UPSC History Optional Map Solution 2015

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History Optional Mapping PYQs Solution: Map Based Questions with Solution – 2015 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 Neolithic site
II. A Neolithic site
III. A Harappan site
IV. A Megalithic site
V. A Harappan site
VI. A painted-Grey-ware site
VII. An inscriptional site
VIII. An important ancient city
IX. An ancient port
X. A site of ancient cave-paintings
XI. A Buddhist site
XII. An educational centre
XIII. Brahroadeya village
XIV. An ancient capital
XV. An ancient capital
XVI. A temple site
XVII. An ancient capital
XVIII. An ancient sea-port
XIX. An archaeological temple site
XX. Harappan site

Solution:

A Neolithic site: Burzahom
A Neolithic site: Mehrgarh
A Harappan site: Kalibangan
A Megalithic site: Adichanallur
A Harappan site: Surkotada
A Painted-Grey-ware site: Hastinapur
An inscriptional site: Junagarh / Girnar
An important ancient city: Vidisha or Besnagar
An ancient port: Tamralipti
A site of ancient cave-painting: Sittanavasal
A Buddhist site: Amaravati
An educational centre: Vikramashila / Nalanda
Brahmadeya village: Uttaramerur
An ancient capital: Badami or Aihole
An ancient capital: Kampilya / Ahichhatra
A temple site: Bhubaneshwar
An ancient capital: Halebidu/ Dwarasamudra
An ancient sea-port: Muchiris/Muziris
An archaeological temple site: Dah Parbatiya
A Harappan site: Rakhigarhi / Ropar or Banawali

These 20 sites are Question 1 of Paper I in the 2015 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 2015 paper is at History Optional Question Paper 2015.

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 2015. That is 50 marks dealt with. The other 450 marks of the 2015 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 2015 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 2015 paper solved

(1) A Neolithic site

Burzahom:

In northeast of Srinagar, J&K.
First Neolithic site of Kashmir.
Megalithic culture followed Neolithic culture.
Certain features differentiate it from other Neolithic cultures:
- For example: people were not acquainted with agriculture and followed hunting and fishing economy.
Other important feature:
Use of a large number of well-polished bone and stone tools.
Large number of bone tools in form of harpoons, needles, arrowheads etc. is found.
Human and animal burials found.
- Humans were buried both primarily and secondarily in pits, mostly dug into the house 􀃞oors. In secondary burials skulls and long bones were preferred.=
- Pet animals (e.g. dog) were buried along their masters.
Dwelling pits and storage pits are found.
Pottery:
- The early pottery:- crude and handmade.
- Later pottery:- wheel-made.

(2) A Neolithic site

Mehrgarh:

In Baluchistan, Pakistan.
A Neolithic and Calcolithic site.
Neolithic:
- Small farming and pastoralist village:
- Planned ancient farm villages.
- mud brick house (later sun-dried brick)
- bone tools,
- a-ceramic.
Precursor of IVC.
It was later abandoned with Harappan urbanisation.
One of the earliest sites with evidence of farming (wheat and barley), herding and metallurgy.
One of the earliest cultivation of cotton.
Evidence of 􀃝shing.
Unique discovery:- Dental surgery and related medicinal activities.
Figurines of terracotta found.

(3) A Harappan site

Kalibangan:

In Hanumangarh district, Rajasthan, on bank of Ghaggar.
Pre-Harappan and Harappan.
Pre-Harappan:
- used copper and produced pottery,
- no writing system,
- lack the orderly layout,
- used sun dried bricks.
Harappan:
- Cemetery and a fortified citadel.
- lower town also forti􀃝ed.
- use of mud and burnt bricks
- grid-pattern of town planning,
- Burnt bricks were used in drains, wells, bathing platforms, 􀃝re-altar.
Other feature and findings:
Pottery:
- for household, religious and burial purposes,
- wheel made red pottery.
Unique fire altars:- suggest 􀃝re worship
Ploughed field
Rectangular as well as cylindrical seals found.
Terracotta bangles, bull etc. are found.
Pit burial and urn burial has been found.

(4) A Megalithic site

Adichanallur:

In Tuticorin District, Tamil Nadu.
Urn burial site. Earthenware urns.
Bronze objects, iron objects, potsherds.
Skeletal remains inside the urns are in crouched position.
Two examples of double burial.
Pottery:
- BRW, red ware and black ware.
- Grafti on pottery.
Iron implements:- arrowheads, spearheads and axe.
Copper ornaments found.
Rice husk and cloth impression on Iron sword.
A potter’s kiln (industrial activity) found in habitational site.

(5) A Harappan site

Surkotda:

In Kutch district, Gujarat.
On the land route to Lothal.
Mud brick and stone rubble used.
Antiquities:
- Terracotta seal with Harappan pictographic script but without animal,
- beads of steatite and carnelian.
Horse like skeleton found.
Elephant bone also found.
Coastal trade during Harappan time.

