This quiz is based on UPSC STATIC SYLLABUS and is posted regularly on the PWOnlyIAS website for UPSC IAS.
To view Solutions, follow these instructions:
To Start quiz click on – ‘Start Quiz’
Solve all Questions.
Click on ‘Quiz Summary’
Click on ‘Finish Quiz’
Click on ‘View Questions’ button to see the all Explanations.
You have already completed the quiz before. Hence you can not start it again.
Quiz is loading...
You must sign in or sign up to start the quiz.
You have to finish following quiz, to start this quiz:
Results
0 of 5 questions answered correctly
Your time:
Time has elapsed
You have reached 0 of 0 points, (0)
Average score
Your score
Categories
Not categorized0%
Your result has been entered into leaderboard
Loading
maximum of 10 points
Pos.
Name
Entered on
Points
Result
Table is loading
No data available
1
2
3
4
5
Answered
Review
Question 1 of 5
1. Question
2 points
In the context of Vedic and later Vedic people, consider the following statements:
The Shatapatha Brahmana speaks at length about the ploughing rituals.
Lentils and wheat were not known to the later Vedic people.
Primitive Agriculture was practised by the Vedic people.
Which of the above given statements is/are correct?
Correct
Ans: C
Exp:
Statement 1 is correct: Although very few agricultural tools made of iron have been found, agriculture was undoubtedly the chief means of subsistence for the later Vedic people. The Shatapatha Brahmana speaks at length about the ploughing rituals. The Shatapatha Brahmana is a commentary on the Śukla (white) Yajurveda. It is attributed to the Vedic sage Yajnavalkya. Described as the most complete, systematic, and important of the Brahmanas (commentaries on the Vedas), it contains detailed explanations of Vedic sacrificial rituals, symbolism, and mythology.
Statement 2 is incorrect: During the later Vedic period, rice and wheat became their chief crops. Vedic rituals typically call for the use of rice, but they also occasionally call for the use of wheat. The later Vedic people also produced a variety of lentil varieties.
Statement 3 is correct: During the Vedic period, Agriculture was primitive, but there is no doubt about its wide prevalence. Ploughing was done with a wooden ploughshare, which could function in the light soil of the upper Gangetic plains. Sufficient bullocks could not have been available because of cattle slaughter in sacrifices. In those days, even kings and princes did not hesitate to take on manual labour. Eventually, ploughing was assigned to the lower orders and prohibited for the upper varnas.
Reference: Chapter 13, The Later Vedic Phase: Transition to the State and Social Orders,R. S. Sharma
Incorrect
Ans: C
Exp:
Statement 1 is correct: Although very few agricultural tools made of iron have been found, agriculture was undoubtedly the chief means of subsistence for the later Vedic people. The Shatapatha Brahmana speaks at length about the ploughing rituals. The Shatapatha Brahmana is a commentary on the Śukla (white) Yajurveda. It is attributed to the Vedic sage Yajnavalkya. Described as the most complete, systematic, and important of the Brahmanas (commentaries on the Vedas), it contains detailed explanations of Vedic sacrificial rituals, symbolism, and mythology.
Statement 2 is incorrect: During the later Vedic period, rice and wheat became their chief crops. Vedic rituals typically call for the use of rice, but they also occasionally call for the use of wheat. The later Vedic people also produced a variety of lentil varieties.
Statement 3 is correct: During the Vedic period, Agriculture was primitive, but there is no doubt about its wide prevalence. Ploughing was done with a wooden ploughshare, which could function in the light soil of the upper Gangetic plains. Sufficient bullocks could not have been available because of cattle slaughter in sacrifices. In those days, even kings and princes did not hesitate to take on manual labour. Eventually, ploughing was assigned to the lower orders and prohibited for the upper varnas.
Reference: Chapter 13, The Later Vedic Phase: Transition to the State and Social Orders,R. S. Sharma
Question 2 of 5
2. Question
2 points
Consider the following statements regarding Arts and Crafts of the Later Vedic Period:
Weaving was practiced only by women on a wider scale.
The later Vedic people were acquainted with Painted Grey Ware Pottery only.
Which of the statements given above is/arecorrect?
Correct
Ans: A
Exp:
Statement 1 is correct: The Vedic period is the period in the late Bronze Age and early Iron Age of the history of India when the Vedic literature was composed in the northern Indian subcontinent. The later Vedic period saw the rise of diverse arts and crafts. Leather work, pottery, and carpentry made great progress. Weaving was confined to women but practiced on a wide scale.
