UPSC History Optional Map Solution 2013

UPSC History Optional Map Solution 2013

History Optional Mapping PYQs Solution: Map Based Questions with Solution – 2013 History Optional Mains Examination.

Q. Identify the following places marked on the map supplied to you and write a short note of about 30 words on each of them in your Question-cum-Answer Booklet. Locational hints for each of the places marked on the map are given below seriatim:

• (i) A Paleolithic and Mesolithic site
• (ii) A Mesolithic site
• (iii) An important halting place.
• (iv) A Pre-Harappan site.
• (v) An important Harappan site
• (vi) Site of important fossils
• (vii) A Seat port
• (viii) A Paleolithic site
• (ix) A Neolithic, Megalithic a Chalcolithic site.
• (x) A Harappan site.
• (xi) A Palaeolithic site.
• (xii) A Neolithic Site.
• (xiii) A Chalcolithic site
• (xiv) A Chalcolithic Site
• (xv) A site of Buddhist Monastery.
• (xvi) Painted Grey Ware site.
  (xvii) Site related to a famous Indian Philosopher.
• (xviii) Historical Rock cut caves.
• (xix) Famous Fort.
• (xx) Capital of famous Kingdom

Soultion:

1. A Palaeolithic and Mesolithic site: Barudih
2. A Mesolithic site: Bagor
3. An important halting place: Bamiyan
4. A pre-Harappan site: Amri
5. An important Harappan site: Desalpur
6. Site of important fossils: Hathnora
7. A Sea-port: Korkai
8. A Palaeolithic site: Hunsgi
9. A Neolithic, Megalithic and Chalcolithic site: Hallur
10. A Harappan site: Alamgirpur
11. A Palaeolithic site: Didwana / Nagaur
12. A Neolithic site: Chirand
13. A Chalcolithic site: Jorwe
14. A Chalcolithic site: Pandu Rajar Dhibi
15. A site of Buddhist Monastery: Alchi Monastery / Thikse Gumpha (Thikse Monastery)
16. Painted Grey Ware site: Ahichchhatra
17. Site related to a famous Indian Philosopher: Kaladi
18. Historical Rock-cut caves: Udayagiri-Khandagiri
19. Famous Fort: Fort St. George
20. Capital of famous Kingdom: Nagarjunakonda or Amaravati

(i) A Paleolithic and Mesolithic site

• Baridih: (Write standard stuffs about Paleolithic and Mesolithic)

(ii) A Mesolithic site

Bagor

• In Bhilwara district of Rajasthan.
• One of the best documented mesolithic sites.
• Three occupational levels: mesolithic, chalcolithic and evidence of iron.
• Microliths:
  • Microliths made of locally available chert and quartz, were found.
  • A large number of geometric microliths such as triangles and trapezes.
• House:
  • House floors paved with stone slabs were found.
  • Circular arrangements of stone.
  • Stone-paved areas with a large number of animal bones were butchering areas.
• Burial:
  • Only one burial was uneartherd and there was no evidence of grave goods.
• Bones of wild and domesticated animals.
• Other discoveries:
  • Ring stones (used as hammer stones to make microliths), and rubbing stones (for grinding food).
• Small bits of pottery of microlith phase found.

(iv) A pre-Harappan site

Amri:

• In Sindh, Pakistan on the bank of the Indus.
• Early Harappan, mature Harappan.
• Mud-brick, stone structures.
• Artefacts:
  • chert blades, stone balls,
  • bone tools,
  • fragments of copper and bronze.
• Cellular compartments used for storing grain.
• Pottery:
  • Wheel-made wares
  • painted designs, mostly geometric.
  • monochrome or polychrome.

(v) An important Harappan site

Desalpur:

• In Kutch district, Gujarat.
• A small mature Harappan and late Harappan phase. No early Harappan phase.
• very large forti cation:- constructed of stones with mud  lling inside.
• BRW pottery.
• The occupation continued during post-Harappan period.

