MCQ Questions for chapter-11 Buildings, paints and books

(b)

Explanation: The gateways are beautifully decorated with sculptures depicting themes from the Jataka stories. Devotees enter the Pradakshina patha through these gateways.

(d)

Explanation: A monolith is a monument or natural feature consisting of a single massive stone or rock. During Ashoka’s reign, numerous monolithic pillars were built.

(a)

Explanation: The Ramayana is one of the most well-known stories in the world. The Ramayana story pits good against evil. It is the story of Prince Rama of Ayodhya in exile. His wife, Sita, was captured by Ravana, the King of Lanka. Rama killed Ravana and rescued Sita and returned to Ayodhya as its ruler.

(b)

Explanation: Dusshera is also known as Vijaya Dashmi. Dusshera celebrates the Hindu god Rama's victory over the demon king Ravana and the triumph of good over evil.

(b)

Explanation: Krishna had a profound effect on the Mahabharata war and on its consequences. He agreed to participate in the war on the condition that he personally would not raise any weapon. Krishna acted as Arjuna's charioteer, since it was a position that did not require the wielding of weapons.

(d)

Explanation: The Gita discusses selflessness, duty, devotion and meditation, integrating many different threads of Hindu philosophy. It affirms that ‘Nirvana’ could be attained through the path of action or the ‘Karma yoga’.

(c)

Explanation: The Bhagavad Gita is a part of the sixth book of the Mahabharata. It is a central text of Hinduism, a philosophical dialogue between Lord Krishna and the warrior Arjuna. This is one of the most popular and accessible of all Hindu scriptures.

(a)

Explanation: Meghadoota is a work of poetry noted for its beautiful descriptions. It tells a story of a person who was banished for a year and thus, separated from his wife. It describes how he misses his wife during the rainy season and requests the clouds to carry his messages to her.

(b)

Explanation: Panchatantra is a collection of stories written by a teacher to advice the kings of different aspects of kinghood. Every story in Panchatantra is accompanied by a moral.

(c)

Explanation: In Jataka stories, Lord Buddha appears in the form of a human being or a bird, tree or animal. The moral of the stories is that acts of love, kindness, duty, generosity and wisdom secure a better place in the next birth.

(d)

Explanation: Themes from the Jataka stories are depicted in sculptures on many Buddhist monuments such as the stupas at Bharhut and Sanchi. Story of a wise monkey king is depicted on the panel of the Great Stupa at Sanchi.

(a)

Explanation: Kannagi’s husband, Kovalan, was falsely accused of theft and was executed on the King’s orders. Kannagi, filled with grief and anger, avenged her husband’s death and burned the city of Madurai.

(a)

Explanation: During Ashoka’s reign, numerous pillars were built. These pillars have decorative tops, called capitals, bearing beautifully carved animal figures. The lion capital which is our national emblem came from a pillar at Sarnath.

(c)

Explanation: Women and Shudras were not allowed to study the Vedas. Vedas were recited by priests in temples and people came to listen them.

(d)

Explanation: Puranas are the treasure of literary knowledge of ancient India. Puranas are books of hymns, stories, knowledge and instructions regarding sacred rituals and the way life should be led.

(b)

Explanation: The Vishnu Purana describes the unfolding of the cosmos, the coming into existence of the elements and all that they compose - the universe, the earth and its living beings - and the evolution and guidance of humanity.

(a)

Explanation: Meghadoota is Kalidasa’s one of the best known poems. In this poem, monsoon clouds is imagined to be a messenger between lovers who are separated from one another.

(d)

Explanation: The daughter of Madhavi and Kovalan is the main character of the Tamil epic called "Manimekalai" written by Seethalai Sattanar. She was born to them in the period of love between them at Kaveripatinam.

(b)

Explanation: Silappadikaram was probably written by Illango Adigal. It tells the story of Kovalan, a merchant and his devoted wife Kannagi.

(a)

Explanation: The central characters of Silappadikaram are Kovalan and Kannagi. Kovalan deserted his wife and spent all his wealth on a courtesan named Madhavi. He, however, returned to his wife after a quarrel with Madhavi and they migrated to Madurai.

(a)

Explanation: Kovalan sold one of his wife’s anklets to a goldsmith. The goldsmith falsely accused Kovalan of having stolen the queen’s anklet. Kovalan was immediately executed on the King’s orders.

(b)

Explanation: A mandapa was a pillared outdoor hall or pavilion for public rituals. It was a hall where people could assemble. It was used for religious dancing and music and was part of the basic temple compound. The mandapa was generally built in front of the temple's garbhagriha.

(d)

Explanation: Bhitargaon Temple, built around the 6th century, falls among the Gupta group of temples and is situated at Bhaitargaon in Kanpur Nagar of Uttar Pradesh. Built on brick and terracotta, the temple is an astonishing structure of diminishing tiers, raised on a high terrace.

(a)

Explanation: The fortress temple at Aihole is the best known of the Aihole temples. All through the temple, there are beautiful carvings. The temple appears to be of late 7th or early 8th century.

(c)

Explanation: Aihole was founded by the first Chalukyan king in 450 A.D. on the ruins of the Gupta Empire. The Chalukyas were supporters of Brahmanical Hinduism. They built a number of temples dedicated to Vishnu and Shiva at Aihole. In fact, Aihole is often called the ‘cradle of Indian temple architecture.’

(a)

Explanation: Kalidasa, the great Indian poet, excelled in lyrical poetry and even his plays have that lyrical quality. The theme of 'Meghadoota' is the message of love from a man which he wants to send to his wife living far away.

(c)

Explanation: Aryabhata was an Indian mathematician and astronomer born in Pataliputra. He is credited with writing multiple treatises in astronomy and mathematics but his only surviving work is the Aryabhatiyam. He suggested that it is the earth that revolves around its axis and not the stars that move in the sky.

(a)

Explanation: The Ajanta caves have attractive paintings on the walls. The detailed work on the caves is outstanding. The themes of the paintings on the Ajanta caves depict the life of Lord Buddha. The paintings of Ajanta date from the late Gupta period to early Chalukya period.

(b)

Explanation: A number of rock-cut caves have been discovered in Udaigiri and Khandagiri, twin hills in Puri District of Orissa and in Ellora in Maharashtra. The Udaigiri caves are double-storeyed and have a courtyard in front. They belong to the first century and second century BC.

(b)

Explanation: The Udaigiri caves are double-storeyed and have a courtyard in front. The largest and finest of the Udaigiri caves is the Rani-Gumpha or Rani cave. The architecture of the cave is simple. Jaina monks lived and meditated in these caves.

(d)

Explanation: Indian Buddhist cave temples can be divided in chaityas – sanctuaries and viharas – a kind of monasteries. Chaityas were halls used for congregational worship and had more exquisite architecture.

(d)

Explanation: Ashokan pillars were erected during the 3^rd century BC. The pillars bear the edict of Ashoka, warning the monks and nuns against creating a schism in the monastic order. A unique feature of these pillars is its brilliant polish.

(a)

Explanation: Bhagavad Gita is a sacred Hindu scripture. The content of the Gita is the conversation between Lord Krishna and Arjuna taking place on the battlefield before the start of the Kurukshetra war.

(d)

Explanation: The history of paintings goes back to the time when man first came on earth. He painted the walls of the cave in which he lived. Many such paintings have survived. In India many prehistoric paintings have been found from Bhimbetka.