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RBSE Secondary Social Science study materials
RBSE Secondary Social Science study resources

RBSE Secondary Social Science practice questions

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Question 1History

Which ancient Indian text is considered the earliest surviving collection of Vedic hymns?

  1. Mudrarakshasa
  2. Rajatarangini
  3. Arthashastra
  4. Rigveda Correct answer.

Explanation

The Rigveda is the oldest of the four Vedas and preserves the earliest layer of Indo-Aryan hymn composition, dated roughly to the second millennium BCE. The other works belong to later genres such as statecraft, drama and regional chronicle.

Question 2History

The Great Bath, a large rectangular tank with steps on two sides, formed part of the citadel at which Harappan site?

  1. Kalibangan
  2. Mohenjo-daro Correct answer.
  3. Lothal
  4. Dholavira

Explanation

The Great Bath was excavated on the citadel mound at Mohenjo-daro and is interpreted as a structure for ritual or public bathing. Its bitumen lining and adjoining rooms indicate careful water management rather than ordinary domestic use.

Question 3History

Ashoka's inscriptions were primarily composed in which script in the region of the Mauryan heartland?

  1. Sharada
  2. Tamil-Brahmi
  3. Brahmi Correct answer.
  4. Kharosthi

Explanation

Most Ashokan edicts in the Gangetic heartland are engraved in Brahmi, while Kharosthi appears in the north-west. These scripts were deciphered in the nineteenth century, opening up the study of Mauryan administration and policy.

Question 4History

The Gupta ruler who assumed the title Vikramaditya and is associated with the Allahabad pillar inscription of Harisena is

  1. Samudragupta
  2. Chandragupta II Correct answer.
  3. Skandagupta
  4. Kumaragupta I

Explanation

Chandragupta II took the title Vikramaditya and ruled at the height of Gupta power, with Ujjain as an important centre. Harisena's panegyric on the Allahabad pillar, however, celebrates Samudragupta, so the two rulers are easily confused.

Question 5History

In the Delhi Sultanate, the office of the diwan-i-wizarat was headed by a minister responsible chiefly for

  1. judicial appeals
  2. finance and revenue Correct answer.
  3. military recruitment
  4. royal correspondence

Explanation

The wazir, heading the diwan-i-wizarat, supervised revenue collection and expenditure and exercised wide control over provincial finance. Other departments handled military, judicial and secretarial functions, so the wazir's primary charge was fiscal administration.

Question 6History

Which statement best explains why the Chola navy could intervene in Srivijaya in the eleventh century?

  1. The Cholas controlled a continuous land route to Sumatra
  2. The Srivijaya empire had already been destroyed by Chinese fleets
  3. The Cholas relied on Arab mercenaries rather than their own ships
  4. Rajendra Chola I combined naval strength with control of Coromandel ports Correct answer.

Explanation

Rajendra Chola I's expedition of 1025 against Srivijaya depended on the maritime wealth of Coromandel ports such as Nagapattinam and on a fleet sustained by overseas trade. Control of these ports gave the Cholas both ships and the logistical base for a long-range campaign.

Question 7History

The term iqta in the Delhi Sultanate refers to

  1. a revenue assignment granted to an officer in lieu of salary Correct answer.
  2. a hereditary estate held by Rajput chiefs
  3. a mint controlled directly by the sultan
  4. a tax levied only on non-Muslim merchants

Explanation

An iqta was a transferable assignment of revenue from a territory, given to a muqti who collected it and maintained troops from it. It was not automatically hereditary, which distinguishes it from later forms of landed right.

Question 8History

The Bhakti saint who composed the Ramcharitmanas in Awadhi was

  1. Tulsidas Correct answer.
  2. Surdas
  3. Mirabai
  4. Kabir

Explanation

Tulsidas wrote the Ramcharitmanas in Awadhi, retelling the Ramayana for a broad north Indian audience. The choice of a regional language rather than Sanskrit helped the text circulate widely in devotional performance.

Question 9History

The Vijayanagara ruler Krishnadevaraya is best known for patronising which set of eight Telugu poets?

  1. Ashtadiggajas Correct answer.
  2. Navaratnas
  3. Panchayatanas
  4. Ashtapradhan

Explanation

Krishnadevaraya's court is famous for the Ashtadiggajas, eight Telugu poets including Allasani Peddana. The term literally means the eight elephants supporting the world, a metaphor for the court's literary pillars.

