 The Pallavas had a well-organized administrative system.

The
Pallava state was divided into Kottams. The Kottam was
administered by officers appointed by the king. The king was at the
centre of administration in which he was assisted by able ministers.

 The Abhayamudra "gesture of fearlessness" represents protection,

peace, benevolence and the dispelling of fear.
 The gesture was used by the Buddha when attacked by an elephant,
subduing it as shown in several frescoes and scripts.

VINOBHA BHAVE

1. He is associated with Sarvodaya andBhoodan movement.

2. He had translated the Bhagavad Gita into Marathi.

GUILDS

 Guilds were organizations of people following the same profession.

Guild were economic institutions and caste are social groups.
 The guilds loaned money to artisans and merchants and epigraphical
evidence shows that even the royalty deposited money with them.
 Guild worked to alleviate distress and undertook works of piety and
charity as a matter of duty.
 Guilds could try their member for offenses in accordance with their
own customs. A guild member has to abide by to both state and
 guild laws. However the jurisdiction of guild courts was confined to
civil cases alone.

Match the great literary works with their authors:

1. 1. Bhasa
Mricchakatika

2. Meghdoot 2. Sri
Harsha

3. Swapna 3.
Vasavadattam Kalidasa

4. Ratnavali 4.
Shudraka

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

(a) 1-2, 2-4, 3-1, 4-3
(b) 1-4, 2-3, 3-2, 4-1
(c) 1-4, 2-3, 3-1, 4-2
(d) 1-2, 2-3, 3-4, 4-1
ANS c

FOLK THEATERES

 Bhand Pather is a theatre form of Kashmir. Satire and parody are the
underlying technique. It combines dance, music and acting.
 Bhaona is a theatre form of Assam while Bhavai is a form of Gujarat
and Rajasthan. Sutradhar starts the play in Bhaona in Sanskrit
language then in Brajboli or Assamese.
 Tamasha is theatre form of Maharashtra while Nautanki and Rasleela
are of Uttar Pradesh. Female actress is the chief exponent of dance
in the play, she is known as Murki.

Consider the following:

 1. Rajasuya
2. Asvamedha
3. Vajpeya
4. Lopamudraya

Which of the above is/are performed by the King to strengthen his position
in the kingdom?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 1 only
(c) 1, 2 and 3 only
(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

 Option 2 and 3 are sacrifice and a race.

 Option 1 is ceremony/ritual.
 option 4 is name of a woman poet.
 Larger kingdoms were formed during the later Vedic period. Many
jana or tribes were amalgamated to form Janapadas or Rashtras in
the later Vedic period. Hence the royal power had increased along
with the increase in the size of kingdom. The king performed various
rituals and sacrifices to strengthen his position. They include
Rajasuya (was a yajna or sacrifice, performed by the ancient kings of India who
considered themselves powerful enough to be an emperor.), Asvamedha (horse
sacrifice) and Vajpeya (chariot race). The kings also assumed titles
like Rajavisvajanan, Ahilabhuvanapathi, (lord of all earth), Ekrat and
Samrat (sole ruler).

CUNNINGHAM CIRCULAR
 To curb the students participation in Civil Disobedience Movement,
Cunningham Circular was implemented in 1930 by the British, which
played an important role in shaping the Freedom Struggle in Assam.
 It forced the students and their guardians to furnish assurances of
good behaviour and forbade them to participate in political activities,
and evoked strong response.
 Students quit schools in protest and many Educational Institutions
like Kamrup Academy of Guwahati and Sibsagar Vidyapeeth were
established.

ABHINAVA BOOKS
Abhinaya Darpana  Nandikeshwara
BRIHADESSHI Matanga Muni(5TH CENTURY)
Sangeet Ratnakara  Shrangdeva

MALABAR REBILLION
 The Malabar rebellion (also known as the "Moplah Rebellion") was an
armed uprising in 1921 against British authority and Hindu landlords in
the Malabar region of Southern India by Mappila Muslims and the culmination
of a series of Mappila revolts that recurred throughout the 19th century and
early 20th century.
 The 1921 rebellion began as a reaction against a heavy-handed crackdown
on the Khilafat Movement[4] by the British authorities in
the Eranad and Valluvanad taluks of Malabar.
 In the initial stages, a number of minor clashes took place
between Khilafat volunteers and the police, but the violence soon spread
across the region.
 The Mappilas attacked and took control of police stations, British government
offices, courts and government treasuries.
 The largely kudiyaan (tenant) Mappilas also attacked and
killed jenmi (landlords) of the Hindu Nair and Brahmin Nambudiri castes.
 In the later stages of the uprising, Mappilas committed several atrocities
against the Hindu community, who they accused of helping the police to
suppress their rebellion.
 Annie Besant reported that Muslim Mappilas forcibly converted
many Hindus and killed or drove away all Hindus who would not apostatise,
totalling to one lakh (100,000).
The British Government put down the rebellion with an iron fist, British
and Gurkha regiments were sent to the area and Martial Law imposed.[7] One of the
most noteworthy events during the suppression later came to be known as the
"Wagon tragedy", in which 61 out of a total of 90 Mappila prisoners destined for the
Central Prison in Podanur suffocated to death in a closed railway goods wagon.

Manjeri was a stronghold of the rebels during the Malabar rebellion of 1921 and hosted the
Malabar District Political conference in 1920.

BHANGAS
There is something most important which adds beauty to the bharatanatyam dance. These are nothing but the
ideal postures. The ideal postures of the body are described in the Shilpa sastra and are called the Bhangas.

There are four types of bhangas:

• Abhanga
• Samabhanga
• Atibhanga
• Tribhanga

The basic theory of bharatanatyam assumes the entire body to be a mass which is equally divided along an
imaginary line (Brahma sutra) that passes through the centre of the body.

1. While dancing, at any stage of the dance if the body is perfectly balanced about the brahmasutra then
the Samabhanga posture is attained.

2. When there is slight imbalance about the brahmasutra then the Abhanga posture arises.

3. Atibhanga is the great diagonal bend in the torso with knees bent.

4. Tribhanga is the triple bend in the body with one hip raised, torso curved to the opposite side and the
head tilted at an angle that gives a gentle S shape which is most graceful posture. It is believed that
Lord Krishna adopted this posture while upholding the Govardhana Mountain (This story is mentioned in
the Dasavatara Hastas/Krishna hasta).

Sallekhana (also Santhara, Samadhi-marana, Sanyasana-marana), is the Jain practice of

undertaking voluntary death at the end of one's life

HISTORY CURRENT AFFAIRS QUESTION

 The Tungabhadra river provided sustenance to which empire? Vijayanagara
[CDS-I 2015]
 Name the three great composers who experimented with the ‘Kriti’ form to set the
foundations for modern carnatic music in 18th and 19th century South
India. Tyagaraja, Diksitar and Syama Sastri [CDS-I 2015]
Explanation
The Trinity of Carnatic music refer to the outstanding trio of composer-musicians
of Carnatic music in the 18th century, beingTyagaraja, Muthuswami Dikshitar and Syama
Sastri. Prolific in composition, the Trinity of Carnatic music are known for creating a new era
in the history of Carnatic music by bringing about a noticeable change in what was the
existing Carnatic music tradition.
Compositions of the Trinity of Carnatic music are recognised as being distinct in style, and
original in handling ragas.

Muthuswami Dikshitar mainly composed in Sanskrit, while Tyagaraja and Syama Sastri mainly
composed in Telugu.

Purandaradasa is known as the 'Father of Carnatic music'.

  In the course of uprisings in 1773, Warren Hastings issued a proclamation
banishing all Sannyasis from Bengal and Bihar, is known as Sannyasi or Fakir
Uprisings [CDS-l 2015]
 Upari refers to a category of tenancy tenure held under the Maratha Regime
[CDS-I 2015]
 Which state was an important centre of learning in 18th century
Kerala? Travancore [CDS-I 2015]
 Which empire did Nocolo de Conti, Abdur Razzaq, Afanasy Nikitin and Femao
Nuniz visit?Vijayanagara Empire [CDS-l 2015]
 At the time of 185.7 Revolt, who was the British Commanding Officer at
Barrackpore?Sargeant Hearsey [UP PSC Revenue Officer 2014]
 At the time of establishment of Asiatic Society of Calcutta, who was the
Governor General of Bengal? Lord Warren Hastings [UP PSC Revenue
Officer 2014]
 In British system, Ryotwari land revenue collection was prevalent in South India
[UP PSC Revenue Officer 2014]
 Who was the founder of Chistia branch of Sufism? Sheikh Muhiuddin [UP PSC
Revenue Officer 2014]
 The ‘Panchasiddhantika’ of Varahmihira is based upon Greek Astronomy [UP
PSC Revenue Officer 2014]
 Which port handled the North Indian trade during the Gupta period? Tamralipti
[UP PSC Revenue Officer 2014]
 Which Indo-Greek ruler issued lead coins? Demetrius [UP PSC Revenue
Officer 2014]
 Ashokan inscriptions were first deciphered by James Princep [UP PSC Revenue
Officer 2014]
 Which King was a patron of Jainism? Kharvela [UP PSC Revenue Officer
2014]

Sadarang (1670–1748) was the pen name of the Hindustani musical composer and
artist Niyamat Khan.[1] Sadarang was active in the eighteenth century. He and his nephew
Adarang changed the Khayal style of Hindustani music into the form performed today.

