UGC NTA NET/JRF EXAM, June 2025 HISTORY

Total Questions: 100

41. Which of the following statements are true regarding the Ajivikas?

A. The Ajivika sect emerged at the same time as Buddhism and Jainism.
B. The Ajivikas were ascetics who followed strict discipline.
C. The Ajivikas believed that the entire universe was conditioned or determined by destiny or fate.
D. No texts by the Ajivikas are available to us, and what little we know about them has been reconstructed from Buddhist and Jain literature.
E. The Ajivikas in South India developed theories analogous to Puranic cosmology.
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

Correct Answer: (a) Only A, B, C, and D
Solution:

The founder of the Ajivika sect was Makkhali Gosala. The following statements are true about this sect:
1. The Ajivika sect emerged alongside Buddhism and Jainism. They were ascetics and followed strict discipline.
2. They believed that the entire universe was governed by destiny (fate).
3. No texts by the Ajivikas are available. The source of information about them is Buddhist and Jain literature.
4. In South India, followers of Shaivism and Vaishnavism developed theories analogous to Puranic cosmology.

42. Which of the following statements are true about guilds and corporate bodies in ancient India?

(A) Shrenis were handicraft guilds.
(B) Jetthakas were heads of guilds or corporate bodies.
(C) The chief trader was called Setthi.
(D) Karyachittakas were groups of merchants.
(E) The Puga was a council of merchants.
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

Correct Answer: (a) Only A, B, C
Solution:

The following statements are true about guilds and corporate bodies in ancient India:
A. Shrenis were handicraft guilds.
B. Jetthakas were the heads of guilds or corporate bodies.
C. The chief merchant was called Setthi.
D. Karyinchakas were the chief employees appointed in the Shrenis. Their powers were of great importance.
E. In Mitakshara, Vijnaneshwara defined Puga as a commercial association residing in a town or village. Therefore, statements A, O, N are true.

43. Which of the following statements are true regarding the Indigo Revolt of 1859 in Nadia, Murshidabad, and Pabna?

A. It saw the intervention of the educated middle class and some European missionaries.
B. Dinabandhu Mitra's famous novel, Neel Darpan, was inspired by the plight of indigo farmers.
C. Neel Darpan was translated into English by Michael Madhusudan Dutt.
D. Rev. James Long published the English translation of Michael Madhusudan Dutt's Neel Darpan.
E. Newspapers like Som Prakash and Hindu Patriot never touched upon the issue of indigo farmers.
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

Correct Answer: (a) Only A, B, C, D
Solution:

The first militant and organized peasant revolt during British rule was the Indigo Revolt, which occurred in Nadia, Murshidabad, and Pabna in 1859-60. This revolt was led by the educated middle class and some European missionaries. Dinabandhu Mitra's famous novel, Neel Darpan, was inspired by the plight of indigo farmers. Michael Madhusudan Dutt translated Neel Darpan into English, while Reverend James Long published an English translation of Michael Madhusudan Dutt's Neel Darpan. Additionally, newspapers such as Somprakash and Hindu Patriot raised the issue of indigo farmers.

44. In which language is Raghavanka's Harishchandrakavyam written?

Correct Answer: (d) Kannada
Solution:

Raghavanka's Harishchandrakavyam is written in Kannada. It is composed in the Shatapadi meter. It is the first Kannada epic poem to abandon Sanskrit meter and use a native meter called Shatapadi. It consists of six verses. In this work, Raghavanka presents a perfect blend of Sanskrit and medieval language.

45. Udayana, a contemporary of the Buddha, belonged to which of the following dynasties?

Correct Answer: (b) Vatsa
Solution:

The Vatsa Mahanajapada, located in the lands of the Allahabad and Banda districts, was a major kingdom during the time of Gautam Buddha. Its capital was in Kaushambi. At that time, the Paurava dynasty king Udayana ruled here. The Vinayapitaka gives the name of Udayana's father as Parantapa and the name of his son as Bodhikumara. Udayana was married to Vasavasadatta, the daughter of King Pradyota of Avanti. This marriage established friendly relations between Vatsa and Avanti.
Note: In the final answer key, the UGC has given the answer as option (a), which is incorrect.

46. During the First Anglo-Maratha War in 1780, when the British decided to invade Malwa, which Maratha leader came to the rescue?

Correct Answer: (a) Mahadji Scindia
Solution:

During the First Anglo-Maratha War, which lasted from 1715 to 1782, the British launched several campaigns against the Maratha Empire. In 1780, the British decided to invade Malwa. The Maratha army was led by Mahadji Scindia. Mahadji Scindia was a skilled Maratha warrior and diplomat. With his army, he successfully repelled the British invasion and prevented their advance into the Malwa region. Mahadji Scindia also defeated the British in the Battle of Siroj.

47. Who among the following started the first newspaper of the Arya Samaj in 1882?

Correct Answer: (a) Lala Ratan Chand Beri
Solution:

Lala Ratan Chand Beri of Lahore started the first newspaper of the Arya Samaj in March 1882. The Arya Samaj is a Hindu reform movement founded by Swami Dayanand Saraswati in Bombay in 1875, inspired by Swami Virjanand of Mathura. This movement began to reform Hinduism in response to Western influences. Arya Samajists believed in the pure Vedic tradition and rejected idol worship, incarnationism, sacrifices, false rituals, and superstitions.

48. Arrange the following events related to the Ryotwari Settlement in chronological order.

A. The reformed system was initiated with the 30-year settlement in Madras.
B. The Ryotwari experiment began in Baramahal.
C. Beginning of the Ryotwari Experiment in the Bombay Presidency
D. Madras Oppression Commission Report
E. Land Survey conducted by R.K. Pringle
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

Correct Answer: (b) B, C, E, D, A
Solution:

(Christian Missionaries in India on Demand): The systematic chronology of events related to the Ryotwari Settlement is as follows:
I. Beginning of the Ryotwari experiment in Baramahal
II. Beginning of the Ryotwari experiment in the Bombay Presidency
III. Land survey conducted by R. K. Ringle
IV. Madras Atrocities Commission Report
V. Beginning of the reformed system with the 30-Year Settlement in Madras.

49. What are the Satavahanas called in the Puranas?

Correct Answer: (a) Satakarni
Solution:

The Satavahana dynasty, known as "Andhra" or "Andhrabhrtya" in the Puranas, was an ancient Indian dynasty. The use of the word "Andhra" likely refers to the dynasty's origin or caste, which was located in the Deccan region. The word "Andhrabhrtya" means "servant of the Andhras" or "servant of the Andhras," possibly referring to their subordination to or subsequent rule of the Maurya dynasty.

50. In what year did the Imperial Bank of India come into existence?

Correct Answer: (b) 1921
Solution:

The Imperial Bank of India (I.E.I.) came into existence on January 27, 1921. This bank was formed by merging the Bank of Bengal, the Bank of Bombay, and the Bank of Madras. Later, in 1955, its name was changed to the State Bank of India (SBI). It is one of India's oldest and largest commercial banks and was nationalized. Before the formation of the Reserve Bank of India, it served as the central bank. John Maynard Keynes is known as the founder of the SBI.