UPSC IAS 2015 Question Paper for History Paper-I

CS (Main) Exam:201
C-AVZ-O-IJTA
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Question Paper Specific Instructions
Please read each of the following instructions carefully before attempting questions:
There are EIGHT questions divided in TWO SECTIONS and printed both in HINDI and in
ENGLISH.
Candidate has to attempt FIVE questions in all.
Questions no. 1 and 5 are compulsory and out of the remaining, any THREE are to be attempted
choosing at least ONE from each section.
The number o f marks carried by a question / part is indicated against it.
Answers must be written in the medium authorized in the Admission Certificate which must be
stated clearly on the cover of this Question-ciim-Answer (QCA) Booklet in the space provided. No
marks will be given for answers written in a medium other than the authorized one .
Word limit in questions, wherever specified should be adhered to.,
Attempts of questions shall be counted in sequential order. Unless struck off, attempt o f a question
shall be counted even if attempted partly. Any page or portion o f the page left blank in the
Question-cum-Answer Booklet must be clearly struck off.

C-A VZ-O'IJTA

TSPJ3A

SECTION A

Q l. 3TN3it ^ w te ('J5 4 TR) 'CR 3 ?fer 1^R ^8fRf 3Tfc 3P^ft
gf^RKT if 3^3 t ^ ? P m 30 ?T®?S I
JTnfe tR jj^ f; * sjh % foil ^sjR-ftljfat }f%<r sbHy«R 1 ^ ^ f I
Identify the following places marked on the map supplied to you (on page 4)
and write a short note of about 30 words on each of them in your
Questi.on-cum-Answer Booklet. Locational hints for each of the places marked
on the map are given below seriatim : 2 —x20=50
2

(i) ^ W F 13#T W=T
A Neolithic site

(ii) ^ W ig r fk T O
A Neolithic site

(iii) ^ujicblcflH T O
A Harappan site

A Megalithic site

(v) F l c q r ^ T r f r r 1
A Harappan site

(vi)
A painted-Grey-ware site

(vii) Rltflcrl^
An inscriptional site

(viii) TK
An important ancient city

(ix)
An ancient port

(x) to t
A site of ancient cave-paintings

C-AVZ-O-UTA 2

(xi) «?!<&
A Buddhist site

(xii)
An educational centre

(xiii) THH
Brahmadeya village

(xiv) 'jxmrtl
An ancient capital

(xv) W fFft
An ancient capital

(xvi) ^Tf^C
A temple site

(xvii) yr4Vi
An ancient capital

(xviii)
An ancient sea-port

(xix)
An archaeological temple site

(xx)
A Harappan site

C-AVZ-O-UTA 3

C-AVZ-Q-UTA

Q2. (a) 3TT#T ffrT «FT BWFqf % 3 ft? ? tftaT <R! 3 ^
ft*TT 3JT ^^ScTT t ?
How far can the ancient Indian Sruti literature be used as historical
sources ? ' 15

(b) f5°TT WRrnT w i % c^rut f stt ft w sttsptut %
c£r<jt i ft^Mi i
The decline of Harappan civilization was caused by ecological
degradation rather than external invasion. Discuss. 20

(c) 3TRf ^RTT I ; ^THrTT t l”
WHIdMHIrH'b I
“Archaeology knows of no Aryans; only literature knows of Aryans.”
Examine critically. 15

Q3. (a) ^ | f t itf^trR =& 3T^W sn 3 mR^^hT ^ ’TTOt

3 ^ srrfift ^ k w h ! ^ ^ f^n an ?
How far is it correct to say that changes in the post-Vedic economy gave
birth to new religious movements in India ? 20

(b) ^rwrnrthr *rcm % w«t « r a ^ ’srffir
3m iR^cT i

Delineate the nature and impact of India’s contact with Western Asia
and the Mediterranean world during the Mauryan period. 15

(c) “ 5fr#T crft^T uiifM. ftronsft ^ ^ jf ^ % ^r ftrcoi
^ (i#ret ^ trmrte; siW t w ?: tft

