28 September 2024

Q1.  Consider the following statements regarding Vijayanagara ruler Krishnadevaraya:

1. Krishnadevaraya belonged to the Saluva Dynasty.
2. He defeated the Sultans of Bijapur, Golconda and the Bahmani Sultanate.
3. The great south Indian mathematician Nilakantha Somayaji lived in the Empire of Krishnadevaraya.

How many of the above statements are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• Statement 1 is incorrect.

About Vijayanagara ruler Krishnadevaraya:

• He was an emperor of the Vijayanagara Empire who reigned from 1509–1529.
• He belonged to the Tuluva Dynasty.
• Krishna Deva Raya earned the titles Kannada Rajya Rama Ramana, Andhra Bhoja and Mooru Rayara Ganda.
• He became the dominant ruler of the peninsula of India by defeating the Sultans of Bijapur, Golconda, the Bahmani Sultanate and the Raja of Odisha.
• The great south Indian mathematician Nilakantha Somayaji also lived in the Empire of Krishnadevaraya.
• Portuguese travellers Domingo Paes and Fernao Nuniz also visited the Vijayanagara Empire during his reign.

Q2. With reference to Hampi the Capital City of Vijayanagara Empire, Consider the following statements:

1. It was a part of the Mauryan Empire back in the third century BC.
2. It is located near the Netravati River.
3. It is a pilgrimage centre of the Hindu religion.

How many of the above statements are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(c) All three

(d) None

Ans: (b)

Explanation:

• Statements 1 and 2 are correct.
• It was the last capital of the last great Hindu Kingdom of Vijayanagar.
• S1:It was a part of the Mauryan Empire back in the third century BC.
• It is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
• S2: Its name is derived from Pampa which is the old name of the Tungabhadra River on whose banks the city is built.
• S3: The site used to be multi-religious and multi-ethnic;it included Hindu and Jain monuments next to each other.
• Architecture:
• It has been described by UNESCO as an“austere, grandiose site” of more than 1,600 surviving remains of the last great Hindu kingdom in South India.
• The buildings here predominantly followed South Indian Hindu arts and architecture dating to the Aihole-Pattadakal styles,but the Hampi builders also used elements of Indo-Islamic architecture in the Lotus Mahal, the public bath and the elephant stables.
• Hemkunta Hill, south of the Virupaksha temple contains early ruins, Jain temples and a monolithic sculpture of Lord Narasimha, a form of Lord Vishnu.

Q3. Regarding the taxation system of Krishna Deva, the ruler of Vijayanagar, consider the following statements:

1. The tax rate on land was fixed depending on the quality of the land.
2. Private owners of workshops paid an industry tax.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Ans: (c)

Explanation:

• Statement 1: Land revenue was the chief source of income. Land was divided into four categories for purposes of assessment, wet land, dry land, orchards and woods. Usually the share was one sixth of the produce. Land revenue could be paid in cash or kind. The rates varied according to the type of the crops, soil, method of irrigation, etc. So, 1 is clearly correct.
• Statement 2: Besides land tax, many professional taxes were also imposed. There were shopkeepers, farm servants, workmen, posters, shoemakers, musicians etc. There was also a tax on property. Grazing and house taxes were also imposed. Commercial taxes consisted of levies, duties and customs on manufactured articles of trade were also levied. Private owners of workshops paid an industries tax, which means 2 is correct.

Q4. Who of the following founded a new city on the south bank of a tributary to river Krishna and undertook to rule his new kingdom as the agent of a deity to whom all the land south of the river Krishna was supposed to belong?

(a) Amoghavarsha I

(b) Ballala II

(c) Harihara I

(d) Prataparudra II

Ans: (c)

Explanation:

• He was the founder of Vijayanagar Empire.
• His initial military exploits established his control over the valley of Tungabhadra River (a tributary of Krishna), and gradually he expanded his control to certain regions of Konkan and Malabar Coast. By that time Hoysalas had lost its last ruler Veera Ballala III who died fighting the Sultan of Madurai, and the vacuum so created facilitated Harihara I to emerge as a sovereign power. The entire Hoysala territories came under his rule directly.

Q5. Production Gap Report is published by the:

(a) WTO

(b) WEF

(c) IMF

(d) None of the above

Ans: (d)

Explanation:

• Context: The 2023 Production Gap Report, authored by SEI (Stockholm Environment Institute), Climate Analytics, E3G, IISD, and UNEP, reveals a concerning trend where governments intend to produce approximately 110% more fossil fuels by 2030 than is consistent with limiting global warming to 1.5°C.
• The report was launched in 2019.

What is the Production gap?

• Production Gap quantifies the difference between the projected extraction of coal, oil, and gas (fossil fuels) by governments and the global production levels required to meet climate goals, particularly those outlined in the Paris Agreement (warming to 1.5°C or 2°C).