APSC Prelim 2020 GS Paper – History Sections Question Analysis

APSC CCE Prelim 2020 General Studies (GS) Paper-1 Questions Analysis

Questions from Indian History  & Assam History Sections

Go to APSC CCE Prelim Previous Years Paper Analysis 

APSC prelims questions

Q8. When was Assam detached from Bengal presidency and was made a separate Chief Commisionership? (Assam related Qs)

  1. 1870
  2. 1872
  3. 1874
  4. 1876

Correct Option: (C) 1874

In 1874, the Assam region was separated from the Bengal Presidency, Sylhet was added to it and its status was upgraded to a Chief Commissioner’s Province, also known as the ‘North-East Frontier‘ non-regulation province. The capital was at Shillong. Assamese, which had been replaced by Bengali as the official language in 1837, was reinstated alongside Bengali.

The new Commissionership included the four districts of Assam proper Nagaon, Darrang, Sibsagar and Lakhimpur), Khasi-Jaintia Hills, Garo Hills, Naga Hills, Goalpara, (Kamrup and Sylhet-Cachar of Bengal comprising about 54,100 sq miles. The people of Sylhet, Goalpara, Kamrup and the Hills protested the inclusion in Assam.

Topic to focus: British Annexation of Assam

British Annexation of Assam (Assam History) – AssamExam

Q15. Which freedom fighter earned the sobriquet ‘the Nightingale of India’?

  1. Annie Besant
  2. Pushpalata Das
  3. Sarojini Naidu
  4. Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit

Correct Option: (C) Sarojini Naidu

Topic to focus: Modern India – Important Personalities

 

Q73. During 1540 and 1587, King Naranarayana ruled over undivided Koch kingdom of Kamata and subsequently subjugated the entire Brahmaputra valley including the Ahom, Kachari, Tripura, Manipur kingdoms. What was the real name of King Naranarayana? (Assam related Qs)

  1. Nara Singh
  2. Sukladhvaj
  3. Malla Deb
  4. Parikshit

Correct Option: (C) Malladev

Malladev ascended the throne in 1540, in the same year that his father had died, and acquired the title Narayan, which was to become the dynastic title of his succeeding kings. He issued coins, and his seal was made. He appointed his step-brother Chilarai (then known as Sukladhwaj) the yuvaraj and the commander-in-chief of the military.

Topic to focus: Koch rule in Assam

 

Q74. The founder of Ahom kingdom, Chaolung Sukapha ruled Assam from 1228 to 1268. After his death, who succeeded him? (Assam related Qs)

  1. Suteupha
  2. Subinpha
  3. Sukhangphaa
  4. Sutupha

Correct Option: (A) Suteuphaa

Topic to focus: Ahom Kingdom & its rulers

 

Q75. As a great patron of Shakta Hinduism, an Ahom king built Umananda Temple on Peacock Island of Guwahati around 1694 AD. Who was he? (Assam related Qs)

  1. Siva Singha
  2. Rudra Singha
  3. Gadadhar Singha
  4. Rajeswar SIngha

Correct Option: (C) Gadadhar Singha

Umananda Temple is a Shiva temple located at the Peacock Island in the middle of river Brahmaputra. It was built by the Ahom King Gadadhar Singha (1681–1696), who was a devout Shaivaite.

Topic to focus: Historical Architecture & Temples of Assam

 

Q76. King Siva Singha entrusted Krishnaram Bhattacharya, a Shakta priest from Nawadwip in West Bengal, to manage the Kamakhya Temple. How do we popularly know him? (Assam related Qs)

  1. Kamrupiya Gosain
  2. Kamakhya Gosain
  3. Parbatiya Gosain
  4. Nawadwipor Gosain

Correct Option: (C) Parbatiya Gosain

Topic to focus: Ahom Kingdom & its rulers

 

Q77. Chao Suhungmung was the first Ahom king to adopt a Hindu title, indicating a move towards inclusive polity. Which Hindu name did he take? (Assam related Qs)

  1. Swarganarayana
  2. Durlavnarayana
  3. Udyaditya Singha
  4. Jayadhwaj Singha

Correct Option: (A) Swarganarayana

Suhungmung was the first Ahom king to adopt a Hindu title, Swarganarayana, indicating a move towards an inclusive polity; and Ahom kings came to be known as the Swargadeo which is the Assamese translation of Ahom word Chao-Pha. He is also called the Dihingia Raja, because he made Bakata on the Dihing River his capital.[2] Suhungmung was the last progenitor Ahom king (all subsequent kings were his descendants).