Question 10History

The Battle of Talikota in 1565 resulted in

  1. the foundation of the Bahmani kingdom
  2. the defeat of Vijayanagara by a coalition of Deccan sultanates Correct answer.
  3. the annexation of Bengal by Sher Shah Suri
  4. the expulsion of the Portuguese from Goa

Explanation

At Talikota, also called Rakshasa-Tangadi, a coalition of Bijapur, Ahmadnagar, Golconda and Bidar defeated Vijayanagara's army. The aftermath saw the sack of Hampi and the decline of the empire as a centralised power.

Question 11History

Which of the following was a principal feature of Akbar's mansabdari system?

  1. Rank determined solely by hereditary lineage
  2. Election of officers by village assemblies
  3. Payment exclusively in silver coins from the imperial treasury
  4. A dual rank of zat and sawar indicating status and cavalry obligation Correct answer.

Explanation

Mansabdars held a zat rank fixing personal status and a sawar rank specifying the number of cavalry to maintain. This dual structure allowed the Mughal state to grade officers and estimate their military obligations.

Question 12History

The permanent settlement of 1793 in Bengal was designed primarily to

  1. abolish the zamindari class entirely
  2. replace land revenue with a tax on trade
  3. transfer revenue collection to village panchayats
  4. fix land revenue with zamindars as hereditary revenue collectors Correct answer.

Explanation

The permanent settlement fixed the revenue demand in perpetuity with zamindars, who were recognised as proprietors responsible for payment. The aim was to create a stable, loyal landed class and predictable revenue, though it also produced distress for many cultivators.

Question 13History

Which event is conventionally taken as the immediate trigger for the outbreak of the Revolt of 1857 at Meerut?

  1. The partition of Bengal
  2. The introduction of the Enfield rifle with greased cartridges Correct answer.
  3. The annexation of Awadh
  4. The passing of the Rowlatt Act

Explanation

The greased cartridges of the new Enfield rifle, which soldiers believed were coated with animal fat, offended both Hindu and Muslim sepoys and sparked the mutiny at Meerut in May 1857. Long-term grievances over pay, promotion and annexation formed the wider background.

Question 14History

The Ilbert Bill controversy of 1883 is significant in Indian nationalist history because it

  1. abolished the Indian Civil Service examination
  2. granted Indians the right to elect legislators
  3. exposed racial discrimination and stimulated Indian political organisation Correct answer.
  4. united Indian and European opinion against the viceroy

Explanation

The bill sought to let Indian magistrates try European offenders, and the vehement European backlash revealed the racial hierarchy of colonial rule. The episode encouraged Indians to organise politically, contributing to the founding of the Indian National Congress in 1885.

Question 15History

Mahatma Gandhi's Champaran satyagraha of 1917 addressed the grievances of

  1. indigo cultivators bound by tinkathia obligations Correct answer.
  2. peasants of the Kheda district facing revenue demands
  3. salt producers in coastal Gujarat
  4. textile mill workers in Ahmedabad

Explanation

In Champaran, cultivators were compelled under the tinkathia system to grow indigo on a portion of their land for planters. Gandhi's inquiry and negotiation secured relief and marked his first major satyagraha in India.

Question 16History

The Poona Pact of 1932 between Gandhi and Ambedkar resulted in

  1. separate electorates for Dalits being replaced by reserved seats in joint electorates Correct answer.
  2. the withdrawal of the Civil Disobedience Movement
  3. the abolition of the joint electorate system
  4. the creation of a separate Dalit-majority province

Explanation

The pact replaced the communal award's separate electorates for the depressed classes with reserved seats within a joint electorate. Gandhi had opposed separate electorates as divisive, while Ambedkar secured a larger number of reserved seats as a compromise.

Question 17History

The Cabinet Mission of 1946 proposed a three-tier constitutional structure primarily to

  1. partition India immediately into two dominions
  2. transfer power to princely states alone
  3. preserve a united India through a loose federal union of grouped provinces Correct answer.
  4. abolish provincial autonomy granted in 1935

Explanation

The mission proposed a union of provinces and princely states with groups of provinces as an intermediate tier, aiming to hold India together while accommodating Muslim League demands. The plan failed because Congress and the League disagreed over grouping and the Constituent Assembly.

