IAS 2018

GS Mains
QA &

TEST: 3
INDIAN CULTURE

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 Test Paper

Test-3

GS Mains Q&A 2018

INDIAN CULTURE
Time Allowed: 3 hrs. Max. Marks: 250

1. “India has always excelled in religious philosophies, but these philosophies not only always dealt with
spiritual affairs, but also with social problems.” Taking into account the given statement evaluates the
contribution of Buddhism to contemporary society. How far do you agree that these ideologies are capable
enough in solving the problems of present day society?
2. “The Medieval Indian architecture shows a complete discontinuity from the previous period, whereas the
colonial architecture doesn’t.” Critically Examine.
3. How far do you agree that architecture played very important role in getting the concept of “ism” in any
religion in India? Discuss it with reference to Buddhism and Hinduism.
4. To what extent, is it correct to say that development of Indian music is a story of a transformation from
spiritualism to emotional affairs. Keeping in mind the above statement discusses the factors, which
influenced Indian music throughout the Indian History.
5. “Dances in India have long glorious history but the glory disappeared somehow in the colonial period.”
Explain with appropriate reasons and also write about the contribution of those people who played major
role in reviving these dances as a classical art form.
6. “Painting was part of societies since the evolutionary days of society in India but the real revolution comes
in this art form under the Mughals.” Evaluate the statement enlisting the contributions of Mughals in
painting in India.
7. Why the dichotomy could be seen in Bombay film industry that it is located in Maharashtra, but the
language, used by it, was Hindi or Urdu which was popularly used in UP in the early post-colonial
phase?
8. What do you think that it was decentralization of polity or the different religious ferments, which made
possible for many regional languages to flourish during different time frames in India?
9. “Buddhism was a contribution that had such socking and seminal effects on the religion, philosophy and
art of the adoptive country that it penetrated the entire fabric of Chinese culture.” Explain.
10. “Science and technology was always part of curriculum in Ancient Indian education system but this feature
was not any more evident in Medieval India.” Explaining the reasons for this count the contribution of
Akbar to the education system in India.
11. “The comprehensive analysis and chronology of the earliest known stone sculptures of India illustrates
the deep rooting of its theme in the social context. Elucidate.
12. Puppetry is one of the most prominent division of theatre in India since Ancient times. Though puppeteers
and puppet-scholars have been engaged in the revival of regional puppets, however, this art form is mostly
unknown to the rest of the country. Discuss the changes which could be noticed in the revived puppetry
art and it’s rational in contemporary India.

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13. How far do you agree that assimilative and adoptive character of Vedic dharma or Brahmin dharma
made the survival possible for such a long period in India and some other parts of the world?
14. Bhakti movement in South India had much contribution to the development of religious architectures in
South India. Critically evaluate the above given statement discussing the important features of Chola
architecture.
15. Discuss the importance of language and literature in evolution of a society and strengthening of its
identity? How far do you think, an evolution from dialect to language affects its literature?
16. This question has two parts, both of them are necessary.
(a) What is the difference between classical and folk music?
(b) Is there a parallel between Indian classical music and western classical music?
17. Religion has such a deep imprint on Indian art, that often entire Indian art is dismissed as religious only,
however, there is no dearth of secular art. Elaborate.
18. The market for contemporary Indian handlooms has grown as a result of economic changes, an open
economic policy and the growth of the private sector. Do you agree? What initiatives have been taken by
the government to spread Indian handlooms.
19. The problem with Indian ancient history writing lies partly with the Indian mindset, regarding the
sense that while we love epics and myths, we care less for internationally accepted historical evidence.
Discuss with respect to the damages done by common people on Indian monuments. What steps may
ASI take to increase awareness?
20. Art and culture of India has not developed continuously, rather there have been different phases, in
which there was spectacular growth and phases, where there was slow decline. Analyze the above
statement in context of Gupta period.

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2 | Indian Culture
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Test Code

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Name : ...................................................................

Roll No. : ..................................................................

Mobile No. : ..................................................................

GS MAINS Q&A 2018

Indian Culture

Time Allowed: 3 Hr. Max. Marks: 250

Instructions to Candidate Q Answer Q Answer

!! There are 20 Questions. 1 11
!! All questions are compulsory. 2 12
!! The number of marks carried by a question 3 13
is indicated against it. 4 14
!! Answer the questions in NOT MORE THAN 5 15
200 words each. Contents of the answer is
more important than its length. 6 16

!! Answers must be written within the space 7 17

provided. 8 18
!! Any page or portion of the page left blank in 9 19
the Question-cum-Answer Booklet must be
10 20
clearly struck off.

Date:

Candidate’s Signature Examiner’s Signature

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REMARKS

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Roll No. : ..................................................................

GS SCORE
Q1. “India has always excelled in religious philosophies, but these philosophies not only always
dealt with spiritual affairs, but also with social problems.” Taking into account the given
statement evaluates the contribution of Buddhism to contemporary society. How far do
you agree that these ideologies are capable enough in solving the problems of present day
society? (12.5 Marks)

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Q2. “The Medieval Indian architecture shows a complete discontinuity from the previous period,
whereas the colonial architecture doesn’t.” Critically Examine. (12.5 Marks)

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Q3. How far do you agree that architecture played very important role in getting the concept of
“ism” in any religion in India? Discuss it with reference to Buddhism and Hinduism.
(12.5 Marks)

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Q4. To what extent, is it correct to say that development of Indian music is a story of a
transformation from spiritualism to emotional affairs. Keeping in mind the above statement
discusses the factors, which influenced Indian music throughout the Indian History.
(12.5 Marks)

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Q5. “Dances in India have long glorious history but the glory disappeared somehow in the
colonial period.” Explain with appropriate reasons and also write about the contribution of
those people who played major role in reviving these dances as a classical art form.
(12.5 Marks)

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Q6. “Painting was part of societies since the evolutionary days of society in India but the real
revolution comes in this art form under the Mughals.” Evaluate the statement enlisting the
contributions of Mughals in painting in India. (12.5 Marks)

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Q7. Why the dichotomy could be seen in Bombay film industry that it is located in Maharashtra,
but the language, used by it, was Hindi or Urdu which was popularly used in UP in the early
post-colonial phase? (12.5 Marks)

Remarks
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Q8. What do you think that it was decentralization of polity or the different religious ferments,
which made possible for many regional languages to flourish during different time frames in
India? (12.5 Marks)

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Q9. “Buddhism was a contribution that had such socking and seminal effects on the religion,
philosophy and art of the adoptive country that it penetrated the entire fabric of Chinese
culture.” Explain. (12.5 Marks)

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Q10. “Science and technology was always part of curriculum in Ancient Indian education system
but this feature was not any more evident in Medieval India.” Explaining the reasons for this
count the contribution of Akbar to the education system in India. (12.5 Marks)

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Q11. “The comprehensive analysis and chronology of the earliest known stone sculptures of India
illustrates the deep rooting of its theme in the social context. Elucidate. (12.5 Marks)

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Q12. Puppetry is one of the most prominent division of theatre in India since Ancient times.
Though puppeteers and puppet-scholars have been engaged in the revival of regional puppets,
however, this art form is mostly unknown to the rest of the country. Discuss the changes
which could be noticed in the revived puppetry art and it’s rational in contemporary India.
(12.5 Marks)

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Q13. How far do you agree that assimilative and adoptive character of Vedic dharma or Brahmin
dharma made the survival possible for such a long period in India and some other parts of
the world? (12.5 Marks)

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Q14. Bhakti movement in South India had much contribution to the development of religious
architectures in South India. Critically evaluate the above given statement discussing the
important features of Chola architecture. (12.5 Marks)

Remarks
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Q15. Discuss the importance of language and literature in evolution of a society and strengthening
of its identity? How far do you think, an evolution from dialect to language affects its
literature? (12.5 Marks)

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Q16. This question has two parts, both of them are necessary. (12.5 Marks)
(a) What is the difference between classical and folk music?
(b) Is there a parallel between Indian classical music and western classical music?

Remarks
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Q17. Religion has such a deep imprint on Indian art, that often entire Indian art is dismissed as
religious only, however, there is no dearth of secular art. Elaborate. (12.5 Marks)

Remarks
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Remarks
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Q18. The market for contemporary Indian handlooms has grown as a result of economic changes,
an open economic policy and the growth of the private sector. Do you agree? What initiatives
have been taken by the government to spread Indian handlooms. (12.5 Marks)

Remarks
38
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Remarks
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Q19. The problem with Indian ancient history writing lies partly with the Indian mindset, regarding
the sense that while we love epics and myths, we care less for internationally accepted
historical evidence. Discuss with respect to the damages done by common people on Indian
monuments. What steps may ASI take to increase awareness? (12.5 Marks)

Remarks
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Remarks
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Q20. Art and culture of India has not developed continuously, rather there have been different
phases, in which there was spectacular growth and phases, where there was slow decline.
Analyze the above statement in context of Gupta period. (12.5 Marks)

Remarks
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GS SCORE Test - 3
Hints

GS MAINS Q&A 2018

India Culture

Q1. “India has always excelled in religious philosophies, but not necessarily these
philosophies always dealt with spiritual affairs but also social problems.”
Taking into account the given statement evaluates the contribution of
Buddhism to contemporary society. How far do you agree that these ideologies
are capable enough in solving the problems of present day society?

