Union Public Service Commission(UPSC) Previous Years Questions and Answers

1 .

Consider the following statements about 'the Charter Act of 1813' :

1. It ended the trade monopoly of the East India Company in India except for trade in tea and trade with China.

2. It asserted the sovereignty of the British Crown over the Indian territories held by the Company.

3. The revenues of India were now controlled by the British Parliament.

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

Correct Answer : Option (A) - 1 and 2 only

Note :

The 1813 Act ended the Company‘s monopoly over trade in India but the company retained trade with China and the trade in tea. So, statement 1 is correct. (Spectrum 2017, 566).

The Act asserted the - undoubted sovereignty of the Crown of the United Kingdom‖ over Indian territories. So, statement 2 is correct (Plassey to Partition 2012, 79).

The revenues of India were controlled by the British parliament through Pitts India Act 1784.

Year : 2019

Category : History

2 .

With reference to Swadeshi Movement, consider the following statements :

1. It contributed to the revival of the indigenous artisan crafts and industries.

2. The National Council of Education was established as a part of Swadeshi Movement.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

A)

1 only

B)

2 only

C)

Both 1 and 2

D)

Neither 1 nor 2

Correct Answer : Option (C) - Both 1 and 2

Note :

The Swadeshi spirit found expression in the establishment of swadeshi textile mills, soap and match factories, tanneries, banks etc. so it contributed to the revival of the indigenous artisan crafts and industries. So, statement 1 is correct.

On August 15, 1906, the National Council of Education was set-up to organise a system of education.

Year : 2019

Category : History

3 .

Consider the following pairs:

Movement/Organization		Leader
All India Anti- Untouchability League	:	Mahatma Gandhi
All India Kisan Sabha	:	Swami Sahajanand Saraswati
Self-Respect Movement	:	E. V. Ramaswami Naicker

Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?

A)

1 only

B)

1 and 2 only

C)

2 and 3 only

D)

1, 2 and 3

Correct Answer : Option (D) - 1, 2 and 3

Note :

Gandhi set up All India Anti-Untouchability League in September 1932. (Spectrum Page 438). The All India Kisan Sabha was founded in Lucknow in April 1936 With Swami Sahjananda Saraswati as the president. (Spectrum Page 652).

Self-Respect Movement emerged in South India under the leadership of E Ramaswamy Naicker, ―Periyar‖ (Plassey to Partition 349).

Year : 2019

Category : History

4 .

Which one of the following is not a Harappan site?

A)

Chanhudaro

B)

Kot Diji

C)

Sohgaura

D)

Desalpur

Correct Answer : Sohgaura

Note : Chanhudaro and Desalpur are Harappan sites. Kot Diji is contemporaneous to Harappan era. Sohgura, on the other hand, is famous for Ashokan era inscription.

Year : 2019

Category : History

5 .

ln which of the following relief sculpture inscriptions is 'Ranyo Ashoka' (King Ashoka) mentioned along with the stone portrait of Ashoka?

A)

Kanganahalli

B)

Sanchi

C)

Shahbazgarhi

D)

Sohgaura

Correct Answer : Kanganahalli

Note :

Kanaganahalli is about 3 km from Sannati, Karnataka. An important excavation site for Buddhist monuments. The most important finding of the excavation include a stone sculptured slab bearing the name Ranyo Ashoko.

The first inscribed portrait of Ashoka (surrounded by female attendants and queens) found at Kanaganahalli.

Year : 2019

Category : History

6 .

Consider the following :

1. Deification of the Buddha

2. Treading the path of Bodhisattvas

3. Image worship and rituals

Which of the above is/are the feature/features of Mahayana Buddhism?

A)

1 only

B)

1 and 2 only

C)

2 and 3 only

D)

1, 2 and 3

Correct Answer : Option (D) - 1, 2 and 3

Note : Mahayana Buddhism is one of two main existing branches of Buddhism (the other being Theravada). It started considering Buddha as a god rather than a great teacher and began worshipping Buddha‘s images. It also has a whole cosmology of gods and goddesses as well as various Bodhisattvas seeking complete enlightenment for the benefit of all sentient beings. In fact, the teachings of Mahayana are also nothing but treating the path of various Bodhisattvas.

Source : A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India, Upinder Singh. Chapter 8 – Interactions and Innovations (200BCE- 200CE)

Year : 2019

Category : History

7 .

With reference to forced labour (Vishti) in India during the Gupta period, which one of the following statements is correct?

A)

It was considered a source of income for the State, a sort of tax paid by the people.

B)

It was totally absent in the Madhya Pradesh and Kathiawar regions of the Gupta Empire.

C)

The forced labourer was entitled to weekly wages.

D)

The eldest son of the labourer was sent as the forced labourer.

Correct Answer : It was considered a source of income for the State, a sort of tax paid by the people.

Note :

Vishti was form of forced labour extracted by either state, provincial governor or local chief. It is also mentioned on Gupta era copper inscriptions that enlist variety of taxes.

Junagarh inscription mentions vishti as one form of tax, which indicates that it was extracted from Gujarat and Malwa region. Since it was a forced labour in lieu of tax, it was not a wage labour. Wage labour existed in ancient India but it was not called vishti. Vishti could be extracted from anyone, not in particular from eldest son only.

Year : 2019

Category : History

8 .

Building 'Kalyaana Mandapas' was a notable feature in the temple construction in the kingdom of

A)

Chalukya

B)

Chandela

C)

Rashtrakuta

D)

Vijayanagara

Correct Answer : Vijayanagara

Note : Kalyana Mandapas meant to celebrate divine weddings was a notable feature of the Vijaynagara Kingdom.

Year : 2019

Category : History

9 .

Consider the following statements :

1. In the revenue administration of Delhi Sultanate, the in-charge of revenue collection was known as'Amil'.

2. The Iqta system of Sultans of Delhi was an ancient indigenous institution.

3. The office of 'Mir Bakshi' came into existence during the reign of Khalji Sultans of Delhi.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

A)

1 only

B)

1 and 2 only

C)

3 only

D)

1, 2 and 3

Correct Answer : Option (A) - 1 only

Note : Amils were officers deputed to collect revenue during the sultanate era in North India. Mir Bakshi, on the other hand, was a Mughal high office in charge of military pay and accounts. Iqta system of land control was introduced in India by the Delhi sultans. It was originally of Central Asian and West Asian origin.

Year : 2019

Category : History

10 .

Consider the following statements :

1. Saint Nimbarka was a contemporary of Akbar.

2. Saint Kabir was greatly influenced by Shaikh Ahmad Sirhindi.

Which of the statements given above is/ are correct?

A)

1 only

B)

2 only

C)

Both 1 and 2

D)

Neither 1 nor 2

Correct Answer : Option (D) - Neither 1 nor 2

Note : Both the statements are incorrect. Nimbarka era is not exactly known but its sometime in 12th-13th century. Kabir belonged to the earlier era than Sirhindi. Also, Sirhindi was Islamic, Hanafi, scholar of Naqshbandi silsilah while Kabir was the follower of Nirgun bhakti.

Year : 2019

Category : History

UPSC Previous Years (Prelims & Mains) Questions