Question 18History

Which source type gives the most direct contemporary evidence for the administrative routine of Ashoka's dhamma-mahamattas?

  1. Temple inscriptions of the Chola period
  2. Court poetry composed centuries later
  3. Coins minted by Indo-Greek kings
  4. Rock and pillar edicts issued in Ashoka's own reign Correct answer.

Explanation

Ashokan edicts are contemporaneous royal documents and name officials such as the dhamma-mahamattas and their duties in spreading dhamma. Later literary and numismatic sources may mention Ashoka but do not record his administrative instructions directly.

Question 19History

Al-Biruni's Kitab-ul-Hind is valuable to historians of medieval India chiefly because it

  1. contains the first map of the Indian subcontinent
  2. lists the military campaigns of Mahmud of Ghazni in full detail
  3. documents Portuguese trade routes in the Indian Ocean
  4. records a Persian account of Indian religion, science and social customs based on study of Sanskrit texts Correct answer.

Explanation

Al-Biruni learned Sanskrit and described Indian religion, philosophy, sciences and social practices with unusual care for a foreign observer. His work is a key source for medieval intellectual exchange, though it reflects his own cultural standpoint.

Question 20History

The Ryotwari system of land revenue, associated with Thomas Munro, differed from the permanent settlement mainly because it

  1. granted estates to village headmen collectively
  2. exempted all cultivators from revenue payment
  3. settled revenue directly with individual cultivators rather than zamindars Correct answer.
  4. fixed revenue permanently at the rate set in 1793

Explanation

Under ryotwari, revenue was assessed on individual cultivators, or ryots, usually for a limited period rather than in perpetuity. This contrasted with the zamindari settlement, where the state dealt with a landlord intermediary.

Question 21History

Which of the following best describes the significance of the Sanchi stupa's gateways for the study of early Indian art?

  1. They contain portraits of Mauryan emperors carved from life
  2. They carry narrative carvings of Jataka scenes that illustrate early Buddhist storytelling Correct answer.
  3. They were built by the Cholas as memorials to naval victories
  4. They are the earliest known stone temples of the Gupta period

Explanation

The carved toranas at Sanchi depict Jataka stories and symbols of the Buddha's life, providing evidence of early Buddhist narrative art. They also show how sculptors used visual symbols rather than direct anthropomorphic images in early phases.

Question 22History

The Ain-i-Akbari is best described as

  1. a grammar of Persian composed by Amir Khusrau
  2. a collection of Sanskrit hymns on Shiva
  3. a gazetteer and administrative survey compiled under Akbar Correct answer.
  4. a chronicle of the Delhi Sultanate by Ziauddin Barani

Explanation

The Ain-i-Akbari, the third volume of Abul Fazl's Akbarnama, surveys imperial administration, revenue, provinces and social groups. It is a major source for Mughal governance and economy in the late sixteenth century.

Question 23History

Which factor most plausibly explains the decline of the Harappan urban system around 1900 BCE?

  1. A single decisive invasion by Indo-Aryan armies
  2. A combination of climatic shifts, river changes and breakdown of trade networks Correct answer.
  3. The exhaustion of iron ore deposits
  4. The collapse of the Mauryan empire

Explanation

Current evidence points to a cluster of factors, including weakening monsoons, shifts in river courses such as the Ghaggar-Hakra system, and disruption of long-distance trade. The result was de-urbanisation and dispersal of settlement rather than a single catastrophic cause.

Question 24History

The term 'Doctrine of Lapse' is associated with which Governor-General's annexation policy?

  1. Lord Dalhousie Correct answer.
  2. Lord Ripon
  3. Lord Cornwallis
  4. Lord Wellesley

Explanation

Dalhousie applied the doctrine to deny adoption rights to rulers of dependent states, annexing territories such as Satara and Jhansi. The policy deepened resentment among princely families and contributed to grievances behind the 1857 revolt.

Question 25History

Which statement correctly distinguishes the Non-Cooperation Movement from the Civil Disobedience Movement?

