States PCS: West Bengal GK Questions for WBPSC Examinations
For all West Bengal Public Service Commission (WBPSC) exams including WBCS, JE, AE, and other state-level competitive examinations.
1. Consider the following traditional water management system with states to which they are associated:
- Dongs – Assam
- Jampois – West Bengal
- Bandhas – Odisha
Which of the above is/are correct?
[A] 1 & 2 Only
[B] 3 Only
[C] 2 & 3 Only
[D] 1, 2 & 3
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [ 1, 2 & 3]
Notes:
Dongs are ponds constructed by the Bodo tribes of Assam to harvest water for irrigation. Jampois are small irrigation channels linking rice fields to streams in the Jalpaiguri district of West Bengal. The katas, mundas and bandhas were the main irrigation sources in the ancient tribal kingdom of the Gonds (now in Odisha and Madhya Pradesh).
2. How many kingdoms were Bengal divided into, according to scriptures?
[A] 7
[B] 4
[C] 8
[D] 6
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [6]
Notes:
Scriptures suggest that Bengal was divided into many small kingdoms which were Vanga (Southern Bengal), Pundra (Northern Bengal), Suhma
(Western Bengal), Anga, Harikela and Samatata kingdoms.
3. In early Muslim period, the name ‘Gauda’ came to be applied to the city of
[A] Vanga
[B] Lakshmanavati
[C] Bhuvanesa
[D] Radha
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Lakshmanavati]
Notes:
According to Jain writers of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, Gauda included Lakshmanavati in present-day Malda district. If the comentertor of Kamasutra of Vatsayana is to be believed, it extended southward as far as Kalinga.
4. Who was the last ruler of Gupta dynasty?
[A] Adityavardhana
[B] Krishnagupta
[C] Jivitagupta II
[D] None of the above
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Jivitagupta II]
Notes:
Jivitagupta II, the last known ruler of the dynasty, appears to have been defeated by Yashovarman of Kannauj.
5. Who wrote Charyagiti-koshavrtti?
[A] Prabodhchandra Bagchi
[B] Abahatta
[C] Munidatta
[D] Kritichandra
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Munidatta]
Notes:
The Tibetan translation of Charyapada provided additional information, including that the Sanskrit commentary in the manuscript, known as Charyagiti-koshavrtti, was written by Munidatta. It also mentions that the original text was translated by Shilachari and its commentary by Munidatta was translated by Chandrakirti or Kirtichandra.
6. Who was Rajyashri?
[A] Sister of Harshavardhana
[B] Mother of Harshavardhana
[C] Sister of Rajyavardhana
[D] Mother of Rajyavardhana
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Sister of Harshavardhana]
Notes:
Rajyashri was the sister of Harsha Vardhan (590–647) and was instrumental in getting her brother to convert to Buddhism. They were the children of Prabhakar Vardhan, a king of Sthanvisvara or modern Thanesar in Haryana. Prabhakar Vardhan was a follower of the sun cult.
7. According to Ptolemy, which was the
capital city of the Gangaridai people situated in deltaic southern Bengal?
[A] Ganga
[B] Gangai
[C] Gange
[D] Gangapur
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Gange]
Notes:
Chandraketugarh with places mentioned in Greek and Roman texts such as
Periplus of the Erythraean Sea and the work of Ptolemy. The former text
from an anonymous writer refers to a flourishing town called ‘Gang’
located on the banks of River Ganga. Ptolemy also describes ‘Gange’ as the
capital city of the Gangaridai people situated in deltaic southern Bengal.
8. Who was responsible for the fall of Chandra Dynasty?
[A] Kalachuri king Karna
[B] Chandragupta Maurya
[C] Kanishka
[D] Shashanka
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Kalachuri king Karna ]
Notes:
As mentioned in the Tirumulai inscription, Chandra Dynasty suffered from a Chola invasion (between 1021-1024 AD). Govindachandra or his successor (not known) may have suffered under an attack by Kalachuri king Karna (some time before 1048-49 AD) and this was possibly responsible for the fall of the Chandras.
9. Who was the ruler of Pratapgarh kingdom?
[A] Kalindi Sheikh
[B] Sherbahadur
[C] Bazid
[D] Majidi
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Bazid]
Notes:
In the northeastern Barak Valley, the ruler Bazid of the Pratapgarh Kingdom declared himself as a Sultan on par with the Bengali Sultan. This invited the retribution of Alauddin Hussain Shah, who dispatched Surwar Khan (a convert to Islam from Hinduism) to suppress the newly formed sultanate in Pratapgarh.
10. Who transferred the capital of Bengal from Rajmahal to Dhaka?
[A] Muhammad Ghori
[B] Iltutmis
[C] Ghiyas-ud-Din Balban
[D] Shaikh Alauddin Chisti
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Shaikh Alauddin Chisti]
Notes:
Shaikh Alauddin Chisti (1570–1613) was a Mughal general and the Subahdar of Bengal. He transferred the capital of Bengal from Rajmahal to Dhaka and renamed it Jahangirnagar. He was awarded the titular name of Islam Khan by Mughal emperor Jahangir.
