UPSC Essentials: Daily Subject-wise quiz — History, Culture, and Social Issues (Week 6)

QUESTION 1

With reference to the Sun Temple at Konark, which of the following statement(s) is/are correct?

1. It is directly and materially linked to Brahmanism and tantric belief systems.

2. It is located on the western shores of the Indian subcontinent.

3. The vimana was surmounted by a high tower with a shikhara which was razed in the 19th century.

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 3 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

QUESTION 2

These paintings are traditionally done on walls. They are only painted by men commonly in the Chhotaudepur area of Gujarat. The paintings are rich with imagery from their everyday life – elephants, men, women, arms and musical instruments, besides weddings, festivals and celebrations.

The above-mentioned lines refer to which of the following paintings?

(a) Warli Paintings

(b) Pithora Paintings

(c) Kalamkari Paintings

(d) Kalighat Paintings

QUESTION 3

Consider the following pairs:

       Art/Craft                 Region

1. Dokra Art                  Tamil Nadu

2. Black Pottery           Uttar Pradesh

3. Zardozi Box              Madhya Pradesh

Which of the pair(s) given above is/are correctly matched?

(a) None of the pairs

(b) Only one pair

(c) Only two pairs

(d) All three pairs

QUESTION 4

With reference to the Mahakaleshwar Temple, consider the following statements:

1. It is only jyotirlinga facing the south, while all the other jyotirlingas face east.

2. The temple is situated in Maharashtra.

Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

QUESTION 5

The “Anang Tal Lake” has been recently declared a monument of national importance. It is located in:

(a) Jammu and Kashmir

(b) Himachal Pradesh

(c) Delhi

(d) Haryana

QUESTION 6

He was born in 1017 in Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu and he is revered as a Vedic philosopher and social reformer. He travelled across India, advocating equality and social justice. He revived the Bhakti movement, and his preachings inspired other Bhakti schools of thought. He is considered to be the inspiration for poets like Annamacharya, Bhakt Ramdas, Thyagaraja, Kabir, and Meerabai

The above-mentioned lines refer to which of the following social reformer?

(a) Ramanuja

(b) Adi Shankarar

(c) Vishnuvardhana

(d) Narasimhacharya

QUESTION 7

With reference to the Rampa Rebellion, consider the following statements:

1. It coincided with the Mahatma Gandhi’s Non-Coperation Movement.

2. It is also known as the Manyam Rebellion.

3. It was led by Alluri Sitarama Raju in Bombay Presidency, British India.

Which of the statement(s) given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 and 3 only

(b) 2 only

(c) 1, 2 and 3

(d) 1 and 2 only

QUESTION 8

Onattukara Ellu has recently got a GI tag. It is related to:

(a) Karnataka

(b) Kerala

(c) Andaman and Nicobar

(d) Tamil Nadu

ANSWERS TO MCQs

1. (c)

FYI:

— The Archaeological Survey of India is working on a preliminary roadmap to safely remove sand from the interiors of Odisha’s Sun Temple, which was filled up by the British 118 years ago to prevent it from collapsing. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

— The Sun Temple at Konarak, located on the eastern shores of the Indian subcontinent, is one of the outstanding examples of temple architecture and art as revealed in its conception, scale and proportion, and in the sublime narrative strength of its sculptural embellishment.

— It is an outstanding testimony to the 13th-century kingdom of Orissa and a monumental example of the personification of divinity, thus forming an invaluable link in the history of the diffusion of the cult of Surya, the Sun God.

— In this sense, it is directly and materially linked to Brahmanism and tantric belief systems. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— The Sun Temple is the culmination of Kalingan temple architecture, with all its defining elements in complete and perfect form.

— A masterpiece of creative genius in both conception and realisation, the temple represents a chariot of the Sun God, with twelve pairs of wheels drawn by seven horses evoking its movement across the heavens.

