UPSC Prelims 2020— Question 44

This question tests pallava, pratihara, pala and chola chronology. The key concept is: Mahendravarman I's Pallava rule predates the rise of Bhoja's Pratiharas; the Pala dynasty was founded by Gopala in the eighth century; Bhoja's rise followed; Parantaka I's Chola expansion came later. Therefore the sequence is 2–4–1–3. The verified answer for the uploaded Set-B paper is option C. Option A — 2-1-4-3: This is not the correct option. The option does not match the verified combination or conclusion. The decisive point is the distinction explained above: Mahendravarman I's Pallava rule predates the rise of Bhoja's Pratiharas; the Pala dynasty was founded by Gopala in the eighth century; Bhoja's rise followed; Parantaka I's Chola expansion came later. Therefore the sequence is 2–4–1–3. Therefore this alternative should be eliminated even if part of its wording appears plausible in isolation. Option B — 3-1-4-2: This is not the correct option. The option does not match the verified combination or conclusion. The decisive point is the distinction explained above: Mahendravarman I's Pallava rule predates the rise of Bhoja's Pratiharas; the Pala dynasty was founded by Gopala in the eighth century; Bhoja's rise followed; Parantaka I's Chola expansion came later. Therefore the sequence is 2–4–1–3. Therefore this alternative should be eliminated even if part of its wording appears plausible in isolation. Option C — 2-4-1-3: This is the correct option. It matches the verified conclusion because Mahendravarman I's Pallava rule predates the rise of Bhoja's Pratiharas; the Pala dynasty was founded by Gopala in the eighth century; Bhoja's rise followed; Parantaka I's Chola expansion came later. Therefore the sequence is 2–4–1–3. The wording of the option is consistent with the governing concept tested by the question. Option D — 3-4-1-2: This is not the correct option. The option does not match the verified combination or conclusion. The decisive point is the distinction explained above: Mahendravarman I's Pallava rule predates the rise of Bhoja's Pratiharas; the Pala dynasty was founded by Gopala in the eighth century; Bhoja's rise followed; Parantaka I's Chola expansion came later. Therefore the sequence is 2–4–1–3. Therefore this alternative should be eliminated even if part of its wording appears plausible in isolation. For UPSC-style elimination, first identify the exact proposition being tested, then evaluate each statement independently before comparing the answer codes. Avoid treating a broad or absolute statement as correct merely because its general theme is familiar. The precise qualifiers in the question—such as 'all', 'only', 'cannot', 'largest', 'always' or a specific institutional role—often determine the answer. On that basis, option C is the verified answer.