Science and Technology Through the Ages — UPSC Prelims Practice Quiz
Answer all questions carefully. Each question has exactly one correct answer.
India's Scientific Heritage: From Aryabhata's Zero to Ancient Naval Technology•hard•12 questions•~15 min
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Question 01
medium
Consider the following pairs — Sanskrit mathematical term and its correct branch:
1. Bija Ganita — Algebra
2. Rekha Ganita — Arithmetic
3. Khagolshastra — Astronomy
4. Pattin Ganita — Geometry
Which of the above are CORRECTLY matched?
Question 02
hard
Consider the following statements about Aryabhatta and his contributions:
1. Aryabhatta wrote Aryabhattiya around 499 AD while studying at Khagol, the astronomical laboratory at Nalanda.
2. He stated that the earth is round and rotates on its own axis.
3. He explained the lunar eclipse as occurring when the Moon's shadow falls on the Earth.
4. The value of Pi given by Aryabhatta was more accurate than that given by the Greeks.
Which of the above are CORRECT?
Question 03
medium
Consider the following statements about Brahmagupta and Mahaviracharya:
1. Brahmagupta mentioned Zero as a number for the first time in Brahmasputa Siddhantika in the 7th century AD.
2. Brahmagupta described negative numbers as debts and positive numbers as fortunes.
3. Mahaviracharya's Ganit Sara Sangraha is the first textbook on arithmetic in present-day form.
4. The method of finding the Lowest Common Multiple (LCM) was invented by John Napier, not by Mahaviracharya.
Which of the above are CORRECT?
Question 04
hard
Bhaskaracharya's work Siddhanta Shiromani is divided into four sections. Which of the following CORRECTLY matches the section with its subject?
(A) Lilavati — Algebra
(B) Beejganita — Algebra
(C) Goladhyaya — Mathematics of planets
(D) Grahaganita — About spheres
Question 05
medium
Consider the following statements about the Charak Samhita:
1. It deals primarily with the use of plants and herbs for medicinal purposes (Ayurveda).
2. The human body's functioning depends on three Doshas: Bile, Phlegm, and Wind.
3. Charak emphasised cure over prevention in treating diseases.
4. Genetics finds a mention in the Charak Samhita.
Which of the above are CORRECT?
Question 06
medium
With reference to Sushruta Samhita, which of the following is CORRECT?
Question 07
hard
Consider the following statements about the Panchbhootas and atomic theory in ancient India:
1. In Vedic classification, Earth is associated with smell, Fire with vision, Air with feeling, Water with taste, and Ether with sound.
2. Buddhist philosophers rejected Ether as one of the five elements and replaced it with life, joy, and sorrow.
3. The last indivisible particle of matter in ancient Indian thought was called Parmanu.
4. Kanada and Pakudha Katyayana first coined the idea of atoms in the 3rd century AD.
Which of the above are CORRECT?
Question 08
hard
Consider the following statements about Nagarjuna, the ancient Indian alchemist:
1. He was born in Gujarat in 931 AD and was an expert in transforming base metals into gold.
2. His treatise Rasaratnakara deals with preparation of liquids, mainly mercury, and also covers metallurgy and alchemy.
3. He wrote Uttaratantra, which is a supplement to the Charak Samhita.
4. The concept of transformation of metals is believed to have been taken by Arabs from Indian books associated with Nagarjuna.
Which of the above are CORRECT?
Question 09
hard
Consider the following pairs — type of ancient Indian vessel and its purpose:
1. Sarvamandira — Royal voyage and transportation of horses
2. Madhyamandira — Pleasure trips
3. Agramandira — Warfare
4. Dirgha — Higher hull vessel for sea voyage
Which of the above are CORRECTLY matched?
Question 10
hard
Consider the following statements about Varahamihira:
1. He lived during the Gupta period and was one of the nine gems in the court of Vikramaditya.
2. He claimed that the presence of termites (Deemak) and specific plants could indicate the presence of water underground.
3. He propounded the 'earth cloud theory' in his book Tantrasamgraha, relating earthquakes to plants, animals, underground water, and cloud formation.
4. King Vikramaditya awarded him the title 'Varaha' for the accuracy of his predictions.
Which of the above are CORRECT?
Question 11
medium
Consider the following statements about ancient Indian sports:
1. Kalaripayat is a martial art from Kerala that was transmitted to China in the 5th century BC by a sage called Bodhidharma.
2. The present forms of Judo and Karate originated from Kalaripayat.
3. Chess in ancient India was known as 'Chaturanga' meaning 'four bodies' and was also called Astapada meaning 'game of eight steps'.
4. Chaturanga finds its mention in the Ramayana where the game was played between Kauravas and the Pandavas.
Which of the above are CORRECT?
Question 12
medium
Which of the following CORRECTLY identifies the Sanskrit term for the compass of a ship used in ancient Indian navigation?
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