Akbar repealed both Jizyah and Pilgrimage tax.

A dhimmī (Arabic: ‫ ذمي‬ḏimmī, IPA: [ˈðɪmmiː], collectively ‫ أهل الذمة‬ahl al-ḏimmah/dhimmah "the
people of the dhimma") is a historical[1]term referring to non-Muslim citizens of an Islamic
state.[1] The word literally means "protected person." [2] According to scholars, dhimmis had their
rights fully protected in their communities, but as citizens in the Islamic state, had certain
restrictions,[3] and it was obligatory for them to pay the jizya tax.[4] Dhimmis were excluded from
specific duties assigned to Muslims, and did not enjoy certain political rights reserved for
Muslims, but were otherwise equal under the laws of property, contract, and obligation.[5] They
were also exempted from the zakat tax paid by Muslim
who was the first to give the call for swarajya- "India for
Indians"?

(A)Dayanand Saraswati 18) Lokmanya Tilak

(C) Sri Aurobindo. (D) Bhagat Singh

Kuchipudi:

 Kuchipudi is one of the classical dance forms of the South India. Kuchipudi derives its
name from the Kuchipudi village of Andhra Pradesh.

 Kuchipudi exhibits scenes from the Hindu Epics, legends and mythological tales through
a combination of music, dance and acting.

 Like other classical dances, Kuchipudi also comprises pure dance, mime and histrionics
but it is the use of speech that distinguishes Kuchipudi’s presentation as dance drama.

 In its early form, the female roles were played by boys and young men of beautiful
looks. The director (called Sutradhar) played the most important role. He combined the
role of conductor, dancer, singer, musician, comedian, all in one. In modern times the
Kuchipudi dance is considerably different than it originally used to be. Most of the
performances are solo, done by female dancers.

Origin:

 In 17th century Kuchipudi style of Yakshagaana was conceived by Siddhendra Yogi a

Vaishnava poet and visionary who had the capacity to give concrete shape to some of his
visions. He was steeped in the literary Yakshagaana tradition being guided by his guru
Teerthanaaraayana Yogi who composed the Krishna-Leelatarangini in Sanskrit.
  It was Lakshminarayan Shastry (1886-1956) who introduced many new elements
including solo dancing and training of female dancers in this dance style.

The Avadānaśataka or "Century of Noble Deeds (Avadāna)" is an anthology in Sanskrit of

legends, primarily concerning the Buddha and the Maurya emperor Aśoka, written by members
of the Sarvāstivāda school of Buddhism.

Yakshagana (yakṣagāna, [jəkʃəɡaːnə]) is a theater form that combines dance, music, dialogue,
costume, make-up, and stage techniques with a unique style and form. This theater style,
resembling Western opera, is mainly found in the coastal districts and theMalenadu region
of Karnataka, India. Yakshagana is traditionally presented from dusk to dawn.

SAHITYA AKADEMI

In 1944, the Government of India accepted in principle a proposal of the Royal Asiatic Society of
Bengal that a National Cultural trust should be set up to encourage cultural activities in all fields.
The trust was to consist of three Academies, including the Academy of letters.

Consensus emerged in favour of establishing three National Academies one of letters, another of
visual arts and the third of dance, drama and music. The Government would set up the Academies,
but once they were establish, it would refrain from exercising any control and leave them to
perform their function as autonomous institution.It was to promote cultural unity through letters.

Besides the 22 languages enumerated in the Constitution ofIndia, the Sahitya Akademi has
recognised English and Rajasthani as languages in which its programme may be implemented.

VARKARI

Varkari (meaning "a pilgrim") is a religious movement (sampraday) within the bhakti spiritual
tradition of Hinduism, geographically associated with the Indian states of Maharashtra and
northern Karnataka. Varkaris worship Vithoba (also known as Vitthal), the presiding deity
of Pandharpur, regarded as a form of Krishna. Saints and Gurus of Bhakti movement associated
with the Varkari sect include Dnyaneshwar, Namdev, Chokhamela, Eknath, and Tukaram, all of
whom are accorded the title of Sant.

The Varkari movement includes the worship of Krishna in the form of Vithoba and a duty-based
approach towards life

1. emphasising, moral behavior and strict avoidance of alcohol and tobacco,

2. strict Lacto-vegetarian diet

3. fasting on Ekadashi day (twice a month)

4. self-restraint (brahmacharya) during student life,

5. equality and humanity for all rejecting discrimination based on caste or wealth
 6. , the reading of holy books by all castes,

7. the reading of the Haripath every day

8. regular bhajan and kirtan.

Varkaris prostrated in front of each other because "everybody is Brahma".The Varkari poets
put God-realisation (haripath) in simple terms in small booklets of verse. Each saint
extolled japa, chanting the Lord's name. Varkari people undertake an annual pilgrimage (vari)
to Pandharpur, gathering there on Ekadashi (the 11th day) of the Hindu lunar calendar month
of Ashadha, which falls sometime between late June to July in the Gregorian calendar.

Events such as Ringan and Dhava are held during the pilgrimage.

 During the Ringan, a sacred horse called Maulincha Ashva, who is believed to be the
soul of the saint whose idol is being carried in the litter, runs through the rows of pilgrims,
who try catching the dust particles kicked off and smear their head with the same.

 Dhava is another kind of race where everyone wins and it is held to commemorate the
manner in which Tukaram first saw the temple at Pandharpur and started running in
sheer exhilaration

1. Basava (also known as Bhakti Bhandari Basavanna or Basaveshwara; 1134–1196)

was an Indian philosopher, statesman, Kannada poet and a social reformer in what is
now Karnataka, India.

 He fought against the practice of the caste system, which discriminated against
people based on their birth, gender and other rituals in Hinduism.

 He spread social awareness through his poetry, popularly known as Vachanaas.

 Basavanna used Ishtalinga, an image of the Śiva Liṅga, to

eradicate untouchability, to establish equality among all human beings and as a
means to attain spiritual enlightenment.

 He created a model Parliament called the Anubhava Mantapa, which not only
gave equal representation to men and women but also had representatives from
different socio-economic backgrounds.

 Classical Hindu theologists interpret the Vachanaas as the essence

of Vedic knowledge while attempting to explain the social revolution Basava was
ushering in.

 Unlike Gautama Buddha, Basava did not preach the intricate aspects of
spirituality; rather, he taught people how to live happily in a rational social order
which later came to be known as the Sharana movement.

Basava originated a literary revolution through his literary creation called Vachana
Sahitya in Kannada Language which are derived from the Upanishads and Vedanta.
2. Sayajirao Gaekwad III (born Shrimant Gopalrao Gaekwad, 11 March 1863 – 6 February
1939) was the Maharaja of Baroda State from 1875 to 1939, and is notably remembered
for reforming much of his state during his rule. He played a key role in the development
of Baroda's textile industry, and his educational and social reforms included among
others, a ban on child marriage, legislation of divorce, removal of untouchability, spread
of education, development of Sanskrit, ideological studies and religious education as well
as the encouragement of the fine arts.[1]

His economic development initiatives included the establishment of a railroad (see below)
and the founding in 1908 of the Bank of Baroda, which still exists and is one of India's
leading banks, with numerous operations abroad in support of the Gujarati diaspora.

Fully aware of the fact that he was a Maratha ruler of Gujarat, he identified himself with
the people and shaped their cosmopolitan attitude and progressive, reformist zeal. His
rich library became the nucleus of today's Central Library of Baroda with a network of
libraries in all the towns and villages in his state. He was the first Indian ruler to introduce,
in 1906, compulsory and free primary education in his state, placing his territory far in
advance of contemporary British India

He recognised talent from among his people. He supported education and training of
persons who in his opinion would shine in life. Those persons whom he patronised
included Dr. Babasaheb Alies Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, the architect of Indian
Constitution; Dadabhai Naoroji, who started his public life as the Dewan (Minister) to the
Maharaja in 1874 and thereafter went on to become the first Asian Member of the British
House of Commons where he made no secret of the fact that he would also be
representing 250 million of his fellow subjects in India.He also sent his Agriculture
Commissioner Chintaman Vishnu Sane to The United States of America for research in
that field.

Sayajirao used to visit England every year to select outstanding young people to join his
service and in one of such visits he met 20-year Sri Aurobindo whom he immediately
offered a job at Baroda College. Sri Aurobindo returned to India in 1893 to join the
Baroda service.

In 1895 the Maharaja is claimed to have witnessed the successful flight of an unmanned
aircraft constructed by S. B. Talpade, which happened eight years before the Wright
brothers took to the skies.

