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Video: Introduction to Indian Geography | by Mr Himanshu | UPSC GEOGRAPHY
Discover India's breathtaking diversity! From the towering Himalayas to the fertile Indo-Gangetic plains, the arid Thar Desert, the lush Deccan Plateau, and the tropical islands of Lakshadweep and Andaman-Nicobar, explore how geography shapes this incredible nation. Perfect for travelers, geography enthusiasts, and UPSC aspirants alike.
Source:
- Video: Geography of India Explained | UPSC GEOGRAPHY | UPSC 2025 | Prelims .
- Universal Group of Institutions / Youtube.
Video: Earth 101 | National Geographic
Earth is the only planet known to maintain life. Find out the origins of our home planet and some of the key ingredients that help make this blue speck in space a unique global ecosystem.
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The French Revolution and Napoleonic Era - Sample Multiple-Choice Questions and Answers
1. Which of the following was the basic cause of the French Revolution?
A. A majority of the French people wanted to replace the monarchy with the republic.
B. France was a weak country and in economic decline in 1789.
C. The past abuses of the Old Regime.
D. The support of nobles for the absolute government of Louis XVI.
E. The invasion of France by foreign countries.
2. The French bourgeoisie supported the French Revolution mainly because
A. they believed in the Theory of Divine Right of Kings.
B. they were not allowed to own property under the Old Regime.
C. they resented their lack of political power under the Old Regime.
D. they wanted a democratic form of government.
E. the government set up a voting system based on universal male suffrage.
3. The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen adapted by the National Assembly in the French Revolution was
