UPSC History Optional Map Solution 2014

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History Optional Mapping PYQs Solution: Map Based Questions with Solution – 2014 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) An ancient capital
(ii) A Palaeolithic site
(iii) A cultural centre
(iv) An ancient capital
(v) A Palaeolithic site
(vi) A historical site
(vii) A Harappan site
(viii) An ancient capital
(ix) A political and cultural centre
(x) A Megalithic site
(xi) A Mesolithic site
(xii) A Chalcolithic site
(xiii) A prehistoric site
(xiv) A political and cultural centre
(xv) An ancient
(xvi) A lost port
(xvii) Rock-cave art centre
(xviii) An ancient capital
(xix) A political and cultural centre
(xx) An ancient town

Solution:

An ancient capital: Uraiyur / Gangaikondacholapuram
A Palaeolithic site: Bhimbetka
A cultural centre: Nalanda
An ancient capital: Purushpura
A Palaeolithic site: Renigunta / Chittor
A historical site: Manyakheta
A Harappan Site: Ropar
An ancient capital: Pragjyotishpura
A political and cultural centre: Pratishthana/Paithan
Megalithic site: Brahmagiri / Palavoy
A Mesolithic site: Sarai Nahar Rai
A Chalcolithic site: Lal Qila / Alamgirpur
A prehistoric site: Adamgarh
A political and cultural centre: Takshashila (Taxila)
An ancient capital: Srinagar / Avantipura
A lost port: Puhar/ Kaveripattanam
Rock-cave art centre: Nashik caves/ Pandavleni caves
An ancient capital: Kapilavastu
A political and cultural centre: Vallabhi
An ancient town: Mathura / Bairat (Viratnagar)

These 20 sites are Question 1 of Paper I in the 2014 History Optional examination — 2.5 marks each, 50 marks in total, with a note of about 30 words expected on every one. Each is solved in full below. The complete 2014 paper is at History Optional Question Paper 2014.

The map is 50 marks. What about the other 450?

You have the map answers on this page, free, for every site UPSC marked in 2014. That is 50 marks dealt with. The other 450 marks of the 2014 papers are still sitting there unanswered — and those are the marks that separate 260 from 320.

The History Optional PYQ Master Pack carries a written model answer for every question the Commission has set since 1985, including every non-map question on the 2014 paper.

PYQs from 1985 to 2025 — arranged topic-wise, so you revise a theme and see every way it has been asked
Model answers, not hints — full answers with historians named inside the argument, written to the mark and the word limit
Map sections solved too — the same quality as this page, for every year, in one offline file
PDF plus online access — on any device, permanently, not for the length of a subscription

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See the 2014 paper solved

(i) An ancient capital

Gangaikondacholapuram: (not exactly the same location but there is no other choice)

In Ariyalur district, Tamilnadu.
Capital of the Cholas.
Founded by Rajendra Chola to commemorate his victory over the Palas.
The name means the town of the Chola who led great victorious march to river Ganges.
He established the Gangaikondaan temple
- Temple of Siva.
- Dravida Style
- Complex carvings on the hard granite stones.
- Figures of dancing Nataraja and Ardhanareshwara.

(ii) A Palaeolithic site

Bhimbetka:

Rock shelters in the Raisen District in Madhya Pradesh.
Mainly Paleolithic and Mesolithic period.
A World Heritage site.
Tools:
- Earlier (Palaeolithic) tools were largely made of quartzite and sandstone and were of large size.
- Mesolithic tools were most often of chalcedony and of smaller size.
Floors paved with 􀃞at stone slabs found.
No bones have been found so far.
Rock cave paintings:
- A natural art gallery with rock cave paintings.
- Numerous layers (Paleolithic-Mesolithic) of paintings with themes like hunting by men, dancing, children paying, women working, sign of proto-family set up etc.

