Question Discussion & Solution

The correct answer is Franciso de Almeida.

Key Points

• Franciso de Almeida introduced the Blue water policy (Cartaze System).
• “Blue Water” policy was to be powerful at the sea instead of building forts on Indian land.
• Hence the correct answer is Franciso de Almeida.

Additional Information 

• Portuguese power in India
  • In 1505 AD, Francisco de Almeida was appointed as the first Portuguese governor in India.
  • His policy being centric on controlling the Indian Ocean was known as the Blue Water Policy.
  • Alfonso de Albuquerque who replaced Almeida as the governor in 1509 AD, and captured Goa from the Sultan of Bijapur in 1510 AD is considered the real founder of the Portuguese power in India.
  • Goa subsequently became the headquarters of the Portuguese settlements in India.
  • Portuguese hold over the coastal areas and superiority in naval power helped them significantly.
  • By the end of the 16th century, the Portuguese captured not only Goa, Daman, Diu, and Salsette along the Indian coast.

The correct answer is option 2 i.e. Prabhakara Vardhana

Key Points

• Prabhakara Vardhana defeated the Gurjaras and extended his control over neighbouring states.
• He belonged to the Pushyabhuti family.
• Around 606 CE Harshvardhan ascended the Throne and ruled till 647 CE.

The correct answer is Champaran, Ahmedabad, Kheda, Non-cooperation.

Key Points

• The tale of Champaran (Bihar) starts in the early nineteenth century when European planters forced cultivators to cultivate indigo in 3/20th of their land holdings (Tin-Kathia).
• However, when indigo became unprofitable, European planters levied higher taxes to compensate for their losses in the foreign trade.
• Gandhi succeeded in abolishing the Tin-Kathia scheme in July 1917, and the cultivators received a salary refund.
• The mill owners and employees in Ahmedabad (March 1918) were fighting over the so-called "plague bonus," which the former decided to keep after the epidemic was over.
• Due to crop failure, the peasants of Kheda district (1917-1918) were in dire straits, and the government ignored their pleas for land revenue remission.
• Kheda's peasants were already struggling due to disease, high prices, and drought.
• Gandhi went on his first hunger strike in Ahmedabad in 1918 to protest a pay increase for mill employees.

Additional Information

• The Champaran Satyagraha(19 April 1917- 13 May 1917)
  • This was his first act of civil disobedience.
• The Rowlatt Satyagraha(6 April 1919 - March 1922)
  • This was his first all-India Satyagraha.
• The Kheda Satyagraha(22 March - 5 June 1918) 
  • ​This was his first non-cooperation movement.
• The first Non-Cooperation Movement
  • ​It was founded on 1 August 1920.

The correct answer is Durga.

Key Points

• The Vedic period is divided into the Early Vedic period and the Later Vedic period.
• During the early Vedic period, there were mainly 33 Gods.
• They were Prithvi, Agni, Soma, Brahaspati, Rivers, Indra, Rudra, Surya, Varuna, Aditi, Usha, and Ashvin.
• Among these Indra, Agni and Varuna were the most popular during that period.
• During the later Vedic period, previous Gods lost their relevance, and now Prajapati (creator of the Universe) also known as Brahma, Vishnu, and Rudra (Shiva) become the main Gods.

The correct answer is Kushans.

• Kushans were the first kings to issue the largest hoards of gold coins in India.

Key Points

• Kushanas Coins:
  • Kushanas issued mostly gold coins and numerous copper coins which have been found in most parts of North India up to Bihar.
  • The Gold Dinara's or Suvarnas were based on the Roman denarius and were of 124 grains (8.04 grams).
    • Double and quarter Dinaras were also issued. The copper coins were large, from 26 to 28 Masas or 240 to 260 grains (15.55 to 16.85) grams.
  • The coins of Vima Kadphises bear the figure of Siva standing beside a bull.
  • In the legend on these coins, the king calls himself Maheshwara, i.e. devotee of Siva.
    • Kanishka, Huvishka and Vasudeva etc. all have this depiction on their coins.
  • Many Indian gods and goddesses are depicted on Kushana coins besides many Persian and Greek deities.

Additional Information

• Indo-Greek Coins:
  • The Indo-Greek coins show beautiful artistic features them.
  • The portrait or bust of the king on the obverse side appears to be real portraits. On the reverse, some deity is depicted.
  • We know that more than forty Indo-Greek rulers ruled in a small north-western region of India from these coins.
• Pre Guptan and Guptan Coins:
  • Gupta kings issued the most number of Gold coins.
  • The Satavahanas issued coins of lead and potin (base silver).
  • Satavahanas’ copper coins with the Ujjain symbol bearing a ship were abundant in Avanti.
  • The gold coins of the Guptas (Dinara) originally approximated to the Kushana standard, but in the middle of the 5th century rose in weight to 144 grains, thus returning to the Indian standard of the copper Karsapana.

Mistake Points

• Gupta kings issued the most number of Gold coins whereas Kushans were the first kings to issue the largest hoards of gold coins in India.

Solution Source - https://ncert.nic.in/textbook/pdf/lehs102.pdf (Pg No. 44)