WBCS (Main) Examination – 2018
PAPER – II | HISTORY
First 20 Questions (Chronological Order) with Answers & Explanations
Original Question Numbers Retained | Answers based on standard historical sources
1. [Indus Valley / Harappan Civilization]
Q1. Which one among the Harappan sites was probably a trading outpost meant for procuring lapis lazuli?
(A) Shortugai
(B) Musa Khel
(C) Mundigak
(D) Damb Sadat
Correct Answer: (A) Shortugai
Explanation: Shortugai (also spelled Shortughai) in northern Afghanistan was a Harappan trading outpost established near the Badakhshan region, the primary source of lapis lazuli. Archaeological evidence shows it was set up specifically to procure and control the trade of this semi-precious stone, which was highly valued in the Indus Valley Civilization.
2. [Mauryan Empire]
Q2. The Kandahar Edict of Asoka was written in
(A) Aramaic
(B) Greek
(C) Brahmi
(D) Both Aramaic and Greek
Correct Answer: (D) Both Aramaic and Greek
Explanation: The famous Kandahar Bilingual Rock Inscription (also called the Kandahar Edict of Ashoka) is written in both Greek and Aramaic. It was discovered near Kandahar in Afghanistan and reflects Ashoka’s policy of communicating his Dhamma to the Hellenistic and Iranian populations in the northwest of his empire.
3. [Sangam Age]
Q3. The centre of Sangam literature and the patrons of Sangam poets were
(A) The Cheras of Vanji
(B) The Cholas of Uraiyur
(C) The Pandyas of Madurai
(D) All of the above
Correct Answer: (D) All of the above
Explanation: Although Madurai under the Pandyas was the most prominent centre of Sangam literature, the Cheras of Vanji and the Cholas of Uraiyur also patronised Sangam poets. All three major Tamil dynasties of the Sangam age supported the literary assemblies (Sangams).
4. [Post-Gupta Period & Early Medieval Developments]
Q4. The theory of the emergence of feudalism in the post-Gupta period is disputed on the ground that
(A) all the lands donated were not secular land grants.
(B) the status of the peasants was not that of serfs.
(C) the brahmin donees did not always belong to the ruling class.
(D) All of the three above
Correct Answer: (D) All of the three above
Explanation: Historians who dispute the Indian feudalism thesis argue that many land grants were religious (to Brahmins and temples) rather than secular, that peasants were not reduced to the status of European-style serfs, and that Brahmin recipients were not always part of the ruling political elite. Hence all three grounds are used to challenge the classical feudalism model.
5. [Post-Gupta Period & Early Medieval Developments]
Q97. Alvar was ______ hymnodist of the Tamil devotional cult.
(A) Shaivite
(B) Vaishnavite
(C) Buddhist
(D) Jain
Correct Answer: (B) Vaishnavite
Explanation: The Alvars were the Tamil Vaishnava poet-saints who composed devotional hymns in praise of Vishnu/Krishna between the 6th and 9th centuries CE. Their counterparts, the Nayanars, were Shaivite. The Alvars’ compositions form the core of the Nalayira Divya Prabandham.
6. [South Indian Kingdoms (Chola Period)]
Q5. The famous Uttaramerur inscription belongs to the reign of
(A) Parantaka I
(B) Parantaka II
(C) Rajaraja I
(D) Rajaraja II
Correct Answer: (A) Parantaka I
Explanation: The two famous Uttaramerur inscriptions (c. 919 and 921 CE) that describe the detailed system of village self-government, including the Kudavolai (lottery) method of electing members to the sabha, belong to the reign of the Chola king Parantaka I (907–955 CE).
7. [Delhi Sultanate]
Q6. Which Delhi Sultan represented himself as 'Sikandar-i-Sani'?
(A) Alauddin Khilji
(B) Muhammad bin Tughluq
(C) Sikandar Lodi
(D) Khizr Khan
Correct Answer: (A) Alauddin Khilji
Explanation: Alauddin Khalji assumed the title Sikandar-i-Sani (the Second Alexander) to project himself as a great conqueror like Alexander the Great. He also proclaimed Delhi as Dar-ul-Khilafa.
8. [Vijayanagara Empire]
Q7. The foreign traveller named one of the famous Vijayanagara coins as pagoda. Originally it was
(A) Pan
(B) Varaha
(C) Hun
(D) Panam
Correct Answer: (B) Varaha
Explanation: The standard gold coin of the Vijayanagara Empire was the Varaha (also called Hun or Gadyana). European travellers and traders referred to it as the Pagoda. Panam was a smaller coin, while Pan was not the standard term for the main gold coin.
