This section includes InterviewSolutions, each offering curated multiple-choice questions to sharpen your knowledge and support exam preparation. Choose a topic below to get started.
| 123851. |
Differentiate between capitalist economy and socialist economy. |
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Answer» Difference between capitalist and socialist economy : Capitalist Economy: (i) It has right of private property, means that productive factors such as land, factories, machinery, mines, etc. are under private ownership. The owners of these factors are free to use them in the manner in which’ they like. The government may, however, put some restrictions for the benefit of the society in general. (ii) It comprises freedom of enterprise, means that everybody engages in any economic activity which they like. (iii) It allows freedom of choice to the consumer, means people in a capitalist economy are free to spend their income as they like. This is known as Consumer Sovereignty. (iv) It is a profit-motive economy which forces or induces people to work and produce. (v) In this economy, competition prevails among sellers to sell their goods and among buyers to obtain goods to satisfy their wants. Advertisement, price-cutting, discounts, etc. are very common methods of competition in a capitalist economy. Socialist Economy: (i) It possesses collective ownership of means of production, except small farms, workshops and trading-firms which may remain in private hands. As a result of social ownership, profit-motive and self-interest are not the driving force of economic activity as it is in the case of market economy. (ii) It has central authority to establish and accomplish socio-economic goals; that is why it is called Centrally Planned Economy. Major economic decisions, such as what to produce, when and how much to produce, etc. are taken by the central authority. (iii) In this economy, freedom from hunger is guaranteed but consumers’ sovereignty gets restricted by selective production of goods. The range of choice is limited by planned production. However, within that range, an individual is free to choose what he likes most. (iv) A relative equality of income is an important feature of this economy. Among other things, differences are narrowed down by lack of opportunities to accumulate private capital. Educational and other facilities are enjoyed more or less equally; thus the basic causes of inequalities are removed. (v) Pricing mechanism exists in a socialist economy but it has only a secondary role, e.g., to secure disposal of accumulated stocks. Since allocation of productive resources is done according to a pre-determined plan, the pricing mechanism loses its predominant role in economic decisions. |
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| 123852. |
What are the characteristics of production possibility curve? |
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| 123853. |
Write down three utilities of macro-economics. |
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Answer» Following are the three utilities of macro-economics:
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| 123854. |
How does A. Koutsoyannis define economics? |
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Answer» According to A. Koutsoyannis, “Objective of economic theories is to build up a model of economic behaviour of an individual unit (may be one consumer, a producer or firm or government-agency) and its impact on one another, which constitute the economy of an area, a country or whole world.” |
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| 123855. |
Explain the subject matter of economics as clearly as you can. |
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Answer» The subject matter of economics is presently divided into two major branches: Micro-economics and macro-economics, these two terms have now become of general use in economics. Micro-Economics : It studies the economic behaviour of individual economic units and individual economic variables. The unit of study in micro-economics is the part of the economy, such as individual households, firms and industries. Thus, the study of economic behaviour of the households, firms and industries forms the subject matter of micro economics. In other words, micro economics is a microscopic study of the economy. For example, microeconomics is concerned with how the individual consumer distributes his income among various products and services so as to maximize utility. Micro-economics also seeks to explain how the individual firms determine the sale price of the product, how much to produce, what amount of product will maximize its profit, how to minimize the cost of production. Macro-Economics : Macro economics is the study of the economy as a whole. The unit of study in macro economics is the entire economy rather than a part of it, and it deals with the problems faced by the entire economy. Thus, macro economics deals with the functioning of the economy as a whole. For example, macro economics seeks to explain how the economy’s total output of goods and services and total employment of resources are determined and what explains the fluctuations in the level of output and employment. Macro economics explains why sometimes economy is operating at near-about full employment, and why, at other times, there is high degree of unemployment; why sometimes there is full utilization, of the economy’s productive capacity, and why, at other times, there is under-utilization of the economy’s productive capacity. |
