This page lists 2 previous year UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination (General Studies Paper-I) questions on Medieval History in the UPSC 2010 Prelims. Choose an option to see the correct answer and the full explanation on the same page.
Showing 1–2 of 2 questions
UPSC 2010Medieval History · Early Medieval Period
Q1. Why did Buddhism start declining in India in the early medieval times? 1. Buddha was by that time considered as one of the incarnations of Vishnu and thus became a part of Vaishnavism. 2. Invading tribes from Central Asia till the time of the last Gupta king adopted Hinduism and persecuted Buddhists. 3. Kings of the Gupta dynasty were strongly opposed to Buddhism. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Explanation
Buddhism emerged in India around the 6th century BCE, and reached its zenith during the reign of Emperor Ashoka embraced Buddhism and instituted dharma as the state ideology. (3rd century BCE). Later, it began to decline in the 4th-6th century CE due to increasing influence of Brahmanism and was mostly replaced by Hinduism by the 12th century.
Statement 1 is correct: Buddhism declined during the entire phase of Bhakti movement absorbing various aspects of Hinduism such as Buddha’s inclusion as 9th incarnation of Vishnu thus becoming a part of Vaishnavism. This assimilation made Buddhist practices and beliefs blend into mainstream Hinduism.
Statement 2 is incorrect: The Kushans, the Sakas, the Greeks, and the Parthians were some of the Central Asian tribes that invaded India. Though some tribes like the Huns adopted Hinduism during the period 200 B.C. to 300 A.D. Buddhism gained a strong foothold in the north western India. Many of the foreigners like the Indo-Greeks and the Kushanas, who invaded India during this time accepted Buddhism
Statement 3 is incorrect: The Gupta rulers gave patronage to Bhagvatism. But they were tolerant to other religions too. The Chinese pilgrims Fa Hien and Hsuan Tsang, who came to India during the reign of Chandragupta II and Harsha respectively, clearly give the impression that Buddhism was also flourishing.
UPSC 2010Medieval History · Bhakti and Sufi Movement
Q2. Among the following, who was not a proponent of the Bhakti cult?
Explanation
Nagarjuna (2nd century A.D.), a key figure in Mahayana Buddhism, founded the Madhyamaka school, emphasizing philosophical concepts like emptiness (shunyata). He was not associated with the Bhakti cult, which focused on devotional worship of a personal deity. In contrast, Tukaram (a Marathi saint), Tyagaraja (a Carnatic music composer), and Vallabhacharya (proponent of Pushtimarg) were central figures in the Bhakti movement, emphasizing love and devotion to God.
Answer key for these questions
Q
UPSC year
Correct answer
1
2010
(a) 1 only
2
2010
(a) Nagarjuna
Frequently asked questions
How many previous year UPSC questions are there on Medieval History?
This page covers 2 previous year UPSC Prelims GS Paper-I questions on Medieval History in the UPSC 2010 Prelims, asked between 1996 to 2024. Each has the correct answer and an explanation.
How should I use previous year UPSC questions for Prelims?
Attempt each question first, then open the answer and read the explanation for every option. Repeat by chapter, and track which statements UPSC reuses across years. Previous year questions show the exam pattern and difficulty level.
Which years are covered for Medieval History?
Questions on Medieval History in the UPSC 2010 Prelims are available for 27 years, from 1996 to 2024. Use the Year filter to practise a single paper.