(6) A painted-Grey-ware site

Hastinapur:

In Meerut district, UP.
Capital of Kuru.
Jaina tradition:
- Place where Rishabha, the first tirthankara, lived.
- Mahavira visited.
OCP followed by PGW.
Habitation:
- Wattle-and-daub and mud huts.
- Unbaked bricks.
Chert and jasper weights found.
Horse bones found.
2nd century BCE–3rd century CE: (Urbanisation)
- Pottery:
  - Wheel-turned red ware.
  - Designs such as fish, leaves, flowers, svastikas, triratnas, loops, circles, and other geometric patterns.
- Habitation:
  - Planed settlement.
  - Burnt brick, ring well found.
- Artefacts:
  - Objects: iron, copper, ivory, terracotta figurines.
  - rings and beads
  - potsherds and seal
  - Coins– Yaudheyas and Kushana
- Terracotta:
  - Humped bull
  - torso of the bodhisattva Maitreya.

(7) An inscriptional site

Girnar/Junagarh:

Girnar Hill near Junagadh in Kathiawar of Gujarat.
Major rock edicts of Ashoka:
- On black granite
- in Brahmi script
On the same rock there are inscriptions in Sanskrit added around 150 CE by Rudradaman I, the Saka ruler of Malwa, a member of the Western Kshatrapas dynasty:
- earliest Sanskrit inscription
- mentions renovation of Sudarshana Lake which was originally built by Pusyagupta the provincial governor of Chandragupta.
Another inscription dates from about 450 CE and refers to Skandagupta.
Many Jain and Hindu temples are located in Girnar.

(8) An important ancient city

Vidisha (or Besnagar):

Vidisha is an ancient city, situated near Bhopal.
The city, originally called Besnagar and Bhilsa was capital of the Sunga dynasty.
Besnagar figures significantly in Buddhist, Jain and Brahmanical literature.
Heliodorus pillar/ Besnagar pillar/ Garuda pillar:
- Monolithic free standing stone column
- Erected around 113 BCE by Heliodorus, a Greek ambassador of the Indo-Greek king to the court of the Shunga king.
- Surmounted by a sculpture of Garuda.
- Inscription states that it was raised in honour of god Vasudeva by Heliodorous.
The Udayagiri Caves are situated nearby, just south of Vidisha, is the ancient Buddhist complex of Sanchi.

(9) An ancient port

Tamralipti:

In Tamluk near the mouth of the Ganges in Midnapur district of West Bengal.
Emporium of trade.
Connected to Taxila by land and river on one hand and with south-east Asia by sea on the other.
Antiquities of Chalcolithic period and NBPW phase found.
Discovery of Roulette ware and red polished ware of Roman type indicates the trade contact with Roman.
Urban character is proved by discovery of terracotta 􀃝gurines, coins, beads or semi-precious stones etc.

(10) A site of ancient cave-painting

Sittanavasal:

In Pudukkottai district, Tamilnadu.
Meghalithic and Jain Cave site.
Burials:
- Stone circles,
- Cist burials
- urn burials,
Pottery, glass manufacturing site, iron objects,
Sittanavasal Cave is a Jain caves with painting and sculptures.
- Temple-cave dated to Pallava King Mahendravarman I (580–630 AD).
- Painting:
- Mural painting
- Fresco-secco technique
- Painting depicts:
  - lotus pond with lotus flowers,
  - people collecting lotuses from the pond,
  - dancing figures,
  - fish, buffaloes, elephants etc.

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

(11) A Buddhist site

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 in􀃞uence.

(12) An educational centre

Vikramsila (Other probability: Nalanda)

Vikramashila

In Bhagalpur district, Bihar.
Founded by King Dharmpal of Pala dynasty.
Buddhist university:
- Around hundred teachers and about one thousand students.
- Produced eminent scholars like Dipankara, who propagated Buddhism in Tibet.
- Most important branch of learning:- Tantrism.
- Other subjects like theology, philosophy, grammar, metaphysics, logic etc. also taught.
- Main stupa is a brick structure.
- A rectangular structure identified as library.
Antiquities:
- Terracotta, metal, ivory, bone, shell antiquities.
- Stone and bronze sculptures of Buddha, Bodhisattva, Avalokiteshwara, Maitreya, Manjusri, etc.

(13) Brahmadeya Village

Uttaramerur:

In Kanchipuram district, Tamilnadu.
Originally existed as a Brahmin settlement. Pallava king Nandivarman II (720–796 CE) established it as a brahamdeya village.
Inscription on granite stones of the temple dedicated to Shiva (during rule of Parantaka Chola) throw light on the functioning of Chola’s village administration particularly Sabha, the assembly of Brahmin village and shows autonomy enjoyed by villages during Cholas.