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| 123856. |
Why is the Sindhu – Saraswati Civilization called so ? |
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Answer» The origional cities of this civilization were in the whereabouts of the Indus river, so in the beginning, it was called the Indus valley civilization. But according to the latest knowledge, this civilization belongs to the vanished river Saraswati in Punjab, Haryana. |
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| 123857. |
Throw light on the condition of women in the ancient times. |
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Answer» In the vedic age, families were dominated by father but sons and daughters had equal social and religious rights. Both had right to upanayan sanskar, education and performing the yajna. In ancient days, the mother and the wife had high prestige in the family and the society. It was mentioned that the gods dwell where the women are worshipped. Ghosha, Apala, Lopamudra and Vishvavara were some of them who performed the great yajnas with great confidence. |
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| 123858. |
What is the subject matter of microeconomics? |
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Answer» It is the study of all theories and principles which are based on individual unit. Following are included in the subject matter of micro-economics:
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| 123859. |
What is the general classification of economy? |
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Answer» The economy is classified into:
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| 123860. |
Write down four points related to the subject matter of macro economics. |
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| 123861. |
Mention the names of Indian thinkers related to economics. |
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Answer» The names of major Indian thinkers related to economics are: Swami Dayanand Saraswati, Dadabhai Naoroji, Mahadev Govind Ranade, Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Ramesh Chandra Dutt, M.N. Roy. The later main thinkers related to economics are: Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Ram Manohar Lohiya, Prof. J. K. Mehta, Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyay and Amartya Sen. |
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| 123862. |
State two characteristics of micro-economics. |
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| 123863. |
Write down three utilities of micro-economics. |
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Answer» Following are the three utilities of micro economics:
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| 123864. |
How were the stone tools in ancient time ? |
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Answer» The stone tools belonging to Paleolithic age were made by man 20 lakh years ago. They were big and thick in shape and were not well – cut. This age was divided into three periods – lower, middle and upper. During the Mesolithic age, the shape of the stone became smaller. They were called micro – lithic tools. The excavation done in Gujarat, Rajasthan, UP, MP, Orrisa and Kerala tell us that these tools are thousand years old. |
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| 123865. |
Explain the importance of epitomes and buildings as the archaeological source of history. |
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Answer» The archaeological sources of history include all the remains of on ground and under ground structures like stupas, chaityas, ashramas, mathas, temples, palaces, forts and tombs. From all such remains, we learn about the art, architecture, culture and political life of that period. From these remains we came to know about the civilization and culture of Harappa and Mohenjodaro. From the remains of Deogarh and the temple inside the village, we learn about the religion and cultural states of the place. From these epitomes, we know the expansion of Indian culture to the South – East Asia. |
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| 123866. |
Give some points on the importance of micro-economics. |
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Answer» The importance of micro economics are:
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| 123867. |