A. a declaration of war against Austria and Prussia.
B. a statement of the main principles of the French Revolution.
C. a constitution establishing a republican form of government.
D. a set of laws that confiscated Church property.
E. an announcement of the French military victory over the enemies of the Revolution.
4. Which of these positions does Mary Wollstonecraft support in her book, A Vindication of the Rights of Woman?
A. Edmund Burke’s belief that the revolution was creating chaos on the European continent
B. That women should focus on economic progress over political progress
C. That the ideas of Olympe de Gouges were too radical
D. That inherited privileges were important in society
E. That the ideals of the French Revolution of liberty and equality should be applied equally to men and women
5. Which social group had the greatest number of victims during the Reign of Terror (1793–1794)?
A. Bourgeoisie
B. Clergy
C. Nobility
D. Foreigners
E. Peasants
6. Which was an important result of the Civil Constitution of the Clergy (1790)?
A. The Pope continued to appoint Church officials. B. The Church was made a department of the French states.
C. The clergy were given power to open more monasteries and convents.
D. Church officials received privileged positions in the Estates General.
E. The Pope was required to pay the salary of the clergy.
7. All of the following are true about the Napoleonic Code EXCEPT that
A. it provided equal treatment before the law.
B. it guaranteed religious toleration and trial by jury.
C. it abolished what remained of serfdom and feudalism.
D. it is the basis of law in Latin America and is still used in France.
E. it improved the rights of women.
8. In Goya’s painting, The Third of May 1808, the painter depicts the shooting of Spanish civilians by
A. Napoleon’s troops.
B. those involved in the Decembrist Revolution.
C. Bismarck’s troops trying to eliminate Austria’s influence over Germany.
D. Garibaldi’s Red Shirts trying to unify Sicily.
E. the Estates General.
9. What was a major goal of the Congress of Vienna?
A. To establish democratic governments in all European nations
B. To maintain a balance of power in Europe
C. To preserve the reforms of the French Revolution
D. To encourage nationalism E. To reestablish the Holy Roman Empire
10. The most influential figure at the Congress of Vienna was
A. Talleyrand.
B. Metternich.
C. Napoleon Bonaparte.
D. Nicholas II.
E. Otto von Bismarck.
Multiple-Choice Questions: Answers and Explanations
1. C. The Old Regime, which described the political, economic, and social conditions in Europe before 1789, was marked by absolutism in government, inequality among classes, and unequal and burdensome taxation. In 1789, France was divided into Three Estates. The First Estate was made up of the clergy and the Second Estate was composed of the nobles. They made up about 2 percent of the population, but owned about 40 percent of the land and paid no taxes. The Third Estate was made up of the middle class (bourgeoisie), city workers, and the peasants who comprised 98 percent of the population, controlled 60 percent of the land, and paid a variety of different taxes, such as the tithe to the clergy and feudal dues to the nobles. A majority of the French people supported the monarchy until 1791. In 1789, France was one of the wealthiest countries in Europe and not in economic decline. The nobles supported Louis XVI but wanted more influence in the decision-making process. The foreign powers invaded France in 1792, two years after the French Revolution had begun.
2. C. The French bourgeoisie supported the French Revolution mainly because they resented their lack of political power under the Old Regime. The bourgeoisie (middle class) included prosperous bankers, merchants, and manufacturers who propped up the French economy. They also included the officials who staffed the royal bureaucracy. The estates system allowed the clergy and the nobles to monopolize all the benefits while the majority received very little. The French bourgeoisie did not support the belief in the Divine Right Theory. They still were loyal to the monarchy but one with less absolute power. They did not support democracy. The middle class owned about 40 percent of the land but had little or no political influence.
3. B. The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen was a statement of the main principles of the French Revolution. The declaration guaranteed basic civil rights and that all political sovereignty rested in the hands of the people, not the king. It also proclaimed that all male citizens were equal before the law. Its principles captured the slogan of the French Revolution, “Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity.” The declaration established a constitutional monarchy, not a republican form of government. The Civil Constitution of the clergy led to the confiscation of Church land. The declaration was a statement of political principles and not an announcement of any military victories.
4. E. Mary Wollstonecraft was directly influenced by the ideas of Olympe de Gouges. She accepted her belief that women should have the same rights as men. Wollstonecraft also stressed, like de Gouges, that women should be given improved educational opportunities in conjunction with political rights. Her goals were to achieve economic and political freedom and to not sacrifice economic freedom for political gains. As a firm believer in liberty and equality, Wollstonecraft rejected Edmund Burke’s ideas about the fear of freedom and the ideas of privileges based on birth. 5. E. Of the 40,000 who died during the Reign of Terror, about 70 percent were from the peasant class. About 15 percent were bourgeoisie and the remaining 15 percent were clergy and nobility. There were no major executions of foreigners.
6. B. The Civil Constitution of the Clergy, which was passed by the National Assembly, denied the power of the pope’s control of the Catholic Church in France. The clergy became salaried officials of the state. The clergy were elected by the people and were independent from the pope. The clergy were denied special privileges and the government dissolved monasteries and convents.
7. E. The Napoleonic Code did not improve the rights of women. The Code had several weaknesses in regard to women: Women could not vote; a wife owed obedience to her husband, who had total control over property; and an unmarried woman could not be a legal guardian. The Code recognized civil marriages and divorces; however, it was easier for a man to sue for divorce than a woman. Male heads of households regained complete authority over their wives and children. The Napoleonic Code embodied the Enlightenment principle of equality of all citizens before the law, religious toleration, and trial by jury. The Code also abolished the remnants of serfdom and feudalism. It is still the basis of law in Latin America and France.
8. A. The painting, The Third of May 1808, shows the execution of Spaniards by Napoleon’s troops. In 1808, Napoleon replaced the king of Spain with Napoleon’s brother, Joseph, who introduced liberal reforms that sought to undermine the Spanish Catholic Church. The Spanish remained loyal and conducted a campaign of hit-and-run raids. These attacks kept Napoleon bogged down when troops were needed elsewhere. The painting does not depict events associated with the Decembrist Revolution, Bismarck, programs of Nicholas I, or the Estates General.