Topic to focus: Ahom Kingdom & its rulers

Q79. Who was the ruler of Kashmir at the time of India’s independence?

  1. Farooq Abdullah
  2. Sheikh Abdullah
  3. Karan Singh
  4. Hari Singh

Correct Option: (D) Hari Singh

Topic to focus: Rulers in Modern India

 

Q80. The brave Assamese lady warrior Mula Gabharu died fighting against (Assam related Qs)

  1. Mir Jumla
  2. Det Chung
  3. Turbak Khan
  4. Mirza Nathan

Correct Option: (C) Turbak Khan

Topic to focus: Islamic invasion of Assam

 

Q81. Who was the first Assamese to fight the British? (Assam related Qs)

  1. Kushal Konwar
  2. Piyoli Phukan
  3. Maniram Dewan
  4. Gomdhar Konwar

Correct Option: (D) Gomdhar Konwar

In 1828, Gomdhar Konwar, a prince of the Ahom royal family, his colleague Dhanjay Borgohain and their followers rose in revolt against the British occupation of Assam.

By end of 1828 the process extension of British dominion into Assam was completed. With the assumption of the political power by the officers of the East India Company, the ruling Ahom monarchy lost not only their political authority but social privileges too. The feudal structure of the society began to crumble as new measures were adopted by the colonial rulers to strip the nobility of their rights and privileges. Supporters of monarchy began the organize themselves the restore the old Ahom monarchy and oust the British.

Gomdhar was formally enthroned near Jorhat according to Ahom rites, and arms and ammunitions were collected. But before he could make much headway a counter offensive was made by the British led by Lieutenant Rutherford. The rebels lost and Gomdhar fled to the Naga Hills. But, soon he and his associates were arrested by the British. Gomdhar was found guilty of “illegally assuming the Insignia of Royalty” and was sentenced to seven years of imprisonment in banishment and was deported to an unknown location to die in ignominy.

Topic to focus: Freedom Fighters of Assam

 

Q88. The ‘English Education Act’ made English language the medium of instruction in India as per decision of William Bentinck, and funds were allocated to the British East India Company to spend on education and literature in India. When was the Act passed?

  1. 1835
  2. 1838
  3. 1840
  4. 1842

Correct Option: (A) 1835

The English Education Act 1835 was a legislative Act of the Council of India, gave effect to a decision in 1835 by Lord William Bentinck, then Governor-General of the British East India Company, to reallocate funds it was required by the British Parliament to spend on education and literature in India.

Topic to focus: British Rule & Important Legislations/Acts

 

Q89. While Rabindranath Tagore conferred the title ‘Mahatma’ upon Gandhi, who conferred the title of ‘Half-Naked Fakir’ on Gandhi?

  1. Gopal Krishna Gokhale
  2. Sir Winston Churchill
  3. President Roosevelt
  4. Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose

Correct Option: (B) Winston Churchill

Former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill once called Mahatma Gandhi “a seditious Middle Temple lawyer, now posing as a fakir… striding half-naked up the steps of the Viceregal Palace.” Churchill was unhappy at Gandhi’s participation at the Second Round Table Conference in London in 1931. Churchill even suggested Gandhi should be allowed to die if he goes on hunger strike.

Topic to focus: Mahatma Gandhi & India’s Freedom Struggle

 

Q90. Who authored the famous book, Indica?

  1. Alexander Cunnigham
  2. Fahien
  3. Megasthenes
  4. Pliny

Correct Option: (C) Megasthenes

Indica is an account of Mauryan India by the Greek writer Megasthenes. The original work is now lost, but its fragments have survived in later Greek and Latin works. The earliest of these works are those by Diodorus Siculus, Strabo (Geographica), Pliny, and Arrian (Indica).

