IAS Art & Culture Test Questions - Set - 7

ANSWER: Traditional thatched Bengali hut

Explanation:
The colonial bungalow was set on extensive grounds which ensured privacy and marked a distance from the Indian world around. The traditional pitched roof and surrounding veranda kept the bungalow cool in the summer months. The compound had separate quarters for a retinue of domestic servants.

ANSWER: All of the above

Explanation:
Neo-classical or the new classical was considered particularly appropriate for the British Empire in India. The British imagined that a style that embodied the grandeur of imperial Rome could now be made to express the glory of imperial India. The neo-Gothic or new Gothic style was revived in the mid-nineteenth century in England. This was the time when the government in Bombay was building its infrastructure and this style was adapted for Bombay.

ANSWER: Both 1 and 2

Explanation:
Its characteristics included construction of geometrical structures fronted with lofty pillars. The Mediterranean origins of this architecture were also thought to be suitable for tropical weather. The Town Hall in Bombay was built in this style in 1833. The Elphinstone Circle (Horniman Circle) after an English editor who courageously supported Indian nationalists, this building was inspired from models in Italy.

ANSWER: Only 1

Explanation:
Another style that was extensively used was the neo-Gothic which had its roots in
buildings, especially churches, built in northern Europe during the medieval period. An impressive group of buildings facing the seafront including the Secretariat, University of Bombay, High
Court and Victoria Terminus were all built in this style. Indian merchants were happy to adopt the neo-Gothic style since they believed that building styles, like many ideas brought in by the English, were progressive and would help make Bombay into a modern city.

ANSWER: Muslim

Explanation:
The inspiration for this style was medieval buildings in India with their domes,
Chhatris, jalis, arches. By integrating Indian and European styles in public architecture the British
wanted to prove that they were legitimate rulers of India. The Gateway of India, built in the traditional Gujarati style is the most famous example of this style. The industrialist Jamsetji Tata built the Taj Mahal Hotel in a similar style. It flourished to a greater extent in Madras.

ANSWER: All of the above

Explanation:
Architectural styles do not only reflect prevalent tastes. They mould tastes, popularize styles and shape the contours of culture. Many Indians came to regard European styles of architecture as symbols of modernity and civilization, and began adopting these styles.

ANSWER: A human society that would not glorify machines and technology

Explanation:
Mahatma Gandhi was profoundly critical of the modern age in which machines enslaved humans and displaced labour. He saw the charkha as a symbol of a human society that would not glorify machines and technology. The spinning wheel, moreover, could provide the poor with supplementary income and make them self-reliant. He was critical of labor-saving machinery.

ANSWER: Mohammad Iqbal

Explanation:
One of the greatest poets of modern India Mohammad Iqbal wrote this. In earlier poetry he extolled patriotism, though later he encouraged Muslim separatism.

ANSWER: Only 1, 2 and 4

Explanation:
He erected observatories at five places – Ujjain, Delhi, Jaipur, Varanasi and Mathura. He was a man of science and also an astronomer.

ANSWER: Guru Hargobind

Explanation:
It was begun by Guru Hargobind but it was under leadership of Guru Govind Singh, the tenth and last guru, that they became a political and military force.

ANSWER: Rammohun Roy

Explanation:
In this he put forward weighty arguments against belief of many gods and for the worship of single god. He also wrote Precepts of Jesus.

ANSWER: Tarabai Shinde

Explanation:
She criticized patriarchy and caste. It is considered first modern Indian feminist text.

ANSWER: Partition of Bengal

Explanation:
The song is ‘Amar Sonar Bangla’.

ANSWER: Sri Narayan Guru

Explanation:
He started SNDP (Sri Narayan Guru Dharma Paripalana) movement for the Ezhavas of Kerala who were considered untouchables and were the single largest caste group in Kerala.

ANSWER: Iberian Style

Explanation:
The Iberian style uses bricks as main material and has wooden roofs and wooden stairs. E.g. Old Goa Churches, etc.

ANSWER: Laurie Baker

Explanation:
He merged buildings with environment and used locally available material. He revolutionized mass housing in Kerala.

ANSWER: Bhimbetka

Explanation:
Caves and rock shelters at Bhimbetka in Madhya Pradesh show earliest evidences- as early as 5000B.C.

ANSWER: Only 1 and 3

Explanation:
Miniature paintings were introduced in India by the invaders and Islamic rulers. Miniature paintings show Persian influence.

ANSWER: Raja Ravi Verma

Explanation:
Raja Ravi Verma is considered originator of modern paintings in India. They were called modern due to the western influence. He was from region of Kerala. He is sometimes called ‘Rafael of the East’.

ANSWER: Only 1 and 4

Explanation:
Bhairav – Early Morning/Dawn; Deepak - Dusk; Megha – Late afternoon; Shriraga - Dusk; Hindol - Morning; Kaushik – Late evening;Malkauns – Mid-Night.

ANSWER: Those who guide men and women across the river of existence.

Explanation:
Jina is conqueror. According to Jain tradition, Mahavira was preceded by 23 other teachers or tirthankaras – literally, those who guide men and women across the river of existence.

ANSWER: Biography of a saint or religious leader.

Explanation:
Hagiographies often praise the saint’s achievements, and may not always be literally accurate. They are important because they tell us about the beliefs of the followers of that particular tradition.

ANSWER: Only 2

Explanation:
The most important idea in Jainism is that the entire world is animated: even stones, rocks and water have life.

ANSWER: Gotami

Explanation:
Initially, only men were allowed into the sangha, but later women also came to be admitted. According to Buddhist texts, this was made possible through the mediation of Ananda, one of the Buddha’s dearest disciples, who persuaded him to allow women into the sangha. The Buddha’s foster mother, Mahapajapati Gotami was the first woman to be ordained as a bhikkhuni.

ANSWER: Only 3

Explanation:
Many early sculptors did not show the Buddha in human form – instead, they showed his presence through symbols. The empty seat was meant to indicate the meditation of the Buddha, and the stupa was meant to represent the mahaparinibbana. Another frequently used symbol was the wheel. This stood for the first sermon of the Buddha, delivered at Sarnath.