Paper I — Q1
Identify the following places marked on the map supplied to you and write a short note of about 30 words on each of them in your…
Identify the following places marked on the map supplied to you and write a short note of about 30 words on each of them in your Question-cum-Answer Booklet. Locational hints for each of the places marked on the map are given below seriatim: Neolithic site
Site of Mother and Child Terracotta Figure
Hoard of Gupta Coin
Site of Botanical remains
Harappan site with mud-brick platform
Mauryan reservoir site
Capital of Maitraka dynasty
Dockyard
Rock shelter
Stone axe factory (xi) Satavahana inscription site (xii) Minor rock inscription of Asoka (xiii) Buddhist Stupa (xiv) Mesolithic site (xv) Iron smelting workshop (xvi) Megalithic site (xvii) Temple site dedicated to Surya (xviii) Roman factory site (xix) Site of Muvar Koil (Temple of Three) (xx) Megalith stone site
हिंदी में प्रश्न पढ़ें
आपको दिए गए मानचित्र पर अंकित निम्नलिखित स्थानों की पहचान कीजिए एवं अपनी प्रश्न-सह-उत्तर पुस्तिका में उनमें से प्रत्येक पर लगभग 30 शब्दों की संक्षिप्ट टिप्पणी लिखिए। मानचित्र पर अंकित प्रत्येक स्थान के लिए स्थान-निर्धारण संकेत क्रमानुसार नीचे दिए गए हैं: नवपाषाणकालीन स्थल
माँ और शिशु की मूर्ति का स्थल
गुप्त मुद्रा निधि
वानस्पतिक अवशेष स्थल
मिट्टी की ईंटों से बने प्लेटफार्म वाला हड़प्पा स्थल
मौर्य तड़ाग स्थल
मैत्रक वंश की राजधानी
गोदीबाड़ा
शैलाश्रय
पत्थर की कुल्हाड़ी का कारखाना (xi) सातवाहन अभिलेख स्थल (xii) अशोक का लघु शिलालेख (xiii) बौद्ध स्तूप (xiv) मध्यपाषाणकालीन स्थल (xv) लोहा गलाने की कार्यशाला (xvi) महापाषाणयुगीन स्थल (xvii) सूर्य को समर्पित मंदिर स्थल (xviii) रोमन कारखाना स्थल (xix) मुवर कोइल (तीन मंदिर) स्थल (xx) महापाषाण लौह स्थल
The figure this question refers to, in words
The question paper is a scan and the diagram did not survive as text. This is the figure as read from the original page — every component, value and label — so the question can be worked from the text below.
A political map of India titled 'INDIA—POLITICAL' with a scale of 1:20,500,000. The map displays state boundaries and is marked with Roman numerals (i) through (xx) indicating specific locations. The map includes latitude and longitude lines, with the Tropic of Cancer marked across the center. A scale bar in kilometers is present in the top right corner. The locations are distributed across the country: (i) in the far north (Jammu & Kashmir), (ii) in the northeast (Assam), (iii) in central-north (Uttar Pradesh), (iv) in the northeast (Meghalaya), (v) in the northwest (Rajasthan), (vi) in the west (Gujarat), (vii) in the west (Gujarat), (viii) in the west (Gujarat), (ix) in central India (Madhya Pradesh), (x) in central India (Madhya Pradesh), (xi) in the west (Gujarat), (xii) in central India (Madhya Pradesh), (xiii) in central India (Maharashtra), (xiv) in the south (Karnataka), (xv) in the south (Karnataka), (xvi) in the south (Karnataka), (xvii) in the south (Tamil Nadu), (xviii) in the south (Tamil Nadu), (xix) in the south (Tamil Nadu), and (xx) in the south (Karnataka).
Model answer
Drafted with AI by UPSC Answer Check against this question's marking rubric, to the 30-word length. UPSC does not publish answers for Mains — this is one way to score well, not an official key. How we build rubrics and answers.
(i) Burzahom (Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir)
Neolithic site near Srinagar from about 2700 BCE. It has pit-dwellings, polished stone and bone tools, dog burials beside humans, and traces of wheat, barley and lentil; a later phase has megaliths.
