History and Culture: previous-year questions
270 real UPSC Prelims questions (2011–2026) with the official answer and a clear explanation. 76 of them came in the last five papers.
How often UPSC asks this
Questions per year, counted from the official papers.
Subtopics
Architecture and sculpture
32 questions
British expansion, administration and economic impact
16 questions
Buddhism, Jainism and other sects
28 questions
Gandhian era to Independence; constitutional development
91 questions
Mauryas to Guptas: Sangam age and early medieval kingdoms
66 questions
Medieval India: Sultanate, Vijayanagara, Mughals, Marathas; Bhakti and Sufi
78 questions
Painting, performing arts, crafts, literature, philosophy and festivals
63 questions
Prehistory, Harappan and Vedic India
12 questions
Reform movements, 1857, tribal and peasant revolts, early nationalism (to 1919)
80 questions
Attempt the questions
Newest papers first. Tap an option; the answer and the reason appear instantly.
Which of the following has/have been accorded ‘Geographical Indication’ status?
- 1. Banaras Brocades and Sarees
- 2. Rajasthani Daal-Bati-Churma
- 3. Tirupathi Laddu
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
Answer (c) & explanation
Banaras brocades and saris received a GI tag in 2009, and the Tirupati laddu got one the same year, registered to the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams. So 1 and 3 are correct (c). Daal-bati-churma is a well-known Rajasthani dish but has no GI tag, so options with 2 fail.
The Geographical Indications of Goods Act was passed in 1999 and came into force in 2003; the first Indian GI was Darjeeling tea (2004). GIs protect products whose quality comes from their place of origin. Notice how GI tags support local artisans and farmers by preventing imitation.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
The Radcliffe Committee was appointed to
Answer (c) & explanation
Sir Cyril Radcliffe chaired the two Boundary Commissions, for Punjab and for Bengal, set up under the Mountbatten Plan to delimit the boundary between India and Pakistan (c). He had never visited India before and drew the lines in about five weeks using old maps and census data. The award was published on 17 August 1947, two days after independence.
The other options do not fit: minorities (a) and the Independence Bill (b) were political matters, and riots in East Bengal (d) were not his brief. Notice how the hurried line explains much of the later displacement and the Kashmir and Bengal border questions.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
With reference to Buddhist history, tradition and culture in India, consider the following pairs :
| Famous shrine | Location
| 1. Tabo monastery and temple complex | Spiti Valley
| 2. Lhotsava Lhakhang temple, Nako | Zanskar Valley
| 3. Alchi temple complex | Ladakh
Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?
Answer (c) & explanation
Pairs 1 and 3 are correct (c). Tabo monastery (996 CE) in the Spiti Valley, Himachal Pradesh, was founded by the translator Rinchen Zangpo. Alchi, on the Indus in Ladakh, has fine 11th–12th century murals in the same tradition. Pair 2 is wrong: Nako, with the Lotsava Lhakhang, is in Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh, not the Zanskar Valley of Ladakh.
Rinchen Zangpo is credited with building many temples in the western Himalaya during the "second spread" of Buddhism into Tibet. Notice how these monasteries preserve Kashmiri art styles that have vanished elsewhere.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
In medieval India, the designations ‘Mahattara’ and ‘Pattakila’ were used for
Answer (b) & explanation
Mahattara (village elders or headmen) and pattakila (the village headman) appear in early medieval land-grant inscriptions as village leaders (b). When land was granted, these local figures were told to respect the rights of the donee. The modern word patel comes from pattakila. They were not military officers (a), Vedic ritual specialists (c) or guild chiefs (d).
Land grants grew common from the Gupta period and are a major source on rural society. Notice how a single word can survive for a thousand years: patel is still a village office and a surname in western India.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Consider the following statements :
- 1. ‘Bijak’ is a composition of the teachings of Saint Dadu Dayal.
