Theme : Vedic Period

Similar question was asked in UPSC 2013 and 2014.

Notes :

Four Mahavakyas
The four Mahavakyas or great statements are from Upanishads. They are as follows:

Prajnanam Brahma
This means consciousness is Brahman. It comes from Aitareya Upanishad of Rig-Veda. This
Mahavakya implies that the consciousness is subtlest texture of the cosmos and is present and active everywhere.

Ayam Atma Brahma
This means self or Atman is Brahman. It comes from the Mandukya Upanishad of the Atharva Veda.

Tat Tvam Asi
This means “Thou art That”. It comes from the Chandogya Upanishad of the Samveda. It’s too much
mystical statement and has been interpreted by different schools differently. In its simplest meaning,
it says that self in its pure form is identical with the original reality.

Aham Brahmasmi
This means “I am Brahman”. This statement comes from the Brhadaranyaka Upanishad of the Yajurveda.

Theme : Mauryan Period

Statement 2 is incorrect : It was a highly centralised administration.

Notes:

Mauryan Administration :
King was the supreme source of all powers and was center of all authorities, judiciary and
administration. In the highly centralized administration, King used to select ministers, high officials
and established a well-planned system of supervision and inspection.

Village Administration
Village was the smallest unit of polity and it was called Grama. The head of the grama was a Gramika.
The Gramika was not a paid employee of the government but was elected by the village people. The
10 villages were collectively headed by a Gopa and 100 villages were collectively headed by a Sthanaka.
Gramika in Open Panchayats solved most disputes.

Gudhapurusha or Spies
There was a well knitted espionage system of Gudhapurushas in the Mauryan administration. The
spies were of two kind viz. Sansthana (stationary) and Sanchari (wandering). These spies were ears
and eyes of the King, who kept the king informed about all the details of the bureaucracy. The agents
included householders, merchants, disciples, ascetics, pensioners and Poisonous girls called
“Vishkanyas”. The ambassadors who were appointed in the foreign countries were also sort of spies.

Tikdam :
Most students would know that Mauryan period characterised by strong king and it was during this period highly centralised administration.Using this fact,statement 2 can be eliminated and correct answer can be deduced.

Theme : Post Mauryan Period

Notes:
The second statement is controversial.Some historians say that Indo-Greek were the first dynasty which issued gold coins in India, While most of the historians say that Kushans were the first dynasty which issued gold coins in India.We have included this statement because many times UPSC also asks controversial and vague Questions in the prelims paper.

Important Facts for Prelims on Kushans
1.Kanishka-I’s grandson was named Kanishka-II. He assumed the title of Kaisar.
2.Kanishka’s main capital was Purushpura (Peshawar) and he had three regional capitals at
Taxila, Begram (in Afghanistan) and Mathura. His territory spread from Aral Sea to Kashi.
3.Kanishka was a great patron of Buddhism and convened the 4th Buddhist council in the
Kundalvana of Kashmir in 78 AD. Vasumitra headed this council and it marked the collection
of Buddhist texts and engraving of the commentaries on Copper sheets.
4.Some scholars are of the view that the Abhidhama Mahavishasa was prepared in the fourth
Buddhist council. Some of the scholars in the Court of Kanishka wereP arsva, Vasumitra,
Asvaghosa, Nagarjuna, Charaka and Mathara.
5.Charaka has been called the Court Physician of Kanishka, though it is disputed. Sushruta
who wrote Sushruta Samhita has also been connected to Kanishka.
6.During Kanishka’s time, Buddhism got divided between the Hinayana and Mahayana.
7.The Gandhara, Mathura and Amravati Schools of art developed independently during
Kushana reign and flourished.
8.The central Asian Tribes introduced the Cap, Boot and helmet in India.
9.Kushanas (Yueh Chi Tribe) is considered to have conducted the Horse trade by sea with the
Koying kingdom of modern Malaysia.
10.Sindoor (Vermillion) and Bamboo was introduced in India by Chinese traders.
11.India was known as Shen-tu in the early Chinese texts.
12.Sun God has been depicted on the coins of Kanishka-1 and Vāsishka
13.Kujala Kadphises and Kanishka-I adopted and patronized the Buddhism, but Vima Kadphises
adopted Shaivism and was a Shiva Devotee.
14.The 4 important schools of Jainism viz. Kottaka, Varana, Aryayudikiya and Vesavadiya have
been mentioned in the Epigraphic Records of the Kushana Period.

