Model Test Paper 2

Two statements are given below as Assertion (A) and Reasoning (R). Read the statements and choose the correct option.

Assertion (A): Babur gained a foothold in India.

Reasoning (R): The governor of the Punjab, Daulat Khan Lodi, invited Babur to invade India and to help him oust Ibrahim Lodi.

1. Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation for (A).
2. Both (A) and (R) are true but (R) is not the correct explanation for (A).
3. Only (A) is false and (R) is true.

Answer

Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation for (A).

Explanation — Daulat Khan Lodi, the governor of the Punjab, invited Babur to invade India and help him oust Ibrahim Lodi. Babur seized this opportunity, and after defeating Ibrahim Lodi at the First Battle of Panipat (1526 CE), he laid the foundation of the Mughal Empire, thereby gaining a foothold in India.

Which of the following statements are false?

i. Humayun had a younger brother called Hindal.
ii. Kamran was Humayun's elder brother.
iii. Gulbadan Begum was the wife of Humayun.
iv. Akbar was Humayun's son.

1. All statements are false.
2. ii and iii are false.
3. i and ii are false.

Answer

ii and iii are false.

Reason — Kamran was Humayun's half-brother, not his elder brother, and Gulbadan Begum was Humayun's sister (who wrote his biography, the Humayun-nama), not his wife. Statements (i) and (iv) are correct, as Hindal was Humayun's younger brother and Akbar was Humayun's son.

Two statements are given below as Assertion (A) and Reasoning (R). Read the statements and choose the correct option.

Assertion (A): Din-i-Ilahi never became popular and came to an end with Akbar's death.

Reasoning (R): Akbar did not force anyone to follow Din-i-Ilahi.

1. Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation for (A).
2. Both (A) and (R) are true but (R) is not the correct explanation for (A).
3. Only (A) is true and (R) is false.

Answer

Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation for (A).

Explanation — Din-i-Ilahi was merely a code of moral conduct, with no sacred scriptures or priestly hierarchy, and Akbar never forced anyone to follow it. As it was never imposed on the people, it failed to attract a wide following and came to an end with Akbar's death.

Akbarnama was written by ............... .

1. Abul Fazl
2. Faizi
3. Birbal

Answer

Abul Fazl

Reason — The Akbarnama, a detailed record of Akbar's reign, was written by Abul Fazl, one of the navaratnas (nine gems) of Akbar's court.

Which expedition of Shah Jahan did not end in failure?

1. The expedition to Central Asia to revive Timur's Empire
2. The expedition to reclaim Kandahar from the Persians
3. The expedition to bring Deccan region under his control

Answer

The expedition to bring Deccan region under his control

Reason — Shah Jahan's campaign in Central Asia to revive Timur's empire and his attempts to reclaim Kandahar from the Persians both ended in failure. However, his Deccan expedition succeeded—Ahmadnagar was annexed to the Mughal Empire, while Bijapur and Golconda were forced to pay annual tribute and accept Mughal suzerainty.

Noor Jahan wanted ............... to succeed Jahangir.

1. Prince Khusrau
2. Prince Khurram
3. Prince Shahryar

Answer

Prince Shahryar

Reason — Nur Jahan favoured her son-in-law, Prince Shahryar, as the heir to the throne instead of Prince Khurram (later Shah Jahan).

One of the five sacred symbols of Sikhs, the kirpan means ............... .

1. uncut hair
2. iron bracelet
3. ceremonial sword

Answer

ceremonial sword

Reason — The kirpan, one of the five sacred symbols (the five Ks) given to the Sikhs by the tenth guru, Guru Gobind Singh, is a ceremonial sword. (Uncut hair is kesa and the iron bracelet is kara.)

Which of the following points on Alwars and Nayanars are true?

i. Alwars are devotees of Shiva and Nayanars are devotees of Vishnu.
ii. There were 63 Nayanars and 52 Alwars.
iii. They both preached their philosophies in the local languages.
iv. The Nayanar poets comprised saints from all castes and also actively encouraged women to join.

1. All statements are true.
2. iii and iv are true.
3. Only iii is true.

Answer

iii and iv are true.

Reason — Statement (i) is false because the Alwars were devotees of Vishnu and the Nayanars were devotees of Shiva (the reverse of what is stated). Statement (ii) is false because there were sixty-three Nayanars and twelve Alwars, not 52 Alwars. Statements (iii) and (iv) are true, as they preached their philosophies in the local languages, and the Nayanar poets—drawn from all castes—actively encouraged women to join in and compose kirtans.

Two statements are given below as Assertion (A) and Reasoning (R). Read the statements and choose the correct option.

Assertion (A): The Preamble begins with, 'We, the people—'.

