History

The statements given refer to the proposals of the Cripps Mission, which was a mission sent to India in 1942 by the British government during World War II to negotiate with Indian leaders regarding constitutional reforms.

Statement 1 is incorrect: The Cripps Mission proposed setting up a Constitution-making body for India after the War, whose members would be elected by the Provincial Assemblies and nominated by the rulers in the case of the Princely States.

Statement 2 is correct: One of the proposals of the Cripps Mission was that provinces unwilling to join the proposed Constituent Assembly or accept the new constitution would have the option to negotiate separate agreements with Britain regarding their future status.

Therefore, the correct answer is (b) 2 only.

Statement 1 is incorrect. The United East India Company of the Netherlands (VOC) was formed in 1602. The Gajapati dynasty, which ruled the Odisha region, had declined significantly by 1541 (the last ruler being Kakharua Deva). Therefore, the Dutch could not have received land grants from Gajapati rulers. They typically acquired land from local rulers like the Nayakas or the Golconda Sultanate on the east coast.

Statement 2 is correct. Alfonso de Albuquerque captured Goa in 1510 from the Bijapur Sultanate (Adil Shahis). This victory established the Portuguese as a formidable regional power.

Statement 3 is correct. In 1639, Francis Day of the English East India Company obtained a lease for a strip of land in Madras from the Nayaka of Chandragiri (Damarla Venkatapathy), who was a representative/vassal of the declining Vijayanagara Empire.

The Government of India Act 1919 introduced the system of dyarchy in the provinces. Under this system, the provincial subjects of administration were divided into two categories 'Reserved' and 'Transferred'.

The 'Reserved' subjects were administered by the Governor of the province with the help of his executive council of bureaucrats. These subjects were considered more crucial and included areas such as law and order, finance, land revenue, and irrigation.

The 'Transferred' subjects were administered by the Governor with the help of Indian ministers. These subjects were considered less critical and included areas such as education, public health, and local self-government.

Therefore, among the options provided, Administration of Justice, Land Revenue, and Police were treated as 'Reserved' subjects, while Local Self-Government was a 'Transferred' subject.

On 8th August 1942, the Quit India Resolution was adopted by the All India Congress Committee (AICC). This was a significant event in the Indian freedom struggle as it marked the launch of the Quit India Movement, led by Mahatma Gandhi, demanding an end to British Rule in India.

The other options are not related to this specific date. - The Viceroy's Executive council was indeed expanded to include more Indians, but this was part of the August Offer in 1940, not on 8th August 1942. - The Congress ministries did resign in seven provinces, but this happened in 1939, not in 1942. - Lastly, Cripps did propose an Indian Union with full Dominion Status, but this was part of the Cripps Mission, which also did not occur on 8th August 1942.

Therefore, the correct answer is that the Quit India Resolution was adopted by the AICC on this date.


All the statements are correct.

Being employed in a Royal Household of the Vijayanagar empire implies that women served a variety of roles and were crucial to the workings of the palace.

It was during the zenith of the Vijayanagar empire that female artists were encouraged to contribute to literature. Krishnadevaraya, besides having dominion over peninsular India, patronised female writers and poets.

According to Portuguese writer Ferno Nuniz, the women in the Vijayanagara Empire were experts in various fields, including : - Wrestling (skilled in martial arts) - Astrology (predicted celestial events) - Accounting (managed financial records) - Soothsaying (foretold the future based on signs and omens)

So the correct answer is 1, 2, 3 and 4.

Pair 1 is incorrect. Burzahom, located in the Kashmir Valley, is an archaeological site known for its Neolithic and Megalithic phases. Rock-cut shrines were not a prominent feature of the Neolithic period.

Pair 2 is correct. Chandra-Ketugarh is indeed well-known for its terracotta art. Excavations at Chandra-Ketugarh, located near Kolkata in West Bengal, have revealed a vast collection of terracotta objects dating back to the 3rd century BCE to the 3rd century CE.

