History – English Medium GCE O/L – MCQ – 2017

The Dipavamsa is the oldest surviving chronicle of Sri Lanka. It was compiled in the 4th century A.D. and is known for its relatively brief and less polished style compared to the later Mahavamsa. These characteristics—4th-century composition, brevity, and being the oldest chronicle—uniquely identify the Dipavamsa.

The Nikāya Samgrahaya is a 14th-century work that specifically details the history of the Buddhist Sangha (monastic order) in Sri Lanka. It focuses on the establishment of Buddhism, the formation of different monastic sects (nikāyas), doctrinal controversies, and the holding of councils. This makes it a primary source for the history of the Buddhist dispensation (Sasana), unlike the Rajavaliya which is a political chronicle.

While inscriptions provide invaluable, contemporary snapshots of political, social, and economic life, they are sporadic and often focus on specific events like donations or royal decrees. They do not provide a continuous, narrative account of history. Therefore, it is impossible to construct an “unbroken political history” using only inscriptions; they must be used in conjunction with literary chronicles. The other statements are all valid uses of inscriptions.

Caves in the wet zone lowlands like Batadombalena (near Kuruwita) and Fa-Hien Lena (near Bulathsinhala) are internationally famous archaeological sites that have yielded some of the earliest evidence of anatomically modern humans (Homo sapiens) in South Asia. The remains of “Balangoda Man,” along with stone tools and food remnants, provide crucial evidence for the lifestyle of prehistoric people in Sri Lanka.

Fa-Hien (B, c. 5th century), Ibn Battuta (D, 14th century), and Robert Knox (E, 17th century) are all famous for having visited Sri Lanka and written detailed firsthand accounts based on their extensive travels and observations within the island. Megasthenes (A) and Hsuan Tsang (F) wrote about India, not Sri Lanka. Ptolemy (C) was a geographer who wrote about Sri Lanka based on secondary reports, without visiting.

The Sigiriya frescoes, painted during the reign of King Kashyapa in the late 5th century A.D., are the most direct and detailed visual evidence for the attire of elite women of that specific period. They depict elaborate clothing, hairstyles, and jewelry, providing invaluable information on 5th-century fashion. The other options are either from different time periods (Tivanka, Dalada Maligava) or are not as specifically illustrative of fashion (excavated jewelry portions).

The proto-historic period (or Iron Age) in Sri Lanka is characterized by the emergence of new technologies and cultural practices. Key among these is the first appearance of pottery, specifically the distinctive Black and Red Ware. The use of clay pots for storage, cooking, and burial rituals is a hallmark of this period, distinguishing it from the preceding pre-historic stone age. The activities in options 2, 3, and 4 are characteristic of the pre-historic age.

The discovery of wattle and daub (clay mixed with organic material, applied to a woven lattice) house fragments that have been hardened by fire (daub) at sites like Udaranchamadama indicates the inhabitants knew how to control fire to create durable building materials. Firing clay requires reaching high temperatures, a process that inherently demonstrates an understanding of how to manage airflow (oxygen) to sustain a hot fire. This is a more complex application of fire technology than just baking food (1) or simple pottery firing (2).

This specific ritual, known as secondary burial, is a distinctive feature of the proto-historic (Iron Age) megalithic burial culture in Sri Lanka. At sites like Pomparippu and Ibbankatuwa, archaeologists have found large urns containing skeletal remains that were exhumed after initial burial, cleaned, sometimes painted with red ochre, and then re-interred.

The Malvatu Oya valley is the cradle of Sri Lanka’s ancient civilization. The earliest major settlements, including the great capital city of Anuradhapura, are located along its banks. Archaeological surveys have revealed a dense concentration of early historic period settlements, characterized by village tanks and Brahmi inscriptions, throughout the Malvatu Oya basin, proving its central role in the expansion of early settlements.

The image depicts an ‘ellanga gammana’ or cascading tank system, which is a series of interconnected small and medium-sized tanks. The primary purpose of this entire system is to capture and store rainwater (conservation of water) that would otherwise run off. This stored water is then used for agriculture and domestic needs throughout the dry season. While it may also help with flood control (2) and soil erosion (4), its fundamental aim is water conservation.

The cascading tank system shown in the picture is a unique adaptation to the environmental conditions of Sri Lanka’s Dry Zone. This region receives seasonal rainfall followed by long dry periods, making the storage and management of water essential for agriculture and human survival. These systems are the hallmark of the ancient hydraulic civilization of the Dry Zone.

