[Topic wise IAS Medieval Indian History Question Bank (1979-2015)]: (1) Early Medieval India, 750-1200

Polity: Major political developments in Northern India and the Peninsula, origin and the rise of Rajputs
The Cholas: administration, village economy and society
Indian Feudalism; Agrarian economy and urban settlements; Trade and commerce
Society: the status of the Brahman and the new social order; Condition of women
Indian science and technology
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Polity: Major political developments in Northern India and the Peninsula, origin and the rise of Rajputs

1. Bring out the salient features of the polity & social structure of the Rajputs. To what extent were they responsible for the weakness of the Rajputs to the foreign invaders? [1988, 60m]

2. “Achieving dominance in the south of the Vindhyas did not satisfy the ambitions of the Rashtrakutas, they also wanted to achieve dominance over the Gangetic PIains.” Elaborate and comment. [1997, 60m]

3. “The inferior cavalry of the Rajputs was not the only cause of their defeat at the hands of Turko-Afghans and Mughal.” Comment. [2001, 60m]

The Cholas: administration, village economy and society

1. Describe the village administration of the Chola period as known from the Uttaramerur inscriptions. [1979, 60m]

2. Describe the development of Chola power under Rajaraja and Rajendra I. Form an estimate of their cultural contributions. [1980, 60m]

3. What were the salient features of the bureaucratic machinery of the Cholas? [1985, 20m]

4. Critically assess the period of the Cholas in the history of South India. [1991, 60m]

5. Write a short essay on: “Local self-government under the Cholas.” [1992, 20m]

6. Discuss the contribution of Rajaraja I and Rajendra I for the expansion of the Chola Empire. Analyse the causes and impact of the naval expeditions of the Cholas. [1993, 60m]

7. Assess the importance of the Cholas in the history of South India. [1996, 60m]

8. Critically evaluate the achievements of the Cholas. [1998, 60m] 9. Were the Chola village assemblies democratic in nature? Give reasons for your answer. [2000, 60m]

10. The Cholas are said to have established a strong and well organized administration with an element of self-government at the local level. Do you agree? Give reasons. [2004, 60m]

11. Show that the administrative system in India reached a very high level during the Chola period. [2007, 60m]

12. How far can the village assemblies or communities under the Cholas be really called democratic? [2009, 30m]

13. Assess the contribution of the Cholas in the expansion of Indian culture outside India. [2011, 30m]

14. Evaluate the role of nadu and nagaram in the growth of urbanisation under the Cholas. [2012, 30m]

15. Evaluating various theories regarding the Chola State, throw light on its village assemblies. [2014, 15m]

Indian Feudalism; Agrarian economy and urban settlements; Trade and commerce

1. “Land charters of north India (c. A-D. 750-1200).” Comment. [1995, 20m]

2. Write a short essay on: “The Samanta System” [2006, 20m]

3. Write a short essay on: “Applicability of the term ‘Indian Feudalism’ to early Medieval Society.” [2009, 20m]

4. To what extent ‘monetary anaemia’ afflicted the erstwhile commercial economy during the early medieval period? [2010, 30m]

5. Evaluate the socio economic conditions from the Gupta Period to 1200 C.E. as gleaned from the various types of grants or dana shasana. [2011, 60m]

6. What kind of changes were visualized by historians on Indian feudalism? Examine critically. [2012, 30m]

7. Critically analyse the agricultural economy from 750 to 1200 CE. [2014, 10m]

8. Do the evidences of land ownership at our disposal support the theory of the prevalence of feudalism in early medieval India? [2015, 15m]

Society: the status of the Brahman and the new social order; Condition of women

1. Give an account of the society in Northern and Central India since the death of Harsha to the Muslim conquest of North India. [1996, 60m]

2. Write a short essay on: “Social structure of the Rajputs.” [1998, 20m]