Art & Culture Test 4

Answer – c

• Around 1000 A.D. local differences in Prakrit grew more and more pronounced, which later came to be known as Apabhramsa, and this led to the modern Indian languages taking shape and being born. These languages, conditioned by the regional, linguistic and ethnic environment, assumed different linguistic characteristics.
• The conception of bhakti did away with the elite tradition of Sanskrit and accepted the more acceptable language of the common man. Kabir (Hindi) says that Sanskrit is like water of a well stagnant, Bhasa like flowing water. A seventh century Shaiva Tamil writer Manikkarvachakar has something similar to say about in his book of poetry Thiruvachakam.

Answer – a

Constitutionally recognised modern Indian languages and Konkani, Marathi, Sindhi, Gujarati (Western); Manipuri, Bengali, Oriya and Assamese (Eastern); Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada (Southern) and Hindi, Urdu, Kashmiri, Dogri, Punjabi, Maithali, Nepali and Sanskrit (Northern). Two tribal languages, Bodo and Santhali are also recognised by the Constitution.

Appreciate why languages of the particular regions only are given primacy – probe any historical and cultural reason.

Answer – b

A seventh century Shaiva Tamil writer Manikkarvachakar has suggested replacing Sanskrit with regional languages in his book of poetry Thiruvachakam.

Answer – d

• Chronologically, Marathi, the close successor of Kannada, became the next venue for bhakti.
• Gyaneswar (1275 A.D.) is the first and foremost bhakti poet in Marathi. In his teens (he died at the age of 21) he became famous for his poetic contribution to bhakti for Vithal (Vishnu).
• Eknath wrote his short poetic narratives and devotional abhangas (a literary form), and after him it was Tukarram (1608-1649 A.D.) whose songs cast a spell all over Maharasthra.

Answer – a

The spread of Bhakti movement through Kannada and Marathi happened at the same time in 11^th Century, after the movement began in Tamil in 5-6^th Century only. And then it is Gujarati in the 12th century. Afterwards, the sequential order is as follows: Kashmiri, Bengali, Assamese, Manipuri, Oriya, Maithili, Braj, Avadhi (the last three languages come under the umbrella language, Hindi) and other languages of India.

Answer – a

The monuments before the period of Asoka were mostly made of wood and therefore perished. The use of stone started from the time of Asoka. Even of the numerous monuments of Asoka, only a few have remained. His palace and monasteries and most of his stupas have disappeared.

Answer – c

Asokan pillars with inscriptions were found in places like Delhi, Allahabad, Rummindai, Sanchi and Saranath. Their tops were crowned with figures of animals like lion, elephant and bull. The Saranath pillar with four lions standing back to back is the most magnificent. The Indian government adopted this capital with some modifications as its state emblem.

Answer – c

The tops of the Ashokan pillars were crowned with figures of animals like lion, elephant and bull. Ashokan pillar at Sarnath is in the picture.

Answer – a

• Mudrarakshasa written by Visakadatta is a drama in Sanskrit. Although written during the Gupta period, it describes how Chandragupta with the assistance of Kautilya overthrew the Nandas
• Arthsashtra was written in Sanskrit by Kautilya, a contemporary of Chandragupta Maurya.
• Megasthenes was the Greek ambassador in the court of Chandragupta Maurya. His book Indica has survived only in fragments. Yet, his account gives details about the Mauryan administration, particularly the administration of the capital city of Pataliputra and also the military organization.

Answer – c

• The inscriptions of Asoka were first deciphered by James Princep in 1837. They are written in Pali language and in splaces Prakrit was used. The Brahmi script was employed for writing. In the northwestern India Asokan inscriptions were found in Karoshti script. There are fourteen Major Rock Edicts. The two Kalinga Edicts are found in the newly conquered territory. The major pillar Edicts were erected in important cities.
• The XIII Rock Edict gives details about his war with Kalinga. The Pillar Edict VII gives a summary of his efforts to promote the Dhamma within his kingdom.

Answer – d

• The forms of art found from various sites of the Indus civilisation include sculptures, seals, pottery, gold jewellery, terracotta figures, etc.

Answer – c

• The artists of Harappan time surely had fine artistic sensibilities and a vivid imagination.
• Their delineation of human and animal figures was highly realistic in nature, since the anatomical details included in them was unique, and, in the case of terracotta art, the modelling of animal figures was done in an extremely careful manner.

Answer – a

• The two major sites of the Indus Valley Civilisation, along the Indus river—the cities of Harappa in the north and Mohenjodaro in the south.
• While Harappa and Mohenjodaro are situated in Pakistan, the important sites excavated in India are Lothal and Dholavira in Gujarat, Rakhigarhi in Haryana, Ropar in the Punjab, Kalibangan and Balathal in Rajasthan, etc

Answer – a

• The stone statuaries found at Harappa and Mohenjodaro are excellent examples of handling three-dimensional volumes. In stone are two male figures— one is a torso in red sandstone and the other is a bust of a bearded man in steatite—which are extensively discussed.
• The figure of the bearded man interpreted as a priest, is draped in a shawl coming under the right arm and covering the left shoulder. This shawl is decorated with trefoil patterns. The eyes are a little elongated, and half-closed as in meditative concentration. The nose is well formed and of medium size; the mouth is of average size with close-cut moustache and a short beard and whiskers; the ears resemble double shells with a hole in the middle. The hair is parted in the middle, and a plain woven fillet is passed round the head. An armlet is worn on the right hand and holes around the neck suggest a necklace.

Answer – c

Bronze casting was popular at all the major centres of the Indus Valley Civilisation. The copper
dog and bird of Lothal and the bronze figure of a bull from Kalibangan are in no way inferior to the human figures of copper and bronze from Harappa and Mohenjodaro.

Answer – c

• In the early-Harappan stage, the people lived in large villages in the plains. There was a gradual growth of towns in the Indus Also, the transition from rural to urban life took place during this period. The sites of Amri and Kot Diji remain the evidence for early-Harappan stage
• In the mature-Harappan stage, great cities emerged. The excavations at Kalibangan with its elaborate town planning and urban features prove this phase of evolution
• In the late-Harappan stage, the decline of the Indus culture The excavations at Lothal reveal this stage of evolution. Lothal with its port was founded much later. It was surrounded by a massive brick wall as flood protection.

Answer – c

• Harappan culture was distinguished by its system of town planning on the lines of the grid system – that is streets and lanes cutting across one another almost at right angles thus dividing the city into several rectangular
• Harappa, Mohenjodaro and Kalibangan each had its own citadel built on a high podium of mud brick. Below the citadel in each city lay a lower town containing brick houses, which were inhabited by the common.

Answer – a

• The most important public place of Mohenjodaro is the Great Bath measuring 39 feet length, 23 feet breadth and 8 feet depth. Flights of steps at either end lead to the surface. There are side rooms for changing clothes. The floor of the Bath was made of
  burnt bricks. Water was drawn from a large well in an adjacent room, and an outlet from one corner of the Bath led to a drain. It must have served as a ritual bathing site.
• The largest building in Mohenjodaro is a granary measuring 150 feet length and 50 feet But in the citadel of Harappa we find as many as six granaries

Answer – b

• The figure of a dancing girl from Mohenjodaro made of bronze is remarkable for its workmanship.
• Its right hand rests on the hip, while the left arm, covered with bangles, hangs loosely in a relaxed

Answer – c

• The pots and jars were painted with various designs and colours. Painted pottery is of better quality.
• The pictorial motifs consisted of geometrical patterns like horizontal lines, circles, leaves, plants and trees.
• On some pottery pieces we find figures of fish or peacock.