India is the motherland of several religions like Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and tolerant host
of Islamism, Zoroastrianism, Christianity etc. These religious philosophies enriched the culture of
India and contributed towards the socio- economic fabric of the nation.
Buddhism originated in the Sixth Century AD by Gautam Buddha. It advocated the middle path
philosophy for attaining moksha or nirvana.
Contribution of Buddhism to contemporary society:
!! Resistance to caste system- It vehemently opposed the caste system and treated all persons
equally. Mahatma Gandhi and Ambedkar both were inspired from Buddha in their fight against
caste system.
!! Character Building- The Buddhism focused on non- violence, non- possession, compassion,
brotherhood to build up the human character.
!! Growth of art and architecture- Many stupas, chaityas, pillars were built on their themes. Sanchi,
Sarnath, Dhauli, Kanheri, Mathura, Gandhara all bear the imprint of Buddhism.
!! Geopolitical dimension- Ashoka sent his daughter Sanghamitra and son Mahendra to preach
Buddhism in Ceylon, present day Sri Lanka. It also spread to Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia etc.
increasing the soft power of India.
!! Emancipation of women- the women were admitted in sangha as nuns. They were given an
equal status in Buddhism.
!! Vedic Culture- it gave an alternative to Vedic culture and freed the people from its oppressive
customs and traditions. It opposed idol worship and higher status to priests.
But the philosophy fell short of meeting its objectives:
!! The caste system is still prevalent in India even after 15 centuries.
!! The women’ position is still inferior as compared to men. We still witness the cases of girl
infanticide, dowry, lower status of girls etc.
!! The Buddhism divided itself into Mahayana and Hinayana which created confusion among
followers about their path to salvation.
!! Urban crime, refugee crisis, terrorism, climate change all show problems in the society
today.

GS SCORE Hints: Indian Culture 1

 These ideologies can help a lot in solving the problems of the society as they motivate the humans
to become a better version of themselves. They promote universal brotherhood. They bring about
the required behavioral change amongst humans. They eventually help in the transformation of
the society.
But we can’t rely on these philosophies solely to bring about the change as they also require
affirmative action from the people. The people from different religions should come together and
uphold humanity at all costs to solve the problems of the society.

Buddhism opened its doors not only to the Indians of all castes and creed but also to the foreigners
who had settled in India-Indo -Greeks and Indo-Scythians. Buddhism was propagated to foreign
countries too like Ceylon and Burma, Thailand and Cambodia, Central Asia and China, Nepal
and Tibet and the Indonesian countries, Japan, Korea and Mongolia. Thus, Buddhism occupies
a unique place in the history of Indian religions. Buddha was born as prince Siddhartha in the
Shakya tribe.
He was born in the Lumbini grove near the city of Kapilavastu. He was unhappy to see the
sufferings of human life. He also left home and wandered as an ascetic for many years. Finally,
he felt that he received enlightenment i.e. he became Buddha and found the answers to the
questions that arose in his mind. Buddha taught that the world is full of sufferings it is due to the
desire for worldly things. He showed the path leading to the end of these sufferings and the path
is called the Buddha’s eight- fold path.
Eight- fold paths include eight kinds of action and thought which would show a man how to live
a virtuous life. Eight- fold include -
1. Right faith
2. Right resolve
3. Right speech
4. Right action
5. Right living
6. Right effort
7. Right thought
8. Right concentration

Q2. “The Medieval Indian architecture shows a complete discontinuity from

the previous period, whereas, the colonial architecture doesn’t.” Critically
Examine.

!! Most of the ancient Indian architecture was characterized by

 The Rock-cut structures which present the most spectacular piece of ancient Indian art
specimen. Most of the rock-cut structures were related to various religious communities
 Cave architecture
 Temple architecture
 Among India’s ancient architectural remains, the most characteristic are the temples,
Chaityas, Viharas, Stupas and other religious structures

2 Hints: Indian Culture GS SCORE

 !! Slowly temple architecture characteristics also changed like early temples were rock-cut, later
structural temples evolved with different styles like Nagaraj,Dravida,vesara, etc.
 The Kailasanatha temple at Ellora is a good example of the former, excavated from top to
bottom out of a massive rock face.
!! After the Gupta empire collapse, there were two different styles of temple-building in India, a
north Indian style and a south Indian style.

Islamic Architecture:
!! With the advent of Islam, the erstwhile Indian architecture was slightly adapted to allow the
traditions of the new religion, but it remained strongly Indian at its heart and character.
!! Arches and domes began to be used and the mosque or masjid too began to form part of the
landscape, adding to a new experience in form and space.
!! The fundamental difference lay in the fact that Islam prohibited idol worship and therefore a
concentrated point of focus such as the garbhagriha was unnecessary.
!! As idolatry was prohibited, the main means of adornment was surface decoration through the
use of geometry, arabesque and calligraphy.
!! Islamic architecture was also represented by distinct regional styles that drew a lot of inspiration
from the local context.
!! Mughal architecture was built on the traditional Hindu architecture with influences from the
Persian world. Over time, Hindu and Islamic architecture produced a synthesis that is exemplified
in the glorious production of Akbar’s Fatehpur Sikri.

Colonial architecture:
!! Though the Dutch, the Portuguese and the French made their presence felt through their
buildings, but it was the English who had a lasting impact on architecture of India.
!! In the beginning of the colonial rule there were attempts at creating authority through classical
prototypes. In its later phase the colonial architecture culminated into what is called the Indo-
Saracenic architecture.
!! When Delhi became the capital of India in 1911, the British were engaged in considerable
construction activity. Initially, as in Bombay and Madras, the colonial architecture in Delhi was
based on the amalgamation of Gothic style with Mughal architecture.
!! The colonial buildings in Delhi reflected a notable diffusion of indigenous architectural features
with European architecture.
!! The Council Chamber/Legislative Building,Viceroy House,and the North and South Block
Administrative Buildings are some of the important buildings constructed in the colonial
period. In all of them there is a remarkable synthesis of British with indigenous architectural
techniques.
!! Rashtrapati Bhavan (Viceroy’s House) were enclosed by some of the indigenous,particularly
Rajputana and Mughal, features such as the presence of chajja, jalis, etc.
!! The public buildings show a remarkable amalgamation of British architecture with the indigenous
style/elements. This was partly owing to the fact that several architects, masons and workers
involved in the construction of these buildings were Indians.
!! The official buildings of the British era are, indeed, magnificent examples of the amalgamation
of Anglo-Indian styles.
Colonial architecture was a symbolic index of imperial power, and was intended to strike awe and
terror in the minds of the subject Indians. To achieve that objective, the scale of its grandeur was
matched by a deep and sustained invocation of Rajputana and Mughal architecture.

Exceptions:
!! Despite influence from Indigenous traditions some of the colonial architecture is characteristic
of that style like

GS SCORE Hints: Indian Culture 3

  Imprint of French style of architecture can be clearly distinguished in different infrastructures
of the region including ‘Pondicherry International Port’, police stations and banks.
 Portuguese-
 Basilica of Bom Jesusis aRenaissance styled church.
!! Therefore, colonial architecturehas evolved over the centuries and has been affected by
numerous invaders whohave brought different styles from their motherlands.
!! Even among British architecture, ‘Victoria Memorial’ showcases Saracenic revivalist style of
architecture comprising of a fine blend of British architectural style with that of Deccani,
Egyptian, Venetian, Mughal and other Islamic styles.

Q3. How far do you agree that architecture played very important role in getting
the concept of “ism” in any religion in India? Discuss it with reference to
Buddhism and Hinduism.
Architecture played a tremendous role in giving a distinctive role to any religion in India. It provided
it with the areas of worship, the shelter for priests and big meetings. Moreover, the architecture of
various philosophies was designed in such a way to propagate their teachings.

Buddhism:
!! The Jataka stories depicted in various caves like Ajanta cave taught the teachings of Buddha
and their various lives.
!! The statue of Buddha also undergone transformation as in Kushan period, Buddha was shown
in muscular body with eyes open wide as if looking outside. In Gupta period, the body is
delicate and eyes half open as if looking inward.
!! The paintings during Gupta period also propagated the lessons of Buddhism and showed
various features of life of Buddha. E.g.- Mural paintings in Buddha period with a theme of Jataka
stories.
!! The Kalheri and Kanha caves on the basis of Buddhism provided shelter to monks and praying
spaces. These were also built in such a way that the ashes of Buddha were placed in the middle
and most auspicious place.

Hinduism-
!! The temples made in Hinduism showed various Gods and Goddesses in Garbhagriha surrounded
by a Mandap where a lot of devotees can offer their prayers.
!! This was surrounded by Nachna Kuthara i.e. a place for parikrama inside temple.
!! Usually the temples were made in panchayatana style. Four temples surrounded the main
temple.
!! We have various sculptures of Vishnu, Mahakali, Mahishasur- Mardini, Shiva, Sun etc. showing
various beliefs of Hinduism.
!! Even the gates and torans also showed widespread folks and popular stories about the Gods
and Goddesses.
!! The whole city was based on temple and its business. Some of the historians also called them
temple- cities like Mahabalipuram, Aihole, Devgarh etc. These temples provided the people
with economy and various trade practices. Thus, culture and economy prospered together.
!! The various festivals, bhajans, feasts were organized in these temples which were situated at a
higher platform than the other part of city. These also propagated their teachings and beliefs.
Thus, architecture plays a very important role in giving the ‘ism’ of various philosophies including
Hinduism and Buddhism.

