Position of Women – UGC NET History – Practice Questions

1. The Zenana system in India is generally associated with the:
A) Mughal period
B) Mauryan period
C) Gupta period
D) Vedic period

2. The term “Zenana” is derived from which language?
A) Sanskrit
B) Persian
C) Arabic
D) Turkish

3. The literal meaning of “Zenana” is:
A) Royal palace
B) Veiled woman
C) A place for women
D) Sacred chamber

4. A fundamental component of the Zenana system was:
A) Sati
B) Bhakti
C) Jauhar
D) Pardah

5. Assertion (A): Pardah referred to the practice of veil or curtain.
Reason (R): Women were expected to conceal themselves before unrelated men.

A) Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A.
B) Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of A.
C) A is true, but R is false.
D) A is false, but R is true.

6. Under the Zenana system, women generally required whose permission to leave the house?
A) Male guardian’s consent
B) Village priest’s permission
C) Royal decree
D) Community panchayat approval

7. If women interacted with unrelated men under the Zenana system, they were usually accompanied by:
A) Merchants only
B) A female relative or eunuch
C) Soldiers only
D) Temple priests

8. The Zenana system was primarily developed to:
A) Encourage women’s trade
B) Promote military participation
C) Separate women from men
D) Enhance temple rituals

9. Match List I with List II and choose the correct answer.

A-) A-3, B-1, C-2, D-4
B-) A-1, B-3, C-4, D-2
C-) A-3, B-1, C-2, D-4
D-) A-4, B-2, C-1, D-3

10. The Zenana system was more common among:
A) Peasant classes only
B) Tribal societies only
C) Buddhist monasteries
D) Upper classes

11. Women under the Zenana system were mainly educated in:
A) Domestic skills like cooking and stitching
B) Warfare and politics
C) Maritime trade
D) Advanced sciences only

12. Employment outside the home for women was discouraged because it was believed to:
A) Promote education
B) Undermine virtue and chastity
C) Increase trade
D) Strengthen political influence

13. The Zenana system contributed to:
A) Women’s political empowerment
B) Gender equality
C) Isolation and marginalization of women
D) Universal literacy

14. According to critics, the Zenana system reinforced:
A) Economic liberalism
B) Democratic institutions
C) Religious tolerance only
D) Patriarchal traditions

15. Assertion (A): Women in the Zenana system had broad opportunities for intellectual growth.
Reason (R): Their participation in public debate and education was limited.

A) Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A.
B) A is false, but R is true.
C) A is true, but R is false.
D) Both A and R are false.

16. The decline of the Zenana system accelerated during:
A) British colonial rule in the 19th century
B) Mauryan administration
C) Sultanate rule
D) Gupta Empire

17. British rulers criticized the Zenana system because they viewed it as:
A) Militarily weak
B) Oppressive and anti-progressive
C) Too democratic
D) Economically expensive only

18. Which reformer worked for women’s rights and education?
A) Alauddin Khalji
B) Sher Shah Suri
C) Raja Ram Mohan Roy
D) Balban