Topic to focus: Ancient Indian Literature

 

Q91. Aruna Asaf Ali was one of the prominent organisers of the underground activities during the

  1. Civil Disobedience Movement
  2. Quit India Movement
  3. Swadeshi Movement
  4. Temple Entry Movement

Correct Option: (B) Quit India Movement. (Repeated Qs from 2016)

Aruna Asaf Ali was an Indian educator, political activist, and publisher. An active participant in the Indian independence movement, she is widely remembered for hoisting the Indian National flag at the Gowalia Tank maidan, Bombay during the Quit India Movement in 1942. Post-independence, she remained active in politics, becoming Delhi’s first Mayor.

APSC Prelim 2016 GS Paper – Solved Question Paper – AssamExam

Topic to focus: Freedom Fighters of India

 

Q92. Identify the national leader and efficient administrator who played an extraordinary role in the integration of Indian states.

  1. Chakravarti Rajagopalachari
  2. Jawaharlal Nehru
  3. Rajendra Prasad
  4. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel

Correct Option: (D) Vallabhbhai Jhaverbhai Patel

Vallabhbhai Jhaverbhai Patel served as the first Deputy Prime Minister of India. He was an Indian barrister, and a senior leader of the Indian National Congress who played a leading role in the country’s struggle for independence and guided its integration into a united, independent nation. He was one of the conservative members of the Indian National Congress. He acted as Home Minister during the political integration of India and the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947.

Topic to focus: Political integration of India

 

Observations

Total Fifteen Questions from History Sections

Eight Questions were related to Assam History

Go to APSC CCE Prelim Previous Years Paper Analysis 

APSC Prelim 2018 GS Paper – Analysis of History, Art & Culture Section Questions

APSC Prelim 2018 GS Paper – History, Art & Culture Section Questions Analysis

 

History and Art & Culture are very important sections in any General Studies papers and in APSC GS Paper too, a significant number of Questions are asked from these sections. So, analyzing the previous years Qs from these section can be very helpful to understand Focus Areas to study more extensively.

 

Q2. Match list-1 with List-II and select the correct answer using the codes given below the Lists

Lists – 1                                                                Lists- 2

a. Famines in India                                      1. Dadabhai Naoroji

b. Poverty and unBritish rule in India    2. MG Ranade

c. The Industrial Evolution of India        3. B M Bhatia

d. Essays on Indian Economics              4. D R Gadgil

  1. a 3 b 4 c 1 d 2
  2. a 3 b 1 c 4 d 2
  3. a 2 b 4 c 3 d 1
  4. a 2 b 3 c 4 d 1

Focus Areas: Important books on Indian History

Q3. In India, the Zamindari system was first introduced in

  1. Bengal
  2. Madras
  3. Bombay
  4. Delhi

Focus Areas: British Administration

Q49. Which one of the following is a profusely illustrated treatise on elephants, date 1734?

  1. Chitra-Bhagavata
  2. Hastividyarnava
  3. Kadambari
  4. Parijatharan

Focus Areas: Important books on Indian History

Q50. Which one of the following scholars is believed to have written the Panchatantra stories?

  1. Vishnu Sharma
  2. Bhattadeva
  3. Suchruta
  4. Chaitanya

Focus Areas: Important books on Indian History

Q52. Which artist made the famous painting ‘Guernica’ in 1937?

  1. Michelangelo
  2. Pablo Picasso
  3. Pablo Neruda
  4. Salvador Dali

Focus Areas: World Famous Arts/ Paintings

Q53. Lai Haraoba is an important festival of

  1. Mizoram
  2. Meghalaya
  3. Manipur
  4. Tripura

Focus Areas: Festivals of India

Q54. The largest Buddhist monastery in India is located in

  1. Sanchi
  2. Bodhgaya
  3. Nalanda
  4. Tawang

Focus Areas: Important Religious monuments

Q55. Ima Keithel is the largest

  1. freshwater lake in Maniour
  2. Association of Manipuri mothers
  3. Association of Naga mothers
  4. All-women market in Manipur

Focus Areas: GK

Q57. The Cheraw dance is a dance form of

  1. Meghalaya
  2. Sikkim
  3. Puducherry
  4. Mizoram

Focus Areas: Important dances

Q58. Therukoothu is an art form of

  1. Telengana
  2. Kerala
  3. Tamil Nadu
  4. Maharashtra

Focus Areas: Important Folk Arts

Q59.Who wrote the book, We, the People?