Classical music
Sayajirao was also a patron of Indian classical music. Ustad Moula Bux founded
the Academy of Indian Music (Gayan Shala) under his patronage in 1886. This
Academy later became the Music College and is now the Faculty of Performing
Arts of the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Vadodara. Apart from Ustad Moula
 Bux, Sayajirao’s court boasted great artistes like Ustad Inayat Khan and Ustad
Faiyyaz Khan. In 1916, the first All India Music Conference was held in Baroda

Dance
In 1880 the Maharani Laksmi Bai (Chimnabai I) of Tanjore was married to Baroda’s
Maharaja Sayajirao III Gopalrao Gaekwad, an enlightened prince who after ascending
the throne established the Baroda College as one of his first public acts. It was later
absorbed into the university that bears his name.

Chimnabai I was knowledgeable in Bharatanatyam and Carnatic music, and brought a

troupe with her comprising two dancers, two nattuvanars (leaders of Bharatanatyam
concerts) and two teachers (Khandwani 2002).

3. Belur Math
Belūr Maṭh or Belur Mutt is the headquarters of the Ramakrishna Math and Mission, founded
by Swami Vivekananda, a chief disciple of Ramakrishna Paramahamsa. It is located on the west
bank of Hooghly River, Belur, West Bengal, India and is one of the significant institutions in
Calcutta.[2] This temple is the heart of the Ramakrishna Movement. The temple is notable for its
architecture that fuses Hindu, Christian and Islamic motifs as a symbol of unity of all religions.

History
In January 1897, Swami Vivekananda arrived in Colombo with his small group of Western
disciples. Two monasteries were founded by him,

1. one at Belur, which became the headquarters of Ramakrishna Mission

2. the other at Mayavati on the Himalayas, nearAlmora called the Advaita Ashrama.

These monasteries were meant to receive and train young men who would eventually
become sannyasis of the Ramakrishna Mission, and to give them a training for their work. The
same year the philanthropic activity was started and relief of the famine was carried out.[5]

Swami Vivekananda's days as a parivrajaka (wandering monk) before his visit to Parliament of
Religions, took him through many parts of India and he visited several architectural monuments
like the Taj Mahal, Fatehpur Sikri palaces, Diwan–I–Khas, palaces of Rajasthan, ancient temples
of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and other places. During his tour in America
and Europe, he came across buildings of architectural importance of
Modern, Medieval, Gothic and Renaissance styles. It is reported that Vivekananda incorporated
these ideas in the design of the Belur Math temple.[6]

and one of the monastic disciples of Ramakrishna, who was, in his pre-monastic life, a civil
engineer, designed the temple according to the ideas of Vivekananda and Swami Shivananda,
the then President of Belur Math laid the foundation stone on 16 May 1935. The massive
construction was handled by Martin Burn & Co.. The mission proclaims the Belur Math as, "A
Symphony in Architecture".

1. Birth centenary of Rani Gaidinliu

Gaidinliu (1915–1993) was a Naga spiritual and political leader who led a revolt
against British rule in India.[1] At the age of 13, she joined the Heraka religious movement
of her cousin Haipou Jadonang. The movement later turned into a political movement
seeking to drive out the British from Manipur and the surrounding Naga areas. Within the
Heraka cult, she came to be considered an incarnation of the goddess
Cherachamdinliu.[2] Gaidinliu was arrested in 1932 at the age of 16, and was sentenced
to life imprisonment by the British rulers. Jawaharlal Nehru met her at Shillong Jail in
1937, and promised to pursue her release. Nehru gave her the title of "Rani" ("Queen"),
and she gained local popularity as Rani Gaidinliu.
2. 150th birth anniversary of Lala Lajpat Rai /Panjab Keasari

He was popularly known as Punjab Kesari'. He was part of theLal Bal Pal trio.[1] He was
also associated with activities of Punjab National Bank and Lakshmi Insurance Company
in their early stages. He sustained serious injuries by the police when leading a non-
violent protest against the Simon Commission and died less than three weeks later. His
death anniversary (17 November) is one of several days celebrated as Martyrs' Day in
India.
He became a large believer in the idea that Hinduism, above nationality, was the pivotal
point upon which an Indian lifestyle must be based.
is involvement with Hindu Mahasabha leaders gathered criticism from the Bharat Sabha
as the Mahasabhas were non-secular, which did not conform with the system laid out by
the Indian National Congress.
He was a devotee of Arya Samaj and was editor of Arya Gazette, which he set up during
his student time
After joining the Indian National Congress, and taking part in political agitation in the
Punjab, Lajpat Rai was deported to Mandalay, Burma (Myanmar), without trial, in May
1907.
In 1921, He founded Servants of the People Society, a non-profit welfare organisation, in
Lahore, which shifted based to Delhi after partition, and has branches in many parts of
India.
When the SimonCommission visited Lahore on 30 October 1928, Lajpat Rai led silent
march in protest against it. The superintendent of police, James A. Scott, ordered the
police to lathi (baton) charge the protesters and personally assaulted Rai.[12] Despite
being injured, Rai subsequently addressed the crowd and said that "I declare that the
blows struck at me today will be the last nails in the coffin of British rule in India".

Although Bhagat Singh did not witness the event,he vowed to take revenge,and joined
other revolutionaries, Shivaram Rajguru, Sukhdev Thapar and Chandrashekhar Azad, in
a plot to kill Scott.However, in a case of mistaken identity, Bhagat Singh was signalled to
shoot on the appearance of John P. Saunders, an Assistant Superintendent of Police. He
was shot by Rajguru and Bhagat Singh while leaving the District Police Headquarters in
Lahore on 17 December 1928.

Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences in Hisar, Haryana is named after
Lala Lajpat Rai.

Rai's writings include:

 The Story of My Deportation (1908)
 Arya Samaj (1915)
 The United States of America: A Hindu’s Impression (1916)
 Young India (1916)
 Unhappy India (1928)
 England's Debt to India (1917)
 Autobiographical Writings .

3. 200th birth anniversary of Tatya Tope

Ramachandra Pandurang Tope (1814 – 18 April 1859) was an Indian leader in the Revolt of
1857 and one of its more renowned generals. He is better known by his nickname Tatya Tope,
which is also transliterated as Tantya Tope or Tantia Topi.[1]

A personal adherent of Nana Sahib of Bithur, he progressed with the Gwalior contingent after the
British reoccupied Kanpur and forced General Windham to retreat from the city. Later on, he
came to the relief of Rani Lakshmibai of Jhansi and with her seized the city of Gwalior. However,
he was defeated by General Napier's British Indian troops at Ranod and after a further defeat at
Sikar abandoned the campaign. He was executed by the British Government at Shivpuri on
18 April 1859.

The British forces had failed to subdue him for over a year. He was however betrayed into the
hands of the British by his trusted friend, Man Singh, while asleep in his camp in the Paron
forest.

4. 475th birth anniversary of Maharana Pratap

Battle Of Haldighati
The Rana's army included an Afghan contingent of Hakim Khan Sur; the Rana also had a
small contingent of Bhil tribals fighting alongside him. Anticipating the mughal attack, the
Rana had also devastated the entire region up to Chittor to prevent the mughal forces
access to food and fodder. The Battle of Haldighati was fought on February 18, 1576. It
was primarily fought in the traditional manner between cavalry and elephants since the
mughals found it difficult to transport artillery over the rough terrain. In a traditional fight
the Rajputs were at an advantage; their impetuous attack led to a crumbling of the
mughal left and right wings and put pressure on the center until reserves, and a rumor of
Akbar's arrival, turned the tide, and resulted in a Rajput retreat.

After the Battle of Haldighati, Akbar decided to personally lead the campaign against
Pratap. In the process, Gogunda, Udaipur, and Kumbhalmir were occupied by the
mughals, forcing the Rana deeper into the mountainous tracts of southern Mewar.

5. Birth centenary of Bhisham Sahni, and

Bhisham Sahni (8 August 1915 – 11 July 2003) was a Hindi writer, playwright, and
actor, most famous for his novel and television screenplay Tamas
 Two of his masterpiece stories, 'Pali' and 'Amritsar Aa Gaya Hai' , are also based on
the Partition.
6. 500 years of return of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu to Vrindavan

KANGRA TEA
When one talks of Indian tea, one thinks of Assam, Darjeeling, or Nilgiri more easily than
Kangra tea. Kangra tea has a history that is more than 150 years old.

Fighting odds

Gagnesh Sharma, Deputy Director, Tea Board of India in Kangra says, “In the mid 1800s, Dr
William Jameson, the Superintendent of the Botanical Gardens of the North West province
visited Kangra. A feasibility survey was conducted and in 1848, this area was declared
suitable for tea plantations. The China Jat variety of Camellia plants was later planted here.”

In 1882-1883, the tea was mentioned in the Kangra district gazette as “Probably superior to
that produced in any other part of India. The demand for it has been increasing and much is
bought by natives for export via Peshawar to Kabul and Central Asia”.

In 1886 and 1895, the tea received gold and silver medals at International conventions held in
London and Amsterdam.