Who is the writer of the book ‘History of Sanskrit Literature? (a) Mac Donald (b) Max Muller (c) C. Ulkoll (d) none of these |
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Answer» Correct Answer is : (a) Mac Donald |
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| 123868. |
When did man start cattle breeding and agriculture ? |
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Answer» Man started cattle breeding and agriculture in the neolithic age. |
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| 123869. |
Describe the contribution made to the Indian history by the foreign literature. |
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Answer» From ancient times, the cultural and economic achievements of India have been the objects of attraction for the foreign writers. They have written a lot about India. Megasthenes’ famous book ‘Indica’ gives a vivid knowledge about the administration of Chandragupta Maurya. Heiun – Tsang’s book “Tsuyuki describes the contemporary history of India. ITsing travelled India from 672 and 688 and from the description of his travels, we know a lot about the Nalanda University and Vikramshila university of India. Among the Tibetans’ description of India, ‘Kangyur’ and ‘Tengyur’ are regarded as the most useful books. |
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| 123870. |
Coins, Currency and stamps are the important source to know the history of ancient India. Comment on it. |
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Answer» Coins, currency and stamps are significant enough to tell us about the ancient history of India. We get from them the knowledge about names of the rulers, dates, their faces, dynastic traditions, religion, their glorious deeds, daily life, art and their likes and dislikes etc. Samudragupta’s coins carry the imprint of Veena and the lion, which tell us about his love for music and heroic deeds. |
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| 123871. |
Which archaeologist started the research campaign of the vanished Saraswati river ? |
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Answer» Archaeologist Dr. V. S. Vakankar started the research campaign of the vanished Saraswati river. |
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| 123872. |
Where are the epitomes of Angkorwat situated ? |
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Answer» The epitomes of Angkorwat are situated in Combodia. |
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| 123873. |
What do we mean by historical evidences or proofs ? |
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Answer» The ways and means that the historians use to know about the past activities, are called evidences/proofs. |
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| 123874. |
Which is the oldest veda ? |
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Answer» The Rigveda is the oldest veda. |
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| 123875. |
Describe the expansion of Indian cultural colonization in the world during the ancient period. |
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Answer» In ancient times, Indian culture and civilization had a global propagation. This was not achieved by military invasions but by love and modesty. Indian history has been glorious from the beginning. On the basis of the remains found during excavation, it can be asserted that Indian culture pervaded the globe. Some of its examples are as follows. 1. Even today, on the northern gate of the Great Wall of China, there is an inscription in Sanskrit which says, “May God send Yakshas to defend us.” 2. Western historians and scientists have expressed their feelings about the superiority of Indian culture and history. Sir Walter Raleigh has written, “The first man on the earth was born on Indian soil.” Mayour, Colonel Ulkott, Voltair, Max – Muller etc. have expressed their views about ancient culture of India. 3. In Agnipurana India has been called as Jamboo – dweep. The Indian colonies across the sea were called Deepantar. They consisted of nine islands. The present Java, Sumatra, Malaya, Combodia, Siam, Champa, Burma and Srilanka etc. were on integral part of cultural India. The European scholar Silven Levy has mentioned the word’Bhartiya group of Islands’. The Arabian geography scholar Masoodi has written that ancient India spread both on the land and the sea. Its boundary embraced Sumatra and Java. Thus, the then cultural India extended from Afghanistan toʻthe whole of South – East Asia. The Indians reached Burma (Braham Desh), Siam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Australia, Borneo, Philippines, Japan and as far as Korea and eastablished their political and cultural colonies. Such other Indian navigators and tourists reached from the pacific ocean to Mexico in Central America, Handuras, Peru, Bolivia, Chile and various other parts of South America and settled there. The Aryans reached the vairous parts of the world by land and sea routes. There they preached the teachings of their religion and the principles of their culture. |
