UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice | GS 1 (Week 18)

QUESTION 2

Describe the long journey to map the historicity of the Indian subcontinent from Asiatic Society to Archaeological Survey of India.

General points on the structure of the answers

Introduction

— The introduction of the answer is essential and should be restricted to 3-5 lines. Remember, a one-liner is not a standard introduction.

— It may consist of basic information by giving some definitions from the trusted source and authentic facts.

Body

— It is the central part of the answer and one should understand the demand of the question to provide rich content.

— The answer must be preferably written as a mix of points and short paragraphs rather than using long paragraphs or just points.

— Using facts from authentic government sources makes your answer more comprehensive. Analysis is important based on the demand of the question, but do not over analyse.

— Underlining keywords gives you an edge over other candidates and enhances presentation of the answer.

— Using flowcharts/tree-diagram in the answers saves much time and boosts your score. However, it should be used logically and only where it is required.

Way forward/ Conclusion

— The ending of the answer should be on a positive note and it should have a forward-looking approach. However, if you feel that an important problem must be highlighted, you may add it in your conclusion. Try not to repeat any point from body or introduction.

— You may use the findings of reports or surveys conducted at national and international levels, quotes etc. in your answers.

Self Evaluation

— It is the most important part of our Mains answer writing practice. UPSC Essentials will provide some guiding points or ideas as a thought process that will help you to evaluate your answers.

THOUGHT PROCESS

You may enrich your answers by some of the following points

QUESTION 1: How the Akbar’s ideology of Sulh-i-kul inspired by a Hellenistic Greek philosophy?

Introduction:

— The concept of sulh-i kul (absolute peace) is described by Abu’l Fazl as the foundation of enlightened government. All faiths and schools of thought had freedom of expression in sulh-i kul, but only if they did not undermine governmental authority or fight among themselves.

— The ideal of sulh-i kul was implemented through state policies – the nobility under the Mughals was a composite one comprising Iranis, Turanis, Afghans, Rajputs, Deccanis – all of whom were given positions and awards purely on the basis of their service and loyalty to the king.

(Source: ncert.nic.in)

Body:

You may incorporate some of the following points in the body of your answer:

— Akbar’s imperial policy is often understood as the first step towards modern secularism. More recently, a group of scholars including historians Jos Gommans, Ebba Koch, Mathew Melvin-Koushki, and Huseini among others has demonstrated that Akbar’s famous idea of Sulh-i Kull or ‘Peace for All’ is derived from this ancient Hellenistic ideal of an Alexander-like philosopher-king.

— The Mughal emperor’s Tarikh-i Alfi is possibly the most compelling account of how Akbar incorporated Neoplatonism into his policy.

— According to the Gommans, the Hellenistic legacy is not all European. He stated “For Neoplatonism, interaction with India has always been important as it shares its monist characteristic with Advaita Vedanta philosophy and also, in other ways, with various Tantric traditions. So, throughout the centuries there are many Indian entanglements, mostly via the Islamic world, that contributed to the making of Neoplatonism”.

— The philosophy of Sulh-i Kull was particularly appealing to rulers of large empires in the medieval period because of its ability to make kingship universal, that is beyond any particular religion.

— According to Gommans and Huseini, while Neoplatonism was appealing to rulers in both the western and eastern parts of the post-Hellenistic world at all times, it became especially popular during a global renaissance that characterised both Europe and the Islamic world from around 1450 to 1650 CE.

— In the Islamic world, Neoplatonic philosophy acquired popularity on two major occasions:

(i) Graeco-Arabic translation

— During this period a large corpus of Greek texts written by Hellenistic scholars were translated into Arabic in Baghdad.

— Neoplatonic texts of Plotinus and Proclus were translated and read widely in the Islamic world during this period.

(ii) Mongol Conquest of 13th and 14th centuries

— It is considered the largest contiguous empire in the pre-modern era, stretching from Mongolia in East Asia to parts of Eastern Europe, going northwards as far as the Arctic and extending eastwards and southwards into parts of the Indian subcontinent.

— According to the Gommans, the Hellenistic legacy in Akbar’s policies is best evidenced in his practice of sun worship. “Although this was partly triggered by contemporary Hindu ideas and practices, Akbar’s Neoplatonic advisors reframed the sun cult as a perennial and universal tradition that was utterly capable of incorporating all other traditions of sun-worship.