Theme : Early Medieval Period

Statement 2 is incorrect : Fa Hien visited during Chandragupta II reign.

Notes:

Harsha’s Kingdom
The decline of imperial Guptas led to the demise of imperial idea in India. Since most of the great
empires were built in north India under great empire builders such Masa hapadmananda,
Chandragupta Maurya, Asoka, Kanishka and Samudragupta, it was North India which felt the impacts of
demise of imperial idea. From Sixth century onwards, the entire North Indian landscape was
dominated by large and small regional kingdoms. Almost every individual King dreamt of a pan-
India control and many of them adopted pompous titles out of sheer ego. However, it was only
Harshavardhana in seventh century who came near to realising such control. Nevertheless, the
consolidation done under Harsha also lasted only for his life time.
The reign of Harsha lasted from 606 to 648AD. Most knowledge about Harsha’s reign comes from
the accounts left by his two admirers. One was his friend, courtier and biographerB anabhatta {he
wrote Harshachartia} while another was Chinese traveller Huen Tsang. From these two sources and
also from Harsha’s own literary works, we can discern thatH arsha simultaneously played role of a
conqueror, administrator and a man of intellect.

Theme : Schools of Philosophy

Similar question was asked in UPSC 2013 and 2014.

Notes:

Shuddhādvaita
The proponent of Shuddhādvaita was Vallabha. It says that World is Leela of God that is Krishna and he is Sat-Chid-Aananda. It identifies Bhakti as the only means of liberation. Vallabha was also a famous saint of Pushti Marg. He won the famous debate of Brahmavad over Shankars.

Theme : Temple Architecture

Similar question was asked in Prelims 2014 and 2017.

Pair 1 is incorrectly matched : Khajuraho Temples built by Chandela rulers.
Pair 3 is incorrectly matched : Shore Temple was built during Pallava reign.

Notes:

Brihadeeswarar Temple of Tanjore
Brihadeeswarar Temple or Peruvudaiyar Kovil or Rajrajeshwaram temple at Thanjavur is the world’s
first complete “granite” temple. It was built by Rajraja Chola-I and is a part of UNESCO’s world
Heritage sites. The Vimana or the temple tower (known as Raja Gopuram) is 216 Feet in height and
is one of the tallest buildings of its kind. The Nandi is carved out of a single rock. This temple has
completed 1 millennium in 2010. It was dictated by lord Shiva to Rajraja Chola I, when he triumphed
Ilam (Sri Lanka) Island.

Shore Temple
Shore Temple is a granite made temple at Mahabalipuram built during the rein of Narsimhavarman.
This group of temples is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is oldest strucutral temple (in contrast
with rock cut temples) in India. Its a beautiful 5 storyed temple, which is a combined complex of 3
shrines; 2 dedicated to Shiva and one to Vishnu.
Importance of Shore Temple
The Shore Temple marks the culmination of the architectural efforts that began with the cave
temples and monolithic rathas.

Theme : Dance Forms of India

Statement 1 is incorrect : It is a solo dance

Notes:

For further notes please refer : http://ccrtindia.gov.in/mohiniyattam.php

Theme : Jainism and Buddhism
Similar Question was asked in Prelims 2013

Statement 1 is incorrect : Viharas were the residences of the monks.
Statement 2 is incorrect : A Chaitya was a prayer hall.

Notes:

Chaityas and Viharas
Both early Chaityas and Viharas were made by woods and later stone cut Chaityas and Viharas were
made. A Chaitya was a rectangular prayer hall with a stupa placed in the centre, the purpose was
prayer. The Chaitya was divided into three parts, and had an apsidal ending i.e. a semicircular rear
end, the central part of the hall (also called the nave) was separated from the two aisles by two rows
of pillars, Chaityas also had polished interior walls, semicircular roofs and horse-shoe shaped windows called the Chaitya windows. Viharas were the residences of the monks.

Theme : Post Mauryan Period

Statement 1 is incorrect : It flourished during satavahana time.
Statement 3 is incorrect : Themes were Buddha’s life and Jatakas tales.