(iii) A cultural centre

Nalanda:

In Nalanda district, Bihar.
Taranatha, the 17 century Tibetan Lama, states that the 3 century BCE Mauryan Emperor, Ashoka, built a great temple at Nalanda.
Mahavihara (University):
- Flourished during Gupta, Harsha and Pala times.
- A seal identifies Sakraditya (Kumargupta of 5 century) as founder.
- 7th century Chinese Pilgrims like Hieun Tsang and I-tsing studied here.
  - I-tsing notes that revenues from 200 villages (as opposed to 100 in Hieun Tsang’s time) assigned toward the maintenance of Nalanda.
- Library called Dharmaganja.
- Teaching of religious (mainly Mahayana) and other subjects like grammar, logic, literature, astrology, astronomy, and medicine.
- Influence of Vajrayana during Palas.
Destroyed by Bakhtiyar Khilji in 1200 CE.

(iv) An ancient capital

Purushpura:

Modern Peshawar in NWF province of Pakistan.
Capital of Kushana ruler Kanishka (2 century AD).
Kushana period:
- Sculptures,
- Buddhist stupa,
- Buddhist Chaitya.
Trade centre as it lied on old silk route.
Centre of Buddhist learning.
Mentioned by Chinese pilgrim Faxian and Xuanzang.

(v) A Palaeolithic site

Chittor:

(Write standard stuffs of Paleolithic sites)

(vi) A historical site

Manyakheta

Modern Malkhed in Gulbarga district, Karnataka.
Founded by Rashtrakutas (whose founder was Dantidurga) and subsequently became the capital of Rashtrakutas in 9 and 10 century.
The capital was moved to Manyakheta by Amoghavarsha.
Later it came under the control of Western Chalukyas.
It was a centre of Saivism and Vaisnavism.

(vii) A Harappan site

Ropar:

In Rupnagar district, Punjab.
IVC, PGW and NBPW.
No early Harappan level.
Transition from village to town in period c. 600–200 BCE, and yielded NBPW and punch-marked and copper coins.
A seal with an inscription in Brahmi.
Houses made of stone, mud-brick and burnt brick.
Iron workshop and agate beads in NBPW.

(viii) An ancient capital

Pragyajyotishpura:

In Guwahati, Assam.
Capital of Kamarupa Kingdom under Varman Dynasty (350 – 650 A.D).
‘Prag’ means ‘Eastern’ and ‘Jyotisa’ means ‘light’. ‘Pragjyotispur’ means “the city of eastern light”.
Xuanzang visited Pragjyotispura at the time of king Bhaskaravarman. He described:
- Natural beauty and good climate.
- People, their language, temperament and their belief in ‘devas’ (as opposed to Buddhism).
- Large number of temples and the absence of any ‘sangharama’ i.e. lack of Buddhism.

(ix) A political and cultural centre

Paithan/ Pratisthana

In Aurangabad district, Maharashtra.
Capital of the Satavahanas (2 century BC to 2 century AD).
Mentioned in 1 century AD Greek book, Periplus of Erythrian Sea and in Ashokan Rock Edict.
Emporium of trade.
Home of saint Eknath.
Famous today for Paithani silk saris.

(x) Megalithic site

Palavoy: or Brahmagiri:

In Chitradurg district, Karnataka.
Neolithic-Chalolithic and Megalithic site.
Wattle-and daub huts with post holes.
Polished stone tools,
Microlithic blades, and
Handmade grey pottery.
Copper–bronze objects in later period.
Burials:
- Extended burials of adults
- urn burials of children.
Megalithic monuments have been found.
Agriculture and domestication of animal.
Draft animal used.
Ashokan edicts denotes the southernmost extent of the Mauryan Empire.

Two minutes per site — could you write this one from memory?

Reading a solved site note is not the same as producing one under a clock. In the hall you get roughly two minutes per identification — locate it, name the period, name the excavator or dynasty, give one distinguishing find, and say why it matters. Miss the significance line and the examiner has nothing to award the second mark for.

That same gap runs through the whole paper. Most candidates know the content and still lose four to six marks per answer because the answer never states a position. The model answers in the Master Pack are written to show the structure, not just the facts.