9. B. A major goal of the Congress of Vienna was to maintain a balance of power in Europe. Following Napoleon’s defeat, diplomats of the victorious nations and France met in Vienna from 1814 until 1815. This was a peace conference to reconstruct war-torn Europe. Although the leaders of the Congress had different objectives, they were determined to turn back the clock of Europe to the time before the French Revolution. They wanted to establish a balance of power, or a distribution of military and economic power, to prevent any one nation from becoming too strong. To ensure this balance of power, Prince Metternich of Austria created the Concert of Europe. The Concert included all the major European states and pledged to maintain the balance of power and to suppress any uprising inspired by the ideas of the French Revolution. The representatives of the Congress of Vienna did not support establishing democratic governments in all European nations. They opposed the French revolutionary ideas of equality and democratic governments. Napoleon brought about the end of the Holy Roman Empire. The leaders of the Congress of Vienna were interested in stopping the spread of democracy and nationalism and not interested in reestablishing the Holy Roman Empire, which Napoleon had destroyed.
10. B. Prince Metternich of Austria was the most influential figure at the Congress of Vienna. This is because Metternich set a pattern of anti-democratic policies that was followed by most of the rulers of Europe. For 50 years, he was the most influential diplomat in Europe. Talleyrand of France was not the most influential figure at the Congress because he played a secondary role to Metternich. Napoleon Bonaparte was exiled at St. Helena and did not attend the meeting in Vienna. Nicholas II of Russia and Otto von Bismarck of Germany were leaders of their respective countries in the middle of the late nineteenth or early twentieth centuries.
