Comprehensive Viva History1 Questions (MCQs’ and one line Questions)

Dr Namrata Arora
Dr Aditi Mann

1) Who wrote ‘Historian’s Craft’?

a) [Link]
b) Marc Bloch
c) James Mill
d) James Hamilton
2) Who wrote ‘What is History’?
a) [Link]
b) Marc Bloch
c) James Mill
d) James Todd
3) Who is the earliest proponent of Subaltern School in India?
a) Ramachandra Guha
b) Ranjit Guha
c) Shahid Amin
d) Gayatri Spivak
4) What does ‘Subaltern’ means?
a) Superior
b) Ulterior
c) Inferior
d) Accepted
5) Whose writings influenced Subaltern School?
a) James Mill
b) James Todd
c) Antonio Gramsci
d) Alexander Cunningham
6) Who is the founder of Marxist School in India?
a) Ranajit Guha
b) Romila Thapar
c) [Link]
d) Ranajit Guha

7) Who propounded the theory of ‘Utilitarianism’?

a) Jeremy Bentham
b) James Mill
c) Alexander Cunningham
d) William Jones
 8) Which writer Communalised Indian History by classifying Indian history into three
phases?
a) Jeremy Bentham
b) James Mill
c) Gayatri Spivak
d) James Todd
9) What among these Schools ‘Glorified the Indian past’?
a) Nationalist
b) Utilitarian
c) Subaltern
d) Marxist
10) Who amongst these propounded the ‘Drain of Wealth’ theory?
a) [Link]
b) Syed Ahmed Khan
c) Dadabhai Naoroji
d) Jawahar Lal Nehru
11) Who wrote 1857- Indian war of Independence?
a) [Link]
b) Syed Ahmed Khan
c) Dadabhai Naoroji
d) Subhash Chandra Bose
12) Which school translated in the Indian classical texts into English to understand the
connection between Indian and European Civilizations?
a) Subaltern School
b) Nationalist School
c) Utilitarian School
d) Orientalist School
13) Who established ‘Royal Asiatic Society of Bengal’?
a) Alexander Cunningham
b) William Jones
c) James Princep
d) James Todd

14) The ‘Contractual theory’ is studied to understand which aspect of society in Ancient
society?

a) Origin of Varna system

b) Origin of Ashrama system
c) Origin of Kingship
d) Origin of Guild system
15) Which Veda consists of ‘Purush Sukta Hymn’ that explains the origin of Varna system?
a) Rig Veda
b) Yajur Veda
c) Sama Veda
d) Atharva Veda
16) Who gave the ‘Saptanga theory’ that informs us about Seven limbs of state?
a) Banabhatta
b) Kautilya
c) Kalidasa
d) Sudraka

17) What were ‘Mahanajanapadas’ in Ancient times?

a) Kingdoms
b) Armies
c) Universities
d) Titles
18) Who is the founder of Buddhism in India?
a) Janaka
b) Ananda
c) Janaka
d) Gautama

19) How many ‘ashramas’ were there signifying the stages of life of a human being?
a) One
b) Two
c) Three
d) Four

20) Introduction of which metal led to shift from early Vedic to Later Vedic Society?
a) Copper
b) Bronze
c) Iron
d) Tin
21) Which is the oldest Veda?
a) Rig
b) Yajur
c) Sama
d) Atharva
22) Shanti Parva, a chapter on Statecraft, is a part of which text?
a) Ramayana
 b) Mahabharata
c) Manusmriti
d) Arthashastra
23) What does ‘Varna’ means?
a) Rank
b) Colour
c) Birth
d) Stage

24) What does ‘Gotra’ literally means?

a) Name
b) Rank
c) Cowpen
d) Lineage
25) How many ancient sages are there after whom gotra system is followed among
Brahmins?
a) Four
b) Five
c) Six
d) Seven
26) What is ‘Shraadha’ ritual?
a) Marriage ceremony
b) Death ceremony
c) Rite commemorating ancestors
d) Birth ceremony
27) What is a ‘Pravara’?
a) Family
b) Lineage
c) List of names of ancient Rishis
d) Trading guilds

28) What were ‘Srenis’?

a) Kingdoms
b) Guilds
c) Family
d) Military groups
29) Who were the ‘Panchamas’?
a) Brahmins
b) Learned women
c) Military class
 d) Untouchables
30) Who was Dampati/Grihapati?
a) Father
b) Mother
c) Brother
d) Sister
31) What is Upanayana ceremony?
a) Rite of marriage
b) Rite of birth
c) Rite of education
d) Rite of death
32) What is ‘Vanaprastha Asrama’?
a) Student life
b) Householder life
c) Hermit life
d) Wanderer life
33) What was ‘Vidhatha’?
a) Priestly group
b) Folk assembly
c) Kings
d) Queens
34) Who were Ganikas/Nagarvadhus?
a) Courtesans
b) Female teachers
c) Married women
d) Queens
35) Who wrote ‘Indica’?
a) Kautilya
b) Abdur Razzaq
c) Kalidasa
d) Megasthenese

