Daily subject-wise quiz: History and Culture MCQs on Indian architecture, terms from Buddhism, and more (Week 115)

Indian Express

23-06-2025

Are you preparing for UPSC CSE Prelims? UPSC Essentials brings to you its initiative of daily subject-wise quizzes. These quizzes are designed to help you revise some of the most important topics from the static part of the syllabus. Attempt today's subject quiz on History and Culture to check your progress.
Bālapañjara in the ancient temple architecture refers to:
(a) sanctum
(b) horseshoe arch
(c) south Indian shrine
(d) none of the above
The Nāgara superstructure incorporated the āmalaka (fluted bulbous capstone of a Nāgara śikhara), gavākṣa (cow's eye motif or horseshoe arch), and bālapañjara (nāsī-roofed cage aedicule) over pillarlets. The Draviḍian vimāna (south Indian shrine) featured kūṭa (domed aedicule), śālā, (wagon-vault roofed aedicule), and bālapañjara.
Therefore, d is the correct answer.
(For more, refer: How Indian temple architecture is rooted in art, religion, and politics by Ajeya Vajpayee, The Indian Express)
In the question given below, there are two statements marked as Assertion (A) and Reason (R). Mark your answer as per the codes provided:
Assertion (A): The presiding deity of Chalukya king Vijayāditya at Pattadakal Sangamesvara was called Śrī-Vijayēśvara-Bhaṭṭāraka.
Reason (R): Rulers named the presiding deities after themselves to assert their divine kingship.
(a) Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A
(b) Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of A
(c) A is true, but R is false
(d) A is false, but R is true
Temples were often patronised by powerful kings to revere their favourite deity as well as assert, consolidate, and legitimise their overlordship over an existing or new domain. For example, Rajaraja Cola built the Thanjavur Brihadesvara temple to assert his supremacy over the region. Rulers also named the presiding deities after themselves to assert their divine kingship. For example, the presiding deity of Chalukya king Vijayāditya at Pattadakal Sangamesvara was called Śrī-Vijayēśvara-Bhaṭṭāraka.
Therefore, a is the correct answer.
(For more, refer: How Indian temple architecture is rooted in art, religion, and politics by Ajeya Vajpayee, The Indian Express)
Where did Mahatma Gandhi deliver his famous 'Do or Die' speech?
(a) Ahmedabad
(b) Mumbai
(c) Sevagram
(d) Johannesburg
On August 8, 1942, Mahatma Gandhi addressed the people in the Gowalia Tank Maidan (now known as August Kranti Maidan), Bombay (Mumbai) where he delivered his famous 'Do or Die' speech.
Therefore, b is the correct answer.
(For more, refer: Quit India Movement –A fight for freedom from British rule, Aakanksha Jha, The Indian Express)
Which of the following Viceroys of India was associated with the 'August Offer'?
(a) Lord Linlithgow
(b) Lord Mountbatten
(c) Lord Irwin
(d) Lord Dufferin
In the exhausting summer of 1942, an even more exhaustive talk was underway in Delhi between Indian freedom fighters and a mission led by Sir Stafford Cripps. The mission was sent by then British Prime Minister Winston Churchill to secure India's support for the Second World War.
Before Cripps, Lord Linlithgow, then Viceroy of India, made what is known as the 'August offer' in 1940 and proposed dominion status to India but with veto power to the Muslim League and other minority leaders.
Therefore, a is the correct answer.
(For more, refer: Quit India Movement –A fight for freedom from British rule, Aakanksha Jha, The Indian Express)
She co-edited a newspaper called Inquilab with Lohia. Post-independence, she left the Congress for the Communist Party of India. There, she founded the National Federation of Indian Women – the women's wing of the Communist Party of India.
Who is she referred to in the above lines?
(a) Begum Nishatunnisa Mohani
(b) Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay
(c) Aruna Asaf Ali
(d) Purnima Banerjee
Aruna co-edited a newspaper called 'Inquilab' with Lohia and continued to struggle till 1946. Gandhi, particularly moved by her determination, wanted her to surrender. He wrote, 'I have been filled with admiration for your courage and heroism. You are reduced to a skeleton. Do come out and surrender yourself and win the prize offered for your arrest. Reserve the prize money for the Harijan (untouchables') cause.'
Aruna, determined towards her socialist training only surrendered after the prize money over her was removed. Even after resurfacing and courting arrest, Aruna continued to voice her political opinions by supporting the Royal Indian Navy mutiny of HMIS (His Majesty's Indian Ship) Talwar.
Post-independence, Aruna left the Congress for the Communist Party of India. There she created the 'National Federation of Indian Women'- women's wing of Communist Party of India. Aruna lost her husband in 1953. Asaf Ali by this time was the first ambassador to the United States from India. Although this role would have taken Aruna close to the Capitalist camp in the Cold War world, she chose to remain close to her ideological moorings.
Therefore, c is the correct answer.
(For more, refer: Quit India Movement –A fight for freedom from British rule, Aakanksha Jha, The Indian Express)
What does the term vevanniyanti, as seen in Buddhism, refer to?
(a) working for the benefit of others
(b) the process whereby suffering arises and how it can be brought to cessation
(c) intentions and actions have consequences
(d) one who is devoid of varna
The Buddha's dream of four birds of different types and colours flying in from four directions and sitting at his feet is often interpreted as symbolically showing that all varnas were part of Buddhism. Buddha also stated that anyone who joins the Sangha or the Buddhist monastic order becomes a vevanniyanti – one who is devoid of varna.
