UPSC Prelims History & Culture PYQs, 2011-2026

1. The Guptas of Magadha

2. The Paramaras of Malwa

3. The Pushyabhutis of Thanesar

4. The Maukharis of Kanauj

5. The Yadavas of Devagiri

6. The Maitrakas of Valabhi

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

1. Wrestling

2. Astrology

3. Accounting

4. Soothsaying

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

1. It was during the reign of Iltutmish that Chengiz Khan reached the Indus in pursuit of the fugitive Khwarezm prince.

2. It was during the reign of Muhammad-bin-Tughluq that Taimur occupied Multan and crossed the Indus.

3. It was during the reign of Deva Raya II of Vijayanagara Empoire that Vasco da Gama reached the coast of Kerala.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. It is a circular temple built during the reign of Kachchhapaghata Dynasty.

2. It is the only circular temple built in India.

3. I was meant to promote the Vaishnava cult in the region.

4. Its design has given rise to a popular belief that it was the inspiration behind the Indian Parliament building.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

(Historical place) (Well-known for)

1. Burzahom : Rock-cut shrines

2. Chandraketugarh : Terracotta art

3. Ganeshwar : Copper artefacts

Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?

1. St. Francis Xavier was one of the founding members of the Jesuit Order.

2. St. Francis Xavier died in Goa and a church is dedicated to him there.

3. The Feast of St. Francis Xavier is celebrated in Goa each year.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

1. The Montagu-Chelmsford Reforms of 1919 recommended granting voting rights to all the women above the age of 21.

2. The Government of India Act of 1935 gave women reserved seats in legislature.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1) Aurang - In-charge of treasuary of the State

2) Banian - Indian agent of the East India Company

3) Mirasidar - Designated revenue payer to the State

Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?

1) Sthaviravadins belong to Mahayana Buddhism.

2) Lokottaravadin sect was an offshoot of Mahasanghika sect of Buddhism.

3) The deification of Buddha by Mahasanghikas fostered the Mahayana Buddhism.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1) Rise of Pratiharas under King Bhoja

2) Establishment of Pallava power under Mahendravarman-I

3) Establishment of Chola power by Parantaka-I

4) Pala dynasty founded by Gopala

What is the correct chronological order of the above events, starting from the earliest time?

1) It warned against the Colonial State’s hypnotic conquest of the mind.

2) It inspired the performance of swadeshi street plays and folk songs.

3) The use of ‘desh’ by Deuskar was in the specific context of the region of Bengal.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

“Whosover praises his religious sect or blames other sects out of Statement devotion to his own sect, with the view of glorifying his own sect, he rather injures his own sect very severaly.”

1) Women’s right of gain education

2) Age of consent

3) Restitution of conjugal rights

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

1) Panini is associated with Pushyamitra Shunga.

2) Amarasimha is associated with Harshavardhana.

3) Kalidasa is associated with Chandra Gupta- II.

Which of the statements given above is/are

correct?

Famous Place - Present State

1) Bhilsa – Madhya Pradesh

2) Dwarasamudra – Maharashtra

3) Girinagar – Gujurat

4) Sthanesvara – Uttar Pradesh

Which of the pairs given above are correctly matched?

I. Mahatma Gandhi was instrumental in the abolition of the system of ‘indentured labour’.

II. In Lord Chelmsford’s ‘War Conference’, Mahatma Gandhi did not support the resolution on recruiting Indians for World War.

III. Consequent upon the breaking of Salt Law by Indian people, the Indian National Congress was declared illegal by the colonial rulers.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

I. Saint Nimbarka was a contemporary of Akbar.

II. Saint Kabir was greatly influenced by Shaikh Ahmad Sirhindi.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

I. In the revenue administration of Delhi Sultanate, the in-charge of revenue collection was known as ‘Amil’.

II. The Iqta system of Sultans of Delhi was an ancient indigenous institution.

III. The office of ‘Mir Bakshi’ came into existence during the reign of Khalji Sultans of Delhi.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

I. Deification of the Buddha

II. Treading the path of Bodhisattvas

III. Image worship and rituals

Which of the above is/are the feature/features of Mahayana Buddhism?

I. It contributed to the revival of the indigenous artisan crafts and industries.

II. The National Council of Education was established as a part of Swadeshi Movement.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

I. It ended the trade monopoly of the East India Company in India except for trade in tea and trade with China.

II. It asserted the sovereignty of the British Crown over the Indian territories held by the Company

III. The revenues of India were now controlled by the British Parliament.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

I. Jagirdars were holders of land assignments in lieu of judicial and police duties, whereas Zamindars were holders of revenue rights without obligation to perform any duty other than revenue collection.

II. Land assignments to Jagirdars were hereditary and revenue rights of Zamindars were not hereditary.

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

Which one of the following observations is not true about the Quit India Movement of 1942?