The 2019 Codex
Questions 11 to 20 (Set A)
Building 'Kalyaana Mandapas' was a notable feature in the temple construction in the kingdom of
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (d) Vijayanagara
The 'Kalyana Mandapa' (marriage hall) is the architectural hallmark of the Vijayanagara Empire (e.g., Hampi). These were highly ornate, multi-pillared pavilions inside the temple complex used specifically to celebrate the annual divine marriage of the presiding deity to their consort. The pillars are famously carved with rearing horses and mythical creatures (Yalis).
Route: [REALM 24: Vijayanagara & Nayaka Architecture]The Divine Pavilion
The Sultan's Audit
Consider the following statements:
1. In the revenue administration of Delhi Sultanate, the in-charge of revenue collection was known as 'Amil'.
2. The Iqta system of Sultans of Delhi was an ancient indigenous institution.
3. The office of 'Mir Bakshi' came into existence during the reign of Khalji Sultans of Delhi.
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (a) 1 only
Statement 1 is True: In the Delhi Sultanate (and later Mughals), the Amil or Amalguzar was the revenue collection officer at the Pargana level.
Statement 2 is False: The Iqta system was not indigenous to India. It was a Central Asian/Islamic land-grant system imported into India by Iltutmish.
Statement 3 is False: The office of Mir Bakshi (Head of the Military Department) is a Mughal institution, not Khalji. In the Delhi Sultanate, the military head was the Ariz-i-Mumalik.
Route: [REALM 38: Sultanate Administration]Consider the following statements:
1. Saint Nimbarka was a contemporary of Akbar.
2. Saint Kabir was greatly influenced by Shaikh Ahmad Sirhindi.
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (d) Neither 1 nor 2
This is a pure timeline question. The UPSC loves to test anachronisms.
Statement 1 is False: Nimbarka (a Vaishnava philosopher who propagated Dvaitadvaita) lived around the 11th or 12th century. Akbar ruled much later (1556–1605).
Statement 2 is False: Kabir lived in the 15th century (contemporary of Sikandar Lodi). Shaikh Ahmad Sirhindi (the orthodox Naqshbandi Sufi who opposed Akbar's Din-i-Ilahi) lived later, in the late 16th and early 17th century (contemporary of Akbar/Jahangir). Kabir could not be influenced by someone born after he died.
Route: [REALM 79: Major Bhakti Saints]The Broken Timeline
The Three Acts
With reference to the British colonial rule in India, consider the following statements:
1. Mahatma Gandhi was instrumental in the abolition of the system of 'indentured labour'.
2. In Lord Chelmsford's 'War Conference', Mahatma Gandhi did not support the resolution on recruiting Indians for World War.
3. Consequent upon the breaking of Salt Law by Indian people, the Indian National Congress was declared illegal by the colonial rulers.
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (b) 1 and 3 only
Statement 1 is True: Gandhi campaigned extensively against the brutal indentured labor system (girmitya) in South Africa and upon his return to India, leading to its abolition.
Statement 2 is False: Surprisingly to some, during WW1 (1918), Gandhi did attend the War Conference and actually supported the recruitment of Indians for the British war effort. He believed that helping the Empire in its time of need would earn India Dominion Status after the war (a hope shattered by the Rowlatt Act).
Statement 3 is True: After the Salt March in 1930, the Civil Disobedience Movement exploded. In response, the British passed harsh ordinances, declared the INC an illegal organization, and confiscated its property.
Route: [REALM 30: Emergence of Gandhi] & [REALM 38: Civil Disobedience]With reference to Indian National Movement, consider the following pairs:
| Person | Position Held |
|---|---|
| 1. Sir Tej Bahadur Sapru | President, All India Liberal Federation |
| 2. K. C. Neogy | Member, The Constituent Assembly |
| 3. P. C. Joshi | General Secretary, Communist Party of India |
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (d) 1, 2 and 3
Pair 1 is Correct: When the INC passed the Non-Cooperation resolution in 1920, the Moderate leaders left and formed the National Liberal League (later All India Liberal Federation). Tej Bahadur Sapru was a towering figure and its President.
