Indian History Questions and Answers

Answer: C

The site is Bagor, near Bhilwara.

Bagor, on the Kothari river, was excavated by V. N. Misra. Its deposit is mainly Mesolithic, with microliths and evidence of early animal keeping, and the few copper tools found include a pierced needle, a needle with an eye. That is the detail the question is built on.

Ganeshwar, in Sikar district, is the better-known copper site, famous for the very large number of copper objects it yielded, and a reader may be drawn to it by the word abundance. The key, however, follows the textbook listing that ties the needle with an eye to Bagor, so this is the answer to give. Ahar, in Udaipur district, is known for its copper working and the Banas culture, and Banas names the river valley and culture rather than a site.

Answer: B

Maharaja Surajmal set up Bharatpur.

Suraj Mal, the Jat ruler, founded Bharatpur around 1733 and built its Lohagarh (iron fort), whose earthen ramparts later held off a long British siege in 1805. Under him the Jat state reached its greatest extent.

Jaipur was founded by Sawai Jai Singh II in 1727. Kota grew as the capital of the Hada Rajputs, and Dholpur is an older town; neither was founded by Suraj Mal.

Answer: C

The third envoy was Bhagwandas.

Akbar sent four missions to Maharana Pratap between 1572 and 1573 to persuade him to accept Mughal suzerainty: Jalal Khan Qorchi first (1572), Raja Man Singh second (1573), Raja Bhagwant Das third (later in 1573) and Raja Todar Mal fourth (December 1573). All four failed, and the Battle of Haldighati followed in 1576.

Jalal Khan, Man Singh and Todarmal led the first, second and fourth missions, so they are not the answer.

Answer: A

Mahmud Khilji I was defeated by Rana Kumbha.

Rana Kumbha of Mewar defeated Sultan Mahmud Khilji I of Malwa at Sarangpur in 1437. He built the Vijay Stambh (Tower of Victory) at Chittorgarh to commemorate the victory.

Rana Lakha was Kumbha's grandfather, Rana Raimal his son, and Rana Sanga his grandson, who fought Babur at Khanwa in 1527, so none of them fought at Sarangpur.

Answer: A

The key's answer is Alwar.

Among the states of Rajputana, Alwar was the first to enter into treaty relations with the East India Company, in 1803, when the Company was fighting the Marathas in north India.

Jodhpur, Banswara and Dungarpur all signed their treaties in 1818, under Lord Hastings's system of subsidiary alliances with the Rajput states, so they came later. The stem says 'in India', but the standard account it draws on is about Rajputana.

Answer: A

The key's answer is Seth Jamna Lal Bajaj.

Jamnalal Bajaj, the Gandhian industrialist born in Sikar district, reorganised the Jaipur Praja Mandal and presided over its first session at Jaipur. Standard accounts date that session to 1938; the paper prints 1948.

Hiralal Shastri was among the Mandal's leading figures. The other names offered were not the president of its first session.

Answer: B

Greater Rajasthan was inaugurated by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

On 30 March 1949, now celebrated as Rajasthan Day, Patel inaugurated Greater Rajasthan, which joined Jaipur, Jodhpur, Bikaner and Jaisalmer with the earlier United State of Rajasthan. Heera Lal Shastri became its first Chief Minister.

Nehru did not perform the inauguration, and Tika Ram Paliwal became Chief Minister later, in 1952.

Answer: D

The seventh phase included Ajmer.

The integration of Rajasthan was completed in seven phases. In the seventh, on 1 November 1956 under the States Reorganisation Act, Ajmer-Merwara, the Abu Road area and the Sunel Tappa were added, giving the state its present shape.

Jaipur joined in the fourth phase (Greater Rajasthan, 1949), Bharatpur in the first (Matsya Union, 1948), and Shahpura in the second (Rajasthan Union, 1948).

Answer: A

Tilwara is in present-day Barmer.

Tilwara, on the Luni river in Barmer district, is a Mesolithic site where microliths and evidence of animal domestication have been found.

Bhilwara is the trap: it has Bagor, the other famous Mesolithic site of Rajasthan. Viratnagar (Bairath) is a site in Jaipur district known for Mauryan and earlier remains, and Chittor is not where Tilwara lies.

Answer: B

Jaitra Singh defeated Iltutmish in the Battle of Bhutala.

Jaitra Singh, the Guhil ruler of Mewar, defeated the forces of Sultan Iltutmish at Bhutala near Nagda around 1227, an episode recorded in Mewar's inscriptions and chronicles.

Haldighati (1576) was fought by Maharana Pratap against Akbar's army, Khanwa (1527) by Rana Sanga against Babur, and the first battle of Tarain (1191) by Prithviraj Chauhan against Muhammad Ghori.