UPSC Prelims Research: Ancient History & Art and Culture 2018

Q. Consider the following pairs:

Tradition     —  State

1. Chapchar Kut Festival   —  Mizoram
2. Khongjom Parba ballad —  Manipur
3. Thang-Ta Dance           —   Sikkim

Which of the pairs given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only
(b) 1 and 2
(c) 1 and 2
(d) 2 and 3

Answer: (b) 1 and 2

Notes:

• Chapchar Kut:
  • The Chapchar Kut is a festival of Mizoram, India.
  • It is celebrated during March after completion of their most arduous task of jhum operation i.e., jungle-clearing (clearing of the remnants of burning).
  • It is a spring festival celebrated with great favour and gaiety.
  • Chapchar Kut is celebrated annually in the Month of March.
  • People dance, perform skits, play musical instruments to celebrate their beloved festival with the aims of bringing camaraderie among the people.
  • Cheraw dance is a traditional bamboo dance performed by the Mizo people of Mizoram, India, consisting of mostly six to eight people holding pairs of bamboo staves on another horizontally placed bamboo on the ground. The male performers then clap the bamboos rhythmically while groups of female dancers dance in intricate steps between the beating bamboo.
• Khongjam (Khonjem) Parva:
  • Khongjom Parva is a ballad singing tradition from Manipur, India, that emerged after the Anglo-Manipuri War of 1891, commemorating the heroic deeds of Manipuri warriors who fought against the British Empire.
• Thang-Ta:
  • Thang-ta is a traditional Manipuri martial art and dance form, originating from the Meitei people of Manipur, Northeast India, known for its sword and spear movements and its connection to war dances.
  • Thang Ta was also known as Huyen Lallong which means ‘The art of sword and the spear’.

Martial Arts in India

Dances of India

Q. With reference to culture history of India,consider the following statements:

1. Most of the Tyagaraja Kritis are devotional songs in praise of Lord Krishna.
2. Tyagaraja created several new ragas.
3. Annamacharya and Tyagaraja are contemporaries.
4. Annamacharya kirtnas are devotional songs in praise of Lord Venketshwara.

Which of the statement is given above are correct?

(a) 1 and 3 only
(b) 2 and 4 only
(c) 1, 2 and 3
(d) 2, 3 and 4

Answer: (b) 2 and 4 only

Notes:

• In India, there are two dominant styles of classical music – Hindustani Music whose domain is the North and Carnatic Music, largely confined to the South.
  • By all accounts, Saint Purandaradasa is acknowledged as the Father of Carnatic Music.
  • Although, PurandaraDasa gave Carnatic Music a start, it was the musical trinity of Tyagaraja, MuthuswamiDikshatar, and SyamaSastryreally helped to bring structure to Carnatic Music, besides raising it to truly exalted levels.
• Tyagaraja was born on 14th May 1767 in the village of Thiruvayaru in the Thanjavur district of Tamil Nadu whereas TaḷḷapākaAnnamācārya (or Annamayya) (22 May 1408 – 4 April 1503) was a 15th-century Hindu saint.
• Tyagaraja was an ardent devotee of Lord Rama. In his praise and honour he wrote numerous musical operas, and about twenty four thousand songs, a claim that has been speculated among music historians.
  • Tyagaraja’s songs and compositions are full of devotion to his god Rama.
  • Tyagaraja introduced several unusual ragas in Carnatic music.
• Annamacharya kirtanas are devotional songs in prais of Lord Venkateshwara.
  • TaḷḷapākaAnnamācārya (or Annamayya) is the earliest known Indian musician to compose songs called sankirtanas in praise of the god Venkateswara, a form of Vishnu.
  • His compositions, written in easy Telugu, are still sung at Tirumala.
  • He is considered the “Padakavitha Pitamaha” (the father of ‘Padakavitha’, a specific form of Telugu poetry).

