Daily Quiz #21 UPSC Prelims Marathon – August 26, 2019

Explanation: The main aims of the Indian National Congress in the initial stage were to
•found a democratic, nationalist movement
•politicize and politically educate people
•establish the headquarters for a movement
•promote friendly relations among nationalist political workers from different parts of the country
•develop and propagate an anti-colonial nationalist ideology
•formulate and present popular demands before the government with a view to unifying the people over a common economic and political programme
•Develop and consolidate a feeling of national unity among people irrespective of religion, caste or province.
•Carefully promote and nurture Indian nationhood.

Explanation: The Moderates campaigned on the following grounds:
•Indianisation of government service: on the economic grounds that British civil servants got very high emoluments while inclusion of Indians would be more economical;
•Call for separation of judicial from executive functions.
•Criticism of an oppressive and tyrannical bureaucracy and an expensive and time-consuming judicial system.
•Criticism of an aggressive foreign policy which resulted in annexation of Burma, attack on Afghanistan and suppression of tribals in the North-West-all costing heavily for the Indian treasury.
•Call for increase in expenditure on welfare (i.e., health, sanitation), education-especially elementary and technical-irrigation works and improvement of agriculture, agricultural banks for cultivators, etc.
•Demand for better treatment for Indian labor abroad in other British colonies, where they faced oppression and racial discrimination.

Explanation: Rash Behari Ghosh
President of INC: 1845-1921 (Surat, 1907, Madras, 1908)

•Rash Behari Ghosh was born on 23 December 1845 in Burdwan, West Bengal. After a short spell in the local pathshala, Rashbihari was educated in the Burdwan Raj Collegiate School.
•Passing the entrance examination from Bankura, he entered Presidency College, Calcutta and obtained a first class in the M.A. examination in English. In 1871 he passed with honours the Law examination and in 1884 was awarded the degree of Doctor of Laws.
•Ghosh was closely associated with Calcutta University. From 1887 to 1899 he was a member of the Syndicate. Gokhale’s scheme of compulsory primary education received his warm support and during the Swadeshi movement he supported the move for national education, becoming the first President of the National Council of Education (1906 – 21).
•He did not associate himself publicly with the Indian National Congress until 1906. His first important appearance in politics was in 1905 when he presided over a meeting held in the Calcutta Town Hall to protest against the offensive remarks of Lord Curzon at the Convocation ceremony of Calcutta University.
•In 1906 he was the Chairman of the Reception Committee when the Congress held its annual session in Calcutta. Next year he presided over the Surat session which ended in pandemonium. In 1908 he presided over the Madras session.

Explanation:
•The Airavatesvara temple, built by Rajaraja Chola II in the 12th century CE is a UNESCO World Heritage Site .The main deity’s consort Periya Nayaki Amman temple is a detached temple situated to the north of the Airavateshvarar temple. At present, it stands alone as a detached temple with the shrine of the Goddess standing in a single large court.
•Here, Lord Shiva is worshipped by Airavata , the white elephant of the king of the gods,Indra.Airavata, while suffering from a change of colour curse from Sage Durvasa, had its colours restored by bathing in the sacred waters of this temple. The King of Death, Yama worshipped Shiva . Yama, who was suffering under a Rishi’s curse from a burning sensation all over the body, was cured by the presiding deity Airavatesvarar. Yama took bath in the sacred tank and got rid of the burning sensation. Since then the tank has been known as Yamateertham.
•The renovation of the shrines by Kulottunga Chola III. The north wall of the verandah consists of 108 sections of inscriptions, each containing the name and description and image of the Saivacharya listing the principal events in their life.Another inscription close to the gopura,indicates that an image was brought from Kalyani, then known as Kalyanapura by emperor Rajadhiraja Chola I after his defeat of the Western Chalukya king Someshwara I, his sons Vikramaditya VI and Someshwara II his capture of the Chalukyan capital.

Explanation:
•Gupta Empire Administration: The administrative system during the Gupta dynasty reign was similar to that of the Mauryan Empire. The King was that highest authority and possessed wide powers to enable the smooth functioning of the empire. At the time of the Gupta rule, there was political harmony in ancient India.
•During the Gupta period, the empire was classified into separate administrative divisions like Rajya, Rashtra, Desha, Mandala, etc. Thus importance was given to decentralization of power. The administrative division helped the rulers to systematically control their territories.
•During the Gupta dynasty period, the charge of managing the welfare of the villages was upon the rural bodies. These rural bodies comprised of the headman of the village and the elders. The trading cities during this period were organized by the guild merchants. There was thus local participation at all levels of the administration.
•Salaries in the Gupta period were paid in form of land grants in lieu of cash. By virtue of such land grants, it gave the beneficiary hereditary rights over the land. However, the King had the power to take away the land. The government levied land taxes and excise duties were collected from the subjects. The lands given to the Brahmins had no chargeable tax on them.