CAPF AC 2021 Q65: Medieval History – Regional Kingdoms & Frontier States
- (a) 1 only
- (b) 2 only
- (c) Both 1 and 2
- (d) Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: (c) Both 1 and 2
Explanation
Guru Arjan and the early Sikh Gurus
How to think: both statements come from the standard account of how the Sikh community changed under the fifth Guru, Arjan Dev.
Check each one against what he did.
| Statement | Verdict | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Early Gurus kept away from politics, but Guru Arjan gave his good wishes to the rebel prince Khusrau | Correct | In 1606 he blessed Khusrau, who had revolted against his father Jahangir |
| 2. Guru Arjan organised finances through a more or less compulsory spiritual tribute collected by Masands | Correct | The offering (dasvandh, one-tenth of income) was collected by agents called masands |
What followed: Jahangir had Guru Arjan put to death in 1606.
His son Guru Hargobind then took up arms and adopted the two swords of miri and piri.
Other work of Guru Arjan: he compiled the Adi Granth (1604) and completed the Harmandir Sahib at Amritsar.
Answer: (c) Both 1 and 2.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Incorrect. Statement 2 is also true; Guru Arjan organised the masand system of collection.
- (b) Incorrect. Statement 1 is also true; he blessed the rebel prince Khusrau.
- (c) CORRECT. Both statements about Guru Arjan are true.
- (d) Incorrect. Neither statement is false; both are from the standard history texts.
Key point
Guru Arjan (fifth Guru): Adi Granth 1604, Harmandir Sahib, masand system with dasvandh, blessed Khusrau, executed by Jahangir in 1606. Guru Hargobind: miri and piri, Akal Takht. Guru Gobind Singh abolished the masands and founded the Khalsa in 1699.
Remember
Guru Arjan: Adi Granth, masands, Khusrau, martyrdom 1606.
Common mistakes
- Crediting the masand collections to Guru Gobind Singh, who actually abolished them.
- Mixing up Khusrau (son of Jahangir) with Khurram, the later Shah Jahan.
- Thinking the Sikh Gurus were in politics from the time of Guru Nanak.
Exam tip
Educated guess: both statements are long, detailed and read like lines lifted from a textbook. UPSC rarely writes such specific detail into a false statement without a clear reversal.
Sources
- Satish Chandra, History of Medieval India — The Mughal Empire: Jahangir and the Sikhs
- NCERT Class VII History — Our Pasts II, Chapter 10: Eighteenth-Century Political Formations (the Sikhs)