Question 1

In how many adhikarnas is Kautilya’s Arthashastra divided?

Accepted Answer

Arthashastra, written by Kautilya in Sanskrit, is divided into 15 adhikarnas. Kautilya, also called 'Indian Machiavelli', wrote this treatise on statecraft, economics, and military strategy. R. Shama Shastri discovered the manuscript of Arthashastra in 1904. The text deals with: 1) the king, his council, and government departments; 2) civil and criminal law; 3) diplomacy and war. [48th-52nd BPSC Prelims Exam 2008]

Question 2

Who identified the name 'Sandrokottas' as Chandragupta Maurya?

Accepted Answer

William Jones, a British philologist, orientalist, and puisne judge at Fort William in Bengal, identified 'Sandrokottas' as Chandragupta Maurya. He was a scholar of ancient India and proposed the relationship between European and Indo-Aryan languages. Along with Warren Hastings, he established the Asiatic Society of Bengal in 1784. [48th-52nd BPSC Prelims Exam 2008]

Question 3

Who deciphered the Brahmi inscriptions of Ashoka for the first time?

Accepted Answer

James Prinsep deciphered the Brahmi inscriptions of Ashoka in 1837. He was an officer in the mint of the East India Company. Prinsep deciphered both Brahmi and Kharosthi scripts used in early inscriptions and coins. He identified references to a king called 'Piyadassi' meaning 'pleasant to behold'. Ashokan edicts, written mainly in Pali and Prakrit using Brahmi (and Kharosthi in northwestern India), provide details about Ashoka’s Dhamma, administrative instructions, the war with Kalinga (XIII Rock Edict), and efforts to promote Dhamma (Pillar Edict VII). [48th-52nd BPSC Prelims Exam 2008]

Question 4

The last Mauryan Emperor was?

Accepted Answer

Brihadratha was the last Mauryan Emperor. He was assassinated by his general Pushyamitra Sunga, who founded the Sunga dynasty [185 BC-73 BC] with its capital at Vidisha, Madhya Pradesh. Pushyamitra, a Brahmin and staunch follower of Brahmanism, performed two Ashvamedha sacrifices with Patanjali as the priest, and although Buddhist sources call him a persecutor, he patronized Buddhist art, including the Bharhut Stupa and Sanchi Stupa railings. He was succeeded by his son Agnimitra (hero of Kalidasa’s Malvikagnimitra) and the last ruler of the dynasty was Devbhuti. Sunga rule defended the Gangetic valley, revived Brahmanism and horse sacrifice, promoted Vaishnavism and Sanskrit language. [48th-52nd BPSC Prelims Exam 2008]

Question 5

The meaning of the word 'Bantai' during medieval period was

Accepted Answer

The word 'Bantai' during the medieval period referred to the 'system of calculating revenue'. Known as the 'Ghallabaksha System', it was one of the oldest and most common revenue collection systems. Agricultural produce was divided between the state and cultivator in fixed proportions, either while standing in the field, harvested, or threshed. This system was used in Qandahar, Kashmir, Sindh, and Multan. [48th-52nd BPSC Prelims Exam 2008]

Question 6

When did Humayun first attack the 'Chunar Fort'?

Accepted Answer

Humayun first attacked the Chunar Fort in 1532 AD. The fort is located in Mirzapur district, Uttar Pradesh. Humayun [1530-1540 & 1555-1556] succeeded Babur in 1530. He fought battles against Sher Shah at Chausa (1539) and Kannauj/Bilgram (1540), after which he fled to Iran and lived in exile for 12 years. After Sher Shah’s death, Humayun returned in 1555 to reclaim India. He died in 1556 while descending the stairs of his library at Din Panah in Delhi, his second capital. His sister, Gulbadan Begum, wrote his biography 'Humayunama'. [48th-52nd BPSC Prelims Exam 2008]