10. New Kings and Kingdoms (History Quiz)

10. New Kings and Kingdoms (History Quiz) Questions

• 1

  Who were called samantas?
  A. Warrior chiefs
  B. Priests
  C. Architects
  D. Poor farmers

  Answer - A

  Solution

  Points to Know-
  • By the seventh century there were big landlords or warrior chiefs known as king’s subordinates or samantas.
  • As samantas gained power and wealth, they declared themselves to be maha-samanta, maha-mandaleshvara (the great lord of a “circle” or region)

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• 2

  Before overthrowing his overlord, Dantidurga was a
  A. Prathara chief
  B. Pallava chief
  C. Rashtrakuta chief
  D. Chola chief

  Answer - C

  Solution

  Points to Know –
  Dantidurga, a Rashtrakuta chief, overthrew his Chalukya overlord and performed a ritual called hiranya-garbha (literally, the golden womb).

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• 3

  Why hirnaya-garbha ritual was performed?
  A. To win a war
  B. To have a son as a child
  C. To declare one a kshitriya even if one was not by birth
  D. To hunt golden deer

  Answer - C

  Solution

  Points to Know-
  Hirnaya-garbha ritual was performed with the help of Brahmanas, it was thought to lead to the “rebirth” of the sacrificer as a Kshatriya, even if he was not one by birth.

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• 4

  Gurjara-Pratihara Harichandra established his kingdom in _________
  A. Karnataka
  B. Rajasthan
  C. Gujarat
  D. Sind

  Answer - B

  Solution

  Points to Know-
  The Kadamba Mayurasharman and the Gurjara-Pratihara Harichandra were Brahmanas who gave up their traditional professions and took to arms and established kingdoms in-
  Kadamba Mayurasharman in Karnataka
  Gurjara-Pratihara Harichandra in Rajasthan

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• 5

  A tax form called Vetti, was taken in form of ____________
  A. Cash
  B. Forced labour
  C. Land revenues
  D. All of these

  Answer - B

  Solution

  Points to Know-
  • The inscriptions of the Cholas who ruled in Tamil Nadu refer to more than 400 terms for different kinds of taxes.
  • A tax form called vetti was not taken in cash but in the form of forced labour, and kadamai, or land revenue.
  • There were taxes on thatching the house, the use of a ladder to climb palm trees, a cess on succession to family property, etc.

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• 6

  The functionaries for ___________ were recruited from influential families.
  i. Collecting revenues
  ii. Army
  A. Only i
  B. Only ii
  C. Both i and ii
  D. None

  Answer - C

  Solution

  Points to Know-
  • The functionaries for collecting revenues were generally recruited from influential families, and positions were often hereditary.
  • This was true about the army as well.
  • In many cases, close relatives of the king held these positions.

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• 7

  A prashasti written in Sanskrit described the exploits of Nagabhata. He was a king of ___________
  A. Chalukya
  B. Pratihara
  C. Saindhava
  D. Vidharbha

  Answer - B

  Solution

  Points to Know-
  • Generally Prashastis contain details about how rulers wanted to depict themselves – as valiant, victorious warriors
  • One prashasti, written in Sanskrit and found in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh, describes the exploits of Nagabhata, a Pratihara king

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• 8

  Which of the following is true regarding Land Grant?
  i. Land Grants were recorded on bronze plates
  ii. There was a ring holding the pates together, indicating an authentic document
  A. Only i
  B. Only ii
  C. Both i and ii
  D. None

  Answer - B

  Solution

  Points to Know-
  • Kings often rewarded Brahmanas by grants of land.
  • These were recorded on copper plates, which were given to those who received the land.
  • The ring holding the plates together is secured with the royal seal, to indicate that this is an authentic document.

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• 9

  The three parties in the tripartite struggle were-
  A. Gurjara-Pratihara, Rashtrakuta, Pala
  B. Pala, Chola, Rashtrakuta
  C. Pala , Chola, Pratihara
  D. Chalukya, Rahtrakuta, Pratihara

  Answer - A

  Solution

  Points to Know-
  • For centuries, rulers belonging to the Gurjara-Pratihara, Rashtrakuta and Pala dynasties fought for the control of city of Kanauj
  • Because there were three “parties” in this conflict, historians describe it as the “tripartite struggle”.

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• 10

  What is true regarding Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni?
  i. His targets during raiding were majorly temples
  ii. He used the wealth to build his luxurious palace
  iii. He entrusted Al-Bruni to write on subcontinent
  A. Only i and ii
  B. Only i and iii
  C. Only ii and iii
  D. All of the above

  Answer - B

  Solution

  Points to Know-
  • Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni, Afghanistan, ruled from 997 to 1030.
  • He has control over parts of Central Asia, Iran and the north-western part of the subcontinent.
  • His targets were wealthy temples, including that of Somnath temple of Gujarat.
  • He used his wealth to create a splendid capital city at Ghazni.
  • He entrusted a scholar named Al-Biruni to write an account of the subcontinent.
  • The Arabic work called Kitab ul-Hind is an important source for historians as he consulted Sanskrit scholars to prepare this account.

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