Indian History Questions and Answers

Answer: B

The Rajpramukh was Maharaja Sawai Man Singh.

On 30 March 1949, now observed as Rajasthan Day, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Bikaner and Jaisalmer joined the United State of Rajasthan to form Greater Rajasthan. Sawai Man Singh II of Jaipur became its Rajpramukh, Maharana Bhupal Singh of Udaipur was made Maharajpramukh, and Jaipur became the capital.

Gurmukh Nihal Singh was the first Governor of Rajasthan, appointed in 1956 when the office of Rajpramukh was abolished under the States Reorganisation Act. Udai Singh and Bahadur Singh did not hold the office.

Answer: D

The Ganeshwar civilization was in Sikar.

Ganeshwar lies in the Neem ka Thana area of Sikar district, on the Kantli river near the Khetri copper belt. The site yielded large numbers of copper arrowheads, fish-hooks, axes and other objects, and it is known as the mother of the copper cultures of India, contemporary with and supplying copper to the Harappan cities.

Nagaur, Bundi and Bhilwara are not its location. In Bhilwara the well-known protohistoric site is Bagor, a Mesolithic site, which is a common source of confusion in these lists.

Answer: D

The civilization is Ahar.

Ahar, on the outskirts of Udaipur, is the type site of the Ahar-Banas culture of the third and second millennia BCE. Its people built houses with foundations of stone and walls of sun-baked brick and mud, and smelted copper from local ores.

Kalibangan, in Hanumangarh, is a Harappan site known for its ploughed field and fire altars. Ganeshwar in Sikar is known for its copper objects. Gilund, in Rajsamand district, is another settlement of the same Ahar-Banas culture; the paper's key gives the description to Ahar itself.

Answer: A

The key's answer is Bhanwar Lal Saraf.

The Jodhpur Praja Mandal was formed in 1934 to campaign for civil liberties and responsible government in the princely state of Marwar, with Bhanwar Lal Saraf as its president. It was banned by the state, and its work was carried on through the Marwar Lok Parishad, founded in 1938.

Jainarayan Vyas, the leading figure of the Marwar movement and later Chief Minister of Rajasthan, is the likely trap: he was the movement's organiser rather than the Praja Mandal's president. Manikya Lal Verma founded the Mewar Praja Mandal in 1938, in Udaipur, not Jodhpur.

Answer: B

The treaty with the Holkars in 1818 was the Treaty of Mandsaur.

After the Holkar army was defeated at Mahidpur in December 1817, during the Third Anglo-Maratha War, Malhar Rao Holkar II signed the Treaty of Mandsaur in January 1818. The Holkars ceded territory, gave up their claims over the Rajput states, and accepted a British resident and subsidiary force.

The Treaty of Purandar was signed in 1665 between Jai Singh and Shivaji, with a later treaty of the same name in 1776. The Anglo-Mewar and Anglo-Jaipur treaties of 1818 were made with the Rajput states of Udaipur and Jaipur, not with the Holkars.

Answer: D

Kalibangan is in Hanumangarh district.

Kalibangan lies on the left bank of the Ghaggar river in Hanumangarh district of northern Rajasthan. Excavations there revealed a ploughed field of the early Harappan phase, fire altars and a fortified citadel; the name means 'black bangles', after the fragments found at the site.

Sriganganagar is the neighbouring district, which makes it a close distractor, while Sikar and Jaipur are far from the Ghaggar valley.

Answer: D

Bharmal belonged to the Kachhwaha Dynasty.

Raja Bharmal (Bihari Mal) was the Kachhwaha ruler of Amber. In 1562 he became the first Rajput ruler to ally with Akbar by marriage, giving his daughter (Harkha Bai) in marriage to the emperor, and his son Bhagwant Das and grandson Man Singh became leading Mughal nobles.

The Rathores ruled Marwar and Bikaner, the Sisodias Mewar, and the Jats Bharatpur; Bharmal belonged to none of them.

Answer: B

The Jaipur Prajamandal was founded in 1931.

The Jaipur Praja Mandal was set up in 1931, with Kapoor Chand Patni among its founders, to work for civil rights and responsible government in Jaipur state. It was reorganised and made active in 1936-38 under Jamnalal Bajaj, which is why 1938 is a common distractor.

1934 and 1942 are not the founding year, which is 1931.

Answer: D

The Matsya Union's cabinet was led by Shri Shobha Ram.

The Matsya Union, formed on 17-18 March 1948 from the princely states of Alwar, Bharatpur, Dholpur and Karauli, was the first stage in the integration of Rajasthan. The Maharaja of Dholpur became its Rajpramukh, and Shobha Ram of Alwar its Prime Minister.

Gokul Lal Asawa headed the Rajasthan Union formed later in 1948, Manikya Lal Verma led the government after Udaipur joined, and Maharana Bhupal Singh of Udaipur became Rajpramukh of the United State of Rajasthan.

Answer: B

The Bishnoi sect was founded by Jambhoji.

Guru Jambheshwar (Jambhoji) founded the Bishnoi sect in 1485 at Samrathal Dhora near Bikaner. His followers keep 29 rules (bis-noi, twenty-nine), including protecting trees and animals, which is why Bishnois are known for conservation.

Jasnathji founded the Jasnathi sect, Laldas the Laldasi sect of Mewat, and Kabir was a saint-poet of Varanasi.