Art and Culture MCQs – 1

Ans - A ( Charaka ).

• Charaka was one of the principal contributors to Ayurveda, a system of medicine and lifestyle developed in Ancient India.
• Charaka samhita was authored by him.

Ans - A ( Mudrarakshasa ).

• Kalidasa was a Classical Sanskrit author who is often considered as ancient India's greatest poet and playwright. 
• Shakuntala, Malavikagnimitra, Vikramorvasiya, Raghuvamsa, Kumarasambhava, Ritusamhara and Meghaduta are his famous works.
• The Mudrarakshasa is a Sanskrit-language play by Vishakhadatta that narrates the ascent of the king Chandragupta Maurya to power with the help of Kautilya.

Ans - C ( Narasimhavarman I ).

• Also known as Pancha Rathas, located in the Coromandel coast, Kancheepuram district of Tamil Nadu. 
• It was built at the time of Narasimhavarman I ( Pallava dynasty of Kanchi). Kailashnath temple was built at the time of Narasimhavarman II.

Ans - D (  Raja Raja I ).

•  It is a Shiva temple, located in Kerala. It was built by Rajaraja I, a Chola emperor. 
• Also known for building the Brihadisvara Temple in the capital Thanjavur.
• He was an able administrator, who conquered Ceylon (Singhal).

  
  

Ans - D ( Rajaraja I ).

• It is a Shiva temple, located in Kerala. It was built by Rajaraja I, a Chola emperor. 

• Also known for building the Brihadisvara Temple in the capital Thanjavur.

• He was an able administrator, who conquered Ceylon (Singhal).

Ans - A ( Pallavas ).

• The Shore temple at Mamallapuram and the Kailasanatha temple at Kanchipuram were Built by Pallava king Narasimhavarman II(695 -722 A.D.) also known as Rajasimha.

• He was also a great patron of art.
• The famous Sanskrit scholar Dandin is said to have adorned his court.

• He sent embassies to China and the maritime trade flourished during his reign.

Ans - B ( Vaishnava and Saiva Saints ).

• The Pallava period witnessed the rise of Saivism and Vaishnavism and also the decline of Buddhism and Jainism.

• The Saiva saints known as ‘Nayanmars’ and the Vaishnava saints known as ‘Alvars’ contributed to the growth of Saivism and Vaishnavism.
• 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.

Ans - A ( Pallavas ).

• The Pallava period was a great age of temple building.

• The Dravidian style of temple architecture began with the Pallava rule.
• It was a gradual evolution starting from the cave temples to monolithic Rathas and culminated in structural temples.
• Mahendravarman I introduced the rock-cut temples.

   

• The second stage, monolithic Rathas and Mandapas found at Mamallapuram were built by Narasimhavarman I.
• The five Rathas, popularly called as the Panchapanadava Rathas is notable architecture of this phase.
• In the next stage, Rajasimha introduced the structural temples.
• Kailasanatha temple at Kanchi and the Shore temple at Mamallapuram are notable architecture of this phase.

• The Vaikunda Perumal temple and Muktheeswarar temple built by later Pallavas signify the last stage of temple architecture during Pallavas period.

Ans - C ( Chalukyas ).

• The Chalukyas were great patrons of art.

• They developed the Vesara style in the building of structural temples.

• The structural temples of the Chalukyas exist at Aihole, Badami and Pattadakal.

Ans - A ( Amoghavarsha I ).

• The Rashtrakutas were of Kannada origin and Kannada language was their mother tongue.

• Rashtrakutas king Amoghavarsha I (815-880 A.D.) was a patron of art and he himself wrote the famous Kannada work ‘Kavirajamarga’.

Ans - A ( Elephanta caves ).

• Elephanta is an island near Bombay. It was originally called Sripuri.

• The Portuguese after seeing the large figure of an elephant named it as Elephanta.

• The sculptural art of the Rashtrakutas reached its zenith in this place.

• The most important sculpture of this place is ‘Sadashiva’ or ‘Trimurti '.

• The sculpture is six meters high.

• It is said to represent the three aspects of Shiva as creator, preserver and destroyer.

Ans - A ( Administrative Divisions ).

• The Chola empire was divided into Mandalams (or provinces) and each mandalam divided into Valanadus and Nadus. 

• In each nadu there were a number of autonomous villages. The royal princes or officers were in charge of Mandalams.

• Valanadu was under Periyanattar and Nadu under Nattar.