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Indian HistoryHardAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2022, GS Paper I

With reference to Indian history, who of the following were known as "Kulah-Daran" ?

  1. A.Arab merchants
  2. B.Qalandars
  3. C.Persian calligraphists
  4. D.Sayyids

Correct answer

D. Sayyids

Explanation

The correct answer is D, Sayyids. "Kulah-Daran" means wearers of the peaked cap, a name given to the Sayyids in medieval India.

In Persian, kulah is a tall, pointed cap and daran means those who wear or hold it. In the Delhi Sultanate and Mughal periods the Sayyids, who claimed descent from the Prophet Muhammad through his daughter Fatima, wore this distinctive cap, and contemporary writers called them kulah-daran. They enjoyed high social prestige, received grants of land and were often appointed to religious and judicial posts. The Sayyid dynasty that ruled Delhi from 1414 to 1451 also took its name from this claim of descent.

A is wrong because Arab merchants were known by their trade and origin, not by a cap. B is wrong because Qalandars were wandering dervishes of the be-shara type, marked by shaven heads rather than the Sayyid cap. C is wrong because Persian calligraphists were known as khushnavis.

Exam tip: Kulah-Daran = Sayyids, the peaked-cap wearers who claimed descent from the Prophet.

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Q1.Indian HistoryAsked in: NDA · NDA-II 2021, GATHard

Which of the following statements about the Law Commission headed by Lord Macaulay is/are correct? 1. It attempted to codify the laws. 2. It was opposed to uniform system of Courts. 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: A. 1 only

The Law Commission under Macaulay set out to codify Indian law, and it was not opposed to a uniform system of courts.

Q2.Indian HistoryAsked in: NDA · NDA-II 2022, GATMedium

Which of the following statements about the Unionist Party is/are correct? 1. It was a political party representing the interests of landholders in Punjab. 2. It was opposed to the idea of the partition of India as India and Pakistan. 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
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Q3.Indian HistoryAsked in: NDA · NDA-I 2024, GATHard

Which of the following statements are correct? 1. British 'trade surplus' with India in the nineteenth century meant that the value of British exports to India was much higher than the value of British imports from India. 2. India played a crucial role in the late-nineteenth-century world economy by helping Britain balance its deficits. 3. Britain grew opium in India and exported it to China and, therefore, for a while after the 1820s, opium became India's single largest export. 4. The nineteenth century saw export of Indian raw materials decline, and that of manufactured goods increase. Select the answer using the code given below :

  1. A.1 and 2 only
  2. B.3 and 4 only
  3. C.1, 2, 3 and 4
  4. D.1,2 and 3 only
Show answer
Correct answer: D. 1,2 and 3 only

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  1. A.Guru Nanak
  2. B.Guru Arjan
  3. C.Guru Hargobind
  4. D.Guru Gobind Singh
Show answer
Correct answer: D. Guru Gobind Singh

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Q5.Indian HistoryAsked in: UPSC CAPF · CAPF 2019, Paper IHard

Consider the following statements pertaining to the Satavahanas : 1. Satavahana rulers were identified through metronymics 2. Satavahana succession to the throne was generally patrilineal Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?

  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

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