Prelims · Medieval India · 12 questions

Early medieval kingdoms (c. 700–1200)

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Prelims 2025 · Q13

Medium

The irrigation device called 'Araghatta' was

Answer & explanation

Answer: (b) a large wheel with earthen pots tied to the outer ends of its spokes

The answer is the pot-wheel of Indian irrigation: a large wheel carrying a ring of pots that dip into a well, fill, rise and empty into a channel as the wheel turns. NCERT reproduces Babur's description of it, a wheel with pitchers fastened to ropes and wooden strips, turned by a bullock through geared wheels, and calls the same device the Persian wheel (Rehat).

✓ (b) Babur describes a wheel-well device with pitchers fastened between two circles of rope, turned by a bullock through toothed wheels, with a trough where the pitchers empty. NCERT's figure calls it a Persian wheel. UPSC's key treats this option as correct; we could not confirm the option's name from an official source, so we do not explain that detail.
✗ (a) Babur also describes a different device: a large bucket on a rope passed over a roller at the well-edge and tied to a bullock. NCERT lists the Charas as a separate well-irrigation device, distinct from the Rehat (Persian wheel). Neither is a wheel of pots.
✗ (d) A bucket on a rope is the other kind of lift Babur describes; it is not a wheel carrying a ring of pots.

Remember · Wheel with a ring of pots lifting well water = the Persian wheel (Rehat); Babur describes one turned by a bullock through gears. A bucket-and-rope lift (charas type) is a different device.

📘 Read it in NCERT: Class 12 Themes in Indian History, Part II, Ch 4 (practise this chapter) · Class 12 Themes in Indian History, Part II, Ch 4 (practise this chapter) · Class 12 Themes in Indian History, Part II, Ch 4 (practise this chapter) · Class 11 Understanding Society, Ch 1 (practise this chapter)

Sources

NCERT Class 12 · Themes in Indian History, Part II, Chapter 4 “They make two circles of rope long enough to suit the depths of the well, fix strips of wood between them, and on these fasten pitchers.”
NCERT Class 12 · Themes in Indian History, Part II, Chapter 4 “The last wheel the bullock turns; its teeth catch in the teeth of the second (wheel), and thus the wheel with the pitchers is turned.”
NCERT Class 12 · Themes in Indian History, Part II, Chapter 4 “tie a rope to a large bucket, put the rope over a roller, and tie its other end to the bullock.”
NCERT Class 11 · Understanding Society, Chapter 1 “But if a Charas is replaced by a Rehat (persian wheel) for irrigation which calls for a heavier capital investment, one needs only one pair of bullocks and one person for its operation.”

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2025, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 1 Oct 2026 (how we verify). Permalink ·

Prelims 2025 · Q16

Easy

Who among the following led a successful military campaign against the kingdom of Srivijaya, the powerful maritime State, which ruled the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Java and the neighbouring islands?

Answer & explanation

Answer: (c) Rajendra I (Chola)

Only the Cholas had a navy able to strike across the Bay of Bengal. Rajendra Chola I, son of Rajaraja I, sent a naval expedition in the 1020s that defeated Srivijaya's forces and took its capital, a punitive raid rather than a lasting occupation.

✓ (c) Rajendra I's fleet defeated the Shrivijaya forces and captured their capital; he also took the title Gangaikondachola after campaigns reaching Odisha and Bengal.
✗ (a) Amoghavarsha I was a ninth-century Rashtrakuta king of the Deccan, remembered as Nripatunga and a patron of scholars, not for any overseas war.
✗ (d) Vishnuvardhana freed the Hoysalas of Karnataka from Chalukya overlordship in the twelfth century and challenged the Cholas on land; he led no naval campaign.

Remember · Rajendra Chola I (c. 1014–1044): naval raid on Srivijaya (Malay Peninsula–Sumatra), title Gangaikondachola, new capital Gangaikondacholapuram.

📘 Read it in NCERT: Class 7 Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Part 2), Ch 4 (practise this chapter) · Class 7 Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Part 2), Ch 4 (practise this chapter)

Sources

NCERT Class 7 · Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Part 2), Chapter 4 “Rajendra sent his navy, which defeated the Shrivijaya forces and captured their capital. However, he did not try to occupy the defeated empire; it was a punitive expedition,”
NCERT Class 7 · Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Part 2), Chapter 4 “Under King Vishnuvardhana, they broke away from Chalukya overlordship, challenged the Cholas, and gradually extended their sway over most of present-day Karnataka.”

