(b) Explanation: ■ The Permanent Settlement was an agreement between the East India Company and Bengali landlords to fix revenues to be raised from land that had far-reaching consequences for both agricultural methods and productivity in the entire British Empire. ■ It was concluded in 1793 by the Company administration headed by Charles, Earl Cornwallis. It formed one part of a larger body of legislation, known as the Cornwallis Code. So, statement 1 is not correct. ■ Under Permanent Settlement, land rights of zamindars were made hereditary and transferable. The zamindars had to pay the tax fixed upon their lands. If they did so then they could sell, mortgage or transfer the land. The land would be inherited by heirs in due course. If, however, the zamindar failed to pay the tax due, then the Government would take the zamindari and sell it by auction and all the rights would vest in the new owner. So, statement 2 is correct. ■ The Company had recognised the zamindars as important, but it wanted to control and regulate them, subdue their authority and restrict their autonomy. The zamindars’ troops were disbanded, customs duties abolished, and their “cutcheries” (courts) brought under the supervision of a Collector appointed by the Company. Zamindars lost their power to organise local justice and the local police. Over time the collectorate emerged as an alternative centre of authority, severely restricting what the zamindar could do. So, statement 3 is not correct.

(c) Explanation: ■ The most important of the native successors of the Mauryas in the Deccan and in central India were the Satavahanas. The early Satavahana kings appeared in Maharashtra, where most of their early inscriptions have been found. They set up their power in the upper Godavari valley and gradually extended their power over Karnataka and Andhra. So, statement 1 is correct. ■ The Satavahanas may have used gold as bullion, for they did not issue gold coins as the Kushans did. They issued mostly coins of lead, which is found in the Deccan. They also issued potin, copper and bronze money. So, statement 2 is not correct. ■ The official language of the Satavahanas was Prakrit. All inscriptions were composed in this language and written in the Brahmi script, as was the case in Ashokan time. So, statement 3 is correct.

(b) Explanation: ■ Under the Mansabdari System, every officer was assigned a rank (mansab). The lowest rank was 10, and the highest was 5000 for the nobles. Princes of the blood received higher mansabs. ■ Towards the end of Akbar’s reign, the highest rank a noble could attain was raised from 5000 to 7000, and two premier nobles of the empire, Mirza Aziz Koka and Raja Man Singh, were honoured with the rank of 7000 each. This limit was retained basically till the end of Aurangzeb’s reign. ■ The mansab system under Akbar developed gradually. At first there was only one rank (mansab). Later, the ranks were divided into two—zat and sawar. However, no portion of a mansabdar’s property was made hereditary. It was based on their rank and importance to the empire. So, statement 1 is not correct. ■ The word zat means personal. It fixed the personal status of a person, and also the salary due to him. The sawar rank indicated the number of cavalrymen (sawars) a person was required to maintain. A person who was required to maintain as many sawars as his zat rank was placed in the first category of that rank; if he maintained half or more, then in the second category and if he maintained less than half then in the third category. Thus, there were three categories in every rank (mansab.). So, statement 2 is correct.

(c) Explanation: ■ The Sufi orders are broadly divided into two: Ba-shara, that is, those which followed the Islamic Law (shara) and be-shara, that is, those which were not bound by it. ■ Of the ba-shara movements, only two acquired significant influence and following in north India during the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. These were the Chishti and Suharwardi silsilahs. So, statement 2 is not correct. ■ The Chishti order was established in India by Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti who came to India around 1192, shortly after the defeat and death of Prithvi Raj Chauhan. So, statement 1 is not correct. ■ The most famous of the Chishti saints, however, were Nizamuddin Auliya and Nasiruddin Chiragh-i-Delhi. These early Sufis mingled freely with people of the lower classes and Hindus. They led a simple, austere life, and conversed with people in Hindawi, their local dialect. These Sufi saints made themselves popular by adopting musical recitations called sama. Nizamuddin Auliya adopted yogic breathing exercises, so much so that the yogis called him a sidh or ‘perfect’. So, statement 3 is correct.

(d) Explanation: ■ Valabhi is a sub-type of the nagara architecture. These are rectangular buildings with a roof that rises into a vaulted chamber. The edge of this vaulted chamber is rounded, like the bamboo or wooden wagons that would have been drawn by bullocks in ancient times. They are usually called ‘wagon-vaulted’ buildings. ■ The form of the temple is influenced by ancient building styles that were already in existence before the fifth century CE. The valabhi type of building was one of them. For instance, the ground-plan of many of the Buddhist rock-cut chaitya cave and they are shaped as long halls which end in a curved back. From the inside, the roof of this portion also looks like a wagon-vaulted roof.