The destruction caused by the earthquake in 1905 forced the British to sell their estates and
leave the area. Until the middle of the 20 century, the new owners continued to grow tea.
However, only small amounts of tea could be manufactured as few factories were functional.

Over the last 40 years, the Himachal Pradesh State Government and the Tea Board of India
have done a lot to bring Kangra Tea back onto the map of Indian tea.

Due to the geographical elements present in the region, the colour, flavour and body of
Kangra tea is distinct. The word ‘Kangra Tea’ has, hence been registered as a geographical
indicator since 2005 under the Himachal Pradesh Patent Information Centre, Shimla.

Unfortunately, this industry is unable to flourish as the bushes are old as a result of which the
yield is low. With intensive research being done on tea at the Council of Scientific and
Industrial Research (CSIR) and the Agricultural University of Palampur, there is hope that
replanting and rejuvenation will take place, and give impetus to this industry.

3. Kheer Bawani festival – Hindu—Kashmir

Puskaram festival -Pushkaram is an Indian festival dedicated to worshiping of rivers. It is also

known as Pushkaralu (in Telugu), Pushkara or Pushkar.

It is celebrated at shrines along the banks of 12 major sacred rivers in India, in form of ancestor
worship, spiritual discourses, devotional music and cultural programmes. The celebration
happens annually, once in 12 years along each river.This year iit is on Godawari
SUFISM
The big question, of course, is why the antipathy between Sufis and Salafis is becoming a civil war in Islam.
Indeed, the war itself is fairly one-sided, as the other side is the victim of the attack and has no strategy for a
concerted counter-attack. But without romanticising either Sufism — any ‘ism’ is problematic — or the “good
Muslim”, we only have to peruse early Sufi medieval texts to see how Sufi philosophies provide major sources of
resistance to Salafist and other exclusionary ideologies. They go back to a period when religion and philosophy
were not yet divorced. These philosophies also suggest Islam’s civilisational dialogue with Greek and Hindu-
Buddhist philosophies.

A few years ago, in Pakistan, I had visited the mausoleum of the great Sufi Abul Hassan Ali Hajvari, popularly
called Daata Sahib (990-1077), now behind barbed wire after its bombing in 2010. Abul Hassan Ali Hajvari is the
author of Kashf Al Mahjub or The Revelation of the Veiled , a text in Persian that the philosopher Ghazala Irfan
teaches at the Lahore University of Management Sciences. I had also made another pilgrimage to Pakpattan
where the mausoleum of Baba Farid, one of the great Chishti Sufis, had been similarly attacked. Baba Farid also
visited Jerusalem. Around the site of his meditation an Indian hospice has come into being, beautifully
memorialised in Navtej Sarna’s recent book, Indians at Herod’s Gate: A Jerusalem Tale.

What cannot be destroyed by arson or attacks, however, are the powerful ideas of some of these Sufi masters that
contest annihilatory Salafist ideologies. In India, after a series of celebrated Sufis including Moinuddin Chishti,
Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki, Hamiduddin Nagori, Nizamuddin Auliya and Nasiruddin Chiragh Dehlavi, the Chishti
lineage was taken southwards to the Deccan by Khwaja Syed Shaik al Islam Syed Mohammed al Husaini,
popularly known as Banda Nawaz Gesu Daraz (1321-1422). His powerful philosophical text, Ma’arif al awarif, is
a commentary upon a foundational text of the Suhrawardi Sufi order. It articulates, among other ideas, the ethical
idea that one cannot love god and not love all the creatures he has created. Only the first volume of this text has
been recently published by the Da’irat’ul-Ma’arif’il- Osmania, Hyderabad, edited by Mohammed Mustafa
Shareef. This is similar to the Shadhili teaching that god is everywhere and one can see his face in all creation
elaborated in the mystical teachings of Al-Shadhili

This then is the undeclared civil war in Islam. Except that one side is largely armed only with the theology of love.

 AMBEDKAR
 PERIYAR

Dinesh Gupta
Dinesh Chandra Gupta or Dinesh Gupta (6 December 1911 – 7 July 1931) was a
Bengali revolutionary

Early activities
While he was studying inDhaka College, Dinesh joined Bengal Volunteers - a group
organised by Subhas Chandra Bose in 1928, at the occasion of Calcutta session of the Indian
National Congress. Soon the Bengal Volunteers transformed itself to a more active
revolutionary association and planned to liquidate infamous British police officers. For a
short while, Dinesh Gupta was in Midnapore training local revolutionaries in the use of
firearms. Revolutionaries trained by him were responsible for the assassination of three
District Magistrates in succession, Douglas, Burge, and Peddy.

The battle of Writers' Building

The association targeted Col NS Simpson, the Inspector General of Prisons, who was
infamous for the brutal oppression on the prisoners in the jails.[citation needed] The
revolutionaries decided not only to murder him, but also to strike a terror in the British
official circles by launching an attack on the Secretariat Building - the Writers' Building in
the Dalhousie Square in Kolkata.
On 8 December 1930, Dinesh, along with Benoy Basu and Badal Gupta, dressed in European
costume, entered the Writers' Building and shot dead Simpson. Nearby police started firing at
them in response. What ensued was a brief gunfight between the 3 young revolutionaries and
the police. Some other officers like Twynam, Prentice and Nelson suffered injuries during the
shooting.
Soon police overpowered them. However, the three did not wish to be arrested. Badal
Gupta took Potassium cyanide, while Benoy and Dinesh shot themselves with their own
revolvers. Benoy was taken to the hospital where he died on 13 December 1930.

The trial and hanging

However, Dinesh survived the near-fatal injury. He was convicted and sentenced to death.
Dinesh Chandra Gupta was hanged on 7 July 1931 at Alipore Jail. Soon after that, Kanailal
Bhattacharya took revenge for the hanging by killing Mr. Ginger(the judge of the Dinesh
Gupta case).

Significance
Benoy, Badal, and Dinesh were treated as martyrs by supporters in Bengal and other parts of
India. After independence, Dalhousie Square was named B.B.D. Bagh - after the Benoy-
Badal-Dinesh trio.

Amaravathi, meaning ‘abode of the immortal’, is a small town in Guntur district, and was
specifically chosen by Mr. Naidu to leverage on its rich 2,000-year-old heritage. It was the capital
of the Satavahana kings between the 2nd and 3rd century BCE — they ruled most of the country
from here — and also an important region for Buddhism.

 (Vijayanagara Empire)Humpi located near Tungabhadra.

 Sri Parthasarthy Temple  Chennai. discovery of an inscription of the Chola emperor

Rajendra I on the northwest corner of the sanctum sanctorum.

Adding to the excitement is a mural depicting the Kurukshetra war, a row of horse-drawn
chariots and fiercely moustachioed charioteers, all battle-ready, which has come to light
as the cement plaster covering it fell off. The mural runs to many metres, but had been
inexplicably covered with plaster.

The temple is replete with inscriptions of the Pallavas, who are believed to have built it
around AD 600

 Dhakeshwar Kali Temple  Dhaka

SATAVAHANAS
Gautamiputra Satakarni may also have defeated Sakas in 78 CE and started the calendar
known as Shalivahana era or Shaka era, which is followed by the Telugu
people, Gujarati, Marathi and Kannadiga is the Indian national calendar. Earlier in 56
BCE, Vikramadityaking of Ujjain defeated Sakas and started Vikram Samvat era. His mother
mentioned his title to be "Satavahana-kula-yasa-pratisthapanakara".

Coinage

Coin of Gautamiputra Yajna Satakarni (r. 167–196 CE).

The Satavahanas are the first native Indian rulers to issue their own coins with portraits of their
rulers, starting with king Gautamiputra Satakarni, a practice derived from that of the Western
Satraps he defeated, itself originating with the Indo-Greek kings to the northwest.

They issued mainly lead and copper coins; their portrait-style silver coins were usually
struck over coins of the Western Kshatrapa kings.

The coin legends of the Satavahanas, in all areas and all periods, used a Prakrit dialect without
exception. Some reverse coin legends are inTamil,[20] Kannada & Telugu language,[21] which
seems to have been in use in their heartland abutting
the Godavari, Kotilingala, Karimnagarin Telangana, Krishna, Amaravati, Guntur in Andhra
Pradesh.[22]

Their coins also display various traditional symbols, such as elephants, lions, horses and
chaityas (stupas), as well as the "Ujjain symbol", a cross with four circles at the end. The
legendary Ujjayini Emperor Vikramditiya on whose name the Vikram Samvat is initiated might be
Satakarni II a Satavahana emperor as the Ujjayini symbol also appeared on the Satavahana
coins.

Cultural achievements[edit]
An aniconic representation of Mara's assault on the Buddha, 2nd century, Amaravati.

Of the Sātavāhana kings, Hāla (r. 20–24 CE) is famous for compiling the collection
of Maharashtri poems known as the Gaha Sattasai(Sanskrit: Gāthā Saptashatī), although from
linguistic evidence it seems that the work now extant must have been re-edited in the succeeding
century or two. The Lilavati describes his marriage with a Ceylonese Princess.

