History and Culture MCQs for Prelims – 29th May 2025

Welcome to today’s curated set of MCQs from the History and Culture segments, specially aligned with the evolving trend of the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination. These questions are not just a quiz, but a resource designed to familiarize you with the exact nature of questions asked in Prelims — where static concepts are tested through a current affairs lens.

Each question below is framed using recent developments in the news and backed by clear, concise explanations to help you link dynamic events with foundational knowledge. Topics covered today include: Indian infantry, rivers in Vedas, books and their translations in the colonial period, Sufi saints and their Dargah locations and more...

Use this as a daily revision tool to refine your understanding, build context, and learn how UPSC frames conceptual questions from contemporary issues.

 Click Here to read the Current Affairs Total (CAT) Magazine for January 2025- April 2025.
 

QUESTION 1

Why is October 27 observed as Infantry Day in India?

(a) To mark India's triumph in the 1971 Indo-Pakistani War, which led to the formation of Bangladesh.
(b) To commemorate the establishment of the Indian National Army (INA) under Subhas Chandra Bose.
(c) To remember the uprising of certain Bengal Native Infantry and Cavalry units against British rule.
(d) To honor the first combat operation by an Indian Army regiment in response to external aggression in Jammu and Kashmir.

Ans (d)

Explanation:
Infantry Day is celebrated every year on October 27 to pay tribute to the Indian Army's first combat mission after independence. On this day in 1947, troops from the First Battalion of the Sikh Regiment were airlifted to Srinagar. Their deployment was crucial in repelling the first wave of external aggression in Jammu and Kashmir. This marked the beginning of India's military response to protect the region.

QUESTION 2

This ancient inscription provides an in-depth account of how the village assembly, known as the sabha, functioned. It describes the exclusive composition of the sabha by Brahmins, outlines the formation of various specialized committees, and details the process for selecting members, their qualifications, assigned duties, and the reasons they could be disqualified or removed.

The inscription being referred to here is:
(a) Aihole inscription
(b) Uttaramerur inscription
(c) Mandsaur inscription
(d) Lumbini pillar inscription

Answer (b)

Explanation:
— Uttaramerur, a town located in the Kanchipuram district of Tamil Nadu, about 90 kilometers southeast of Chennai, had a population of around 25,000 as recorded in the 2011 Census.
— The site is well known for its ancient temples, many of which were constructed during the reign of the Pallavas and later the Cholas.
— One of the most renowned inscriptions, dating back to the time of Chola king Parantaka I, can be found on the walls of the Vaikunda Perumal Temple.
— This inscription gives an elaborate account of the village administrative system, focusing on the sabha, which was a Brahmin-only council. It explains the criteria for selecting members, their obligations, the structure of the committees they served on, and even the rules for removal from office under specific conditions.

QUESTION 3

Regarding literary translations during the colonial era, consider the following statements:

1. Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar’s English version of his original Bengali text Marriage of Hindu Widows had a significant impact on the enactment of the Hindu Widows’ Remarriage Act of 1856.
2. Charles Wilkins, drawing on his legal exposure to Hindu scriptures like the Manusmriti, released a translation titled Institutes of Hindu Law.
3. In his Hindi adaptation of Victor Hugo’s Quatre-vingt-treize, titled Balidaan (Sacrifice), Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi supplemented the text with references to the French Revolution to emphasize the spirit of self-sacrifice to Indian readers.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 and 3 only
(c) 1 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3

Answer (c)

Explanation:
— The 1794 translation Institutes of Hindu Law was not authored by Charles Wilkins but by William Jones, a prominent Orientalist. His legal work, rooted in his judicial role and exposure to ancient texts like the Manusmriti, aimed at organizing and codifying Indian legal systems. According to Tejaswini Niranjana in her 1990 article Translation, Colonialism and the Rise of English, Jones’s approach to translation reflected a colonial motive—to “purify” Indian culture by having Europeans undertake the task. Scholar Siddiqi also observed that for the British, translation was fundamentally a method of control. Hence, Statement 2 is not correct.
— Charles Wilkins is better known for his 1785 English translation of the Bhagavad Gita, which was praised by William Jones as a turning point in making Indian literature more accessible to European readers, as mentioned by Rita Kothari in Translating India (2014).
— Indian reformer Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar's English translation of his own Bengali text on widow remarriage played a direct role in shaping public opinion and pushing through the Hindu Widows’ Remarriage Act in 1856, as documented by Gargi Bhattacharya. Hence, Statement 1 is correct.
—Ganesh Shankar Vidyarthi’s Hindi version of Hugo’s Quatre-vingt-treize, titled Balidaan, was more than a simple translation—it was enriched with historical context from the French Revolution to inspire Indian readers toward the ideal of selfless sacrifice. Hence, Statement 3 is correct.

QUESTION 4

Match the following Sufi saints with their respective Dargah locations:

Column I (Sufi saints)	Column II (Dargah locations)
A. Salim Chishti	1. Ajmer
B. Moinuddin Chishti	2. Firozabad
C. Sufi Shah Sharif	3. Fatehpur Sikri

Choose the correct match using the codes below:

(a) A-3, B-1, C-2

(b) A-2, B-3, C-1

(c) A-1, B-3, C-2

(d) A-2, B-1, C-3

Answer (a)

Explanation:

— The shrine in Ajmer is the resting place of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, one of the most influential figures in Indian Sufism. His teachings drew followers from across the subcontinent and remain central to the Chishti Sufi tradition.
— Sufi Shah Sharif’s Dargah is located near Hirnigan in Firozabad, Uttar Pradesh, and is visited by devotees from the region.
— The mausoleum of Salim Chishti stands within the majestic complex of Fatehpur Sikri, a city built by Emperor Akbar. Akbar, longing for a male heir, sought the blessings of Salim Chishti, and upon the birth of his son, Prince Salim (later Emperor Jahangir), he fulfilled his vow by constructing the city in honor of the saint.

QUESTION 5

Match the following rivers with their corresponding names as found in Vedic literature:

Column I (River names)	Column II (Names of the rivers in the Vedic literature)
A. Ravi	1. Vipas
B. Sutlej	2. Purushni
C. Chenab	3. Asikni
D. Jhelum	4. Vitasta
E. Beas	5. Shutudri

Choose the correct combination using the codes below:

(a) A-3, B-1, C-4, D-2, E-5

(b) A-1, B-5, C-5, D-4, E-1

(c) A-2, B-5, C-3, D-4, E-1

(d) A-3, B-2, C-4, D-1, E-5

Answer (c)

Explanation:

— The Indus River, one of Asia’s most ancient water systems, is believed to have originated during the early Eocene Epoch, shaped by tectonic activity following the convergence of the Indian and Eurasian plates.
— This geological shift laid the groundwork for the Indus Valley Civilization (circa 3000–1500 BCE), one of the world’s earliest urban cultures.
— In Vedic literature, especially in the Rigveda, the region watered by the Indus and its tributaries was referred to as Sapt Sindhu, or the land of seven rivers, including the often-mentioned Saraswati.
— According to hymns in Rigveda Book 6, Saraswati was celebrated as the most powerful river. By Book 10, the focus had shifted, and Sindhu (Indus) was seen as the dominant river of the region.
— The rivers were addressed by different names in Vedic texts:

• Ravi was known as Purushni
• Sutlej as Shutudri
• Chenab as Asikni
• Jhelum as Vitasta
• Beas as Vipas

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