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2025, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). Permalink ·

Prelims 2023 · Q45

Medium

Consider the following dynasties:

1.Hoysala
2.Gahadavala
3.Kakatiya
4.Yadava

How many of the above dynasties established their kingdoms in early eighth century AD?

Answer & explanation

Answer: (d) None

None of the four belongs to the early eighth century. All are kingdoms of the eleventh to thirteenth centuries: the Hoysalas and Kakatiyas rose as the Western Chalukyas faded in the twelfth century, the Gahadavalas of the Ganga plain were contemporaries and rivals of the Chahamana Prithviraja III (1168-1192), and the Yadavas of Devagiri ruled Maharashtra in the thirteenth century.

✗ 1. The Hoysalas of southern Karnataka, with their capital region around Belur, Halebidu and later Mysore, became a major power only after Chola and Pandya power waned, from the twelfth century onwards.
✗ 2. The Gahadavalas ruled the Kanauj-Varanasi tract of western Uttar Pradesh in the eleventh and twelfth centuries, opposing the eastward expansion of the Chahamanas of Ajmer and Delhi under Prithviraja III (1168-1192).
✗ 3. The Kakatiyas of Warangal rose in the twelfth century, replacing the Western Chalukyas in the Telugu country; their best-known ruler, Rudramadevi, reigned from 1262 to 1289.
✗ 4. The Yadavas ruled most of Maharashtra from Devagiri (present-day Daulatabad) during the thirteenth century and were overcome by the Khalji Sultanate of Delhi in the early fourteenth century.

Remember · Hoysalas, Kakatiyas, Gahadavalas and Yadavas are all post-1000 CE regional kingdoms (11th-13th centuries), not early eighth century; the early eighth century belongs to the Chalukyas, Pallavas and Pratiharas' rise.

📘 Read it in NCERT: Class 7 Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Part 2), Ch 4 (practise this chapter) · Class 11 An Introduction to Indian Art, Part I, Ch 6 (practise this chapter) · Class 8 Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Part 1), Ch 3 (practise this chapter)

Sources

NCERT Class 7 · Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Part 2), Chapter 4 “12th century: Rise of the Kakatiyas”
NCERT Class 11 · An Introduction to Indian Art, Part I, Chapter 6 “With the waning of Chola and Pandya power, the Hoysalas of Karnataka grew to prominence in South India and became the most important patrons centred at Mysore.”
NCERT Class 8 · Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Part 1), Chapter 3 “During the 13th century, most of Maharashtra was ruled by the Yadava dynasty with Devagiri (present-day Daulatabad) as its capital.”

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2023, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). Permalink ·

Prelims 2022 · Q92

Hard

Consider the following pairs:

	King	Dynasty
1.	Nannuka	Chandela
2.	Jayashakti	Paramara
3.	Nagabhata II	Gurjara-Pratihara
4.	Bhoja	Rashtrakuta

How many pairs given above are correctly matched?

Answer & explanation

Answer: (b) Only two pairs

Only pairs 1 and 3 are correct: Nannuka began the Chandela line and Nagabhata II was a Gurjara-Pratihara king. Jayashakti was another Chandela ruler, not a Paramara, and the famous Bhoja was a Pratihara king, not a Rashtrakuta.

✓ 1. Nannuka is the first ruler in the standard list of Chandela kings (early 9th century), the dynasty of Jejakabhukti (Bundelkhand) that built the Khajuraho temples.
✗ 2. Jayashakti, with his brother Vijayashakti, appears in the same Chandela list, after Vakpati. He is not a Paramara.
✓ 3. Nagabhata II was a Gurjara-Pratihara king who captured Kannauj in the early 9th century, before Bhoja made the Pratiharas the strongest power of north India.
✗ 4. Bhoja is the celebrated Pratihara king in NCERT, not a Rashtrakuta. The Rashtrakutas of the Deccan began with Dantidurga in the mid-8th century.

Remember · Chandela: Nannuka, Vakpati, Jayashakti. Gurjara-Pratihara: Nagabhata I and II, Bhoja. Rashtrakuta: Dantidurga.

