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Indian HistoryHardAsked in: CDS · CDS-II 2022, GK

Which one of the following statements on the issue of ownership, according to Smriti literature, is not correct?

  1. A.The paternal estate was to be divided equally amongst sons.
  2. B.Women were allowed to retain the gifts they received on the occasion of their marriage.
  3. C.The gifts to women on the occasion of their marriage were known as Stridhana.
  4. D.Stridhana was not inherited by the children without the permission of the husband.

Correct answer

D. Stridhana was not inherited by the children without the permission of the husband.

Explanation

The correct answer is D, Stridhana was not inherited by the children without the permission of the husband.. According to the Manusmriti and other Dharmashastras, the paternal estate was to be divided equally among the sons after the death of the parents, with a special share for the eldest, while women could not claim a share of it. Women could, however, keep the gifts they received at their marriage, and these were called stridhana, literally a woman's wealth. Stridhana could be inherited by her children without the husband having any claim to it, which is why statement D, saying the husband's permission was needed, is not correct. The same texts also warned women against hoarding family property or even their own valuables without the husband's permission, which shows how limited their control was. Option A is a correct statement, as the estate was shared equally among sons. Option B is correct, as women kept their marriage gifts. Option C is correct, as those gifts were known as stridhana. Exam tip: stridhana, marriage gifts kept by a woman and passed to her children; the husband had no claim on them.

Practice Questions

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Q1.Indian HistoryAsked in: CDS · CDS-I 2018, GKMedium

Which of the following statements about the usage of the term 'barbarian' is/are correct? 1. It is derived from the Greek word 'barbaros' which means a non-Greek. 2. Romans used the term for the Germanic tribes, the Gauls and the Huns. Select the correct answer using the code given below.

  1. A.1 only
  2. B.2 only
  3. C.Both 1 and 2
  4. D.Neither 1 nor 2
Show answer
Correct answer: C. Both 1 and 2

The word barbarian comes from the Greek barbaros, a name for anyone who was not Greek, and the Romans later applied it to the peoples beyond their frontiers, such as the Germanic tribes, the Gauls and the Huns.

Q4.Indian HistoryAsked in: CDS · CDS-II 2018, GKHard

The important source for Akbar's reign, Tarikh-i-Akbari was written by which one of the following Persian language scholars?

  1. A.Arif Qandahari
  2. B.Bayazid Bayat
  3. C.Abdul Qadir Badauni
  4. D.Nizamuddin Ahmad
Show answer
Correct answer: A. Arif Qandahari

Haji Muhammad Arif Qandahari, a noble who served under Bairam Khan and later Akbar, wrote the Persian chronicle Tarikh-i-Akbari. Akbar's reign is one of the best recorded in Indian history because many writers of his court left Persian accounts.

Q5.Indian HistoryAsked in: CDS · CDS-II 2018, GKMedium

The class of Amar Nayakas in Vijayanagara is a reference to which of the following?

  1. A.Village Chieftains
  2. B.Senior Civil Servants
  3. C.Tributary Chiefs
  4. D.Military Commanders
Show answer
Correct answer: D. Military Commanders

The amara-nayakas were military commanders to whom the Vijayanagara rulers gave territories to govern. Under the amara-nayaka system, a key political innovation of the Vijayanagara Empire, the king granted a commander an area of land called amaram.