History · X-Factor Notes
Pre-Medieval Period (Pages B190 to B199) revision notes for UPPCS Prelims.
26 revision facts
| Concept | What to remember | Asked in UPPCS |
|---|---|---|
| Founder of Pala Dynasty | Gopala founded the Pala Dynasty. | |
| Vikramshila University | Founded by the Pala ruler Dharmapala (770-810 A.D.). Located in Bihar. | U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 2008, U.P.P.C.S. (Spl) (Mains) 2008, U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 2016, U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 2015 |
| Sompura Mahavihar | Built by Dharmapala. | U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 2016, U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 2015 |
| Nalanda Monasteries | Pala king Devapala granted five villages at the request of Java king Balaputradeva (Sailendra Dynasty) for developing a Buddhist Vihar in Nalanda. | |
| Destruction of Universities | Vikramshila University was destroyed by Bakhtiyar Khalji. Nalanda Mahavihara also lost its glory by the end of the 12th century. | U.P.P.C.S. (Mains) 2009 (for Nalanda decline) |
| Pre-Medieval Learning Centers | Taxila was an early Buddhist center of learning (pre-Gupta/Kushana era), but during the early medieval period, Nalanda, Vikramshila, and Uddantapur were functioning as learning centers. | U.P.P.S.C. (GIC) 2010 (for chronology match), U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 2017 (for Taxila reference, though excluded year) |
| Concept | What to remember | Asked in UPPCS |
|---|---|---|
| Tripartite Struggle | The struggle for control over Kannauj involved the Palas, Gurjara-Pratiharas, and Rashtrakutas. Pratiharas eventually emerged victorious. | U.P. Lower Sub. (Pre) 2002, U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 2015 |
| Kannauj (Old Name) | Kannauj was also known by its ancient name Mahodaya and Nagar Mahoday Shri. | U.P.P.C.S. (Mains) 2012, U.P. Lower Sub. (Mains) 2015 |
| Gurjara-Pratihara Title | The most powerful Pratihara ruler, Mihir Bhoja-I, assumed the titles of 'Aadi Varaha' and 'Prabhas'. | U.P.R.O./A.R.O. (Pre) 2017 |
| Literary Works Match | Karpurmanjari was written by Rajshekhara (Gurjara-Pratihara court poet), not by Harsha. | U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 2012 |
| Chauhan Ruler/Battle | Prithviraj III was defeated by Muhammad Ghori in the Second Battle of Tarain (1192 AD). | U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 1995 |
| Chandel Territory | Jejakabhukti was the ancient name for the region of Bundelkhand. | |
| Chandel Temple Construction | The temples of Khajuraho were built by the rulers of the Chandela dynasty. | U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 1993 |
| Chandel Rulers (Chronology) | The chronological order is Yashovarman $\to$ Dhanga $\to$ Vidyadhara $\to$ Keertiverma. | U.P.R.O./A.R.O. (Pre) 2017 |
| Gahadavala Queen | Kumaradevi, queen of Govind Chandra Gahadavala, was Buddhist and built Dharmachakra Jain Vihar in Sarnath. |
| Concept | What to remember | Asked in UPPCS |
|---|---|---|
| First Muslim Invader | The first successful Muslim invader in India was Muhammad-Bin-Qasim (early 8th century A.D.). | U.P. Lower Sub. (Pre) 2002 |
| Foundation of Muslim Rule | The Second Battle of Tarain (1192 AD) laid the foundation of Muslim domination in India by defeating Prithviraj Chauhan. | U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 1995, U.P. Lower Sub. (Pre) 2003, U.P. Lower Sub. (Pre) 2002 |
| Chronology of Invaders | The chronological order of major invaders/figures is Mahmud Ghaznavi (1000-1027 AD) $\to$ Muhammad Ghori (1175 AD onwards) $\to$ Genghis Khan (threatened in 1221 AD) $\to$ Taimur (1398 AD). | U.P.P.C.S. (Spl) (Mains) 2008 |
| Muslim Rule Beginning | The era of Muslim rule in India is generally considered to have begun in 1192 AD (following the Second Battle of Tarain). | U.P.P.C.S. (Pre) 2011 |
| Concept | What to remember | Asked in UPPCS |
|---|---|---|
| Village Officials (Medieval) | The designation 'Mahattara' and 'Pattakila' were used for Village headmen (600-1200 AD). | I.A.S. (Pre) 2014 |
| Coinage | Gandhaiya was a type of silver coin promulgated on the lines of Sassanian coins. | |
| Chronological Events (Mixed) | The correct sequence of events is Second Battle of Tarain (1192) $\to$ Murder of Jalal-ud-Din Khalji (1296) $\to$ Afghanpur conspiracy (c. 1325) $\to$ Transfer of capital by Mohd. Tughluq. | U.P. R.O./A.R.O. (Pre) 2017 |
| Trade Goods Term | The term ‘Kausheya’ was used to denote silk in the Gupta and later Gupta periods. | U.P.P.C.S. (Spl) (Mains) 2008 |
| Temple Architecture | The Nagara style (North India), the Dravida style (South India), and the Vesara (mixture, often called Chalukya style) are the three main styles of temple architecture. | I.A.S. (Pre) 2012, I.A.S. (Pre) 1995 |
| Hoysala Capital | The Hoysala capital Dwarasamudra is located in the region corresponding to modern Karnataka. | I.A.S. (Pre) 2020 |
| Famous Place Match | Sthanesvara (Thanesar) is located in Haryana. | I.A.S. (Pre) 2020 |