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| 123876. |
What is rock-art ? |
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Answer» Handmade geometrical drawings made to decorate are rock dwellings called rock-art or rock graphics. |
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| 123877. |
Who discovered Mohenjodaro ? |
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Answer» Rakhaldas Banerjee discovered Mohenjodaro. He discovered in 1922. |
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| 123878. |
Between whom was the Dusraj (dasarajna) battle was fought? |
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Answer» The battle of Dusraj’ (battle of ten kings) was fought between the Trtsu – Bharata king Sudas and kings of ten Jans. King Sudas won the battle. |
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| 123879. |
Name sixteen sanskaras. |
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Answer» Sixteen sanskars are – 1. Garbhadhan, 2. Punsavan, 3. Simantonnayana, 4. Jatakarma, 5. Namkarana, 6. Nishkramana, 7. Annaprashan, 8. Choodakarma, 9. Karnabedha, 10. Vidhyarambha, 11. Upnayana, 12. Vedarambha, 13. Keshanta, 14. Samavartana, 15. Marriage, 16. Antyeshti (last rites). |
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| 123880. |
Which ‘Jans’ were included in ‘Panch Jan’? |
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Answer» Panchajana included – Anu, Yasstu, Turvas Puru and Duhe. |
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| 123881. |
Which subjects have been treated in the Aranyaka granthas? |
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Answer» The Aranyaka granthas deal with the subjects of philosophy. |
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| 123882. |
What are four Purusharths ? |
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Answer» These are 1. Dharma (conduct and character), 2. Wealth (worldly properties and other possessions), 3. Kam (enjoyment of facilities), 4. Moksh (freedom from the bondage of life and death). |
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| 123883. |
Which is the last veda ? Who wrote it ? |
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Answer» The Atharvaveda is the last Veda. It was written by Atharva rishi. |
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| 123884. |
How many Mandals and Suktas are there in the Rigveda? |
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Answer» The Rigveda has 10 Mandals and 1028 Suktas |
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| 123885. |
Describe the main features of Sindhu – Saraswati civilization. |
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Answer» Sindhu – Saraswati civilization was the oldest civilization of the world. This civilization and culture was pure Indian. On the basis of the remains found in the excavation, its features can be mentioned as follows. 1. Planning of the Cities – The cities of this civilization were well – organised and were solidly built out of baked bricks and stone. Their drainage systems, wells and water storage system were the most sophisticated in the ancient world. The main streets and roads were broad and were set in a line, sometimes running straight for a mile and were varying in width form 4 meters to 10 meters. The main streets intersected at right angles, dividing the city into squares or rectangular blocks each of which was divided lengthwise and cross – wise by lanes. The houses had a well, a bathroom, and a covered drain connected to the big drain in the street. The buildings were made of baked bricks. One of the largest buildings in Mohanjodaro was the Great Bath measuring 180 feet by 108 feet. Another large building in Harappa was the great granary which was made about 45 meters long and 15 metres wide. It was meant to store foodgrains. 2. Social Life – There were rulers (ruling class), important authorities, common people (general class), labour class, and farming class in the society. Family was the smallest unit of the society. The remains of clay – idols of mother goddess have been found which indicate that the importance of women in the society, and the evidences of mother dominated families have been found. Both men and women wore ornaments made of gold, silver, copper and other metals. 3. Religious life -The people of this civilization were religious. They worshipped mother goddess and lord Shiva. Besides this they worshipped trees and animals including mythical animals too. 4. Economic life – Agriculture was the main occupation of the people of this civilization. Crops such as wheat, barley, peas, rice, pulses, sesame, millet etc. were produced. Evidences of ploughed fields have been found in Kalibanga. These people had trading relations with many countries in the west – Asia. They used sea – routes for trade with other countries. These people were involved in industries also. Industries like making from metal and clay, jewellery making, tools / instruments making etc. were in developed condition. They used 16 and its multiples : 64, 160 and 320, in measurement and weight. 