• The largest number of paintings belong to Period II that
covers the Mesolithic paintings.
• During this period the themes are multiple but the paintings
are smaller in size.
Hence, statement 1 is incorrect.
• Hunting scenes predominate. The hunting scenes depict
people hunting in groups, armed with barbed spears,
pointed sticks, arrows and bows. The hunters are shown
wearing simple clothes and ornaments.
Hence, statement 2 is correct.
• Elephant, bison, tiger, boar, deer, antelope, leopard, panther,
rhinoceros, fish, frog, lizard, squirrel and at times birds are
also depicted.
• The Mesolithic artists loved to paint animals. In some pictures,
animals are chasing men. In others they are being chased
and hunted by men.
• Though animals were painted in a naturalistic style,
humans were depicted only in a stylistic manner. Women
are painted both in the nude and clothed. The young and
the old equally find place in these paintings. Children are
painted running, jumping and playing.
Hence, statement 3 is incorrect.
• Community dances provide a common theme.

• The art of bronze-casting was practised on a wide scale by
the Harappans.
• Their bronze statues were made using the
‘lost wax’ technique in which the wax figures were first
covered with a coating of clay and allowed to dry. Then the
wax was heated and the molten wax was drained out
through a tiny hole made in the clay cover. The hollow
mould thus created was filled with molten metal which
took the original shape of the object. Once the metal cooled,
the clay cover was completely removed.
• In bronze we find human as well as animal figures, the
best example of the former being the statue of a girl
popularly titled ‘Dancing Girl’.
Amongst animal figures in bronze the buffalo with its uplifted
head, back and sweeping horns and the goat are of artistic
merit.
• Bronze casting was popular at all the major centres of the
Indus Valley Civilisation.

Tikdam:
You just need to know that Lost wax techniques is associated
with bronze. This would have helped you in eliminating other
options since none of the options except dancing girl is related
to bronze.

• The shrines of the early temples were of three kinds—
(i) sandhara type (with pradikshinapatha),
(ii) nirandhara type (without pradakshinapatha), and
(iii) sarvatobhadra (which can be accessed from
all sides).
• Some of the important temple sites of this period
are Deogarh in Uttar Pradesh, Eran, Nachna-Kuthara
and Udaygiri near Vidisha in Madhya Pradesh.
• These temples are simple structures
consisting of a veranda, a hall and a shrine at the rear.

• Deogarh (in Lalitpur District, Uttar Pradesh) was built
in the early sixth century CE. This makes it a classic
example of a late Gupta Period type of temple.
Hence, statement 1 is incorrect.
• This temple is in the panchayatana style of architecture
where the main shrine is built on a rectangular plinth
with four smaller subsidiary shrines at the four corners
(making it a total number of five shrines, hence the name,
panchayatana).
Hence, statement 2 is correct.
• The tall and curvilinear shikhara also corroborates this date.
The presence of this curving latina or rekha-prasada type
of shikhara also makes it clear that this is an early example
of a classic nagara style of temple.
Hence, statement 3 is correct.

• The three principles of Jainism, also known as Triratnas (three
gems), are:
– right faith
– right knowledge
– right conduct.
• Right faith is the belief in the teachings and wisdom of
Mahavira.
• Right Knowledge is the acceptance of the theory that
there is no God and that the world has been existing without a
creator and that all objects possess a soul.
• Right conduct refers to the observance of the five great vows:
– not to injure life
– not to lie
– not to steal
– not to acquire property
– not to lead immoral life.

• Gandhara art originated during the reign of Indo-Greek rulers but the real patrons
of this school of art were the Sakas and the Kushanas, particularly Kanishka.
• It was a blend of Indian and Graeco-Roman elements.
• Specimens of Gandhara sculpture have been found in Taxila, Peshawar and
in several places of northwest India.
• The Gandhara school made sculptures of the Buddha in various sizes,
shapes and postures. The reliefs depict Buddha’s birth, his renunciation and
his preaching.
• The salient features of Gandhara art are:
– Moulding human body in a realistic manner with minute
attention to physical features like muscles, moustache and
curly hair.
– Thick drapery with large and bold fold lines.
– Rich carving, elaborate ornamentation and symbolic
expressions.
– The main theme was the new form of Buddhism – Mahayanism
– and the evolution of an image of Buddha.