Pair 3 is correct. Ganeshwar is an archaeological site located in Rajasthan, India. It is known for its Copper Hoard Culture, dating back to the Chalcolithic period (approximately 4000-2000 BCE). Ganeshwar is renowned for its large number of copper artefacts, including tools, weapons, and ornaments, providing valuable insights into ancient metallurgy and trade networks.

Therefore, pairs 2 and 3 are correct.

Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar - He was associated as Secretary with Hindu Female School which later came to be known as Bethune Female School. As the secretary of the Bethune School established in 1849, Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar did important work in the field of higher education for women in India. - Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar's most significant contribution was his advocacy for widow remarriage and girls' education, leading to the enactment of the Hindu Widow Remarriage Act of 1856.

Annie Besant: - In September 1916, Annie Besant along with Bal Gangadhar Tilak established the All-India Home Rule League. - In 1917, Annie Besant was elected the President of the Indian National Congress (INC) Calcutta session, becoming the first woman to hold this position. - In 1898, she founded the Central Hindu College in Benares. Theosophists from abroad assisted in this effort, and the institution eventually became the foundation for Banaras Hindu University. - She also established the Central Hindu School for Girls in Varanasi, advancing female education in India.

Debendranath Tagore: - He founded the Tattvabodhini Sabha and Adi Brahmo Samaj.

Sarojini Naidu: - In recognition of her service during the plague epidemic in India, the British government honored her with the 'Kaisar-i-Hind' Medal. - In 1925, she became the first Indian woman to be elected president of the Indian National Congress (INC) during its Kanpur Session and held the position until 1928. - In 1930, Mahatma Gandhi chose her to lead the Salt Satyagraha, a nonviolent protest against the British monopoly on salt production. - She also accompanied Gandhi to London for the second session of the Round Table Conference in 1931, which ultimately remained inconclusive.

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi translated a collection of ancient Indian religious lyrics from Sanskrit and other Indian languages into English during his imprisonment in Yerwada Jail in 1930. This work was published in London in 1934 under the title 'Songs from Prison'.

* Bal Gangadhar Tilak: He is well-known for his work 'Gita Rahasya', which he wrote while imprisoned in Mandalay, and 'The Arctic Home in the Vedas'. * Jawaharlal Nehru: His major literary contributions include 'The Discovery of India' and 'Glimpses of World History', both written during his various terms in prison. * Sarojini Naidu: Known as the 'Nightingale of India', she was a prolific poet whose works include 'The Golden Threshold', 'The Bird of Time', and 'The Broken Wing', but she is not associated with the translation 'Songs from Prison'.

Statement 1 is correct: Broach (Bharuch, Gujarat) was among the early factories of the English East India Company in the first quarter of the 17th century, soon after Surat.

Statement 2 is incorrect: Chicacole was not an English factory during this period; the Company's early eastern base was at Masulipatnam.

Statement 3 is incorrect: Trichinopoly was not an early trading post; it gained importance only in the 18th century during the Carnatic Wars.


* Dholavira is one of the five largest Harappan sites and is located in the present-day state of Gujarat, India. It was a prominent city of the ancient Indus Valley Civilization, flourishing around 4500 years ago.

* Dholavira is renowned for its sophisticated water management system, which includes reservoirs, dams, channels, and other hydraulic structures.

* Dholavira was a well-planned city with three distinct divisions: the citadel, middle town, and lower town. The city also had a large stadium or public gathering area, suggesting community events or administrative functions. A remarkable discovery at Dholavira was the earliest known signboard, with inscriptions on a large wooden board, indicating the use of writing for communication or identification.


Kalibangan (Rajasthan) - First site to show ploughed field patterns. - Fire altars, indicating ritualistic practices. - Houses made of mud bricks instead of baked bricks. - No large water reservoirs like Dholavira.

Rakhigarhi (Haryana) - Largest IVC site in India. - Evidence of multi-roomed houses, pottery, and jewelry making. - Skeletons found suggest the continuity of Harappan genes. - No evidence of large-scale fortifications like Dholavira.

Ropar (Punjab) - First Harappan site excavated after India's independence. - Harappan culture overlapped with later Vedic culture. - Evidence of burials with pottery and personal belongings. - Found near the Sutlej River, showing river-based settlement.

