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History Optional PYQ Master Pack · Model answer

Discuss the major stages in the evolution of architecture during the ancient period.

  • UPSC 2006
  • Themes in Early Indian Cultural History

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Ancient Indian architecture did not evolve along one continuous line but advanced in distinct bursts, each triggered by a shift in either building material or religious outlook. From the planned brick cities of the Harappan civilization, through a long interval in which construction reverted largely to wood and mud, to the reintroduction of monumental stone…

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What the full answer covers

  • Stage I: Harappan Urban Architecture (c. 2600–1900 BCE)
  • Stage II: The "Missing Centuries" and the Return of Monumental Stone
  • Stage III: Buddhist Stupa, Chaitya, and Vihara Architecture
  • Stage IV: The Gupta Beginnings of Freestanding Hindu Temple Architecture
  • Stage V: Post-Gupta Divergence into Regional Styles
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