(ii) Kannauj (Kanyakubja, Uttar Pradesh)
Capital of the Maukharis and of Harsha, described by Xuanzang. A Gupta-period (4th–6th century CE) terracotta mother-and-child figurine, with a painted face and careful hairstyle, comes from here.
(iii) Bayana (Bharatpur, Rajasthan)
Site of a hoard of nearly 2,000 Gupta gold coins, found in 1946 and among the largest coin hoards of India. Coins show kings with musicians, elephant-riders and goddesses.
(iv) Lahuradeva (Sant Kabir Nagar, Uttar Pradesh)
Middle Ganga plain site with charred rice and cord-impressed pottery dated as early as about 7000 BCE, showing early rice farming; later levels have copper objects and storage structures.
(v) Ojiyana (near Beawar, Rajasthan)
Ahar culture settlement, contemporary with the Harappans, on hill slopes. It has sun-dried mud-brick structures and platforms, terracotta bulls, copper tools and faience beads, showing trade links.
(vi) Sudarshana Lake (Girnar, Junagadh, Gujarat)
Mauryan reservoir built by Pushyagupta, Chandragupta's governor, and fitted with conduits by Ashoka's governor Tushaspa. Rudradaman's Junagadh inscription (about 150 CE) records its repair; Skandagupta's governor repaired it again.
(vii) Vallabhi (Vala, Bhavnagar, Gujarat)
Capital of the Maitrakas (about 475–776 CE), founded by Bhatarka. It was a renowned centre of Buddhist learning, noted by Xuanzang and Yijing, and held a Jain council under Devardhigani.
(viii) Lothal (Gujarat)
Harappan port town with a brick-lined basin identified as a dockyard, a warehouse, a bead-making workshop and a planned lower town. Seals and finds suggest trade with the Persian Gulf.
(ix) Bhimbetka (Raisen, Madhya Pradesh)
Rock shelters near Bhopal with Mesolithic paintings of hunting, dance and animals in red and white. Deposits run from the Acheulian to the Mesolithic. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site (2003).
(x) Nevasa (Ahmednagar, Maharashtra)
Site on the Pravara river with a Palaeolithic stone-tool factory. Its Middle Palaeolithic flake industry is called the Nevasan industry; later Chalcolithic (Jorwe) levels have painted pottery and copper tools.
(xi) Nashik (Maharashtra)
Pandavleni (Trirashmi) caves with Satavahana inscriptions of Gautamiputra Satakarni and Vasishthiputra Pulumavi, recording grants to Buddhist monks and describing the kings' victories, including over the Shakas.
(xii) Erragudi (Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh)
Ashokan site with minor rock edicts and a full set of the major rock edicts in one place. Its Brahmi inscriptions are written in boustrophedon style, alternately left to right and right to left.
(xiii) Nelakondapalli (Khammam, Telangana)
Buddhist site with a brick-lined stupa near an ancient lake. Finds include a bronze Buddha, terracotta figurines, and hundreds of Satavahana and some Ikshvaku coins; inscriptions run from the 5th to the 16th century.
(xiv) Renigunta (Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh)
Multi-culture Stone Age site with Acheulian handaxes and cleavers on quartzite, and Mesolithic microliths of milky quartz, including rare geometric forms and bored stones possibly used as net sinkers.
(xv) Junapani (Nagpur, Maharashtra)
Vidarbha Iron Age megalithic site with about 300 stone circles. Iron rings, chisels and axes and smelting evidence were found; burials were under cairns without cremation, and some stones bear cup marks.
(xvi) Paiyampalli (Vellore, Tamil Nadu)
Neolithic–Megalithic habitation and burial site with stone-chip floors in huts, charred cereals and pulses, locally smelted iron tools, and red and black-and-red ware, showing the passage from Neolithic to Iron Age.