Q. With reference to the cultural history of India, consider the following statements:

1. White marble was used in making Buland Darwaza and Khankah at Fatehpur Sikri.
2. Red Sandstone and marble were used in making Bara Imambara and Rumi Darwaza in Lucknow.

Which of the following statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer: (d) Neither 1 nor 2

Buland Darwaza:

• The Buland Darwaza, a famous Mughal architectural monument is located in Fatehpur Sikri.
• Mughal Emperor Akbar founded Buland Darwaza to celebrate his victory over Gujarat. It means “door to victory” and It was constructed in 1601 A.D.
  • Fatehpur Sikri was a once-blooming capital of the Mughal Emperor Akbar till 1585,
  • Fatehpur Sikri was formerly known as Fatehabad which is derived from the Persian word Fatah meaning victory.
• Buland Darwaza is the highest gateway in the world and is an example of Mughal architecture. It displays sophistication and heights of technology in Akbar’s empire.
• Architecture:
  • The Buland Darwaza is made of red and buff sandstone, and is higher than the courtyard of the mosque.
  • The Buland Darwaza is symmetrical and is topped by large free-standing kiosks, which are the chhatris. It also has terrace edge gallery kiosks on the roof, stylised buckler-battlements, small minor-spires, and inlay work with white and black marble.
  • On the outside, a long flight of steps sweeps down the hill giving the gateway additional height.
  • It is 40 meters high and 51 meters from the ground. The total height of the structure is about 54 meters from the ground level. It is a 15-storied high gateway acting as the southern entrance of the city of Fatehpur Sikri. The approach to the gate consists of 42 steps.
  • It is semi-octagonal in plan with two smaller triple-storeyed wings on either side, it has three kiosks on its top surrounded by thirteen smaller domed kiosks. There are smaller turrets surrounding the gateway. The expanse is broken by arched niches, small laudas, and marbles which highlights the courtyard of the Jama Masjid. The principal arch stands in the centre of three projecting sides and topped by a dome. The central arch is broken into three tiers with rows of smaller arches and flat brackets.

Khanqah of Sheikh Salim Chishti

• The Khanqah of Sheikh Salim Chishti, a religious compound built to commemorate the saint who predicted the birth of Akbar’s son Jahangir, is located within the quadrangle of the Jama Masjid in Fatehpur Sikri.
• Considered one of the finest examples of Mughal architecture in India, the mausoleum was built during the years 1580 and 1581 by Akbar, along with the imperial complex at Fatehpur Sikri near Zenana Rauza.

Bara Imamabara:

• It was built by Asaf-ud-Daula, Nawab of Awadh in 1784 and is located in Lucknow.
• There is no woodwork in the entire structure.
• The roof has been put together with interlocking bricks without using a beam or a girder.
• The imambara building is among the grandest buildings of Lucknow, and is a Monument of National Importance, administered by the Archaeological Survey of India.

Rumi Darwaza:

• It was built in the year 1784 by Nawab Asaf-ud-daula and is located in Lucknow.
• The material used for the darwaza is bricks and its then coated with lime.
• It is adjacent to the Asafi Imambara, Teele Wali Masjid and used to mark the entrance to Old Lucknow.

Q. With reference to the Indian History, who among the following is a future Buddha, yet to come to save the world?

(a) Avalokiteshvara

(b) Lokesvara

(c) Maitreya

(d) Padmapani

Answer: (c) Maitreya

Notes:

• Maitreya:
  • Maitreya will be the successor of Gautama Buddha.
  • Maitreya is a bodhisattva who will appear on Earth in the future and is regarded as a future Buddha of this world.
  • He is also known as Ajita Boddhisattva.
• Avalokiteshvara, (Lord who looks down), is a Bodhisattva who embodies the compassion of all Buddhas.
• Padmapani is a Bodhisattva, one who holds the Lotus.
  • Padmapani is another name for Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva (“buddha-to-be”) of infinite mercy.
• Avalokiteśvara also known as Lokesvara is referred to as the “Lord of the World“.
  • He is often associated with Amitabha Buddha.