The Satavahanas influenced South-East Asia to a great extent, spreading Hindu culture,
language and religion into that part of the world. Their coins had images of ships.

Art of Amaravati
The Sātavāhana rulers are also remarkable for their contributions to Buddhist art and
architecture. They built great stupas in the Krishna River Valley, including the stupa
at Amaravati in Andhra Pradesh. The stupas were decorated in marble slabs and sculpted with
scenes from the life of the Buddha, portrayed in a characteristic slim and elegant style. The
Satavahana empire colonized Southeast Asia and spreadIndian culture to those parts.
The Amaravati style of sculpture spread to Southeast Asia at this time.

Who is Rama Devi?

She was one of the most committed workers in India’s national movement and a devoted
disciple of Mahatma Gandhi.

Her contributions to the Indian National Movement:

At the launch of the Civil Disobedience Movement in 1931, mass public meetings were
organised by Smt.Rama Devi, Gopabandhu Choudhury and Acharya Harihar Das in Odisha.
When the Dandi March took place on the West Coast of India, Inchudi on the Balasore Coast
and Kujanga in Cuttack were selected by the Utkal Provincial Congress Committee to break
the Salt Law. This was led by Smt. Rama Devi and other leaders in Odisha.

She was an organiser, speaker, campaigner and inspirer of ordinary men and women.

She worked hard to root out untouchability and communalism.

She organised a pada yatra to support Vinobha Bhave’s Bhoodan Movement and gave utmost
emphasis to education, emancipation and empowerment of women.

Traditional brass and copper craft of utensil

making
The traditional brass and copper craft of utensil making among the Thatheras of Jandiala
Guru Punjab has got the distinction of being inscribed on the Representative List of the
Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, UNESCO, 2014.

Kutiyattam, Sanskrit Theatre of Kerela.

The Tradition of Vedic Chanting

Ramlila - the Traditional Performance of the Ramayana

Ramman: religious festival and ritual theatre of the Garhwal Himalayas. The festival and the
eponymous art form are conducted as an offering to the village deity, Bhumiyal Devta, in the
courtyard of the village temple. The festival is held in her honour every year after Baisakhi,
a harvest festival that also marks the beginning of the Hindu Solar New Year.

Mudiyett: a ritual theatre of Kerala and folk dance drama from Kerala that enacts the mythological tale
of a battle between the goddess Kali and the demon Darika. The ritual is a part of
the bhagavathi or bhadrakali cult. The dance is performed by a set of people known as Kuruppanmar
and is performed in temples called 'Bhagvati Kavus', the temples of the Mother Goddess, between
February and May after the harvesting season.
Kalbelia: folk songs and dances of Rajasthan

Chhau dance: a tradition from eastern India. 'Chhau dance is a genre of Indian tribal martial dance
which is popular in the Indian states of Odisha, Jharkhand and West Bengal. There are three
subgenres of the dance, based on its places of origin and development, Seraikella Chhau,
Mayurbhanj Chhau and Purulia Chhau.This is also called paika nrutya.The word paika is
derived from the Sanskrit word Padatika meaning the infantry, and hence the name of the dance
is battle (paika) dance (nrutya). In the olden days the powerful Ganga and Gajapati rulers of
Orissa extended their territory from the river Ganges in the north to the Godavari in the south
with the help of a vast army of valiant Paikas.

The most prominent difference among the three subgenres is regarding the use of masks. While,
the Seraikela and Purulia subgenres of Chhau use masks, the Mayurbhanj Chhau uses none.

The Mayurbhanj Chhau is performed without masks and is technically similar to the Seraikella
Chhau. The Purulia Chhau too uses masks and it exhibits the spontaneity of folk art. This is
because unlike the Seraikella and Mayurbhanj Chhau, which enjoyed royal patronage, the
Purulia Chhau was sustained and developed by the people themselves.

Masks in this form of the dance are of three main types representing human characters - both
mundane and depicting characters from Hindu mythology, masks that represent animals and
birds and objects thought of as having human faces and masks that represent ideas and
seasons.

Buddhist chanting of Ladakh: recitation of sacred Buddhist texts in the trans-Himalayan Ladakh
region, Jammu and Kashmir, India

Sankirtana, ritual singing, drumming and dancing of Manipur. Sankirtana encompasses an array of arts
performed to mark religious occasions and various stages in the life of the Vaishnava people of the Manipur
plains. Sankirtana practices centre on the temple, where performers narrate the lives and deeds of Krishna
through song and dance. In a typical performance, two drummers and about ten singer-dancers perform in a hall
or domestic courtyard encircled by seated devotees.

Traditional brass and copper craft of utensil making among the Thatheras of Jandiala Guru, Punjab

GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATOR

The veena is made from the wood of the jackfruit tree; the Thanjavur Veena is a GI.

The nadhaswaram makers of Narsingampettai, Tamil Nadu, too are looking for
the aacha tree to make their products.

Ikat (a GI in Pochampally) weaving may not last this decade. Ikat, or Ikkat, is a dyeing
technique used to pattern textiles that employs a resist dyeing process on the yarns prior to
dyeing and weaving the fabric. A characteristic of ikat textiles is an apparent "blurriness" to the
design.
Double ikats--in which both the warp and weft yarns are tied and dyed before being woven into a
single textile--are relatively rare because of the intensive skilled labor required to produce them.
They are produced in Gujarat in India, theOkinawa islands of Japan, the village
of Tenganan in Bali, Indonesia, and the villages of Puttapaka[1] and Bhoodan Pochampally in
India.

Chennai’s Kalakshetra has taken up the revival of the ancient Kodalikaruppur weaving
tradition. During the 19th century, these traditional saris were produced at Kodali Karuppur
village, about 30 km from Kumbakonam, for the royal family of Thanjavur, using natural
vegetable dyes.

Consider the following statements with reference to the Dadasaheb Phalke award:

1. The Dadasaheb Phalke Award is India’s highest award in cinema.

2. The first recipient of the award was actress Devika Rani.
3. Actor Prithviraj Kapoor is the sole posthumous recipient of this Award.
Which of the above statements is/are true?

 a) Only 1 and 3
 b) Only 2 and 3
 c) Only 1 and 2
 d) All

Correct

Answer: d

India’s ‘Parrot Lady’ to fly back home

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper recently handed over to his counterpart,
Narendra Modi, the 800-year-old Indian sandstone sculpture of a woman holding a
parrot.

Details about the Sculpture:

 The three-foot high statue of ‘Parrot Lady’ turned up in Canada in 2011 in the
possession of an individual who did not have proper documentation; it was seized
under the Cultural Property Export and Import which controls antiquities and other
cultural objects being imported from foreign states.
 The sculpture dates back to the 12th century.
 The Parrot Lady is what is known as a naayika, or heroine. She is voluptuous, scantily
clad, posed in a manner that is a tad saucy, and has a parrot on her back. She is just
one of many erotic stone ladies that werecreated to adorn the Khajuraho temples.
It was returned in accordance with the 1970 UNESCO Convention.

1970 UNESCO Convention:

The UNESCO 1970 Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the
Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property is an
international treaty.
 It is the first international instrument dedicated to the fight against illicit trafficking of
cultural property.
 It was adopted at the 16th General Conference of UNESCO on 14 November 1970 in
Paris and came into force on 24 April 1972.
 127 states are parties to the treaty.
The provisions contained in the 1970 Convention aim to protect cultural property
against theft and looting while emphasizing the restitution of such items. The
Convention stresses three main principles for States to follow.

1. Preventive measures Firstly, States Parties are requested to take preventive measures
to impede the illicit import and export of cultural property from their territory. These
measures include, among others, inventories, export certificates, monitoring of trade,
imposition of penal or administrative sanctions and educational programs.
2. Restitution provisions (Art.7 of the Convention) Secondly, States are requested to
return cultural property. Under the restitution provisions of the Convention, States
Parties take appropriate steps to recover and return cultural property illicitly stolen
from the territory of another State party to the Convention and imported into their
 territory after the entry into force of this Convention for both States concerned.
Innocent purchasers and persons with a valid claim to such cultural property are
entitled to a just compensation. Restitution requests are made through diplomatic
offices.
3. International cooperation Lastly, the Convention strives to set up an international
cooperation framework to strengthen ties between States Parties to the Convention. In
particular, such cooperation allows for States whose cultural heritage is in jeopardy
due to pillaging of archaeological or ethnological materials, to ask other affected
States for assistance, through the creation of import and export controls and general
measures to prevent the illicit trafficking of cultural property.

Under the provisions of the 1970 Convention, a State Party can seek the recovery and
return of any illegally exported or stolen cultural property imported into another
State Party only after the entry into force of this Convention in both States
concerned. However, the 1970 Convention does not in any way legitimize any illegal
transaction of any nature which has taken place before the entry into force of this
Convention nor limit any right of a State to make a claim under provisions of relevant
national legislations or international instruments.

