History Prelims PYQs, 2022 to 2026

1. UPSC Prelims 2026, Question 2
   The artificially fixed rupee-sterling exchange rate prescribed by the Hilton-Young Commission (1926) was adopted by the British Government for which one of the following reasons?
   1. Aiding the flow of remittances from India and maintaining India’s creditworthiness
   2. Providing support to Indian importers
   3. Encouraging export of cotton produce from India
   4. Preventing depreciation of the Rupee in terms of gold
2. UPSC Prelims 2026, Question 3
   Consider the following statements:
   I. Pali texts contain the first definite references to coins, e.g., kahapana, nikkha, kamsa, and kakanika.
   II. The literary evidence from Pali texts is corroborated by archaeological evidence of punch-marked coins from many sites, most of them made of silver.
   The above statements have been associated with which of the following?
   1. Emergence of urban life
   2. Transition to money economy
   Select the answer using the code given below:
   1. 1 only
   2. 2 only
   3. Both 1 and 2
   4. Neither 1 nor 2
3. UPSC Prelims 2026, Question 7
   Consider the following statements relating to the use of the place-value system in India:
   1. The earliest epigraphic use of the place-value system in India is found in the Mankani plates from Gujarat (AD 595-596).
   2. In the ninth century, place-values become general in inscriptions all over India.
   3. The place-values have been found in Sanskrit inscriptions in South-east Asia as early as the seventh century.
   Which of the statements given above are correct?
   1. 1 and 2 only
   2. 1 and 3 only
   3. 2 and 3 only
   4. 1, 2 and 3
4. UPSC Prelims 2026, Question 8
   Consider the following statements about the archaeological findings in Harappan towns:
   I. There is wide occurrence of spindle-whorls in the houses but absence of spinning wheels.
   II. Weights and measurement scales, complete with graduations have been discovered.
   III. There are houses built in large part with baked bricks, around relatively spacious courtyards, with their own wells, bathing platforms, and large rooms.
   Which of the following inferences can be drawn from the above statements?
   1. Statement I suggests that spinning was a laborious activity done at home.
   2. Statement II suggests the extent of the scientific knowledge that the Harappans possessed.
   3. Statement III suggests the emergence of a common property system.
   Select the answer using the code given below:
   1. 1 and 2 only
   2. 2 and 3 only
   3. 1 and 3 only
   4. 1, 2 and 3
5. UPSC Prelims 2026, Question 9
   Which one of the following statements about the Eka Movement and Bardoli Satyagraha is correct?
   1. The Eka Movement was throughout supported and organized by the Congress while Bardoli Satyagraha was initially independent of Congress influence and was only in the last stages supported by the Congress.
   2. The Eka Movement was provided leadership by the taluqdars of Awadh, whereas the Bardoli Satyagraha was a movement of the landless labourers.
   3. The Bardoli Satyagraha was a campaign against the enhancement of land revenue, while the Eka Movement was a protest against excessive extraction of rents.
   4. The Eka Movement was located in the Varanasi and Mirzapur districts of the present-day U.P., while the Bardoli Satyagraha took place in Saurashtra.
6. UPSC Prelims 2026, Question 10
   Consider the following statements about the Rigvedic period:
   I. Irrigation from wells allowed agriculture to expand away from flood plains and strips on river margins into the present Punjab and Haryana plains having underground water levels reasonably close to the surface.
   II. Draught-animal power was employed to draw up water out of the wells.
   Which of the following information support/supports the above statements?
   1. There is evidence in the Rigveda of the use of ashma chakra (stone pulley wheel) and ahava (strapped wooden pails) to draw up water.
   2. Mention has been made in the Rigveda of the use of implements like parashu/kulisha (axe) and datra/sreni (sickle).
   3. There is a history of the use of ox, even before the Rigveda, for ploughing the land and pulling the carts.
   Select the answer using the code given below:
   1. 1 and 2 only
   2. 1, 2 and 3
   3. 1 and 3 only
   4. 3 only
7. UPSC Prelims 2026, Question 11
   Consider the following assertion:
   In the Pleistocene period either the Yamuna once flowed into the Indus, or the Sutlej flowed into the Yamuna and one major tributary of either had shifted from the Ganga to the Indus or vice versa.
