Mock Test-1 (Paper-1) (Question 1-50)

Kailasanatha Temple at Ellora and the Shore temple at Mamallapuram were built around the same time Both are Gupta period temples.
Kailasanatha Temple - Features

• The temple's construction began during the reign of Rashtrakuta king Dantidurga (735-757 AD).
• The temple's major construction was completed by King Dantidurga's successor, Krishna | (757-773 AD), though work continued for more than a century under many successive kings.
• It is situated in the Maharashtra town of Ellora.
• The carving of the temple began at the mountain's summit, but a pit was later dug around the temple on the sloping side of the hill.
• Aside from the gopura, the main temple has a sabha griha (hall), vestibules, and a Nandi mandap that leads to the garba griha (sanctum) with the Shiv linga, all of which are intricately carved and have Dravidian shikharas (towers).
• The Nandi mandap is linked to Gopuram by a bridge.

About Shore Temple:

• It is a historic temple complex located in Mamallapuram (Mahabalipuram), Tamil Nadu
• lt is dedicated to Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu.
• It was built probably in the reign of Narasimhavarman I, also known as Rajasimha (Pallava ruler) who reigned from 700 to 728 CE.
• Shore Temple is one among a number of Hindu monuments at Mahabalipuram, on the Coromandel Coast of Tamil Nadu.
• It is one of the oldest structural excellence (rock-cut) stone temples of the South India.
• The Mamallapuram monuments and temples, including the Shore Temple complex, were collectively designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1984.

Sapphire was the most precious stone in terms of foreign trade in Gupta period.
Gupta Empire - Features

• The Gupta Empire ruled India from the early fourth to late sixth centuries CE. It ruled much of the Indian subcontinent from around 319 to 467 CE. Historians call this period "India's Golden Age."
• King Sri Gupta established the empire's ruling dynasty, and its most notable rulers were Chandragupta I, Samudragupta, and Chandragupta Il, also known as Vikramaditya.
• Strong trade ties also aided in the region's establishment as a cultural hub and a base for influencing neighbouring kingdoms and regions in India and Southeast Asia.
• Due to factors such as significant territorial and imperial authority losses caused by former feudatories, as well as the Huna peoples' (Kidarites and Alcon Huns) invasion of Central Asia, the empire eventually fell apart.
• Following the fall of the Gupta Empire in the sixth century, India was ruled by a slew of regional kingdoms.

The Rigveda is an ancient Indian collection of Vedic Sanskrit hymns. It is one of the four canonical sacred texts of Hinduism known as the vedas. The text is a collection of 1028 hymns and 10,600 verses, organised into ten books. Aitareya Brahmana belongs to Rigveda.

Aitareya Brahmana & Kaushitaki Brahmana are related to the oldest known Vedic Sanskrit, Rigveda. These texts describe the 12 days rites, the daily sacrifices conducted in the morning and evening.

• Aitareya Brahmanas — Recorded around 600-400 BCE, it contains eight books, the paficikas, each containing five chapters. It relates to the sage Mahidasa Aitareya of the Shakala Shakha of the Rigveda and the ceremonies of royal inauguration.
• Kaushitaki Brahmana — It is of the Vatkal or Bashkala shakhas of Rigveda and contains thirty chapters discussing food and drink (soma) sacrifice and the legend of the gods.

Mahavira was a teacher of the religion of Jainism. He lived in India. His followers believed that he was the 24th in a line of great teachers. These teachers were called tirthankaras.
Vardhamana Mahavira

• Vardhamana was born in 599 B.C. in a village called Kundagram near Vaishali (Bihar).
  ο Mahavir Jayanti: Celebrated on 13th day of Chaitra month.
  ∗ Commemorates the birth of Mahavir. He added Brahmacharya as the fifth core vow of Jainism. The other four are Ahimsa, Satya, Asteya (non-stealing), & Aparigraha (Non-possessiveness).
• He was a Kshatriya prince, and his father, Siddhartha, was the head of the Jnatrika clan.
• His mother, Trishala, was a Lichchhavi princess. She was the sister of Chetaka, the king of Vaishali.
• At the age of 30 years, he renounced his home and became an ascetic.
• After 12 years of austerity, he attained Kaivalya (perfect knowledge) at the age of 42 years on the banks of Rijupalika River. He passed away at the age of 72 years in 468 B.C. at Pavapuri in Bihar

Diseases, cure and medicines were mentioned for the first time in the Atharva Veda. Fever, cough, consumption, diarrhoea, dropsy, sores, leprosy and seizure are the diseases mentioned. The diseases are said to be caused by the demons and spirits entering one's body. The remedies recommended were replete with magical charms and spells.

Muhammadibn Mūsā al-Khwarizmi, formerly Latinized as Algorithmi, was a Persian scholar who produced works in mathematics, astronomy, and geography. He is given the credit of christening the mathematical discipline of algorithm.