Reasoning (R): This is to signify that the power is ultimately vested in the hands of the people of India.

1. Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation for (A).
2. Both (A) and (R) are true but (R) is not the correct explanation for (A).
3. Only (A) is true and (R) is false.

Answer

Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation for (A).

Explanation — The Preamble of the Constitution of India begins with the words 'We, the people of India', signifying that the ultimate power and authority rest in the hands of the people of India.

Which of the following was a source of inspiration while writing the Directive Policies?

A. Mahatma Gandhi's ideals
B. American Bill of Rights
C. Directive Principles of the American Constitution
D. French Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen

1. All of the above
2. C and D
3. A, B and D

Answer

A, B and D

Reason — The Directive Principles of State Policy were inspired by the social and economic ideals of Mahatma Gandhi (A), the American Bill of Rights (B) and the French Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen (D). Option (C) is incorrect because the relevant source was the Directive Principles of the Irish Constitution, not the American Constitution.

Give reasons for the following statements:

1. Humayun managed to recapture Delhi and Agra.
2. There was dissent within the ranks of Babur's army.
3. Farid was given the name 'Sher Shah'.
4. Ibrahim Lodi lost the Battle of Panipat even though he had a larger army.

Answer

1. After Sher Shah died in 1545 CE and his son Islam Shah died in 1554 CE, the Afghan (Sur) dynasty was greatly weakened. Taking advantage of this situation, Humayun returned to India with Persian support and, under the able leadership of Bairam Khan, recaptured Delhi and Agra in 1555 CE.

2. Before the Battle of Khanwa, Babur's soldiers had become weary and homesick and did not want to fight yet another war against the Rajput confederacy. This led to dissent within the ranks of his army, though Babur eventually persuaded them to fight.

3. Farid was given the title 'Sher Khan' after he single-handedly killed a tiger (sher), an act that displayed his great courage and strength.

4. Although Ibrahim Lodi had a much larger army, it was no match for Babur's forces. Babur won the First Battle of Panipat (1526 CE) by using superior military tactics, a small but well-disciplined and mobile army, and the power of artillery, which was used for the first time in India.

With reference to Akbar's religious policies, answer the following questions:

1. What is meant by Sulh-i-Kul?
2. What was Din-i-Ilahi?
3. What are the three main features of Din-i-Ilahi?
4. Why did Akbar build the Ibadat Khana?

Answer

1. Sulh-i-Kul means 'universal peace'. It was Akbar's policy of fostering tolerance towards all religions, under which he treated the followers of every faith with respect and ensured that they could worship freely.

2. Din-i-Ilahi, or 'divine faith', was a new religious order created by Akbar that incorporated the virtues of all religions. Its objective was to establish a religious order that would be acceptable to all communities.

3. The three main features of Din-i-Ilahi were:

   1. Belief in one God.
   2. Recognition of the emperor as God's representative on Earth.
   3. Emphasis on piety, kindness and purification of the soul.

4. Akbar built the Ibadat Khana, or the hall of prayers, at his new capital, Fatehpur Sikri, so that he could invite scholars from all religions to hold discussions and debates on theological and religious matters.

With reference to the Gandhian principles in Directive Principles of State Policy, answer the following questions:

1. What is the State's policy on education of children?
2. Why should the state promote cottage industries?
3. How should the state deal with governing villages?
4. What is the relation between the State and the weaker sections of the community?

Answer

1. The State should provide free and compulsory education to all children up to 14 years of age.

2. The State should promote cottage industries, particularly in the rural areas, in order to eradicate poverty in the country.

3. The State should actively organise village panchayats and grant them the powers and authority needed to enable them to function as units of self-government.

4. The State should look after the interests of the weaker sections of the community, particularly the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes.

State whether the following statements are true or false. Correct the false statements.

1. Bahadur Shah, Aurangzeb's son was a weak ruler.
2. Aurangzeb was the longest reigning Mughal emperor.
3. The nobles gained immense power during the latter part of the Mughal rule.
4. Invaders such as Nadir Shah of Afghanistan and Abdali from Iran invaded India.
5. The last Mughal ruler was finally defeated by Ahmad Shah Abdali and the Mughal rule came to an end.

Answer

1. True.

2. False
   Correct Statement — Aurangzeb was the second longest reigning Mughal emperor, after Akbar.

3. True

4. False
   Correct Statement — Invaders such as Nadir Shah of Iran (Persia) and Ahmad Shah Abdali of Afghanistan invaded India.

5. False
   Correct Statement — The last Mughal ruler, Bahadur Shah Zafar, was exiled to Rangoon by the British in 1857 CE, which brought the Mughal rule to an end.