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Indian Express
21-07-2025
- Indian Express
Daily subject-wise static quiz : History and Culture MCQs on Elephanta caves, Hindi in South India, Zauq, and more (Week 118)
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. 🚨 Click Here to read the UPSC Essentials magazine for July 2025. Share your views and suggestions in the comment box or at With reference to Elephanta Caves, consider the following statements: 1. They are older than the Ajanta Caves. 2. The island on which the Elephanta Caves are situated was originally called Gharapuri, but after the British conquered the region, they renamed it Elephanta after erecting a large stone elephant on the island. 3. The most notable among the network of caves is the Trimurti, a massive three-headed statue representing Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. How many statements given above are correct? (a) Only one statement (b) Only two statements (c) All three statements (d) None of the three statements A masterpiece of Buddhist art, Ajanta caves are located in Maharashtra and are renowned for their exquisite Buddhist rock-cut cave monuments. These caves date back to the 2nd century BCE and were created as retreats for Buddhist monks. Another architecturally significant cave complex situated in Maharashtra, Elephanta caves are just a short boat ride from Mumbai. This site features a collection of rock-cut temples dedicated to Lord Shiva. These caves, dating back to the 5th century CE, are situated on Elephanta Island and are famous for their colossal sculptures. What's worth noting is that the island on which Elephanta Caves are situated was originally called Gharapuri. However, after the Portuguese conquered the region, they renamed it as Elephanta, as they erected a large stone elephant on the island. The most notable among the network of caves is the Trimurti, a massive three-headed statue representing the aspects of Shiva as the highest form of God in Hinduism fulfilling the roles of a creator, preserver, and destroyer. Therefore, d is the correct answer. (For more, refer: In Elephanta Caves, artistic carvings, spiritual callings, and a religious monolith by Ruchika Goswamy, Lifestyle, The Indian Express; World Heritage Day 2024: Explore some of the most architecturally significant caves in India, Lifestyle, The Indian Express.) Who established the first Dakshin Bharat Hindi Prachar Sabha in Madras? (a) Gopal Krishna Gokhale (b) Mahatma Gandhi (c) Vinayak Damodar Savarkar (d) K. Kamaraj 'Scholars say Hindi actively began to make its presence felt in the South around the Independence movement, with Mahatma Gandhi establishing the first Dakshin Bharat Hindi Prachar Sabha in Madras (now Chennai) in 1918. The objective was to teach Hindi to a non-Hindi-speaking populace as a link language for the freedom movement.' — Nikhila Henry Therefore, b is the correct answer. (For more, refer: History Headline — Far from politics, journey of Hindi in southern states by Nikhila Henry, The Indian Express) Consider the following statements: 1. Mohammed Quli Qutb Shah was the first Nizam of Hyderabad. 2. Hyderabad was founded by Mir Qamar-ud-din Khan Siddiqi. 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 'The year is 1725. It is a cool November morning in Hyderabad, a city founded by Mohammed Quli Qutb Shah. Bustling bylanes converge around Charminar, its tall minarets whispering stories of the Shah's triumph over a devastating plague. Beyond the towering structure, a flash of yellow flutters carelessly in the clear, blue sky. It is the flag of Mir Qamar-ud-din Khan Siddiqi, the first Nizam of Hyderabad.' — Shreya Saksena Therefore, d is the correct answer. (For more, refer: From Khichdi-Khatta to Patthar ka Gosht, what Hyderabadi cuisine tells us about the city's multicultural past by Shreya Saksena, Research, The Indian Express) What was the 'Gagging Act' related to in pre-independent India? (a) Disarming Indians (b) Legal equality for Indian judges (c) Press control (d) Small and medium landowners Explanation During the reign of the British empire there were several Acts passed as stringent curbs over the Indian Press. Prior to the rumblings of the 1857 mutiny, the Press was fiercely involved in rallying the masses, and inevitably, the British government was increasingly becoming apprehensive about the Press' freedom. Through the newspapers, a nationalistic rebellion was slowly being pieced together through words and symbols. In view of this, the 'Gagging Act' was passed by Lord Lytton, which was driven to curtail and control the Indian publications' content. The Act compelled all Indian publications to apply for a license from the government, while also ensuring that nothing was written against the British government, nor was the government challenged in any measure. Therefore, c is the correct answer. (For more, refer: A pre-Independence history of press freedom in India by Radhika Iyengar, Research, The Indian Express) Consider the following books