5. Political life – No clear information of the political system of this civilization is available. From the administrative point of view, there must have been four major centres – Harappa, Mohenjodaro, Lothal and Kalibangan. Evidences of well planned cities, cleanliness, water conservation etc. show the skilled, controlled and good administration. Non-availability of weapons and armoury in a large number indicates that the life of the peple was peaceful. 6. Script – The people of this civilization also developed script. The script was pictorial or graphic. In this script, they used signs. 7. Art – The people of this civilization were very advanced in the field of art. The pots and stamps found in excavation are the proof of their drawings. Jewellery making, idol making, pots making, stamp making etc. reveal their love for art. |
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| 123886. |
Which metal were the people of Sindu – Saraswati familiar with ? |
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Answer» The people of Sindu – Saraswati were familiar with copper. |
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| 123887. |
What is Ashrama system? |
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Answer» Life has been divided into four Ashramas 1. Brahmacharya Ashram, 2. Grihastha Ashrama, 3. Vanaprastha Ashrama 4. Sanyasa Ashrama. |
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| 123888. |
Which is the largest building of Mohenjodero civilization ? (a) Great bath (b) Royal palace. (c) Granary (d) None of these. |
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Answer» Correct Answer is : (a) Great bath |
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| 123889. |
When did Vikram Samvat begin ? (a) 78 B.C. (b) 57 B.C. (c) 78 A.D. (d) 130 A.D. |
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Answer» Correct Answer is: (b) 57 B.C. |
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| 123890. |
Which of the following is not a Vedanga? (a) Shiksha (b) Vyakaran (c) Astrology (d) Sutra |
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Answer» Correct Answer is: (d) Sutra |
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| 123891. |
The Aryans of the Rigveda occupied and lived in the area (a) Iran (b) Afghanistan (c) Doab – Pradesh (d) Saptsandhava. |
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Answer» The Harappans lived in cities and had a well organized trade and craft activities. They also had a script which we have been so far not able to decipher. However around 1900 BC these cities began to decline. A number of rural settlements appeared afterwards. These rural settlements show continuity of certain Harappan elements. Around the same time we find archaeological evidence of the arrival of new people known as Aryans or Indo-Aryans on the outskirts of the Harappan region. The age they owned is know in history as the age of Vedic Aryans or the Rigvedic period. In other words, we know more about the Aryan culture that effectively “re founded” Indian civilization around 1500 B.C.E. Yet unlike Indus civilization, it was not urban and left neither city ruins nor substantial artifacts beyond tools, weapons, and pottery. Virtually our only source of knowledge about ancient Aryan life is the words of the Vedas, the Aryan sacred texts—hence we know the culture as “Vedic.” Careful studies have shown that the Vedic texts reflect two stages of development in terms of literature as well as social and cultural evolution. The Rigveda which is the oldest Vedic text reflects one stage of social and cultural development whereas the other three Vedas reflect another stage. The first stage is known as the Rigvedic period or Early Vedic period and the later stage is known as the Later Vedic period. The age of the Early Vedic period corresponds with the date of the composition of the Rigvedic hymns. This date has been fixed between 1500 BC and 1000 BC. The early Vedic Aryans lived in the area known as sapta-sindhu meaning area of seven rivers. This area largely covers the northwestern part of South Asia up to river Yamuna. The seven rivers included Sindhu, Vitasta (Jhelum), Asikni (Chenab), Parushni (Ravi), Vipash (Beas), Shutudri (Sutlej) and the Sarasvati. In this area the Rigvedic people lived, fought battles, grazed their herds of cattle and other domesticated animals. Gradually moving eastward, they came to occupy eastern U.P. (Kosala) and north Bihar (Videha) during the Later Vedic period. Here they came into contact with the people who spoke languages different from their own and were living in this area for long. The early Vedic