[Mission 2022] QUIZ – 2022: INSIGHTS STATIC QUIZ, 14 February 2022 – Ancient & Medieval India + Art & Culture

Solution: c)

Archaeologists have discovered thousands of seals, mostly made of steatite, and occasionally of agate, chert, copper, faience and terracotta, with beautiful figures of animals, such as unicorn bull, rhinoceros, tiger, elephant, bison, goat, buffalo, etc. The realistic rendering of these animals in various moods is remarkable. The purpose of producing seals was mainly commercial. It appears that the seals were also used as amulets, carried on the persons of their owners, perhaps as modern-day identity cards. The standard Harappan seal was a square plaque 2×2 square inches, made from steatite. Every seal is engraved in a pictographic script which is yet to be deciphered. Some seals have also been found in ivory. They all bear a great variety of motifs, most often of animals including those of the bull, with or without the hump, the elephant, tiger, goat and also monsters. Sometimes trees or human figures were also depicted.

Solution: b)

Upper Palaeolithic Period:

The paintings of the Upper Palaeolithic phase are linear representations, in green and dark red, of huge animal figures, such as bisons, elephants, tigers, rhinos and boars besides stick-like human figures. A few are wash paintings but mostly they are filled with geometric patterns. The green paintings are of dancers and the red ones of hunters.

Solution: d)

Remnants of rock paintings have been found on the walls of the caves situated in several districts of Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Bihar.

Some paintings have been reported from the Kumaon hills in Uttarakhand also. The rock shelters on banks of the River Suyal at Lakhudiyar, about twenty kilometres on the Almora– Barechina road, bear these prehistoric paintings.

Lenyadri Caves is one of the hidden paradises, when it comes to cave painting. Out of 40 different caves of this cave group, several caves have unique Buddhist paintings. These caves of Maharashtra served as thriving Buddhist temples up to 3rd century BC. During 19th century, several caves were converted into Hindu caves. These caves have simple styled paintings with traces of Buddhist paintings.

Solution: a)

Different administrative related terms used during the period of Palas:
1. Province (Bhukti),
2. Governor (Uparika),
3. District (Mandal or Visaya),
4. Head of District (Visayapati).

Each bhukti was placed under the charge of an uparika.

Solution: d)

The ruling monarchs of three chiefdoms of the Cheras, Cholas and Pandyas together were called muventars.