- 2. The Philosophy of Pushti Marg was propounded by Madhvacharya.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer (d) & explanation
Neither statement is correct (d). The Bijak is a collection of the sayings of Kabir and the holy book of the Kabirpanth; Dadu Dayal's verses are gathered in the Dadu Vani. Pushti Marg, the path of grace through loving devotion to Krishna, was taught by Vallabhacharya, not Madhvacharya. Madhvacharya taught Dvaita (dualism).
Vallabhacharya's school is centred on Shrinathji at Nathdwara in Rajasthan, and his philosophy is called Shuddhadvaita. Notice how the Bhakti saints are best learnt with three tags each: philosophy, text and region.
Both statements pair a real text or idea with the wrong saint. Check each name.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
The national motto of India, ‘Satyameva Jayate’ inscribed below the Emblem of India is taken from
Answer (d) & explanation
"Satyameva Jayate" (truth alone triumphs) comes from the Mundaka Upanishad (3.1.6), so the answer is (d). The other Upanishads have their own famous lines: the Katha (a) has the Nachiketa–Yama dialogue, the Chandogya (b) has "Tat tvam asi", and the Aitareya (c) has "Prajnanam Brahma". The motto is written in Devanagari below the Sarnath lion capital in the State Emblem, adopted on 26 January 1950.
Madan Mohan Malaviya did much to popularise the phrase during the freedom struggle. Notice how ancient texts gave the new Republic its symbols.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
With reference to the cultural history of India, the term ‘Panchayatan’ refers to
Answer (c) & explanation
A panchayatana temple has a main shrine at the centre with four smaller shrines at the corners of its platform, so it is a style of temple construction (c). The Dashavatara temple at Deogarh and the Kandariya Mahadeva at Khajuraho follow this plan. It is not a village assembly (a), a sect (b) or an official (d), though the word resembles "panchayat".
A related idea is panchayatana puja, popularised by Adi Shankaracharya, which worships five deities together: Shiva, Vishnu, Devi, Surya and Ganesha. Notice how architecture and religious practice mirror each other here.
"Panch" points you towards the village panchayat. Here it means five shrines.
UPSC repeats traps like this year after year. The PYQ Book gathers every trap in one place, so you see them coming. Try the free sample
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
A community of people called Manganiyars is well-known for their
Answer (b) & explanation
The Manganiyars of the Thar desert (Barmer and Jaisalmer) in Rajasthan are hereditary Muslim folk musicians of North-West India (b). They sing for their Hindu patron families at births and weddings, playing the bowed kamaicha and the khartal. The other options are wrong: they are not a martial tradition of the North-East (a), South Indian classical singers (c) or pietra dura craftsmen (d).
The Langas are a related musician community. Notice how the patron–musician bond shows the shared, syncretic culture of Rajasthan, which has carried folk music across generations.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Which one of the following pairs does not form part of the six systems of Indian Philosophy?
Answer (c) & explanation
The six astika darshanas, which accept the authority of the Vedas, are Sankhya, Yoga, Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Mimamsa and Vedanta. So options (a), (b) and (d) are all genuine pairs. Lokayata (Charvaka) was a materialist school that rejected the Vedas, and the Kapalikas were a Tantric Shaiva sect, not a system of philosophy, so (c) is the answer.
The darshanas are usually studied in pairs. The nastika schools that rejected Vedic authority include Charvaka, Buddhism, Jainism and Ajivika. Notice how this debate on authority and reason shaped Indian thought for centuries.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
What was/were the object/objects of Queen Victoria’s Proclamation (1858)?
- 1. To disclaim any intention to annex Indian States
- 2. To place the Indian administration under the British Crown
- 3. To regulate East India Company’s trade with India
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
Answer (a) & explanation
Queen Victoria's Proclamation, read at Allahabad on 1 November 1858, announced that the Crown had taken over India's government from the East India Company (2 correct). It promised to respect the princes' rights and give up annexation (1 correct), and not to interfere in religion. Statement 3 is wrong: the Company's trading role had already ended by the Charter Act of 1833. So the answer is (a).