Aryans were pastoralists. Cattle rearing were their main occupation. They reared cattle, sheep, goats, and horses for purposes of milk, meat and hides. We arrive at this conclusion after analyzing the literary evidence in the Rigveda. A large number of words are derived from the word go meaning cow. A wealthy person was known as gomat and the daughter called duhitri which means one who milks the cow. The word gaveshana literally means search for cows, but it also means battle since many battles were fought over cattle. The cows were thought of as providers of everything. Prayers are offered for increase in the number of cattle. All the above and many more references show that cattle breeding were the most important economic activity of the Rigvedic Aryans. However, this is not to suggest that the early Vedic people had no knowledge of agriculture. The evidence for agriculture in comparison with pastoral activities in the early portions is meager and mostly late insertions. A few references show that they had knowledge of agriculture and practiced it to supplement their food requirements. They produced yava (modern jau or barley), which was rather a generic word for cereals. Apart from cattle-rearing and small-scale cultivation, people were engaged in many other economic activities. Hunting, carpentry, tanning, weaving, chariot-making, metal smeltry etc. were some such activities. The products of these activities were exchanged through barter. However, cows were the most favoured medium of exchange. The priests received cows, horses and gold ornaments as fees for performing sacrifices. The family was the basic unit of the Rigvedic society. It was patriarchal in nature Monogamy was the usual norm of marriage but the chiefs at times practiced polygamy. Marriages took place after attaining maturity. After marriage the wife went to her husband’s house. The family was part of a larger grouping called vis or clan. One or more than one clans made jana or tribe. The jana was the largest social unit. All the members of a clan were related to each other by blood relation. The membership of a tribe was based on birth and not on residence in a certain area. Thus the members of the Bharata tribe were known as the Bharatas. It did not imply any territory. The Rigvedic society was a simple and largely an egalitarian society. There was no caste division. Occupation was not based on birth. Members of a family could adopt different occupations. However certain differences did exist during the period. Varna or colour was the basis of initial differentiation between the Vedic and non-Vedic people. The Vedic people were fair whereas the non-Vedic indigenous people were dark in complexion and spoke a different language. Thus the Rigveda mentions arya varna and dasa varna. Here dasa has been used in the sense of a group different from the Rigvedic people. Later, dasa came to mean a slave. Besides, certain practices during this period, such as concentration of larger share of the war booty in the hands of the chiefs and priests resulted in the creation of some inequalities within a tribe during the later part of this Vedic phase. The warriors, priests and the ordinary people were the three sections of the Rigvedic tribe. The sudra category came into existence only towards the end of the Rigvedic period. This means that the division of society in the early Vedic period was not sharp. This is indicated by the following verse in the Rigveda: “I am a poet, my father is a physician and my mother grinds grain upon the stone. Striving for wealth, with varied plans, we follow our desires like cattle.” The women in society enjoyed respectable position. She was married at a proper age and could choose a husband of her own choice. She could take part in the proceedings of the tribal assemblies called sabha and samiti. The Rigveda is a collection of 1,028 hymns divided into 10 mandalas. They are the earliest compositions and hence depict the life of the early Vedic people in India. The Samaveda is a collection of verses mostly taken from the Rigveda but arranged in a poetic form to facilitate singing. The Yajurveda is found in two recensions, Black and White, and are full of rituals to be performed publicly or individually. The Atharvaveda is a collection of magic spells and charms to ward off the evil spirits and diseases. The religious ideas of the Vedic people are reflected in the hymns of the Rigveda. They venerated the natural forces around them (like wind, water, rain, thunder, fire etc.) Which they could not control, and invested nature with divinity conceived in human forms, which were mostly masculine. Very few female dieties were venerated. The religion thus reflected the patriarchal society and was that of primitive animism. Indra was the god of strength, who was invoked to destroy the enemies. He was the god of thunder and was the rainmaker who was asked periodically to release the water. He could not be vanquished. Thus thunder