NDA Current Affairs | 13 Sep Exam
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South India and the Sangam Age – NDA History PYQs
Practice NDA History previous-year questions with detailed solutions and explanations.
Chapter-wise PYQs • Concept-based explanations • Exam insights
NDA 2025-II
Q. 1. Chola inscriptions mention several categories of lands. Which one of the following was meant for the maintenance of school?
(a) Tirunamattukkani
(b) Shalabhoga
(c) Vellanvagai
(d) Pallichhandam
Answer: (b) Shalabhoga
| Explanation: Shalabhoga land supported the running costs of a school. The term itself combines shala, school, with bhoga, enjoyment. Vellanvagai instead referred to ordinary peasant-held land. Pallichhandam supported Jain or Buddhist religious institutions. So option (b) Shalabhoga is the correct answer. Concept Tested: Chola land-grant categories and their purposes |
NDA 2025-II
Q. 2. Senguttuvan is the name of
(a) a Pandya ruler
(b) a Chola king
(c) a minister in Satavahana court
(d) the capital city of the Cheras
Answer: (d) the capital city of the Cheras
| Explanation: Senguttuvan was actually a celebrated Chera ruler, not a place. He is the hero of the Tamil epic Silappadikaram. He is credited with establishing the Pattini cult of Kannagi. None of the four given options names him as a Chera ruler. Editorial flag: this option set does not match his true identity. Option (d) is chosen only for referencing the Cheras at all. Please verify the original wording of this question and its options. Concept Tested: Identity of the Chera ruler Senguttuvan |
NDA 2021-I
Q. 3. At which one of the following places was a Shiva temple not constructed under the patronage of the Chola rulers?
(a) Chidambaram
(b) Thanjavur
(c) Gangaikonda Cholapuram
(d) Naneghat
Answer: (d) Naneghat
| Explanation: Cholas built major Shiva temples at Chidambaram and Thanjavur. They also built one at their new capital, Gangaikonda Cholapuram. Naneghat instead lies far away in the Western Ghats. It is linked to Satavahana inscriptions, not Chola temple building. So option (d) Naneghat is the correct answer. Concept Tested: Sites of Chola-patronised Shiva temples |
NDA 2018-II
Q. 4. 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?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: (a) 1 only
| Explanation: The Ayyavole guild traces its name and origin to Aihole. So statement 1 correctly states this guild’s original base. Manigramam and Anjuvannam were both independent merchant guilds. Neither guild was subordinated to the other in the 13th century. Both were instead absorbed under the wider Ayyavole Five Hundred. So statement 2 wrongly claims one guild ranked below the other. Only statement 1 is correct among the two. Concept Tested: Origins and relationships among South Indian merchant guilds |
NDA 2016-II
Q. 5. Consider the following statements:
1. Periplus is a Greek word meaning sailing around.
2. Erythraean was the Greek name for the Mediterranean Sea.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: (a) 1 only
| Explanation: Periplus is indeed a Greek term meaning sailing around. So statement 1 correctly explains this Greek word. Erythraean actually named the Red Sea and nearby waters. It did not refer to the separate Mediterranean Sea. So statement 2 wrongly identifies which sea Erythraean named. Only statement 1 is correct among the two. Concept Tested: Greek terms used in ancient Indo-Roman trade texts |
NDA 2016-I
Q. 6. Consider the following statements about Rashtrakuta kings:
1. They were ardent patrons of Shaivism and did not support other forms of religion.
2. They promoted only Sanskrit scholars and gave them large grants.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: (d) Neither 1 nor 2
| Explanation: Rashtrakuta kings actually practised broad religious tolerance. They supported Shaivism, Vaishnavism, Jainism, and Buddhism together. So statement 1 wrongly claims they backed only Shaivism. Amoghavarsha I even wrote Kavirajamarga, an early Kannada work. The court supported Kannada scholars alongside Sanskrit ones. So statement 2 wrongly claims only Sanskrit scholars were promoted. Both statements are incorrect about Rashtrakuta patronage. Concept Tested: Religious and literary patronage under the Rashtrakutas |
Quick Revision
- Rashtrakutas were religiously tolerant, patronising Shaivism, Vaishnavism, Jainism, and Buddhism.
- Amoghavarsha I wrote Kavirajamarga, an early landmark in Kannada literature.
- Periplus (Greek: “sailing around”) describes Indo-Roman trade routes; Erythraean referred to the Red Sea, not the Mediterranean.
- The Ayyavole (Ainurruvar) merchant guild originated in Aihole, Karnataka.
- Manigramam and Anjuvannam were independent guilds, both later absorbed under the Ayyavole Five Hundred.
- Chola Shiva temples: Chidambaram, Thanjavur (Brihadeeswarar), and Gangaikonda Cholapuram.
- Naneghat is a Satavahana-era site in the Western Ghats, unrelated to Chola temple building.
- Shalabhoga land funded schools; Pallichhandam funded Jain or Buddhist institutions.