UPSC daily subject quiz | History and Culture (Week 159) : 3 archaeological mounds, an ancient Indian term, Shaivism, and more

2. It described the ruler’s physical attributes and often compared him with heroes from Sanskrit epics.

3. It highlighted military victories, social and cultural accomplishments, and acts of piety.

4. The Allahabad Pillar Inscription and the Junagadh Rock Inscription are well-known examples of this type.

The term described above is known as:

(a) Dharmashasanas

(b) Vamshavalis

(c) Rajashasanas

(d) None of the above

Relevance:

UPSC frequently tests candidates’ understanding of ancient Indian administrative, literary, religious, and epigraphic terminology. Familiarity with such technical terms is essential for interpreting historical sources and distinguishing between closely related concepts in Ancient Indian History. 

Explanation: 

The term described are Prashastis (eulogies) – a form of inscriptions, which are not among the options given. Prashastis were generally composed by court poets in prose or poetry to glorify rulers by recording their genealogy, virtues, conquests, cultural achievements, and piety. The Allahabad Pillar Inscription and the Junagadh Rock Inscription are among the most prominent examples. The other terms either refer to different categories of records or are not the correct technical term for such eulogistic inscriptions. 

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 2

Consider the following archaeological mounds:

1. Bhir

2. Sirkap

3. Sirsukh

These mounds are associated with which one of the following archaeological sites?

(a) Hastinapur

(b) Taxila

(c) Ahichchhatr

(d) Nagarjunakonda

Relevance:

Important archaeological sites and their key features should be covered as ready-reference pointers during preparation. UPSC often frames straightforward factual questions linking a site with its excavated structures, cultural phases, or notable findings, making such topics high-scoring and difficult to afford missing. 

Explanation:

Bhir, Sirkap, and Sirsukh represent successive phases of urban settlement at the ancient city of Taxila. 

Taxila is an early historic city in Punjab, Pakistan, mentioned in Greek texts, including accounts of Alexander. Besides the mounds, excavations have revealed NBPW pottery, punch-marked coins, and several stupas, the most prominent being the Dharmarajika Stupa. Taxila was important due to its strategic location on the Uttarapatha trade route. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 3

Who among the above is credited with converting the Pallava ruler Mahendravarman I to Shaivism? 

(a) Tirutakkatevar

(b) Tirunavukkarasar

(c) Nammalvar

(d) Manikkavachakar

Relevance:

UPSC frequently asks questions on the Bhakti movement, including prominent saints, their teachings, literary works, and their association with contemporary rulers. Aspirants should be familiar with major Shaiva and Vaishnava saints of South India and their historical significance. 

Explanation:

According to Shaiva tradition, the Nayanar saint Appar (Tirunavukkarasar) played a key role in influencing the Pallava ruler Mahendravarman I to embrace Shaivism. Appar is one of the most prominent Nayanar saints associated with the Bhakti movement in South India. He belonged to a vellalar family and initially supported Jainism. Later he adopted Shaivism. Tavaram includes his compositions. 

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 4

With reference to Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi, consider the following statements:

1. An early literary account on her was written by Rabindranath Tagore and titled Jhansir Rani.

2. The women’s regiment of Subhas Chandra Bose’s Indian National Army was named the Rani of Jhansi Regiment in her honour.

3. The celebrated poem Jhansi ki Rani was composed by Subhadra Kumari Chauhan.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

Relevance:

UPSC frequently asks questions that connect historical personalities with literary works, cultural memory, and institutions named after them. Such linkages between modern Indian history and literature are important factual areas for revision.

Explanation:

In the years following her death, the figure of the queen of Jhansi became a legend with immense potential. Singh in her book described her as “India’s greatest heroine”. Her life and martyr-like death were easily transformed into myth and oral traditions.

From the late 19th and early 20th centuries onwards, her name came to be intimately connected with Indian nationalism. This was a period when the nationalist movement in India was picking up force, and leaders were on the look-out for historical figures who could represent resistance to colonial rule. Lakshmibai proved ideal in this regard, especially because unlike several other princely rulers who cooperated with the British, she symbolised resistance and sacrifice.

At a time when colonial authorities discouraged and censored sympathetic accounts of the 1857 rebels, the first nationalist depictions of the Rani were in the form of oral traditions. An early literary account written about her was that by Rabindranath Tagore in 1877 called, ‘Jhansir Rani’.

A milestone moment in the literary tradition around the queen was the publication of the poem, ‘Jhansi ki Rani’ by Subhadra Kumari Chauhan in 1930. The poem was performed by singer Shubha Mudgal at the 150th anniversary celebration of the Revolt in the Parliament in May 2007. The poem is especially remembered by the lines: ‘Bundelon harbolon ke mukh humne sunee kahani thee/ khoob ladi mardani woh Jhansi wali rani thi’ (We heard this story from the mouths of the Bundela clan/ It was the Rani of Jhansi who fought like a man).

Yet another work that was hugely influential in establishing Rani Lakshmibai as a nationalist heroine was Vrindavan Lal Verma’s 1946 novel, ‘Jhansi ki Rani Lakshmibai’. Historian Prachi Deshpande in her paper, ‘The making of an Indian nationalist archive: Lakshmibai, Jhansi, and 1857’ (2008) has observed that in Verma’s novel, the Rani was represented as an “idealised Indian womanhood” set in a site of “progressive Indian modernity with deep roots in tradition.”

One other noteworthy work from the 20th century was that of Mahasweta Devi’s ‘Jhansi Rani’ written in 1956. It shifted the narrative of Rani Lakshmibai by placing special attention upon folk traditions, stories, and oral testimonies especially from the subaltern sections of society.

Other attempts at cannonising the queen as a heroine of the freedom struggle included naming the women’s regiment of Subhas Chandra Bose’s Indian National Army (INA) as Rani of Jhansi Regiment.

The legacy of Rani Lakshibai continues to evolve more than a century after her death. She is celebrated as a freedom fighter, a pioneering and courageous woman leader, as well as a historical icon and is often invoked alongside figures such as Chhatrapati Shivaji and Maharana Pratap as a symbol of resistance and heroism.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

QUESTION 5

Consider the following statements:

1. Goa Revolution Day commemorates the civil disobedience movement launched by Ram Manohar Lohia and Julião de Menezes against Portuguese rule in Goa in 1946.

2. Goa became a part of India immediately after Independence in 1947 through diplomatic negotiations with Portugal.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Relevance:

UPSC frequently asks questions on lesser-known aspects of the freedom struggle and the integration of colonial enclaves into the Indian Union. Key events, personalities, and timelines associated with Goa’s liberation are important areas for revision.

Explanation:

Eighty years ago, on June 18, 1946, socialist leader Ram Manohar Lohia and his associate Julião de Menezes led a civil disobedience movement against Portuguese rule in Goa. The protest, now commemorated as Goa Revolution Day, became a defining moment in the territory’s anti-colonial struggle against the Portuguese. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

Yet, Goa did not become part of Independent India until 1961. Even after the British left the subcontinent in 1947, Portugal refused to relinquish its colonies of Goa, Daman, Diu, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli. For the next 14 years, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru resisted calls for military action, preferring diplomacy and international pressure to secure their transfer. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

Previous Daily Subject-Wise-Quiz

Daily Subject-wise quiz — History, Culture, and Social Issues (Week 158)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Polity and Governance (Week 167)

Daily subject-wise quiz —  Science and Technology (Week 167)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Economy (Week 167)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Environment and Geography (Week 167)

Daily subject-wise quiz – International Relations (Week 166)

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