UPSC Static Quiz – History : 2 May 2026

Solution: A

• Statement I is Correct:The Junagadh Rock Inscription (c. 150 CE) breaks the tradition of Prakrit inscriptions (established by Ashoka). It is the first long Prasasti written in high classical Sanskrit (Kavya style), demonstrating complex grammatical usage.
• Statement II is Correct:The Sakas were regarded as Mlechchas or Vratya Kshatriyas by orthodox Brahmins. To rule effectively and gain social status, they adopted Sanskrit, the language of the priestly elite and the Dharmashastras. Rudradaman himself is described as an expert in grammar and logic (Shastras).
• Statement II correctly explains why a foreign ruler would break convention to use Sanskrit (Statement I)—it was a tool for political and social legitimization.

Solution: A

• Statement 1 is Correct: Ghatikas (like the famous one at Kanchi) were colleges for higher studies in Sanskrit and Vedas. They were politically powerful; the Kanchi Ghatika was instrumental in “electing” Nandivarman II to the throne during a succession crisis.
• Statement 2 is Correct: In the agrarian economy of South India, irrigation was vital. Eripatti was a specific land tenure where the tax revenue from that land was exclusively reserved for the dredging and repair of the village tank (Eri).
• Statement 3 is Incorrect: The Sabha was the assembly of Brahmin landholders in Brahmadeya villages. The assembly of merchants was known as the Nagaram. The Ur was the general village assembly of tax-paying cultivators (non-Brahmins).
• Statement 4 is Correct: The Sabha functioned through executive committees called Variyams (e.g., Eri-variyam for tanks, Totta-variyam for gardens, Pon-variyam for gold). This system allowed for specialized governance and was later perfected by the Cholas.

Solution: A

1. Arab Conquest of Sindh (712 AD): Led by Muhammad bin Qasim, who defeated Raja Dahir at the Battle of Raor. This is the first major event in this timeline.
2. Battle of Rajasthan (738 AD): Following their success in Sindh, the Arabs tried to expand eastward but were defeated by a confederacy led by the Gurjara-Pratihara king Nagabhata I and Chalukya viceroy Pulakeshin. This halted the Arab advance.
3. Battle of Waihind (1008-09 AD): Fought nearly 300 years later. Mahmud of Ghazni defeated the Hindu Shahi ruler Anandapala (son of Jaipal). This victory opened the Punjab region to the Ghaznavids.
4. Sack of Somnath (1025-26 AD): This was Mahmud’s 16th and most famous expedition, where he plundered the Shiva temple at Somnath in Gujarat.

Solution: B

• The first pair is correctly matched. Under Sher Shah Suri’s Sur administration, the Shiqdar-i-Shiqdaran functioned as the chief military and police authority at the Sarkar He was responsible for maintaining law and order, commanding troops, and ensuring security, which fits well with the description given in the question.
• The second pair is also correct. The Munsif-i-Munsifan was the chief judicial authority dealing primarily with civil cases. He supervised subordinate munsifs and, in the Sur system, exercised oversight over officials whose work intersected with civil administration, including revenue-related disputes.
• The third pair is incorrect. Barids were intelligence and communication officers who reported directly to the central authority. Their role was to keep the ruler informed about provincial affairs, officials’ conduct, and law-and-order conditions. They were not responsible for land records or revenue accounts. Those functions were handled by officials such as Qanungos (custodians of land records) and Patwaris at the pargana level.

Solution: C

• The correct answer is option (c). Under Shivaji, the Ashtapradhan was not a cabinet in the modern sense. The Chhatrapati remained the supreme authority, and the council’s role was primarily advisory, assisting him in administration, revenue, military affairs, justice, and religious matters. Decisions ultimately rested with Shivaji, ensuring strong central control and avoiding collective dominance by ministers.

Option (a) is incorrect because the council’s decisions were not binding on the ruler; Shivaji deliberately avoided any dilution of royal authority. Option (b) is also incorrect, as offices in the Ashtapradhan were not hereditary, and Shivaji generally paid his officials in cash salaries rather than jagirs. This policy was crucial to prevent the rise of feudal tendencies and to keep officials dependent on the central state rather than on landed power bases. Option (d) is factually incorrect because military participation was mainly associated with ministers like the Senapati, not the Panditrao or Nyayadhish, whose functions were religious and judicial respectively.