(xvii) Mandsaur (Dashapura, Madhya Pradesh)
The Mandsaur inscription of Kumaragupta and Bandhuvarman (436–437 CE) records a sun temple built by a silk-weavers' guild that migrated from Gujarat, and its repair in 473 CE. Yashodharman's pillars are also here.
(xviii) Arikamedu (Puducherry)
Ancient port Poduke, where Wheeler excavated in 1945. It had Roman amphorae, Arretine ware, lamps and glass, a warehouse and a bead-making workshop, showing Indo-Roman trade in the early centuries CE.
(xix) Kodumbalur (Pudukkottai, Tamil Nadu)
Site of the Muvar Koil, three temples raised by the Irukkuvel chief Bhuti Vikramakesari in the early Chola period (9th–10th century CE). Two survive, with a fine stone shrine and Nandi shrine.
(xx) Maski (Raichur, Karnataka)
Neolithic–Chalcolithic–Megalithic site with microliths, polished tools, copper rods, carnelian beads and black-and-red ware. Its minor rock edict of Ashoka is the first to name him, as Devanampiya Asoka.
How this answer will be evaluated
Framework: Map Identification & Short Note
What earns full marks: Accurate identification for all 20 sites; notes are concise, specific, and directly address the locational hint.
Evaluation rubric
Each sub-part is marked on its own, against the marks and word limit printed on the paper.
- ((i)) Identify the site marked (i) as 'Neolithic site' and write a short note of about 30 words. · 30 words
write short notes— define → 3-4 key features → one example → one-line significance
Must cover
- Burzahom near Srinagar
- Pit-dwellings and dog burials
- Polished stone and bone tools
Loses marks
- Naming the wrong site or writing an unfocused note.
Earns more
- Marks for the correct site and accurate points in a short note.
Extra mark
- A precise date or named ruler or excavator.
- ((ii)) Identify the site marked (ii) as 'Site of Mother and Child Terracotta Figure' and write a short note of about 30 words. · 30 words
write short notes— define → 3-4 key features → one example → one-line significance
Must cover
- Kannauj (Kanyakubja), Uttar Pradesh
- Gupta-period terracotta mother and child
- Capital of Maukharis and Harsha
Loses marks
- Naming the wrong site or writing an unfocused note.
Earns more
- Marks for the correct site and accurate points in a short note.
Extra mark
- A precise date or named ruler or excavator.
- ((iii)) Identify the site marked (iii) as 'Hoard of Gupta Coin' and write a short note of about 30 words. · 30 words
write short notes— define → 3-4 key features → one example → one-line significance
Must cover
- Bayana, Rajasthan
- Hoard of nearly 2,000 Gupta gold coins, 1946
- Coin types showing kings and goddesses
Loses marks
- Naming the wrong site or writing an unfocused note.
Earns more
- Marks for the correct site and accurate points in a short note.
Extra mark
- A precise date or named ruler or excavator.
- ((iv)) Identify the site marked (iv) as 'Site of Botanical remains' and write a short note of about 30 words. · 30 words
write short notes— define → 3-4 key features → one example → one-line significance
Must cover
- Lahuradeva, Uttar Pradesh
- Charred rice and cord-impressed pottery
- Dated as early as about 7000 BCE
Loses marks
- Naming the wrong site or writing an unfocused note.
Earns more
- Marks for the correct site and accurate points in a short note.
Extra mark
- A precise date or named ruler or excavator.
- ((v)) Identify the site marked (v) as 'Harappan site with mud-brick platform' and write a short note of about 30 words. · 30 words
write short notes— define → 3-4 key features → one example → one-line significance
Must cover
- Ojiyana, Rajasthan
- Sun-dried mud-brick structures and platform
- Terracotta bulls, copper tools, faience beads
Loses marks
- Naming the wrong site or writing an unfocused note.
Earns more
- Marks for the correct site and accurate points in a short note.
Extra mark
- A precise date or named ruler or excavator.
- ((vi)) Identify the site marked (vi) as 'Mauryan reservoir site' and write a short note of about 30 words. · 30 words
write short notes— define → 3-4 key features → one example → one-line significance
Must cover
- Sudarshana Lake, Girnar, Gujarat
- Built under Pushyagupta, Ashoka's governor Tushaspa
- Repaired by Rudradaman, later by Skandagupta's governor
Loses marks
- Naming the wrong site or writing an unfocused note.
