UPSC Essentials brings to you its initiative of daily subject-wise quizzes. These quizzes are designed to help you revise some of the most important topics from the static part of the syllabus. Attempt today’s subject quiz on History and Culture to check your progress. Find links to previous quizzes for UPSC towards the end of the article. Click Here to read the UPSC Essentials magazine for August 2026. Share your views and suggestions in the comment box or at manas.srivastava@indianexpress.comConsider the following statements with reference to Portuguese colonial empire in India:1. Among the Portuguese possessions in India was the island of Nicobar until it was given as Catherine de Braganza’s dowry to Charles II of England in 1661.2. Alfonso de Albuquerque realised that a permanent base in Goa, then under the Vijaynagar Empire, would be very helpful to the Portuguese ambition of controlling maritime trade routes of the East.3. Portuguese were the last European colonial power to leave India.Which of the statements given above is/are correct?(a) 1 and 3 only(b) 2 only(c) 3 only(d) 2 and 3 onlyRelevance:Important for understanding European colonial expansion in India and the Portuguese role in the Indian Ocean trade network. It also helps aspirants revise key personalities, territories and chronology associated with European powers in India.Explanation: Story continues below this adNovember 25 marks the day the Portuguese conquered Goa, becoming the first Europeans to own territory in India. Goa would remain with the Portuguese for the next 400 years, making them the last European colonial power to leave India, in 1961. Hence, statement 3 is correct. Among the Portuguese possessions in India was the island of Bom Bahia — later Bombay and today’s Mumbai — until it was given as Catherine de Braganza’s dowry to Charles II of England in 1661. Hence, statement 1 is not correct. Albuquerque, who had come to succeed Almeida, had been asked to conquer the ports of Hormuz, Aden, and Malacca by his King. However, he realised that a permanent base in Goa, then under the Sultan of Bijapur, would be very helpful to the Portuguese ambition of controlling maritime trade routes of the East. Hence, statement 2 is not correct. Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.QUESTION 2Consider the following statements:1. It is a temple located on the eastern shores of the Indian subcontinent.Story continues below this ad2.It was built in the 13th century by Narasimhadeva I.3. Its chief architect was Bisu Moharana.4. It was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1984. Which of the following temples is described by the above statements?(a) Kakatiya Rudreshwara (Ramappa) Temple(b) Sun Temple(c) Jagannath Temple(d) Mahabodhi TempleRelevance:Important for Indian art and culture, temple architecture and UNESCO World Heritage Sites, which are frequently tested in UPSC Prelims. It also helps aspirants connect historical monuments with their architectural features, builders and geographical locations.Explanation: According to whc.unesco.org, Story continues below this adThe Sun Temple at Konarak, located on the eastern shores of the Indian subcontinent, is one of the outstanding examples of temple architecture and art as revealed in its conception, scale and proportion, and in the sublime narrative strength of its sculptural embellishment.The Sun Temple is an exceptional testimony, in physical form, to the 13th-century Hindu Kingdom of Orissa, under the reign of Narasimha Deva I (AD 1238-1264).It is associated with all the legends of its own artistic creation – the most evocative being its construction over twelve years using 1,200 artisans – and the stories about the deep commitment of its master builder, Bisu Moharana, to the project, in which his son (who was born during this period) later became involved.Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.QUESTION 3Which freedom fighter wrote the book titled Diet and Diet Reform, The Moral Basis of Vegetarianism and Key to Health?(a) Mahatma Gandhi(b) Sarojini Naidu(c) Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy(d) Dr. M.A. AnsariRelevance:Story continues below this adThe topic is relevant to Gandhian thought and the freedom movement, particularly his ideas on health, vegetarianism and ethical living. It also highlights how UPSC can test lesser-known writings and intellectual contributions of national leaders.Explanation: Gandhiji was known for his experiments with food. He also wrote books on food and health like Diet and Diet Reform, The Moral Basis of Vegetarianism and Key to Health. Apart from his followers, Gandhiji often advised others on what to eat. In 1936, Gandhiji made a diet chart for Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, one of his fiercest political opponents. In this chart, Gandhiji wrote: ‘Leafy vegetables must be taken, better if taken as salads. Potatoes and starchy tubers should be taken sparingly. Garlic and onion in a raw state are strongly recommended in the West. I take raw garlic regularly for blood pressure. It is the best antitoxin for internal use. Dates are fine food for a healthy stomach, but raisins are more digestible. Tea and coffee I do not consider essential to health’.Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.QUESTION 4With reference to ‘Kudavolai system’ consider the following statements:1. It is an ancient taxation system. 2. The system finds its mention in the Uttaramerur Inscriptions.Which of the above given statements is/are correct?(a) 1 only(b) 2 only(c) Both 1 and 2(d) Neither 1 nor 2Relevance:The topic is important for understanding Chola-era local governance and administrative institutions, a recurring area in Ancient Indian History. It also helps aspirants connect inscriptions and archaeological evidence with broader themes of decentralisation and local self-government.Explanation: Story continues below this adAs chronicled by K A Nilakanta Sastri in The Cholas (1935), the Chola administrative framework was built on two foundational units: the Sabha for Brahmin settlements and the Ur for non-Brahmin villages. These were not symbolic councils but elected bodies with real powers over revenue, irrigation, temple management, and even justice. “It was democracy at the grassroots — built into the fabric of Tamil civic life,” Sastri wrote in Chapter VIII, “Local Self-Government”.But what made the system particularly striking was the method of voting, a process called the Kudavolai system or “ballot pot” election. Under this method, as detailed in the Uttaramerur Inscriptions documented in Epigraphia Indica Vol. XXII (1933–34), the names of eligible candidates were inscribed on palm leaves and placed inside a pot. A young boy, typically chosen for his impartiality, would draw the lot in full public view. This randomised draw was not a game of chance but a civic ritual rooted in transparency, fairness, and collective consent.Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.QUESTION 5Who among the mentioned names below was the secretary to the Chamber of Princes – a platform for princely rulers to interact with the colonial authorities and air their concerns , the first statesmen to actively start the process of integration of the princely states, the architect of Independent India’s maritime policy, the country’s first ambassador to China, part of the States Reorganisation Committee and a key figure to have influenced the redrawing of India’s states on linguistic lines?(a) V P Menon(b) K Kelappan(c) K M Panikkar(d) C KesavanRelevance:This topic is important for understanding India’s political integration after Independence, reorganisation of states, and the role of key administrators and diplomats. It also highlights the importance of individual contributions in shaping India’s post-Independence administrative and foreign-policy framework.Explanation: Story continues below this adIn the history of modern India, the name of K M Panikkar features almost everywhere. He started his career as a professor at Aligarh Muslim University (AMU), and then swiftly kept moving to take up some of the tallest administrative roles that shaped the contours of post-Independent India. As secretary to the Chamber of Princes – a platform for princely rulers to interact with the colonial authorities and air their concerns – Panikkar was one of the first statesmen to actively start the process of integration of the princely states, which was finally brought to a culmination by bureaucrat V P Menon and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.As the dewan of the state of Bikaner, Panikkar invited the archaeologist Aurel Stein to excavate what became the first findings of the Indus Valley Civilisation. He was the architect of Independent India’s maritime policy and the country’s first ambassador to China. Panikkar was also part of the States Reorganisation Committee and a key figure to have influenced the redrawing of India’s states on linguistic lines.Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.Previous Daily Subject-Wise-QuizDaily Subject-wise quiz — History, Culture, and Social Issues (Week 161)Daily subject-wise quiz — Polity and Governance (Week 177)Daily subject-wise quiz — Science and Technology (Week 177)Daily subject-wise quiz — Economy (Week 177)Daily subject-wise quiz — Environment and Geography (Week 177)Daily subject-wise quiz – International Relations (Week 176)Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter and stay updated with the news cues from the past week.Story continues below this adStay updated with the latest UPSC articles by joining our Telegram channel – IndianExpress UPSC Hub, and follow us on Instagram and X