  1. Non-Cooperation was confined to Bengal, while Civil Disobedience was nationwide
  2. Non-Cooperation sought immediate independence, while Civil Disobedience sought dominion status
  3. Non-Cooperation was launched after the Salt March, while Civil Disobedience preceded it
  4. Non-Cooperation relied mainly on boycott and resignation, while Civil Disobedience involved deliberate breach of specific laws Correct answer.

Explanation

Non-Cooperation in 1920-22 asked Indians to withdraw cooperation from colonial institutions through boycotts and surrender of titles. Civil Disobedience from 1930 involved openly breaking laws, beginning with the salt law, to force concessions.

Question 26History

The rock and pillar edicts of Ashoka were mainly composed in which Prakrit script for public reading?

  1. Devanagari
  2. Tamil-Brahmi
  3. Kharosthi
  4. Brahmi Correct answer.

Explanation

Ashoka's edicts across most of the subcontinent were inscribed in Prakrit using the Brahmi script, which was deciphered by James Prinsep in the 1830s. Kharosthi was used only in the northwest, while Devanagari and Tamil-Brahmi belong to later or regional traditions.

Question 27History

The Great Bath at Mohenjo-daro is generally interpreted by archaeologists as evidence of

  1. a public ritual bathing or purification facility Correct answer.
  2. a workshop for bead manufacture
  3. a royal granary for storing wheat
  4. a burial chamber for elite families

Explanation

The Great Bath is a large, carefully sealed tank with steps at either end, suggesting a communal function connected with ritual purification. Its location near public buildings supports the reading of a ceremonial rather than domestic use.

Question 28History

Which Vedic text is chiefly a collection of hymns addressed to deities and is the oldest of the four Vedas?

  1. Samaveda
  2. Yajurveda
  3. Atharvaveda
  4. Rigveda Correct answer.

Explanation

The Rigveda is the earliest of the four Vedas and consists of hymns to gods such as Indra and Agni. The other three Vedas draw on or adapt its material for ritual, melody, or domestic practice.

Question 29History

The teachings of the Buddha are traditionally collected in which body of texts?

  1. Puranas
  2. Tripitaka Correct answer.
  3. Arthashastra
  4. Upanishads

Explanation

The Tripitaka, or three baskets, is the canonical collection of Buddhist scripture in the Pali tradition. It comprises the Vinaya, Sutta, and Abhidhamma sections.

Question 30History

In the Mauryan administrative system described by Kautilya, the term 'amatya' refers to

  1. a military commander of a fort
  2. a high official or counsellor of the king Correct answer.
  3. a revenue collector of a province
  4. a village headman

Explanation

Amatyas were senior officials and advisers who assisted the king in governance, and their selection and integrity are discussed at length in the Arthashastra. They are distinguished from local village officers and from provincial governors.

Question 31History

The Gandhara school of sculpture is distinguished from the Mathura school mainly because Gandhara art

  1. uses only red sandstone from the Mathura region
  2. depicts exclusively Jain tirthankaras
  3. shows strong Hellenistic influence in drapery and facial features Correct answer.
  4. avoids any representation of the Buddha

Explanation

Gandhara sculpture, centred in the northwest, blends Indian Buddhist subjects with Greco-Roman conventions such as wavy hair, heavy drapery, and naturalistic modelling. Mathura, by contrast, used spotted red sandstone and developed its own indigenous idiom.

Question 32History

The Gupta ruler Samudragupta's military campaigns are known chiefly from which source?

  1. The Rajatarangini of Kalhana
  2. The Allahabad pillar inscription composed by Harisena Correct answer.
  3. The coins of Kanishka
  4. The travels of Xuanzang

Explanation

The Allahabad pillar inscription, a prashasti composed by the court poet Harisena, records Samudragupta's conquests and his policy towards frontier and tributary kings. It is the principal contemporary account of his reign.

Question 33History

The Chola system of local self-government is best illustrated by which institution?

  1. The jagir assignments of the Marathas
  2. The ur and sabha assemblies recorded in village inscriptions Correct answer.
  3. The mansabdari ranks of the Mughal court
  4. The iqta grants of the Delhi Sultanate

Explanation

Chola inscriptions record village assemblies such as the ur and the sabha, which managed local affairs including temple administration and land disputes. These assemblies are the classic evidence for south Indian local self-government.

Question 34History

Which statement best explains why the Delhi Sultanate rulers relied on Turkish slaves and foreign nobles in high office?

