Daily Current Affairs (MCQ) | Date 04.06.22

Q1.   Consider the following statements about the rivalry of European powers in India during the colonial period.

1. The Dutch lost their settlements to the British
2. The Anglo-Dutch rivalry resulted in the Carnatic Wars
3. The Danes sold all their settlement in India to the British

Which of the above is/are correct?

1. 1 and 2 only
2. 2 and 3 only
3. 1 and 3 only
4. 1, 2 and 3

Answer (c)

Explanation:

1. The Dutch East India Company was established in 1602. The merchants of this company came to India and established their settlements at Masulipattinam, Pulicat, Surat, Karaikal, Nagapattinam, Chinsura and Kasimbazar. In the seventeenth century, they won over the Portuguese and emerged as the most dominant power in European trade in the East. Pulicat was their main centre in India and later it was replaced by In the middle of the seventeenth century, the English began to emerge as a big colonial power. The Anglo- Dutch rivalry lasted for about seven decades during which period the Dutch lost their settlements to the British one by one. (Hence statement 1 is correct)
2. Denmark also established trade settlements in Their settlement at Tranquebar was founded in 1620. Another important Danish settlement in India was Serampore in Bengal. Serampore was their headquarters in India. They failed to strengthen themselves in India and they sold all their settlement in India to the British in 1845. (Hence statement 3 is correct)
3. At the beginning of the eighteenth century, the English and the French were competing with each other to establish their supremacy in India. Both of them used the political turmoil prevalent in India as a result of the decline of the Mughal Empire in their favour and indulged in internal politics. The Anglo-French rivalry in India was manifest in the Carnatic region and in Bengal, leading to the Carnatic wars.

Q2. Which of the following factors had contributed to the rise of Marathas in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries?

1. Marathas were brave soldiers and adept guerilla tactics
2. There was a spirit of religious and social unity among them
3. They built a number of forts on the mountains
4. The political unity was conferred by Shivaji

Select the correct answer using the code given below

1. 1, 3 and 4
2. 1 and 4 only
3. 1, 2 and 4
4. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Answer (d)

Explanation:

1. Various factors contributed to the rise of Marathas in the sixteenth and seventeenth The physical environment of the Maratha country shaped certain peculiar qualities among the Marathas. The mountainous region and dense forests made them brave soldiers and adopt guerilla tactics. ( Hence statement 1 is correct)
2. They built a number of forts on the (statement 3)
3. The spread of the Bhakti movement in Maharashtra inculcated a spirit of religious unity among The spiritual leaders like Tukkaram, Ramdas, Vaman Pandit and Eknath fostered social unity. (Hence statement 2 is correct)
4. The political unity was conferred by (statement 4)
5. The Marathas held important positions in the administrative and military systems of Deccan Sultanates of Bijapur and There were a number of influential Maratha families such as the Mores and Nimbalkers.
6. But the credit of establishing a powerful Maratha state goes to Shahji Bhonsle and his son Shivaji,

Q3. Which of the following statements are incorrect about the Mughal paintings?

1. Mughal paintings reached its climax during the reign of Jahangir
2. It remained uninfluenced of European painting traditions
3. Progress was made in portrait painting and paintings of animals during Jahangir’s reign
4. Baswan and Daswant were great artists in Jahangir’s court

Select the correct answer using the code given below

1. 1 and 3 only
2. 2 and 4 only
3. 2, 3 and 4
4. 1, 3 and 4

Answer (b)

Explanation:

1. The contribution of Mughals to the art of painting was The foundation for the Mughal painting was laid by Humayun when he was staying in Persia. He brought with him two painters – Mir Sayyid Ali and Abdal Samad to India. These two painters became famous during Akbar’s reign.
2. Akbar commissioned the illustrations of several literary and religious texts. He invited a large number of painters from different parts of the country to his court. Both Hindus and Muslims joined in this work. Baswan, Miskina and Daswant attained great positions as Akabar’s court ( Hence statement 4 is incorrect)
3. Mughal paintings reached its climax during the reign of jahangir.

           (Hence statement 1 is correct) He employed a number of painters like Abul Hasan, Bishan Das, Madhu, Anant, Manohar, Govardhan and Ustad Mansur. Apart from painting the scenes of hunting, battles and royal courts, progress was made in portrait painting and paintings of animals. ( Hence statement 3 is correct) Many albums containing paintings and calligraphy were produced during the Mughal period. Later, the influence of European painting could be seen. ( Hence statement 2 is incorrect)

Q4. Consider the following about the Sufism in India in Medieval Times

1. Ziyarat is a pilgrimage to tombs of Sufi saints prevalent all over the Muslim world
2. Ba-shari‘a Sufis complied with Shari‘a
3. Nizamuddin Auliya belonged to the Suhrawardi Order

Which of the above is/are correct?

