UPSC Prelims 2012
Ancient History Previous Year Questions (PYQs)
Explore 3 solved UPSC Prelims 2012 Ancient History questions with detailed step-by-step bilingual solutions, option analysis, and answer keys.
The religion of early Vedic Aryans was primarily of -
Detailed Explanation:
Early Vedic religion centered on worship of natural forces such as Indra (rain), Agni (fire), Varuna (water), Surya (sun), and Vayu (wind), personified as deities in the Rig Veda.
Yajnas (sacrificial rituals) were the primary mode of worship, involving offerings of soma, ghee, and grains to invoke divine blessings; Bhakti (devotional worship) and image worship emerged only in the later Vedic and post-Vedic periods.
With reference to the guilds (Shreni) of ancient India that played a very important role in the country’s economy, which of the following statements is /are correct?
- Every guild was registered with the central authority of the State and the king was the chief administrative authority on them.
- The wages, rules of work, standards and prices were fixed by the guild.
- The guild had judicial powers over its own members.
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:
Detailed Explanation:
❌ Statement 1 – Incorrect: Guilds (Shrenis) were autonomous bodies headed by a chief (Jetthaka/Pramukha), not registered with central authority or directly administered by the king.
✅ Statement 2 – Correct: Guilds fixed wages, work rules, quality standards, and prices to regulate their respective trades and maintain market stability.
✅ Statement 3 – Correct: Guilds possessed judicial powers over members, settling disputes according to Shreni-dharma (customary guild laws) recognized by the state.
With reference to the scientific progress of ancient India, which of the statements given below are correct?
- Different kinds of specialized surgical instruments were in common use by the 1st century AD.
- Transplant of internal organs in the human body had begun by the beginning of 3rd century AD.
- The concept of the sine of an angle was known in 5th century AD.
- The concept of cyclic quadrilaterals was known in 7th century AD.
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:
Detailed Explanation:
✅ Statement 1 – Correct: Sushruta Samhita (6th century BCE) describes over 120 surgical instruments including scalpels, forceps, and needles; these were in common use by 1st century AD.
❌ Statement 2 – Incorrect: No evidence exists of internal organ transplantation in ancient India; while skin grafts and reconstructive surgery were performed, organ transplant requires modern immunosuppressive technology unavailable in 3rd century AD.
✅ Statement 3 – Correct: Aryabhata in his Aryabhatiya (499 AD) introduced the concept of jya (sine function) and provided detailed trigonometric tables.
✅ Statement 4 – Correct: Brahmagupta in Brahmasphutasiddhanta (628 AD) formulated theorems on cyclic quadrilaterals, including the famous formula for their area.
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UPSC Prelims 2012 - Ancient History Chapter-wise Distribution
Vedic Age
1 Qs (33.3%)Ancient Indian Science & Technology
1 Qs (33.3%)Ancient Indian Economy
1 Qs (33.3%)UPSC Prelims 2012 - Ancient History Questions FAQs
Q1 How many Ancient History questions were asked in UPSC Prelims 2012?
Q2 What is the chapter-wise question distribution for Ancient History in UPSC Prelims 2012?
- Vedic Age: 1 questions (33.3%)
- Ancient Indian Science & Technology: 1 questions (33.3%)
- Ancient Indian Economy: 1 questions (33.3%)