1999 General Studies, all questions
UPSC Prelims 1999 · General Studies
Question 11: History and Culture
The term ‘Aryan’ denotes
aan ethnic group
ba nomadic people
ca speech group
da superior race
AnswerThe answer is (c).
'Aryan' is a linguistic term. It was first used for speakers of the Indo-Aryan and related languages of the Indo-European family, and in the 19th century it came to be used loosely for a race, an idea scholars have rejected. It does not identify an ethnic group, a nomadic people or a superior race. Remember: Aryan describes a speech group, never a race.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Wrong. It is not an ethnic group; the word describes language.
- (b) Wrong. Aryan does not mean a nomadic people.
- (c) Right. It denotes a group of people speaking related languages.
- (d) Wrong. The idea of a superior Aryan race is a discredited 19th-century notion.
Explanation: written by UPSC Grade, not by UPSC.
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.