1. 1 and 2 only
2. 2 and 3 only
3. 1 and 3 only
4. 1, 2 and 3

Answer (a)

Explanation:

1. Sufism was a liberal reform movement within Islam. It had its origin in Persia and spread into India in the eleventh century. The first Sufi saint Shaikh Ismail of Lahore started preaching his ideas.
2. The most famous of the Sufi saints of India was Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti, who settled in Ajmer which became the centre of his activities. He had a number of disciples who are called Sufis of the Chishti order.
3. Another well known Sufi saint was Bahauddin Zakariya who came under the influence of another famous mystic Shihabuddin Suhrawardi. His branch of Sufi saints was known as the Sufis of the Suhrawardi Order.
4. Yet another famous Sufi saint was Nizamuddin Auliya who belonged to the Chishti order and who was a mighty spiritual These Sufi saints are revered even today by not only Muslims but by a large number of Hindus. Their tombs have become popular places of pilgrimage for both communities. ( Hence statement 3 is incorrect)

   

5. Pilgrimage, called Ziyarat, to tombs of Sufi saints is prevalent all over the Muslim This practice is an occasion for seeking the Sufi’s spiritual grace (Barakat). ( Hence statement 1 is correct)
6. For more than seven centuries people of various creeds, classes and social backgrounds have expressed their devotion at the dargahs of the five great Chishti saints. Amongst these, the most revered shrine is that of Khwaja Muinuddin, popularly known as “Gharib Nawaz” (comforter of the poor).
7. The earliest textual references to Khwaja Muinuddin’s dargah date to the fourteenth It was evidently popular because of the austerity and piety of its Shaikh, the greatness of his spiritual successors, and the patronage of royal visitors.
8. Muhammad bin Tughlaq (ruled, 1324-51) was the first Sultan to visit the shrine, but the earliest construction to house the tomb was founded in the late fifteenth century by Sultan Ghiyasuddin Khalji of Malwa. Since the shrine was located on the trade route linking Delhi and Gujarat, it attracted a lot of travellers.
9. Some mystics initiated movements based on a radical interpretation of Sufi ideas. Many scorned the khanqah and took to mendicancy and observed celibacy.
10. They ignored rituals and observed extreme forms of They were known by different names – Qalandars, Madaris, Malangs, Haidaris, etc. Because of their deliberate defiance of the shari‘a, they were often referred to as be- shari‘a, in contrast to the ba-shari‘a Sufis who complied with it. ( Hence statement 2 is correct)

Q5. Consider the following about the Society during Delhi Sultanate

1. During the Sultanate period Muslim society remained united and cohesive
2. The Arabs and Turks adopted the purdah system prevalent in India

Which of the above is/are incorrect?

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

Answer (c)

Explanation:

1. There was little change in the structure of the Hindu society during this period. Traditional caste system with the Brahmins on the upper strata of the society was The subservient position of women also continued and the practice of sati was widely prevalent. The seclusion of women and the wearing of purdah became common among the upper-class women. ( Hence statement 2 is incorrect)
2. The Arabs and Turks brought the purdah system into India and it became widespread among the Hindu women in the upper classes of north India.
3. During the Sultanate period, Muslim society remained divided into several ethnic and racial The Turks, Iranians, Afghans and Indian Muslims developed exclusively and there were no intermarriages between these groups. Hindu converts from lower castes were also not given equal respect. The Muslim nobles occupied high offices and very rarely the Hindu nobles were given A high position in the government. ( Hence statement 1 is incorrect)
4. The Hindus were considered Zimmis or protected people for which they were forced to pay a tax called In the beginning, jizya was collected as part of the land tax. Firoz Tughlaq separated it from the land revenue and collected jizya as a separate tax. Sometimes Brahmins were exempted from paying jizya.

Q6. Consider the following statements about affairs of East India Company after the Pitt’s India Act, 1784

1. The Board of Control controlled its commercial functions, whereas the Court of Directors maintained its political affairs
2. The Board represented the King, and the Directors symbolised the Company

Which of the above is/are correct?

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

Answer (b)

Explanation:

1. The Regulating Act proved to be an unsatisfactory document as it failed in its objective. Despite bitter debate in both the Houses, the bill was passed after seven months and it received royal assent in August This was the famous
2. Pitt’s India Act of Main Provisions

1. A Board of Control consisting of six members was created. They were appointed by the Crown.
2. The Court of Directors was retained without any alteration in its composition.
3. The Act also introduced significant changes in the Indian It reduced the number of members of the Governor-General’s Council from four to three including the Commander-in-Chief.

3.   Pitt’s India Act constitutes a significant landmark with regard to the foreign policy of the Company. A critical review of the Act reveals that it had introduced a kind of contradiction in the functions of the The Court of Directors controlled its commercial functions, whereas the Board of Control maintained its political affairs. ( Hence statement 1 is incorrect) In fact, the Board represented the King, and the Directors symbolised the Company. ( Hence statement 2 is correct)