South India (Chola, Chalukya, Pallava and Sangam Period)

11. Consider the following statements about merchant guilds of South India

Consider the following statements about merchant guilds of South India :

  • 1. Ayyavole merchant guild was originally established in Aihole.
  • 2. Manigraman merchant guild was subordinated to the Anjuvannam merchant guild in the 13th century.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

[amp_mcq option1=”1 only” option2=”2 only” option3=”Both 1 and 2″ option4=”Neither 1 nor 2″ correct=”option1″]

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Statement 1 only is correct.
Statement 1: The Ayyavole (also known as the Five Hundred of Ayyavole or Ainnurruvar) was a powerful merchant guild in medieval South India. Historical evidence strongly suggests its origins are linked to Aihole, a prominent centre in Karnataka, from which it gets its name. Thus, statement 1 is correct.
Statement 2: Manigraman and Anjuvannam were both significant merchant guilds operating in South India and Southeast Asia, particularly along the coasts. While they often coexisted and traded in the same regions, and sometimes even jointly, historical sources do not generally describe Manigraman as being subordinated to Anjuvannam in the 13th century. They were more often seen as parallel or distinct entities. Thus, statement 2 is incorrect.
These merchant guilds played a crucial role in the economy of South India from the Pallava period onwards, flourishing under the Cholas and other dynasties. They facilitated long-distance trade, established trade settlements, and wielded considerable economic and sometimes political influence. Aihole was a significant cultural and economic center, fitting as a potential origin point for a major guild like Ayyavole.

12. Which one of the following pairs of term and meaning is correctly

Which one of the following pairs of term and meaning is correctly matched?

[amp_mcq option1=”Gahapati : Slaves” option2=”Adimai : Master of a household” option3=”Vellalar : Land-less labour” option4=”Uzhavar : Ploughmen” correct=”option4″]

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The term ‘Uzhavar’ in ancient Indian context, particularly in South India, referred to ploughmen or cultivators. This meaning correctly matches the description in option D.
Understanding social and economic terms used in ancient Indian texts is important for historical context.
Gahapati was a term for the head of a household, often a wealthy householder or landowner in North India during the ancient period. Adimai refers to slaves, particularly in the Tamil context. Vellalar were a class of wealthy landowners in South India, not landless labour.

13. Pulakeshin II belonged to which dynasty of rulers?

Pulakeshin II belonged to which dynasty of rulers?

[amp_mcq option1=”Eastern Chalukyas” option2=”Pallavas” option3=”Eastern Gangas” option4=”Western Chalukyas” correct=”option4″]

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Pulakeshin II was the most renowned ruler of the Chalukya dynasty of Badami. This dynasty is also commonly referred to as the Western Chalukyas.
Pulakeshin II ruled from 610 to 642 CE. He is famous for his military campaigns, including his victory over Emperor Harsha of Kannauj, as recorded in the Aihole inscription composed by his court poet Ravikirti.
The Chalukyas of Badami ruled over a large part of the Deccan. They had branches, including the Eastern Chalukyas who ruled in the Andhra region. The Pallavas were their contemporaries and rivals in South India, notably clashing frequently with Pulakeshin II and his successors. The Eastern Gangas ruled in Kalinga (modern Odisha).

14. Tamilakam, the name of the ancient Tamil country, included besides Tam

Tamilakam, the name of the ancient Tamil country, included besides Tamil Nadu parts of present day:

[amp_mcq option1=”Andhra Pradesh and Kerala” option2=”Karnataka and Kerala” option3=”Kerala and Odisha” option4=”Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka” correct=”option1″]

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Tamilakam, as described in ancient Tamil literature (especially the Sangam literature period), broadly encompassed the geographical region inhabited by the ancient Tamil people. This region included not only present-day Tamil Nadu but also significant parts of present-day Kerala, and bordering regions of southern Karnataka and southern Andhra Pradesh. Option B, including Karnataka and Kerala, represents two major areas outside of modern Tamil Nadu that were considered part of ancient Tamilakam.
The historical region of Tamilakam was home to the three major Tamil kingdoms of the Sangam Age: the Cheras (primarily in modern Kerala), the Cholas (in the Kaveri delta and surrounding regions), and the Pandyas (in the southern parts). Its boundaries were dynamic but generally extended beyond the political boundaries of present-day Tamil Nadu.
The ancient Tamilakam was bordered by the Venkata hill (Tirupati hills) in the north, the Arabian Sea in the west, the Indian Ocean in the south, and the Bay of Bengal in the east. While parts of Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka were included, Kerala was a central component of Tamilakam, housing the Chera kingdom, one of the major Tamil dynasties.

15. Which of the following dynasties of South India issued their documents

Which of the following dynasties of South India issued their documents first in Prakrit and later in Sanskrit ?

[amp_mcq option1=”The Cholas of Tamil Nadu” option2=”The Pandyas of the post-Sangam Age” option3=”The Pallavas of Tondaimandalam” option4=”The Gangas of Kalinganagara” correct=”option3″]

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The Pallavas of Tondaimandalam, who ruled from Kanchipuram, are known to have issued their early documents, such as land grants, in Prakrit before transitioning to Sanskrit. This linguistic shift reflects the changing cultural and political influences of the time.
– The Pallavas were a significant dynasty in South India from the 3rd to 9th centuries CE.
– Prakrit was an administrative language in early South Indian states under Satavahana influence, which preceded and influenced the Pallavas.
– Sanskrit gained prominence as a language of royal inscriptions and literature during the Gupta period and its influence spread across the subcontinent, leading to its adoption by various dynasties including the Pallavas.
The Cholas and Pandyas primarily used Tamil in their inscriptions and literature, although Sanskrit also played a role in religious and courtly contexts. The Gangas of Kalinganagara (Eastern Gangas) primarily used Odia and Sanskrit later, while the Western Gangas of Karnataka used Kannada and Sanskrit.

