Indian Mughal paintings flourished during the rule of which Mughal Emperor?
- A.Humayun
- B.Akbar
- C.Jahangir
- D.Shah Jahan
Correct answer
C. Jahangir
Explanation
The correct answer is C, Jahangir. Mughal painting reached its peak under Jahangir, who ruled from 1605 to 1627. He was a keen collector who claimed he could name the artist behind every figure in a painting, and his studio turned from long illustrated histories to single studies of portraits, birds, animals, flowers and court scenes, with fine European touches such as shading and the halo. Ustad Mansur, titled Nadir-ul-Asr for his birds and animals, Abul Hasan, titled Nadir-uz-Zaman, Bishandas for portraits and Manohar all worked for him. Option A is wrong because Humayun only brought the Persian masters Mir Sayyid Ali and Abdus Samad to India, and little painting survives from his unsettled reign. Option B is wrong because Akbar founded and built up the school with works such as the Razmnama and the Akbarnama, but its finest phase came later. Option D is wrong because under Shah Jahan painting grew formal and cold as he turned to architecture. Exam tip: Akbar founded, Jahangir perfected, Shah Jahan formalised and Aurangzeb withdrew support from Mughal painting.
Practice Questions
View allBodo language is spoken mainly in which of the following states of India?
- A.Assam
- B.Jharkhand
- C.Himachal Pradesh
- D.Karnataka
Show answer
Correct answer: A. Assam
Explanation
The correct answer is A, Assam. Bodo is the language of the Bodo people of the Brahmaputra valley and is spoken mainly in the Bodoland Territorial Region of western Assam. It belongs to the Tibeto-Burman group, is written in the Devanagari script and is an associate official language of Assam. Bodo was added to the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution by the 92nd Amendment of 2003, along with Dogri, Maithili and Santhali. Option B is wrong because Jharkhand's main tongues are Hindi along with Santhali, Mundari and Ho. Option C is wrong because Himachal Pradesh speaks Hindi and Pahari dialects such as Kangri and Mandeali. Option D is wrong because Karnataka's official language is Kannada, a Dravidian language. Exam tip: the 92nd Amendment, 2003 added four languages — Bodo, Dogri, Maithili and Santhali — taking the Eighth Schedule to 22.
Which is not an official language of Jammu and Kashmir?
- A.Hindi
- B.Dogri
- C.Urdu
- D.Punjabi
Show answer
Correct answer: D. Punjabi
Explanation
The correct answer is D, Punjabi. The Jammu and Kashmir Official Languages Act, 2020 gives the union territory five official languages: Kashmiri, Dogri, Urdu, Hindi and English. Punjabi is spoken in parts of the region, but it was not put on that list, so it is the odd one out. Before this law Urdu alone was the official language of the old state, even though hardly any household used it as a mother tongue, and the change was made so that the languages people actually speak would be used in government work. Option A is wrong because Hindi is one of the five named in the Act. Option B is wrong because Dogri, spoken mainly in the Jammu division, is both an official language of the union territory and a language of the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution. Option C is wrong because Urdu is official and was in fact the only official language earlier. Exam tip: remember the five as Kashmiri, Dogri, Urdu, Hindi and English.
Chapchar Kut, the spring festival at which the Cheraw bamboo dance is performed, is celebrated in which state?
- A.Mizoram
- B.Sikkim
- C.Arunachal Pradesh
- D.Assam
Show answer
Correct answer: A. Mizoram
Explanation
The correct answer is A, Mizoram. Chapchar Kut is the best known festival of the Mizo, held in March once the jhum fields have been cleared and burnt and the villagers wait for the sowing rains. Men and women in thangchhuah puan and vakiria headgear dance to drums, and the Cheraw, in which dancers step between bamboo staves clapped together on the ground, is its signature performance. Mim Kut and Pawl Kut are the other two Mizo festivals.
Option B, Sikkim, observes Losar, Losoong and Saga Dawa. Option C, Arunachal Pradesh, holds Mopin of the Galo, Solung of the Adi and Nyokum of the Nyishi. Option D, Assam, celebrates Bihu and Ali Ai Ligang. The bamboo dance itself is the clue, because Cheraw is Mizoram's own and is often confused with the similar dances of the region.
Which Constitutional Amendment Act inserted Article 338A to provide for a separate National Commission for Scheduled Tribes?
- A.73rd Amendment
- B.86th Amendment
- C.89th Amendment
- D.97th Amendment
Show answer
Correct answer: C. 89th Amendment
Explanation
The correct answer is C, the 89th Amendment. Until 2003 a single National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes worked under Article 338. The 89th Constitutional Amendment Act of 2003 split it, leaving Article 338 with the National Commission for Scheduled Castes and inserting Article 338A to create a separate National Commission for Scheduled Tribes, with a chairperson, a vice-chairperson and other members appointed by the President.
Option A, the 73rd Amendment of 1992, added Part IX and gave panchayats constitutional status. Option B, the 86th Amendment of 2002, inserted Article 21A and made free and compulsory education for children a fundamental right. Option D, the 97th Amendment of 2011, dealt with cooperative societies. Only the 89th Amendment concerns the tribal commission, so C is correct.
The Sammakka Saralamma Jatara at Medaram, regarded as the largest tribal fair of India, is held in which state?
- A.Chhattisgarh
- B.Odisha
- C.Telangana
- D.Jharkhand
Show answer
Correct answer: C. Telangana
Explanation
The correct answer is C, Telangana. The Sammakka Saralamma Jatara, usually called the Medaram Jatara, is held at Medaram in the Mulugu district of Telangana, once in two years in the month of Magha. It honours Sammakka and her daughter Saralamma, remembered as Koya women who fought the rulers of the Kakatiya kingdom, and the Koya tribe leads the rituals. Devotees offer bellam, or jaggery, equal to their own weight, and the fair draws a tribal crowd larger than any other in the country.
Option A, Chhattisgarh, holds the long Bastar Dussehra. Option B, Odisha, holds the Puri Rath Yatra and the Bali Yatra at Cuttack. Option D, Jharkhand, has Sarhul and Bhagta Parab. All are strong tribal states, but the Medaram Jatara is Telangana's.