📘 Read it in NCERT: Class 7 Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Part 2), Ch 3 (practise this chapter) · Class 7 Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Part 2), Ch 3 (practise this chapter)

Sources

Britannica — Chandela (list of Chandela rulers, citing Madhya Pradesh Tourism) ↗ · reference work “835–845 ce Nanuka 845–865 ce Vakpati 865–885 ce Jayashakti and Vijayashakti 885–905 ce Rahila 905–925 ce Shri Harshadev”
UGC e-content (cec.nic.in): Chandella Period ↗ “who ruled at Jejakabhukti or modern Bundelkhand, the region where Khajuraho is located, from 831 to 1308 A.D.”
District Ballia (Government of Uttar Pradesh) — History ↗ “In the first of the ninth century, probably soon after the capture of Kannauj by Naghbhatta II, it came under the sway of the rising power of the Gujrat Pratiharas of whom Bhoja was the strongest ruler in northern India.”
NCERT Class 7 · Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Part 2), Chapter 3 “In the 9th century, the celebrated Pratihara ruler, King Bhoja, a devotee of Vishnu, built an empire stretching from Punjab and Kathiawar (or Saurashtra) in the west to Kannauj in the east”
NCERT Class 7 · Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Part 2), Chapter 3 “In the mid-8th century, Dantidurga became the first independent Rashtrakuta ruler when he overthrew the Chalukyas in the Deccan”

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2022, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 1 Oct 2026 (how we verify). Permalink ·

Prelims 2022 · Q96

Medium

The Prime Minister recently inaugurated the new Circuit House near Somnath Temple at Veraval. Which of the following statements are correct regarding Somnath Temple?

1.Somnath Temple is one of the Jyotirlinga shrines.
2.A description of Somnath Temple was given by Al-Biruni.
3.Pran Pratishtha of Somnath Temple (installation of the present day temple) was done by President S. Radhakrishnan.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

Answer & explanation

Answer: (a) 1 and 2 only

Statements 1 and 2 are correct; statement 3 is not. The present Somnath temple was consecrated on 11 May 1951 by Dr Rajendra Prasad, the then President, not by S. Radhakrishnan.

✓ 1. Somnath, at Prabhas Patan near Veraval in Gujarat, is revered as the first of the twelve Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva.
✓ 2. Al-Biruni, the scholar who came to Ghazni after Mahmud took Khwarizm and who travelled with Mahmud's army, wrote about the shivalinga worshipped at Somnath and about its destruction by Mahmud; NCERT quotes him on this.
✗ 3. The temple rebuilt after independence was consecrated on 11 May 1951, with President Rajendra Prasad performing the installation ceremony.

Remember · Somnath: first of the 12 Jyotirlingas, raided by Mahmud of Ghazni in 1026, described by Al-Biruni; present temple installed by President Rajendra Prasad on 11 May 1951.

📘 Read it in NCERT: Class 7 Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Part 2), Ch 4 (practise this chapter) · Class 7 Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Part 2), Ch 4 (practise this chapter) · Class 12 Themes in Indian History, Part II, Ch 1 (practise this chapter)

Sources

PIB — Somnath Swabhiman Parv (10 January 2026) ↗ “Somnath is revered as the first among the 12 Aadi Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva.”
District Gir Somnath (Government of Gujarat) — History ↗ “On 11 May 1951, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, the President of India performed the installation ceremony for the temple.”
NCERT Class 7 · Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Part 2), Chapter 4 “Let us also refer again to al-Biruni, who, after explaining the origin of the shivalinga worshipped”
NCERT Class 7 · Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Part 2), Chapter 4 “at the Somnath temple, recorded, "The image was destroyed by the Prince Mahmud. He ordered the upper part to be broken and the remainder to be transported to his residence, Ghazni.”
NCERT Class 12 · Themes in Indian History, Part II, Chapter 1 “In 1017, when Sultan Mahmud invaded Khwarizm, he took several scholars and poets back to his capital, Ghazni; Al-Biruni was one of them.”

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2022, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 1 Oct 2026 (how we verify). Permalink ·

Prelims 2021 · Q31

Medium

With reference to Chausath Yogini Temple situated near Morena, consider the following statements:

1.It is a circular temple built during the reign of Kachchhapaghata Dynasty.
2.It is the only circular temple built in India.
3.It was meant to promote the Vaishnava cult in the region.
4.Its design has given rise to a popular belief that it was the inspiration behind the Indian Parliament building.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

Answer & explanation

Answer: (c) 1 and 4

The hilltop temple at Mitaoli (Mitawali) in Morena district, Madhya Pradesh, is a circular yogini temple built by the Kachchhapaghata king Devapala in the 11th century. It has 64 cells for the sixty-four yoginis, a Shakta-Tantric cult rather than a Vaishnava one, and is one of very few circular temples, not the only one. Its round plan led many to believe it inspired the circular Parliament House (Sansad Bhavan).