Therefore, d is the correct answer.
(For more, refer: How Buddhism shows the path to nirvana, Sreekala M V, The Indian Express)
Consider the following statements:
1. Vaibhāsika and Sautrāntika are the philosophical sects of Hinayāna.
2. Yogācāra and Mādhyamika are the philosophical sects of Mahāyāna.
Which of the statements given above is/are true?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
1. It is the conservative and orthodox form of Buddhism. Notably, followers of the older tradition described themselves as Theravadins, that is, those who followed the path of old, respected teachers, the theras.
2. It is spread in south and south-east Asia. Vaibhāsika and Sautrāntika are the philosophical sects of Hinayāna.
3. It emphasizes the historical existence of a single Buddha, Gautama Shakyamuni and upholds Buddha's original doctrines and disciplines. It believes in individual salvation through self-discipline and meditation.
4. Scriptures were written in the Pali language. Emperor Ashoka played a significant role in spreading Theravada Buddhism.
1. Mahayana Buddhism emerged around the 1st century CE, and its doctrines were further developed during the Fourth Buddhist Council convened by Kanishka in Kashmir.
2. It emphasises the concept of Bodhisattvas. Bodhisattvas were perceived as deeply compassionate beings who accumulated merit through their efforts but used this not to attain nibbana and thereby abandon the world but to help others.
3. Mahāyāna is prevalent in north and north-east Asia. Yogācāra and Mādhyamika are the philosophical sects of Mahāyāna.
Therefore, c is the correct answer.
(For more, refer: Knowledge Nugget | Conclave on Buddhism: Must-know teachings, paths, and sects of Buddhism for UPSC Exam, Roshni Yadav, The Indian Express)
Who used the term 'Pakistan' for the first time in 1933?
(a) Muhammad Ali Jinnah
(b) Allama Iqbal
(c) Choudhary Rehmat Ali
(d) None of the above
Muhammad Ali Jinnah is remembered as the founder of Pakistan, its 'Qaid e Azam', or the 'Great Leader.' He led a movement that transformed a weak idea of a sovereign Islamic state in British India's north western provinces into reality, thus shaping the subcontinent's politics for generations to come. But he was not the first to come up with the idea of Pakistan, nor was he its original champion.
Instead, the man who did, is today relegated to a footnote in the history of the subcontinent.
Choudhary Rehmat Ali can be credited with coining the 'term' Pakistan, styling himself as the 'Founder of the Pakistan National Movement'. On January 28, 1933, he released a pamphlet titled 'Now or Never: Are we to live or perish forever'. In it he made a vehement 'appeal on behalf of the thirty million Muslims of PAKISTAN, who live in the five Northern Units of India… for the recognition of their national status, as distinct from the other inhabitants of India, by the grant to Pakistan of a separate Federal Constitution on religious, social and historical grounds.'
According to many historians, this can be seen as the genesis of the very idea of Pakistan; an idea which would become mainstream by the 1940s.
Therefore, c is the correct answer.
(For more, refer: Do you know who used 'Pakistan' for the first time on this day in 1933? No, it wasn't Jinnah, Arjun Sengupta, The Indian Express.)
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Manas Srivastava is currently working as Senior Copy Editor with The Indian Express (digital) and leads a unique initiative of IE - UPSC Essentials. He majorly writes on UPSC, other competitive exams and education-related projects. In the past, Manas has represented India at the G-20 Youth Summit in Mexico. He is a former member of the Youth Council, GOI. A two-time topper/gold medallist in History (both in graduation and post-graduation) from Delhi University, he has mentored and taught UPSC aspirants for more than four years. His diverse role in The Indian Express consists of writing, editing, anchoring/ hosting, interviewing experts, and curating and simplifying news for the benefit of students. He hosts the YouTube talk show called 'Art and Culture with Devdutt Pattanaik' and a LIVE series on Instagram and YouTube called 'You Ask We Answer'.His talks on 'How to read a newspaper' focus on newspaper reading as an essential habit for students. His articles and videos aim at finding solutions to the general queries of students and hence he believes in being students' editor, preparing them not just for any exam but helping them to become informed citizens. This is where he makes his teaching profession meet journalism. He is also the editor of UPSC Essentials' monthly magazine for the aspirants. He is a recipient of the Dip Chand Memorial Award, the Lala Ram Mohan Prize and Prof. Papiya Ghosh Memorial Prize for academic excellence. He was also awarded the University's Post-Graduate Scholarship for pursuing M.A. in History where he chose to specialise in Ancient India due to his keen interest in Archaeology. He has also successfully completed a Certificate course on Women's Studies by the Women's Studies Development Centre, DU. As a part of N.S.S in the past, Manas has worked with national and international organisations and has shown keen interest and active participation in Social Service. He has led and been a part of projects involving areas such as gender sensitisation, persons with disability, helping slum dwellers, environment, adopting our heritage programme. He has also presented a case study on 'Psychological stress among students' at ICSQCC- Sri Lanka. As a compere for seminars and other events he likes to keep his orating hobby alive. His interests also lie in International Relations, Governance, Social issues, Essays and poetry. ... Read More