• Al-Khwarizmi authored several important books. His book titled "On the Calculation with Hindu Numerals" (original Arabic: “Kitab al-Jam* wa-I-Tafriq bi-Hisab al-Hind”) was translated into Latin in the 12th century.
• This book explained the Hindu-Arabic numeral system (the numbers 0-9 we use today) and methods for performing calculations using these numbers. The translation began with the phrase "Dixit Algorismi" (Thus spoke Al-Khwarizmi), which referred to the author's name.
• Over time, "Algorismi" evolved into "algorithm," referring to the arithmetic methods based on the Hindu-Arabic numerals described in Al-Khwarizmi's work.
• Therefore, Al-Khwarizmi is credited with introducing these systematic procedures for arithmetic, and his name became synonymous with the concept of a systematic problem-solving process, giving rise to the term 'algorithm’.

Jaichand was defeated in the Battle of Chandwar (1193 or 1194) that was fought between Muhammad Ghori and Jaichand of Kannauj of the Gahadavala dynasty. Jaichand was defeated, giving Muhammad control of much of northern India.

Muhammad Ghori (1173-1206) was a prominent ruler of the Ghurid dynasty who was crucial in establishing Muslim rule in the Indian subcontinent. Born in present-day Afghanistan, he expanded his empire through military campaigns in northern India. His decisive victory over Prithviraj Chauhan in the Second Battle of Tarain (1192) marked a turning point, paving the way for further expansion.

Building on this success, Ghori launched another expedition in 1194, crossing the Yamuna River and advancing towards Kanauj. He faced Raja Jaichandra in the Battle of Chandawar and secured another decisive victory. These successive triumphs established Turkish rule in northern India, shaping its political landscape for centuries..

Bakhtiyar Khilji destroyed the Nalanda University in 1193 AD and burnt it down. In 1193, the Nalanda University was sacked by Bakhtiyar Khilji, a Turk. This event is seen by scholars as a late milestone in the decline of Buddhism in India. The Persian historian Minhaj-i-Siraj reported this event in his chronicle the Tabaquat-i-Nasiri.
About Nalanda University:

• Nalanda stands out as the most ancient university on the Indian Subcontinent.
• It was founded by Kumar gupta of the Gupta dynasty in Bihar in the early 5th century, and it flourished for 600 years until the 12th century.
• During the era of Harshavardhan and the Pala monarchs, it rose to popularity.
• It was a center of learning, culture, and intellectual exchange that had a profound impact on the development of Indian civilization and beyond.
• Nalanda was a monastic establishment in the sense that it was primarily a place where monks and nuns lived and studied. It used to teach all the major philosophies of Buddhism.
• It had students from far-flung regions such as China, Korea, Japan, Tibet, Mongolia, Sri Lanka, and Southeast Asia.
• The students at Nalanda were expected to follow a strict code of conduct and were required to participate in daily meditation and study sessions.
• Subjects such as medicine, the ancient Indian medical system Ayurveda, religion, Buddhism, mathematics, grammar, astronomy, and Indian philosophy were taught there.
• It continued to be a centre of intellectual activity up until it was destroyed in the 12th century AD, in 1193, by Turkish ruler Qutbuddin Aibak’s general Bakhtiyar Khilji.
• After six centuries, the university was rediscovered in 1812by Scottish surveyor Francis Buchanan-Hamilton and later identified as the ancient university by Sir Alexander Cunningham in 1861.
• The Chinese monk Xuan Zang has offered invaluable insights into the academic and architectural grandeur of ancient Nalanda.
• It is alsoa UNESCO World Heritage Site

Muhammad Bin Tughlaq appointed Ibn battuta as the Chief Qazi of Delhi. Ibn Battuta has discussed his travels and incursions in contemporary Islamic world and documented them in Rihla. He was appointed as Qazi by Muhammad Tughlaq and was also appointed ambassador to China.
Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq - Background

• In AD 1325, Jauna Khan succeeded his father as Muhammad bin Tughlag.
• He was one of the most knowledgeable scholars of his time. He spoke Arabic and Persian and was well-versed in philosophy, astronomy, logic, mathematics, and physical science.
• The Sultan maintained good relations with foreigners, and the Chinese ruler sent an envoy to him.
• Toghan Timur (AD 1341) came to seek permission to rebuild Buddhist monasteries destroyed during the critical expedition in the Himalayan region.
• In 1347, the sultan granted permission and dispatched lbn Batuta to the court of the Chinese emperor.
• lbn Batutah was a Moroccan traveller. In 1333, he arrived in India and was appointed as the chief Qazi of Delhi by Muhammad-bin-Tughlag.
• He has left an invaluable account of Muhammad-bin-Tughlaqg’s reign.