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Showing posts with the label Decline of Gupta Empire UPSC

Cell – The Basic Unit of Life | Functions, Organelles & MCQs

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🧬Cell – The Basic Unit of Life A cell is the smallest structural and functional unit of life . It is the building block of all living organisms, carrying out essential processes like growth, energy production, and reproduction. For competitive exams like NEET , UPSC, SSC, and State PSCs, understanding the structure and functions of the cell is important because it forms the foundation of biology. Questions are frequently asked on cell theory , organelles , plant vs. animal cells, and cell division , making this topic a high-scoring and must-prepare section . 🕵🏻‍♂️Discovery of Cell The discovery of the cell was a turning point in biology, and many scientists contributed step by step to our understanding. In 1665, Robert Hooke observed thin slices of cork under a simple microscope and saw small box-like structures. He called them “cells” because they looked like the tiny rooms (cells) in a monastery. In 1674, Anton van Leeuwenhoek developed a better microscope and was ...

Gupta Empire: Origin, Administration, Achievements and Decline for UPSC

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 Introduction  After the fall of the Kushanas, northern India saw the emergence of the powerful Gupta dynasty. It is believed that the Guptas were once feudatories of the Kushanas and likely belonged to the Vaishya varna. The Gupta era is often called the Golden Age or Classical Age of Indian history due to its remarkable achievements in art and sculpture, literature, science and technology, medicine, political consolidation, and economic prosperity. sources  Literary sources: the puranas like vayu,matsya,vishnu,bhagwata, skanda etc., throw light on the royal genealogy of the Gupta kings.  Devichandraguptam and Mudraraksha were written by Vishakhadutta. Kalidasa's Abhigyanshakuntalam Meghdootam,Malvikagnimitram,raghuvamsam,ritusamhara, and kumarsambhava provide relatable information about society,polity and religion of gupta period. Sudraka's Mrichkatika describes the unstable political system of the Gupta period. Fahein, the Chinese traveller who visited India du...