Earns more
- Marks for the correct site and accurate points in a short note.
Extra mark
- A precise date or named ruler or excavator.
- ((vii)) Identify the site marked (vii) as 'Capital of Maitraka dynasty' and write a short note of about 30 words. · 30 words
write short notes— define → 3-4 key features → one example → one-line significance
Must cover
- Vallabhi, Gujarat
- Maitraka capital founded by Bhatarka
- Centre of Buddhist learning, Jain council
Loses marks
- Naming the wrong site or writing an unfocused note.
Earns more
- Marks for the correct site and accurate points in a short note.
Extra mark
- A precise date or named ruler or excavator.
- ((viii)) Identify the site marked (viii) as 'Dockyard' and write a short note of about 30 words. · 30 words
write short notes— define → 3-4 key features → one example → one-line significance
Must cover
- Lothal, Gujarat
- Brick-lined basin identified as dockyard
- Bead workshop, Persian Gulf trade
Loses marks
- Naming the wrong site or writing an unfocused note.
Earns more
- Marks for the correct site and accurate points in a short note.
Extra mark
- A precise date or named ruler or excavator.
- ((ix)) Identify the site marked (ix) as 'Rock shelter' and write a short note of about 30 words. · 30 words
write short notes— define → 3-4 key features → one example → one-line significance
Must cover
- Bhimbetka, Madhya Pradesh
- Rock paintings of hunting and dance
- UNESCO World Heritage Site
Loses marks
- Naming the wrong site or writing an unfocused note.
Earns more
- Marks for the correct site and accurate points in a short note.
Extra mark
- A precise date or named ruler or excavator.
- ((x)) Identify the site marked (x) as 'Stone axe factory' and write a short note of about 30 words. · 30 words
write short notes— define → 3-4 key features → one example → one-line significance
Must cover
- Nevasa, Maharashtra
- Palaeolithic stone-tool factory
- Nevasan industry; Jorwe Chalcolithic
Loses marks
- Naming the wrong site or writing an unfocused note.
Earns more
- Marks for the correct site and accurate points in a short note.
Extra mark
- A precise date or named ruler or excavator.
- ((xi)) Identify the site marked (xi) as 'Satavahana inscription site' and write a short note of about 30 words. · 30 words
write short notes— define → 3-4 key features → one example → one-line significance
Must cover
- Nashik, Maharashtra
- Pandavleni caves inscriptions
- Gautamiputra Satakarni and Pulumavi
Loses marks
- Naming the wrong site or writing an unfocused note.
Earns more
- Marks for the correct site and accurate points in a short note.
Extra mark
- A precise date or named ruler or excavator.
- ((xii)) Identify the site marked (xii) as 'Minor rock inscription of Asoka' and write a short note of about 30 words. · 30 words
write short notes— define → 3-4 key features → one example → one-line significance
Must cover
- Erragudi, Andhra Pradesh
- Minor and major rock edicts of Ashoka
- Boustrophedon writing
Loses marks
- Naming the wrong site or writing an unfocused note.
Earns more
- Marks for the correct site and accurate points in a short note.
Extra mark
- A precise date or named ruler or excavator.
- ((xiii)) Identify the site marked (xiii) as 'Buddhist Stupa' and write a short note of about 30 words. · 30 words
write short notes— define → 3-4 key features → one example → one-line significance
Must cover
- Nelakondapalli, Telangana
- Brick-lined Buddhist stupa
- Satavahana and Ikshvaku coins
Loses marks
- Naming the wrong site or writing an unfocused note.
Earns more
- Marks for the correct site and accurate points in a short note.
Extra mark
- A precise date or named ruler or excavator.