See how a 16-plus answer is written

(xi) A Mesolithic site

Sarai Nahar Rai:

In Pratapgarh district of U.P.
It is strati􀃝ed Mesolithic settlements.
Geometric microliths along with shells and animal bones found.
Human burials:
- Within the habitation area.
- 13 burials of men, women and child with heads westward.
- One of the buried skeletons had an arrow embedded in its ribs.
- Microlithic tools, animal bones, and shells were placed as grave goods.
- An analysis reveals good dental health but some of them suffered from osteo-arthritis.
Floor of made of burnt clay and has several 􀃝re hearths some with charred bones.
Many animals are domesticated type.

(xii) A Chalcolithic site

Alamgirpur: or may be Lal Qila (not Red Fort) Alamgirpur:

In Saharanpur district, UP.
Easternmost 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.

(xiii) A prehistoric site

Adamgarh:

In Hoshangabad district, Madhya Pradesh.
Famous for the pre-historic rock shelters and paintings.
Palaeolithic and Mesolithic tools found.
- Microliths found here. Geometric microliths (triangles and trapezes) were very common.
Animal bones- wild and domestic.
Pottery at microlithic level found.

(xiv) A political and cultural centre

Taxila: (but not at exact location)

In Rawalpindi district, Pakistan.
Ancient political, commercial and cultural centre.
Commercial centre:
- At junction of 3 major trade routes: West Asia, northern India and Central Asia.
- Centre of artisanal production.
Centre of education:
- Amongst the earliest universities.
- Many do not consider it a university as:
  - teachers did not have official membership of particular colleges, and
  - there was no purpose-built lecture halls and residential quarters, like Nalanda University.
- Charaka, Chanakya, Jivaka, Panini etc are related to Taxila University.
Political centre:
- Capital of Gandhara satrapy, under Achaemenian.
- Alexander received submission of ruler of Taxila, Ambhi.
- Taxila became a provincial capital of Mauryas.
- Capital of Indo-Parthian Kingdom, and one of the capitals of Kushanas.
The Chinese pilgrims Fa Hian (5 century) and Hieun Tsang (7 century) visited Taxila. In ruin during Huen Tsang.

(xv) An ancient capital

Avantipura

In Pulwama district, Jammu & Kashmir.
Kalhana’s Rajatarangini:
- Temples dedicated to Shiva and Vishnu:- built by King Awantivarman (AD 855- 883) of Utpala dynasty when he chose the site as his capital.
Avantishvara temple :
- Dedicated to lord shiva.
- Built by Avantivarman.
- Panchayatana type.
- Gateway is double chambered.
- Devoid of any ornamentation.
- Main sanctum is raised on a high platform.
The ruins of temples constructed by Lalitaditya of Karkota dynasty located here.

(xvi) A lost port

Kaveripattinam / Puhar:

In Nagapattinam district, Tamilnadu.
Sea port of Cholas during the Sangam age.
Centre of trade- foreign trade.
Capital of the early Chola kings.
Near Kaveri River.
Mentioned in the Periplus of Ereythrean Sea and Silapathikaram.
Medieval Chola coins found:- continued to be an important port in later times as well.
Ancient Pottery found.

(xvii) Rock-cave art centre

Pandavleni caves or Nasik caves:

In Nashik district, Maharashtra.
Buddhist cave site
24 caves carved mainly between the 1st century BCE and the 3nd century CE.
Has Chaityas and Viharas.
Carved and donated by various kings mainly- the Satavahanas.
Images of Buddha, Bodhisattva, sculptures representing the King, farmers, merchants.
Some caves connected by stone-cut ladders to the other caves.
An excellent ancient water management system and water tanks.

(xviii) An ancient capital

Kapilvastu:

In Kapilvastu ditrict, Nepal (25 km northwest of Lumbini).
UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Capital of the Shakya kingdom.
King Suddhodana and Queen Mayadevi of Shakya kingdom gave birth to Gautam Buddha.
Chinese pilgrims Faxian and Xuanzang made pilgrimages to the site .
Ancient trade centre.

(xix) A political and cultural center

Vallabhi:

In Bhavnagar district (Saurashtra), Gujarat.
Capital of the Maitraka Dynasty (480-775 CE).
Established by the founder of the dynasty, Senapati Bhatarka.
Centre of learning, Buddhist monasteries.
Visited by the Chinese pilgrim Xuanzang and Yijing in 7th century.
Second Jaina council under Devardhi held in 6th century CE when Jaina scriptures assumed their present form.