— The vimana (principal sanctuary) was surmounted by a high tower with a shikhara (crowning cap), which was razed in the 19th century. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

Other Source: (whc.unesco.org)

2. (b)

FYI:

— Pithora paintings are traditionally done on walls that are characterised by seven horses representing the seven hills that surround the area bordering Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh, which is home to the Rathwa community that makes these paintings.

— These wall murals are created as offerings to Pithora, the God of food grains. They are only painted by men commonly in the Chhotaudepur area of Gujarat. 

— The paintings are rich with imagery from their everyday life – elephants, men, women, arms and musical instruments, besides weddings, festivals and celebrations.

— The paint is prepared by mixing pigments with milk and liquor prepared from the mahuda tree. Painters use a combination of bamboo sticks, cotton and wooden stencils to create their art. Although it is traditionally practiced only as wall art, today’s generation of pithora painters use paper and canvas that they sell commercially. 

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

Other Source: (http://www.gujarattourism.com)

3. (a)

FYI:

— The Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was on a two-day visit to Germany for the G-7 summit, presented special gifts to all the G-7 leaders, highlighting India’s rich traditional art and culture.

— He gifted striking black pottery pieces from Nizamabad to Japan PM Fumio Kishida.

— The black pottery was registered for GI tag in 2015, this unique type of clay pottery is known for its dark shiny body with engraved silver patterns.

— The craft of black pottery originated from the Kutch region of Gujarat and various decorative items like bouquets, plates, lamps, etc are made from it.

— He also gifted Dokra art with a Ramayana theme from Chhattisgarh to South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa.

— It is an ancient bell metal craft practiced by the Ojha metal smiths living in states like Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, West Bengal and Telangana.

— Dokra art uses the lost-wax casting technique. This technique of metal casting has been used in India for over 4,000 years.

— He gifted Itr bottles in a Zardozi box from Lucknow, UP to France President Emmanuel Macron.

— The Zari Zardozi box has been hand embroidered on khadi silk and satin tissue in colours of the French National Flag. The motifs are traditional Indo-Persian, lotus flowers hand embroidered.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

4. (a)

FYI:

— The Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Mahakaleshwar Corridor, constructed in Madhya Pradesh’s Ujjain. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

— Mahakal Maharaj Mandir Parisar Vistar Yojna is a plan for the expansion, beautification, and decongestion of the Mahakaleshwar temple and its adjoining area in the Ujjain district.

— Under the plan, the Mahakaleshwar temple premises of around 2.82 hectares is being increased to 47 hectares, which will be developed in two phases by the Ujjain district administration.

— After Vishwanath temple in Varanasi and the Kedarnath shrine in Uttarakhand, Mahakal temple is the third ‘jyotirlinga’ site to see a major upliftment exercise.

— There are 12 jyotirlinga sites in India, considered a manifestation of Shiva. Besides Mahakal, these include Somnath and Nageshwar in Gujarat, Mallikarjuna in Andhra Pradesh, Omkareshwar in Madhya Pradesh, Kedarnath in Uttarakhand, Bhimashankar, Triyambakeshwar  and Grishneshwar in Maharashtra, Viswanath at Varanasi, Baidyanath in Jharkhand, and Rameshwar in Tamil Nadu.

— Mahakal is the only jyotirlinga facing the south, while all the other jyotirlingas face east. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

5. (c)

FYI:

— The Anang Tal Lake in South Delhi, believed to have been built a thousand years ago, has been declared a monument of national importance through a gazette notification by the Ministry of Culture.

— The notification, issued on August 22, stated: “The central government is of the opinion that the ancient mound including Anang Tal, Tehsil Mehrauli, district South Delhi, National Capital Territory Delhi is an ancient site and remains of national importance.

— The central government gives notice of its intention to declare the ancient site and remains to be of national importance in the exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (1) of section 4 of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

6. (a)

FYI:

— Ramanujacharya was born in 1017 in Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu, Ramanujacharya is revered as a Vedic philosopher and social reformer. He travelled across India, advocating equality and social justice.