and authors: Books : Authors 1. Unhappy India : Dadabhai Naoroji 2. Gita Rahasya : Bal Gangadhar Tilak 3. India Wins Freedom : Jawaharlal Nehru 4. The Golden Threshold : Sarojini Naidu Which of the above give pairs are not correctly matched? (a) 1 and 4 only (b) 2 and 3 only (c) 2 and 4 only (d) 1 and 3 only The correct pairs are : Books : Authors 1. Unhappy India : Lala Lajpat Rai 2. Gita Rahasya : Bal Gangadhar Tilak 3. India Wins Freedom : Maulana Abul Kalam Azad 4. The Golden Threshold : Sarojini Naidu Therefore, d is the correct answer. Shaikh Mohammad Ibrahim Zauq was a contemporary of which of the following Mughal rulers? (a) Jahangir (b) Muhammad Shah (c) Bahadur Shah Zafar (d) None of the above Shaikh Mohammad Ibrahim Zauq, the poetry ustaad of the last Mughal Emperor, Bahadur Shah 'Zafar' saw, in his lifetime, the Mughal Empire brought to its knees (though not formally ended — Zauq, perhaps mercifully, died three years before the 'Ghadar' of 1857, the uprising that was to so impact the fabric of Delhi's social, cultural and literary life). But an impoverished Mughal court and an equally penurious north Indian aristocracy meant that many of Zauq's contemporaries drifted south to Hyderabad, where there was still patronage to be sought and stipends to be earned. Zauq, however, when asked why he did not migrate to the Deccan, had famously remarked, 'In dinon garche Dakan mein hai bohot qadr-e-sukhan/ Kaun jaaye Zauq par Dilli ki galiyaan chhor kar?' As Saif Mahmood translates this in his book Beloved Delhi: 'Although poetry is greatly valued in the Deccan these days, Zauq, who would trade that for the lanes of Delhi?' Therefore, c is the correct answer. (For more, refer: The City of Mushairas by Madhulika Liddle, The Indian Express) With reference to 'Doctrine of Lapse', consider the following statements: 1. It was introduced by Lord Dalhousie during his time as the Governor-General of India. 2. According to this doctrine, the adopted heir to the throne was not allowed to acquire the state, and the state automatically 'lapsed' into British dominion if the ruler died without any natural, biological heir. 3. The territories of Satara, Punjab, Sambalpur , and Jhansi and Nagpur were annexed under it. Which of the above given statements is/are correct? (a) 1 only (b) 1 and 2 only (c) 2 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 3 What is the Doctrine of Lapse? It was introduced by Lord Dalhousie during his time as the Governor-General of India (1848–56). According to this doctrine, the adopted heir to the throne was not allowed to acquire the state, and the state automatically 'lapsed' into British dominion if the ruler died without any natural, biological heir. The territories of Satara (1848), Punjab (1849), Sambalpur (1850), and Jhansi and Nagpur (1854) were annexed under it. Therefore, d is the correct answer. (For more, refer: Knowledge Nugget — Why Mangal Pandey's role in revolt of 1857 matters for your UPSC exam by Khushboo Kumari, UPSC Essentials, The Indian Express.) Mount Kailash and Lake Mansarovar are sacred to which of the following religious groups? 1. Hindus 2. Buddhists 3. Jains 4. Sikhs 5. Baháʼís Select the correct code: (a) 1 and 2 only (b) 1, 3, 4 and 5 only (c) 1, 2 and 3 only (d) 1, 2 and 5 only After a five-year hiatus triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic and extended due to tensions between India and China, the Kailash-Mansarovar yatra has resumed in 2025. This year, the Ministry of External Affairs chose 750 pilgrims who would be making the storied pilgrimage: five batches of 50 yatris will cross into Tibet through the Lipulekh pass in Uttarakhand, and 10 batches of 50 pilgrims will make the longer but relatively easier journey through the Nathu La pass in Sikkim. The first batches of pilgrims on both routes are currently on their way. Kailash-Mansarovar: The mountain & the lakes With an elevation of 6,638 metres, Mount Kailash (Gang Rinpoche in Tibetan) is located in the Ngari Prefecture of the Tibet Autonomous Region, near the tri-junction of India, Tibet and Nepal. To its south on the Tibetan plateau are two lakes: the freshwater Manasarovar (Mapam Yumtso) and saltwater Rakshastal (Lhanag Tso). Both lakes and the towering mountain in their background are significant in Hindu, Buddhist, Jain, and Tibetan Bon traditions. Therefore, c is the correct answer. (For more, refer: Kailash-Mansarovar yatra resumes after five years: history of a storied pilgrimage, Explained, The Indian Express.) Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter and stay updated with the news cues from the past week. Stay updated with the latest UPSC articles by joining our Telegram channel – IndianExpress UPSC Hub, and follow us on Instagram and X. 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 five 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 'LIVE with Manas'.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
Indian Express
20-07-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
