UPSC Prelims 1999 · General Studies

Question 1: History and Culture

One consistent feature found in the history of southern India was the growth of small regional kingdoms rather than large empires because of

athe absence of minerals like iron

btoo many divisions in the social structure

cthe absence of vast areas of fertile land

dthe scarcity of manpower

AnswerThe answer is (c).

Fertile land in peninsular India lay in separate river basins and coastal plains (Kaveri, Krishna-Godavari, Tungabhadra), cut off from one another by rocky uplands and hills. No single region had enough rich farmland to support an army and revenue large enough to hold the whole south, so power stayed with regional kingdoms of the Pallavas, Pandyas, Cheras and others, unlike the Ganga plain, which fed large empires. Remember: geography, not iron or manpower, kept southern kingdoms small.

Why each option is right or wrong

(a) Wrong. Iron was available and worked in the south from the megalithic period; its absence was not the problem.
(b) Wrong. Social divisions existed all over India and do not explain why the south in particular had small kingdoms.
(c) Right. Fertile land was limited to scattered river valleys and plains, so each region supported only a modest kingdom.
(d) Wrong. The south was well populated; manpower was not scarce.

Explanation: written by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.

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Source: UPSC, Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 1999, General Studies. UPSC's own paper isn't online; the words are from a published compilation. The paper on upsc.gov.in.