4 Hints: Indian Culture GS SCORE

 Hindu architecture evolved over the centuries from simple rock-cut cave shrines to massive and
ornate temples which spread across the Indian sub-continent and beyond, forming a canonical
style which is still adhered to today in modern Hindu temples across the globe. Essential elements
of the style are precise and harmonious geometry when viewed from all four sides and above,
the square form and grid ground plans, soaring towers, and elaborate decorate sculpture which
includes gods, worshippers, erotic scenes, animals, and floral and geometric patterns.
Buddhist religious architecture developed in the Indian subcontinent in the 3rd century BCE.
Three types of structures are associated with the religious architecture of early Buddhism:
monasteries (viharas), places to venerate relics (stupas), and shrines or prayer halls (chaityas, also
called chaitya grihas), which later came to be called temples in some places.
Viharas initially were only temporary shelters used by wandering monks during the rainy season,
but later were developed to accommodate the growing and increasingly formalized Buddhist
monasticism.
The initial function of a stupa was the veneration and safe-guarding of the relics of Gautama
Buddha. The earliest surviving example of a stupa is in Sanchi (Madhya Pradesh).
In accordance with changes in religious practice, stupas were gradually incorporated into chaitya-
grihas (prayer halls). These reached their high point in the 1st century BC, exemplified by the
complexes of the Ajanta Caves and the Ellora Caves (Maharashtra). The Mahabodhi Temple at
Bodh Gaya in Bihar is another well-known example.

Q4. To what extent is it right to say that development of Indian music is a story
of a transformation from spiritualism to emotional affairs. Keeping in mind
the above statement discusses the factors, which influenced Indian music
throughout the Indian History.

!! In the earlier days, when Indian music was just coming of age, the music was devotional in nature.
It was restricted only to temples and used for ritualistic purposes.
!! It is said that the sound that pervades the whole universe, i.e. Nada brahma, itself represents the
divinity. Similarly, spiritualism has always been the prominent content of Carnatic music.
!! Indian music has actedthe yoga of devotion, path leading to liberation and a divine art which
aims to lift peoplefrom the level of humanity to divinity.
!! The music earlier had the emotions like devotion to God,love and affection, etc., which was
visible during songs of Bhakti movement and also Sufism.
!! Traditions, customs, and other societal norms envelop Indian classical music. In recent times,
however, previously revered traditions have drastically diminished. Some claim that the decline
of ancient traditions is causing the music to be impure.
!! Hindustani classical music has historically been regarded as an entertainment solely for the
Indian feudal aristocrats, who provided patronage for the musicians. But, of-late it has reached
out to common masses and for them it’s the emotional aspects of songs that matter more, over
its technical correctness or religious content.
!! Particularly in 20th century, the music broke from exclusive spiritual patronage and is mostly
dominated by emotions especially some of the songs of the folk lore take instances from day
and day and sing songs related to people emotions. This development is observed world over,
since invention of radio.

GS SCORE Hints: Indian Culture 5

 Factors influencing Indian music throughout the history:
!! Influence of Iconography
 In the chain circle of influences (music-dance-sculpture-music) the art of iconography has
influenced Indian music.
 The raaga Dhyana murtis and later picturization of ragas and Ragini are the result of
iconographical view of music and the paintings require to be understood in terms of the
influence of iconography on music as well.

!! Influence of Language
 The influence of the phonic aspects of language on raaga-music has also been quite
immense.
 Sama gana permitted musical vowelling and the effect of sama depended on the type of
gana for the desired effects (mystical/magical) and the sacrificial prescriptions.
 it could be stated that the Braj Bhasha and ntikalina compositions have influenced the
formal as well as the content aspects of the major classical forms and in doing so it has
influenced the presentational aspects of raaga music.
!! The oral-transmission technique, the Shruti - Smriti tradition, is also a part of Indian culture and
the raaga has been preserved through this tradition.

!! Influence of Social Organization

 Initially, Indian music in its earliest form was a part of Hindu religion, and it was recognized
and assimilated in the fiber of social and religious life and behaviour of the people.

!! Influence of Nature
 The influence of nature on Indian classical music has been immense. The association of
music with nature is one of the strongest features of Vedic culture.
!! Influence of Bhakti movements,Sufism and proponents of different genres of music had
significant contributions too.

Q5. “Dances in India have long glorious history but the glory disappeared
somehow in the colonial period.” Explain with appropriate reasons and
also write about the contribution of those people who played major role in
reviving these dances as a classical art form.

Dance in India has a rich and vital tradition dating back to ancient times. Excavations, inscriptions,
chronicles, genealogies of kings and artists, literary sources, sculpture and painting of different
periods provide extensive evidence on dance. We have various dance forms like Kathak,
Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi, Sattriya etc. well defined and compiled in Natyashastra.
But its glory disappeared in colonial period because of the following reasons-
!! Destruction of various empires and impoverishment of kings who patronized the dancers and
artists led to the decline in glory of Indian dance. The court dances used to be very popular in
Mughal era which impoverished in British era due to the decline of this empire.
!! Sheer neglect of dances by Britishers led to the decline of Indian dances. The various dancers
instead of pursuing dance as the career started looking out for other jobs.
!! Abolition of Devadasi system led to decline in the temple dances. This was a progressive move
by British government but ultimately led to the decline of dance- forms.
!! Attitude of British as they saw dance girls as nautch girls and a mere instrument for sexual
exploitation. This gave a very low status to dancers and worked for their downfall.

6 Hints: Indian Culture GS SCORE

 !! The Indian economy was subdued under British interests in the mercantilist phase. Also, the
lower status of women and girls sin the society, the purdah system, various restrictions on their
movements, caste system and dancing viewed as the lowly activity led to its decline in colonial
era.
The dancing in India was revived by the contribution of various personalities during and after our
national freedom movement.
!! The first woman legislator in formerly British India, Dr. Muthu Laxmi Reddi, spearheaded an
anti-nautch campaign in Madras. Her efforts were supported by the British government and
members of the Indian elite.
!! Advocate E. Krishna Iyer, a proponent of dance, struggled against this social current, and not
only spoke out about Indian dance, but performed it for urban audiences.
!! instrumental in this revival which took place in the 1930s, were performers Uday Shankar,
Rabindranath Tagore (in Bengal) Valathol Narayan Menon (in Kerala) and Sadhana Bose.
Tagore set up the Institute of Shanti Niketan, Valathol, the Kerala Kalamandalam and Shankar,
the Almora. In 1938, Sadhana Bose established the Kathak School of Dance in the Khandale
Hills of Maharashtra.
!! Increasingly, middle-class educated women from respectable families ventured to these and
other resources to study dance. Dance had become largely gender and caste-inclusive.
!! In the world forum, Indian dance was gradually gaining visibility from the beginning of the 20th
century e.g. revival of the Sadir form was Rukmini Devi Arundale, who founded the Kalakshetra,
a dance academy which worked towards promoting the ancient dance form in a new format
called the Bharatanatyam infusing into it the basic tenets of the rasa theory as propounded in
Bharata’s Natya Shastra.
The Indian dances have a tremendous contribution in glorious Indian culture and the various
dance forms both folk and traditional signify the unity in diversity in the nation.

As per the ancient treatises, India’s traditional dance system is having three aspects based on
themes
!! Nritta: It is dance movement in its basic form, having synchronized movements of hands and
legs set to a rhythm. Nritta neither express any bhava nor convey any meaning.
!! Nritya: It consists of expressions to convey the meaning of the theme or idea. These are
expressed through mudras (poses) using hand (hand mudras) and body itself, facial expressions
(abhinaya).
!! Natya: It is the dramatic form of dance where dancers use both Nritta and Nritya to perform
a role or character and tell a story.
To present nritya and natya effectively, a dancer should be trained to communicate navrasaa: Love
(shingaara), mirth (hasya), compassion (karuna),heroism (veera), anger (roudra), fear (bhyanak),
disgust (bibhatsa), wonder (about) and peace (shaanta).
Two further aspects of Natya is mode of presentation and style.

Modes of presentation
!! Natydharmi: poetic and stylistic in nature, following a codified manner of presenting emotion
and expression. It is the formalized presentation of theatre.
!! Lokdharmi: realistic and un-stylized, involving very natural expression and movement, as
occurs in daily life.
Based on style Natya have been developed in various forms based on the culture of that region
like Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi, Kathakali, Kathak, Odissi, Manipuri etc.

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Q6. “Painting was part of societies since the evolutionary days of society in
India but the real revolution comes in this art form under the Mughals.”
Evaluate the statement enlisting the contributions of Mughals in painting
in India.