9. [Mughal Administration & Revenue Systems]
Q8. Nasaq was
(A) a revenue system in which the average produce of different crops as well as average price of 10 years were calculated.
(B) revenue payable by the cultivator was based on past experience.
(C) revenue system where crop was divided at the threshing floor between cultivator and the government.
(D) revenue system in which not the actual crop but the estimated crop was divided between the cultivator and the government.
Correct Answer: (B) revenue payable by the cultivator was based on past experience.
Explanation: Nasaq (or Nasq) was a method of assessment in which the revenue demand was fixed on the basis of previous years’ experience/records rather than fresh annual measurement (zabt). It was often used in combination with other systems. Option (A) describes the Dahsala system of Todar Mal.
10. [Advent of Europeans, Anglo-French Rivalry & Early British Expansion]
Q15. Assertion (A): The Carnatic War has attained a celebrity in history which is not fully justified either by the immediate issues involved or by the incidents of the war itself. Reason (R): For nearly twenty years the Carnatic became the scene of a long drawn contest between French and the English which led to the ultimate overthrow of the French power in India with repercussions also in Bengal which produced unexpected and momentous results.
(A) If the Assertion (A) is correct but Reason (R) is wrong.
(B) If (A) is wrong but (R) is correct.
(C) If both (A) and (R) are correct and (R) explains (A).
(D) If both (A) and (R) are correct but (R) does not explain (A).
Correct Answer: (C) If both (A) and (R) are correct and (R) explains (A).
Explanation: The Carnatic Wars are famous mainly because they decided the fate of French power in India and had long-term consequences for Bengal and the rise of British supremacy. The immediate issues (succession disputes) were relatively minor, so the celebrity is not fully justified by the local causes alone. Reason correctly explains why the wars gained such historical importance.
11. [Advent of Europeans, Anglo-French Rivalry & Early British Expansion]
Q13. Arrange the following events related to Anglo-Mysore War in the proper chronological order and choose the correct answer from the codes given below: (i) Battle of Porto Novo (ii) Treaty of Mangalore (iii) Treaty of Madras (iv) Treaty of Seringapatam
(A) (i), (ii), (iii), (iv)
(B) (iii), (i), (ii), (iv)
(C) (iv), (iii), (ii), (i)
(D) (iii), (ii), (iv), (i)
Correct Answer: (B) (iii), (i), (ii), (iv)
Explanation: Treaty of Madras (1769) ended the First Anglo-Mysore War. Battle of Porto Novo (1781) was a major British victory in the Second Anglo-Mysore War. Treaty of Mangalore (1784) ended the Second Anglo-Mysore War. Treaty of Seringapatam (1792) ended the Third Anglo-Mysore War.
12. [Advent of Europeans, Anglo-French Rivalry & Early British Expansion]
Q9. The effects of 1717 farman of Emperor Farrukhsiyar, granting exemption to the Company's merchandise from customs duty in lieu of an annual sum of Rs. 3000 was
(A) with a dastak (hand written pass) Company's goods could pass without inspection through toll station (chowki).
(B) Company's officials quietly extended this privilege to their own private trade.
(C) the 'chief sufferers' was the government of the Nawabs who lost out on customs duties and rival Indian traders who faced unequal competition.
(D) All of the above
Correct Answer: (D) All of the above
Explanation: The 1717 Farman of Farrukhsiyar allowed the Company to trade duty-free in Bengal (except for an annual payment of Rs. 3,000). Company servants misused the dastak for private trade, causing huge loss of revenue to the Nawabs and unfair competition for Indian merchants. All three statements are historically correct.
13. [Advent of Europeans, Anglo-French Rivalry & Early British Expansion]
Q10. What was the plausible reason for the English to take up additional fortifications of Calcutta?
(A) To protect English trade from local disturbances
(B) To protect themselves from the French on the occasion of 'Seven Years War'
(C) The English discounted like many others the chances of Siraj ud daula's accession and hence paid scant respect to his authority.
(D) To strengthen their establishments in Bengal
Correct Answer: (C) The English discounted like many others the chances of Siraj ud daula's accession and hence paid scant respect to his authority.
Explanation: When Siraj-ud-Daulah became Nawab, the English continued fortifying Calcutta without permission, partly because they (like many others) did not take his accession seriously and underestimated his authority. This defiance was one of the immediate causes of the conflict that led to the capture of Calcutta and later the Battle of Plassey.
14. [Advent of Europeans, Anglo-French Rivalry & Early British Expansion]
Q11. Which one of the following conspirators against Siraj ud daulah was duped by a forged agreement paper by Robert Clive?