✓ 1. An inscription dated 1323 CE records that the Kachchhapaghata king Devapala (c. 1055–1075) built it, and the temple is circular.
✗ 2. It is described officially as one of the very few circular temples in India; other yogini temples, such as Hirapur in Odisha, are also circular.
✗ 3. It is dedicated to the sixty-four yoginis, goddesses linked to Tantric worship; its cells now hold Shiva lingas, hence the name Ekattarso Mahadeva temple. Nothing links it to the Vaishnava cult.
✓ 4. Because both are circular, many visitors have concluded that the temple inspired the design of Parliament House, though this is a popular belief, not a documented fact.

Remember · Chausath Yogini (Ekattarso Mahadeva) temple, Mitaoli, Morena: circular, 64 cells, Kachchhapaghata king Devapala (11th century). Yogini temples: Tantric goddess cult (Hirapur, Bheraghat, Khajuraho).

📘 Read it in NCERT: Class 11 An Introduction to Indian Art, Part I, Ch 6 (practise this chapter)

Sources

District Morena (Government of Madhya Pradesh), Chausath Yogini Temple, Morena ↗ “According to an inscription dated to 1323 CE (Vikram Samvat 1383), the temple was built by the Kachchhapaghata king Devapala (r. c. 1055 – 1075). … This circular temple is one among the very few such temples in India. This is a yogini temple dedicated to sixty-four yoginis. … Many of these curious visitors have compared this temple with the Indian parliament building (Sansad Bhawan) as both are circular in style. Many have drawn conclusions that this temple was the inspiration behind the Sansad Bhawan.”
NCERT Class 11 · An Introduction to Indian Art, Part I, Chapter 6 “each dedicated to devis or goddesses associated with the rise of Tantric worship after the seventh century. Several such temples were dedicated to the cult of the yoginis across Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and even as far south as Tamil Nadu.”

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2021, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). Permalink ·

Prelims 2021 · Q34

Medium

From the decline of Guptas until the rise of Harshavardhana in the early seventh century, which of the following kingdoms were holding power in Northern India?

1.The Guptas of Magadha
2.The Paramaras of Malwa
3.The Pushyabhutis of Thanesar
4.The Maukharis of Kanauj
5.The Yadavas of Devagiri
6.The Maitrakas of Valabhi

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

Answer & explanation

Answer: (b) 1, 3, 4 and 6

When the imperial Guptas faded in the 6th century, northern India split among successor kingdoms: the later Guptas in Magadha, the Maukharis at Kanauj, the Pushyabhutis at Thanesar and the Maitrakas at Valabhi in Gujarat. The Paramaras of Malwa (10th century) and the Yadavas of Devagiri (12th–13th centuries) came much later, and Devagiri is in the Deccan.

✓ 1. A later line of Guptas ruled in Magadha after the imperial Guptas declined; Devagupta, a Later Gupta ruler, joined Shashanka of Bengal in attacking the Maukhari Grahavarman.
✗ 2. The Paramaras emerged as an independent power in Malwa only in the second half of the 10th century.
✓ 3. Harshavardhana's own family, the Pushyabhutis (Vardhanas), ruled from Sthaneshvara (Thanesar, Haryana) before he moved to Kannauj in 606.
✓ 4. The Maukharis, once subordinate rulers of the Guptas, ruled independently from Kanauj in the 6th century (c. 510–606 CE).
✗ 5. The Yadavas ruled Maharashtra from Devagiri (Daulatabad) in the 13th century, far later and outside northern India.
✓ 6. The Maitrakas were tributary chiefs of the Guptas who set up an independent kingdom in western India (Saurashtra), with Valabhi as their capital, from about 475 to 776 CE.

Remember · Post-Gupta, pre-Harsha powers: later Guptas (Magadha), Maukharis (Kannauj), Pushyabhutis (Thanesar), Maitrakas (Valabhi). Paramaras (10th c.) and Yadavas (13th c.) are later.

