Which one of the following does not find mention in the works of the astronomers of ancient India?
- A.Sun
- B.Mercury
- C.Uranus
- D.Venus
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is C, Uranus. Uranus cannot normally be picked out by the naked eye and was discovered only in 1781, so ancient Indian astronomers never wrote about it.
Ancient Indian astronomy, from the Vedanga Jyotisha to Aryabhata's Aryabhatiya (499 CE), Varahamihira's Pancha Siddhantika and Brahmagupta's Brahmasphuta Siddhanta, dealt with the bodies visible to the eye. The navagraha of Indian tradition are the Sun (Surya), the Moon (Chandra), Mars (Mangala), Mercury (Budha), Jupiter (Brihaspati), Venus (Shukra) and Saturn (Shani), along with the two lunar nodes Rahu and Ketu. Uranus was found by William Herschel with a telescope in England in March 1781, and Neptune followed in 1846.
A is wrong: the Sun, Surya, is central to every Indian astronomical text and the calendar.
B is wrong: Mercury, called Budha, is one of the navagraha and its motion was calculated by these astronomers.
D is wrong: Venus, called Shukra, is the brightest planet and appears in all the siddhantas.
Exam tip: the five naked-eye planets were known in ancient times; Uranus (1781, Herschel) and Neptune (1846) came with the telescope.
Practice Questions
View allWho among the following created the first All India Trade Union Congress in 1920?
- A.B. P. Wadia
- B.S. A. Dange
- C.N. M. Joshi
- D.B. T. Ranadive
Show answer
Narayan Malhar Joshi was the main organiser behind the founding of the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) in Bombay in October 1920.
Read the full explanation →The khuntkatti tenure was prevalent in which one of the following regions of India during the British Colonial Rule ?
- A.Bundelkhand
- B.Karnataka
- C.Chota Nagpur
- D.Madras Presidency
Show answer
Khuntkatti was the traditional land system of the Munda tribe of the Chota Nagpur plateau, in present-day Jharkhand. Under khuntkatti, land belonged jointly to the lineage (khunt) of the families who first cleared the forest and settled the village.
Read the full explanation →With whom did Subhas Chandra Bose form an alliance to destroy the Holwell Monument in Calcutta during 1939-40?
- A.The Communist Party of India
- B.The Muslim League
- C.The Hindu Mahasabha
- D.The Unionist Party
Show answer
In 1940 Subhas Chandra Bose joined hands with the Muslim League in Bengal and led the campaign to remove the Holwell Monument from Calcutta.
Read the full explanation →The object of the Butler Committee of 1927 was to
- A.Define the jurisdiction of the Central and Provincial Governments.
- B.Define the powers of the Secretary of State for India.
- C.Impose censorship on national press.
- D.Improve the relationship between the Government of India and the Indian States.
Show answer
The Butler Committee was set up to examine the ties between the British paramount power and the princely states. The Indian States Committee was appointed in 1927 under Sir Harcourt Butler, with its report coming in 1929.
Read the full explanation →Which among the following Acts provided for the establishment of a Supreme Court of Justice at Calcutta for Europeans, their employees and the citizens of India?
- A.The Regulating Act of 1773
- B.The Charter Act of 1793
- C.The Charter Act of 1813
- D.Government of India Act of 1858
Show answer
This first act of the British Parliament to control the East India Company provided for a Supreme Court of Judicature at Calcutta.
Read the full explanation →