— Ramanuja revived the Bhakti movement, and his preachings inspired other Bhakti schools of thought. He is considered to be the inspiration for poets like Annamacharya, Bhakt Ramdas, Thyagaraja, Kabir, and Meerabai.

— From the time he was a young budding philosopher, Ramanuja appealed for the protection of nature and its resources like air, water, and soil. He went on to write nine scriptures known as the navaratnas, and composed numerous commentaries on Vedic scriptures.

— Ramanuja is also credited with establishing the correct procedures for rituals performed in temples throughout India, the most famous being Tirumala and Srirangam.

— Ramanuja was an advocate of social equality among all sections of people centuries ago, and encouraged temples to open their doors to everyone irrespective of caste or position in society at a time when people of many castes were forbidden from entering them.

— He took education to those who were deprived of it. His greatest contribution is the propagation of the concept of “vasudhaiva kutumbakam”, which translates as “all the universe is one family”.

— He travelled across India for several decades, propagating his ideas of social equality and universal brotherhood from temple podiums.

— He embraced the socially marginalised and condemned, and asked royal courts to treat them as equals. He spoke of universal salvation through devotion to God, compassion, humility, equality, and mutual respect, which is known as Sri Vaishnavam Sampradaya.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

7. (d)

FYI:

— Alluri Sitharama Raju is believed to have been born in Andhra Pradesh in 1897 or 1898. He is said to have become a sanyasi at the age of 18 and gained a mystical aura among the hill and tribal peoples with his austerity, knowledge of astrology and medicine, and his ability to tame wild animals.

— The colonial rule threatened the tribals’ traditional podu (shifting) cultivation, as the government sought to secure forest lands.

— The Forest Act of 1882 banned the collection of minor forest produce such as roots and leaves, and tribal people were forced into labour by the colonial government. It was led by Alluri Sitarama Raju in Madras Presidency, British India. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.

— The tribals were subjected to exploitation by muttadars, village headmen commissioned by the colonial government to extract rent, the new laws and systems threatened their way of life itself.

— Strong anti-government sentiment, shared by the muttadars who were aggrieved by the curtailment of their powers by the British, exploded into armed resistance in August 1922. Several hundred tribals led by Raju attacked the Chintapalle, Krishnadevipeta and Rajavommangi police stations in the Godavari agency.

— The Rampa or Manyam Rebellion continued in the form of a guerrilla war until May 1924, when Raju, the charismatic ‘Manyam Veerudu’ or Hero of Jungle, was finally captured and executed. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

— The Rampa Rebellion coincided with Mahatma Gandhi’s Non-Cooperation Movement. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

8. (b)

FYI:

— Onattukara sesame has received a geographical indication (GI) tag which is grown in the districts of Kerala.

— The GI-tagged Onattukara sesame has medicinal properties.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

Source: (search.ipindia.gov.in)

Previous Quizzes:

Polity and Governance (Week 3)

Polity and Governance (Week 4)

Polity and Governance (Week 5)

Polity and Governance (Week 6)

History, Culture, and Social Issues (Week 3)

History, Culture, and Social Issues (Week 4)

History, Culture, and Social Issues (Week 5)

UPSC Weekly Quiz (Current Affairs)

UPSC Essentials: Daily subject-wise quiz — Economy (Week 3)

UPSC Essentials: Daily subject-wise quiz — Economy (Week 4)

UPSC Essentials: Daily subject-wise quiz — Economy (Week 5)

UPSC Essentials: Daily subject-wise quiz — Economy (Week 5)

Environment, Geography, Science and Technology (Week 3)

Environment, Geography, Science and Technology (Week 4)

Environment, Geography, Science and Technology (Week 5)

International Relations (Week 3)

International Relations (Week 4)

International Relations (Week 5)

International Relations (Week 6)

Tomorrow’s Quiz: Environment, Geography, Science and Technology

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