Statement 2 is incorrect:The later Vedic people were acquainted with four types of pottery — black and red ware, black-slipped ware, Painted Grey Ware, and red-ware. The last type of pottery was the most popular, and is found almost all over western Uttar Pradesh. However, the most distinctive pottery of the period is known as painted grey ware. It consisted of bowls and dishes, that were used either for rituals or for eating or for both, probably by the emerging upper orders
Reference: Chapter 13, The Later Vedic Phase: Transition to the State and Social Orders ,R. S. Sharma
Incorrect
Ans: A
Exp:
Statement 1 is correct: The Vedic period is the period in the late Bronze Age and early Iron Age of the history of India when the Vedic literature was composed in the northern Indian subcontinent. The later Vedic period saw the rise of diverse arts and crafts. Leather work, pottery, and carpentry made great progress. Weaving was confined to women but practiced on a wide scale.
Statement 2 is incorrect:The later Vedic people were acquainted with four types of pottery — black and red ware, black-slipped ware, Painted Grey Ware, and red-ware. The last type of pottery was the most popular, and is found almost all over western Uttar Pradesh. However, the most distinctive pottery of the period is known as painted grey ware. It consisted of bowls and dishes, that were used either for rituals or for eating or for both, probably by the emerging upper orders
Reference: Chapter 13, The Later Vedic Phase: Transition to the State and Social Orders ,R. S. Sharma
Question 3 of 5
3. Question
2 points
With reference to the social organisation of the Later Vedic period, consider the following statements:
The varna system was abandoned by the Vedic Aryans.
No restrictions were placed on Women during this Period.
During this time, the four stages of life were firmly established.
How many of the above statements are correct?
Correct
Ans: D
Exp
Statement 1 is incorrect: It was the Vedic Aryans who introduced the varna system. The word “arya” is used in later Vedic texts to refer to brahmana, kshatriya, vaishya, and shudra. All three higher varnas had one thing in common: they were qualified for upanayana, or vedic mantra-mandated investiture with the sacred thread. The Upanayana heralded the beginning of education in the Vedas. The fourth varna was deprived of the sacred thread ceremony and the recitation of the Gayatri mantra
Statement 2 is incorrect: The Upanayana heralded the beginning of education in the Vedas. A shudra could not recite the Gayatri Mantra and was deprived of the opportunity to learn Vedic mantras. Women were similarly excluded from the recitation of the Gayatri mantra and the Upanayana. Although some female theologians participated in philosophical debates and some female monarchs took part in coronation ceremonies, generally speaking, women were viewed as inferior to and subordinate to men. Thus, the imposition of disabilities on the shudras and women began towards the end of the Vedic period.
Statement 3 is incorrect: The four stages of life, also known as ashramas, were not well-established in Vedic times. The four ashramas mentioned in the post-Vedic texts are the brahmachari, or student; the grihastha, or householder; the vanaprastha, or hermit; and the sannyasin, or ascetic, who has completely renounced the worldly life.
Reference: Chapter 13, The Later Vedic Phase: Transition to the State and Social Orders, R. S. Sharma
Incorrect
Ans: D
Exp
Statement 1 is incorrect: It was the Vedic Aryans who introduced the varna system. The word “arya” is used in later Vedic texts to refer to brahmana, kshatriya, vaishya, and shudra. All three higher varnas had one thing in common: they were qualified for upanayana, or vedic mantra-mandated investiture with the sacred thread. The Upanayana heralded the beginning of education in the Vedas. The fourth varna was deprived of the sacred thread ceremony and the recitation of the Gayatri mantra
Statement 2 is incorrect: The Upanayana heralded the beginning of education in the Vedas. A shudra could not recite the Gayatri Mantra and was deprived of the opportunity to learn Vedic mantras. Women were similarly excluded from the recitation of the Gayatri mantra and the Upanayana. Although some female theologians participated in philosophical debates and some female monarchs took part in coronation ceremonies, generally speaking, women were viewed as inferior to and subordinate to men. Thus, the imposition of disabilities on the shudras and women began towards the end of the Vedic period.