Indian paintings have a very long history since prehistoric times right from rock paintings in
Bhimbetka caves to Buddhist paintings in Ajanta caves to medieval times etc.
In this, the contribution of Mughals has been the most significant one as:
!! Mughal paintings were a unique blend of Indian, Persian and Islamic styles.
!! Because the Mughal kings wanted visual records of their deeds as hunters and conquerors,
their artists accompanied them on military expeditions or missions of state, or recorded their
prowess as animal slayers, or depicted them in the great dynastic ceremonies of marriages.
!! Miniature paintings- Mughal painting is a particular style of Indian painting, generally confined
to illustrations on the book and done in miniatures, and which emerged, developed and took
shape during the period of the Mughal Empire.
!! Humayun introduced Persian style to India. He brought two painters to India- Abdus Samad
and Mir Ali.
!! Akbar opened Atelier i.e. studio for painters. He invited best painters from all over the world to
get training from these two painters.
!! A lot of books like Hamzanama, Akbarnama, Mahabharata, Razmnama etc. were painted. There
was more emphasis on court room scenes, hunting and war scenes.
!! Indian features got connected with naturalism or realism. This was a renaissance for Indian
paintings.
!! Akbar started portrait paintings which became very popular. Important painter was Basavana.
!! Jahangir was also a lover of arts. He used to take painters along with him during the camps.His
most talented portrait painters were Ustad Mansur, Abul Hasan and Bishandas.
!! Aurangzeb had no taste for fine arts. Due to lack of patronage artists migrated to Hyderabad
in the Deccan and to the Hindu states of Rajasthan in search of new patrons. This led to the
birth of Rajasthani paintings, Pahari paintings, oil paintings etc.
Thus, Mughal school of paintings revolutionized the Indian Paintings.

Q7. Why the dichotomy could be seen in Bombay film industry that it is located
in Maharashtra but the language, used by it, was Hindi or Urdu which was
popularly used in UP in the early post-colonial phase?

Bombay is synonymous with Bollywood i.e. the Hindi language film industry. It is one of the
biggest film industries in the world in terms of number of people employed and the number of
film produced.
The major Hindi or Urdu (that is mostly used in movies) speaking belt is in North and North-West
India while the major speaking language in Maharashtra is Marathi. Even then, the film industry is
located in Mumbai because of the following reasons:
!! Colonial legacy- The Britishers wanted to screen a short film for their audiences. This
moved Harishchandra Sakharam Bhavatekar to shoot an entire film in Mumbai which was a
documentary of day to day life of Mumbai. This made India’s first silent film in 1897.

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 !! The initial support mostly came from rich Gujarati merchants and Parsi community, who were
mostly centered around the then Bombay province. In contrast, the merchant class in north
India, Marwaris and Agarwal, never took interest in the film-making. Thus, those regions never
became center as finance was not available.
!! North India, also had a weak theater culture in 19th and 20th century compared to southern
India and Maharashtra.
!! Even though Marathi is mostly spoken in Maharashtra, Mumbai has been home of migrants
from all-over India, who speak variety of languages, with Hindi speakers being the biggest
group among them. Thus, Mumbai being metropolitan and cultural pot never became center
of language purists and supremacist.
!! Unlike, Pune or Nagpur, Mumbai was settled by British and it had no deep historical cultural
roots in Marathi language and literature.
!! Hindi film industry didn’t develop at cost of regional films, in fact there is a strong regional
language film industry, which works in parallel to Hindi film industry. Thus, there was never a
clash, between the two industries as each has its own audience.
Most Importantly, every industry develops in cluster, thus, once the early filmmakers made
Mumbai their base, entire ecosystem developed around Mumbai only, which made it cheaper
and easier to make films there. However, of-late industry is changing its pattern, now a lot of
films are made outside Mumbai, particularly, since it is the era of location shooting and more
Hindi films are now partly shot in north India than Maharashtra.

Q8. What do you think that it was decentralization of polity or the different
religious ferments, which made possible for many regional languages to
flourish during different time frames in India?

A prosperous and rich kingdom has lot to do with development of language and its literature
through awarding the writers and artists and becoming strong patrons, in contrast, any kingdom
facing economic and existential crisis would not have this kind of cultural contribution. Thus,
whenever prosperous regional kingdoms survived for several generations.
Thus, for example, the rule of Ranjit Singh in Punjab, contributed to development and codification
of Punjabi language and its literature. Whereas, the lack of such a strong ruler in Haryana and
western UP region, was the reason, that the variation of Khari boli or Haryanvi dialect that
is spoken on both these regions, could never emerge as a language and acquire a regional
similarity.
In the early medieval period due to the emergence of a large number of regional political
centers, which sometimes assumed imperial proportions. This coexistence of numerous regional
powers expectedly resulted in almost endemic dynastic hostilities.
But military victory was not always translated into territorial expansion and most of these
outstanding potwers like the Palas and Senas of Bengal and Bihar, the Gurjara- Pratiharas
of Malwa and Rajputana, the Rashtrakutas of the Deccan, and the Cholas in the far south all
remained essentially rooted to their respective regions which led to strong regional languages.
!! With respect to religion as well in the medieval period the commoners used a different
language from the royals like during Akbar rule the commoners spoke some form of Hindi.
!! The conquerors of India brought with them a number of languages from abroad. Among
them were Arabic, Persian, and Turkish. Arabic, as the language of religion and of law, was
cultivated by the learned, but its sphere was limited.

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 !! India has a continuous history for at least 5000 years over which languages have evolved, split
into new ones, influenced one another leading to linguistic diversity.
!! Geography of India coupled with its long history has meant that many regions have remained
isolated for sufficient periods of time that their language have diverged over a period of time
into distinct ones.
!! India has been a melting pot of various cultures through migrations, invasions and colonialism.
These cultures have added new languages as well as influenced the existing languages.
!! When Kingdoms were formed, there were frequent movements of people resulting in evolution
of standardized languages. Grammars were written and similar languages were brought under
one banner language.
!! Literary works composed in these vernaculars were marked by a regional spirit. It was primarily
local demand and the need for a colloquial language – an easy medium for expressing the
thought of the commoners that paved the way for such developments.
 From Vedic Sanskrit was evolved Classical Sanskrit, which in its turn led to the emergence
of four types of Prakrit that are believed to have been spoken in four different parts of the
country – Shauraseni in the Mathura region, Magadhi in Magadha, Paicachi in the North-
Western parts of India and Maharashtri in Maharashtra.
 These regional Prakrits in their turn degenerated into the Apabhramsha.
 In course of time the regional languages (vernaculars) evolved from these Apabhramshas
though in a nascent form during the period under review.

Q9. “Buddhism was a contribution that had such socking and seminal effects on
the religion, philosophy and art of the adoptive country that it penetrated
the entire fabric of Chinese culture.” Explain.

Bodhi dharma is known as the person who popularized the Buddhism in China.It later easily
merged with the local religions, like Taoism and Confucianism, etc. and became integral part of
everyday life and folklore.
By the end of China’s post-Han “period of disunity” Daoism had been completely overshadowed
by Buddhism. China was covered with Buddhist shrines, many comprising large temple complexes
that included living quarters for monks and nuns, temples where lay visitors worshipped images of
Buddhist deities, and towering pagodas that lifted the image of the religion over the landscape.
The great Tang Dynasty, which ruled over a reunified China from 618 to 907, patronized Buddhism
as a state cult during the greater portion of its reign.

Influence on religion:
!! Confucianism emphasized mainly on the aspect of living one day at a time, while Buddhism
verily insisted on leading a monastic lifestyle that entailed leading a life beyond reality.
!! To help the Chinese comprehend Buddhist concepts, Buddhists borrowed ideas from Daoism
via the Chinese language. Both Buddhism and Daoism benefited from this exchange.
!! It brought in the aspect of meditation, way of dressing of the clergy resembled that of the
Buddhist monks and nuns.

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 !! Buddhism as a religion is not only based on religious ideologies, but also relies heavily on
the philosophies drawn from the teachings of Buddha. These teachings were translated into
Chinese by Chinese scholars and it slowly got integrated into the Chinese cultural realm.
!! Influence on Chinese culture:
!! For over 2,000 years, Buddhism has interacted with all levels of Chinese culture such as literature,
philosophy, morality, arts, architecture and religions.
!! Guru Padmasambhava from Gandhara is still venerated in China.He preached the virtues of
compassion and refined the tenets of prevailing tantric Buddhism in these regions, particularly,
in Tibet, where he is second highest deity after Gautama Buddha.
!! One of the most palpable and pervasive legacies of Buddhism is to be found in the Chinese
language of modern times. From the proverbs of the peasant villages to the formal language
of the intelligentsia, words of Buddhist origin are found in common use by people.
 Other words for common objects, gestures, and expressions are used with a special meaning
originally given them in Buddhist usage.
 The Chinese classic “Journey to the West” is an example of the effect of Buddhism on
Chinese writing.
!! Buddhism spread though all classes of Chinese, influencing art, thought and daily customs.
Tea, which had been used mostly by Buddhists, became China’s national drink, and Buddhists
introduced the Chinese to the wearing of cotton.

Influence on Art:
 Buddhism’s great temples influenced Chinese architecturea counter to Confucianism’s
condemnation of complex buildings as an extravagance.
 Further, the Chinese artists adopted from Buddhism the development of sculpture, painting
and murals and the new practice as borrowed from Buddhism grew due to the prosperity
of Buddhism in China at the time.
!! Buddhism in China emphasized charity and good works, including working for one’s own
salvation by helping otherswhich contrasted with Taoism’s egocentricity. It offered community
and egalitarianism. Some Chinese were attracted by the doctrine that those who exploited or
treated people unjustly would in their next reincarnation be born into poor circumstances or
into an inferior rank and suffer punishment for their misdeeds.
!! Some Chinese found comfort in the doctrine that in their next life they might be born into a
higher rank and a happier life.

Family life:
!! For those Chinese lacking a family, Buddhism provided a substitute family.
!! Made people go after virtues and pay respect to other people, generally resulting to a society
of amicability.

Q10. “Science and technology was always part of curriculum in Ancient Indian
education system, but this feature was not any more evident in Medieval
India.” Explaining the reasons for this count the contribution of Akbar to
the education system in India.

