Ancient History Study Material for UPSC PSC Prelims Exam

1. Consider the following statements regarding the river Brahmaputra:

I. The great Brahmaputra, originating from the eastern part of the lake Manasarovar in the Kailasa flows eastward through the plateau of Tibet under the name of Tsangpo.
II. After Tsangpo it turns south and enters in India where it assumes the name Dihang.
III. Brahmaputra passing through Assam and Bengal it joins the eastern most mouth of the Ganga i.e., Padma.

Which of the following statement(s) is/are correct?

a. Only I
b. I and II
c. II and III
d. All of the above

Answer: d

Explanation: The great Brahmaputra, originating from the eastern part of the lake Manasarovar in the Kailasa flows eastward through the plateau of Tibet under the name of Tsangpo. Then it turns south and enters in India where it assumes the name Dihang. Later, the rivers Dihang and Luhit join and are called Brahmaputra or Lauhitya. Passing through Assam and Bengal it joins the eastern most mouth of the Ganga i.e., Padma. But before falling into the Bay of Bengal another mighty river, the Meghna, joins it.

2. Which of the following rivers flows between the mountain ranges of Vindhyas and Satpura?

a. Gomti
b. Narmada
c. Ganga
d. Brahmaputra

Answer: b

Explanation: Peninsular India can be studied under two distinct sections. The mountain ranges of the Vindhyas and Satpura run parallel to each other from east to west. In between these two, flows the river Narmada going towards the Arabian Sea.

3. The only two rivers of the Indian Peninsula flowing towards west, one of them is ________.

a. Tapti
b. Godavari
c. Son
d. Krishna

Answer: a

Explanation: The only other than Narmada river flowing towards west is Tapti, lying a little south of the Satpura. All other rivers of the Peninsula run from west to east falling into the Bay of Bengal indicating that the plateau is tilted towards east.

4. Which of the following statements is correct Plateaus of India?

a. The southern portion of the plateau, separated by the Vindhya Satpura ranges is known as the Central Indian plateau
b. The northern portion of the plateau, separated by the Vindhya Satpura ranges is known as the Deccan plateau
c. Both a and b
d. Neither a nor b

Answer: d

Explanation: The northern portion of the plateau, separated by the Vindhya Satpura ranges is known as the Central Indian plateau, while the southern portion is called the Deccan plateau.

5. Consider the following statements regarding the Central Indian plateau:

I. The Central Indian plateau stretches from Gujarat in the west to Chhota Nagpur in the east.
II. The Central Indian plateau stretches from Gujarat in the west to Bay of Bengal in the east.
III. The Malwa plateau and the tablelands of Bundelkhand and Baghelkhand are parts of this.

Which of the following statement(s) is/are correct?

a. Only I
b. I and II
c. I and III
d. All of the above

Answer: c

Explanation: The Central Indian plateau stretches from Gujarat in the west to Chhota Nagpur in the east. The great Indian desert, called Thar, lies to the north of the Aravalli range. To the south of it is the Vindhyas, which rises abruptly from the Narmada side, i.e., south, and has a slopy formation in the north. The Malwa plateau and the table lands of Bundelkhand and Baghelkhand are parts of this.

6. The eastern stretches of the Vindhyas, known as:

a. The Shiwalik ranges
b. The Kaimur ranges
c. The Aravalli ranges
d. The Nilgiri ranges

Answer: b

Explanation: The eastern stretches of the Vindhyas, known as the Kaimur ranges, extend almost up to the south of Banaras and run parallel with the Bengal.

7. The Chhattisgarh plain in the north east is formed by which of the following rivers:

a. Brahmaputra
b. Ganga
c. Mahanadi
d. Krishna

Answer: c

Explanation: Except the Narmada and the Tapti, which run towards west and join the Arabian Sea, all the rivers of the Peninsular India run from west to east. Most of them rise from the Western Ghat and traversing the whole breadth of the plateau, fall in the Bay. The
Mahanadi forms a broad plain known as the Chhattisgarh plain in the northeast. It passes through Orissa before joining the sea.

8. Which of the following river divides the Deccan Plateau in two sections?

a. Krishna
b. Tapti
c. Son
d. Kaveri

Answer: a

Explanation: In southern India, the Krishna, with its tributaries like the Tungabhadra, divide the Deccan plateau into two sections. Further south, the Kaveri and its tributaries form another important river system.

9. Consider the following statements regarding the rivers of North India and South India:

I. Devoid of a perennial water source like the Himalayas, the southern rivers are mostly dry during the hot season
II. Devoid of a perennial water source like the rivers in Deccan Plateau, the northern rivers are mostly dry during the hot season

Which of the following statement(s) is/are correct?

a. Only I
b. I and II
c. Both I and II
d. Neither I nor II

Answer: a

Explanation: One thing could be noticed that the rivers of Deccan India are different from those of the north India. Devoid of a perennial water source like the Himalayas, these southern rivers are mostly dry during the hot season, hence less valuable for irrigation and navigation purposes.

10. Consider the following statements regarding the Coastal regions of India:

I. The fertile coastal plains are important because they also provide opportunities for maritime activities and trade.
II. The western coastal plain stretches from the Gulf of Cambay in the north to Kerala ‘ in south.
III. The northern coastal part is called the Konkan while the southern one is called the Malabar Coast.

Which of the following statement(s) is/are correct?

a. Only I
b. I and II
c. Both I and II
d. Neither I nor II

Answer: d

Explanation: The fertile coastal plains are important because they also provide opportunities for maritime activities and trade. The western coastal plain stretches from the Gulf of Cambay in the north to Kerala ‘ in south. The northern part is called the Konkan while the southern one is called the Malabar Coast.

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