Which one of the following statements about the Gupta period is NOT correct?
- A.Forced labour (Vishti) became more common than before in this period
- B.A passage in the Vishnu Purana refers to the Guptas enjoying all the territories along the Ganga up to Prayaga
- C.The Mehrauli inscription suggests that Chandragupta fought against a confederacy of enemies in Bengal and also led a campaign into the Punjab
- D.Saurashtra was not a part of the Gupta Empire
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is D, Saurashtra was not a part of the Gupta Empire. This statement is false: Saurashtra was a Gupta province after Chandragupta II defeated the Western Kshatrapas.
Chandragupta II (Vikramaditya) ended the rule of the Shaka Western Kshatrapas in Gujarat and Malwa around the end of the fourth century, adding Saurashtra and the western ports to the empire. The Junagadh rock inscription of Skandagupta records that his governor Parnadatta ruled Saurashtra and that Parnadatta's son Chakrapalita repaired the dam of the Sudarshana lake at Girnar in 455-456 CE. Silver coins of the Kshatrapa type were also issued by the Guptas for this region.
A is wrong as an answer: historians note that vishti, unpaid forced labour, became more common in the Gupta age.
B is wrong as an answer: the Puranas do describe the early Guptas holding the lands along the Ganga up to Prayaga.
C is wrong as an answer: the Mehrauli iron pillar inscription of Chandra tells of victories over a confederacy in Vanga and a campaign across the Indus region.
Exam tip: Junagadh inscription of Skandagupta = Parnadatta, governor of Saurashtra, and repair of the Sudarshana lake.
Practice Questions
View allWhich one of the following statements about the Bhakti Movement in South India is NOT correct?
- A.The Nalayira Divyaprabandham was also known as the Tamil Veda
- B.Andal was an Alvar
- C.Karaikkal Ammaiyar was a devotee of Vishnu
- D.Metal images of the saints Appar and Sundarar were made and then consecrated in a Shiva temple
Show answer
Karaikkal Ammaiyar was a Nayanar, one of the Tamil saints devoted to Shiva, so this statement is not correct. The early Bhakti movement of Tamil Nadu, from about the sixth century, was led by two groups of poet-saints: the Alvars, devotees of Vishnu, and the Nayanars, devotees of Shiva.
Read the full explanation →Consider the following statements about Mahanavami dibba, a massive platform:
1. It is situated on one of the highest points in the city of Vijayanagara.
2. Virupaksha temple is located on it.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
- A.1 only
- B.2 only
- C.Both 1 and 2
- D.Neither 1 nor 2
Show answer
The Mahanavami dibba stands on one of the highest points of Vijayanagara (Hampi), but the Virupaksha temple is not on it; the temple stands in the sacred centre of the city near the Tungabhadra.
Read the full explanation →With reference to the Government of India Act, 1935, consider the following statements :
1. It provided for the establishment of an All India Federation based on the union of the British Indian Provinces and Princely States.
2. Defence and Foreign Affairs were kept under the control of the federal legislature.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- A.1 only
- B.2 only
- C.Both 1 and 2
- D.Neither 1 nor 2
Show answer
The Act of 1935 proposed an All India Federation of provinces and princely states, but kept defence and foreign affairs with the Governor-General, not the legislature.
Read the full explanation →With reference to Indian history, which of the following statements is/are correct?
1. The Nizamat of Arcot emerged out of Hyderabad State.
2. The Mysore Kingdom emerged out of Vijayanagara Empire.
3. Rohilkhand Kingdom was formed out of the territories occupied by Ahmad Shah Durrani.
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
- A.1 and 2
- B.2 only
- C.2 and 3
- D.3 only
Show answer
Arcot grew out of the Nizam's Deccan dominion and Mysore out of the Vijayanagara Empire, but Rohilkhand was carved out of Mughal land, not Durrani's. The Nawabs of Arcot, or of the Carnatic, began as deputies of the Nizam of Hyderabad, who governed the Deccan for the Mughals; Saadatullah Khan…
Read the full explanation →Consider the following statements :
1. There are no parables in Upanishads.
2. Upanishads were composed earlier than the Puranas.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- A.1 only
- B.2 only
- C.Both 1 and 2
- D.Neither 1 nor 2
Show answer
The Upanishads are full of stories and parables, and they belong to the late Vedic period, well before the Puranas took shape.
Read the full explanation →