!! Thus, ancient India excelled in a large number of scientific and technological disciplines:
arithmetic, geometry, trigonometry, astronomy, algebra, linguistics, chemistry, metallurgy,
biology and so on.

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 !! The quality of education imparted in ancient India was unparalleled. Hence in spite of various
hardship and hurdles students from different parts of the world flocked to Indian universities.
!! Astronomical treatise like Brahmasiddhanta and the Khanda Khadyaka of Brahmagupta and
the medical books of Charaka, Susruta and Vagbhatta were translated to Arabic.
!! India excelled, since the pre-Harappan eras, in the arts of minerals, metals and rasa– yana or
alchemy, till the 18th century.

Reasons for decline in science and technology in medieval period are:

!! With the invasion of Muslim conquerors nearly, all the centers of higher learning of the Hindus
and Buddhists were destroyed.
 Nalanda was burnt to the ground in 1197 A.D. and all its monks were slaughtered.
 Kanauj and Kashi were looted and plundered. Temples and educational institutions and
libraries were put to destruction and they were replaced by mosques.
!! Originally, there was the division of labour, but no hereditary caste. Gradually, separation was
introduced in the society by the dominating priest craft, and this caused degeneration and the
rise of varna system or hereditary caste
 Yajurveda referred to the Vaidya (medical men) in derogatory terms.

Ancient Indian science had achieved some meritorious successes, but these advantages were
squandered through vainglory and non-appreciation of several factors such as manual labour,
mechanization and education at all levels of society.
!! India had the chance to imbibe the spirit of scientific renaissance in Europe during its Mughal
Era, but did not avail of this opportunity.
 The Indian rulers’ refusal to respond to western science and thought was thus at par with
their indifference to technology. Both added up to an enormous intellectual failure of the
ruling class.
!! Education being organized around scholars and not institutions, with the death of the Master,
the school often dispersed.

Contribution of Akbar to Education System:

!! The Education system in Mughal period during Akbar was in advance of his age and made an
attempt to raise the intellectual level of the people.
!! There was a maktab or primary school attached to every mosque where elementary reading,
writing and arithmetic, besides the Quran, were taught. In addition to these, there were
madrasas which may be called secondary schools or colleges.
 Akbar established colleges at Fatehpur Sikri, Agra, Delhi and other places, and richly
endowed them. His example was followed by his courtiers.
 In these colleges Islamic theology, jurisprudence, philosophy, logic and astronomy were
taught by distinguished teachers some of whom had received education outside India.
!! Akbar’s court was a center of learning and art. The emperor, his courtiers and officials were
liberal patrons of letters. The age consequently witnessed a cultural renaissance of a
high order. Works of high literary value were produced in various subjects, particularly on
historiography.
!! Inspired by the laudable ambition of creating a common culture, Akbar established a
Translation Department and had outstanding works in Sanskrit, Arabic and Turkic rendered
into Persian, so as to enable the Hindus and Muslims to know the best in each other’s religion
and culture
However, he did not establish a network of schools and colleges all over the country for the
benefit of the school-going population and did not allocate a fixed percentage of the state
revenue for expenditure on education.The educational schemes were meant mainly for the upper
and middle-class people.

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Q11. “The comprehensive analysis and chronology of the earliest known stone
sculptures of India illustrates the deep rooting of its theme in the social
context. Elucidate.

!! Indian sculpture developed with time to show more realistic picture and depict the picture of
contemporary social life.
!! As the lifeof people in India during ancient time was influenced by foreign themes,its traces
can be found in Indian sculpture. As civilization progressed various impacts of it were left on
the development of sculpture.
!! Through the sculptures the Hindu and Jain religions found their depiction at maximum level.
The earliest prehistoric sculpture in India was produced in stone, clay, ivory, copper and gold.
!! The sculptures attributable to the pre Kushan periods reveal new evidence for the reasons behind
the emergenceofthe anthropomorphic image of the Buddha at Mathura, the predominance of
a heterodox sext of Jainism and the proliferation of cults of nature divinities.
!! For understanding the profound meaning and the purpose behind producing art pieces one
has to revert back to sculpture of the prehistoric periods and the beginning of the historic era.
 At the beginning of the 4th century BC there was a spread of the Buddhism and its teachings.
During this period about 85000 monuments were constructed with the image ofBuddha and
the central themes and teachings of Buddhism were engraved on many rocks and pillars.
!! A notable feature of Indian sculptures is that various aspects of Indian culture,folk and classical
thoughts are reflected through the sculptures which includes themes dealing with love of natu
re,sensuality,fertility,eternity and divine omniscience etc.
!! In the early phase,the concept first got generated in a literary phase and then took shape
physically. Therefore, most of the times it is based on an idealized human form.
!! Natural forces were personified for the purpose of identifying theme and then deified. Most
early deities were therefore abstractions of natural phenomena like rain,water,earth and wind.
!! Based on the social context the manuals prescribing about proportions and iconography were
strictly followed without much alteration.
!! To emphasize the immortality of Buddha images were created showing halos and engravings
on his palms and feet.
!! Similarly, in 5th century AD the Buddha statues focused more on the details of facial expression
and feelings rather than the body.
!! As from 4th to 6th centuries Hinduism was established India’s official religionresulting in the
production of numerous images of Hindu Gods and Goddesses. Most of the images from this
period are found today in temples.

Q12. Puppetry is the most prominent division of theatre in India since Ancient
times. Though puppeteers and puppet-scholars have been engaged in the
revival of regional puppets, however, this art form is mostly unknown to
the rest of the country. Discuss the changes which could be noticed in the
revived puppetry art and it’s rational in contemporary India.

!! Puppetry throughout the ages has held an important place in traditional entertainment. It is an
ancient art, originated about 3000 years ago. It has been most popular form of entertainment
for the village people.

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 !! But in recent years, the puppeteers have been desperately trying to preserve their dying art
form. It has been facing stiff competition from cinema, television, video and computers and
today there are few takers for live puppet shows.
!! Also, there is little money in working with puppets and many artists are choosing to leave the
profession as they find it difficult to make ends meet.

Changes noticed in the revived puppetry art:

!! Over the years, the shadow puppeteers, who traditionally used stories from the Ramayana and
the Mahabharata, adapted themselves to present contemporary personalities of historical
merit, such as Kittur Rani Chennamma, Tipu Sultan, and Mahatma Gandhi.
!! Combines the essences of both the traditional puppetry of and the leading contemporary
puppetry of the West.
 For example, Katputhli in Rajasthan got integrated with western art.
 It also adopted the black-theatre techniques in producing a few puppet plays.
!! International shows-
 Two puppetry groups from India are set to perform at Charleville in September, along with
Ishara’s melodramatic musical puppet show Heer Ke Waris, which is based on the Heer-
Ranjha folklore.
!! The puppetry is pushing the boundaries by using life-sized puppets without strings. The
puppeteer is on stage as well
!! Contemporary puppeteers also observed the art in the West and adapted it to an Indian
context.
!! Puppetry is expanding its horizons, and an offshoot is the edgier object theatre. Object theatre
came into being as the definition of puppetry began changing. The story is told through objects,
but we don’t bring them to life

Why, puppetry is still important in India:

!! Puppetry is the closest thing one can get to animation, live, in the real world.
!! Puppetry is a pure and unbridled expression of imagination, live and often improved.
!! It has no limits and is as broad an art form as the creative capacity of the puppeteer and
storyteller.
!! Puppetry imbibes elements of all art forms such as literature, sculpture, music, dance, drama
and enables students to develop their creative abilities.
!! Puppetry has been used traditionally in India as a popular and an inexpensive medium to
transmit knowledge about Indian myths and legends.

Q13. How far do you agree that assimilative and adoptive character of Vedic
dharma or Brahmin dharma made the survival possible for such a long
period in India and some other parts of the world?

Indians never called their religion Hinduism, rather it was a term used by Islamic invaders and
settlers for the Vedic/ Brahmin/Sanatana Dharma, which was practiced in various forms across
India.
While the native religions of places like Persia got completely destroyed by invaders, the Vedic
Dharma survived largely because:

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 !! Hinduism was not based on one book or one place of worship, that if onedestroys them, the
entire religion would just collapse. Hinduism had always been a decentralized form of religion,
with a multiple number of sects, groups, concepts all living in harmony. It could accommodate
the high points of Advaita, as well as the more ritualistic Tantra worship. So, there was no
single point at which one could strike, and destroy Hinduism.
!! The most important reason was the very assimilative character of the dharma in India, as
it assimilated the new ideas through reforms.Hinduism as a religion has been constantly
reinterpreting and reinventing itself, since time immemorial, whenever it was faced with
countless challenges.
!! It adopted the basic principles of Buddhism quickly. Similarly, later on the Bhakti Movement in
the medieval ages, which emphasized on humanism and the fact that one did not need rituals
to reach God, spread it across to the masses.
!! Also, Hinduism believes that everything in nature and the world is worthy of worship. God was
not just in temples or idols, you could find the divine in the trees, rivers, stones, the forests.
!! There was no concept of a Prophet, whose teachings you would follow, you could reach
God, through any form of worship you choose, it could be rigorous meditation in a remote
Himalayan cave or through rituals in a temple or through more Tantric rituals. So, while the
invaders could destroy temples and idols, they could not kill the basic faith, the belief that
God was basically formless, and onecould assume him in any form one wish. It is this belief
that has sustained Hinduism from time immemorial and will continue to do so.
!! The various reform movements in the 19th and early 20th centuries, that fought against
some of the social evils, that had crept in. It is interesting to note that while Hinduism has
been reinventing itself, the basic core, the Vedas and Upanishads, still remains intact. In fact,
reformers like Swami Dayananda, Swami Vivekananda emphasized that Hinduism needed to
go back to its original roots, and imbibe the true Vedic philosophies. So, in effect most of
these reform movements, were not for total destruction, they aimed at taking Hinduism back
to its original roots.