Statement 1 is incorrect: Nizamat of Arcot was established by Aurangzeb and was the legal dependency of the Nizam of Hyderabad, it did not emerge from the Hyderabad state.

Statement 2 is correct: The Mysore Kingdom emerged out of Vijayanagara Empire. After Vijayanagar fell in 1565, the ruling dynasty of Wodeyars of Mysore asserted their independence.

Statement 3 is incorrect: The state of Rohilakhand was felled out of the Afghan migration into India which took place in the mid-18th century. Ali Muhammad Khan took advantage of the collapse of authority in north India following Nadir Shah's invasion, to set up a petty kingdom, Rohilakhand.

Shah Nawaz Khan, Prem Kumar Sehgal, and Gurbaksh Singh Dhillon were senior officers of the Indian National Army (INA), also known as the Azad Hind Fauj. They are famously remembered for the Red Fort Trials (INA Trials) of 1945, where they were court-martialed by the British for 'waging war against the King-Emperor'. The trials triggered widespread nationalist demonstrations, and the Indian National Congress organized an INA Defence Committee comprising legal luminaries like Bhulabhai Desai, Tej Bahadur Sapru, and Jawaharlal Nehru to defend them.

Interim Government (1946) Portfolios: * Jawaharlal Nehru: Vice-President of the Executive Council, External Affairs and Commonwealth Relations * Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel: Home, Information and Broadcasting * Dr. Rajendra Prasad: Food and Agriculture * Dr. John Mathai: Industries and Supplies * Jagjivan Ram: Labour * Sardar Baldev Singh: Defence * Liaquat Ali Khan (Muslim League): Finance * C. Rajagopalachari: Education and Arts * Asaf Ali: Railways and Transport * Jogendra Nath Mandal (Muslim League): Law

Drafting Committee of the Constituent Assembly: It consisted of seven members: Dr. B.R. Ambedkar (Chairman), N. Gopalaswamy Ayyangar, Alladi Krishnaswamy Ayyar, Dr. K.M. Munshi, Syed Mohammad Saadullah, N. Madhava Rau, and T.T. Krishnamachari.

Statement 1 is correct: In 1221, during the reign of Iltutmish, the Mongol leader Genghis Khan reached the banks of the Indus while pursuing Jalal-ad-Din Mangubarni, the crown prince of the Khwarazmian Empire. Iltutmish diplomatically refused to grant asylum to the prince, thereby saving the Delhi Sultanate from a direct Mongol invasion.

Statement 2 is incorrect: Taimur (Timur) invaded India in 1398, which was during the reign of Sultan Nasir-ud-Din Mahmud Shah Tughlaq (the last ruler of the Tughlaq dynasty). Muhammad bin Tughluq had died much earlier, in 1351. Furthermore, while Taimur led the overall campaign, it was his grandson, Pir Muhammad, who occupied Multan before Taimur crossed the Indus to join the main force.

Statement 3 is incorrect: Vasco da Gama reached the coast of Calicut (Kerala) in 1498. At this time, the Vijayanagara Empire was ruled by Immadi Narasimha Raya of the Saluva Dynasty. Deva Raya II, of the Sangama Dynasty, ruled earlier from 1422 to 1446 and had been dead for over 50 years by the time the Portuguese arrived.

The correct sequence in ascending order of size for administrative divisions in medieval India is

1. Pargana 2. Sarkar 3. Suba

Pargana: The smallest unit was the Pargana, which typically comprised a group of villages. It was the most basic level of administration. Sarkar: A group of Parganas formed a Sarkar, which can be understood as a district or province. Suba: The largest administrative division was the Suba, which encompassed several Sarkars. It was equivalent to a modern-day state or province.

Statement 1 is incorrect. The Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms of 1919 did not recommend granting voting rights to all women above the age of 21. While the reforms introduced some limited electoral reforms, including the extension of the franchise to a larger section of the Indian population, they did not grant universal suffrage to women.

