we do not want religion to interfere with the state, the state also will not interfere with the religion.” |
Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.
QUESTION 2
Consider the following statements with reference to history of Cholas:
1. Rajaraja Chola I established Gangaikonda Cholapuram as his new capital to commemorate his successful military expedition to the Ganga, during which he defeated the Pala king Mahipala of Bengal.
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2. Rajendra Chola I built the grand tank Cholagangam to store the sacred waters of the Ganga in South India for use in ritual practices.
3. The Aadi Thiruvathirai Festival in 2025 commemorated 1,000 years of the legendary maritime expedition of Rajendra Chola I to Southeast Asia.
Which of the above given statements is/are true?
(a) 1 only
(b) 1 and 2 only
(c) 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3
UPSC Relevance:
The Cholas have been frequently in the news in recent years due to renewed cultural commemorations, including millennium celebrations linked to Rajendra Chola I’s maritime expeditions. Such developments make Chola history important for Prelims as UPSC often links ancient history with current cultural and archaeological events.
Explanation:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi in July 2025 released a commemorative coin honouring one of the greatest emperors of India, Rajendra Chola I, celebrating Aadi Thiruvathirai Festival during a public event at Gangaikonda Cholapuram Temple. The Aadi Thiruvathirai Festival this year also commemorates 1,000 years of the legendary maritime expedition of Rajendra Chola I to South East Asia.
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Rajendra Chola I, who reigned for 30 years (1014 to 1044 AD), built Gangaikonda Cholapuram as his capital after his Army marched right up to the Ganga river, defeating the Pala kingdom of Bengal, and returned victorious. In this new town, he built a grand water tank and a grander temple. The tank, Cholagangam, was meant to be a ‘Ganga-jalamayam jayasthambham’, or “a liquid pillar of victory”.
| FYI
Historian K A Nilakanta Sastri, in his book ‘A History of South India‘, writes, “The name of the city, Gangaikondaśõlapuram, ‘the town of the Chola who took the Ganges’, was an advertisement of the new power of South India to the rest of the country.” |
Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.
QUESTION 3
Consider the following manuscripts:
1. Gilgit Manuscripts
2. Manuscript of the Natyashastra of Bharata Muni
3. Manuscript collection of the Bhagavad Gita
4. Samaraichhakaha
Which of the above are inscribed in UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register?
(a) 1, 2 and 3 only
(b) 1 and 2 only
(c) 3 and 4 only
(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4
UPSC Relevance:
It is not just about knowing UNESCO’s initiatives or India’s entries in them. In fact, it is more about getting introduced to ancient and medieval manuscripts, which are otherwise difficult to recall because of their vast number and diversity. UPSC can frame questions on this theme ranging from easy to difficult levels.
Explanation:
| FYI Story continues below this ad The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, better known as UNESCO, launched the Memory of the World (MoW) Programme in 1992 with the aim of “guarding against the collective amnesia, calling upon the preservation of the valuable archive holdings and library collections all over the world, and ensuring their wide dissemination”. |
Manuscripts of the Bhagavad Gita and Bharata’s Natyashastra were among the 74 new additions to UNESCO’s Memory of the World Register in 2025.
The Gilgit Manuscripts was successfully inscribed in 2017. They are the oldest surviving Buddhist texts, discovered in 1931 in Gilgit (Silk Route). Written on birch bark in Gupta and post-Gupta Brahmi scripts (5th-6th centuries CE), they cover Mahayana Buddhism, medicine, and folklore.
The Samaraichhakaha is not currently inscribed on the UNESCO Memory of the World Register. It is a famous 8th-century Prakrit religious fiction written by the Jain scholar Haribhadra Suri.
Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.
QUESTION 4
With reference to the following statements, identify the personality:
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1. In 1919, he played an important role in the expansion of provisions under the Montagu–Chelmsford Reforms, which introduced dyarchy in the provinces and increased Indian participation in administration.
2. Following the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, he resigned from the Viceroy’s Council in protest.
3. In 1922, he authored Gandhi and Anarchy, criticising Gandhi’s methods of non-violence, civil disobedience, and non-cooperation.
