Grade 8 : Social Science (Exploring Society) - 15. Cultural Currents: 13th to 17th Centuries (Set 3)

Question 1

During the medieval era, saints across the subcontinent communicated profound philosophical ideas using the vernacular languages of common people rather than complex Sanskrit.

Which Marathi saint-poet wrote the famous commentary 'Bhavartha Dipika' (popularly known after his name) to make the Bhagavad Gita accessible to ordinary folk in Maharashtra?

Accepted Answer

B) Sant Dnyaneshwar

Answer

A) Sant Tukaram

Answer

C) Sant Eknath

Answer

D) Samarth Ramdas

Question 2

Assertion (A): Kabir emphasized devotion to a formless supreme God (Nirguna Bhakti) and rejected ritualistic practices of both Hinduism and Islam.
Reason (R): Kabir believed that the path to salvation lay solely through pure personal devotion and inner spiritual awareness.

Select the correct statement:

Accepted Answer

A) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.

Answer

B) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.

Answer

C) A is true, but R is false.

Answer

D) A is false, but R is true.

Question 3

A student is analyzing regional Bhakti traditions in Eastern India during the 15th-16th centuries.

Which revered reformer introduced the 'Ekasarana Dharma' and established institutional centers called 'Sattras' and prayer houses called 'Namghars' in Assam?

Accepted Answer

C) Srimanta Sankaradeva

Answer

A) Chaitanya Mahaprabhu

Answer

B) Guru Nanak

Answer

D) Vidyapati

Question 4

Sufism emerged as a major spiritual movement emphasizing mystic love, tolerance, and brotherhood. Major orders or 'silsilas' flourished across India.

Who among the following was the founder of the Chishti order in India, establishing his spiritual center at Ajmer?

Accepted Answer

B) Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti

Answer

A) Nizamuddin Auliya

Answer

C) Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki

Answer

D) Baba Farid

Question 5

Statement I: Mirabai was a Rajput princess who renounced royal luxuries to dedicate her life to Lord Krishna.
Statement II: Mirabai composed her devotional bhajans primarily in Persian to unite courtly cultures.

Analyze the statements above and choose the correct option:

Accepted Answer

D) Statement I is correct, but Statement II is incorrect.

Answer

A) Both Statement I and Statement II are correct.

Answer

B) Both Statement I and Statement II are incorrect.

Answer

C) Statement I is incorrect, but Statement II is correct.

Question 6

Guru Nanak established sacred institutions to promote social equality and eliminate caste discrimination.

The communal community kitchen where all people, regardless of caste or creed, sit together to eat is known as:

Accepted Answer

C) Langar

Answer

A) Dharamsal

Answer

B) Sangat

Answer

D) Gurdwara

Question 7

In medieval North Indian literature, Ramcharitmanas holds an iconic place as a devotional retelling of the Ramayana.

Who composed Ramcharitmanas, and in which dialect of Hindi was it written?

Accepted Answer

A) Tulsidas in Awadhi

Answer

B) Surdas in Braj Bhasha

Answer

C) Ramananda in Maithili

Answer

D) Kabir in Khari Boli

Question 8

Assertion (A): The Bhakti and Sufi movements contributed significantly to the growth of regional languages in India.
Reason (R): Bhakti and Sufi saints composed songs, hymns, and poems in the spoken dialects of local communities rather than classical languages.

Select the correct evaluation of the assertion and reason:

Accepted Answer

B) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.

Answer

A) Both A and R are true, but R is NOT the correct explanation of A.

Answer

C) A is true, but R is false.

Answer

D) A is false, but R is true.

Question 9

A museum tour highlights medieval architecture showing synthesis between indigenous Indian trabeate forms and West Asian arcuate designs.

Which structural feature is a hallmark of the Indo-Islamic arcuate architecture introduced widely during the Sultanate and Mughal eras?

Accepted Answer

D) True arches and domes with keystones

Answer

A) Shikhara and Amalaka

Answer

B) Pillar-and-lintel (Trabeate) horizontal beams

Answer

C) Chaitya arch carvings on living rock

Question 10

Consider the musical developments during the 13th and 14th centuries in northern India.

Which renowned poet, musician, and Sufi disciple of Nizamuddin Auliya is credited with inventing the qawwali genre and pioneering the khayal style of classical singing?

Accepted Answer

A) Amir Khusrau

Answer

B) Tansen

Answer

C) Baiju Bawra

Answer

D) Swami Haridas

Question 11

A historian categorizes Bhakti traditions into 'Saguna' (devotion to God with concrete form/attributes) and 'Nirguna' (devotion to a formless Divine).

Which of the following saints is classified as a Nirguna Bhakti saint?