   Which of the following is/are the basis of the above assertion?
   1. The Nadi-Sukta of the Rigveda
   2. The explorations of the Sutlej and the Yamuna by Robert Bruce Foote
   3. The presence of the same species of dolphins in both the Indus and the Ganga river systems
   Select the answer using the code given below:
   1. 1 only
   2. 2 only
   3. 1 and 2
   4. 3
8. UPSC Prelims 2026, Question 13
   Which of the following pairs of ancient and modern names of rivers is/are correctly matched?
   1. Vitasta : Chenab
   2. Asikni : Jhelum
   3. Parushni : Ravi
   4. Yavyavati : Beas
   Select the answer using the code given below:
   1. 1 and 2
   2. 3 and 4
   3. 3 only
   4. 4 only
9. UPSC Prelims 2026, Question 15
   Which of the following pairs of the king and his dynasty in early historical Tamilakam is/are not correctly matched?
   1. Senguttuvan : Chera
   2. Udiyanjeral : Chola
   3. Nedunjeliyan : Pandya
   Select the answer using the code given below:
   1. 1 and 2
   2. 2 only
   3. 1 and 3
   4. 3 only
10. UPSC Prelims 2026, Question 16
    Which of the following factors contributed to the formation of the Forward Bloc by Subhas Chandra Bose in 1939?
    1. Bose failed to win the confidence of Mahatma Gandhi.
    2. The Congress Left was disunited and failed to support Bose.
    3. The Communists did not support Bose in his endeavours.
    4. The supporters of M.N. Roy and socialist leaders like Jayaprakash Narayan preferred Congress unity to supporting Bose.
    Select the answer using the code given below:
    1. 1, 2 and 3
    2. 1, 2 and 4
    3. 1, 3 and 4
    4. 2 and 4 only
11. UPSC Prelims 2026, Question 17
    Consider the following statements regarding the British policy in Awadh immediately after its annexation in 1856:
    1. The taluqdars were dispossessed of their estates but allowed to retain their arms and forts.
    2. A Summary Revenue Settlement was made in 1856 assuming that the taluqdars were outsiders.
    3. The British believed in taking revenue directly from the peasants by removing the taluqdars.
    Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
    1. 2 and 3 only
    2. 1 and 3 only
    3. 1, 2 and 3
    4. 2 only
12. UPSC Prelims 2026, Question 18
    Consider the following assertion:
    The genesis of political alliances based on community lay in the very nature of the Montague-Chelmsford Reforms, 1919.
    Which of the following statements support/supports the above assertion?
    1. Reforms retained and extended the principle of separate electorates.
    2. Separate electorates were supposed to counter Indian nationalism, which was growing stronger.
    3. Deprived classes rallied around the favours inherent in separate electorates.
    Select the answer using the code given below:
    1. 1 only
    2. 2 and 3 only
    3. 1 and 2 only
    4. 1, 2 and 3
13. UPSC Prelims 2026, Question 20
    In which one among the following texts does the term kshetra-patni (‘mistress of the field’) originate?
    1. Rigveda
    2. Atharvaveda
    3. Ashtadhyayi
    4. Arthashastra
14. UPSC Prelims 2025, Question 11
    Consider the following statements about Raja Ram Mohan Roy:
    I. He possessed great love and respect for the traditional philosophical systems of the East.
    II. He desired his countrymen to accept the rational and scientific approach and the principle of human dignity and social equality of all men and women.
    Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
    1. I only
    2. II only
    3. Both I and II
    4. Neither I nor II
15. UPSC Prelims 2025, Question 12
    Consider the following subjects with regard to Non-Cooperation Programme:
    I. Boycott of law-courts and foreign cloth
    II. Observance of strict non-violence
    III. Retention of titles and honours without using them in public
    IV. Establishment of Panchayats for settling disputes
    How many of the above were parts of Non-Cooperation Programme?
    1. Only one
    2. Only two
    3. Only three
    4. All the four
16. UPSC Prelims 2025, Question 13
    The irrigation device called ‘Araghatta’ was
    1. a water bag made of leather pulled over a pulley
    2. a large wheel with earthen pots tied to the outer ends of its spokes
    3. a larger earthen pot driven by bullocks
    4. a large water bucket pulled up by rope directly by hand
17. UPSC Prelims 2025, Question 14
    Who among the following rulers in ancient India had assumed the titles ‘Mattavilasa’, ‘Vichitrachitta’ and ‘Gunabhara’?
