Q50. The Chola age was particularly famous for its:
[63rd BPSC Prelims 2017]
A. Village assemblies
B. Absence of administration
C. Nomadic economy
D. Lack of overseas trade
Answer: A. Village assemblies
Explanation: Chola administration is renowned for organized village institutions such as Ur and Sabha, whose procedures are documented extensively in inscriptions.
Q49. Who laid the foundation of the imperial Chola Empire in the ninth century CE?
[RAS/RTS (RPSC) Prelims 2016]
A. Krishna I
B. Rajaraja I
C. Vijayalaya
D. Parantaka II
Answer: C. Vijayalaya
Explanation: Vijayalaya seized Thanjavur in the ninth century and founded the imperial Chola line that later reached its zenith under Rajaraja and Rajendra.
Q48. Consider the following pairs:
- Eripatti — land whose revenue maintained village tanks
- Taniyur — village donated to a single Brahmin
- Ghatika — educational institution often associated with temples
Which are correctly matched?
[UPSC CSE Prelims 2016]
A. 1 and 2
B. 3 only
C. 2 and 3
D. 1 and 3
Answer: D. 1 and 3
Explanation: Eripatti revenues maintained tanks and Ghatikas were educational centres. Taniyur referred to a distinctive autonomous large village unit, not simply a Brahmin grant.
Q47. Consider the statements:
- Tamil Siddhas emphasized a form of monotheism and criticized ritualistic idolatry.
- Lingayats questioned rebirth and caste hierarchy.
Which is correct?
[UPSC CSE Prelims 2016]
A. 1 only
B. 2 only
C. Both 1 and 2
D. Neither
Answer: C. Both 1 and 2
Explanation: Both South Indian traditions challenged established religious practices in different ways, emphasizing personal spiritual experience and questioning elements of orthodox social or ritual structures.
Q46. Which South Indian state-capital pair is incorrectly matched?
[Chhattisgarh PSC Prelims 2016]
A. Pallava — Kanchipuram
B. Pandya — Madurai
C. Chera — Puducherry
D. Chola — Thanjavur
Answer: C. Chera — Puducherry
Explanation: Chera power was traditionally centred at Vanchi or Karur, while Kanchipuram, Madurai and Thanjavur are correctly linked with Pallava, Pandya and Chola rule.
Q45. Which form of Shiva is especially prominent in the Brihadisvara Temple’s sculptural programme?
[UPSC CDS II 2016]
A. Harihara
B. Bhairava
C. Rudra
D. Tripurantaka
Answer: D. Tripurantaka
Explanation: Shiva as Tripurantaka—the destroyer of the three cities—is prominently represented in Brihadisvara’s Chola sculptural and iconographic programme.
Q44. The Brihadisvara Temple is located in:
[SSC CGL 2016 — 6 September, Shift 3]
A. Thanjavur
B. Madurai
C. Mysuru
D. Hyderabad
Answer: A. Thanjavur
Explanation: Rajaraja I’s Brihadisvara at Thanjavur represents one of the greatest surviving achievements of Chola temple architecture.
Q43. What is common to Ajanta and Mahabalipuram?
[UPSC CSE Prelims 2016]
- They were built in exactly the same period.
- They belong to the same religion.
- Both contain rock-cut monuments.
A. 1 and 2 only
B. 3 only
C. 1 and 3 only
D. None
Answer: B. 3 only
Explanation: Both sites contain important rock-cut monuments, but they span different chronological contexts and are not exclusively associated with the same religious tradition.
Q42. Which dynasty was famous for an efficient system of rural administration?
[MPPSC Prelims 2014]
A. Chola
B. Rashtrakuta
C. Chalukya
D. Pallava
Answer: A. Chola
Explanation: Chola village institutions and committee systems are documented in detailed inscriptions, making their rural administration particularly significant in Indian history.
Q41. Which Chola king is credited in the examination with establishing a powerful naval force?
[Chhattisgarh PSC Prelims 2014]
A. Rajaraja I
B. Parantaka I
C. Rajaraja II
D. Uttama Chola
Answer: A. Rajaraja I
Explanation: Rajaraja I considerably expanded Chola naval capacity, enabling campaigns in Sri Lanka and strengthening the empire’s control over strategic maritime routes.