4. He accused Michael O’Dwyer, who was Lieutenant Governor of Punjab for the Jallianwala massacre and faced a defamation trial in England.
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Who among the following is referred to in the above statements?
(a) M. R. Jayakar
(b) Srinivasa Sastri
(c) Tej Bahadur Sapru
(d) C. Sankaran Nair
UPSC Relevance:
These may be lesser-known personalities, but they are important for aspirants as they often re-enter contemporary discussions through films, novels, documentaries, or public debates. They also gain relevance when referenced by important public figures or linked to recent cultural and historical reinterpretations, making them potential sources for UPSC questions.
Explanation:
Sir Chettur Sankaran Nair was a lawyer of stellar capabilities and a social reformer of formidable credentials. In 1897, he became the youngest president of the Indian National Congress. By 1908, he had been appointed as a permanent judge of Madras High Court. His best-known judgements indicated his commitment to social reforms — in Budasna v Fatima (1914), he ruled that those who converted to Hinduism could not be treated as outcastes, and in a few other cases, he upheld inter-caste and inter-religious marriages.
Nair believed in India’s right to self-government. In 1919, he played an important role in the expansion of provisions in the Montagu-Chelmsford reforms which introduced a system of dyarchy in the provinces and increased participation of Indians in the administration. Following the massacre of Jallianwala Bagh, he resigned from the Viceroy’s Council in protest.
In 1922, Nair published Gandhi and Anarchy, a book in which he spelt out his critique of Gandhi’s methods of non-violence, civil disobedience, and non-cooperation. He also accused Michael O’Dwyer, who was Lieutenant Governor of Punjab at the time of the massacre, of following policies that led to the deaths.
O’Dwyer sued Nair for defamation in England, expecting the English court to side with him. The trial before the King’s Bench in London went on for five and a half weeks. It was the longest-running civil case at the time. The jury sided with O’Dwyer by a majority of 11 against 1, the lone dissent coming from the Marxist political theorist Harold Laski.
Nair was ordered to pay £500 and the expenses of the trial to the plaintiff. O’Dwyer said he would forgo the penalty if Nair apologised. Nair refused.
| FYI
Prime Minister Narendra Modi in April 2025 recalled the nationalist and jurist Sir Chettur Sankaran Nair, who fought a legendary courtroom battle against a senior official of the Raj who had sued Sir Sankaran for holding him responsible for the Jallianwala Bagh massacre of 1919. Nair was also the subject of a film called Kesari Chapter 2. |
Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.
QUESTION 5
Which organisation from India was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award in 2025?
(a) An organisation working on environmental conservation and climate change resilience through community-led initiatives
(b) An organisation dedicated to empowering visually impaired individuals through education, assistive technology, and skill development
(c) An organisation focused on improving girls’ education through community mobilisation and enrolment drives
(d) An organisation providing humanitarian relief and rehabilitation support to victims of war and conflict
UPSC Relevance:
Awards often fall under the miscellaneous category in UPSC Prelims, but they become important when they are linked to unique or distinctive themes such as innovative social impact, grassroots development, or global recognition of Indian initiatives.
UPSC may frame questions indirectly, focusing on the primary work or area of contribution of the award-winning organisation rather than naming the award itself.
Explanation:
The Foundation to Educate Girls Globally, also known as Educate Girls, was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award becoming the first Indian organisation to receive the prize.
An official statement from the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation (RMAF) said it was honouring the group for its “commitment to addressing cultural stereotyping through the education of girls and young women, liberating them from the bondage of illiteracy and infusing them with skills, courage, and agency to achieve their full human potential.”
Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.
Previous Daily Subject-Wise-Quiz
Daily subject-wise quiz – International Relations (Week 157)
Daily Subject-wise quiz — History, Culture, and Social Issues (Week 152)
Daily subject-wise quiz — Polity and Governance (Week 157)
Daily subject-wise quiz — Science and Technology (Week 157)
Daily subject-wise quiz — Economy (Week 157)
Daily subject-wise quiz — Environment and Geography (Week 157)
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