UPSC CSE Prelims
Ancient History Previous Year Questions (PYQs)

Detailed Explanation:

The question asks which king–dynasty pair is not correctly matched in early historical Tamilakam.

• Pair 1 is Correct: Senguttuvan was a famous ruler of the Chera dynasty.

• Pair 2 is Incorrect: Udiyanjeral (Uthiyan Cheralathan) belonged to the Chera dynasty, not the Chola dynasty.

• Pair 3 is Correct: Nedunjeliyan was a renowned ruler of the Pandya dynasty.

• Therefore, only Pair 2 is incorrectly matched, making Option B the correct answer.

Pair-wise Analysis

Sangam Age Dynasties

Important Facts

• The Sangam Age (c. 300 BCE–300 CE) is known mainly through Sangam literature.

• The three major dynasties of Tamilakam were the Chera, Chola, and Pandya kingdoms.

• Senguttuvan is celebrated in the Tamil epic Silappadikaram.

• Nedunjeliyan is famous for his victory in the Battle of Talaiyalanganam.

Detailed Explanation:

The archaeological findings provide clues about Harappan society, technology, and economy.

• Inference 1 is Correct: The presence of numerous spindle-whorls and the absence of spinning wheels indicate that spinning was done manually at home, making it a labor-intensive activity.

• Inference 2 is Correct: Standardized weights and graduated measuring scales reflect the Harappans' advanced knowledge of measurement, mathematics, and trade.

• Inference 3 is Incorrect: Houses with private wells, bathing platforms, and spacious rooms indicate private ownership and social differentiation, not a common property system.

• Therefore, only Inferences 1 and 2 are correct, making Option A the correct answer.

Short Notes: Harappan Urban Features

Important Facts

• The Harappan Civilization had one of the world's earliest urban cultures with planned cities.

• Standardized weights were usually made of chert and followed a uniform system across the civilization.

• Harappan cities such as Mohenjo-daro, Harappa, Dholavira, and Lothal show remarkable engineering and civic planning.

Detailed Explanation:

The question asks which information supports the statements about well irrigation and the use of draught animals for drawing water during the Rigvedic period.

• Statement 1 is Correct: References to ashma chakra (stone pulley wheel) and ahava (wooden pails) in the Rigveda indicate the use of wells and water-lifting devices for irrigation.

• Statement 3 is Correct: The long-standing use of oxen for ploughing and pulling carts supports the idea that draught animals could also be used to draw water from wells.

• Statement 2 is Incorrect: Tools like axe (parashu/kulisha) and sickle (datra/sreni) relate to farming activities, not irrigation or water-lifting.

• Therefore, only 1 and 3 support the given statements, making Option C the correct answer.

Short Notes: Agriculture in the Rigvedic Period

Important Facts

• The Rigvedic people gradually expanded cultivation beyond river banks using well irrigation.

• Oxen played a crucial role in agriculture, transport, and water-lifting activities.

• Agriculture became more organized during the Later Vedic period with increasing use of irrigation techniques.

Detailed Explanation:

The mention of coins such as kahapana, nikkha, kamsa, and kakanika in Pali texts, along with the discovery of punch-marked coins, shows the growth of a monetized economy in ancient India.

• Emergence of Urban Life: Coins facilitated trade, markets, craft production, and the growth of towns during the Second Urbanization (6th century BCE).

• Transition to Money Economy: The use of coins marked a shift from the barter system to a money-based economy, enabling standardized transactions.

• Therefore, the statements are associated with both (1) Emergence of Urban Life and (2) Transition to Money Economy, making Option C the correct answer.

Why Both Statements Are Associated

Punch-Marked Coins

Important Facts

• Pali texts provide some of the earliest literary references to coins.

• Punch-marked coins are considered the oldest coins of ancient India.

• Their use reflects increasing trade, taxation, urbanization, and economic specialization.

Detailed Explanation:

Statement 1 — Correct. The earliest inscription showing the place-value system in India is the Mankani plates from Gujarat (AD 595-596).

