1995 General Studies, all questions
UPSC Prelims 1995 · General Studies
Question 14: History and Culture
The original home of the gypsies was
aEgypt
bRussia
cIndia
dPersia
AnswerThe answer is (c).
The Romani people, called gypsies in older writing, trace their origin to north-western India. Their language belongs to the Indo-Aryan family, related to Hindi and Punjabi, and they moved westwards through Persia and Anatolia into Europe over many centuries. The name 'gypsy' comes from a mistaken belief that they came from Egypt. Remember: the Romani language points to an Indian origin.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Egypt is only the source of the mistaken name 'gypsy', not their home.
- (b) Russia is one of many countries where Romani settled, not their origin.
- (c) Right: language and other evidence point to northern India.
- (d) Persia was a stage on their journey westwards, not the original home.
Explanation: written by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.
Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 1995, General Studies. UPSC's own paper isn't online; the words are from a published compilation. The paper on upsc.gov.in.