and rain (natural phenomena) were related with strength, which was personified in a masculine form, represented in the god Indra. The concept of a tribal chief, who was a war-lord, is also found represented in the character of Indra. Agni, next in importance to Indra, was the god of fire. He was considered to be an intermediary between heaven and earth i.e., between gods and men. He dominated the domestic hearth and marriages were solemnized in his presence. Yama was the god of death and had an important place in the Early Vedic religious belief. There were many other gods e.g. Surya, Soma (also a drink), Savitri, Rudra etc., and hosts of celestial beings like Gandharvas, Apsaras, Maruts to whom prayers and hymns were addressed in the Rigveda. In nutshell the early Vedic society was tribal and basically egalitarian. Clan and kinship relations formed the basis of the society and family was the basic social unit. Social divisions based on occupations had started but there was no caste division and their economy was mainly pastoral and cow was the most important form of wealth. Agriculture had secondary importance in the life of the Early Vedic people. The Early Vedic people personified the natural forces, e.g. wind, water, rain, etc. and worshipped them as god. They worshipped god not through any abstract philosophical concept but for material gains. There was growing importance of sacrifices or yajnas in the Vedic religion. In other worlds the period of this age laid the basis for the intellectual development of human beings. So this culture is yet to be understood in its true sense in order to seek a reasonable knowledge about this society. D) Saptsandhava Hope you like it. (d) Saptsandhava. |
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| 123892. |
Name the chinese travellers who travelled in ancient India. |
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Answer» They were : Heiun Tsang, Fi-Hien, Sungyun, and Itsing. |
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| 123893. |
Describe the script of Ashoka’s inscriptions. |
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Answer» The script of Ashoka’s inscriptions is Kharosthi and Brahmi. These are in the form of rock inscriptions, pillar inscriptions, and cave inscriptions. These are the great examples of art. These scripts are carved on high rocks and tall pillars on artistic and beautifully designed pillars. From these writings, we get a lot of knowledge about the concerned rulers. These are called idol-writings. From such writings, we get knowledge about the important incidents and events which took place during the reign of those rulers. |
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| 123894. |
Where is the iron – pillar situated at Delhi ? |
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Answer» It is situated at Mehrauli in Delhi. |
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| 123895. |
Explain the tri – indebtedness in religion in ancient India. |
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Answer» In ancient India, the concept of tri-indebtedness was very important. These three debts were– 1. Debt to parents – By maintaining the continuity of human race through production of progeny, we can clear this debt. 2. Debt to rishis – This debt can be cleared by enriching and developing the knowledge and the tradition that we have inherited from the rishis. 3. Debt to gods – Our duties to the gods and goddesses which can be clear by performing the yajna and by the prayer and worship to them. Salvation is possible only when one is free from these three debts. |
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| 123896. |
Explain Vedang literature. |
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Answer» Vedang literature came into existance to understand the vedic literature. It has six parts. 1. Shiksha 2. Kalpa 3. Vyakarana 4. Nirukta 5. Chhanda 6. Jyotisha 1. Introduction to Vedangas The Vedic literature consists of 'Shruti' -revealed literature and 'Smriti' -memorized literature. Shruti literature consist of Vedas: Rig Veda -Collection of prayers, Yajur Veda -Sacrificial manual, Sama Veda -Mostly Rig Vedic hymns in musical form, Atharva Veda -Magical charms. Each Veda has four parts: Samhita - essential part of a Veda containing hymns, Brahmanasprose commentaries on Vedas with detailed observations on prayers and ceremonies, Aranyakas -texts to be read by Risrvis in forests as they deal with mystic meanings of Samhita texts and Upanishads -philosophical aspects which are to be taught by Acharyas to their trusted students . Smriti literature consist of Vedangas, Upavedas, etc. which form supplementary sections of Vedic literature. 2. Vedic literature The Vedic literature was mostly created by the Aryans. The Vedic literature consists of 'Shruti' (revealed) literature And 'Smriti' (memorized) literature. 