(14) An ancient capital

Badami (or Aihole):

Badami

In Bagalkot district, Karnataka.
Capital of the Early Chalukyas.
Founded in 540 AD by Pulakeshi I of Chalukyas.
Pallavas under Narasimhavarma I destroyed Vatapi and called himself Vatapikonda.
Temples:
- Sandstone cave temples and structural temples.
- Early styles of the southern Indian architecture.
- Rock-cut Cave Temples:
  - Siva (with Parvati), Vishnu and Jains
  - Lord Nataraja in dancing poses.
- Muktheeswara temple
- Melagutti Sivalaya.
- Bhutanatha group of temples and Mallikarjuna group of temples.
- Paintings on the ceiling.
Inscriptions:
First Sanskrit inscription in old Kannada script dates back to 543 CE, from the period of Pulakeshi I.
One inscription near the Bhuthanatha temple
Inscriptions of 12th century in Jain rock-cut temple dedicated to Adinatha.

(15) An ancient capital

Kannauj (Other probability: Ahichhatra)

Kannauj:

In Uttar Pradesh.
Capital of the Maukharis and Harshavardhana.
Chinese pilgrim Faxian and Xuanzang visited.
Xuanzang described it as a large, prosperous city with many Buddhist monasteries during the reign of Harsha.
After the death of Harshavardhana in 7 century, Kannuaj remained a focal point for the tripartite struggle between Palas, Pratiharas and Rashtrakutas.
When Md. Ghori invaded India, it was being ruled by Raja Jaichandra who had enmity with Chauhan ruler Prithviraj.
In the battle of Kannauj, Sher shah defeated on Humayun.
It is famous for its Ittar (Perfume).

(16) A temple site

Bhubaneshwar:

Present capital of Odisha.
In 7th century, Somavamshi or Keshari dynasty established their kingdom in the area, and constructed a number of temples.
After the Kesharis, the Eastern Gangas ruled Kalinga area until 14th century CE.
Called ‘Temple City‘ or ‘Ekamra Kshetra’ with many 6th-13th century
CE Hindu temples.
Temples in the Kalinga style.
Famous temples (mainly of Lord Shiva):
- Lingaraj Temple,
- Muktesvara Temple,
- Rajarani Temple (pancharatha style),
- Ananta Vasudeva Temple- only temple of Lord Vishnu.
Famous for Classical Odissi dance.
The twin hills of Khandagiri & Udayagiri – site of an ancient Jain monastery.
Dhauli hills has major edicts of Ashoka.

(17) An ancient capital

Halebid/ Halebidu/ Dwarasamudra:

In Hassan district, Karnataka.
Capital of the Hoysala kings in 10 -12 century.
Temple complex:
- Two main Hindu temples:
- Hoysaleswara temple
  - Two Nandi images on the sides of the Hoysaleswara temple are monoliths.
- Kedareshwara temple
Two Jain basadi.
Soapstone was used for the construction of these temples.
Temple’s walls covered with depictions from Hindu mythology, animals, birds and shilabalikas or dancing figures.
The Jain basadi are also rich in sculptural detail.

(18) An ancient sea-port

Muziris:

In Cranganore, Kerala.
Ancient port in the Chera kingdom in Sangam Age.
Trade with Arabia, Rome, Greece etc.
Sangam literature, Greek & Roman writers like Pliny, Periplus mention Muziris.
Export:
- Spices, semi-precious stones, pearls, diamonds, sapphires, ivory, tortoise shells etc.
Import:
- Romans gold coins, figured linens, copper, tin, lead, coral, raw glass, wine etc.
Muziris Heritage Project started by Kerala government.

(19) An archaeological temple site

Dah Parbatia:

Near Tezpur in Assam.
Temple:
- Ancient temple of the 5 or 6 century (late Gupta period).
  - Carvings on the temple door-frame of stone.
  - Carvings of the river Goddesses Ganga and Yamuna.
- During Ahom period, a Shiva temple was built with bricks over the ruins of an ancient Gupta period temple.
  - Stone paved layout plan of the sanctum sanctorum and a mandapa.
The excavations revealed many terracotta plaques in which human figures were shown in a sitting position.

(20) A Harappan site

Rakhigarhi (Other probability: Ropar or Banawali)

Rakhigarhi:

In Hisar District, Haryana.
Largest site of IVC.
Early and mature Harappan site.
Mature Harappan phase:
- Planned township
- mud-brick and burnt-brick houses
- proper drainage system.
- Pottery:
  - Red ware,
  - dish-on-stand, vase, jar, bowl, beaker, perforated jar.
- Animal sacri􀃝cial pit and circular 􀃝re alters:- signifies the ritual system.
- A cylindrical seal with five Harappan characters.
Other antiquities:
- blades; terracotta and shell bangles;
- beads of semiprecious stones,
- copper objects;
- animal figurines,
- toy cart
- wheel of terracotta;
- bone points;
- inscribed steatite seals and sealings.

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

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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 2015, with the official PDFs and a unit-wise analysis, are on the 2015 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.