World War II (1939–1945) - Sample Multiple-Choice Questions and Answers
1. The Atlantic Charter of 1941 was important to colonial people because
A. Great Britain promised to end its colonial rule in Asia and Africa.
B. they believed it gave them the right to govern themselves.
C. all European countries promised economic aid to their former colonies.
D. the United States pledged to support the colonial struggle for freedom.
E. it allowed all colonial governments to become part of the United Nations.
2. The turning point of the war in North Africa was the British victory over German forces at
A. the Coral Sea.
B. Midway.
C. Stalingrad.
D. El Alamein.
E. Leningrad.
3. One of the main reasons for Hitler’s invasion of Russia was
A. to prevent the Japanese from taking territory from Russia in Asia.
B. to gain control of the wheat fields in the Ukraine, which could provide additional food for the German war effort.
C. because he feared a Russian invasion of Germany.
D. to establish military bases in Russia. E. to liberate the Russian people from Bolshevism.
4. Sitzkrieg refers to
A. a phony war from October 1939 to March 1940.
B. the defeat of Poland.
C. a German counter-attack at Battle of the Bulge.
D. a German invasion of Russia.
E. the Battle of Britain.
5. Prior to June 1944, what country carried the bulk of the land war against Germany?
A. Britain
B. The United States
C. The Soviet Union
D. France
E. The French Resistance Movement
6. All of the following were a result of the Teheran Conference EXCEPT
A. a second front through France. B. postwar occupation of Germany.
C. the demilitarization of Germany.
D. the first meeting of the Big Three.
E. a demand for unconditional surrender of the Axis powers.
7. Which is considered the turning point of the war on the Eastern Front?
A. The Battle of Leningrad
B. The Battle of Stalingrad
C. Brest-Litovsk
D. The Battle of El Alamein
E. The bombing of Dresden
8. Why did the wartime cooperation between the Soviet Union and the Western powers break down at Potsdam?
A. The Western powers refused to acknowledge the division of Germany.
B. Stalin demanded more territory from Japan.
C. Stalin refused to carry out free elections in Eastern Europe.
D. Churchill insisted that Germany be blamed solely for the war.
E. The Soviet Union refused to join the United Nations.
9. At the Yalta Conference, the Soviet Union agreed to
A. the creation of the United Nations.
B. free elections in Eastern Europe.
C. share atomic secrets with other nations.
D. the joint invasion of Japan.
E. no separate peace treaties with the Axis powers.
10. The Nuremberg Trials of 1945/1946 established the principle of
A. collective guilt.
B. war crimes being justified under extreme circumstances.
C. national leaders being held personally responsible for crimes against humanity.
D. individuals who followed the orders of their superiors not being held accountable.
E. genocide.
Multiple-Choice Questions: Answers and Explanations
1. B. The Atlantic Charter was signed on August 14, 1941, and outlined the principles of freedom and economic development to ensure peace. Churchill was reluctant to sign the Atlantic Charter because it contained the provision that people could choose their own government. Churchill believed that Roosevelt was trying to do away with the British Empire. At the signing, Roosevelt became a hero to oppressed people all over the world for his opposition to the imperialist policies of the British, French, and Dutch. Colonial people believed that the Atlantic Charter gave them the right to self-government. It was reported that within a few days of the signing of the Atlantic Charter, Churchill received reports that the Burmese people would call for independence from Britain after the war. This same spirit was expressed by other colonial people living in Egypt and other parts of Africa. The Atlantic Charter did not provide for economic aid to former colonial countries nor would the United States promise to support the struggle for freedom or allow former colonial governments to become part of the United Nations.
2. D. The British army defeated the German army at El Alamein, which is 70 miles from Alexandria, Egypt. This battle protected Britain’s Suez Canal, the lifeline of the British Empire. The Coral Sea and Midway were naval battles fought by the United States Navy against Japan. Stalingrad and Leningrad were the sites of battles on the Russian front.
3. B. Hitler embarked on Operation Barbarossa because he realized that the potential wealth of the raw materials in the Ural Mountains, the vast forests of Siberia, and the tremendous wheat fields in the Ukraine would enable Germany to dominate Europe and carry out the war against England and other countries. Hitler did not fear Japanese expansion in Asia nor did he fear a Russian invasion. Russia was surprised by the German invasion; Stalin had refused to believe that Hitler would violate the non-aggression pact. Hitler wanted to destroy Stalin but never intended to liberate the Russian people from the yoke of communism.
4. A. Sitzkrieg refers to the phony war from October 1939 to March 1940 where there was little fighting after the German invasion of Poland. The defeat of Poland in four weeks demonstrated the effectiveness of Blitzkrieg (Lightning War). In June 1941, the Germans invaded Russia with over 3 million men and expected that their invasion would be over by the winter. German forces were repelled at the Battle of the Bulge. The Battle of Britain resulted in the failure of German air power to defeat the British.
5. C. The Soviet Union carried the bulk of the land war against Germany. France was knocked out of the war in 1940 and Britain was never a land power. The Soviet Union bore the brunt of the war effort until the establishment of the second front in June 1944. The United States did not bear the brunt until D-Day. The French Resistance Movement had very little impact on the war effort against Germany.
6. E. The Teheran Conference did not demand the unconditional surrender of the Axis powers. Churchill and Roosevelt had met in January 1943 at Casablanca and agreed upon a policy of unconditional surrender. The Teheran Conference addressed the issue of the second front, demilitarization of Germany, and postwar occupation of Germany. It was also the first time that Stalin, Churchill, and Roosevelt met.
7. B. The Battle of Stalingrad marked the turning point of the war on the Eastern Front. The Battle of Stalingrad stopped the German advances in the south and turned the tide of the battle. Leningrad was besieged for 900 days. It is a heroic tale but did not represent a turning point on the Eastern Front. Brest-Litovsk was the site of the peace negotiations between Germany and the Bolsheviks that ended Russia’s participation in World War I. The Battle of El Alamein marked the turning point in North Africa. The bombing of Dresden in Germany dealt with Allied efforts in 1945 to defeat Germany. It was not an area of conflict on the Eastern Front.
8. C. Stalin’s refusal to carry out free elections in Eastern Europe led to a breakdown of wartime cooperation between the Soviet Union and the Western powers at Potsdam. President Truman, who had succeeded Franklin D. Roosevelt, insisted that Stalin carry out his pledge of free elections that he had agreed to at the Yalta Conference. Stalin’s refusal laid the groundwork for the beginning of the Cold War. The Allied powers had agreed to the postwar occupation of Germany. Stalin did not demand more territory from Japan nor did he refuse to join the United Nations. None of the Allied nations wanted to blame Germany solely for the war. They wanted to avoid the mistakes of the Versailles Treaty.