• Samudragupta was the greatest of the rulers of the Gupta
dynasty.
• The Allahabad Pillar inscription provides a detailed account
of his reign. It refers to three stages in his military campaign:
1. Against some rulers of North India
2. His famous Dakshinapatha expedition against South Indian
rulers
3. A second campaign against some other rulers of North India.
The inscription mentions that Samudragupta defeated twelve
rulers in his South Indian Expedition.
• Samudragupta’s military achievements remain remarkable in
the annals of history. He was equally great in his other personal
accomplishments.
• The Allahabad Pillar inscription speaks of his magnanimity to his
foes, his polished intellect, his poetic skill and his proficiency in music.
It calls him Kaviraja because of his ability in composing verses.
• His image depicting him with Veena is found in the coins issued by
him. It is the proof of his proficiency and interest in music.
• He was also a patron of many poets and scholars, one of whom was
Harisena. Thus he must be credited with a share in the promotion of
Sanskrit literature and learning, characteristic of his dynasty.
• He was an ardent follower of Vaishnavism but was tolerant of other
creeds. He evinced keen interest in Buddhism and was the patron of
the great Buddhist scholar Vasubandu.

• In the history of Indian art and architecture, the Gupta period occupies an important place. Both the Nagara and Dravidian styles of art evolved during this period. Hence, statement 1 is correct.
• The temple at Deogarh near Jhansi and the sculptures in the
temple at Garhwas near Allahabad remain important specimen
of the Gupta art.
• There was no influence of Gandhara style. But the beautiful
statue of standing Buddha at Mathura reveals a little Greek style. Hence, statement 2 is incorrect.
• The Buddha statue unearthed at Saranath was unique piece of
Gupta art.
• The Bhitari monolithic pillar of Skandagupta is also remarkable. Hence, statement 3 is correct.
• Metallurgy had also made a wonderful progress during the Gupta period.
– The gigantic copper statue of Buddha, originally found at
Sultanganj now kept at Birmingham museum, was about seven and a half feet height and nearly a ton weight.
– The Delhi Iron pillar of the Gupta period is still free from rust though completely exposed to sun and rain for so many centuries.

• The court of Chandragupta II was adorned by the celebrated Navratnas.
• Kalidasa remain the foremost among them. His master-piece was the Sanskrit drama Shakuntala. It is considered one among the ‘hundred best books of the world’.
– He wrote two other plays – the Malavikagnimitra and Vikramorvasiya. His two well-known epics are Raghuvamsa and
Kumarasambhava. Ritusamhara and Meghaduta are his two lyrics.
• Visakadatta was another celebrated author of this period. He was the author of two Sanskrit dramas, Mudrarakshasa and Devichandraguptam.
• Sudraka was a renowned poet of this age and his book Mrichchakatika is rich in humour and pathos.
• Bharavi’s Kritarjuniya is the story of the conflict between Arjuna and Siva.
• Dandin was the author of Kavyadarsa and Dasakumaracharita.
• Another important work of this period was Vasavadatta written by Subhandhu.
• The Panchatantra stories were composed by Vishnusarma during the Gupta period.
• The Buddhist author Amarasimha compiled a lexicon called Amarakosa.

• The Tamil society witnessed a great change during the Pallava
period.
• The caste system became rigid.
• The Brahmins occupied a high place in the society. They were
given land-grants by the kings and nobles. They were also given
the responsibility of looking after the temples.
• The Pallava period also witnessed the rise of Saivism and Vaishnavism
and also the decline of Buddhism and Jainism.
The Saiva Nayanmars and the Vaishnava Alwars contributed to the
growth of Saivism and Vaishnavism. This is known as the Bakthi
Movement.
– They composed their hymns in the Tamil language. These
hymns revealed the importance of devotion or Bakthi.
• The construction of temples by the Pallava kings paved the way for the
spread of these two religions.

Tikdam:
Till now, the Buddhidm and Jainism had declined. Also, statements 1 and 2
are contradictory to each other. If there would have been rise in the
growth of Buddhism and Jainism, then the caste syatem would not have
become rigid, but liberal (according to the basic philosophy of Buddhism
and Jainism).

• Music, dance and painting had also developed under the patronage
of the Pallavas.
• The Mamandur inscription contains a note on the notation of vocal
music.
– The Kudumianmalai inscription referred to musical notes and
instruments.
– The Alwars and Nayanmars composed their hymns in various musical
notes.
• Dance and drama also developed during this period.
– The sculptures of this period depict many dancing postures.
• The Sittannavasal paintings belonged to this period.
• The commentary called Dakshinchitra was compiled during the reign
of Mahendravarman I, who had the title Chittirakkarapuli.

• The Chalukya temples may be divided into two stages.
The first stage is represented by the temples at Aihole and Badami.
• Among the seventy temples found at Aihole, four are important.
1. Ladh Khan temple is a low, flat-roofed structure consisting of a pillared hall.
2. Durga temple resembles a Buddha Chaitya.
3. Huchimalligudi temple.
4. The Jain temple at Meguti.
• Among the temples at Badami, the Muktheeswara temple and
the Melagutti Sivalaya are notable for their architectural beauty.
– A group of four rock-cut temples at Badami are marked by high workmanship. The walls and pillared halls are adorned by beautiful images of gods and human beings.

