UPSC History Optional Map Solution 2014

UPSC History Optional Map Solution 2014

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:

1. An ancient capital: Uraiyur / Gangaikondacholapuram
2. A Palaeolithic site: Bhimbetka
3. A cultural centre: Nalanda
4. An ancient capital: Purushpura
5. A Palaeolithic site: Renigunta / Chittor
6. A historical site: Manyakheta
7. A Harappan Site: Ropar
8. An ancient capital: Pragjyotishpura
9. A political and cultural centre: Pratishthana/Paithan
10. Megalithic site: Brahmagiri / Palavoy
11. A Mesolithic site: Sarai Nahar Rai
12. A Chalcolithic site: Lal Qila / Alamgirpur
13. A prehistoric site: Adamgarh
14. A political and cultural centre: Takshashila (Taxila)
15. An ancient capital: Srinagar / Avantipura
16. A lost port: Puhar/ Kaveripattanam
17. Rock-cave art centre: Nashik caves/ Pandavleni caves
18. An ancient capital: Kapilavastu
19. A political and cultural centre: Vallabhi
20. An ancient town: Mathura / Bairat (Viratnagar)

(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.

(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.