Statement 2 is correct. The Government of India Act of 1935 introduced reserved seats for women in the legislatures at both the central and provincial levels. These reserved seats were aimed at ensuring representation for women in the political process.

Government of India, Act 1919 - Introduced limited self-government and increased Indian participation - Introduced Dyarchy (Dual Government) in provinces: 1. Transferred subjects → Administered by Indian ministers 2. Reserved subjects → Administered by British officials - Bicameral Legislature at the Central Level - Separate Electorates Continued - High Commissioner for India in London was created to represent Indian affairs in Britain. - Subjects divided into Central and Provincial lists - Voting rights were restricted based on property, income, and education. 

Government of India, Act 1935 - Created an All-India Federation consisting of British Indian Provinces and Princely States. (Never Implemented) - Bicameralism extended to six provinces (Bengal, Bombay, Madras, Bihar, Assam, and United Provinces) - Abolished Dyarchy at the provincial level, Introduced Provincial Autonomy → Governors had to act on ministers' advice (except in special cases) - Three lists introduced: 1. Federal List (Centre) 2. Provincial List (Provinces) 3. Concurrent List (Both Centre & Provinces) - Ministers had full control over provincial subjects (except during emergencies) - Established the Federal Court of India (precursor to the Supreme Court) - Communal and separate electorates were retained and extended to groups such as Anglo-Indians and Indo-Christians. - Women were given reservations in Provincial and central legislature. 

Pair 1 is not correct. Aurang was a Persian term for a warehouse, a place where goods are collected before being sold; also refers to a workshop.

Pair 2 is correct. Banians (banias) were agents of the company. A Banyan is a personby whom the English gentlemen in general conduct all their business. He is interpreter, head book-keeper, head secretary, head broker, the supplier of cash and cash-keeper, and in general also secretkeeper. They might appear to have become their masters? servants, merely managing their trade for them; but the reality was often less that of master and servant than of trading partners. The banian brought his skill and his capital to the partnership; the European contributed his privileges.

Pair 3 is correct. Mirasdar in Urdu means hereditary landowner, co-proprietor. In Persian, miras is inheritance, estate. He was also a revenue payer to the state.

* Option (A) is incorrect: Pingali Venkayya designed the tricolour Indian National Flag, but he presented it to Mahatma Gandhi at the INC session in Bezwada (now Vijayawada), not Madanapalle.

* Option (B) is incorrect: Pattabhi Sitaramaiah played an important political role in Andhra but did not lead the Quit India Movement of the Andhra region from Madanapalle.

* Option (C) is correct: Rabindranath Tagore stayed at Theosophical College, Madanapalle, in 1919. During this visit, he translated *Jana Gana Mana* from Bengali into English as "The Morning Song of India." This is the historically significant connection between Madanapalle and the National Anthem.

* Option (D) is incorrect: The Theosophical Society was founded in New York in 1875 and later moved its headquarters to Adyar, Chennai in 1882. It was not set up in Madanapalle.

Lord Richard Wellesley, the Governor-General of India from 1798 to 1805, established the Fort William College at Calcutta. The purpose of this institution was to educate European administrators about the Oriental culture, tradition, law, and administration to better coordinate in the governance of India.

So, the primary purpose of establishing the Fort William College was to train British civilians for administrative purposes in India.This was part of Wellesley's broader strategy to strengthen the administrative capabilities of the British in India.

* In 1888, Walangkar began publishing the monthly journal titled Vital-Vidhvansak (Destroyer of Brahmanical or Ceremonial Pollution), which was the first to have the untouchable people as its target audience.

* He also wrote articles for Marathi-language newspapers such as Sudharak and Deenbandhu, as well as composed couplets in Marathi that were intended to inspire the people. Having read Hindu religious texts, Walangkar concluded that caste was contrived by the Aryan invaders to control the Anaryans (indigenous people).

* In 1889, he published Vital Viduvansan (Annihilation of Ceremonial Pollution), which protested the position of untouchables in society and raised consciousness regarding what those people should expect. * He addressed this pamphlet, which was crafted as a collection of 26 questions, to the elites of Maharashtrian society.