(vi) Site of important fossils

Hathnora:

• In Sehore district, MP.
• A fossilized fragment skull cap along with some fossils of vertebrates and
• a Acheulian tools was found by Arun Sonakia.
• The skull fragment belonged to a woman about 30 years old who
• represented an advanced variety of Homo erectus.
• A hominid clavicle (collar bone) along with animal fossils and palaeolithic
• tools found by A. R. Sankhyan.
• Two sets of human fossils found may belong to the same woman.
• Estimated dates:- 0.5 to 0.2 mya.

(vii) A sea port

Korkai:

• In Tirunelveli district, near the mouth of the Vaigai,.
• Early capital of Early Pandya.
• Pandya port, celebrated for its pearls in Sangam poems and Greek accounts.
• Important pearl fishing centre- excavation evidence and mentioned in the Arthashastra
• BRW and locally made rouletted ware with Brahmi letters belonging to c.
• 200 BCE–200 CE.

(viii) A Paleolithic site

Hunsgi:

• In Yadgir district, Karnataka.
• Palaeolithic tools found.
• It contained stone tools and weapons made from chelime stone, sandstone, quartzite, dolerite, and chert.
• Tools found included blades with sharp edges and many multipurpose instruments.
• Habitation-cum factory sites:
  • Stone working site where tools of local raw material were made and sent to other places.
  • Few traces of habitation structures of early hominids.
  • Evidence of thatched roof-like structures.
  • Palaeolithic hunter-gatherers lived in a ‘band society’.

(ix) A Neolithic, Megalithic and Chalcolithic site

Hallur:

• In Haveri district, Karnataka.
• Neolithic-chalcolithic and Megalithic site
• Earliest use of iron in South India at Piklihal and Hallur.
• Tools:
  • Polished tools
  • Microlith blades.
  • Ornaments made of carnelian, ceramic and gold found.
  • Chalcolithic blade tools
  • copper axes
  • fish hooks
  • Transition to the Iron Age period is marked by megaliths and iron implements.
• Ash-mounds
• Double urn burial
• Agriculture – millet and horsegram, Green Gram
• Pottery:
  • Early phase: Handmade and grey ware.
  • Later phase: wheel made, BRW
• Herding – Cattle, Sheep, Goat.
• Animal bones of cattle, sheep, goat and horse were found.
• Habitation:
  • Circular floors made of stone chips and river sand.
  • Wattle and doab huts, post hole,
  • One house with circular fireplace and ash and charcoal.

(x) A Harappan site

Alamgirpur

• In Saharanpur district, UP.
• Easternmost Harappan site
• Mature and Late Harappan site.
• No early Harappan level.
• Burnt bricks, copper objects found in late Harappan period.
• PGW preceded by a late Harappan level.
• Break in occupation between Late Harappan and PGW.

(xi) A Palaeolithic site

Nagaur or Didwana:

Didwana:

• Didwana in Nagaur district of Rajasthan.
• It yielded Lower and Middle Paleolithic stone tools.
• Lower palaeolithic:
  • Large tools made of quartzite or other hard rocks.
  • Include chopping tools, handaxes, and cleavers.
• Middle Paleolithic:
  • Smaller, lighter 􀃞ake tools.

(xii) A Neolithic site

Chirand:

• In Saran district of Bihar.
• Neolithic, Chalcolithic and Iron Age settlements.
• Neolithic period was earlier than 2500 B.C.
• Practiced agriculture with evidence of wheat, rice, mung, masur, peas found.
• The agricultural tools were made of stone and bone.
• Bone tools are special feature
• They practised hunting also.
• Bones of domesticated and wild animals are found.
• People lived in wattle and daub huts, circular in plan.
• Microliths are also found.
• Pottery:
  • Hand-made, ‘red ware’ and BRW.
  • Post firing painting on pottery.
• Chalcolithic culture: 1600 BCE
• BRW pottery found.
• Two phases:
  • The first phase is without iron.
  • Second has iron without NBPW.
• Later period shows the emergence of the N.B.P.W. culture.

(xiii) A Chalcolithic site

Jorwe:

• In Ahmednagar district, Maharashtra.
• Settlement: Large rectangular houses with wattle and daub walls and thatched roofs.
• Agriculture, animal herding, hunting, fishing.
• Crop rotation.
• Buried dead inside the house with head towards north.
• Pottery: Black painted.
• Bangles found.