Accepted Answer

C) Guru Nanak

Answer

A) Surdas

Answer

B) Chaitanya Mahaprabhu

Answer

D) Vallabhacharya

Question 12

The Varkari sect centered in Pandharpur, Maharashtra, served as a powerful cultural movement bridging caste divides.

Which deity was the supreme object of pilgrimage and devotion for the Varkari saints?

Accepted Answer

B) Vitthala (a manifestation of Vishnu/Krishna)

Answer

A) Shiva (as Nataraja)

Answer

C) Murugan

Answer

D) Ganesha

Question 13

A student reads an inscription referring to a gathering place where Sufi masters met, taught disciples, and engaged in spiritual discussions.

What was the term used for a Sufi lodge, hospice, or monastery?

Accepted Answer

D) Khanqah

Answer

A) Dargah

Answer

B) Madrasa

Answer

C) Ziyarat

Question 14

Statement I: The Bijak is an important collection of the poetic verses and dohas of Sant Kabir.
Statement II: The verses of Kabir are also preserved within the Guru Granth Sahib, the holy scripture of Sikhism.

Which of the following is true regarding these statements?

Accepted Answer

A) Both Statement I and Statement II are true.

Answer

B) Statement I is true, but Statement II is false.

Answer

C) Statement I is false, but Statement II is true.

Answer

D) Both Statement I and Statement II are false.

Question 15

Under Akbar's reign, interfaith dialogue flourished, leading to official state policies of universal peace and mutual respect among different religions.

Which concept, meaning 'universal peace' or 'peace with all', was formulated by Akbar with the assistance of Abul Fazl?

Accepted Answer

C) Sulh-i Kul

Answer

A) Jizya

Answer

B) Ibadat Khana

Answer

D) Din-i Ilahi

Question 16

The 16th century saw dramatic artistic developments in the Mughal courts, particularly in miniature painting traditions.

Which Persian master artists were invited to India by Humayun, laying the foundation of the Mughal school of miniature painting?

Accepted Answer

B) Mir Sayyid Ali and Abd al-Samad

Answer

A) Bihzad and Riza Abbasi

Answer

C) Mansur and Basawan

Answer

D) Daswant and Farrukh Beg

Question 17

Assertion (A): Chaitanya Mahaprabhu popularized Gaudiya Vaishnavism in Eastern India through passionate congregational chanting.
Reason (R): Chaitanya advocated that salvation could only be attained through strict ascetic mortification and solitary Vedic rituals.

Evaluate the assertion and reason:

Accepted Answer

D) A is false, but R is true.

Answer

A) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.

Answer

B) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.

Answer

C) A is true, but R is false.

Question 18

During the Vijayanagara Empire (14th to 16th centuries), temple architecture reached exceptional heights with elaborately sculpted pillars and massive entrance gateways.

What are these towering monumental gateway structures typical of late South Indian temple architecture called?

Accepted Answer

A) Gopurams (Raya Gopurams)

Answer

B) Mandapas

Answer

C) Vimanas

Answer

D) Garbhagrihas

Question 19

Sufi practices included spiritual gatherings where music and devotional chanting were used to induce spiritual ecstasy.

What was this Sufi practice of audition or listening to spiritual music called?

Accepted Answer

C) Sama

Answer

A) Zikr

Answer

B) Wahdat al-Wujud

Answer

D) Fana

Question 20

The 5th Sikh Guru compiled the holy hymns of the previous Gurus, along with works of Bhakti and Sufi saints like Kabir, Namdev, and Baba Farid.

Which Guru compiled the 'Adi Granth' in 1604 at Amritsar?

Accepted Answer

B) Guru Arjan Dev

Answer

A) Guru Nanak

Answer

C) Guru Tegh Bahadur

Answer

D) Guru Gobind Singh

Set 3Grade 8 : Social Science (Exploring Society) - Cultural Currents: 13th to 17th Centuries

Grade 8 : Social Science (Exploring Society) - Cultural Currents: 13th to 17th Centuries

Examination Instructions:

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Set 3Grade 8 : Social Science (Exploring Society) - Cultural Currents: 13th to 17th Centuries

Grade 8 : Social Science (Exploring Society) - Cultural Currents: 13th to 17th Centuries

Examination Instructions:

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Set 3Grade 8 : Social Science (Exploring Society) - Cultural Currents: 13th to 17th Centuries

Grade 8 : Social Science (Exploring Society) - Cultural Currents: 13th to 17th Centuries

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Set 3Grade 8 : Social Science (Exploring Society) - Cultural Currents: 13th to 17th Centuries

Grade 8 : Social Science (Exploring Society) - Cultural Currents: 13th to 17th Centuries

Examination Instructions:

Share This Quiz

Discussion 0

Rating & Discussion Locked

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