(xx) An ancient town

Mathura: or may be Bairat (Viratnagar):

Mathura:

In Mathura district, UP.
Centre of craft and trade.
- Textile
- Junction of trade route: Uttarpatha and dakshinapatha.
Religious centre:
- Buddhism,
- Jainism, and
- early Hinduism.
Southern capital of the Kushana/
Mathura School of Arts under the patronage of the Kushanas.
BRW, PGW, NBPW
At Sonkh, near Mathura, PGW, BRW and grey ware found.
Post-holes and a double ditch.
Beginnings of urbanization during Kushana period.
NBPW: Coins came and specialized crafts such as the manufacture of terracotta figurines, copper and iron working, and bead making.

How to write the map answer in the exam hall

The solutions above are reference notes, not model answers. In the hall you have roughly 45 minutes for all 20 sites — about two minutes each, including the time it takes to find the number on the map. What follows is the structure that reliably earns the full 2.5 marks.

The five-part note that works every time

Locate it — present-day state, and the river or coast it sits on
Date it — the period or culture it belongs to (Palaeolithic, Harappan, Satavahana, Mughal)
Attribute it — the excavator, the founding dynasty, or the ruler associated with it
Evidence it — one distinguishing find, structure or inscription
Justify it — one line on why the site matters to the wider historical argument

Four habits that cost marks

Writing 60 words on the three sites you know and one line on the rest — the marks are the same for each
Naming the site and stopping — identification alone is half the mark
Leaving the map question for the end — it is the only section where you cannot think your way to an answer, so bank it first
Skipping a site entirely — even a location and a period is worth attempting

Practise on a blank outline map rather than by reading. Mark the 20 sites from memory, write your notes, then check them against this page. Every site you missed becomes a flashcard.

Two ways to prepare for the rest of the paper

The map solutions on this site are free and will stay free. If you want the rest of the optional handled the same way, there are two routes, depending on where you are in your preparation.

	PYQ Master Pack	Mains Master Kit 2027
Best when	Your notes are done and you now need answer-writing	You are still building the subject from the ground up
What you get	Model answers to every question since 1985, topic-wise, map sections included	4,500+ pages of notes, complete mapping coverage, 12 months of article access
Covers the map section	Yes — every year solved	Yes — site-wise preparation, not just answers
Price	₹1,499 (regular ₹2,500)	₹1,770 (regular ₹5,000)

Both are one-time purchases with permanent access. Aspirants in their second or third attempt usually take the PYQ Master Pack; first-timers usually start with the Kit.

Get the PYQ Master Pack

See the Mains Master Kit

Frequently asked questions

The map question is Question 1 of Paper I and carries 50 marks — 20 identifications at 2.5 marks each, with a note of about 30 words per site. It is compulsory, so it is the one question every candidate attempts.

Around 45 minutes of the three hours. That works out to roughly two minutes per site including the time spent locating the number on the map. Attempt it first rather than last — it is the only section where recall cannot be substituted with reasoning.

Five things: present-day location with the river or state, the period or culture, the excavator or associated dynasty, one distinguishing find, and one line on why the site matters. Identification alone earns roughly half the mark.

Directly repeated sites are uncommon, but site types repeat constantly — Palaeolithic and Mesolithic sites, Harappan settlements, Chalcolithic cultures, megalithic and rock-art sites, Buddhist monastic centres, Mahajanapada capitals and port towns. Preparing by category rather than by individual name is what pays.

No. UPSC supplies the marked map and asks only for identification and a short note in the answer booklet. Locational hints are printed with the question, so read them carefully — they often narrow an ambiguous site to one candidate.

The complete Paper I and Paper II questions for 2014, with the official PDFs and a unit-wise analysis, are on the 2014 question paper page linked below.

History Optional map solutions — other years

Site types repeat far more often than individual sites. Working through the years below by category is the fastest way to make the 50-mark section reliable.