“Not only does ancient Tamil literature furnish an accurate picture of
widely disparate classes; it also describes the social condition of Tamil
country as it was.” Discuss. 15

C-AVZ-O-IJTA 5

Q4. (a) TTr#r*rrefa 3^55i^n % i ^ r a 3 »m4i!W> ^
3Rga c^Tf^rq; i
Trace the role of guilds and trade organisations in the development of
early Indian economy. . 15

.■ (b) ipk r it ftfifflf tfFTT 3 ^dl<J>d (tte-^R) < 4 l^ d l
3T#?51 I ycfiisi I
Kailasa temple built at Ellora marks the culmination of rock-cut
architecture in India. Elucidate. 15 '

(c) w refl % srsfft 3>$fra w f e w ?*rt % ^rra M

^ aft ?
How could the local self-government under the Cholas adjust with their
centralised administrative structure ? 20

C-AVZ-O-IJTA 6

SECTION B

Q5. pHfdfidd 'SR^R TO W WWI 150 51®^f if :
Answer the following questions in about 150 words each : 10x5=50

(a) W fft irf% 35T fiftRT f e w !.
Give a brief account of the early medieval temple architecture of
Kashmir.

(b) ?
Why is Mamallapuram famous ?

(c) % 3?#T t o f f l eft TF^-SW ifT % «fiT
3?r)<a l
Mention the salient features of the polity of Vijayanagara Empire under
Krishnadevaraya.

(d) ^TTtcrTjS?ft 3T*TCT ^ %W W 33HJ; $ ?
What measures did Balban adopt to combat the Mongol menace ?

(e) t w f e r i)wr | % wra* t^p sjrirR, sjt ?
How does Tuzuk-i-Babri testify that Babar had been a cultured man ?

Q6. (a) W # *IR?r 3 % 3J^R
W t *BT WTsfa f ?
Do the evidences of land ownership at our disposal support the theory of
the prevalence of feudalism in early medieval India ? 15

(b) <£t ^-TF3R«r T O # cTSfT -Mlli|ch-y!)IWH
I
Discuss in brief the land-revenue system and judicial administration of
the Delhi Sultanate. 15

(c) “ qjft ^ wjckfc-fH wnwf % s n f e fe r c f 3?ft
3TOt (TO3Tt) ^ 3TW W jff w ^rft f e f t W7T JTTCT <335
^ 3 araw i” wftrar 3 I
“Sufis and medieval mystic saints failed to modify either the religious
ideas and practices or the outward structure of Islamic/Hindu societies
to any appreciable extent.” Comment for/against. 20

C-A VZ-O-UTA 7

Q7. (a) ’ =RT 34l<=h<ri^{ |
Make an estimate of Rana Kumbha as a patron of literature and art. 20

(b) ^ 'Rmi ?
Why should the sixteenth century be regarded as the period of Indian
Renaissance ? 15

(c) ^ m ; m <ft s n w $
ftgcRf ^ 4 2ft l” ^ M s ¥7 t SSTFf 3 ^
'ritspji cfrtfsni, i
“Taritrism, if not in practice, at least on conceptual level challenged
patriarchy.” Examine Tantrism specially keeping in mind the above
context. 15

Q 8. (a) 3, 3 1 ^ qiffei-TFSFftffo; ef ^ftfM %
3Tf|^ftsT 8JT |” JfiSR ^1 cftftur |
. “In medieval Indian history Akbar was unique for his religio-political
ideas and policies.” Analyse this statement. 20

(b) titfNl-i # tt *iKci if Tmfta sisjsqwn 3^nftT
3TTrR-ftifr «ft ?
Will it not be correct to say that the rural economy in Mughal India was
relatively self-sufficient ? 15

(c) fcronsrf % 3rf!H>iflci;(k m yiHiPi* ymiH %
3 5? ri ^tfiru, I
, , Compare the Peshwas’ bureaucratic management with that of the
Imperial Mughal administration. 15

C-AVZ-0 IJTA 8