36) How many types of marriages are recognized by Smriti writers?

a) Five
b) Six
c) Seven
d) Eight
37) In which marriage a duly dowered girl is given to a man of the same class by ceremony?
a) Brahma
b) Daiva
 c) Arsha
d) Prajapatya
38) Which of these marriages is condemned by Smriti writers?
a) Daiva
b) Prajapatya
c) Gandharva
d) Arsha
39) Who wrote Kamasutra?
a) Kalidasa
b) Vatsyayana
c) Sudraka
d) Medhatithi
40) What is Sridhana?
a) Treasury
b) Taxes
c) Women’s special property
d) Girl child
41) What is Niyoga?
a) Levirate
b) Renunciation
c) Education
d) Widow
42) What is Matsyanyaya?

Ans- Logic of the fish, explains the origin of Kingship

43) Who was Mahasammata?

Ans- The Great elect, King.
44) Which ritual included the Ratnahavimsi ceremony?
Ans- Rajasuya Yagya
45) Who was Gopa or Gopati?
Ans- King of Rig vedic age.
46) What were Gana and
Sanghas? Ans- Oligarchies
47) How many Municipal committees did Megasthenese mentioned in Pataliputra during
Mauryan times?
Ans- Six boards- consisting- Industrial arts, foreigners, birthand death, trade and
commerce, manufacturing articles, collection of prices of food
48) Who were Samharta and Sannidhata?
Ans- Treasurer and Revenue
collector.
 49)
49) What was Janapada?
Ans- Territory, empire, also assembly of realm
50) What was Dharmasthiya and Kankatsodhana?
Ans- Civil and Criminal Courts of Mauryan period
51) Which Inscription gives information on Gupta administration?

Ans- Allahabad Pillar inscription

52) What were Bhuktis and Vishayas?

Ans- Provinces and Districts during Gupta period
53) Which religious tradition the eight-fold path?
Ans- Buddhism
54) Which religious tradition mentioned the three noble truths?
Ans- Buddhism
55) What are the two major divisions in Jainism?
Ans- Shvetambars and Digambars
56. The following was a famous chola ruler:
a. Rajendra I
b. Parantaka I
c. Indra III
d. Nagabhatta II

57. What do the term ‘Nagaram’ in Chola period mean?

a. A guild of artisans
b. The chief pf a town
c. An assembly of merchants
d. An administrative unit

58. What was a group of villages in Chola kingdom called?

a. Kurram
b. Mandalams
c. Nadus
d. Parganas

59. Main source of knowledge about the local self government of Cholas is
a. Aihole inscription
b. Allahabad inscription
c. Uttramerur inscription
d. Tanjore inscription

60. What does the term ‘agrahara’ mean?

a. A tax levied on Brahmnas
b. A respectable term for Brahmins
c. A text of Brahmans
d. A village where Brahmans lived

61. What does the term ‘Mandalam’ mean?

a. An assembly of Cholas
b. A guild
c. Provincial unit of Cholas
d. A religious group

62. The requisite age of nominee of Mahasabha was

a. Between 25 to 50 years
b. Between 20 to 40 years
c. Between 30 to 60 years
d. Between 35 to 70 years

63. Name the king of Delhi Sultanate on whose entry to the court the words BismilahBismilah
were uttered
a. Alauddin Khilji
b. Balban
c. Iltutmish
d. Qutub-ud-din Aibak

64. Who introduced Sijda and Paibos ?

a. Aram Shah
 b. Ali mardan
c. Alaudin Khilji
d. Balban

65. Balban introduced which form of government during his rule?

a. Democracy
b. Thecoracy
c. Republican
d. Benevolent Monarchy

66. Which sultan introduced ‘Nauroj’ in India?

a. Iltutmish
b. P. Razia Sultan
c. Balban
d. Jalal-ud-din-khilji

67. Which sultan of delhi kept religioln away from politics?

a. Balban
b. Alaudin Khilji
c. Iltutmish
d. Jalal-ud-din-khilji

68. Who was the naib?

a. Prime minister
b. Provincial head
c. Deputy sultan
d. Finance minister

69. During whose reign was the post of Naib created?

a. Aram Shah
b. Nasir Uddin Mahmud
c. Bahram Shah
d. Balban

70. What does theocracy mean?

a. Head of the state is elected
b. Head of the state is a religious head
c. Head of the state is foreigner
d. None of the above