Lalit Kala Akademi:

The Lalit Kala Akademi or National Academy of Art is India’s National Academy of Fine
Arts. It was an autonomous organization, established at New Delhi in 1954 by
Government of India to promote and propagate understanding of Indian art, both within
and outside the country. It does so through providing scholarships, a fellow program,
and sponsoring and organizing numerous exhibitions in India and overseas.

 It is funded by the Union Ministry of Culture.

 Now it is under government control.

Humayun’s Tomb:
It is the first substantial example of Mughal architecture in India.

 It was built in 1565 A.D. by Humayun’s first wife Bega Begum (Haji Begum).
 It was the first garden-tomb on the Indian subcontinent. It was also the first
structure to use red sandstone at such a scale.
 The tomb was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993.

Consider the following statements with reference to the Humayun Tomb:

1. It was built in 1565 A.D. by Humayun’s first wife Bega Begum.

2. The tomb was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993.
Which of the above statements are true?

 a) Only 1

 b) Only 2

 c) Both

 d) None

Answer: c

Chadar Badar
What is it?

 It is a rare and obscure form of performing art. It is an ancient form of

puppetry which tells stories of the Santhal way of life, and migration.
Where is it celebrated?

 It is prevalent among the Santhal tribes of Jharkhand and West Bengal.

Details:

It is performed with small puppets of dark seasoned wood and

bamboo, manipulated by a combination of rods and strings to
songs accompanied by Santhali or Bengali songs.

Various festivals celebrated across the country today

 Sindhi Community: Cheti Chand
 Maharashtra: Gudi Padwa
 Manipur: Sajibu Nongmapanba
 Parsi: Navroz Mubarak
 Mainly in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh: Yugadi
 Navreh: Kashmir

Which of the following are correctly matched?

1. Maharashtra: Gudi Padwa
2. Manipur: Sajibu Nongmapanba
3. Kashmir: Navreh
Choose the correct answer using the codes below:

 a) Only 1

 b) Only 2 & 3.

 c) Only 3.

 d) All

Answer: d

National Culture Fund (NCF):

The National Culture Fund was established by the Government of India (Ministry of Culture)
as trust under the Charitable Endowments Act, 1890, in 1996.

 The contributions to NCF are made by the corporate houses to undertake development of
Tangible & Intangible heritage on a project mode basis.

 NCF already has such partnerships with some Corporates like NTPC, ONGC,SAIL ,
HUDCO , REC , Apeejay Group etc. who have provided funds for such heritage
projects.

 NCF’s primary mandate is to establish & nurture Public Private Partnerships in the field
of heritage and mobilize resources for the restoration, conservation, protection and
development of India’s rich, natural , tangible and intangible heritage

 NCF accepts private institutions and individuals as equal partners of the government in
the management of the cultural heritage of India.

 It enables the government to mobilize extra budgetary resources by allowing direct

contributions to the NCF account maintained outside the Consolidated Fund of India. All
contributions to NCF are given 100% tax exemption under Section 80 G (2) of the
 Income Tax Act of 1961.

 The NCF is accountable to each donor in respect of funds donated. The funds can be
donated either in Indian currency or any foreign convertible currency.

STONE CHARIOT,also known as Kallina Ratha is made from granite(located

within
the Vittala Temple--The shrine is dedicated to Garuda, the mythical
mount of Lord Vishnu )—HAMPIVijaynagara Empire. The Stone Chariot at
Hampi is one of the three famous stone chariots in India. The other
two chariots are situated in Konark (Odissa) and Mahabalipuram
(Tamil Nadu).
Navaratnas Nauratan (Sanskrit dvigu nava-ratna- or "nine gems") was a term applied to a group
of nine extraordinary people in an emperor's court in India. Some well-known groups are in
the Raaj Sabha (court) of King Janaka, Emperor Vikramaditya (Chandragupta II) and in
Emperor Akbar's "Darbar".

In the court of Vikramaditya (Chandragupta II )

Nine gems during the reign of Vikramāditya (Chandragupta II) of the Gupta Empire.

 Kalidasa, the most notable among them

 Vetala Bhatta
 Varahamihira
 Vararuchi
 Amarasimha
 Dhanvantari
 Kahapanak
 Shanku
 Harisena

The Mughal ruler Akbar, despite his illiteracy, was a great lover of the artists and intellectuals.
His passion for knowledge and interest in learning from great minds attracted him to men of
genius to his court, known as the nine courtiers of Emperor Akbar or Navratnas:

 Birbal
 Faizi
Todar MalTodar Mal succeeded Khwaja Malik I'timad Khan in 1560. Raja Todar Mal
introduced standard weights and measures, a land survey and settlement system, revenue
districts and officers. He can be thought of as one of first statisticians in India, and perhaps in the
world. Many of the fundamental data collection schemes as practised over the centuries in the
Indian subcontinent and neighboring countries can be attributed to him.Land settlement,
equilnace of land is attributed to him. This system of maintenance by Patwari is still used in
Indian Subcontinent which was improved by British and Gov of India. Also now GOI had
launched Patwari Information system based on GIS for this purpose.

Raja Todar Mal, as finance minister of Akbar, introduced a new system of revenue known
as zabt and a system of taxation called dahshala.[18] He took a careful survey of crop yields and
prices cultivated for a 10 year period 1570-1580. On this basis tax was fixed on each crop in
cash. Each province was divided into revenue circles with their own rates of revenue and a
schedule of individual crops. This system was prevalent where the Mughal administration could
survey the land and keep careful accounts. This system was not applicable in the provinces like
Gujarat and Bengal.

 Raja Man Singh

 Abdul Rahim Khan-I-Khana
 Fakir Aziao-Din
 Tansen- was a prominent Hindustani classical music composer, musician and vocalist,
known for a large number of compositions, and also an instrumentalist who popularised and
improved the plucked rabab (of Central Asian origin).

At some point, he was discipled for some time to Swami Haridas, the legendary composer
from Vrindavan and part of the stellar Gwalior court of Raja Man Singh Tomar (1486–1516
AD), specialising in the Dhrupad style of singing. His talent was recognised early and it was
the ruler of Gwalior who conferred upon the maestro the honorific title 'Tansen'. Haridas was
considered to be a legendary teacher in that time. It is said that Tansen had no equal apart
from his teacher. One legend has it that Haridas was passing through the forests when the
five-year-old Ramtanu's imitation of a tiger impressed the musician saint. Another version is
that his father sent him to Haridas. From Haridas, Tansen acquired not only his love for
dhrupad but also his interest in compositions in the local language. This was the time when
the Bhakti tradition was fomenting a shift from Sanskrit to the local idiom
(Brajbhasa and Hindi), and Tansen's compositions also highlight this trend.

 Mulla Do-Piyaza
 Abu'l-Fazl ibn Mubarak
Muhnot Nainsi (1610–1670) is known for his studies of the region now encompassed by the
state of Rajasthan in India. His works include Marwar Ra Pargana Ri Vigat and Nainsi Ri Khyat.
He was Dewan of Marwar during the reign of Jaswant Singh.

A village in Rajasthan yields artefacts of yore

Artefacts such as perforated jars, shell bangles, terracotta beads, shells and the semi-
precious stone lapis lazuli, different types of pottery and two hearths have been found during
excavation under way at Pachamta, a village 100 km from Udaipur in Rajasthan.

About the Village & its culture:

 Pachamta belongs to the Ahar-Banas culture in the Mewar region, which was
contemporaneous with the early and mature Harappan culture.
 The Ahar culture, datable to 3,000-1,700 BCE, was chalcolithic (the Bronze Age),
and its people had trade links with the Harappans.
 Sites in the Ahar-Banas complex are situated in the valleys of the rivers such as
Banas, Berach, Gambhiri and Bhari and their tributaries.
 Its peoples were agriculturalists who grew wheat, barley and pulses and reared
buffaloes, sheep, goats and chicken.
 The village is close to Gilund, an important Ahar-Banas culture site. Gilund provided
important information about the transformation of life from hunting-gathering to
agriculture in the Mewar region around 4,000 BCE.
 The Ahar-Banas people introduced reserved slip ware, which was later adapted
by the Harappans, and learnt the standardised brick ratio from the Harappans.
 The peoples of Ahar culture were the first farmers of the region . They were
engaged in small-scale craft production and developed a complex trade and
exchange network with each other, and the Harappan sites and the sites of the
Deccan.

Rajasthan has several Harappan sites, including Kalibangan, Karanpura, Bijnor and
Tarkkhanewaladera.

Kuchipudi:
Kuchipudi is one of the classical dance forms of the South India. Kuchipudi derives its name
from the Kuchipudi village of Andhra Pradesh.

1. Kuchipudi exhibits scenes from the Hindu Epics, legends and mythological tales through
a combination of music, dance and acting.
2. Like other classical dances, Kuchipudi also comprises pure dance, mime and histrionics
but it is the use of speech that distinguishes Kuchipudi’s presentation as dance drama.
3. In its early form, the female roles were played by boys and young men of beautiful looks.
The director (called Sutradhar) played the most important role. He combined the role of
conductor, dancer, singer, musician, comedian, all in one.
4. In modern times the Kuchipudi dance is considerably different than it originally used to
be. Most of the performances are solo, done by female dancers.

Origin:
 In 17th century Kuchipudi style of Yakshagaana was conceived by Siddhendra Yogi a
Vaishnava poet and visionary who had the capacity to give concrete shape to some of
his visions. He was steeped in the literary Yakshagaana tradition being guided by his
guru Teerthanaaraayana Yogi who composed the Krishna- Leelatarangini in Sanskrit.
 It was Lakshminarayan Shastry (1886-1956) who introduced many new elements
including solo dancing and training of female dancers in this dance style.
Important features:
 Kuchipudi has many features that are common to other classical dances of India.
 Kuchipudi carries the sensuousness and fluidity of Odissi with the geometric line of
today’s Bharata Natyam.
 As in all other classical dance forms of India, the Kuchipudi dance is both interpretive and
lyrical, making use of abstract dance sequences as well.
 Kuchipudi dance retains its devotional character with stress on dramatic outlook.It is
because of these qualities and features Kuchipudi dance enjoys great popularity and is
recognized as one of the leading classical dance styles of India.

Accompanying music:
The music that accompanies the dance is according to the classical school of Carnatic music and
is delightfully syncopatic. The accompanying musicians, besides the vocalist are: a mridangam
player to provide percussion music, a violin or veena player or both for providing instrumental
melodic music, and a cymbal player who usually conducts the orchestra.

1. NCM TRIAL(Hunting the Lion–An eyewitness

record of 1922 trial of Mahatma Gandhiji)
An eyewitness record of 1922 trial of Mahatma Gandhiji :Author: Late
“Kalaguru” Ravishankar Raval (1892-1977)

On March 11, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel wrote under the title ‘Hunting the Lion’:

“British Raj has finally dared to imprison the supreme leader of India for his novel and miraculous
experiment in the history of the world for liberty and protection ofDharma(Justice). But sooner or
later Raj will surrender to the will power of this greatman”
This is adapted from the original text in Gujarati published in “Gujaratma Kalana Pagaran” -an
autobiography of Shri Ravishankar Raval. In 1922, the British Raj sued Mahatma Gandhiji for
sedition. History has recorded it as “The Great Trial” and it is well documented elsewhere.
Amongst the few chosen ones in the audience, Ravishankar Raval had witnessed that closed
doors trial. Sometime in 1950s he documented the whole event in his autobiography.

Shankarlal Banker was an Indian independence movement activist. He was one of the early
recruits of Mahatma Gandhi, and had a major role to play in the textile labour struggle
in Ahmedabad. On March 10, 1922, Gandhiji and Shankarlal Banker, as producer and editor of
Gandhi's newspaper Young India, were accused for treason and arrested.[1][2]

2. Second Round Table Conference (September –

December 1931)[edit]
The second session opened on September 7, 1931. There were three major differences between
the first and second Round Table Conferences. By the second:
The Second Round Table Conference (September 7, 1931)

 Congress Representation — The Gandhi-Irwin Pact opened the way for Congress
participation in this conference. Mahatma Gandhi was invited from India and attended as the
sole official Congress representative accompanied by Sarojini Naidu and also Madan Mohan
Malaviya, Ghanshyam Das Birla, Muhammad Iqbal, Sir Mirza Ismail (Diwan of Mysore), S.K.
Dutta and Sir Syed Ali Imam. Gandhi claimed that the Congress alone represented political
India; that the Untouchables were Hindus and should not be treated as a “minority”; and that
there should be no separate electorates or special safeguards for Muslims or other
minorities. These claims were rejected by the other Indian participants. According to this
pact, Gandhi was asked to call off the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM) and if he did so
the prisoners of the British government would be freed excepting the criminal prisoners, i.e.
those who had killed British officials. He returned to India, disappointed with the results and
empty-handed.

 National Government — two weeks earlier the Labour government in London had
fallen. Ramsay MacDonald now headed a National Government dominated by
the Conservative Party.

 Financial Crisis – During the conference, Britain went off the Gold Standard further
distracting the National Government.

3. GANDHI’S BIOGRAPHY

Several biographers have undertaken the task of describing Gandhi's life. Among them are D. G.
Tendulkar with his Mahatma. Life of Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi in eight volumes,
and Pyarelal and Sushila Nayyar with their Mahatma Gandhi in 10 volumes. The 2010
biography, Great Soul: Mahatma Gandhi and His Struggle With India by Joseph
Lelyveld contained controversial material speculating about Gandhi's sexual life.[273] Lelyveld,
however, stated that the press coverage "grossly distort[s]" the overall message of the
book.[274] The 2014 film Welcome Back Gandhi takes a fictionalised look at how Gandhi might
react to modern day India.[
 4. Bhadralok (Bengali: ভদ্রল োক bhôdrôlok, literally 'gentleman', 'well-mannered
person'"paper saints") is Bengali for the new class of 'gentlefolk' who arose during British
colonial times (approximately 1757 to 1947) in Bengal.

Caste and class makeup

Most, though not all, members of the bhadralok class are upper caste,
mainly Baidyas, Brahmins and Kayasthas. There is no precise translation of bhadralok in
English, since it attributes economic and class privilege on to caste ascendancy. However, many
bhadraloks in the nineteenth century came from an underprivileged Brahmin or Priest caste or
middle level merchant class (such asRani Rashmoni)(She was a Kaibartta by
caste, Ramakrishna often expressed his dissent calling her as such, kaibarttani). Anybody who
could show considerable amount of wealth and standing in society was a member of the
bhadralok community.

The bhadralok community includes all gentlefolk belonging to the rich as well as middle class
segments of the Bengali society. Amongst the upper middle classes, a zamindar, or landowner,
normally bearing the title Chaudhuri or Roy Chaudhuri at the end of the name, and Babu at the
beginning would be considered to be a bhadralok. A zamindar bearing the title Raja or Maharaja
would be considered to be higher than middle class, but would still be a bhadralok 'gentleman'.
All members of the professional classes, i.e. those belonging to the newly emerging professions,
such as doctors, lawyers, engineers, university professors, and higher civil servants, were
members of the bhadralok community. However, an individual bearing the title Esquire at the end
of the name, denoting a rank just below a Knight, was also considered to be higher than a
bhadralok.

Colonial factors[edit]
The two biggest factors that led to the rise of the bhadralok were the huge fortunes many
merchant houses made from aiding the English East India Company's trade up the Ganga valley,
and Western-style education (at the hands of the colonial rulers and of missionaries). The steep
rise in real estate prices in Calcutta also led some petty landlords in the area to become wealthy
overnight. The first identifiable bhadralok figure is undoubtedly Ram Mohan Roy, who bridged the
gap between the Persianised nobility of theSultanate era in Bengal and the new, Western-
educated, nouveau riche comprador class.

The Bengal Renaissance

The Bengal Renaissance was largely carried out and participated in by bhadralok. In addition,
the rise of the Brahmo Samaj and various other samajes (a category halfway between 'society'
and 'community') was also largely a bhadralok phenomenon. To be a bhadralok was to embrace
some Western and Northern European values (though not always the same ones in each case),
to have a modicum of education, and a sense of entitlement to (and consequently grievance
against) favours or employment from the colonial government. While the bhadralok were
influenced by the West (in terms of their morals, dress, and eating habits) they were also the
people who reacted most strongly against the West, and the most scathing critiques as well as
the most spirited defences of Westernisation were made by bhadralok writers.

Nastanirh
Nastanirh (also Nashtanir, Bengali নষ্টনীড় Nôshţoniŗh), (1901), (English: The Broken Nest) is
a Bengali novella by Rabindranath Tagore. It is the basis for the noted 1964
film, Charulata by Satyajit Ray.

Nastanirh takes place in late 19th century Bengal and explores the lives of the
"Bhadralok", Bengalis of wealth who were part of the Bengal Renaissance and highly influenced
by the Brahmo Samaj. Despite his liberal ideas, Bhupati is blind to the loneliness and
dissatisfaction of his wife, Charu. It is only with the appearance of his cousin, Amal, who incites
passionate feelings in Charu, that Bhupati realizes what he has lost.

MADAN MOHAN MALVIYA

Malaviya became the President of the Indian National Congress in 1909 and 1918. He was a
moderate leader and opposed the separate electorates for Muslims under the Lucknow Pact of
1916. The "Mahamana" title was conferred to him by Mahatma Gandhi.
To redeem his resolve to serve the cause of education and social-service he renounced his
well established practice of law in 1911, for ever. In order to follow the tradition of
Sannyasa throughout his life, he pursued the avowed commitment to live on the society's
support. But when 177 freedom fighters were convicted to be hanged in the Chauri-chaura
case he appeared before the court, despite his vow and got acquitted 156 freedom fighters.
Malaviya was an important figure in the Non-cooperation movement.[16] However, he was
opposed to the politics of appeasement and the participation of Congress in the Khilafat
movement.
In 1928 he joined Lala Lajpat Rai, Jawaharlal Nehru and many others in protesting against
the Simon Commission, which had been set up by the British to consider India's future. Just
as the "Buy British" campaign was sweeping England, he issued, on 30 May 1932,
a manifesto urging concentration on the "Buy Indian" movement in India.[17] Malaviya was a
delegate at the First Round Table Conference in 1930.
However, during the Civil Disobedience Movement, he was arrested on 25 April 1932, along
with 450 other Congress volunteers in Delhi, only a few days after he was appointed in 1932
at Delhi as the President of Congress after the arrest of Sarojini Naidu.[18] In 1933, at
Calcutta, Malaviya was again appointed as the President of the Congress. Thus before
Independence, Malaviya was the only leader of the Indian National Congress who was
appointed as its President for four terms.

On 25 September 1932, an agreement known as Poona Pact was signed between Dr.
Ambedkar (on behalf of the depressed classes among Hindus) and Malaviya (on behalf of the
other Hindus). The agreement gave reserved seats for the depressed classes in the Provisional
legislatures, within the general electorate and not by creating a separate electorate. Due to the
pact, the depressed class received 148 seats in the legislature, instead of the 71 as allocated in
the Communal Award proposal of the British Prime MinisterRamsay MacDonald. After the
pact, the Communal Award was modified to include the terms as per the pacts. The text uses
the term "Depressed Classes" to denote Untouchables among Hindus who were later called
Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes under India Act 1935, and the later Indian
Constitution of 1950. [19]
In protest against the Communal Award which sought to provide separate electorates for
minorities, Malaviya along with Madhav Shrihari Aney left the Congress and started
theCongress Nationalist Party. The party contested the 1934 elections to the central
legislature and won 12 seats.

Scouting
Though, Scouting in India was officially founded in British India in 1909, at the Bishop Cotton's
Boys School in Bangalore, scouting for native Indians was started by Justice Vivian Bose,
Malaviya, Hridayanath Kunzru, Girija Shankar Bajpai, Annie Besant and George Arundale.
Malaviya became its first Chief Scout.

In 1913, he also started a scouting inspired organisation called All India Seva Samiti.

The slogan "Satyameva Jayate" (Truth alone will triumph) is also a legacy given to the nation
by Pandit Malaviya as the President of the Indian National Congress in its session of 1918 at
Delhi, by saying that this slogan from the Mundakopanishad should be the slogan for the
nation.

Ganga Mahasabha
Ganga Mahasabha is an Indian organization dedicated to the Ganges river, founded by Madan
Mohan Malviya in 1905. The Ganga movement first enlightens by Mahamana Pandit Madan
Mohan Malviya Ji in 1905,

After a long struggle, on the 5th day of November 1914, British Rule admitted and compromised
that the Uninterrupted flow of Holy River Ganga is the rudimentary right of Hindu Believers. The
day 5th November 1914 were graven as a Aviral Ganga Samjhauta Divas (Uninterrupted
Ganga Agreement Day ) in golden words in the History of India and World but this agreement
came into existence on 18-19 December 1916 (Known as 1916 Agreement).

1916 Agreement[edit]
Malviya's motive was concerns over possible British plans to build a dam on the river Ganga at
Bhimgauda in Haridwar. Malviya sparked public protests against the plan, and the British
acceded with a 1916 agreement that assured:

 In future, the unchecked flow of Ganga will never be stopped. (the 1916 Agreement, clause
32, para-I)
 No decision on Ganga will be taken without the consent of the Hindu community. (the 1916
Agreement, clause 32, para-2)

Harijan Sevak Sangh

Harijan Sevak Sangh is a non-profit organisation founded by Mahatma Gandhi in 1932 to
eradicate untouchability in India.After the Poona Pact, On 30 September, Gandhi founded All
India Anti Untouchability League, to remove untouchability in the society, which later renamed as
Harijan Sevak Sangh

The Sangh helped the depressed classes to access public places such as temples, schools,
roads and water resources, also conducted inter dining and inter caste marriages.[7]It constructed
and maintains several schools and hostels across the country.[8]

In 1939, Harijan Sevak Sangh of Tamil Nadu headed by A. Vaidyanatha Iyer entered
the Meenakshi Amman Temple in Madurai, with members of depressed class including P.
Kakkan despite opposition from the upper caste Hindus. The Sangh led by Iyer organised
several temple entry movements in other Parts of Tamil Nadu and in Travancore.[9][10]Through
their movements, more than 100 temples were opened to all sections of the society.

Dhakshinamurthy Mudaliar

Shri Dhakshinamurthy Mudaliar joined the freedom struggle at a young age and was a leader of
the Indian National Congress from the early days of our independence. He fought for the
liberation of Puducherry from French colonial rule and served as member of the Constituent
Assembly. He also served with distinction as Health Minister in the Government of the Union
Territory of Puducherry. In his death, the nation has lost a distinguished personality and a great
freedom fighter”.
Saint Thyagaraja:

1. The contribution of Saint Tyagaraja, one of the Trinities of Carnatic music, has been
immense not only through his compositions but also through his Sishya Parampara, who
have preserved and enriched the true tradition of classical music.
2. Thiruvaiyaru in Thanjavur district is the place where the great saint and music
composer Thyagaraja lived and attained samadhi.
3. Saint Tyagaraja is seen as an Avatharapurusha, who came to this world to savour the
souls that suffer in this world. He is considered an avathara of Saint Valmiki.
4. Tyagaraja’s compositions are rich in devotional and philosophical content.
5. They are noted for their superior structure, superb handling of ragalakshanas and apt
choice of raga and words.
6. Tyagaraja’s spartan way of life reflects on his unshakable faith in Lord Rama and true
devotion for him.
7. Of special mention are five of his compositions called the Pancharatna Kritis, which
are often sung in programs in his honour.
8. It is said that a major portion of his incomparable musical work was lost to the world due
to natural and man-made calamities.

Rock paintings at risk of fading away

 The rock paintings in the Marayur-Chinnar forest belt of Kerala, the second largest
concentration of cave paintings in south India, are at high risk of degeneration.
 As per isolated studies conducted so far, there are 21 cave paintings of red ochre in this
Kerala-Tamil Nadu region.
 Over 50 caves, situated in the forest belt, are believed to be of the prehistoric period.
 The cave paintings in Ezhuthala and Attala in Marayur sandal division, the most noted
ones, were in more danger.

Problem:
 The rock paintings were in the eastern slope of the Western Ghats, at around 3,000
metres above sea level. The sandy rocks were highly prone to degeneration.

It is the duty of the Archaeological Survey of India to protect these paintings.

ASI:
The Archaeological Survey of India is an Indian government agency in the Department of Culture
that is responsible for archaeological studies and the preservation of cultural monuments.
The ASI’s function is to “explore, excavate, conserve, preserve and protect the monuments
and sites of National & International Importance.”

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is the successor of the Asiatic Society of British
archaeologist Sir William Jones, founded January 15, 1784.
In 1788 it begun to publish a journal The Asiatic Researches and in 1814 built its first museum
in Bengal.
The ASI in its current form was founded in 1861 under British colonial administration by Sir
Alexander Cunningham with the help of the then Viceroy Canning.

ASI administers 3636 monuments it has declared to be of national importance under the
provisions of the Antiquity and Art Treasure Act 1972.

MARATHI: CLASSICAL STATUS

Ancient murals ‘ravaged’ at Kuttralam temple

About the Murals:

 These are 400-year old murals, belonging to the Nayaka period.
 They were originally painted using plant pigments and natural dyes.
 The murals at Chithra Sabhai dealt with episodes from the lives of 63 Saivite saints,
Nayanmars, based onthe Tamil work called “Periya Puranam” sung by Sekkizhar. There
were also big panels of Nataraja,Ganesha, Siva and Parvati seated on Rishabha, the
wedding of Siva and Parvati, Ananthasayana Vishnu etc.
 The murals were repainted with enamel in the 1960s. The enamel was removed in 1978
and the original murals exposed. But the murals started deteriorating in the 1990s and
2000s.

A mural is any piece of artwork painted or applied directly on a wall, ceiling or other large
permanent surface.

JALLIKATTU
Eruthattam banned in Salem district

The district authorities of Salem have banned eruthattam (bull chase) for the second
consecutive year.

The people were informed about the Supreme Court’s guidelines for holding such events
involving animals.

Eruthattam:
 Eruthattam is a traditional festival of chasing the bulls. The villagers hold the rope tied
to the nose of the bulls, on both sides. Later, they chase the bulls in the area surrounding
the temple.
 The festival was organised as a thanksgiving to God and was practised for the past two
centuries,
 according to the local people. Eruthattam is held in the temple as part of the Pongal
celebrations.

Difference between Jallikattu and Eruthattam:

While jallikattu dealt with taming the animal, eruthattam is a game of chasing the bulls.