2.1. Shruti literature consist of Vedas: Rig Veda (Collection of prayers), Yajur Veda (Sacrificial manual), Sama Veda (Mostly Rig Vedic hymns in musical form), Atharva Veda (Magical charms). Each Veda has four parts: Samhita (essential part of a Veda containing hymns), Brahmanas (prose commentaries on Vedas with detailed observations on prayers and ceremonies), Aranyakas (texts to be read by Risrvis in forests as they deal with mystic meanings of Samhita texts) and Upanishads (philosophical aspects which are to be taught by Acharyas to their trusted students). 2.2 Smriti literature consist of Vedangas, Upavedas, etc. which form supplementary sections of Vedic literature. 3. Vedangas Vedangas literally mean the limbs of the Vedas. They are six in number. Just like the limbs of the body, they perform various supportive and augmenting functions in the study, preservation and protection of the Vedas and the vedic traditions. The six Vedangas are Siksha, Chhanda, Vyakarana, Nirukta, Jyotisha and Kalpa. Shiksha = phonetics, Vyakarana = grammar, Chandas = metre, Nirukta = etymology, Kalpa = ritual, Jyotishya = astronomy. Upa Vedas (supplementary Vedas) are largely secular in nature. Gandharva Veda = music, Shilpa Veda = sculpture, Ayur Veda = medicine, Dhanur Veda= archery or art of war Sutras (that guide people in various fields). Grihya Sutras deal with domestic rituals Shrauta Sutras deal with public rituals Sulha Sutras deal with science of altars Dharma Sutras deal with customary law and practices. The Vedangas are very important as illustrated by the following verse from Paniniya छन्दः पादौ तुवेदस्य हस्तौ कल्पोऽथ पठ्यते। ज्योततषामयनंचक्षुतनिरुक्तं श्रोत्रमुमुययते।। शिक्षा घ्राणंतुवेदस्य मुखं व्याकरणं स्मतृ म्। तस्मात्साङ्गमधीत्यैव ब्रह्मलोके महीयते।। --- पाणणनीय शिक्षा 41,42 Vedangas compared to Limbs of Human Body One who studies Vedas with the six-fold limbs as above reaches the abode of the Supreme. VEDANGA LIMBS COMPARED WITH Chandah Legs Kalpa Hands Jyotisa Eyes Nirukta Ears Siksha Nose Vyakaranam Face 3.1.Siksha:- lays down the rules of phonetics – pronunciation / sounds / duration of utterance of each syllable – euphony. The goal is to achieve correct pronunciation and articulation through, akshara suddhi (syllable purity); svara suddhi (tonal / pitch purity – discussed in Vol. 1.2) and maatraa suddhi (durational purity), balam (force of articluation), samam (evenness) and santana: (continuity). Phonetics are most critical in the case of Vedic language, because, as was discussed in the article of the previous issue of the Journal (Vol. 1.2), we see that a change in sound results in completely different effects. Because of its importance, the first chapter of Taittiriya Upanishad – siksha valli - describes these six attributes in its very first section in the following verse: ( Refer to Vol. 1.2 for details of this mantra) That is why sage Panini , the grammarian, gives in his "paanineeya siksha", how much care should be exercised when chanting vedas: As the mother tiger (cat family) carries its young gripping it by its teeth (firm, so that cub does not fall, but gentle, so that it does not harm), the mantras must be chanted lucidly, unblurred, un-faded and not too loud. Neither should they be casually mouthed nor spat in staccato tones ! The Sanskrit language has 51 letters, called Maatruka Maatru is the cosmic Mother and the 51 letters are in Her image. The Siksha Sastra says that these 51 letters represent the various parts of Her body and even define which one represents which 3.2. Vyakaranam The most important exposition of Grammar is that of sage Panini which is in the form of sutras or aphorisms. It is known as ashtaadhyaayi, because it has 8 chapters. There is an interesting story relating to the origin of the Panini Sutras. At the end of the Cosmic Dance, Lord Nataraja (Siva) clicked his damaru 9 times and 5 times (14 times). The dance was witnessed by Sanaka and other rishis. Sage Panini, also witnessed the dance through his "divya dhrushti" . |
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| 123897. |
Mention the number of Puranas (a) 17 (b) 19 (c) 9. (d) 18 |
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Answer» Correct Answer is : (d) 18 |
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| 123898. |
The Vedas have also been named as (a) Granth (b) Puranas (c) Shruti (d) none of these |
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Answer» Correct Answer is : (c) Shruti |
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| 123899. |
Who was the writer of ‘Midas of gold? (a) Max-Muller (b) D. D. Kaushambi (c) Almasoodi (d) Alberooni |
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Answer» Correct Answer is: (c) Almasoodi |
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| 123900. |
What is the purpose of historians ? |
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Answer» Their purpose is to import knowledge about the events and incidents that took place in the past. |
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