Sequence of Social Changes in Ancient India — UPSC MCQs
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Society in Motion: How Caste, Gender, and Economy Evolved in Ancient India•hard•11 questions•~12 min
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Question 01
medium
According to RS Sharma, which of the following best describes the nature of the Rig Vedic society?
1. It was primarily pastoral and semi-nomadic.
2. The term for cow (gau) occurs 176 times in the earlier parts of the Rig Veda.
3. The Rig Vedic society had a well-developed serving order in the form of sudras.
4. There was neither a formal taxation system nor a professional army.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
Question 02
hard
The Sanskrit term 'bali' in Rig Vedic context originally referred to:
Question 03
hard
RS Sharma's interpretation of the varna system is best described as which of the following?
Question 04
medium
Consider the following statements about the role of iron technology in ancient Indian social history:
1. The iron axe helped clear forested areas of the middle Gangetic basin, opening fertile lands for settlement.
2. The iron ploughshare enabled peasants to produce a surplus beyond their subsistence needs.
3. The use of iron tools was already widespread in the Rig Vedic period.
4. Large territorial states and the Magadhan empire became possible because of the surplus enabled by iron technology.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
Question 05
hard
According to RS Sharma, what was the most significant consequence of the land grant system in ancient India?
Question 06
hard
Which of the following correctly matches the Sanskrit terms used in RS Sharma's analysis of Rig Vedic society with their meanings?
Question 07
hard
Consider the following about the role of slaves and hired labourers in ancient Indian production:
1. In ancient India, slaves were mainly used for domestic work.
2. Hired labourers played the dominant role in agricultural production.
3. About 150,000 people captured in Kalinga by Asoka were drafted for work in farms and mines.
4. In Vedic times, there was a word for wage-earner (hired labourer) in Vedic literature.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
Question 08
medium
According to Dharmashastra rules cited by RS Sharma, the rate of interest on loans differed by varna. Which of the following correctly states the rates?
Question 09
hard
RS Sharma identifies a sharp contrast between the Vedic practice of land-giving and the post-crisis practice. Which of the following best captures this contrast?
Question 10
hard
Arrange the following stages in the correct chronological sequence as described by RS Sharma in his analysis of ancient Indian social evolution:
1. Tribal pastoral semi-nomadic society (Rig Vedic)
2. Food-gathering Palaeolithic communities in hill areas
3. Varna system crystallises; urban centres, trade and towns flourish
4. Harappan urban society with large and small houses
5. Landlord class emerges; feudal social formation takes shape
Choose the correct sequence:
Question 11
hard
With reference to land grants in tribal and backward areas, which of the following outcomes does RS Sharma identify?
1. They spread agricultural calendar and knowledge of ayurveda medicine.
2. They contributed to the spread of the art of writing and use of Prakrit and Sanskrit.
3. Through land grants, civilisation spread to the deep south and far east.
4. They caused aboriginal tribal peasants to be ranked as kshatriyas in the varna hierarchy.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
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