History Headline: Far from politics, journey of Hindi in southern states
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu recently waded into the language row, stating that former Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao, a scholar, knew 17 languages. Without mentioning any of the states that have been alleging Hindi imposition by the Centre, Naidu said on July 15 in Delhi, 'Now we are asking — why should we learn Hindi?' The governments of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala have in the past called the three-language formula proposed by the National Education Policy (NEP), 2020, a covert move to impose Hindi on the southern states. They allege that the Centre's Hindi push goes against the idea of a federal polity. While the debate goes on, with the southern states often pitted as anti-Hindi, away from the noise of political debates, the language and its speakers have had a long history in the region. Scholars say Hindi actively began to make its presence felt in the South around the Independence movement, with Mahatma Gandhi establishing the first Dakshin Bharat Hindi Prachar Sabha in Madras (now Chennai) in 1918. The objective was to teach Hindi to a non-Hindi-speaking populace as a link language for the freedom movement. 'Learning Hindi was one way of feeling that one is participating in the Indian national freedom movement,' says Prof J Atmaram of the University of Hyderabad's Hindi Department. In 1922, the Dakshin Bharat Hindi Prachar Sabha conducted its first preliminary exam to test basic Hindi proficiency. The first undergraduate examination, Rashtrabhasha Visharad, was conducted in 1931. In the other southern states where the Sabha had its regional centres — Hyderabad, Vijayawada, Kochi and Gulbarga — Hindi learning gained in popularity. 'For example, Andhra Pradesh acted as a corridor between Hindi and other southern languages. The state welcomed Hindi learning, be it in Hyderabad or Vijayawada,' says Atmaram. In Karnataka and Kerala too, there wasn't much opposition to Hindi. 'Tucked away in Ernakulam south stands the Dakshin Bharat Hindi Prachar Sabha, active since the 1930s,' he said. Hindi grew more organically with the advent of mass media — radio and TV. 'At radio stations in Madras and Trichy, Hindi programming, along with regional languages, continued in independent India,' said Atmaram. By the 1970s, Doordarshan had reached homes in the South with its Satellite Instruction Television Experiment (SITE). The experiment, which began in 1975, focused on Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, where instructional programming with shows dedicated to agriculture and education would have one visual component and two language components. For instance, a person in Andhra watching one of these programmes could opt to do so in Telugu. 'But while instructional programming had a language option, mass media programming, including news and entertainment which were aired through SITE, were mainly in Hindi,' says Prof B P Sanjay, who worked on SITE and was former director of the Indian Institute of Mass Communication. The popularity of Doordarshan's blockbuster TV shows — Ramayana, Mahabharata, Chitrahaar, etc — meant that while few homes spoke Hindi, the language wafted uninterrupted into their homes and hearts. In the 1970s and '80s, another phenomenon contributed to the spread of Hindi — magazines published in Hindi. For instance, Dakshinanchal Hindi Samiti translated Bhakti literature into southern languages and vice versa. 'Also, there were famous Hindi language magazines, Kalpna and Golconda Darpan, which were being published from Hyderabad. These magazines were popular even in the North,' says Atmaram. These magazines gave writing in Hindi a push. The focus was on schooling students in Hindi and the NEP of 1968 paved the way with its recommendation of a three-language policy which foregrounded Hindi and English along with the regional languages. Except for Tamil Nadu, which followed the two-language (English and Tamil) policy in government- and aided-schools, all other southern Indian states had adopted the three-language policy. In recent times, with migration, the language and its dialects spread faster. In certain Kerala districts, there are bus boards displayed in Hindi to cater to migrants from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal. Operating out of Erode's Periyar Nagar — a neighbourhood named after Tamil Nadu's social reformer E V Ramasamy, who spearheaded the anti-Hindi agitations of the1930s — is the Tamil Nadu Hindi Prachara Sabha, an NGO run by M Krishnamurthy, 60, which conducts spoken Hindi classes. 'In Tamil Nadu, no one will stop you from teaching or learning Hindi. We have been running the institution from 2009 onwards,' he said. His institution caters not just to school students and civil service aspirants but also to Erode's turmeric traders. 'They need to converse in Hindi for their business interests and we help them,' he says. The writer is Assistant Editor, The Indian Express
