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, Culture and Social Issues to check your progress. Come back tomorrow to solve the Environment, Geography, Science and Technology MCQs. Don’t miss checking the answers and explanations.

Consider the following statements:

1. This temple was constructed in the 13th century.

2. It was built by a general of King Narasimha III.

3. It is a Vaishnava shrine.

4. The temple consists of a garbhagriha, an open sukhanasi, a navaranga and a porch.

The above mentioned statements refer to:

(a) Keshava Temple

(b) Someshwara Temple

(c) Lakshminarayana Temple

(d) Veerabhadra Temple

Explanation

— The three temples the Chennakeshava Temple in Belur, the Hoysaleswara Temple in Halebidu, and the Keshava Temple in Somanathapura have made it to UNESCO’s World Heritage List, under the collective entry of ‘Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysalas’.

— The Hoysalas ruled Karnataka from the 10th to the 14th centuries. The dynasty began as provincial governors under the Western Chalukyas, but as the two dominant empires of the South, the Western Chalukyas and the Cholas, crumbled, the Hoysalas established themselves as rulers.

Keshava Temple

— It is located in Honnavara village, Holenarasipura Taluk, Hassan District.

— The temple is made up of a garbhagriha, an open sukhanasi, a navaranga, and a porch that is entered via a flight of steps.

— It’s a Vaishnava shrine.

— It was constructed in Somanathapura in 1260 by Somanatha, a general under Hoysala King Narasimha III.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

(Other Source: archaeology.karnataka.gov.in)

With reference to the Ain-i Akbari, consider the following statements:

1. It recorded the arrangements made by the state to ensure cultivation.

2. The Ain-i Akbari aimed to offer a vision of Akbar’s kingdom in which societal harmony was provided by a powerful governing class.

3. The Ain-i Akbari does not mention tobacco in the lists of crops in northern India.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

Explanation

— Chronicles and Mughal court documents are the primary sources for agrarian history in the sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries.

— One of the most important chronicles was the Ain-i Akbari, written by Akbar’s court historian, Abu’l Fazl.

— This work methodically documented the state’s structures to secure agriculture, permit tax collection by state agencies, and govern the relationship between the state and rural magnates, the zamindars. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— The main goal of the Ain was to present a vision of Akbar’s kingdom in which societal harmony was provided by a powerful governing class. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

— Tobacco is not mentioned in the Ain’s crop listings for northern India. Akbar and his nobility discovered tobacco for the first time in 1604. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

— However, descriptions from sources outside of the Mughal capital can supplement the Ain narrative. These include extensive revenue records for Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan from the 17th and 18th centuries.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

(Other Source: ncert.nic.in)

The Nalayira Divyaprabandham is a collection of Tamil verses composed by:

(a) Alvars

(b) Kambar

(c) N. Pichamoorthi

(d) Nayanars

Explanation

— The Alvars (Vishnu devotees) and Nayanars (Shiva devotees) spearheaded some of the first bhakti movements. They moved from place to place, reciting Tamil hymns in honour of their gods.

— During their travels, the Alvars and Nayanars designated specific sanctuaries as the homes of their preferred deities.

— The Alvars and Nayanars organised a protest against the caste system and Brahmana domination or attempted to modify it.

— The notion that the Alvars and Nayanars’ works were as important as the Vedas was sometimes used to emphasise the significance of their traditions.

— For example, one of the largest anthologies of compositions by the Alvars, the Nalayira Divyaprabandham, was sometimes referred to as the Tamil Veda, implying that the text was as important as the four Sanskrit Vedas revered by the Brahmans.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

(Source: ncert.nic.in)

Consider the following:

It is an important traditional cloth of the Mizo people. It is worn by wrapping it around the waist and covers the lower part of the body down almost to the feet. It is used by a girl as `Zawlpuan,’ a special dowry in marriage. It is characterised by bold warp stripes of handspun indigo-dyed blue-black cotton and naturally dyed red cotton obtained from barks of different plants.

The above mentioned lines refer to:

(a) Muga Silk Handicraft

(b) Idu Mishmi Textile

(c) Pawndum

(d) Puanchei

Explanation

— Pawndum is an important traditional cloth of the Mizo people.

— Pawndum was characterised by bold warp stripes of handspun indigo-dyed blue-black cotton and naturally dyed red cotton obtained from barks of different plants such as sentezel.

— Pawndum is worn by wrapping it around the waist and covers the lower part of the body down almost to the feet.

— Pawndum has a deep cultural significance. Pawndum is used by a girl as `Zawlpuan,’ a special dowry in marriage and it is also used as a shroud to cover her dead husband’s body had he died during her lifetime.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

(Source: search.ipindia.gov.in)

With reference to the Dhangar community, consider the following statements:

1. The Dhangars are a community of shepherds with a population only in Maharashtra state.

2. The community has been granted “grazing corridors” for the recognition of their right to graze along their traditional routes.

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

Explanation

— The Dhangars are a community of shepherds with populations in several states. Besides Maharashtra, they live in Gujarat, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh, as well, and are known by other names such as Golla and Kuruba elsewhere. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.

— The Dhangars are on Maharashtra’s list of Vimukta Jati and Nomadic Tribes (VJNT), but have been demanding Scheduled Tribe (ST) status for decades. According to Dhangar leaders, the community is identified as “Dhangad” elsewhere in the country, and gets reservation as an ST.

The community’s demand for “grazing corridors” is simply a call for recognition of their right to graze along their historic pathways. The community’s quest for grazing rights is linked to their claim for ST recognition, which has made little progress due to opposition from Maharashtra’s STs, who fear that their quota privileges will be diluted if shared with a bigger population.

The Forest Rights Act of 2006 permits traditional professions, including grazing, however it has only assisted STs gain access to grazing pastures. Dhangars, who belong to the nomadic tribes category, have not benefited. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

Daily subject-wise quiz — Polity and Governance (Week 80)

Daily Subject-wise quiz — History, Culture, and Social Issues (Week 79)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Environment, Geography, Science and Technology (Week 79)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Economy (Week 79)

Daily subject-wise quiz – International Relations (Week 79)

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