Statement 2 — Correct. Even though the idea of place-value/zero existed earlier (in texts like Aryabhata's works), it took time to spread into everyday inscriptions. It became common everywhere in India only by the 9th century (example: Gwalior's Chaturbhuj Temple inscription, 876 CE).

Statement 3 — Correct. India's place-value system spread to South-east Asia quickly. Evidence found in Sanskrit inscriptions in Cambodia, Sumatra, Java as early as the 7th century CE.

All three statements are simply different timeline facts about the same topic — no contradiction.

Memory Trick: "Gujarat first (595), India-wide by 9th century, South-east Asia got it even before that (7th century)" — shows how fast and far the idea travelled.

Place-Value System & Zero in India

Why it matters:

• India is credited with the invention of zero and decimal place-value system
• This system later travelled to the Arab world and then to Europe (hence called "Hindu-Arabic numeral system")

Detailed Explanation:

The term Kshetra-patni literally means "Mistress of the Field" (Kshetra = field, Patni = wife/mistress).

• Atharvaveda mentions Kshetra-patni as an agricultural deity associated with fertility, cultivation, and prosperity of fields.

• Rigveda mentions Kshetrapati (Lord of the Field), but not Kshetra-patni.

• Ashtadhyayi and Arthashastra were composed much later and are not the source of this term.

• Therefore, Option B is the correct answer.

Why Other Options Are Wrong

Detailed Explanation:

Many rivers mentioned in the Rigveda are known today by different names.

• Pair 1 is Incorrect: Vitasta = Jhelum, not Chenab.

• Pair 2 is Incorrect: Asikni = Chenab, not Jhelum.

• Pair 3 is Correct: Parushni = Ravi.

• Pair 4 is Incorrect: Beas = Vipasha, not Yavyavati.

• Therefore, only Pair 3 is correctly matched, making Option C the correct answer.

Pair-wise Analysis

Rigvedic Rivers

Important Fact

• Parushni (Ravi) is famous as the site of the Battle of Ten Kings (Dasarajna) mentioned in the Rigveda, where King Sudas emerged victorious.

Detailed Explanation:

In Jainism, every soul moves through the cycle of birth and rebirth (Samsara) based on its karma. The religion recognizes four main forms of existence (Four Gatis):

• Deva Gati – Gods/Heavenly beings

• Manushya Gati – Humans

• Tiryancha Gati – Animals, plants, and other non-human beings

• Naraki Gati – Hell beings

• Yaksha is not one of the Four Gatis.

• Yakshas are considered attendant deities (Shasan Devatas) and are classified under Vyantar Devas, a sub-category of celestial beings.

• Therefore, Option B is the correct answer.

Why Other Options Are Wrong

Four Gatis in Jainism

Important Facts

• Manushya Gati is considered the most important because Moksha (Liberation) can be attained only from human birth.

• The soul continuously moves through these Gatis according to its karma.

• Jainism emphasizes Ahimsa (non-violence) because all living beings possess a soul.

Detailed Explanation:

In the early phase of Buddhist art, the Buddha was not shown in human form. Instead, different symbols were used to represent important events of his life.

• Empty Seat (Vajrasana/Bodhimanda) represents the Meditation of the Buddha and the place where he attained Enlightenment under the Bodhi Tree at Bodh Gaya.

• Wheel (Dharmachakra) represents the First Sermon at Sarnath.

• Stupa represents the Mahaparinibbana (final liberation).

• Riderless Horse represents the Mahabhinishkramana (Great Renunciation).

• Therefore, Option A is the correct answer.

Why Other Options Are Wrong

Detailed Explanation:

Araghatta = an ancient water-lifting wheel device. It has a large wheel with earthen pots tied to its spokes. As the wheel turns (powered by animals or people), the pots dip into water, fill up, rise, and pour out the water for irrigation.

