Question Discussion & Solution

• Western India or Malwa region was covered under the Avanti Mahajanapada.
• The capital of the kingdom was Mahishmati and Ujjaini.
• Northern capital was Ujjaini, while southern capital was Mahishmati.

The correct answer is Annie Besant.

Key Points

• Annie Besant was selected as the first woman president of the Indian National Congress in 1917.
• She is popularly known as Annie Wood.
• She was a reputed theosophist, women's rights activist, writer, and orator.
• In 1916, along with Lokmanya Tilak, she launched the Home Rule League.
• She was declared a World Teacher after her lecture on Theosophy in 1926.
• She had founded the Central Hindu College in 1898 in Varanasi and this college was later gifted to Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya for the latter to get it converted into Banaras Hindu University.

Important Points

The correct answer is Fa-Hien.

Key Points

•  Fa-Hien (405-411 A.D.):
  • Fa-Hien Visited India during the reign of Chandragupta-II.
  • He was the first Chinese Buddhist monk to travel to India in search of Buddhist Scriptures.
  • He gave a detailed account of Buddhist monasteries, life, and teachings of Buddhists at that time.
  • He mentions about Untouchability that prevailed in India during that time. Hence, option 4 is correct.
  • In his memoirs, he notes that the chandalas lived outside the village and had to maintain distance from the upper castes.
  • The chandalas suffered such glaring lack of privilege that whenever they entered towns or market places they would strike a piece of wood to announce their arrival so that the others might not touch them and get polluted.

The correct answer is Bhopal Singh.

• United of Rajasthan: In the third stage on 18 April 1948 Udaipur was merged into Rajasthan Union.
  • Bhopal Singh became Raj Pramukh.
  • Capital - Udaipur

Additional Information

• Stages of the Unification of Rajasthan:
  • Matsya Union: The fir st stage took place on 17 March 1948.
    • Bharatpur, Dholpur, Karauli and Alwar formed Matsya Union.
    • Shobhlal Kumawat became the Prime Minister.
    • Capital - Alwar
  • Rajasthan Union: The second stage took place on 25 March 1948.
    • Banswara, Bundi, Dungarpur, Jhalawar, Kishangarh, Pratapgarh, Shahapura, Tonk and Kota formed a Rajasthan Union separate from Matsya Union.
    • The head of Kota was appointed as the Rajpramukh and Shri Gokul Lal Asawa was appointed as the Chief Minister.
  • United of Rajasthan: In the third stage on 18 April 1948 Udaipur was merged into Rajasthan Union.
    • Manikyalal Verma became the Prime Minister.
    • Capital - Udaipur
  • Greater Rajasthan: In the fourth stage on 30 March 1949, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Bikaner and Jaisalmer are merged into United Rajasthan.
    • Heeralal Shashtri became the Prime Minister.
    • Udaipur king Bhupal Singh became Chief King.
  • United States of Greater Rajasthan: In the fifth stage on 15 May 1949, Matsya Union was merged with Greater Rajasthan. 
    • Heeralal Shashtri became the first Chief Minister of Rajasthan.
  • United Rajasthan: The sixth stage was completed by 26 Jan 1950.
    • 18 states of the United Rajasthan & princely state of Sirohi got merged with the exception of Abu & Delwara.
  • Rajasthan: The seventh stage was completed on 1 November 1956.
    • Mohanlal Sukhadia became Chief Minister and Gurumukh Nihal Singh became Governor.

• Burzahom archaeological sites have evidence of pit-dwellings.
• It is located in the Kashmir Valley of the Indian state Jammu and Kashmir.
• As per the archeological excavations, there were four phases of cultural significance between 3000 BC to 1000BC.
• Periods I and II relate to the Neolithic era, Period III relates to the Megalithic era, and IV relates to the early historical period.
• The Burzahom site revealed the transition from the subterranean and ground-level housing features of the Neolithic people to the mudbrick structures of the Megalithic people.

​​Additional Information

• Paleolithic: 
  • It is the earliest Stone age period dating 2.6 million years ago.
  • The age is distinguished by most primitive stone tools. Humans during the era grouped together in small “bands” and were involved in gathering plants, fishing, and hunting.
  • The paleolithic period is the longest in human history.
  • The age can be divided into lower Paleolithic, Middle Paleolithic, and Upper Paleolithic. 
  • During the end of the age, people developed spiritual and religious beliefs as depicted in some of the excavations.
• Mesolithic: It is the second period of the stone age between Paleolithic and Neolithic. The start and end of the age vary by geographical region. It is a transition period from hunting and gathering as in Paleolithic to domestication as in Neolithic. The tools used were the mode V chipped stone tools (microliths).
• Neolithic: It is the 3rd period of the stone age and is often referred to as the “New stone age”. Its time period is considered to be around 10,200 BC to 4,500BC, which ended with the beginning of the “Bronze Age”.
• Megalithic: It is a small tool made up of flint or chert, used to form the points of hunting weapons.