* T. N. Valunjkar says that Walangkar "can be regarded as the first intellectual rebel from the Dalit community to have launched a scathing criticism of the caste system and the position of dalits in it."

Pair 1 is correctly matched. Bhilsa, also known as Vidisha, is located in the present-day state of Madhya Pradesh. It was the capital of the Sunga dynasty.

Pair 2 is incorrect. Dwarasamudra, also known as Halebidu, is located in the present-day state of Karnataka, not Maharashtra. The Hoysalas dynasty ruled from the Dwarasamudra.

Pair 3 is correctly matched. Girinagar, also known as Junagadh, is located in the present-day state of Gujarat. Mauryan period rock inscription found here.

Pair 4 is incorrect. Sthanesvara, also known as Sthaneshwar or Thanesar, is located in the present-day state of Haryana, not Uttar Pradesh. It was the initial capital of the Vardhan dynasty.

The term "Ulgulan" or "the Great Tumult" refers to a significant tribal uprising in the history of India.

The rebellion (ulgulan) of the Munda tribesmen, led by Birsa Munda, occurred during 1899-1900. For over thirty years the Munda sardars had been struggling against the destruction of their system of common land holdings by the intrusion of jagirdar, thikadar (revenue farmers) and merchant moneylenders. Birsa Munda led the Munda tribe in a rebellion against the British colonial rule and the feudal system imposed by them.

The phrase that best defines the nature of the Hundi generally referred to in the sources of the post-Harsha period is: A bill of exchange.

Hundi as a Financial Instrument: Hundis were instruments used in trade and credit transactions during the medieval period in India.

Functions of a Bill of Exchange: A bill of exchange is a written order issued by one person (drawer) to another (drawee) to pay a specified sum of money to a third party (payee) at a future date. This aligns with the functionality of a Hundi.

Merchants used Hundis to facilitate trade by

- Securing Payments: They could issue a Hundi to the seller upon receiving goods, instructing their bank or agent (drawee) at the seller's location to pay the specified amount. - Obtaining Credit: Merchants could also use Hundis to obtain credit. They could draw a Hundi against future earnings and have it discounted by a money lender for immediate cash.

The terms kulyavapa and dronavapa were units of land measurement used in ancient India, particularly during the Gupta period. These measurements were based on the quantity of seed required to sow a specific area of land.

* Kulyavapa: The term 'vapa' means 'to sow'. Kulyavapa refers to the area of land required to sow one kulya (a volumetric measure) of grain. * Dronavapa: This refers to the area of land required to sow one drona of grain. A drona was a smaller volumetric unit than a kulya.

These terms are frequently found in Gupta-era copper-plate inscriptions (such as the Damodarpur plates) which record land transactions and grants. Other related units of measurement included 'adhavapa' and 'pataka'.

Statement A is correct. Deindustrialisation of Indian traditional cottage and handicraft industry was a direct consequence of the industrial revolution in England along with colonization of India.

Statement B is incorrect. Machines were not introduced in the Indian textile industry in large numbers in the first half of the 19th century. Rather, the modern textile mills with imported machinery started taking baby steps in the 1850s in Bombay, Ahmedabad, and Calcutta. It was only after the first world war that Indian industrialization started taking fast steps.

Statement C is incorrect. The first railway line in India was laid between Bombay and Thane in 1853. Railway expansion was relatively slow even till mid-1860. It was only in the latter half of the 19th century that Railway expansion gathered pace in India.

Statement D is incorrect. Heavy duties were not imposed on the imports of British manufactures. In fact, the British goods were given duty-free trade permits, which further disadvantaged the Indian industries.

Indigo, also known as "Blue Gold", was a highly profitable commodity in the European market during the 19th century. However, by the beginning of the 20th century, its cultivation in India declined significantly.

The main reason for the decline in indigo cultivation was its unprofitability in the world market due to new inventions. Synthetic dyes were invented in the late 19th century, which were cheaper and easier to produce than natural indigo. This led to a drop in the demand for natural indigo, making its cultivation unprofitable.

Therefore, the correct answer is B.