Q14. Bhakti movement in South India had much contribution to the development
of religious architectures in South India. Critically evaluate the above given
statement discussing the important features of Chola architecture.

Bhakti movement:
!! This is the movement which emphasized single-minded intense devotion to God. It was a
complete surrender of oneself to God.
!! The real development of Bhakti took place in South India between the 7th and the 12th
centuries through the teachings of poet saints known as Alvars and Nayanar whose hymns
were collected and compiled in the 10th century.

Impact on religious architectures:

!! They praised the Divya Desams, 108 “abodes” (temples) of these Vaishnava deities. The poetry
of the Alvars echoes bhakti to God through love, and in the ecstasy of such devotions they
sang hundreds of songs which embodied both depth of feeling and felicity of expressions.
The collection of their hymns is known as Divya Prabhandha.
!! Shiva is a pan-Hindu god and Shaivism ideas on Yoga and as the god of performance arts
Nataraja have been influential on all traditions of Hinduism.

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 !! The alvars and Shaivites poets traveled to many temples, many of them located in southern
India, singing the praises of the enshrined deity.
!! The oldest temple structures in the South are temple complexes which have both
Vaishnavite and Shaivite shrines:
 The Mahabalipuram temples are a prime example.
 The Ranganatha swami temple,Srirangamwas constructed the same time as the
Jambukeshwar Temple,Thiruvanaikaval, which is located on an island adjacent to
Srirangam, and they are both no older than 2000 yrs.
 The Tirumala venkateswara temple has a counterpart in Srikalahasti temple which is
located 36 km away from the former.
 The Guruvayur temple has a counterpart in Mammiyoor temple

Impact on Chola:
!! Ardent Shaivites, the Chola monarchs created some masterpieces in stone dedicated to the
Shiva.
!! Cholas also stood staunchly as Saivites, although they displayed a sense of toleration
towards other sects and religions. Parantaka I and Sundara Chola endowed and built
temples for both Shiva and Vishnu. This was largely due to influence of the movement.

Special Features of the Chola Architecture:

!! The dvarapalas, or guardian figures, at the entrance to the mandapa, or hall which started
from the Palava period became a unique feature of the Chola Temples.
!! Early Chola temples at the Bank of river Kaveri were smaller and brick made, in comparison
to the colossus buildings of the Imperial Cholas.
!! The temples of the Imperial Cholas are covered with exquisite well composed sculptures
and frescoes, some of which were also influenced by the Dasha-avataras.
!! Ganas, among the sculptures at the temple, are the most memorable figures made in
Chola temples.

Main Features of the Bhakti Movement:

!! Unity of God or one God though known by different names.
!! Bhakti, intense love and devotion, the only way to salvation.
!! Repetition of the True Name.
!! Self-Surrender
!! Condemnation of rituals, ceremonies and blind faith.
!! Rejection of idol worship by many saints
!! Open- mindedness about deciding religious matters.
!! No distinction of different castes, higher or low
!! Need of a guru for guidance advocated by some.
!! Preaching’s through local or regional languages and travelling from place to place for
spreading the religious message

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Q15. Discuss the importance of language and literature in evolution of a society
and strengthening of its identity? How far do you think, an evolution from
dialect to language affects its literature?

Language carries an enormous political, social and economic power. In its symbolic function,
language indexes identity. In terms of the cognitive dimension, language serves to influences the
belief and thought systems of the speakers.
Language is also an instrument for forming and transforming social order. It is because of literature
and language that the nationalistic tendencies developed and strengthened during renaissance.
Language is, therefore, a central element of identity: To speak a common language per se creates
a feeling of communality.

Role of language and literature in the evolution of the society and strengthening
identity:
!! Language conveys heritage and culture and strengthens the cohesion and cooperation of societies.
Communicating in a first language and multilingual education, according to UNESCO, are key
factors in reducing discrimination, promoting inclusion and improving learning outcomes.
!! Sociologically, language molds the individual from infancy. The child comes to know most of the
things of the world through language.
!! Culture-Carrier:language helps or hinders the spread of culture. Ideas require language.
!! Literature gives people a detailed preview of human experiences, allowing them to connect on
basic levels of desire and emotion.
!! Literature is thought provoking; it allows humans to raise questions and gives them a deeper
understanding of issues and situations.
!! Disregard for literature is a main component of ignorance and constituents like stereotypes,
judgements and preconceived notions about different people and cultures.

Evolution from dialect to language affects its literature:

Two kinds of criteria distinguish languages from dialects. The first are social and political: in this view,
“languages” are typically prestigious, official and written, whereas “dialects” are mostly spoken,
unofficial and looked down upon.
Secondly, languages have grammar, rules and more regional similarity compared to a dialect. Thus,
a dialect becomes a language, due to adoption a large population group and being supported
by powerful patrons, who spread it in uniform manner, leading to codification of correct way of
speaking and writing, which essentially becomes grammatical rules later on.
Thus, there is a great advantage in languages, that its speakers are more likely to understand each
other even in faraway placesthan dialect speakers. Thus, artist who produce work in a language get
wider and larger audience compared to artists who produce work in dialect.
This provides them prosperity and also encourages other people to become artist to pick it up.
Similarly, it increases the quantum of art and literature in region, providing people of next generation
better and wider choices.

Role of literature
!! Literature is the study of human nature. It helps humans see through tragedy and romance, joy
and sorrow, in epiphanies and denial, in moments of heroism and in moments of cowardice

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 !! Literature also allows humans to question some of their most prominent beliefs and examine
their lives, giving them deeper meaning
!! It’s also part of a nation and a person’s heritage. To understand and penetrate deep into a
community, one must be able to speak and understand the language of the community. Fluency
in the national language will surely enable the person to fully understand that community’s
particular nuances and cultural aspects.
!! Literature plays the vital role in preserving knowledge to be passed down through
generations
!! Literature provides a means of expressing the creative and innovative ways in which we humans
interpret the world and all things in it. It also acts as a source of inspiration, entertainment, and
opportunities to develop the mind.
!! Literature can play an important role in the formation of various forms of social identity,
including national, ethnic, and religious identities.

Q16. This question has two parts, attempt both of them. They carry equal
marks.

!! What is the difference between classical and folk music?

 The difference between folk and classical music lies in their origins. Classical music is
considered as an ‘art form’ whereas, folk music is considered to be a more traditional form
of art.
 Folk music is a music that is originated from traditional popular culture. Classical music is
more academic music that follows established principles of music.
 Folk music songs are short and last for a few minutes. In classical music renditions are long
and last for hours.
 Folk music is music that is played or sung by ordinary people, not by professional musicians.
It is traditional music that people learn by listening to other people playing it and then
copying them. It is a tradition which is ‘handed down’ by one generation to another.
Traditional music isdifficult and comprehensive in form and is influenced form folk music.
 Folk music was enjoyed and considered as the music of the ‘peasants’ who lived and worked
at the grass roots level of society. It was a part of communal recreation.
 Folk music is not taught in the same way as classical music is taught. Classical music usually
requires a student devoting their entire life perfecting the forms of this music. Folk music is
more like a daily ritual without affecting the daily lives of people. People learn it since their
childhood and grow up on these songs.
 Folk music also uses a number of instruments. The refined versions of these instruments are
used for classical music. For instance, the “Tabla”, which is a very important instrument of
classical music, is used in a crude form like daf, dholak or nal.

!! Is there a parallel between Indian classical music and western

classical music?
 Indian classical music(ICM) is primarily homophonic, which means its focus is on melodies
created using a sequence of notes.
 Its magic is primarily experienced with different melodies constructed within the framework
of the Ragas, while western classical music’s(WCM) magic lies to a great extent in polyphonic
composition, where counterpoint, harmony, and the texture created using multiple voices
is critical.

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  Melody exists in WCM too, but from a broad perspective, is not the singular or defining
focus of most of WCM works.
 WCM is composed, ICM is improvised. All WCM compositions are formally written using the
staff notation and performers have virtually no latitude for improvisation. The converse is
the case with ICM, where no ‘work’ is ever written down, and the Teacher-Student tradition
of learning ICM leads to each performance being an improvisation.
 The way vocals are used in relation to other instruments is different.
 When vocals are used in ICM, all the rest of the instruments are mere ‘accompaniments’there
are Tanpooras that act like drones, harmonium that follows the tonality of the voice by
providing chords, etc.
 Whereas in WCM, when vocals are used, the instrumentation still carries a lot of weight in
the overall composition.
 In ICM, the individual performer shines through his improvisation. In any recital or
performance, there is a lead vocalist or instrumentalist who expounds the raga, while
others providing accompaniment are relegated to the background (except for occasional
interludes where they show off their virtuosity). In WCM, the composer and conductor shine
as individuals, but the performance is largely a group effort.
 ICM uses‘Taal’ – a cycle of beats centered around ‘Sam’ that repeats itself. WCM doesn’t use
such complex beat cycles.
 ICM makes extensive use of quarter-tones & microtones, usually referred to as Shruti. WCM
has a few microtonal pioneers in recent times, but has largely been restricted to using
semitones.
 ICM doesn’t use or encourage dissonance. Modern WCM has used dissonance extensively
to add to the texture of the composition.
 ICM has a closer, intimate association with nature than WCM. Ragas have specific times of
day or seasons of the year associated with them, while most of WCM doesn’t have any such
characteristic.
 ICM’s roots are spiritual, while secular works in WCM have roots in factors like individual
experiences, significant historical events in human history, entertainment, occasions with
dance celebrations, and so on.
 The place of “composition” in these two systems is notably different.
 Western music has the capacity of producing many feelings and moods. While Indian music,
has the capacity to produce a principal emotion or a mood in a raga.
 An Indian musician improvises with his own creative genius within a raga’s framework, but
in Western classical music, except in jazz, such an improvisation is inconceivable

Similarities:
!! Like Western music, Indian music too is based on melody and rhythm.
!! Both music systems are complementary, like two halves of classical music
!! Vocals are used in both ICM & WCM.

Q17. Religion has such a deep imprint on Indian art, that often entire Indian
art is dismissed as religious only, however, there is no dearth of secular art.
Elaborate.

Influence of religion on art:

!! Religion has always had a greater impact and influence on the lives of Indian people, their
culture and Indian art.

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 !! The primary purpose of paintings with religious influences was to convey the message and
preaching’s of that particular religion.
!! Huge rock cut sculptures and tomb paintings dedicated to the teachings of Gautama Buddha
clearly depict the influence he had on the country.
!! The depiction of Hindu gods and goddesses is quite evident in various Indian arm forms. In fact,
Tanjore and Mysore paintings are famous worldwide for their beautiful depiction of episodes
from Hindu epics.

Secular art:
!! On its way to modern times, Indian art has had cultural influences (Indus valley and Hellenistic)
as well as religious influences such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Islam
!! The rock cut architecture and art in India mainly focused on natural elements.The paintings in
these sites like barabar caves,Bhimbetkacommonly depicted scenes of human life alongside
animals, and hunts with stone implements.
!! During Indus valley civilization there were animal depictions,religious depictions like
Pasupathi
!! Buddhist art came to prominence during the Mauryan period with viharas chaityas being
constructed. The caves at Ajanta,Karle,Bhajaand elsewhere contain early sculpture, often
outnumbered by later works such as iconic figures of the Buddha and Bodhisattvas.
!! The Gupta period saw the emergence of the iconic carved stone deity in Hindu art, as well as
the Buddha-figure and Jain Tirthankara figures, these last often on a very large scale.
!! The Shore temple at Malappuram constructed by the Pallavas symbolizes early Dravidian
architecture, with its monolithic rock relief and sculptures of Hindu deities. They were succeeded
by Chola rulers who were prolific in their prolific pursuit of arts.
!! In the period of Secular kings of the Chalukayadynasty, Jainism flourished alongside Hinduism,
evidenced by the fourth of the Badami cave templesbeing Jain instead of Vedic.
!! With Mughal rule Islamic architecture and art came into light.
!! During the British raj, the fusion of Indian traditions with European style was evident from Raja
Ravi Varma’s oil paintings.
!! Other artists, such as Rabindranath Tagore and Gaganendranath Tagoreas well as new artists
of the early 20th century such as Amrita Shergill were responsible for introducing Avant
Gardewestern styles into Indian Art.
!! Many other artists like Jamini Roy and later S.H.Raza took inspiration from folk traditions.

Q18. The market for Indian handicrafts has grown as a result of economic
changes, an open economic policy and the growth of the private sector. Do
you agree? What initiatives have been taken by the government to spread
Indian handicrafts.

!! India opens up her doors to the foreign nations during the era of economic reform and
liberalized market, putting an end to the license raj, it is not only the economies that often meet
in the global market sphere, but also the people and cultures, which bring a new dimension to
the multi-cultural setting.
!! During the globalization phase, the growth in handicrafts sector amounts to increasing demand
for ethnic and culture-specific goods as a result of growth in world tourism.
!! In the globalization times, though with their products going global and increasing demand for
it, there is a rise in the handicraft sector economy, still the artisans have become increasingly

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 dependent on middle men and trader entrepreneurs who pay the artisans wages on piece rate
bases.
!! The low bargaining power of the artists in a liberalized and comparatively more competitive
market has forced the artisans to depend upon the middlemen.
!! Craft workers who have little formal education and are rarely organized are subject to many
exploitative work conditions.
!! For example, various small-scale industries have been facing enormous problems and have
failed to compete with the Chinese companies who have intruded into the market with their
low-cost products
!! Thus, the traditional crafts need to be beautiful and cost effective and maintain proper quality
in order to find a place in the competitive market.

Steps taken by the government:

The steps taken by the Government to boost and strengthen handicrafts sector, which includes
handmade carpets, so as to compete with machine-made products are as follows:
!! Market Development Assistance (MDA) Grant and Market Access Initiative (MAI) Assistance for
participation in Fairs & Exhibitions/Reverse/Buyer-Seller Meets in India & abroad.
!! Assistance provided by the Government for marketing study, branding/International publicity,
participation in Fairs & Exhibitions, Buyer-Seller Meet in India & abroad etc. through Marketing
and other Schemes
!! Thematic display and live demonstration of crafts by Master Craftsperson’s in exhibitions
abroad.
!! Brand image promotion of Indian handicrafts abroad through seminars and publicity as well
as awareness programs in India.
!! Organizing Indian Handicrafts & Gifts Fair twice a year besides product-specific shows.
!! Display of new design through exporters for creating awareness and marketing
!! Setting up of Mega Clusters in Bhadohi-Mirzapur & Srinagar for increasing manufacturing and
exports of carpets.
!! The Excise & Customs Duties paid for importing inputs are refunded through Duty Drawback
channel.
!! Interest subvention and grant of MUDRA loan schemes to the handicraftsartisans so as to
compete with machine-made products.
!! Providing Skill Development Training under Integrated Skill Development Scheme (ISDS), a
central sector scheme, across the country.ISDS provide training to handloom weavers/workers
and artisans

Indian Handloom:
Handlooms are fundamentally different from power looms. Motion of the handloom is operated
by skillful human hands, without using any source of energy like electricity, water, air or sun to
drive the motion of the loom.
Fabric is woven on a handloom by interlacing of warp, running length-wise and weft or filling,
running width-wise. Warp threads are raised and lowered by manual shedding motion to form
shed. Through this shed, the shuttle is passed carrying across the weft thread which is beaten
against the woven fabric by the movable comb like frame or reed. When the heddle is shifted, the
two sets of warp reverse position, binding the weft into the fabric and opening other shed.
Handloom weaving involves three Primary Motions i.e. Shedding, Picking and Beating. Shedding
motion separates warp threads, according to pattern to allow for weft insertions or picking prior

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 to beating. Picking is the operation wherein after the shed has been formed, the length of weft is
inserted through the shed. As soon as a weft yarn is inserted, the reed pushes or beats up the weft
to the fell of the cloth. All the three motions are carried out by the weaver manually for weaving
of the fabric by interlacement of warp and weft.
Loom is the basic equipment for hand weaving. Broadly speaking, based on their structure and
technique of working, the handlooms are classified into four main groups namely primitive looms,
pit looms, frame looms, and semi-automatic looms.

Primitive Looms:
In these are included all looms where weft is threaded by hand for interlacing the warp ends.
These also include vertical looms like some of the woolen blanket looms, durree looms, newar
looms and tape looms.

Pit Looms:
Two types of Pit Looms are in operation. One is throw-shuttle pit loom and another is fly-shuttle
pit loom.

Throw-Shuttle Pit Looms:

Until the invention of the fly-shuttle sley in England in the 18th century, the throw-shuttle pit loom
was the most commonly used loom.

Fly-Shuttle Pit Looms:

The fly shuttle pit loom produces three to four times more cloth than the throw-shuttle one and
it has all the advantages of a throw-shuttle pit loom except the weaving of intricate extra weft
patterns. This loom has enabled the handloom industry to capture a section of the market steadily
with hand-woven products like color bed sheets, towels, handkerchiefs, door curtains, bedcovers,
quilt cloth, color shirting cloth, napkins, etc.

Frame Looms:
Frame looms are useful for production of designed fabrics like bedsheets, heavy furnishings, towels,
dress material, striped and check material, bed covers, gauze cloth, etc. as in Kerala, Punjab, Tamil
Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Assam, etc. Also woven on the frame loom are ordinary saris
with plain border, saris with extra warp and cross border designs.
Semi-automatic Looms:
There are two types of semi-automatic looms, namely, sley motion type and treadle type. The sley
motion type is the one in which all primary and other motions are affected by the movement of
the sley except for picking which is done separately by hand. In the treadle type, all primary and
other motions are affected by treading.
4.33 million Handloom weavers are spread across India’s varied climatic and cultural zones. Of
the 2.38 million Handlooms that are installed in India, majority are modified making weaving
less effortful and more versatile.