According to the Mahavamsa, King Vasabha (67-111 A.D.) was a prolific builder of irrigation works. He is credited with constructing eleven reservoirs and, significantly, twelve canals. The construction of canals implies the building of anicuts (diversion dams) to divert water from streams into them, making him the earliest ruler explicitly associated with this technology in the chronicles.

The gardens of Sigiriya are a world-renowned masterpiece of ancient landscape architecture. They are a unique and complex combination of symmetrical water gardens, boulder gardens, and terraced gardens, integrated with sophisticated hydraulic technology. Their distinctiveness, advanced planning, and technological brilliance make them the most outstanding example of an urban park in ancient Sri Lanka.

In Buddhist art and symbolism, the swan (hamsa) is a potent symbol. It is believed that a swan can separate milk from water, representing the ability to distinguish good from bad, or truth from falsehood. This ability symbolizes discernment, wisdom, and ultimately, purity.

A ‘gauwa’ (also ‘gavyuta’) was a standard ancient unit of linear measurement used to denote long distances, such as the distance between villages or along roads. It is frequently mentioned in chronicles and inscriptions in this context. A ‘viyatha’ is a shorter span, and ‘karisa’ is a measure of land area.

The names of the villages indicate their function: ‘Kasikāragama’ (1) means ‘agriculture village’, so it matches with D (Agriculture). ‘Gōpālagama’ (2) means ‘herdsmen’s village’, matching with E (Animal husbandry). ‘Kevattagama’ (3) means ‘fishermen’s village’, matching with A (Fishery). Therefore, the correct sequence of activities is D, E, A.

Sri Lanka’s strategic location at the center of the Indian Ocean sea routes has made it a nexus for international trade and interaction for over two millennia. This central position attracted a continuous flow of traders, migrants, invaders, and religious missions from India, Arabia, Southeast Asia, and Europe, resulting in the island’s diverse multi-national, multi-religious, and multi-cultural character.

Queen Kalyānavati (B), King Niśśankamalla (D), and King Sahāsamalla (F) were all rulers during the Polonnaruva Kingdom period (late 12th – early 13th centuries). The other rulers listed (Vankanāsika Tissa, Vasabha, Mahasen) were from the earlier Anuradhapura Kingdom.

Ancient inscriptions and legal texts indicate that collective responsibility was a key principle of village administration. When a crime occurred, it was the collective responsibility of all the villagers to find and hand over the culprit. If they failed to do so, the entire village could be held liable and fined.

Rajasiṃha I of Sitawaka was known as Prince Tikiri (C) before his coronation. Buvanekabāhu VI of Kotte was originally Prince Sapumal (A). Sri Vikrama Rajasiṃha, the last king of Kandy, was known as Prince Kannasāmi (E) before he was brought from South India to ascend the throne. Therefore, the correct sequence is C, A, E.

The Gampola period (14th century) witnessed a significant syncretism of Buddhism and Hinduism. A distinct architectural feature of this era was the construction of temple complexes where a Buddhist image house was built adjacent to a devala dedicated to a Hindu deity (or a guardian deity of Hindu origin), reflecting the growing influence of Hinduism on the political and religious life of the kingdom.

This statement is incorrect. The Jaffna Kingdom offered strong and prolonged resistance to the Portuguese. Kings like Sankili I and Cankili II actively fought against them. Even after its final conquest in 1619, there were numerous rebellions against Portuguese rule, demonstrating that the majority of the population was not loyal to them. The other three statements are considered valid contributing factors to the kingdom’s eventual fall.

The correct chronological order is: B. Kusumasana Devi (Dona Kathirina) was baptized in the late 16th century. A. The Battle of Danture took place in 1594. C. The Nayakkar dynasty inherited the throne in 1739. D. The Siamese sect (Siyam Nikaya) was established in 1753. This sequence corresponds to B, A, C, D.

Incident C is the “Inheritance of the kingship of the Kandyan Kingdom to the Nayakkar clan.” This happened in 1739 when King Sri Vira Parakrama Narendrasimha died without an heir from his principal queen. The throne then passed to the queen’s brother from Madurai, who was crowned as Sri Vijaya Rajasimha, thus beginning the Nayakkar dynasty.