• The second stage is represented by the temples at Pattadakal. There are ten temples here, four in the northern style and the remaining six in the Dravidian style.
– The Papanatha temple is the most notable in the northern style.
– The Sangamesvara temple and the Virupaksha temple are famous for their Dravidian style.
– The Virupaksha temple is built on the model of the Kailasanatha temple at Kanchipuram. It was built by one of the queens of Vikramaditya II. Sculptors brought from Kanchi were employed in its construction.

• Barani’s Tarikh-i-Firoz Shahi contains the history of Tughlaq
dynasty.
• Minhaj-us-Siraj wrote Tabaqat-i-Nasari, a general history of
Muslim dynasties up to 1260.
• Amir Khusrau’s Khazain-ul-Futuh speaks about Alauddin’s
conquests. His famous work Tughlaq Nama deals with the
rise of Ghyiasuddin Tughlaq.
• The famous Rajatarangini written by Kalhana belonged to the
period of Zain-ul-Abidin, the ruler of Kashmir.
• In Arabic, Alberuni’s Kitab-ul-Hind is the most famous work.

• Nur Jahan built the tomb of Itimaddaulah at Agra.
It was constructed wholly of white marble with floral
designs made of semi-precious stones on the walls.
This type of decoration was called pietra dura.
Hence, statement 1 is correct.
• This method became more popular during the reign
of Shah Jahan.
Hence, statement 1 is incorrect.
• The pietra dura method was used on a large scale in
the Taj Mahal by Shah Jahan.
Hence, statement 3 is correct.

Tikdam:
Just knowing that that pietra dura was not started during
the initial period of Mughal rulers would have helped
you eliminate statement 2 and arrive at the correct answer.

• India has the richest variety of types and styles of shadow puppets.
• Shadow puppets are flat figures. They are cut out of leather, which
has been treated to make it translucent.
• Shadow puppets are pressed against the screen with a strong source
of light behind it. The manipulation between the light and the screen
make silhouettes or colourful shadows, as the case may be, for the
viewers who sit in front of the screen.
• This tradition of shadow puppets survives in Orissa, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu:
– Togalu Gombeyatta, Karnataka
– Tholu Bommalata, Andhra Pradesh
– Ravanachhaya, Orissa

• Bommalattam is a string puppet from Tamil Nadu.
• Putul Nautch is a rod puppet from West Bengal.

• This type of sculpture art flourished during the Kushana
time at Amaravati and Nagarjunkonda in Andhra Pradesh.
Hence, statement 1 is correct.
• White marble was used in this art and the thees were Buddha’s
life and Jataka tales.
Hence, statement 2 is correct.
• The curly hair of Buddhha is a feature that is influenced by
the Greeks.
• Amaravati sculptures have a sense of movement and energy
with profound and quiet naturalism in human, animal and
floral forms.
• Symbolic representation of Buddha’s life is mainly seen, the Buddha almost always being represented by a symbol, though only in two or three places he is personified.
Hence, statement 3 is incorrect.
• Both religious and secular images were present in this style.

• Jainism split in Digamabara sect and Shwetambara sect during the Mauryan era.
• The Digambara sect observed the tenets of religion strictly and the monks remained naked.
Hence, statement 1 is incorrect.
• Shwetambara sect were liberal and they wore white clothes.
• Shwetambaras can be further divided into Sthanakvasi and Murtipujak.
Hence, statement 2 is incorrect.

• The founder of the Sankhya school of philosophy was
Maharishi Kapil.
Hence, statement 1 is incorrect.
• It is a strong proponent of Dualism. There are only
two realities viz. Purusha and Prakriti.
By Purusha they mean consciousness and by Prakriti,
they mean substance or realm of matter.
Hence, statement 2 is correct.
• This school does not believe in the existence of God.
Hence, statement 3 is correct.
• It believes in the doctrine of Karma and transmigration
of souls.

• The Mauryan pillars were rock-cut i.e. monolithic.
Hence, statement 1 is incorrect.
• They were used to spread the message of Buddha
by Ashoka.
Hence, statement 2 is correct.
• The top portion of the pillar is called capital and it typically
has animal figures like bull, elephant, etc.
– These capital figures are carved standing on a square or
circular abacus.
– The abcuses are on the base which could be a stylised
inverted lotus.
• The Lion Capital at Sarnath is the most famous example.

• The theme of Mara Vijaya has been painted in the caves of Ajanta.
Hence, statement 1 is incorrect.
• The panel shows the image of the Buddha in the centre, surrounded
by Mara’s army.
• The event is part of enlightment and Mara represents desire.
Hence, statement 2 and 3 are correct.
• The Buddha is shown with his right hand indicating towards the earth
as a witness to his generosity.
• The image is shown contemplating how to disturb Siddhartha, the
name of Buddha before enlightment.