(a) Explanation: ■ Ashoka was the first Indian ruler who tried to take his message to the people through inscriptions. They were engraved on rock, on polished stone pillars mounted by capitals and in the caves. These inscriptions are in form of 44 royal orders and each royal order has several copies. So, statement 3 is correct. ■ They are found not only in India but also in other countries, like the Kandhar inscriptions in Afghanistan. So, statement 2 is not correct. ■ Most of Ashoka’s inscriptions were in Prakrit and were written in the Brahmi script. However, the Ashokan inscriptions in the North West of the empire were written in Kharosthi script and in Kandhar in Afghanistan they were written in Aramaic, in Greek script and Greek language. So, statement 1 is not correct. ■ These inscriptions were generally placed on Ancient Highways. They show light on the career of Ashoka, his external and domestic policies and extent of his empire.

(c) Explanation: ■ The Sur empire may be considered in many ways as a continuation and culmination of the Delhi Sultanate, the advent of Babur and Humayun being in the nature of an interregnum. ■ Amongst the foremost contributions of Sher Shah was his re-establishment of law and order across the length and breadth of his empire. ■ Sher Shah paid great attention to the fostering of trade and commerce and the improvement of communications in his kingdom. Sher Shah restored the old imperial road called the Grand Trunk Road, from the river Indus in the west to Sonargaon in Bengal. He also built a road from Agra to Jodhpur and Chittor, evidently linking up with the road to the Gujarat seaports. So, statement 1 is correct. ■ The currency reforms of Sher Shah also helped in the growth of commerce and handicrafts. He struck fine coins of gold, silver and copper of uniform standard in place of the earlier debased coins of mixed metal. His attempt to fix standard weights and measures all over the empire were also helpful for trade and commerce. So, statement 2 is correct.

(a) Explanation: ■ Badami was the capital of the early Chalukyan dynasty which ruled the region from 543 to 598 CE. With the decline of the Vakataka rule, the Chalukyas established their power in the Deccan. The Chalukya king, Mangalesha, patronised the excavation of the Badami caves. So, statement 2 is correct. ■ The inscription in Cave No.4 mentions the date 578–579 CE, describes the beauty of the cave and includes the dedication of the image of Vishnu. Thus, it may be presumed that the cave was excavated in the same era and the patron records his Vaishnava affiliation. Therefore, the cave is popularly known as the Vishnu Cave. Only a fragment of the painting has survived on the vaulted roof of the front mandapa. So, statement 3 is not correct. ■ Paintings in this cave depict palace scenes. One shows Kirtivarman, the son of Pulakesi I and the elder brother of Mangalesha, seated inside the palace with his wife and feudatories watching a dance scene. Towards the corner of the panel are figures of Indra and his retinue. So, statement 1 is correct.

(d) Explanation: ■ The Harappan men and women decorated themselves with ornaments produced from material ranging from precious metals and gemstones to bone and baked clay. While necklaces, fillets, armlets and finger -rings were commonly worn by both sexes, women wore girdles, earrings and anklets. ■ Hoards of jewellery found at Mohenjodaro and Lothal include necklaces of gold and semi-precious stones, copper bracelets and beads, gold earrings and head ornaments, faience pendants and buttons, and beads of steatite and gemstones. All ornaments are well crafted. So, statement 1 is correct. ■ The bead industry seems to have been well developed as evident from the factories discovered at Chanhudaro and Lothal. Beads were made of carnelian, amethyst, jasper, crystal, quartz, steatite, turquoise, lapis lazuli, etc. Metals like copper, bronze and gold, and shell, faience and terracotta or burnt clay were also used for manufacturing beads. The beads are in varying shapes—disc-shaped, cylindrical, spherical, barrel-shaped, and segmented. So, statement 2 is correct. ■ Cinnabar was used as a cosmetic and face paint, lipstick and collyrium (eyeliner) were also known to them. Many stone structural remains are also found at Dholavira which show how the Indus Valley people used stone in construction. So, statement 3 is correct.

(a) Explanation: ■ The beginning of a common law system, can be traced to the establishment of ‘Mayor’s Courts’ in Madras, Bombay, and Calcutta in 1726 by the East India Company. ■ Lord Cornwallis made the following changes: 1 . There was a separation of revenue and justice administration. It separated the posts of the Civil judge and the Collector. So, statement 1 is correct. 2 . European subjects were also brought under jurisdiction. 3. Government officials were answerable to the civil courts for actions done in their official capacity. 4 . The principle of sovereignty of law was established. ■ Under Lord William Bentick, the four Circuit Courts were abolished and their functions transferred to collectors under the supervision of the commissioner of revenue and circuit. He abolished the Provincial Court of Appeal and Circuit. So, statement 2 is not correct. ■ The Charter Act of 1813, conferred all the law-making power on the Governor General in Council. So, statement 3 is not correct.