(A) Mir Jafar
(B) Khwaja Wazid
(C) Rai Durlabh
(D) Umichand
Correct Answer: (D) Umichand
Explanation: Omichund (Umichand), a wealthy banker and intermediary, demanded a large share of the spoils for his role in the conspiracy against Siraj. Clive and the Committee of the Company forged a duplicate treaty that omitted the clause promising him a huge sum. When the real treaty was later shown, Omichund was cheated.
15. [Advent of Europeans, Anglo-French Rivalry & Early British Expansion]
Q12. Who was the author of Siyar-ul-Mutakherin?
(A) Ghulam Hussein
(B) Arif Muhammad
(C) Nasu Hussein
(D) Shahabuddin
Correct Answer: (A) Ghulam Hussein
Explanation: Siyar-ul-Mutakherin (or Siyar al-Muta’akhkhirin) is a famous Persian chronicle of the 18th century written by Ghulam Husain Khan Tabatabai. It is an important contemporary source for the history of Bengal and the decline of the Mughal Empire, including the events leading to British power.
16. [Advent of Europeans, Anglo-French Rivalry & Early British Expansion]
Q14. Who was the last Governor General of Fort William in Bengal?
(A) Warren Hastings
(B) Lord Cornwallis
(C) Lord Bentinck
(D) Viscount Canning
Correct Answer: (A) Warren Hastings
Explanation: Warren Hastings was the last Governor of Fort William (Bengal) and became the first Governor-General of Bengal under the Regulating Act of 1773. After him the office was that of Governor-General of Bengal (later of India).
17. [Advent of Europeans, Anglo-French Rivalry & Early British Expansion]
Q16. Which of the following statements is/are true about Regulating Act, 1773? (i) It introduced Parliamentary supervision over the company and modified its constitution both in England and in India. (ii) It made changes in the constitution of the Court of Directors. (iii) The Government of Bengal was vested in a Governor General and a council of 4 members. (iv) The Governor General in council could control the subordinate Presidencies of Bombay and Madras in matters relating to War and Peace.
(A) (i) and (ii)
(B) (ii) and (iii)
(C) (iii) and (iv)
(D) All of the above
Correct Answer: (D) All of the above
Explanation: The Regulating Act of 1773 was the first major British parliamentary intervention in the affairs of the East India Company. It created the office of Governor-General of Bengal with a council of four, brought the Company under parliamentary oversight, reformed the Court of Directors, and gave the Governor-General-in-Council supervisory control over Bombay and Madras in matters of war and peace.
18. [Advent of Europeans, Anglo-French Rivalry & Early British Expansion]
Q30. The first Indian ruler who joined the Subsidiary Alliance was
(A) Nawab of Oudh
(B) Nizam of Hyderabad
(C) Peshwa Bajirao II
(D) King of Travancore
Correct Answer: (B) Nizam of Hyderabad
Explanation: The Subsidiary Alliance system was introduced by Lord Wellesley. The Nizam of Hyderabad was the first Indian ruler to accept it in 1798. The Nawab of Awadh followed later (1801), and the Peshwa in 1802.
19. [Advent of Europeans, Anglo-French Rivalry & Early British Expansion]
Q31. Arrange according to the chronological order the following kingdoms annexed by Dalhousie as per the 'Doctrine of Lapse'. (i) Baghat (ii) Sambhalpur (iii) Satara (iv) Jhansi
(A) (i), (iii), (ii), (iv)
(B) (iv), (i), (ii), (iii)
(C) (iii), (ii), (i), (iv)
(D) (i), (iv), (ii), (iii)
Correct Answer: (C) (iii), (ii), (i), (iv)
Explanation: Satara was annexed in 1848 (first major application of Doctrine of Lapse), Sambhalpur in 1849, Baghat around 1850, and Jhansi in 1853/1854. The correct chronological order is Satara → Sambhalpur → Baghat → Jhansi.
20. [Land Revenue Systems under British Rule]
Q18. Which of the following conditions didn't prompt the making of Mahalwari Settlement?
(A) To curb the refractory and oppressive nature of the Taluqdars
(B) Need to maximise revenue
(C) Protecting the rights of the present proprietors to ensure improvement of agriculture
(D) Influence of the Ricardian theory of Rent
Correct Answer: (C) Protecting the rights of the present proprietors to ensure improvement of agriculture
Explanation: Mahalwari Settlement was introduced mainly to maximise revenue, to deal with the power of taluqdars, and was influenced by the Ricardian theory of rent. The idea of protecting existing proprietors for agricultural improvement was more associated with the Permanent Settlement ideology of Cornwallis than with the later Mahalwari system, which often led to over-assessment and hardship.
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