  1. Local Indian chiefs refused all forms of government service
  2. Islamic law forbade the employment of Indian Muslims
  3. The Sultanate possessed no land revenue system
  4. They lacked a hereditary nobility of their own and needed loyal dependants outside local clan networks Correct answer.

Explanation

The early Sultanate rulers were themselves former slaves or outsiders, so a corps of loyal mamluks and foreign amirs offered a power base independent of entrenched local lineages. This helped the sultan centralise authority against rival claimants.

Question 35History

The Vijayanagara empire's capital city was notable in the sixteenth century for its

  1. complete absence of long-distance trade
  2. use of paper currency instead of coins
  3. elaborate waterworks and fortified urban layout described by foreign travellers Correct answer.
  4. rejection of temple construction

Explanation

Visitors such as Abdur Razzak and later Portuguese travellers described Hampi's tanks, aqueducts, markets, and strong fortifications. Archaeological work confirms an extensive hydraulic system supporting a large urban population.

Question 36History

The Sufi practice of sama in the Chishti order refers to

  1. audition of music and poetry as a means of spiritual experience Correct answer.
  2. the ritual pilgrimage to Mecca
  3. the collection of agricultural tithes
  4. the seclusion of forty days

Explanation

Sama denotes listening to music and poetry to induce a state of spiritual absorption, a practice especially associated with Chishti shrines. It was controversial among stricter jurists but central to Chishti devotional life.

Question 37History

The Mughal emperor Jahangir is best remembered for which administrative and cultural development?

  1. The founding of the city of Fatehpur Sikri
  2. The introduction of the din-i-ilahi
  3. The construction of the Taj Mahal
  4. The chain of justice at Agra and patronage of miniature painting Correct answer.

Explanation

Jahangir is associated with the famous chain of justice outside Agra fort and with a flourishing of Mughal miniature painting under court artists such as Abul Hasan and Ustad Mansur. His reign is noted for artistic refinement.

Question 38History

The Maratha confederacy after the death of Shivaji gradually came to be dominated by which group of hereditary ministers?

  1. The Barha nobles
  2. The Sayyid brothers
  3. The Nizam-ul-Mulk's court
  4. The Peshwas and the Ashtapradhan families Correct answer.

Explanation

The Ashtapradhan, or council of eight ministers, included the Peshwa, whose office became hereditary and increasingly powerful in the eighteenth century. The Peshwas at Pune effectively directed confederate policy.

Question 39History

Which factor most directly enabled the English East India Company to expand its territorial control in Bengal after 1757?

  1. The immediate annexation of Punjab
  2. The establishment of the Supreme Court at Calcutta
  3. The conclusion of the Treaty of Versailles
  4. The revenue rights obtained after Plassey and the grant of the diwani in 1765 Correct answer.

Explanation

After Plassey the Company gained control of Bengal's revenues, and the grant of the diwani in 1765 gave it formal fiscal authority over Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa. Control of revenue financed further military expansion.

Question 40History

The Permanent Settlement of 1793 fixed the revenue demand of zamindars in perpetuity primarily because the Company wanted to

  1. secure a stable and predictable income while creating a loyal landed class Correct answer.
  2. abolish private property in land
  3. encourage peasant proprietorship directly
  4. transfer revenue collection to village panchayats

Explanation

The settlement aimed to stabilise revenue collection by fixing the demand and recognising zamindars as hereditary proprietors. The Company hoped this would create a reliable class of loyal landlords who would improve agriculture.

Question 41History

The Santhal rebellion of 1855-56 was primarily a response to

  1. exploitation by moneylenders, zamindars, and the new revenue system Correct answer.
  2. the partition of Bengal
  3. the imposition of the Rowlatt Act
  4. the introduction of the Ilbert Bill

Explanation

The Santhals rose against moneylenders, zamindars, and colonial revenue officials who were dispossessing them of land in the Rajmahal hills region. The uprising led to the creation of the Santhal Parganas as a separate administrative unit.

Question 42History

The Widow Remarriage Act of 1856 is associated with the reform efforts of which figure?

  1. Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar Correct answer.
  2. Raja Ram Mohan Roy
  3. Swami Vivekananda
  4. Dayanand Saraswati

Explanation

Vidyasagar campaigned for the remarriage of Hindu widows, and his efforts culminated in the 1856 legislation legalising it. Ram Mohan Roy had earlier campaigned against sati.