Strengths of Handloom sector

!! Flexibility of small production, openness to innovation and adaptability to supplier’s
requirements.
!! Caters to all sections and offers a range that suits every stratum of society.
!! Good export potential along with negligible import content.
!! High labour intensity providing employment opportunities to 4.33 million people.
!! Low capital – output ratio.
!! weaving of every design and construction.
!! Accounts for 12% of the total cloth produced in the country.
!! Weaves from a range of fibers like cotton, silk, jute, wool, synthetic blends

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 !! Unique where tradition gets woven with modern.
Intensive efforts are being made by the Office of the Development Commissioner for Handlooms,
Government of India to upgrade the hand weaving technology in terms of weaver’s comfort,
productivity and quality. A large number of Handloom Weavers’ co-operative societies too are
constantly at work to improve the quality and working conditions for hand weaving. Nine Indian
Institutes of Handloom Technology located across India impart specialised training in handloom
weaving to the Gen next to ensure continuity of hand weaving heritage.
India has more than 500 specialised handloom weaving clusters spread across the country.
Responding to the changing consumer demand in the modern world, handloom weaving in
India is evolving each day. If Madras Check, Cheesecloth and Seersucker, became a craze in the
Western world in the 1960’s and 1970’s, several characteristic innovations like heavy casement,
recycled rugs and jacquard woven fabrics in thick cotton and silk fabrics are a popular choice
today. Celebrities and designers globally continue to make a fashion statement around Indian
handloom.
Today Indian hand weavers offer vast range of decorative and furnishing fabrics for homes in
cotton and silk. They have become global style statements. Over 50% of India’s hand-woven
exports consist of home textile products like bed linen, curtains, table & kitchen linen, cushion
covers and durries.
It is difficult to distinguish a handwoven fabric from a machine woven fabric. Therefore, in
order to stamp the authenticity of handwoven textiles, the Government of India has introduced
“Handloom Mark”.

Q19. The problem with Indian ancient history writing lies partly in the Indian
mindset, regarding the sense that while we love epics and myths, we care
less for internationally accepted historical evidence. Discuss with respect
to the damages done by common people on monuments. What steps may
ASI take to increase awareness?

Historical ruins and architecture is essential part of cultural heritage, these include aesthetically
pleasing buildings and monuments, historically important sites, like forts or battlefields, andlastly
the buildings which are important due to people who lived or operated from there, for example,
Porbandar, Dandi ashram, etc., all these along with historical religious buildings are closely
associated with the identity of the nation.
!! But simply possessing them is not enough. Preserving them should be equally prioritized.
!! In India people are more culturally aligned to epics, religions and ignore the ancient heritage
in form of monuments.
!! People in India even illegally occupied lesser known monuments and ancient buildings.
!! The major threats are due to emissions from cars in nearby traffic, burning rubber and plastic
from surrounding slums, and fly ash, a residue of coal combustion, and gas from a nearby
power plant.
!! For example: Toxic air spouting out from burning trash and exhaust pipes has taken its toll
on the facades of some of the country’s sacred heritage sites.
!! The impact of air pollution on the iconic Taj Mahal—whose grand marble edifice is slowly
turning brownish-yellow
!! In Delhi, the white-marbled Lotus Temple, an architectural triumph and pride of the Bahai
faith, is wilting under the onslaught of pollution.

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 Steps ASI may take are:
!! Most heritage sites in India are meant to be protected from pollution under government
regulations, like the Ancient Monument and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act 1958, which
includes guidelines to “protect places of worship from misuse or desecration.” The steps which
can be initiated are:
!! Heritage awareness is an essential element of heritage conservation. Heritage has a substantial
importance for sustaining the economies of tourist destination.
!! At these heritage sites, the volunteers can undertake activities to upkeep the amenities,
maintenance of gardens and can conduct awareness activities to educate the visitors on the
value of heritage.
!! There is need to spread the message amongst children, volunteers may also conduct school
contact programme at schools.
!! Heritage awareness can be initiated by providing learning experience through onsite visitation
and appreciation of archaeological resources.
!! Local residents are considered as the key factor for protecting the national heritage. Awareness
campaign can be initiated and connect heritage conservation to their livelihood.

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), under the Ministry of Culture, is the premier organization
for the archaeological researches and protection of the cultural heritage of the nation. Maintenance
of ancient monuments and archaeological sites and remains of national importance is the prime
concern of the ASI. Besides it regulate all archaeological activities in the country as per the
provisions of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958. It also
regulates Antiquities and Art Treasure Act, 1972.
For the maintenance of ancient monuments and archaeological sites and remains of national
importance the entire country is divided into 24 Circles. The organization has a large work force
of trained archaeologists, conservators, epigraphist and scientists for conducting archaeological
research projects through its Circles, Museums, Excavation Branches, Prehistory Branch, Epigraphy
Branches, Science Branch, Horticulture Branch, Building Survey Project, Temple Survey Projects
and Underwater Archaeology Wing.

Monuments
The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958 defines an ‘Ancient
Monument’ as follows:
Ancient Monument means any structure, erection or monument, or any tumulus or place of
interment, or any cave, rock-sculpture, inscription or monolith which is of historical, archaeological
or artistic interest and which has been in existence for not less than 100 years and includes—
!! Remains of an ancient monument,
!! Site of an ancient monument,
!! Such portion of land adjoining the site of an ancient monument as may be required for fencing
or covering in or otherwise preserving such monument, a
!! The means of access to, and convenient inspection of, an ancient monument;

The section 2(d) defines archaeological site and remains as follows:

Archaeological site and remains means any area which contains or is reasonably believed to
contain ruins or relics of historical or archaeological importance which have been in existence for
not less than one hundred years, and includes—
!! Such portion of land adjoining the area as may be required for fencing or covering in or
otherwise preserving it, and

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 !! The means of access to, and convenient inspection of the area;

Protection of monuments
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) under the provisions of the AMASR Act, 1958 protects
monuments, sites and remains of national importance by giving a two-months’ notice for inviting
objections, if any in this regard.
After the specified two-month’s period, and after scrutinizing the objections, if any, received in
this regard, the ASI makes decision to bring a monument under its protection.
There are at present more than 3650 ancient monuments and archaeological sites and remains of
national importance. These monuments belong to different periods, ranging from the prehistoric
period to the colonial period and are located in different geographical settings. They include
temples, mosques, tombs, churches, cemeteries, forts, palaces, step-wells, rock-cut caves, and
secular architecture as well as ancient mounds and sites which represent the remains of ancient
habitation.
These monuments and sites are maintained and preserved through various Circles of the
ASI spread all over the country. The Circles look after the research on these monuments and
conservation activities, while the Science Branch with its headquarters at Dehradun carries out
chemical preservation and the Horticulture Branch with its headquarters at Agra is entrusted with
the laying out gardens and environmental development.

Q20. Art and culture of India has not developed continuously, rather there have
been different phases, in which there was spectacular growth and phases,
where there was slow decline. Analyze the above statement in context of
Gupta period.

Culture is the characteristic way of life inspired by fundamental values in which people live. It
is the sum total of the values expressed through art, religion, literature, social institutions and
behavior
Indian cultural heritage is as old as the Indus Valley Civilization. It still flourishes maintaining its
original features together with changes. Even today, the pattern of a house in an Indian village is
not very different from that of a Harappan house.
!! India has a continuous history covering a very long period. Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro on
the banks of the river Indus around 2700 BC, bear testimony to the early character of Indian
civilization. The culture associated with the Harappan civilization is the first urban culture in
India. After the decline of the Harappan civilization, there was consistent decline and people
forgot the grand cities established in the region, much later a new culture flourished in the
same region. It gradually spread across the Ganga-Yamuna plains and came to be known as
the Aryan culture.
!! During Vedic and later-Vedic culture, Indian culture took a new turn with Varna system,
Brahminism started to ascend its power and social discrimination based on ascriptive criteria
started.
!! This again led to slow decline of society, however, later with the rise of Mauryas, art and
architecture got a new life as Buddhism was patronized and Buddhist architecture like Chaityas,
Viharas, Stupas were constructed.
!! Similarly, several kingdoms in Southern India have also witnessed spectacular growth
and prosperity amid phases of slowdown, for example in the deccan region, Badami and
Vijayanagar empire were two phases of great cultural expansion compared to rest of period
in history.

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 Gupta Period:
!! The Gupta period witnessed a tremendous progress in the field of art, science and literature
and on account of this it has been called “a golden age”.
!! A few scholars even call this period a period of renaissance, but it should be remembered that
there was no dark period before the Gupta rule.

!! Architecture
 By evolving the Nagara and Dravida styles, the Gupta art ushers in the history of Indian
architecture a formative and creative age with unlimited scope for future development and
elaboration.
!! Metal statues, stupas, sculpture:
 Two remarkable examples of Gupta metal sculpture are:
 A copper image of the Buddha, about eighteen feet high at Nalanda in Bihar
 Sultan Ganj Buddha of seven and half feet.
 Sculpture reached at its perfection in the Gupta Age. The sculptures were matured enough
to transform stone into images of superb beauty.
!! The Sanskrit language became prominent during the Gupta period. Nagari script had evolved
from the Brahmi script
!! Numerous works in classical Sanskrit came to be written in the forms of epic, lyrics, drama and
prose. The best of the Sanskrit literature belonged to the Gupta age with prominent poets like
Kalidasa, Visakadatta.
!! Trade and commerce flourished as people enjoyed comparative security to move about the
country in pursuit of their vocations.
However, Gupta Period is one of last pan-India empire before the Mughals, and the period in
between them was of a cultural decline with some exceptions, like Harshvardhana’s kingdom.

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