16. The Tolkappiyam is

The Tolkappiyam is

[amp_mcq option1=”A work of grammar.” option2=”A Tamil poem in praise of Rajendra Chola.” option3=”An ancient didactic work in Tamil.” option4=”A drama composed by a Chera King.” correct=”option1″]

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The Tolkappiyam is considered the earliest existing Tamil grammar text. It is a comprehensive work dealing with orthography, phonology, morphology, syntax, and poetics.
It is an ancient work of Tamil literature, traditionally dated between the 3rd century BCE and 5th century CE, providing insights into early Tamil language, literature, and social life.
Rajendra Chola ruled in the 11th century, much later than the period of Tolkappiyam’s composition. While it contains didactic elements regarding proper language use and literary composition, its primary nature is that of a grammatical treatise. It is not a drama.

17. Which one of the following was an important Pandya port, celebrated fo

Which one of the following was an important Pandya port, celebrated for its pearls in Sangam poems and Greek accounts?

[amp_mcq option1=”Muchiri” option2=”Korkai” option3=”Puhar” option4=”Arikamedu” correct=”option2″]

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Korkai was a major port city of the Pandya kingdom, located near the mouth of the Tamraparni River in the present-day Thoothukudi district of Tamil Nadu. It was renowned in Sangam literature and accounts by Greek and Roman writers (like Ptolemy and the author of the Periplus of the Erythraean Sea) primarily for its flourishing pearl fishery.
The pearl industry was a significant source of wealth for the Pandya rulers and made Korkai a prominent center for trade, exporting pearls to various parts of the ancient world, including Rome.
Muchiri (Muziris) was a major port of the Chera kingdom on the west coast. Puhar (Kaverypattinam) was a prominent port of the Chola kingdom on the east coast. Arikamedu was an important Indo-Roman trading port on the Coromandel coast, known for trade in beads, textiles, and Roman goods. While all were significant ports in ancient South India, Korkai is specifically and famously associated with Pandya pearls.

18. Name the site that gives us valuable information about India’s maritim

Name the site that gives us valuable information about India’s maritime links on the Coromandel coast.

[amp_mcq option1=”Bharukachchha” option2=”Karur” option3=”Arikamedu” option4=”Anuradhapura” correct=”option3″]

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Arikamedu, located near Puducherry on the Coromandel coast, is an important archaeological site that has yielded significant evidence of trade contacts with the Roman Empire from the 1st century BCE onwards. Excavations have unearthed Roman pottery like Arretine ware and amphorae, glass beads, gems, and other artifacts, providing crucial information about ancient maritime links and trade between South India and the Mediterranean world via the Coromandel coast.
Archaeological evidence from coastal sites is vital for understanding ancient maritime trade networks.
Bharukachchha (Broach) was a major port, but on the west coast (Gujarat). Karur was an inland trade and manufacturing center. Anuradhapura is in Sri Lanka and was a significant Buddhist and political center, involved in regional trade but not primarily known as the key site for *India’s* Coromandel maritime links with the West compared to Arikamedu.

19. Match List I with List II and select the correct answer using the code

Match List I with List II and select the correct answer using the code given below the lists :

List I
(Ethnic Territorial Segment)		List II
(Related Occupational Pattern)
A. Maruta Makkal1. Pastoralists
B. Kuravan Makkal2. Fishing people
C. Mullai Makkal3. Ploughmen
D. Neytal Makkal4. Hill people

Code :

[amp_mcq option1=”A-3, B-1, C-4, D-2″ option2=”A-2, B-1, C-4, D-3″ option3=”A-3, B-4, C-1, D-2″ option4=”A-2, B-4, C-1, D-3″ correct=”option3″]

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The correct answer is A-3, B-4, C-1, D-2.
This question relates to the ancient Tamil classification of land divisions (Thinai) and the occupations of people living in those regions, as described in classical Tamil literature like the Tolkappiyam.
– Marutam (A) corresponds to agricultural plains, inhabited by people engaged in ploughing and farming (Ploughmen – 3).
– Kurinci (B) corresponds to hilly or mountainous regions, inhabited by hunters and gatherers (Hill people – 4).
– Mullai (C) corresponds to pastoral tracts or forests, inhabited by pastoralists and those engaged in cattle rearing (Pastoralists – 1).
– Neytal (D) corresponds to coastal regions, inhabited by fishermen and salt manufacturers (Fishing people – 2).
There is a fifth Thinai, Palai, which corresponds to dry or desert regions, inhabited by people engaged in raiding and robbery. This classification highlights the ecological and economic diversity of the ancient Tamil country and the close relationship between environment and occupation.

20. According to the Tamil Sangam texts, who among the following were the

According to the Tamil Sangam texts, who among the following were the large landowners?

[amp_mcq option1=”Gahapatis” option2=”Uzhavars” option3=”Adimais” option4=”Vellalars” correct=”option4″]

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According to the Tamil Sangam texts, ‘Vellalars’ were recognized as the large landowners or rich peasants who held significant land holdings.
The Sangam society in the Tamil region was characterized by a social hierarchy based on land ownership and occupation. Vellalars were at the top of the rural social structure due to their control over land.
‘Uzhavars’ were ordinary ploughmen or cultivators, ‘Adimais’ were slaves, and ‘Kadaisiyar’ and ‘Penar’ were landless labourers. ‘Gahapatis’ is a term more commonly used in North Indian texts for householders or landowners.
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