The Great Rebellion of 1818 was led by Kandyan chiefs, most prominently Keppetipola Disava (C). The British Governor at the time was Sir Robert Brownrigg (F). While there were many causes, a key ideological element was the Kandyan belief in the necessity of having a legitimate king, leading them to rally behind a pretender; this can be linked to the concept in B (‘Repentence of not having a king’). Thus, B, C, and F are all relevant to the 1818 struggle.

The Matale Rebellion of 1848 was primarily a popular uprising sparked by the harsh tax policies (A) imposed by the government of Governor Lord Torrington (E). The main leader of this rebellion was Gongalegoda Banda (D), who was proclaimed king by the rebels. Therefore, A, D, and E are the key elements connected to the 1848 struggle.

While Sri Arumuga Navalar was a paramount figure in the Hindu revival, he was not the founder of the newspaper ‘Udayabhanu’ (Morning Sun). The first Tamil newspaper was ‘Udaya Tharakai’ (Morning Star), started by American missionaries. The other three pairs are correct: Olcott founded the Theosophical Society in Sri Lanka, Hikkaduwe Sri Sumangala founded the Vidyalankara Pirivena, and Siddi Lebbe was a key founder of Zahira College.

Cultural changes refer to shifts in values, beliefs, customs, and social behaviors. The “Mixing of western costumes, customs and tradition” (B) is a direct cultural change. The “Expansion of the western education” (C) is also a profound cultural change, as it introduced new knowledge systems, languages (English), and values that significantly altered the society. The other options (A, D, E) refer to economic and social structural changes (the emergence of new classes and organizations) rather than cultural changes in this specific sense.

The Ceylon National Congress was formed in 1919 by amalgamating the Ceylon National Association and the Ceylon Reform League. Sir Ponnambalam Arunachalam, a key figure in the nationalist movement and a champion of unity between the Sinhalese and Tamils at the time, was elected as its first President.

The 1978 Constitution introduced the referendum as a mechanism for direct democracy. It allows the government to, and in some cases requires it to, put questions of national importance directly to the people for a vote. This is the most direct way of obtaining the people’s opinion, as it bypasses representatives and consults the electorate itself.

The “Oath in the tennis court” (A) was a pivotal event in the early stages of the French Revolution in 1789. The “Sarajevo incident” (B), the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, was the trigger for World War I in 1914 and has no connection to the French Revolution. Therefore, A is correct and B is incorrect in the context of the French Revolution.

The “Oath in the tennis court” (A) is related to the French Revolution, not World War I. The “Sarajevo incident” (B) was the immediate cause that triggered the start of World War I. Therefore, in the context of World War I, A is incorrect and B is correct.

The League of Nations (B-2) was created after World War I with the aim of preventing future conflicts. World War II (B-1) broke out in 1939, signifying the failure of the League of Nations. Therefore, there is an inverse relationship; the occurrence of the first (WWII) demonstrates the failure of the second (League of Nations), unlike the other pairs where the first contributes to or causes the second.

The capturing of Constantinople by the Ottoman Turks in 1453 (C-1) is a key event often cited as a catalyst for the Renaissance (C-2). The fall of the city led to the migration of Greek scholars to Italy, bringing with them classical texts and knowledge that fueled the revival of learning. It also disrupted traditional trade routes, spurring exploration, another facet of the Renaissance. Thus, the first event necessitates or strongly encourages the development of the second.

The slogan “Peace, land and food” (or “Peace, Land, and Bread”) (A) was the powerful and effective Bolshevik slogan during the 1917 Russian Revolution. It directly addressed the key grievances of the Russian people: the desire to end the disastrous involvement in World War I (Peace), the peasants’ demand for land redistribution (Land), and the widespread hunger in the cities (Bread/Food).

No taxation without representation was the central slogan and political principle of the American Revolution. The American colonists argued that the British Parliament had no right to impose taxes on them (like the Stamp Act) because they did not have elected representatives in that Parliament. This grievance was a primary cause of the struggle for independence.

According to the UN Charter, the General Assembly holds these key powers. It appoints the Secretary-General based on the Security Council’s recommendation, elects the judges of the ICJ (jointly with the Security Council), and makes the final decision on the admission of new member states to the organization.

Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India, was a principal architect and a leading voice of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM). He championed the idea of a “third path” for newly independent nations, advocating for them to remain impartial and not align with either the US-led Western bloc or the Soviet-led Eastern bloc during the Cold War. As the leader of India, he is the pre-eminent South Asian leader associated with this policy.