MCQs Based On Modern History – (19)

Correct Option: 2. Ahilya Bai Holkar.
Explanation: Ahilya Bai Holkar was a significant female ruler who governed Indore with great success from 1766 to 1796, showing that women could hold power in certain regions.
Rani Durgavati was a 16th-century queen of Gondwana (in central India), known for her valiant resistance against the Mughal invasion. However, she ruled during a much earlier period than Ahilya Bai Holkar, and her reign was not in the 18th century
Razia Sultana was the first and only female ruler of the Delhi Sultanate in the 13th century. While she was an important historical figure and an example of female leadership, her reign was centuries earlier, in the 1200s, whereas Ahilya Bai Holkar’s rule took place in the 18th century.
Rani Lakshmi Bai was a famous figure who played a crucial role in the First War of Indian Independence (1857) as the queen of Jhansi. Although she is a significant female figure in Indian history, her reign and actions occurred after Ahilya Bai Holkar’s time, specifically in the mid-19th century.

Correct Option: 1. North India
Explanation: The practice of purdah, where women were secluded from public life, was common among the upper classes in North India, whereas it was less prevalent in the South.

Correct Option: 4. Rigid caste system
Explanation: The caste system was a central feature of Hindu society, with people rigidly divided into various castes that determined their social status, occupation, and interactions.

Correct Option: 1. Dowry
Explanation: The custom of dowry, especially among the upper classes, was widespread in India during the 18th century, and it was a significant social issue, particularly in Bengal and Rajputana.

Correct Option: 2. Migration of artists to provincial courts
Explanation: As the Mughal empire weakened, many Mughal painters migrated to provincial courts, and the traditional Mughal style of painting began to decline, giving rise to regional schools like those in Lucknow, Kashmir, and Patna.