71. Who was a Araiz-i-mumalika?

a. Finance minister
b. Police officer
c. Revenue minister
d. Military minister

72. Who was Barid-i-mumaliaka?

a. Education minister
b. Welfare minister
c. Intelligence and spies minister
d. Revenue minister
73. The office of ‘Khuts’ and ‘Muqaddam’ was abolished by which sultan of Delhi?
a. Balban
b. Firoz Shah Tughlaq
c. Ala-ud-din Khilji
d. Mohammad bin Tughlaq

74. Akbar abolished pilgrimage tax in the year?

a. 1562
b. 1563
c. 1564
d. 1565

75. Who was the founder of Vijaynagar Empire?

a. Harihar
b. Bukkarai
c. Pratap Rudra II
d. Harihar and Bukkarai

76. On the banks of which river was the Vijaynagar Empire established?
a. River Krishna
b. River Tungabadra
c. River Kaveri
d. River Godavarai

77. Dabir-i-Khas is the

a. Department of records
b. Ecclessiastcal department
c. Military department
d. Finance department

78. Who was incharge of information and intelligence department

a. Sadar Us Sudur
b. Wazir
c. Naib
d. Barid-i-Mumalika

79. In the sultanate the empire was divided into

a. Sarkars
b. Shiqqs
c. Iqtas
d. None of the above

80. Shariat is the

a. Islamic Law
b. Islamic School
c. Islamic Court
d. Islamic rule

81. The office for registration of merchants and shopkeepers during the time of Ala-ud-din Khilji was-
a. Sara-i-adl
 b. Diwan-i-insha
c. Shahna-i-Mandi
d. None of the above

82. The ‘Paranti’ category of land was left uncultivated for

a. Never
b. 1-2 years
c. 3-4 years
d. 5 years

83. Which Mughal ruler introduced the du-aspah and si-aspah system in mansabdari rank?
a. Akbar
b. Jahangir
c. Shah Jahan
d. Aurangzeb

84. Who was ‘Amal Guzar’ ?

a. Treasurer
b. Finance officer
c. Chief advisor
d. Head of Sarkar

85. Who was ‘Bitik chi’?

a. One who collected taxes
b. One who punished criminals
c. One who maintained land records
d. None of the above

86. What was the unit of administration below a Shiq?

a. Sarkar
b. Paragana
c. Suba
d. Vishya

87. Muqqadams were the

a. State officials
b. Local chiefs
c. Landlords
d. Accountants

88. Another name of ‘Zabti’ is

a. Dastur
b. Dahsala
c. Jazia
d. Zimmi

89. What are the three kind of evidences explained by Yajnavalkya?

1. Documents
2. Witness
3. Possession
90. Name the 3 courts specifically mentioned by Yajnavalkya.
1. Kula
2. Sreni
3. Puga

91. What is a ‘good custom’?

Certain practices accepted by the society which are beneficial for the large number of people
are called good customs.

92. What is ‘Purana’?

a. Traditional accounts of men and women
b. Relating to law
c. Illustration
d. Tales and anecdotes handed down from old days

93. What is hadis?

a. Consensus of jurists
b. Analogous inferences
c. Reports of statements or actions of Muhommad
d. None of the above

94. What does the term ‘Tazir’ mean?

a. Retaliation
b. Censuring
c. Causing disgrace
d. None of the above

95. What is ‘Qisas’ ?

a. Reformation
b. Retributive
c. Retaliation
d. Detternt

96. What is ‘diya’ in Islamic criminal law?

a. An earthen pot
b. Mercy
c. Compensation with money
d. Compensation with life

97. Which of the following is considered as best interpreter of Islamic law?

a. Qiyas
b. Ijma
c. Sunnah
d. Urfi

98. What was the state demand of revenue at time of Akbar?

a. ½
b. 1/3
c. ¼
d. 1/6
99. Which was the one of the most liberal school of law in the Sufi sect?
a. The Hanabali
b. The Maliki
c. The Hanafi
d. None of the above

100. What were the 2 books written by Krishna Dev raya?

1. ‘Amuktmalyada’
2. ‘Jamvatikalyanam’
3. Ushaparinayam’

101. Name 2 foreign travellers who visited Vijaynagar kingdom

1. Domingo Paes- Portuguese
2. Abdur Razzaq- Arabian
3. Barbosa- Portuguese

102. What is Dayabhaga school of law of succession?

It is the law under which the son has no automatic ownership right after birth but acquires it on the
demise of his father.

103. Where is Dayabhag school of law observed?

In Bengal and Assam

104. What is Mitakshara school of law?

By virtue of birth the son acquires right /share over the family of property. It consists of four
successive generations of lineal descendants. Prevalent in whole of India except Assam and
Bengal.

105. Name 2 NirgunaSchool bhakti saints

1. Guru nanak Dev
2. Kabir

106. Name 2 Saguna School Saints

1. Ramanuja
2. Mirabai
3. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu