INSIGHTS TEST-1 SUMMARY BY VYASA IAS
Insight INSTA Test 1 Summary
Mihir Bhoj
• Mihir Bhoj was the founder of the Gurjara Pratihara
Empire + he recovered Kanauj and made it his capital + his
achievements have been described in his Gwalior Prashasti
inscription + He assumed the title Adivaraha and also
inscribed the same in his coins.
• He was a contemporary of Devapala, who checked his
advance towards Eastern India.
Terminology used in Pala and Pratihara Empires
• Governor of a province was called uparika + his duty is to
collect land revenue and maintain law and order with the
help of Army.
• Provinces were known as bhuktis which were further
divided into districts known as Mandalas or vishayas + the
unit below the Visaya was called pattala.
• Head of a district was known as Visayapati + The mandalas
were governed by Vishayapatis.
• Nad gavundas were hereditary revenue officers. They
were also known as Desha gramakutas.
University and Associated Dynasty
• Nalanda Mahavira was established during the Gupta
dynasty by Gupta ruler Kumaragupta I + During the reign of
Dharmapala, the second of Pala rulers, the university was
revived. Associated dynasties are – Gupta, Pushyabhuti
and Pala.
• King Gopala (founder of Pala dynasty) founded a University
for Buddhist learning called vihara inside his fort at
Odantapuri + University was attacked and finally destroyed
by Turkish invader Bakhtiyar Khilji.
• Vikramshila Mahavira was founded by Pala ruler
Dharmapala. All these universities are in Bihar.
Rastrakuta dynasty
• Village was the lowest unit of administration + Village
administration was carried on by the village headman and
village accountant + The village headman was often helped
in discharge of his duties by village elders who were known
as grama mahattara or grama mahajana.
• Village committees managed local schools, tanks, temples
and roads.
Tripartite struggle
• It was fought between the Palas, the Pratiharas and the
Rashtrakutas over control of Kanauj + Kanauj was located
in the Gangetic valley and was a very important centre for
trade and commerce.
• The tripartite struggle broke out during the reign of Pala
ruler Dharmapala.
• Rice was first grown in the places located to the north of
the Vindhya mountain range.
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Mesolithic period
• The earliest period in the history is called Paleolithic
period + after it began the Mesolithic period + It
witnessed environmental changes + this change in climate
brought changes in flora and fauna.
• Stone tools are generally tiny and were known as
Microliths + It stuck on to handles of bone or wood to
make tools such as saws and sickles.
Archaeological site
• Koldihwa is located in Allahabad (U.P) on the left bank of
Belan river + site represents Neolithic, Chalcolithic and
Iron age phases.
• Adichanallur is located in Tamil Nadu + megalithic site -
the largest well preserved urn burial site.
• Inamgaon is located in Maharashtra on the banks of river
Ghod, a tributary of Bhima + one of the largest Chalcolithic
sites in India + Remains of various food grains including
wheat, Barley, millets, sesame as well as various animals
like cattle, buffalo, goat, sheep, dog have been found in
this site.
• Paiyampalli is located in Tamil Nadu + site presents
remains of Neolithic and megalithic periods .
Ancient Inscriptions
• The earliest inscriptions were written in Prakrit language +
Ashokan inscriptions were engraved in Brahmi script
which was written from left to right but some were also
encgraved in Kharosthi script which was written from right
to left + Greek and Aramic script were employed in
writing Ashokan inscriptions in Afghanistan.
• Inscriptions recording land grants were engraved on
copper plates in all languages including Prakrit, Sanskrit,
Tamil, Telugu and so on.
Mahabharata
• It originally consisted of 8800 verses and was called the
Jaya Samhita or a collection dealing with victory + These
were raised to 24000 and came to be known as Bharata +
The final compilation brought the verses to 100,000 which
came to be known as Mahabharata or Satasahasri
Samhita.
 INSIGHTS TEST-1 SUMMARY BY VYASA IAS

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