Question Discussion & Solution

The correct answer All of the above.

Key Points

Palaeolithic period:

• During the Paleolithic period, the man was a hunter and food gatherer. The human being used to use simple chipped and chopped type stone tools for hunting and other purposes.
• The palaeolithic period is divided into three phases:
  • Lower Paleolithic period
  • Middle Paleolithic period
  • Upper Paleolithic period
• List of Palaeolithic sites in Madhya Pradesh:
  • ​Agni River valley
  • Kundala
  • Lonar
  • Sagar
  • Bhopal
  • Gwalior
  • Pahargarh
  • Pachmarhi (engravings and Paintings)
  • Adamgarh (rock art and paintings)
  • Bhimbetaka (rock art and paintings)

• Indus Valley Civilization is the sole example of the Proto-Historical Phase in the Indian subcontinent.
• We consider this phase as proto-historical because modern historians have discovered scripts of that period but they have not deciphered it.

  S No	Phase	Script	Deciphered or not
  1	Pre Historical	No Script	Not Deciphered
  2	Proto Historical	Scripts exist	Not Deciphered
  3	Historical	Scripts exist	Deciphered

The correct answer is Mehrgarh.

Key Points

• Mehrgarh is an archaeologically important place where evidence related to the oldest agriculture and animal husbandry has been found.
• Mehrgarh is located on the banks of the Bolan River in present-day Balochistan (Pakistan)
• The people here cultivated wheat and barley and reared sheep, goats, and other animals.
• Weaving baskets, tools, and beads have been found in large quantities from Mehrgarh.

It was excavated by V.N. Misra in 1938-40 AD is not correct.

• Raid civilization: District - Tonk
  • It is situated on the bank of the Dheel river.
  • It was excavated by Kaidar Nath Puri in 1938-40 AD. 
  • It was an iron age civilization.
  • Gajmukhi Yaksha and Matradevi statues were also found there.
  • Asia's largest coin store was also found there.
  • It is also known as ancient India's Tatanagar.

Key Points

Additional Information

• V.N Misra:
  • In the year 1977, Misra founded a dedicated society for pre-historic studies.
  • He also started an international research journal, Man and Environment.
  • He was also awarded the prestigious VS Wakankar Award by the Madhya Pradesh State Government for his contribution to pre-history.
  • He excavated important archaeological sites such as Bhimbetka (a World Heritage site) and Balathal, among others.

The correct answer is option 3.

Key Points

• Poona Pact (September 1932):
  • It was an agreement between Gandhi and Ambedkar.
  • Madan Mohan Malviya signed the pact on behalf of Gandhi.
  • According to this pact:
    • Separate electorates were replaced by joint electorates for depressed classes.
    • As against 71 seats announced by MacDonald, this pact reserved 148 seats in the Provincial legislature.
    • About 18% of the total seats were also reserved for the pressed classes in the central legislature.
• August Offer (August 1940)
  • The Viceroy of India, Lord Linlithgow, issued a statement from Shimla on 8 August 1940 known as the August Offer.
  • It was an attempt to secure the cooperation of the Indians in WW II.
  • Winston Churchill was the Prime Minister of England at the time.
  • Some of the provisions of the August Offer were:
    • Dominion status as the objective for India.
    • The number of Indians in the Viceroy’s Executive council will be increased.
    • A representative “Constitution Making Body” shall be appointed immediately after the war.
  • The Indian National Congress rejected the August Offer as Pt. Nehru said, “Dominion status concept is dead as a doornail”, As well as Mahatama Gandhi said that the declaration had widened the gulf between the nationalists and the British rulers.
• Cripps Mission (1942):
  • In order to get the support of India in world war II, Cripps Mission was sent to India in 1942.
  • Few proposals of this mission are:
    • Dominion status to India after the war.
    • Constitution-making body after the war.
    • Constitution so framed would be acceptable by the British Government only if certain province desires to stay away from the Union of India.
    • Any province which wouldn't accept the new constitution would have the right to sign a separate agreement with the British.
    • Gandhi called Cripps Mission 'A post-dated cheque drawn on a failing bank' due to the Cripps offer of Dominion Status after the war.
• Wavell plan/Shimla Conference (1945):
  • It was named after the Viceroy of India, Lord Wavell.  
  • Few proposals in this plan are:
    • With the exception of the Viceroy and Commander in chief, all the members of the Viceroys executive council will be Indians.
    • A kind of interim government was suggested.
    • Transfer of foreign affairs portfolio from the Governor-General to an Indian member.
    • Congress rejected the Wavell plans because of the actions of the Muslim league.