UPSC Prelims Research: Ancient History & Art and Culture 2015

Q. Which of the following kingdoms were associated with the life of the Buddha?

1. Avanti
2. Gandhara
3. Kosala
4. Magadha

Select the correct answer using the codes given below.

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

Answer: (d) 3 and 4 only

Notes:

• Buddha travelled through the towns and villages in the kingdoms of Kosala and Magadha teaching his philosophy. Other regions where he wandered were Vaishali, Vajji, etc.
  • Jetavana (Jeta garden) was perhaps the best known among the beautiful gardens provided to Buddha’s entourage and it was close to Sravasti, the capital of the Kosala kingdom.
  • Perhaps the second-most important monastic resort of Buddha was the “bamboo grove” in Rajgriha, the capital of Magadha, provided by king Bimbisara.
• Kosala:
  • The Buddha was born in Lumbini, near Kapilavastu, which was part of the Shakya republic within the Kosala kingdom.
  • His mother, Mahamaya, was a princess from the Kosalan dynasty.
  • The Buddha often preached at the capital city of Shravasti (Savatthi) in Kosala, where he spent the rainy seasons during the last 25 years of his life.
• Magadha:
  • The Buddha died in Kusinara, which was part of the Malla republic within the Magadha kingdom.
  • Magadha’s king Bimbisara was a follower of the Buddha.
  • Rajgir, the early capital of Magadha, was also a place where the Buddha lived as an ascetic.
• Gandhara:
  • While Gandhara became a significant center of Buddhism later, it was not directly associated with the historical events of the Buddha’s life.
  • During the rule of Asoka Gandhara was influenced by Buddhist culture.
• Avanti:
  • Avanti was not directly related to the life of Buddha.

Q. Kalamkari painting refers to

(a) a hand-painted cotton textile in South India

(b) a handmade drawing on bamboo handicrafts in North-East India

(c) a block-painted woollen cloth in Western Himalayan region of India

(d) a hand-painted decorative silk cloth in North-Western India

Answer: (a) a hand-painted cotton textile in South India

Notes:

• Kalamkari painting refers to a hand-painted cotton textile art form originating in South India, particularly in the state of Andhra Pradesh, known for its intricate designs and natural dyes.

Indian Handicrafts

Q. Who of the following founded a new city on the south bank of a tributary to river Krishna and undertook to rule his new kingdom as the agent of a deity to whom all the land south of the river Krishna was supposed to belong?

(a) Amoghavarsha I

(b) Ballala II

(c) Harihara I

(d) Prataparudra II

Answer: (c) Harihara I

Notes:

Harihara I

• Harihara I was the founder of the Vijayanagara Empire.
• His initial military exploits and established his control over the valley of Tungabhadra River (a tributary of Krishna), and gradually he expanded his control to certain regions of Konkan and Malabar Coast.
• The death of the last ruler of Madurai, Veera Ballala III and the vacuum created facilitated Harihara I to emerge as a sovereign power.
• The entire Hoysala territories came under his rule directly.

Amoghavarsha I 

• Amoghavarsha I was a famous king of the Rashtrakuta Dynasty.
• The reign of Amoghavarsha is from 800 to 878 AD (though some scholars say that his reign was 62 years), one of the longest reigns.
• Amoghavarsha was a patron of the Jains and liberally patronized the Digambara sect of Jains.

Veera Ballal III

• Veera Ballal III was Hoysala ruler of Dwarasamudra.
• He was defeated by Allauddin Khilji’s army.

Prataparudra II

• Pratāparudra, also known as Rudradeva II.
• He was the last ruler of the Kakatiya dynasty of India. 
• He ruled the eastern part of Deccan, having its capital at Warangal. 
• He succeeded his grandmother Rudramadevi as the Kakatiya monarch. 

Q. With reference to the art and archaeological history of India, which one among the following was made earliest?

(a) Lingaraja Temple at Bhubaneswar

(b) Rock-cut Elephant at Dhauli

(c) Rock-cut Monuments at Mahabalipuram

(d) Varaha Image at Udayagiri

Answer: (b) Rock-cut Elephant at Dhauli

Notes:

• Rock-cut Elephant at Dhauli was created during Ashoka’s reign (272-231 BC).
• Lingaraja Temple at Bhubaneswar was created in 11th AD.
• Rock-cut Monuments at Mahabalipuram are 7th century AD creations.
• The Varaha Image at Udayagiri was created in the 5th century AD.

Rock-cut Elephant 

• The rock-cut elephant above the Edicts is the earliest Buddhist sculpture of Odisha.
• The stone elephant shows the animal’s foreparts only, though it has a fine sense of form and movement.
• It is considered as one of the few remains of Mauryan art.

Lingaraja Temple

• Lingaraj Temple, built in the 11th century AD, is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is considered as the largest temple of the city Bhubaneswar.
• It is believed to have been built by the Somvanshi King Yayati I.
• It is a classic example of Kalinga style of architecture.

Rock-cut Monuments at Mahabalipuram

• The Rock-cut monuments at Mahabalipuram were built by the Pallava king Narsimha in the 7th and 8th centuries.
• The beauty of the rock-cut sculpture of the temple is reflective of the artistic tastes of the erstwhile Pallava rulers.
• The group of monuments there consists of rock-cut cave temples, monolithic temples, bas-relief sculptures, and structural temples as well as the excavated remains of temples.

Varaha Image at Udayagiri

• The Udayagiri Caves, particularly Cave 5, feature a prominent relief sculpture depicting Vishnu in his Varaha (boar) avatar, rescuing the Earth Goddess (Bhudevi) from the cosmic ocean.
  • The relief shows Varaha, a man-boar, lifting Bhudevi on his shoulder, with his foot subduing a naga (serpent) who is guarding the cosmic ocean.
  • The relief is a prominent example of Gupta-period art and is considered one of the icons of Indian art.

Q. Which one of the following was given classical language status recently? {2015}

(a) Odia

(b) Konkani

(c) Bhojpuri

(d) Assamese

Answer: (a) Odia

Notes:

• In 2024, Union Cabinet has approved 5 more Classical Language status to Marathi (Maharashtra), Pali and Prakrit (Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh), Assamese (Assam) and Bengali (West Bengal) languages.
  • Earlier, There was six languages that enjoy the ‘Classical’ status in India:
    • Tamil (declared in 2004), Sanskrit (2005), Kannada (2008), Telugu (2008), Malayalam (2013), and Odia (2014).
    • All the Classical Languages are listed in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.
• The Ministry of Culture provides the guidelines regarding Classical languages.
• Guidelines for declaring a language as ‘Classical’ are:
  • High antiquity of its early texts/recorded history over a period of 1500-2000 years;
  • A body of ancient literature/texts, which is considered a valuable heritage by generations of speakers;
  • The literary tradition be original and not borrowed from another speech community;
  • The classical language and literature being distinct from modern, there may also be a discontinuity between the classical language and its later forms or its offshoots.
• Once a language is notified as a Classical language, the Human Resource and Development Ministry provides certain benefits to promote it:
  • Two major annual international awards for scholars of eminence in classical Indian languages
  • A Centre of Excellence for studies in Classical Languages is set up
  • The University Grants Commission is requested to create, to start with at least in the Central Universities, a certain number of Professional Chairs for the Classical Languages so declared.