Pair 2 is Correct: K.C. Neogy was a prominent politician, a member of the Constituent Assembly, and notably became the Chairman of the first Finance Commission of independent India.
Pair 3 is Correct: P.C. Joshi was one of the early and most prominent leaders of the communist movement in India and served as the first General Secretary of the CPI from 1935 to 1947.
Route: [REALM 25: The Moderates] & [REALM 55: Left & Communist Trends]The Three Portraits
The Crown of Gwalior
With reference to Mian Tansen, which one of the following statements is not correct?
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (a)
Tansen (born Ramtanu Pandey) was a legendary musician. However, the title "Tansen" was not given to him by Akbar. It was conferred upon him by his earlier patron, Raja Vikramjit of Gwalior. Akbar gave him the title of Mian and made him one of the Navaratnas (Nine Jewels) of his court.
Options B, C, and D are all historically accurate. He composed Dhrupads, praised his patrons (like Raja Ramchandra of Rewa and Akbar), and invented famous Ragas like Mian ki Malhar and Darbari Kanada.
Route: [REALM 48: Music Foundations] & [REALM 97: Cultural Personalities]Who among the following Mughal Emperors shifted emphasis from illustrated manuscripts to album and individual portrait?
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (c) Jahangir
During Akbar's reign, the royal atelier focused on massive collaborative projects—illustrating whole books and manuscripts like the Hamzanama, Tutinama, or Mahabharata (Razmnama).
His son, Jahangir, was a connoisseur with a deep personal interest in painting. He shifted the trend away from crowded book illustrations toward highly realistic individual portraits, nature studies (flora and fauna by artists like Mansur), and assembling them into beautiful albums (Muraqqas).
Route: [REALM 37: Mughal Miniature]The Shift in Focus
The Alpine Line
Which one of the following National Parks lies completely in the temperate alpine zone?
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (d) Valley of Flowers National Park
The key word here is "completely." Elevation dictates the climate zone in the mountains.
Manas (Assam) is mostly tropical/sub-tropical at the foothills of Bhutan.
Namdapha (Arunachal Pradesh) is famous for having an incredible gradient—from tropical evergreen forests at the bottom to alpine meadows at the top. It is not *completely* alpine.
Neora Valley (West Bengal) is mostly sub-tropical to temperate.
Valley of Flowers (Uttarakhand) sits extremely high in the Western Himalayas (around 3300 to 3650 meters). It exists entirely within the temperate alpine zone, characterized by snow for most of the year and brilliant alpine blooms in summer.
Route: [REALM 93: Protected Areas]Atal Innovation Mission is set up under the
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (c) NITI Aayog
The Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) was launched to create a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship across the country (think Atal Tinkering Labs in schools, Atal Incubation Centres for startups). Rather than assigning it to a traditional ministry like Science & Tech or Skill Development, the government housed it directly under its premier policy think tank: NITI Aayog, to ensure a multi-sectoral, holistic approach.
Route: [REALM 229: NITI Aayog] & [REALM 79: Atal Innovation Mission]The Think Tank Bulb
The Midnight Sun
On 21st June, the Sun
The Secret Whisper
Official Key: (a)
June 21st is the Summer Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere. Because the Earth is tilted on its axis (23.5°), the North Pole is leaning at its maximum *towards* the Sun on this exact day.
C and D are wrong: The sun is vertically overhead at the Tropic of Cancer on this day, not the Equator (Equinox) and not Capricorn (Winter Solstice for NH).
Because of the extreme Northern tilt, the entire area north of the Arctic Circle (66.5° N) is continuously exposed to the sun as the Earth rotates. Therefore, the sun does not set below the horizon at the Arctic Circle, creating the phenomenon of the "Midnight Sun".
Route: [REALM 07: Motions of Earth & Effects]