9. B. At Yalta, the Soviet Union agreed to free elections in Eastern Europe. Stalin was determined to create a buffer zone against Germany and wanted to decide the fate of Eastern Europe himself. Churchill and Roosevelt agreed to the compromise because they could not really stop Stalin and were unwilling to go to war over Eastern Europe. The Allied nations had pledged to create a United Nations in 1941. The Soviet Union agreed to declare war on Japan but there was no discussion of a joint invasion. The Allied nations did not share atomic secrets with each other. Stalin was never informed that the United States was developing the atomic bomb. The Casablanca Conference declared that there would be no separate treaties with the Axis powers.
10. C. The Nuremberg Trials established the principle that Axis leaders should be tried for crimes against humanity. At the end of World War I, nothing was done to punish those leaders who were responsible for the war. At the Nuremberg Trials, Nazi war criminals were put on trial and 142 were found guilty. These trials were held for leading industrialists, military commanders, and others involved in the Final Solution. The Nuremberg Trials did not deal with genocide or collective war guilt. The Nuremberg tribunal rejected the idea that war crimes can be justified or that soldiers must blindly follow the orders of their leaders when they realize those orders are immoral.
Question - Which of the following was the basic cause of the French Revolution?
1. Which of the following was the basic cause of the French Revolution?
A. A majority of the French people wanted to replace the monarchy with the republic.
B. France was a weak country and in economic decline in 1789.
C. The past abuses of the Old Regime.
D. The support of nobles for the absolute government of Louis XVI.
E. The invasion of France by foreign countries.
ANSWER:
1. C. The Old Regime, which described the political, economic, and social conditions in Europe before 1789, was marked by absolutism in government, inequality among classes, and unequal and burdensome taxation. In 1789, France was divided into Three Estates. The First Estate was made up of the clergy and the Second Estate was composed of the nobles. They made up about 2 percent of the population, but owned about 40 percent of the land and paid no taxes. The Third Estate was made up of the middle class (bourgeoisie), city workers, and the peasants who comprised 98 percent of the population, controlled 60 percent of the land, and paid a variety of different taxes, such as the tithe to the clergy and feudal dues to the nobles. A majority of the French people supported the monarchy until 1791. In 1789, France was one of the wealthiest countries in Europe and not in economic decline. The nobles supported Louis XVI but wanted more influence in the decision-making process. The foreign powers invaded France in 1792, two years after the French Revolution had begun.
Question - The diagram below represents a rock with a distorted layer structure.
15. The diagram below represents a rock with a distorted layer structure.
The distorted structure of this rock is most likely the result of
A) a long period of weathering
B) glacial activity
C) wind erosion
D) extreme pressure
Answer: D) extreme pressure
Question - Base your answer to the following question on the cross section below which shows the surface and subsurface rock formations near New York City.
14. Base your answer to the following question on the cross section below which shows the surface and subsurface rock formations near New York City.
A) Palisades sill
B) Fordham gneiss
C) Inwood marble
D) Manhattan schist
Answer: C) Inwood marble
Question - What did the British do to win the loyalty of the orthodox Indians after the Revolt of 1857?
5. What did the British do to win the loyalty of the orthodox Indians after the Revolt of 1857?
Answer:
(i)The Queen’s Proclamation of 1858 promised noninterference in India’s religiousandsocial customs.
(ii) This meant that the British would no longer take interest in social and religiousreform.
(iii) They hoped this would win them the loyalty of the orthodox Indians after theRevoltof1857.
Question - Explain the origins of (a) bedding, (b) cross-bedding, (c) graded bedding, and (d) mud cracks.
Explain the origins of (a) bedding, (b) cross-bedding, (c) graded bedding, and (d) mud cracks.
Answer: (a) Bedding forms where there is an interruption or change in the depositional process, or a change in the composition of the material being deposited. (b) Cross-bedding forms in fluvial or aeolian environments where sand-sized sediments are being moved and ripples or dunes are present. (c) Graded bedding forms when transport energy decreases, depositing finer and finer particles. (d) Mud cracks form where fine-grained sediments (silt or clay) are allowed to dry.
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