  1. J R D Tata
  2. Mahatma
  3. Gandhi
  4. Nani Palkhivala

Focus Areas: Important books

Q60. Who was the first recipient of the Sahitya Academy Award for English Literature?

  1. Nayantara Sehgal
  2. R K Narayan
  3. Raja Rao
  4. Mulk Raj Anand

Focus Areas: GK Awards

Q61. Which of following is not a poetic tradition?

  1. The Epic
  2. The Occult
  3. Tea Tragic
  4. The Comic

Focus Areas: Literature

Q62. Renaissance is a/an

  1. Italian word
  2. Spanish word
  3. Greek word
  4. French word

Focus Areas: Important History Terms/events

Q63. The Room on the Roof was written by

  1. Ruskin Bond
  2. Virginia Woolf
  3. Thomas Hardy
  4. George Orwell

Focus Areas: GK Important Books

Q64. How many Ghosas are there in the Nama Ghosa?

  1. 500
  2. 1000
  3. 1500
  4. 2000

Focus Areas: Historical/religious Literature

Q65. Which language was used by Sankardeva for composing Ankia Nat?

  1. Pali
  2. Brajavali
  3. Prakrit
  4. Apabhrangsha

Focus Areas: Historical/religious Literature

Q66. Which of the following was the first Ankia Nat written by Sankardeva?

  1. Patniprasad
  2. Chinhayatra
  3. Rukminiharan
  4. Kaliyadaman

Focus Areas: Historical/religious Literature

Q67. Who is known as the father of Assamese prose?

  1. Ratnakar Kandali
  2. Bhattadeva
  3. Sarbavauma Bhattacharrya
  4. Gopal Aata

Focus Areas: Literature of Assam

Q68. Which century witnessed the growth and development of the Charit Puthi’?

  1. 14th Century
  2. 15th Century
  3. 16th Century
  4. 17th Century

Focus Areas: Historical/religious Literature

Q69. The Buranji written by Ratna Kandali and Arjun Das Bairagee was

  1. Tripura Buranji
  2. Kachari Buranji
  3. Axom Buranji
  4. Kamrup Buranji

Focus Areas: Historical/religious Literature

Q70. Who was the first editor of Jonaki?

  1. Lakshminath Bezbaruah
  2. Chandra Kumar Agarwalla
  3. Hemchandra Goswami
  4. Ratneswar Mahanta

Focus Areas: Literature of Assam

Q71. The novel Astarag is authored by

  1. Nirupama Borgohain
  2. Chandra Prasad Saikia
  3. Homen Borgohain
  4. Nirod choudhury

Focus Areas: Literature of Assam

Q72. Aahar, as Assamese drama, written by Arun Sharma is a/an

  1. social drama
  2. historical drama
  3. absurd drama
  4. none of the above

Focus Areas: Literature of Assam

Q73. Who among the following was the first recipient of the Assam Valley Literary Award?

  1. Homen Borgohain
  2. Nobakanta Barua
  3. Bhabendra Nath Saikia
  4. Nilamoni Phukan

Focus Areas: GK Awards

Q89. Which one was not the principal item of export in the 17th century Indian trade?

  1. Pepper
  2. Opium
  3. Ivory
  4. Sugar

Focus Areas: Trades in Historical Times

Q90. Who founded the Home Rule League in September 1916?

  1. Bal Gangadhar Tilak
  2. Bipin Chandra Pal
  3. Lala Lajpat Rai
  4. Annie Besant

Focus Areas: Modern History – Important League/Associations

Q91. Gandhi-Irwin Pact was signed in the year?

  1. 1931
  2. 1925
  3. 1929
  4. 1932

Focus Areas: Modern History – Important Pacts/Treaty

Q92. Hayungthal Copper Plate was issued by

  1. Bhaskar Varman
  2. Susthita Varman
  3. Banamala Varman
  4. Harjjar Varman

Focus Areas:  Inscriptions

Q93. Who was the founder of Pala Dynasty?

  1. Brahmapala
  2. Viradutta
  3. Indrapala
  4. Dharmapala

Grace mark provided for this Qs

Gopala, a local chieftain rose to power as the emperor of Gauda and founded the Pala Dynasty in 750 CE.

Focus Areas: Dynasties and Founders