    1. Mahendravarman I
    2. Simhavishnu
    3. Narasimhavarman I
    4. Simhavarman
18. UPSC Prelims 2025, Question 15
    Fa-hien (Faxian), the Chinese pilgrim, travelled to India during the reign of
    1. Samudragupta
    2. Chandragupta II
    3. Kumaragupta I
    4. Skandagupta
19. UPSC Prelims 2025, Question 16
    Who among the following led a successful military campaign against the kingdom of Srivijaya, the powerful maritime State, which ruled the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Java and the neighbouring islands?
    1. Amoghavarsha (Rashtrakuta)
    2. Prataparudra (Kakatiya)
    3. Rajendra I (Chola)
    4. Vishnuvardhana (Hoysala)
20. UPSC Prelims 2025, Question 17
    With reference to ancient India (600–322 BC), consider the following pairs:

    	Territorial region	River flowing in the region
    I.	Asmaka	Godavari
    II.	Kamboja	Vipas
    III.	Avanti	Mahanadi
    IV.	Kosala	Sarayu

    How many of the pairs given above are correctly matched?
    1. Only one
    2. Only two
    3. Only three
    4. All the four
21. UPSC Prelims 2025, Question 19
    Ashokan inscriptions suggest that the ‘Pradeshika’, ‘Rajuka’ and ‘Yukta’ were important officers at the
    1. village-level administration
    2. district-level administration
    3. provincial administration
    4. level of the central administration
22. UPSC Prelims 2025, Question 20
    Consider the following statements in respect of the Non-Cooperation Movement:
    I. The Congress declared the attainment of ‘Swaraj’ by all legitimate and peaceful means to be its objective.
    II. It was to be implemented in stages with civil disobedience and non-payment of taxes for the next stage only if ‘Swaraj’ did not come within a year and the Government resorted to repression.
    Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
    1. I only
    2. II only
    3. Both I and II
    4. Neither I nor II
23. UPSC Prelims 2025, Question 71
    “Sedition has become my religion” was the famous statement given by Gandhiji at the time of
    1. the Champaran Satyagraha
    2. publicly violating Salt Law at Dandi
    3. attending the Second Round Table Conference in London
    4. the launch of the Quit India Movement
24. UPSC Prelims 2025, Question 72
    The famous female figurine known as ‘Dancing Girl’, found at Mohenjo-daro, is made of
    1. carnelian
    2. clay
    3. bronze
    4. gold
25. UPSC Prelims 2025, Question 73
    Who provided legal defence to the people arrested in the aftermath of Chauri Chaura incident?
    1. C. R. Das
    2. Madan Mohan Malaviya and Krishna Kant
    3. Dr. Saifuddin Kitchlew and Khwaja Hasan Nizami
    4. M. A. Jinnah
26. UPSC Prelims 2025, Question 74
    Subsequent to which one of the following events, Gandhiji, who consistently opposed untouchability and appealed for its eradication from all spheres, decided to include the upliftment of ‘Harijans’ in his political and social programme?
    1. The Poona Pact
    2. The Gandhi-Irwin Agreement (Delhi Pact)
    3. Arrest of Congress leadership at the time of the Quit India Movement
    4. Promulgation of the Government of India Act, 1935
27. UPSC Prelims 2025, Question 75
    Consider the following fruits:
    I. Papaya
    II. Pineapple
    III. Guava
    How many of the above were introduced in India by the Portuguese in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries?
    1. Only one
    2. Only two
    3. All the three
    4. None
28. UPSC Prelims 2025, Question 78
    Who among the following was the founder of the ‘Self-Respect Movement’?
    1. ‘Periyar’ E. V. Ramaswamy Naicker
    2. Dr. B. R. Ambedkar
    3. Bhaskarrao Jadhav
    4. Dinkarrao Javalkar
29. UPSC Prelims 2024, Question 54
    With reference to ancient India, Gautama Buddha was generally known by which of the following epithets?