The Government of India Act, 1858 created the post of Secretary of State for India. Notice how the 1857 revolt pushed Britain to end Doctrine of Lapse annexations and court the princes as allies.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Consider the following towns of India :
- 1. Bhadrachalam
- 2. Chanderi
- 3. Kancheepuram
- 4. Karnal
Which of the above are famous for the production of traditional sarees/fabric?
Answer (b) & explanation
Chanderi (Ashoknagar, Madhya Pradesh) weaves light, sheer silk-cotton saris with zari borders, and Kanchipuram (Tamil Nadu) is famous for heavy silk saris with temple borders. Both carry GI tags, so the answer is (b). Bhadrachalam in Telangana is known for its Rama temple on the Godavari, and Karnal in Haryana is an agricultural centre, home to the National Dairy Research Institute, so options with 1 or 4 fail.
Other famous weaves include Banarasi, Paithani, Pochampally ikat and Muga silk. Notice how handloom questions blend art and culture with geography and GI tags.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Ibadat Khana at Fatehpur Sikri was
Answer (c) & explanation
Akbar built the Ibadat Khana (house of worship) at Fatehpur Sikri in 1575 as a hall for discussions with scholars of various religions (c). At first only Sunni scholars debated there. From 1578 Shias, Hindus, Jains, Zoroastrians and Jesuit priests joined. It was not a royal mosque (a), a private prayer room (b) or a meeting room for nobles (d).
The debates led to the mahzar of 1579 and Akbar's ideal of sulh-i-kul (peace with all). Notice how this spirit of dialogue echoes Ashoka's dhamma and later Indian secular thought.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Which of the following Kingdoms were associated with the life of the Buddha?
- 1. Avanti
- 2. Gandhara
- 3. Kosala
- 4. Magadha
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
Answer (c) & explanation
The Buddha's life centred on the middle Ganga plain. In Magadha he attained enlightenment at Bodh Gaya and was patronised by Bimbisara at Rajagriha. In Kosala he often stayed at Jetavana in Shravasti under King Prasenajit. So 3 and 4 are correct (c). There is no record of him travelling to Avanti (Ujjain) or Gandhara in the north-west, though Buddhism later spread to both.
Gandhara became a great centre of Buddhist art under the Kushanas. Notice how the sixteen mahajanapadas give the political backdrop to the rise of Buddhism and Jainism.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
The 1929 Session of Indian National Congress is of significance in the history of the Freedom Movement because the
Answer (b) & explanation
At the Lahore session of December 1929, under Jawaharlal Nehru's presidency, the Congress adopted Purna Swaraj (complete independence) as its goal (b). It hoisted the tricolour on the banks of the Ravi on 31 December and fixed 26 January 1930 as Independence Day. Option (a) is wrong: self-government had been the goal much earlier. Non-Cooperation (c) began in 1920, and the Congress boycotted, not joined, the first Round Table Conference (d).
The session also authorised civil disobedience, launched with the Dandi March in 1930. Notice how 26 January later became Republic Day in honour of this pledge.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
The Partition of Bengal made by Lord Curzon in 1905 lasted until
Answer (b) & explanation
At the Delhi Durbar of December 1911, King George V announced that the partition of Bengal would be annulled and the capital moved from Calcutta to Delhi (b). It did not end during the First World War (a), which began in 1914, or with the Civil Disobedience Movement (c) of 1930. Option (d) confuses it with the 1947 Partition, a different event.
After 1911, Bihar and Orissa became a separate province (1912) and Assam was again a chief commissionership. Notice how the 1905 partition sparked the Swadeshi movement, which gave India boycott, national education and swadeshi enterprises.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
With reference to the famous Sattriya dance, consider the following statements :
- 1. Sattriya is a combination of music, dance and drama.
- 2. It is a centuries-old living tradition of Vaishnavites of Assam.