📘 Read it in NCERT: Class 9 Understanding Society: India and Beyond, Ch 5 (practise this chapter) · Class 7 Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Part 2), Ch 3 (practise this chapter) · Class 7 Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Part 2), Ch 4 (practise this chapter) · Class 8 Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Part 1), Ch 3 (practise this chapter)

Sources

NCERT Class 9 · Understanding Society: India and Beyond, Chapter 5 “475–776 CE: Maitrakas 510–606 CE Maukharis 543 CE: Foundation of Chalukyan dynasty by Pulakeshin I”
NCERT Class 7 · Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Part 2), Chapter 3 “He belonged to the Pushyabhuti (or Vardhana) dynasty, whose earlier capital was Sthaneshvara (present-day Thanesar in Haryana).”
IGNOU eGyanKosh (Govt of India central university), History of India from c. 300 CE to 1206, Unit 3: The Pushyabhutis and the Rise of Harsha ↗ · reference work “Guptas of Magadha, Gaudas of West Bengal (Murshidabad Dist.), Maitrakas of Valabhi (Saurashtra peninsula), Pushyabhutis of Thaneswar, etc. Many of them were originally subordinates of the Guptas. But, with the decline of the political authority of the Guptas, they assumed independence.”
NIOS (Ministry of Education), Senior Secondary History, Lesson 7: The Guptas and their Successors (Maitrakas) ↗ · reference work “The Maitrakas were tributary chiefs of the Guptas, who established an independent kingdom in western India. … Shashanka, the ruler of Bengal (Gaur), and Devgupta, the Later Gupta ruler jointly attacked Grihavarman and killed him.”
NCERT Class 7 · Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Part 2), Chapter 4 “The Paramaras were originally vassals of the Pratiharas and the Rashtrakutas; in the second half of the 10th century, they emerged as an independent power in Malwa”
NCERT Class 8 · Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Part 1), Chapter 3 “During the 13th century, most of Maharashtra was ruled by the Yadava dynasty with Devagiri (present-day Daulatabad) as its capital.”

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2021, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). Permalink ·

Prelims 2020 · Q24

Medium

Consider the following events in the history of India:

1.Rise of Pratiharas under King Bhoja
2.Establishment of Pallava power under Mahendravarman – I
3.Establishment of Chola power by Parantaka – I
4.Pala dynasty founded by Gopala

What is the correct chronological order of the above events, starting from the earliest time?

Answer & explanation

Answer: (c) 2 – 4 – 1 – 3

Mahendravarman I ruled the Pallavas in the early seventh century, Gopala founded the Pala dynasty in the eighth century, Bhoja raised the Pratiharas to their height in the ninth, and Parantaka I consolidated Chola power in the tenth. So the order is 2–4–1–3.

✓ 2. Mahendravarman I was a contemporary of the Chalukya king Pulakeshin II; the Pallavas reached their peak in the 7th century under him and his son Narasimhavarman I.
✓ 4. The Palas came to power in Bengal in the 8th century, when Gopala was chosen as ruler; his son Dharmapala built their empire.
✓ 1. The Pratihara king Bhoja built a large empire in the 9th century, stretching from Punjab and Kathiawar to Kannauj.
✓ 3. Parantaka I ruled in the 10th century; his Uttaramerur inscription describes village assemblies of the Chola period.

Remember · Order: Mahendravarman I (7th c., Pallava) → Gopala (8th c., Pala) → Bhoja (9th c., Pratihara) → Parantaka I (10th c., Chola).

📘 Read it in NCERT: Class 7 Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Part 2), Ch 3 (practise this chapter) · Class 11 An Introduction to Indian Art, Part I, Ch 6 (practise this chapter) · Class 7 Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Part 2), Ch 3 (practise this chapter) · Class 9 Understanding Society: India and Beyond, Ch 5 (practise this chapter)

Sources

NCERT Class 7 · Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Part 2), Chapter 3 “the dynasty reached its peak in the 7th century under Mahendravarman I and his son Narasimhavarman I.”
NCERT Class 11 · An Introduction to Indian Art, Part I, Chapter 6 “In the eighth century, the Palas came to power in the region. The second Pala ruler, Dharmapala, became immensely powerful”
NCERT Class 7 · Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Part 2), Chapter 3 “In the 9th century, the celebrated Pratihara ruler, King Bhoja, a devotee of Vishnu, built an empire stretching from Punjab and Kathiawar (or Saurashtra) in the west to Kannauj in the east”
NCERT Class 9 · Understanding Society: India and Beyond, Chapter 5 “The Uttaramerur inscription of Parantaka I (10th century) of the Chola period provides a vivid description of village governance.”