Statement 3 is incorrect: The four stages of life, also known as ashramas, were not well-established in Vedic times. The four ashramas mentioned in the post-Vedic texts are the brahmachari, or student; the grihastha, or householder; the vanaprastha, or hermit; and the sannyasin, or ascetic, who has completely renounced the worldly life.
Reference: Chapter 13, The Later Vedic Phase: Transition to the State and Social Orders, R. S. Sharma
Question 4 of 5
4. Question
2 points
Consider the following:
The Beginnings of Janapadas
The Mahabharata war
The Tribal pastoralists transformed into farmers
Emphasis on Atman or knowledge of the self
Which of the above given statements are some of the important changes seen in the later Vedic period?
Correct
Ans: D
Exp:
The later Vedic period saw certain important changes, such as the beginnings of territorial kingdoms, called janapadas, under the Kshatriya rulers. Wars were fought not only for the possession of cattle but also for territory. The famous Mahabharata war, fought between the Kauravas and the Pandavas, is attributed to this period. The predominantly pastoral society of early Vedic times had become agricultural. The tribal pastoralists came to be transformed into farmers who could maintain their ‘chief’ with frequent tributes. Chiefs, called Rajas or Janapadins, grew at the expense of the tribal peasantry and handsomely rewarded the priests who supported their patrons against the common people, called the vaishyas. Towards the end of the Vedic period, a strong reaction arose against priestly domination and against cults and rituals, especially in the land of the Panchalas and Videha, and they emphasised that knowledge of the self, or atman, should be acquired and the relation of atman with Brahma should be properly understood.
Reference: Chapter 13, The Later Vedic Phase: Transition to the State and Social Orders, ,R. S. Sharma
Incorrect
Ans: D
Exp:
The later Vedic period saw certain important changes, such as the beginnings of territorial kingdoms, called janapadas, under the Kshatriya rulers. Wars were fought not only for the possession of cattle but also for territory. The famous Mahabharata war, fought between the Kauravas and the Pandavas, is attributed to this period. The predominantly pastoral society of early Vedic times had become agricultural. The tribal pastoralists came to be transformed into farmers who could maintain their ‘chief’ with frequent tributes. Chiefs, called Rajas or Janapadins, grew at the expense of the tribal peasantry and handsomely rewarded the priests who supported their patrons against the common people, called the vaishyas. Towards the end of the Vedic period, a strong reaction arose against priestly domination and against cults and rituals, especially in the land of the Panchalas and Videha, and they emphasised that knowledge of the self, or atman, should be acquired and the relation of atman with Brahma should be properly understood.
Reference: Chapter 13, The Later Vedic Phase: Transition to the State and Social Orders, ,R. S. Sharma
Question 5 of 5
5. Question
2 points
Which one of the following statements best describes the word “Yajamana” in the Vedic age?
Correct
Ans: C
Exp:
In the Vedic era, sacrifices took on much greater significance and took on both a public and domestic character. The King and the entire community, which still frequently coincided with the tribe, were both present during public sacrifices. Because the Vedic people kept regular households during this time, private sacrifices were made by individuals in their homes. People sacrificed animals or performed ritualistic acts as oblations to Agni. The sacrificer and performer of the yajna was known as the yajamana, and much of his success depended on the magical power of words uttered correctly during the sacrifices. Therefore, the mode of worship underwent substantial changes in the Vedic period.
Incorrect
Ans: C
Exp:
In the Vedic era, sacrifices took on much greater significance and took on both a public and domestic character. The King and the entire community, which still frequently coincided with the tribe, were both present during public sacrifices. Because the Vedic people kept regular households during this time, private sacrifices were made by individuals in their homes. People sacrificed animals or performed ritualistic acts as oblations to Agni. The sacrificer and performer of the yajna was known as the yajamana, and much of his success depended on the magical power of words uttered correctly during the sacrifices. Therefore, the mode of worship underwent substantial changes in the Vedic period.
Comprehensive coverage with a concise format Integration of PYQ within the booklet Designed as per recent trends of Prelims questions हिंदी में भी उपलब्ध
Quick Revise Now ! UDAAN PRELIMS WALLAH
Comprehensive coverage with a concise format Integration of PYQ within the booklet Designed as per recent trends of Prelims questions हिंदी में भी उपलब्ध
<div class="new-fform">
</div>
Subscribe our Newsletter
Sign up now for our exclusive newsletter and be the first to know about our latest Initiatives, Quality Content, and much more.