- 3. It is based on classical Ragas and Talas of devotional songs composed by Tulsidas, Kabir and Mirabai.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer (b) & explanation
Sattriya, founded by Srimanta Sankardeva in the 15th–16th century, combines music, dance and drama (1 correct). It is a living tradition of the Vaishnava monasteries (sattras) of Assam (2 correct). Statement 3 is wrong: it is set to the borgeets of Sankardeva and Madhavdeva, not songs of Tulsidas, Kabir or Mirabai. So the answer is (b).
Sattriya was recognised as a classical dance by the Sangeet Natak Akademi in 2000. It grew out of the one-act plays called ankiya nat. Notice how the Bhakti movement shaped regional arts, from Sattriya in Assam to Odissi and Kathak.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
With reference to the Indian history of art and culture, consider the following pairs :
| Famous work of sculpture | Site
| 1. A grand image of Buddha’s Mahaparinirvana with numerous celestial musicians above and the sorrowful figures of his followers below | Ajanta
| 2. A huge image of Varaha Avatar (boar incarnation) of Vishnu, as he rescues Goddess Earth from the deep and chaotic waters, sculpted on rock | Mount Abu
| 3. “Arjuna’s Penance”/ “Descent of Ganga” sculpted on the surface of huge boulders | Mamallapuram
Which of the pairs given above is/are correctly matched?
Answer (c) & explanation
Pairs 1 and 3 are correct (c). Ajanta Cave 26 has the huge reclining Mahaparinirvana Buddha with mourning followers below and celestial beings above. The Descent of the Ganga (Arjuna's Penance) at Mamallapuram is carved on two huge boulders under the Pallavas. Pair 2 is wrong: the great rock-cut Varaha panel is at Udayagiri near Vidisha, a Gupta work of about 401 CE, not Mount Abu, which is famous for the marble Dilwara Jain temples.
Notice how each site anchors a dynasty: Vakatakas at Ajanta, Guptas at Udayagiri and Pallavas at Mamallapuram.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
The Ghadr (Ghadar) was a
Answer (a) & explanation
The Ghadar Party (1913) was a revolutionary association of Indians with headquarters at the Yugantar Ashram in San Francisco (a). Founded by Lala Har Dayal, Sohan Singh Bhakna and others, it drew Punjabi workers on the US Pacific coast, and its paper Ghadar called for armed revolt. Singapore (b) saw a 1915 mutiny inspired by Ghadar ideas but was not its base. The Berlin Committee (c) and the Tashkent communist group (d) were separate bodies.
The Komagata Maru incident (1914) fuelled its anger. Notice how the diaspora played a real part in the freedom struggle.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
With reference to India’s culture and tradition, what is ‘Kalaripayattu’?
Answer (d) & explanation
Kalaripayattu is an ancient martial art and a living tradition of Kerala and nearby parts of South India (d). It is practised in a training pit called the kalari and covers footwork, kicks, weapons such as the flexible urumi sword, and healing massage. It is not a Shaiva Bhakti cult (a) or a bronze craft (b). The Malabar dance-drama in option (c) describes Theyyam or Kathakali.
Kathakali dancers draw on Kalari training for body control. Notice how martial arts, dance and traditional medicine (Ayurvedic massage) blend into one cultural world in Kerala.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.
Consider the following languages :
- 1. Gujarati
- 2. Kannada
- 3. Telugu
Which of the above has/have been declared as ‘Classical Language/Languages’ by the Government?
Answer (c) & explanation
Telugu and Kannada were declared classical languages in 2008, after Tamil (2004) and Sanskrit (2005). So 2 and 3 are correct. Gujarati has never received the status, which rules out options (a) and (d); option (b) misses Kannada.
Malayalam followed in 2013 and Odia in 2014. In October 2024 Marathi, Pali, Prakrit, Assamese and Bengali were added, taking the total to eleven. The criteria include high antiquity of early texts (1,500–2,000 years), a body of ancient literature valued as heritage, and an original literary tradition. Notice how this links language policy to the Eighth Schedule and to cultural history.
Answer as per the official UPSC answer key.