— Neoplatonic influences became lesser among the later Mughals since by then the Mughal Empire became more securely established in India.

(Source: Was Akbar’s ideology of Sulh-i-kul inspired by a Hellenistic Greek philosophy? by Adrija Roychowdhury)

Points to Ponder

Other Policies of Akbar

QUESTION 2: Describe the long journey to map the historicity of the Indian subcontinent from Asiatic Society to Archaeological Survey of India.

Body:

You may incorporate some of the following points in the body of your answer:

— The Asiatic Society is the oldest centre of learning and research in the whole continent of Asia which was established in 1784 at the initiative of its Founder President Sir William Jones. Since 1984 the Asiatic Society has been declared as an Institution of National Importance by an Act of Parliament of India.

— Archaeological and historical pursuits in India started with the efforts of Sir William Jones, who put together a group of antiquarians to form the Asiatic Society on 15th January 1784 in Calcutta.

— In 1833, James Prinsep was appointed secretary of the Asiatic Society. His most notable work was the decipherment of the Brahmi and Kharoshthi scripts between 1834 and 1837. The identification of Piyadasi with Asoka and the contemporary rulers described in his Rock Edict XIII allowed for the establishment of a clear chronological benchmark for Indian history.

— Beginning in the mid-18th century, the first accurate descriptions of monuments appeared, coupled with study on the country’s historical topography. Anquetil du Perron, a French Indologist, for example, is reported to have meticulously researched and measured the rock-cut caves of Ellora in 1758.

— The South Indian temples were a major focus of interest to French scholars of the period. The gopuras were of particular interest to the European antiquarians because of the historical connections they drew between them and the Egyptian pyramids.

— From the 1830s there was an increase in the number of archaeological writings due to the efforts of James Princep who was appointed as Secretary of the Asiatic Society in Calcutta between 1832 and 1838.

— By 1851, the British administration in India saw the importance of conducting a comprehensive archaeological survey of the nation. As a result, the ASI was founded in 1861. Alexander Cunningham, a Princep protégé, was selected as ASI’s first director-general.

— Cunningham was appointed to undertake a systematic survey of ancient and medieval monuments and sites in India. He largely followed the footsteps of the Chinese pilgrim Hiuen Tsang (Xuanzang) and in his two tours (1861-65 and 1871-85) as director-general of the ASI he explored a great part of North India.

— The ASI was closed down in 1865 and revived in 1870 with Cunningham as its director-general. He held the position until his retirement in 1885. During this time, he prepared 24 studies offering a wealth of knowledge about ancient sites in India.

— The appointment of John Marshall as the director-general in 1902 ushered in a new phase of activity in the ASI. Excavations were carried out at Bhita (Uttar Pradesh), Charsada (Khyber Pakhtunwa province of Pakistan), Nalanda and Pataliputra (Bihar), Sanchi (Madhya Pradesh), and Sravasthi (Uttar Pradesh) among others.

— The Ancient Monuments Preservation Act was passed in 1904 with the objective of “the preservation of ancient monuments, for the exercise of control over traffic in antiquities and over-excavation in certain places, and for the protection and acquisition in certain cases of ancient monuments and of objects of archaeological, historical or artistic interest. The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act (or AMASR Act) (1958) is the revised version.

— Several discoveries were made as a result of Cunningham’s investigations, including monolithic capitals and other Asoka relics, Gupta and post-Gupta period architectural examples, the enormous stupa of Bharhut, and the identification of three ancient towns, namely Sankisa, Sravasti, and Kausambi. He also made the Gupta inscriptions at Eran, Udayagiri, and other locations as well as the Gupta temples at Tigawa, Bilsar, Bhitargaon, Kuthra, and Deogarh prominent.

(Sources: From Asiatic Society to Archaeological Survey of India: The long journey to map the historicity of subcontinent by Adrija Roychowdhury, asi.nic.in)

Points to Ponder

Major discoveries

Discovery of the Indus Valley Civilization

Role of ASI

Related Previous Year Question

Why indentured labour was taken by British from India to other colonies? Have they been able to preserve their cultural identity over there? (2021)

Previous Mains Answer Practice

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 1 (Week 16)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 1 (Week 17)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 2 (Week 17)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 2 (Week 18)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 3 (Week 17)

UPSC Essentials: Mains answer practice — GS 3 (Week 18)

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