Statement 1 is Incorrect: While Rakhmabai was an educated woman who later became one of India's first practicing female doctors, the 1884 legal case itself did not revolve around the right to gain education; it focused on her refusal to live with her husband. Statement 2 is Correct: The case sparked a massive public debate on the practice of child marriage and was instrumental in the passage of the Age of Consent Act, 1891, which raised the age of consent for girls from ten to twelve years. Statement 3 is Correct: The litigation was initiated by Rakhmabai's husband, Dadaji Bhikaji, who filed a petition for the "restitution of conjugal rights" after she refused to live with him and consummate a marriage that took place when she was eleven years old.

Pallavas: The Pallava dynasty flourished in South India from around 275 CE to 897 CE. Mahendravarman I ruled from 600 to 630 CE, placing them as the earliest power to rise among the options provided.

Palas: The Pala dynasty ruled in eastern India from roughly 750 to 1161 CE. Gopala's reign is estimated to be between 750 and 770 CE, making them chronologically after the Pallavas.

Pratiharas: The Pratihara dynasty emerged in North India during the 8th century CE. King Bhoja's reign lasted from 836 to 885 CE, placing them later than both the Pallavas and Palas.

Cholas: The Chola dynasty rose to prominence in South India around the 9th century CE. Parantaka I ruled from 907 to 955 CE, making them the latest power to establish themselves among the given options.


Therefore, the correct chronological order is 2-4-1-3.

During the Gupta dynasty (c. 320–550 CE), external trade flourished and several coastal towns emerged as significant maritime centres. Ghantasala and Kadura were located on the eastern coast (Andhra region) and functioned as active ports facilitating overseas commerce, particularly with Southeast Asia and other regions.

Ghantasala: Located in present-day Andhra Pradesh, Ghantasala served as an eastern coastal port actively engaged in maritime trade with Southeast Asia and possibly even with the Roman world.

Kadura: Also located in the Andhra region (eastern coast), Kadura functioned as a significant port under the Gupta-era trade network and handled trade goods like textiles, spices, and ivory.

Chaul: located on the western coast in present-day Maharashtra, acted as a western seaport linking India with Western Asia and was known for trade in cotton textiles and other goods.


The Gandhi-Irwin Pact, also known as the Delhi Pact, was a significant agreement reached between Mahatma Gandhi and Lord Irwin, the Viceroy of India, in March 1931.

Statement 1 is correct: As part of the Gandhi-Irwin Pact, the British government agreed to invite the Indian National Congress to participate in the Second Round Table Conference held in London.

Statement 2 is correct: Another key aspect of the Gandhi-Irwin Pact was the agreement to withdraw repressive ordinances that had been promulgated by the British government in response to the Civil Disobedience Movement led by Gandhi. This withdrawal was seen as a gesture of goodwill towards the Indian National Congress.

Statement 3 is incorrect: While issues of police excesses were discussed during negotiations, there was no explicit agreement in the pact regarding such an inquiry.

Statement 4 is correct: One of the conditions of the Gandhi-Irwin Pact was the release of political prisoners who had been arrested during the Civil Disobedience Movement, provided they had not been charged with violence.

Therefore, the correct statements are 1, 2, and 4.

The book "Desher Katha" written by Sakharam Ganesh Deuskar was a significant contribution to the Indian freedom struggle.

Statement 1 is correct. The book indeed warned against the Colonial State's hypnotic conquest of the mind. Deuskar was a staunch nationalist and vehemently opposed the colonial rule in India. His book was a critique against the colonial rule.

Statement 2 is also correct. Deuskar's work inspired the performance of swadeshi street plays and folk songs. His writings were influential in promoting the Swadeshi movement.

Statement 3 is incorrect. The use of 'desh' by Deuskar was not in the specific context of the region of Bengal. Deuskar, though of Marathi origin, was brought up in a Bengali set-up and acted as a bridge between Maharashtra and Bengal's renaissance. His use of 'desh' was more in the context of the nation as a whole, rather than specifically Bengal.

Therefore, the correct answer is that statements 1 and 2 are correct.