Notes :

Amravati School of Art
The third type of sculpture art that Flourished during the Kushana time was at Amaravati and
Nagarjunkonda in Andhra Pradesh.
The sculptures of Amaravati and Nagarjunakonda are fully inspired works and display a mastery in
which detailed ornamentation and elegance of figure sculpture are joined in a rare harmony. They
unfold the cultural story of a glorious people who had adopted Buddhism as their creed and “linked it
with their dynamism both on land and sea as merchants and mariners.
Numerous scenes of dance and music adorn these reliefs, which are very tender in conception and
bespeak an irrepressible joy of life.
The sculptural remains of Amaravati have found their way to the British Museum and the Madras
Museum. But the carvings of Nagarjunakonda are preserved almost in entirety at the site.
The white lime stone of the sculptures creates the illusion of marble and is as fresh today as it was
when it left the hands of the carvers. It is a sensuous art, reflecting the joys of the people who had
adopted the way of the Buddha as the new path of freedom and not of estrangement from the world.
The Mahayana religious movement in the Andhra country invested the life of the people with a
golden halo whose brilliance is fully reflected in the sculptures of Amaravati and Nagarjunakonda.
The themes were Buddha’s life and Jatakas tales. The curly hairs of Buddha are a feature that is
influenced by the Greeks. In these schools, the Kings, Princes, Palaces etc. have got prominence.

Theme : Bhakti and Sufi Movement

Similar Question was asked in Prelims 2013 and 2015

Notes:

Sama
The musical and ecstatic aspect of Sufism is called Sama. This is a particular kind of devotional dance
akin to Kirtana and was introduced by Jalaluddin Rumi. The Sufi, while being spiritually enraptured,
gives the attention of his or her heart to the Beloved. With particular movements and often special
and rhythmical music, he engages in the selfless remembrance of God.
Sufis identify two types of Sama poetry:
First praising God (this is called Hamd), Prophet (this is called Naat) and the Sufi saints (this
is called )
The second focussing on spiritual emotion or mystical love, ecstatic states and on separation
and union.

The Sama poetry is mostly sung in the form of Qawwali. Music of Sama is set within metric
framework, accompanied by Dholak, Tabla, Sarangi, Harmonium and Sitar.

Theme : Bhakti and Sufi Movement

Similar Question was asked in Prelims 2013 and 2015

Statement 1 is incorrect : They were the Visnu-Krishna devotional poets.

Notes:

Alvar Saints
The twelve Alvars were Tamil poet-saints, who lived between 6th and 9th centuries AD and espoused ‘emotional devotion’ or bhakti to Visnu-Krishna in their songs. The devotional songs of the Alvars were created during the Early medieval period of Tamil history and they helped can be called the pioneers of the Bhakti Movement in India.
The collection of their hymns is known as Divya Prabandha. All the saints were male except one named Andal.

Nayanar Saints
The 63 Nayanars saints were the Shiva devotional poets, who lived between 5th and 10th centuries.
One saint “Appar” is said to have converted Pallava King Mahendravarman to Saivism. The compilation of their poetry/literature Tirumurai is also called “Tamil Veda”. These 63 Nayanar saints, along with the 12 Alvars are known as South India’s 75 Apostles of Bhakti movement.

Theme : Temple Architecture
Similar question was asked in Prelims 2014 and 2017.

Statement 1 is incorrect : Sandhara temples have Pradakshinapathas.

Notes :

The Sandhara, Nirandhara and Sarvatobhadra Temples :
With the construction of the Stupas, the construction of the Hindu temples also started as free
standing structures. The subject matter of the deities in the Hindu temples were the mythical stories
narrated in the Puranas. There were three kinds of the temples on the basis of access and the
circumambulatory path built in it.
Sandhara: These types of the temples have a square sanctum enclosed by a gallery of pillars
meant for Pradakshina. Thus, the Sandhara temples have a Pradakshinapatha.
Nirandhara: This type of temples do NOT have Pradakshinapathas
Sarvatobhadra: These types of the temples have four functional doors on cardinal direction
and also a Pradakshinapatha with a row of 12 pillars around the santum sanctorum. These
types of temples could be accessed from all sides.
The earliest temples of India include the Dasavatar temple at Deogarh, in Uttar Pradesh, Nachna-
Kuthara and Udaygiri near Vidisha in Madhya Pradesh. All of these temples are simple structures
consisting of a veranda, a hall and a shrine at the rear.