(xiv) A Chalcolithic site

Pandu Rajar Dhibi:

• In Burdman district of West Bengal.
• Neolithic and Chalcolithic site.
• First chalcolithic culture discovered in the West Bengal.
• It reveals microliths, ground stone tools, bone tools, and pottery.
• In Chalcolithic Period, there were a few copper artefacts, beads of semiprecious stones, terracotta figurines, iron spearheads and points, slag, and oven.
• Iron artefacts found at chalcolithic levels.
• The pottery included mainly BRW.
• Bones of domesticated cattle, buffalo, goat, and deer.

(xv) A site of Buddhist Monastery

Thikse Gumpha (Thikse Monastery):

• In Ladakh, J&K.
• A gompa (monastery) affiliated with the Gelug sect of Tibetan Buddhism.
• It is a twelve-story complex and houses many items of Buddhist art such as stupas, statues, wall paintings and swords.
• Contains a 15 metres high statue of Maitreya, the largest such statue in Ladakh.

(xvi) Painted Greyware site

Ahichchhatra:

• In Bareilly district, Uttar Pradesh.
• Capital of Northern Panchala, Mahajanapada.
• A brick forti􀃝cation excavated.
• PGW was 􀃝rst identi􀃝ed at Ahichchhatra.
• PGW was followed by NBPW Period.
• Panchala and Kushana coins have been found here.

(xvii) Site related to a famous Indian philosopher

Kaladi:

• In Ernakulam district, Kerala.
• Birthplace of 8th century Indian philosopher Adi Shankara.
• A popular destination for Hindu pilgrims.
• Many temples, including shrines dedicated to Sri Sankara, Sri Krishna and Sri Ramakrishna.

(xviii) Historical rock cut caves

Udaigiri-Khandagiri:

• Twin hills Udayagiri and Khandagiri near Bhubaneswar, Odisha.
• 33 rock cut caves on both the hills.
• Mostly single storied but some double storied.
• Dwelling retreats of the Jaina monks.
• Caves were excavated by king Kharavela and his successors.
• Ranigumpha caves- double storied and the largest.
• Hathigumpha inscription (17 line) of king Kharavela (2nd century BCE)-
  • In Prakrit incised in a Brahmi script.
  • Talks about:
    • military conquests of Kharvela,
    • his orientation towards Janism,
    • his construction works,
    • his liberal religious spirit,
    • his favors to art like music and dance etc.
    • his retrieving an image of a jina.
• This is the earliest epigraphic reference to image worship in Jainism.

(xix) Famous fort

Fort St George:

• In Madras (Chennai), Tamilandu.
• First British fortress in India, founded in 1644.
• Named after St. George, a British saint.
• It briefly passed into the possession of the French from 1746 to 1749 after the first Carnatic War, but was restored to Britain under the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle.
• Currently houses the Tamil Nadu legislative assembly

(xx) Capital of famous kingdom

Nagarjunakonda or Amaravati (though both are not at the exact location)

Nagarjunakonda (Vijayapuri)

• In Guntur district of A.P.
• Neolithic and Megalithic culture.
• Post holes found.
• Known as Vijaypuri- capital of the Ikshvaku kings.
• Buddhist site:
  • A centre of is Buddhism and Buddhist learning.
  • Named after Nagarjuna, a Buddhist philosopher.
  • Maha Stupa, Chaitya, vihara etc found.
  • The inscriptions show royal (by queen of Ikshvaku) and non-royals sponsership of construction of temples and monasteries.
• Inhabited by merchants and artisans organized in guilds.

Amaravati

• In Guntur District, Andhra Pradesh.
• Meghalithic, BRW and NBPW site.
• Inscription in Maurya Brahmi found.
• Dhanyakataka – capital of Satavahanas.
• Buddhist stupa:
  • Buddhist Stupa and Mahachaityas with marble and limestone sculptures.
  • Its carved panels tell the story of Buddha.
• Chinese traveller Hiuen Tsang visited in 7 century.
• Ancient School of Arts:
  • Flourished for nearly six centuries commencing from 200-100 BC.
  • Patronized first by the Satavahanas and later by the Ikshvakus.
  • Some Buddhist sculptures with Greco-Roman influence.