- ((xiv)) Identify the site marked (xiv) as 'Mesolithic site' and write a short note of about 30 words. · 30 words
write short notes— define → 3-4 key features → one example → one-line significance
Must cover
- Renigunta, Andhra Pradesh
- Milky quartz microliths
- Acheulian handaxes, bored stones
Loses marks
- Naming the wrong site or writing an unfocused note.
Earns more
- Marks for the correct site and accurate points in a short note.
Extra mark
- A precise date or named ruler or excavator.
- ((xv)) Identify the site marked (xv) as 'Iron smelting workshop' and write a short note of about 30 words. · 30 words
write short notes— define → 3-4 key features → one example → one-line significance
Must cover
- Junapani, Maharashtra
- About 300 stone circles
- Iron tools and smelting evidence
Loses marks
- Naming the wrong site or writing an unfocused note.
Earns more
- Marks for the correct site and accurate points in a short note.
Extra mark
- A precise date or named ruler or excavator.
- ((xvi)) Identify the site marked (xvi) as 'Megalithic site' and write a short note of about 30 words. · 30 words
write short notes— define → 3-4 key features → one example → one-line significance
Must cover
- Paiyampalli, Tamil Nadu
- Neolithic–Megalithic habitation and burials
- Local iron smelting, black-and-red ware
Loses marks
- Naming the wrong site or writing an unfocused note.
Earns more
- Marks for the correct site and accurate points in a short note.
Extra mark
- A precise date or named ruler or excavator.
- ((xvii)) Identify the site marked (xvii) as 'Temple site dedicated to Surya' and write a short note of about 30 words. · 30 words
write short notes— define → 3-4 key features → one example → one-line significance
Must cover
- Mandsaur, Madhya Pradesh
- Sun temple built by silk-weavers' guild
- Kumaragupta-era inscription, 436–437 CE
Loses marks
- Naming the wrong site or writing an unfocused note.
Earns more
- Marks for the correct site and accurate points in a short note.
Extra mark
- A precise date or named ruler or excavator.
- ((xviii)) Identify the site marked (xviii) as 'Roman factory site' and write a short note of about 30 words. · 30 words
write short notes— define → 3-4 key features → one example → one-line significance
Must cover
- Arikamedu, Puducherry
- Roman amphorae, Arretine ware
- Bead workshop and warehouse, Indo-Roman trade
Loses marks
- Naming the wrong site or writing an unfocused note.
Earns more
- Marks for the correct site and accurate points in a short note.
Extra mark
- A precise date or named ruler or excavator.
- ((xix)) Identify the site marked (xix) as 'Site of Muvar Koil (Temple of Three)' and write a short note of about 30 words. · 30 words
write short notes— define → 3-4 key features → one example → one-line significance
Must cover
- Kodumbalur, Tamil Nadu
- Three temples by Irukkuvel Bhuti Vikramakesari
- Early Chola architecture
Loses marks
- Naming the wrong site or writing an unfocused note.
Earns more
- Marks for the correct site and accurate points in a short note.
Extra mark
- A precise date or named ruler or excavator.
- ((xx)) Identify the site marked (xx) as 'Megalith stone site' and write a short note of about 30 words. · 30 words
write short notes— define → 3-4 key features → one example → one-line significance
Must cover
- Maski, Karnataka
- Megalithic and Chalcolithic site
- Edict naming Devanampiya Asoka
Loses marks
- Naming the wrong site or writing an unfocused note.
Earns more
- Marks for the correct site and accurate points in a short note.
Extra mark
- A precise date or named ruler or excavator.
What "Write short notes" is asking you to do
Five or six self-contained answers, marked separately, typically 10 marks and about 150 words each. Each note must carry its own definition, its two or three defining features and a line on why it matters; a common introduction or conclusion across the notes earns nothing.
Structure that answers it
Per note: one-line definition or identification → two or three features, mechanisms or named examples → one line of significance or Indian application
Where marks are lost
Writing the first two notes at essay length and rationing the rest. Each note is marked on its own, so marks surrendered on a compressed or unattempted note cannot be won back by the long ones.
Practice this exact question
Write your answer and it is marked point by point against the model answer above — what you covered, what you missed, what you got wrong.
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