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2020, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). Permalink ·

Prelims 2020 · Q25

Easy

Which of the following phrases defines the nature of the 'Hundi' generally referred to in the sources of the post-Harsha period?

Answer & explanation

Answer: (c) A bill of exchange

A hundi was a written instrument of credit and exchange — a bill of exchange — that let merchants transfer money and trade over long distances without carrying cash. References to hundika appear in post-Harsha texts such as the Lekhapaddhati.

✓ (c) The hundi was a written order to pay a named person, used by merchants as a bill of exchange and credit note across regions.
✗ (a) Royal orders to officials were issued as edicts or grants recorded in inscriptions and copper plates, not as hundis.
✗ (d) The hundi was a commercial instrument used by traders and bankers, not a command in the feudal chain of authority.

Remember · Hundi = indigenous bill of exchange/credit note used by merchants for long-distance trade and remittance without moving cash.

📘 Read it in NCERT: Class 12 Indian Society, Ch 4 (practise this chapter) · Class 8 Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Part 1), Ch 2 (practise this chapter)

Sources

NCERT Class 12 · Indian Society, Chapter 4 “an important instrument of exchange and credit was the hundi, or bill of exchange (like a credit note), which allowed merchants to engage in long-distance trade.”
NCERT Class 8 · Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Part 1), Chapter 2 “A hundi was a written instruction to make payment to an individual.”

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2020, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). Permalink ·

Prelims 2020 · Q97

Medium

With reference to the history of India, consider the following pairs:

	Famous Place	Present State
1.	Bhilsa	Madhya Pradesh
2.	Dwarasamudra	Maharashtra
3.	Girinagar	Gujarat
4.	Sthanesvara	Uttar Pradesh

Which of the pairs given above are correctly matched?

Answer & explanation

Answer: (a) 1 and 3 only

Only Bhilsa (Madhya Pradesh) and Girinagar (Gujarat) are matched correctly. Dwarasamudra is today's Halebidu in Karnataka, and Sthanesvara is today's Thanesar in Haryana.

✓ 1. Bhilsa, the old name of the town beside the river Betwa, is Vidisha, in Madhya Pradesh.
✗ 2. Dvarasamudra, a Hoysala capital, is today's Halebidu, in the present State of Karnataka, not Maharashtra.
✓ 3. Girinagar is another name for Girnar, the sacred hills at Junagadh in Gujarat.
✗ 4. Sthaneshvara, the early capital of the Pushyabhuti (Vardhana) dynasty of Harshavardhana, is present-day Thanesar in Haryana, not Uttar Pradesh.

Remember · Bhilsa = Vidisha (MP); Dwarasamudra = Halebidu (Karnataka); Girinagar = Girnar/Junagadh (Gujarat); Sthanesvara = Thanesar (Haryana).

📘 Read it in NCERT: Class 7 Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Part 2), Ch 4 (practise this chapter) · Class 7 Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Part 2), Ch 3 (practise this chapter)

Sources

District Vidisha, Government of Madhya Pradesh (vidisha.nic.in): About District ↗ “This new town was known as Bhailaswamin or Bhillaswamin, the name of the place was later corrupted to ‘Bhilsa’ or Bhelsa.”
NCERT Class 7 · Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Part 2), Chapter 4 “Velapura (today's Belur) and Dvarasamudra (today's Halebidu) became the Hoysalas' capitals.”
UNESCO World Heritage Centre: Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysalas ↗ “the three most representative Hoysala-style temple complexes constructed between the 12th and 13th centuries in the present State of Karnataka, namely the Channakeshava Temple in Belur, the Hoysalesvara Temple in Halebidu”
District Junagadh, Government of Gujarat (junagadh.nic.in): Girnar ↗ “Girnar, also known as Girinagar or Revatak Parvata, is a group of mountains in the Junagadh District of Gujarat, India, situated near Junagadh.”
NCERT Class 7 · Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Part 2), Chapter 3 “He belonged to the Pushyabhuti (or Vardhana) dynasty, whose earlier capital was Sthaneshvara (present-day Thanesar in Haryana).”

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2020, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). Permalink ·

Prelims 2017 · Q51

Medium

Which one of the following was a very important seaport in the Kakatiya kingdom?