Why other options are wrong:

Ancient Irrigation Devices

Context:

• Mentioned in ancient and medieval Indian texts
• Sometimes called the "Persian wheel" in later medieval usage (though technically distinct evolution)
• Represents an early form of mechanical irrigation technology in India
• Found referenced in inscriptions related to agriculture and irrigation systems

Detailed Explanation:

These three officers worked together at the district (Pradesa) level during Ashoka's reign:

Mauryan Administration Officers

Mauryan Administrative Hierarchy (Top to Bottom):

1. King (Centre)
2. Provinces — headed by princes/governors (e.g., Taxila, Ujjain, Tosali, Suvarnagiri)
3. District (Pradesa/Ahara) — Pradesika, Rajuka, Yukta
4. Village — Gramani (village headman)

Detailed Explanation:

Fa-hien (Faxian), the Chinese Buddhist pilgrim, visited India during the reign of Chandragupta II (also called Chandragupta Vikramaditya), in the early 5th century CE. He came to collect Buddhist texts and study Buddhist practices in India.

His travel account gives valuable insight into:

• Gupta society
• Administration
• State of Buddhism in India at that time

Chinese Pilgrims to India (for Revision)

About Chandragupta II:

• Son of Samudragupta
• Also known as Vikramaditya
• His reign = often called the "Golden Age" of Gupta dynasty
• Court had Navaratnas (nine gems) including Kalidasa

Detailed Explanation:

The correct answer is C. Rajendra I (Chola).

Rajendra Chola I, son of Rajaraja Chola I, led a famous naval expedition against the Srivijaya kingdom around 1025 CE. Srivijaya was a powerful maritime empire controlling the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Java, and nearby islands. Rajendra I’s campaign asserted Chola naval dominance in the region and secured control over important sea trade routes.

The other rulers listed did not conduct campaigns against Srivijaya:

• Amoghavarsha (Rashtrakuta) focused mainly on the Deccan region.
• Prataparudra (Kakatiya) ruled much later and was centered in the Deccan.
• Vishnuvardhana (Hoysala) focused on South Indian affairs.

Detailed Explanation:

Pair I — Correct. Asmaka (also called Assaka) — southernmost Mahajanapada, in the Deccan region, on the banks of the Godavari river.

Pair II — Incorrect. Kamboja was in the extreme north-west (modern Afghanistan/Kashmir area). The Vipas (Beas) river flows through Punjab — a different region, further east.

Pair III — Incorrect. Avanti was in western Madhya Pradesh (Malwa region). Its main rivers were Kshipra and Vetravati, NOT Mahanadi (which flows through Odisha/Chhattisgarh).

Pair IV — Correct. Kosala — Mahajanapada in eastern Uttar Pradesh. Its capital Ayodhya sits on the banks of the Sarayu river.

So only 2 pairs (I and IV) are correct.

Mahajanapadas and Their Rivers

Detailed Explanation:

Correct Answer: ✅ Option 3 (Bronze)

The famous 'Dancing Girl' is one of the most iconic artifacts of the Indus Valley Civilization. It was discovered at Mohenjo-daro and showcases the advanced metallurgical skills of the Harappans.

✅ Statement I is Correct: The Dancing Girl is made of bronze.

✅ Statement II is Correct: It was created using the Lost-Wax Casting Method (Cire Perdue), a sophisticated metal-casting technique.

❌ Carnelian, Clay, and Gold are Incorrect: The figurine is neither made of stone, clay, nor gold; it is a bronze sculpture.

Short Notes: Dancing Girl of Mohenjo-daro

• Discovered at Mohenjo-daro in present-day Pakistan.

• Belongs to the Indus Valley Civilization (c. 2500 BCE).

• Made of bronze using the Lost-Wax Casting Method.

• Height is approximately 10.5 cm.

• Depicts a young girl in a confident dancing posture.

• Considered a masterpiece of Harappan art and metallurgy.

• Indicates advanced knowledge of metalworking during the Harappan period.