Question 43History

Which statement correctly distinguishes the moderates from the extremists within the Indian National Congress before 1907?

  1. Moderates rejected the use of the English language, while extremists embraced it
  2. Moderates relied on petitions and constitutional agitation, while extremists advocated boycott and passive resistance Correct answer.
  3. Moderates opposed the partition of Bengal, while extremists supported it
  4. Moderates demanded immediate independence, while extremists accepted British rule

Explanation

The moderates, led by figures such as Gokhale and Naoroji, pursued petitions, memorials, and gradual constitutional reform. The extremists, associated with Tilak, Lajpat Rai, and Bipin Chandra Pal, favoured boycott, swadeshi, and passive resistance.

Question 44History

The Lucknow Pact of 1916 is significant because it

  1. secured separate electorates for Muslims in return for Congress-League cooperation Correct answer.
  2. created the Muslim League
  3. ended the partition of Bengal
  4. introduced dyarchy in the provinces

Explanation

The Lucknow Pact was an agreement between the Congress and the Muslim League under which the Congress accepted separate electorates for Muslims. It marked a period of Hindu-Muslim political cooperation against colonial rule.

Question 45History

Which of the following best explains why the Simon Commission of 1928 provoked widespread Indian protest?

  1. It contained no Indian members, so Indians had no voice in reviewing the constitutional system Correct answer.
  2. It proposed the immediate transfer of full power to Indians
  3. It abolished separate electorates entirely
  4. It recommended the partition of India

Explanation

The commission was boycotted because it was composed entirely of British members, which Indians saw as an insult to their political aspirations. The slogan 'Simon Go Back' became a rallying cry across parties.

Question 46History

The Quit India Movement of 1942 is best characterised as

  1. a peasant movement confined to Bengal
  2. a movement led exclusively by the Muslim League
  3. a mass agitation demanding immediate British withdrawal, largely leaderless after the arrest of Congress leaders Correct answer.
  4. a campaign to support the British war effort

Explanation

The Quit India resolution demanded an immediate end to British rule, and the arrest of Congress leaders led to spontaneous, often violent, popular protest. It became one of the most widespread anti-colonial upheavals of the period.

Question 47History

The integration of the princely states into the Indian Union after 1947 was chiefly managed by

  1. Jawaharlal Nehru alone through military force
  2. Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and V. P. Menon through negotiation and instruments of accession Correct answer.
  3. the United Nations through a trusteeship arrangement
  4. the Governor-General alone without Indian involvement

Explanation

Patel, as Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister, worked with V. P. Menon to negotiate the accession of most princely states. Force was used only in exceptional cases such as Hyderabad and Junagadh.

Question 48History

Which of the following is the strongest reason historians treat the accounts of foreign travellers with caution as sources for medieval Indian history?

  1. They wrote only in Sanskrit and could not be read
  2. Their observations are filtered through their own cultural assumptions and limited access to local society Correct answer.
  3. They never visited India
  4. They were commissioned exclusively by Indian rulers

Explanation

Travellers such as Ibn Battuta and Abdur Razzak recorded what they observed or heard, shaped by their own cultural frames and restricted access to courts and elites. Historians therefore corroborate their accounts against inscriptions, coins, and local texts.

Question 49History

The Harappan script remains undeciphered, which most limits historians' ability to

  1. map the layout of Harappan cities through excavation
  2. identify Harappan trade goods through chemical analysis
  3. reconstruct the political and religious ideas of the Harappans from their own words Correct answer.
  4. date Harappan sites through radiocarbon methods

Explanation

Without a deciphered script, interpretations of Harappan politics, religion, and social organisation rest on material evidence alone. Dating, trade analysis, and urban mapping proceed through scientific and archaeological methods independent of the script.

Question 50History

The concept of 'segmentary state' was applied to the Chola polity by which historian?

  1. R. S. Sharma
  2. Romila Thapar
  3. Irfan Habib
  4. Burton Stein Correct answer.

Explanation

Burton Stein proposed the segmentary state model to describe the Chola polity as one in which central authority coexisted with autonomous local units. The model has since been debated by historians of south India.