    1. Nayaputta
    2. Shakyamuni
    3. Tathagata
    Select the correct answer using the code given below:
    1. 1 only
    2. 2 and 3 only
    3. 1, 2 and 3
    4. None of the above are epithets of Gautama Buddha
30. UPSC Prelims 2024, Question 55
    Consider the following information:

    	Archaeological Site	State	Description
    1.	Chandraketugarh	Odisha	Trading Port town
    2.	Inamgaon	Maharashtra	Chalcolithic site
    3.	Mangadu	Kerala	Megalithic site
    4.	Salihundam	Andhra Pradesh	Rock-cut cave shrines

    In which of the above rows is the given information correctly matched?
    1. 1 and 2
    2. 2 and 3
    3. 3 and 4
    4. 1 and 4
31. UPSC Prelims 2024, Question 56
    Who of the following rulers of medieval India gave permission to the Portuguese to build a fort at Bhatkal?
    1. Krishnadevaraya
    2. Narasimha Saluva
    3. Muhammad Shah III
    4. Yusuf Adil Shah
32. UPSC Prelims 2024, Question 62
    With reference to the Government of India Act, 1935, consider the following statements:
    1. It provided for the establishment of an All India Federation based on the union of the British Indian Provinces and Princely States.
    2. Defence and Foreign Affairs were kept under the control of the federal legislature.
    Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
33. UPSC Prelims 2024, Question 73
    Consider the following pairs:

    	Party	Its Leader
    1.	Bharatiya Jana Sangh	Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee
    2.	Socialist Party	C. Rajagopalachari
    3.	Congress for Democracy	Jagjivan Ram
    4.	Swatantra Party	Acharya Narendra Dev

    How many of the above are correctly matched?
    1. Only one
    2. Only two
    3. Only three
    4. All four
34. UPSC Prelims 2023, Question 41
    In which one of the following regions was Dhanyakataka, which flourished as a prominent Buddhist centre under the Mahasanghikas, located?
    1. Andhra
    2. Gandhara
    3. Kalinga
    4. Magadha
35. UPSC Prelims 2023, Question 43
    With reference to ancient South India, Korkai, Poompuhar and Muchiri were well known as
    1. capital cities
    2. ports
    3. centres of iron-and-steel making
    4. shrines of Jain Tirthankaras
36. UPSC Prelims 2023, Question 44
    Which one of the following explains the practice of ‘Vattakirutal’ as mentioned in Sangam poems?
    1. Kings employing women bodyguards
    2. Learned persons assembling in royal courts to discuss religious and philosophical matters
    3. Young girls keeping watch over agricultural fields and driving away birds and animals
    4. A king defeated in a battle committing ritual suicide by starving himself to death
37. UPSC Prelims 2023, Question 45
    Consider the following dynasties:
    1. Hoysala
    2. Gahadavala
    3. Kakatiya
    4. Yadava
    How many of the above dynasties established their kingdoms in early eighth century AD?
    1. Only one
    2. Only two
    3. Only three
    4. None
38. UPSC Prelims 2023, Question 48
    Who among the following rulers of Vijayanagara Empire constructed a large dam across Tungabhadra River and a canal-cum-aqueduct several kilometres long from the river to the capital city?
    1. Devaraya I
    2. Mallikarjuna
    3. Vira Vijaya
    4. Virupaksha
39. UPSC Prelims 2023, Question 49
    Who among the following rulers of medieval Gujarat surrendered Diu to Portuguese?
    1. Ahmad Shah
    2. Mahmud Begarha
    3. Bahadur Shah
    4. Muhammad Shah
40. UPSC Prelims 2023, Question 50
    By which one of the following Acts was the Governor General of Bengal designated as the Governor General of India?
    1. The Regulating Act
    2. The Pitt’s India Act
    3. The Charter Act of 1793
    4. The Charter Act of 1833
41. UPSC Prelims 2022, Question 51
    In the Government of India Act 1919, the functions of Provincial Government were divided into “Reserved” and “Transferred” subjects. Which of the following were treated as “Reserved” subjects?