Answer & explanation

Answer: (b) Motupalli

Motupalli, on the Andhra coast near Chirala, was the chief port of the Kakatiya kingdom. The Kakatiya king Ganapatideva issued an edict of safety there in 1244-45 promising overseas merchants protection and fixed duties.

✓ (b) Ganapatideva's Abhaya Sasana, carved on a pillar at Motupalli, guaranteed traders safety and the payment of only the usual duties, which shows it was the kingdom's main port for overseas trade.
✗ (c) Machilipatnam (Masulipatnam) is another Andhra coastal town, but it is not the port linked with the Kakatiya kingdom.
✗ (a) Kakinada is also on the Andhra coast, but it was not the Kakatiya kingdom's chief port.

Remember · Kakatiya port: Motupalli. Ganapatideva's Abhaya Sasana (1244-45) there protected overseas merchants and fixed duties.

📘 Read it in NCERT: Class 7 Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Part 2), Ch 4 (practise this chapter)

Sources

National Academy of Customs, Indirect Taxes and Narcotics (Ministry of Finance): Indian Customs, 2024 ↗ “the great Kakatiya King Ganapatideva envisaged in his famous tariff pillar in Motupalli that the glorious pillar edict resembles a staff for the support of dharma, the eternal law of justice.”
National Book Trust, India (Ministry of Education): Rani Rudrama Devi ↗ “Marco Polo who landed at Motupalli near Chirala and visited Mutfili Fort, saw a state of flourishing sea trade, land trade, agriculture and economy of people in the Kakatiya Kingdom.”
NCERT Class 7 · Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Part 2), Chapter 4 “The Kakatiya rulers promoted a strong local administration based on village self-governance; they developed an efficient revenue system and an irrigation infrastructure that supported agricultural prosperity.”
A medieval port town with almost 2,000 years of history, The Hans India (21 August 2021) ↗ · reference work “Maharaja Ganapatideva installed the edict of safety out of mercy and for his glory and merit at the chief port of Kakatiya kingdom”

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2017, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). Permalink ·

Prelims 2016 · Q80

Hard

In the context of the history of India, consider the following pairs:

	Term	Description
1.	Eripatti	Land, revenue from which was set apart for the maintenance of the village tank
2.	Taniyurs	Villages donated to a single Brahmin or a group of Brahmins
3.	Ghatikas	Colleges generally attached to the temples

Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?

Answer & explanation

Answer: (d) 1 and 3

Pairs 1 and 3 are correct. Eripatti was tank land and Ghatikas were temple-linked centres of learning, but a taniyur was a village independent of the local district (nadu), not a village given to Brahmins; that description fits a brahmadeya.

✓ 1. Many villages in the Tamil country depended on tank irrigation, and land set apart for the tank was called Eripatti (eri means tank).
✗ 2. A taniyur was a separate village within a nadu with its own revenue and justice arrangements. Villages granted to a single Brahmin (ekabhoga) or a group of Brahmins (ganabhoga) were brahmadeyas (NCERT: brahmadeya was land gifted to Brahmanas); many brahmadeyas did become taniyurs, but the two terms are not the same.
✓ 3. NCERT describes ghatikas as centres of learning; they were educational institutions of the early medieval south; in general every temple had a Ghatika attached to it.

Remember · Eripatti = tank land; taniyur = independent village; brahmadeya = land or village gifted to Brahmins; ghatika = temple-attached college.

📘 Read it in NCERT: Class 7 Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Part 1), Ch 7 (practise this chapter)

Sources

NCERT Class 7 · Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Part 1), Chapter 7 “The establishment of ghatikas — centres of learning that emerged during the reign of the Satavahanas — fostered an environment for education and intellectual growth.”
History of India study material, Himachal Pradesh University (B.A. First Year, DSC-IB HIST 102), on the Pallava period ↗ · reference work “Many of the villages depended on tank irrigation and this land was known as Eripatti or tank. … Every temple in general had a Ghatika attached to it.”
Unit 4: The Political Scenario III, Cholas and Chalukyas (IGNOU eGyanKosh) ↗ · reference work “many of the brahmadeyas in the Chola period were taniyur (separate village) in a nadu. They had a separate administrative system (revenue and justice).”
Unit 13: Organisation of Agricultural and Crafts Production (IGNOU eGyanKosh) ↗ · reference work “Land grants could be either made to a single brahmana (ekabhoga-Brahmadeya) or to a group of brahmanas (gana-bhoga)”

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2016, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 1 Oct 2026 (how we verify). Permalink ·

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