Q. The well-known painting “Bani Thani” belongs to the

(a) Bundi school

(b) Jaipur school

(c) Kangra school

(d) Kishangarh school

Answer: (d) Kishangarh school

Kishangarh School:

• Bani Thani painting belongs to the Kishangarh School.
• Kishangarh School (18th century) of Indian painting emerged in the Princely State of Kishangarh (Central Rajasthan).
• The school is clearly distinguished by its individualistic facial type and its religious intensity. The sensitive, refined features of the men and women are drawn with pointed noses and chins, deeply curved eyes, and serpentine locks of hair.
• The brilliant series of paintings on the Radha– Krishna theme were due largely to the inspiration of Raja Savant Singh (reigned 1748–57). He was a poet also, who wrote under the name of Nagari Das.
• The master artist largely responsible for transmitting the romantic and religious passions of his patron (i.e., Raja Savant Singh) into new and fresh visual images was Nihal Chand.

Kangra School

• Around mid-18th century, as forces of Nadir Shah (1739) and Ahmad Shah Abdali (1744-1773) pillaged the Mughal capital of Delhi and surrounding areas, the birth of the Kangra School of painting at Haripur-Guler under the patronage of Raja Govardhan Chand (1744-1773) took place as he provided asylum to refugee artists trained in the Mughal style of painting.
• Kangra painting is named after Kangra (Himachal Pradesh), a former Princely State.
• These artists who were traditionally trained in the Mughal style (which predominately featured flattering portraits of their patrons and hunting scenes), now incorporated themes from the love poetry of Jayadeva, Bihari and Keshav Das who wrote ecstatically of the love of Radha and Krishna.

Bundi School

• Between 17th-19th century, Bundi School of painting developed in the Princely State of Bundi and its neighbouring principality of Kotah (now Kota) both in present-day Rajasthan.
• Its characteristic features are dramatic night skies, distinct of depicting water by light swirls against a dark background with special focus on highlighting lush vegetation.
• The painting style reached its peak during the first half of the 18th century, but continued to flourish into the 19th century and had found exceptional patron like Maharao Ram Singh II (1828–66) under whom the art witnessed its brilliant phase.
• One of the earliest examples of the Bundi paintings is the Chunar Ragamala painted in 1561.
• Bundi paintings emphasized on hunting, courtscenes, festivals, processions, life of nobles, lovers,animals, birds and scenes from Lord Krishna’s life.

Jaipur School

• As the rulers of Jaipur (Amer) Princely State had close affiliation with the Mughals, the art which developed between the late 16th and early 18th century had syncretic elements of both Rajasthani style (which predominated the art style between 16th-17th century) and Mughal style.
• With patronage of rulers like Savai Jai Singh and Pratap Singh, splendid portraits (aristocratic in nature) and large paintings centred around Lord Krishna became a signature of Rajasthani style.

Miniature Paintings of India

Folk Paintings of India

Q. With reference to the religious practices in India, the “Sthanakvasi” sect belongs to

(a) Buddhism

(b) Jainism

(c) Vaishnavism

(d) Shaivism

Answer: (b) Jainism

Notes:

• The Sthanakvasi sect is a sub-sect of the larger Svetambara (meaning “white-robed”) sect of Jainism.
• The Sthanakvasi, whose name refers to the sect’s preference for performing religious duties at a secular place such as a monks’ meetinghouse (sthanak) rather than at a temple, is different from the Murtipujaka sect in that it rejects idolatry.
• It believes that idol worship is not essential in the path of soul purification and attainment of Nirvana/Moksha.
• Sthānakavāsī accept thirty-two of the Jain Agamas, the Śvetāmbara canon, contending that the scriptures make no mention of idol worship and temples.
• In the 15th century, the Jain reformer Loṅkā Śāh, a scribe in the Gujarat region, played a pivotal role in the development of the Sthanakavasi tradition.