    1. Administration of Justice
    2. Local Self-Government
    3. Land Revenue
    4. Police
    Select the correct answer using the code given below:
    1. 1, 2 and 3
    2. 2, 3 and 4
    3. 1, 3 and 4
    4. 1, 2 and 4
42. UPSC Prelims 2022, Question 52
    In medieval India, the term “Fanam” referred to:
    1. Clothing
    2. Coins
    3. Ornaments
    4. Weapons
43. UPSC Prelims 2022, Question 53
    Consider the following freedom fighters:
    1. Barindra Kumar Ghosh
    2. Jogesh Chandra Chatterjee
    3. Rash Behari Bose
    Who of the above was/were actively associated with the Ghadar Party?
    1. 1 and 2
    2. 2 only
    3. 1 and 3
    4. 3 only
44. UPSC Prelims 2022, Question 54
    With reference to the proposals of Cripps Mission, consider the following statements:
    1. The Constituent Assembly would have members nominated by the Provincial Assemblies as well as the Princely States.
    2. Any Province, which is not prepared to accept the new Constitution would have the right to sign a separate agreement with Britain regarding its future status.
    Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
45. UPSC Prelims 2022, Question 57
    With reference to Indian history, consider the following statements:
    1. The first Mongol invasion of India happened during the reign of Jalal-ud-din Khalji.
    2. During the reign of Ala-ud-din Khalji, one Mongol assault marched up to Delhi and besieged the city.
    3. Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq temporarily lost portions of north-west of his kingdom to Mongols.
    Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
    1. 1 and 2
    2. 2 only
    3. 1 and 3
    4. 3 only
46. UPSC Prelims 2022, Question 58
    With reference to Indian history, who of the following were known as “Kulah-Daran”?
    1. Arab merchants
    2. Qalandars
    3. Persian calligraphists
    4. Sayyids
47. UPSC Prelims 2022, Question 59
    With reference to Indian history, consider the following statements:
    1. The Dutch established their factories/warehouses on the east coast on lands granted to them by Gajapati rulers.
    2. Alfonso de Albuquerque captured Goa from the Bijapur Sultanate.
    3. The English East India Company established a factory at Madras on a plot of land leased from a representative of the Vijayanagara empire.
    Which of the statements given above are correct?
    1. 1 and 2 only
    2. 2 and 3 only
    3. 1 and 3 only
    4. 1, 2 and 3
48. UPSC Prelims 2022, Question 60
    According to Kautilya’s Arthashastra, which of the following are correct?
    1. A person could be a slave as a result of a judicial punishment.
    2. If a female slave bore her master a son, she was legally free.
    3. If a son born to a female slave was fathered by her master, the son was entitled to the legal status of the master’s son.
    Which of the statements given above are correct?
    1. 1 and 2 only
    2. 2 and 3 only
    3. 1 and 3 only
    4. 1, 2 and 3
49. UPSC Prelims 2022, Question 91
    Consider the following pairs:
    (Site of Ashoka’s major rock edicts : Location in the State of)
    1. Dhauli : Odisha
    2. Erragudi : Andhra Pradesh
    3. Jaugada : Madhya Pradesh
    4. Kalsi : Karnataka
    How many pairs given above are correctly matched?
    1. Only one pair
    2. Only two pairs
    3. Only three pairs
    4. All four pairs
50. UPSC Prelims 2022, Question 92
    Consider the following pairs:
    (King : Dynasty)
    1. Nannuka : Chandela
    2. Jayashakti : Paramara
    3. Nagabhata II : Gurjara-Pratihara
    4. Bhoja : Rashtrakuta
    How many pairs given above are correctly matched?
    1. Only one pair
    2. Only two pairs
    3. Only three pairs
    4. All four pairs
51. UPSC Prelims 2022, Question 93
    Which one of the following statements about Sangam literature in ancient South India is correct?
    1. Sangam poems are devoid of any reference to material culture.
    2. The social classification of Varna was known to Sangam poets.
    3. Sangam poems have no reference to warrior ethic.
    4. Sangam literature refers to magical forces as irrational.
52. UPSC Prelims 2022, Question 94
    “Yogavasistha” was translated into Persian by Nizamuddin Panipati during the reign of:
    1. Akbar
    2. Humayun
    3. Shahjahan
    4. Aurangzeb

Take the timed test above to see the answers and explanations.