Art and Culture Test - 2

The Indo Islamic architecture was synthesis of architectural form of different religions. For decorative purposes it used:

• Pietra-dura: Enlaying of precious and semiprecious stones on the walls of the building.
• Tesselation: Decoration on walls and floors with mosaic.
• Dado panel: Lower part of the interior wall finished differently from other walls.
• Arbesque: Ornamental designs of lines, leaves and flowers.
• Jali work: Ornamental screens with geometric figures like hexagon etc.

• Rajaraja-I was the most powerful ruler of theChola Empire.He was a great conqueror. Hedefeated the Cheras, Pandyas and theChalukyas. He defeated Mahinda-V of Ceylonand built a Siva temple at Anuradhapuram.He even conquered Maldives.Thus the powerof Cholas extended beyond South India. Hewas a follower of Saivism. Devaram wascollected and codified only during his period.He constructed the Brahadeeswara Templeat Tanjore in 1010 A.D.
• Chandragupta Maurya accepted Jainism andwent to Sravanbelgola to observe samlekhnain which a jain follower fast unto death to getliberated from the samsara.
• Mahendravarman-I was the son of Simhavishnu. Conflicts arose between theChalukyas and the Pallavas during thisperiod. He lost the northern parts of thePallavaKingdom to Pulakesin II. Though afollower of Jainism, he embraced Saivism dueto Saint Appar 's influence.He was a versatilescholar. Hetook up the titles likeChitrakarapuli and Vichitra Chitta for hisexcellence in building,painting and music. Heconstructed the cities of Mahendramangalamand Mahendravadi.

The assessment of land revenue was done onthe basis of the measurement of the land,however the peasants were given option ofpaying in cash or kind. Hence, statement 1 is wrong.

Sher shah introduced a ces at rate of twoand a half seers per bigha in order to guardagainst famine and other natural calamities.Hence, statement 2 is correct.

The Bhilai Steel Plant, located in Bhilai, in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh, was set up with the help of the USSR in 1955. Bokaro Steel Plant is located in the Bokaro district of Jharkhand. It is the fourth integrated public sector steel plant in India built with Soviet help in 1972 . 

• While Carnatic music is sung and performedin only one style. There exists various styleof singing and performing in Hindustanimusic. Each style of school is called a 'gharana '. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
• Unlike Hindustani music, Carnatic music doesnot adhere to time or Samay concept. In Hindustan classical music, each raag isrendered only at aspecific time. The time ofthe raag depends on the vaadi swar and theanuvadi saars. This is so as each raag withit 's particular swar is more effective ifperformed at a particular time. It is supposedto enhance the ras(mood) of the raag.Hence, statement 2 is correct.
• Carnatic Style employs Shrutis or semitonesto create a Raga and thus have many moreRagas than the Hindustani style. Carnaticragas differ from Hindustani ragas. Thenames of ragas are also different. However, there are some ragas which have the samescale as Hindustani ragas but have differentnames; such as Hindolam and Malkauns, Shankarabharanam and Bilawal. There is athird category of ragas like Hamsadhwani, Charukeshi, Kalavati etc. which areessentially Carnatic Ragas. They share thesame name, the same scale (same set ofnotes) but can be rendered in the two distinctively different Carnatic andHindustani styles. Hence, statement 3 iscorrect.

• Kabir belonged to the Nirguna tradition ofBhakti. Kabir preached a religious systemstrictly montheistic advocating abolition ofVarnaashrama, and casting doubt on theauthority of the Vedas and the other sacredbooks.
• The school of Kabir sought to understandIslam and was sufficiently broad minded toincorporate some of its basic principles. Thatis why his references are available in the Sufiliterature as well. Abul Fazl called Kabir amuwahhid (monotheist). Hence statement 1,2 and 3 are correct.
• Bijak is the authoritative account of kabir 'sphilosophy, while Bani is collection of hymsand poems by Dadu, who was inspired byKabir. Hence, statement 4 is wrong.

• Located in Kacchi plains of Baluchistan,Mehrgarh provides the earliest evidence ofsettled agriculture in the subcontinent andprobably south Asia. It is considered aprecurser to Indus Valley Civilization.
• Additional Information : Dholavira, thelargest of all Indus settlements was characterized by a middle town evidences ofirrigation, findings of gold rings, etc.Kalibangan site is situated on banks of Ghagghar river in Rajasthan and provides evidence of earliest ploughed field in Indai inits proto-harappan phase.

• The branch of knowledge which studies coinsis called numismatics. So statement 1 iscorrect.
• Earliest coins, called punch marked, are insilver and copper. Some gold punch-markedcoins are also reported to have been found,but they are very rare and their authenticityis doubtful. Statement 2 is also correct.
• The punch-marked coins are the earliestcoins of India and they bear only symbols onthem. Each symbol is punched separately,which sometimes overlap the another. Thesehave been found throughout the country,from Taxila to Magadha to Mysore or evenfurther south. They do not bear anyinscription, or legend on them. statement 3is also correct.

Explanation:- (a) Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas are 3 varnas were entitled to upanayana or investiture with the sacred thread according to the Vedic mantras.

(b)In later Vedic times popular assemblies lost importance, and royal power increased at their cost. The Vidatha completely disappeared. The Sabha and Samiti continued to hold the ground, but their character changed.At the lower levels, the administration was carried on by the village assemblies. The importance of the samiti and the sabha had diminished during the later vedic period.

(c) Ashramas or four stages of life were not well established in Vedic times.

Pulakesin II was defeated by Narsimhavarman I, son and successor of Mahendravarman I, After this victory  Narasimhavarman adopted the tittle of Vatapikonda. He is also said to havedefeated the Cholas, the Cheras, the Pandyas and the Kalabhrs.