Theme : Puppetry In India

Pair 2 is incorrectly matched : Gopalila – Orissa

Notes:

Puppetry In India :

1.Andhra Pradesh – Koyya Bommalata
2.Assam – Putala Nach
3.Karnataka – Sutrada Gombeyata
4.Maharashtra – Kalasutri Bahulya
5.Rajasthan – Kathputli
6.Orissa – Gopalila
7.Tamil Nadu (Bommalatam) and
8.Gombeyatta, Karnataka.

Theme : Temple Architecture

Similar question was asked in Prelims 2014 and 2017.
Statement 2 is incorrect : It was built by Narasimhadeva I of the Eastern Ganga Dynasty.

Notes:

Sun Temple Konark
-Konark Sun Temple or the Black Pagoda is a 13th century temple of Odisha, built by Narasimhadeva I of the Eastern Ganga Dynasty. It’s a World Heritage Site.
-This temple was made essentially according to the regional style, but with a dramatic difference. Its tower, or deul, and its hall, or jagmohan, were designed to be a giant chariot for god Surya. The belief is that Surya rides in his chariot, driven by Aruna, or the dawn, across the skies each day. The ratha has 24 large wheels, 12 on each side, representing the months of the year. It has seven horses at
the front to pull it forward at a spirited gallop. The deul of the Sun temple originally stood over 200 feet (60 metres) tall, higher than any other temple in India.

-The jagmohan still stands over 130 feet (39 m) tall. The temple is made of three types of stone.
Chlorite, which endures very well, was used for the most important areas, including the doorways, the icons in the shrines and the wonderful musicians made high above.

-Laterite forms the unseen core of the platform and the foundation.
The main structures are made of khondalite, which unfortunately weathers very easily. None of the stones is available in the area and must have been brought over long distances by rafts
on the river.

Theme : Early Medieval Period

Rajamriganka was written by Bhoja

Notes:

Bhaskaracharya:
The famous mathematician Bhaskaracharya flourished in the south in the twelfth century. His Siddhanta-Shiromani comprises four parts; Lilavati, Vijaganita, Grahaganita and Gola. The last deals with astronomy.

Theme: Miscellanious

Please go through this very well prepared note -http://www.civilsdaily.com/blog/india-coinage/
Post Gupta Period, we see a decline in coin production due to deterioration of external trade and internal markets.

-Seals of Mohenjo-Daro The Indus valley civilisation of Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa dates back between 2500 BC and 1750 BC. There, however, is no consensus on whether the seals excavated from the sites were in fact coins. Statement 1 is correct.
-The first documented coinage is deemed to start with `Punch Marked` coins issued between the 7th-6th century BC and 1st century AD. These coins are called `punch-marked` coins because of their manufacturing technique. Mostly made of silver, these bear symbols, each of which was punched on the coin with a separate punch.
-Statement 4 is incorrect.The number of coins issued declined in post gupta period.

Theme: Prehistoric period All are correctly matched. This is the most important concept in this chapter. Refer notes and table here – http://www.civilsdaily.com/blog/stone-age-paleolithic-mesolithic-and-neolithic/

Theme: Vedic period Relative The entire table can be prepared from here. http://www.civilsdaily.com/blog/vedic-and-later-vedic-period/ Position of women has been continuously declining since the Vedic Age. Its one of the most important trends.

Theme: Buddhism and Jainism Similar question was asked in UPSC 2014,2016 and 2017 Vinaya Pitaka – Buddhist scripture written in Pali. Name meaning basket of discipline.Deals with monastic rules for monks and nuns. Abhidhamma Pitaka – Deals with philosophy and metaphysics. Sutta Pitaka – Pali collection of Buddhist writings of Thervada Buddhism. Deals with dialogues and discourses on morality and deals with Dharma Jatakas are interesting stories of previous births of Buddha. Each birth story is called a Jataka Hence, d is incorrect.

Theme: Important caves in Ancient India BADAMI CAVES are from Chalukyan Dynasty. Hence, statement b is incorrect. BARABAR CAVES These caves were granted to Ajivika sect by Ashoka. Ashokan inscriptions have been found in this cave. Caves are carved out of granite and have a polished surface. Barabar Hill contains four caves, namely, Karan Chaupar, Lomas Rishi, Sudama and Visva Zopri. Among these most important are Sudama and Lomas Rishi Caves as they are the earliest examples of rock-cut architecture in India LOMAS RISHI CAVE The arch-like shape facade of Lomas Rishi Caves, imitate the contemporary timber architecture SUDAMA CAVE This cave has better finishing in comparison to Lomas Rishi cave. Inner walls are highly polished.