The Making of Regional Cultures

Q1. True/False

                            i.        The region that constitutes most of present-day Rajasthan was called Rajputana by the British. True

                           ii.        The Brahmins of Bengal were not allowed to eat fish. False

                          iii.        Jagannatha temple is located in Punjab. False

                          iv.        Chaitanyadeva was the leader of the Vaishnava bhakti movement. True

Q2. Fill in the blanks

                           i.        Bengal is a riverine plain which produces plenty of rice and fish.

                          ii.        The Lilatilakam, dealing with grammar and poetics, was composed in Manipravalam.

                         iii.        Cheras established the kingdom at Mahodayapuram.

                         iv.        Pir is a Persian word meaning a spiritual guide.

                          v.        Mangalakavyas literally means auspicious poems.

                        vi.        King Anangabhima III dedicated his kingdom to the deity and proclaimed himself as the “deputy” of the god.

Q3. Who were the Naths?

Ans. The Naths were ascetics who engaged in a variety of yogic practices.

Q4. Who was Anantavarman?

Ans. Anantavarman was one of the most important rulers of the Ganga dynasty in the twelfth century.

Q5. What was called Rajputana by the British?

Ans. In the nineteenth century, the region that constitutes most of present-day Rajasthan was called Rajputana by the British.

Q6. What do you understand by the term kathak?

Ans. The term kathak is derived from katha, a word used in Sanskrit and other languages for story.

Q7. Who were the Kathaks?

Ans.  The kathaks were originally a caste of story-tellers in temples of north India, who embellished their performances with gestures and songs.

Q8. What are miniatures?

Ans. Miniatures are small-sized paintings, generally done in water colour on cloth or paper.

Q9. What distinguished Kangra painting from other paintings?

Ans. Soft colours including cool blues and greens, and a lyrical treatment of themes distinguished Kangra painting.

Q10. Why do you think the second category of texts was not written down?

Ans. The second category of texts was not written down because it was circulated orally and cannot be precisely dated.

Q11. What does animism mean?

Ans. Animism refers to attribution of living soul to plants, inanimate objects, and natural phenomena.

Q12. Who were the major patrons of Kathak?

Ans. The major patrons of Kathak were the Mughal emperors and their nobles and Wajid Ali Shah, the last Nawab of Awadh.

Q13. What was the style of miniature that developed in Himachal Pradesh?

Ans. By the late seventeenth century this region had developed a bold and intense style of miniature painting called Basohli.

Q14. Who built Jagannath temple at Puri?

Ans. One of the most important rulers of the Ganga dynasty, Anantavarman built Jagannath temple at Puri in the twelfth century.

Q15. What do terracotta plaques on the walls of temples and viharas depict?

Ans. Terracotta plaques on the walls of temples and viharas (Buddhist monasteries) depict scenes of fish being dressed and taken to the market in baskets.

Q16. When was the Chera Kingdom established?

Ans. The Chera kingdom of Mahodayapuram was established in the ninth century in the south-western part of the peninsula, part of present-day Kerala.

Q17. Whom did King Anangabhima III dedicate his kingdom to? What did he proclaim himself?

Ans. In 1230, king Anangabhima III dedicated his kingdom to the deity and proclaimed himself as the “deputy” of the god.