MAINS DAILY QUESTIONS & MODEL ANSWERS
Q1. Many insights into the history and culture of ancient and mediaeval India can be gained from inscriptions discovered there. Analyze.
GS I – Indian Culture
Introduction:
- Epigraphy is the study of inscriptions. Writings that were engraved in antiquity and mediaeval times onto metal, wood, and stones are known as inscriptions. Because they shed light on the political, social, and cultural aspects of the time period, inscriptions are particularly important for reconstructing history. The oldest known inscriptions date to the third century B.C. and were written in Prakrit. C. But with Ashoka’s arrival, the custom of writing inscriptions gained popularity.
Significance of inscriptions in comprehending several facets of ancient and mediaeval culture and history:
- Provide information on the social life of the era: Inscriptions, in addition to illuminating the social practices of the time, also reflect light on caste and class structures, providing a glimpse into the social life of the centuries. For example, the Sati performed by a queen is mentioned in the Brahmadesham inscription.
- Numerous inscriptions on Tamil copper plates, dating back to the Chola and Vijayanagara dynasties, contain details regarding the distribution of villages or arable land parcels to different private citizens and governmental organisations.
- Understanding the polity and military conquests: Inscriptions also shed light on the administration and polity structure. For. For instance, historians have pointed to the Uttaramerur inscription in Tamil Nadu, which dates from the Chola era, as proof of India’s democratic past. It gives a thorough account of the village’s self-governance. The inscription provides information on how the village legislature, or Sabha, is run locally.
- Furthermore, Samudragupta’s military and political accomplishments, particularly his southern excursions, are enumerated in the Prayag Prashasti pillar inscription at Allahabad.
- Economic life: Inscriptions provide insightful information on the relevant eras’ economic conditions. For example, the Junagadh inscription claims that Chandragupta Maurya built Sudarshan Lake, but Rudradaman and Chandragupta Maurya II rebuilt it later. This implies that diverse actions were taken by rulers to advance agriculture.
- Administrative policies can be understood from inscriptions: Ashokan’s inscriptions shed light on his career, internal and foreign policies, and the size of his empire. His inscriptions served as a direct means of communication between him and his people. His inscriptions were primarily intended to propagate Dhamma teachings.
- Historical details about religious activities: Inscriptions offer comprehensive historical details about many religious sects, organisations, and religious activities. For example: The inscriptions found at Ashokan are the first examples of Buddhism in material form. The Skanda Gupta copper plate inscription, which mentions sun worship, is another example. It was worn by the Sun God, also known as Bhaskara.
- Details regarding the period’s artistic and cultural practices: inscriptions provide details about music, dance, and other artistic disciplines. For instance: The Jogimara cave, which dates to the third century B.C., has the first known mention of a dancer. C. One of the oldest musical inscriptions is found in Tamil Nadu’s Kudumiyan Malai inscription. The musical notation in seven traditional ragas is provided in the inscription.
- According to the inscription on the pillar at Allahabad, Samudragupta supported music.
- Additionally, inscriptions have a great literary value. For. For example, the first indication of Kannada being used as an administrative language comes from the Halmidi inscription.
- History is based on a careful and in-depth examination of the sources. Not only do inscriptions provide a wealth of cultural history material, they also shed light on the political and social history of the era. Their research sheds light on significant occasions, locations, and historical occurrences from the ancient and mediaeval eras.
Q2. Since attitude formation is dependent on the experiences one has and the lessons one has learned throughout time, it is a lifelong process. Discuss the elements that contribute to the formation of attitudes in this situation.
GS I – Geography related issues
Introduction:
- A complex individual, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar was a philosopher, intellectual, social reformer, defender of the untouchables, and drafter of the constitution. He was a devoted worker for the advancement of society’s outcasts and a champion of social justice and equality throughout the colonial era. He urged us to be aware of the issues that have existed and could face the country in the future in his frequent talks about them. Owing to his outstanding accomplishments, he is recognised as the architect and guardian of contemporary India.
The contributions of Dr. Ambedkar as a social reformer:
- A supporter of the downtrodden classes: He committed his life to improving the lot of the downtrodden classes.
- He founded numerous publications, including Samata, Janata, Bahishkrit Bharat, and Mook Nayak, to defend the rights of the untouchables.
- stressed the value of education, saying that it will enlighten the oppressed masses and that it is the best tool for ending social servitude. Baba Saheb established the “Bahishkrit Hitkarni Sabha” in 1923 in an effort to educate the underprivileged. Additionally, he offered the motto “Educate-Agitate-Organize.”
- Contribution to the empowerment of women: He was a fervent supporter of women’s rights and equality. In the 1920s, he made a strong effort to get maternity benefits because he recognised their significance in mainstream India.
- Changing Indian society’s hierarchical structures: Dr. Ambedkar spent his entire life working to eradicate caste by spreading a movement against the system’s negative aspects.
- In 1927, he spearheaded the Mahad Satyagraha movement to allow Dalits to utilise public water tanks.
- He initiated campaigns to grant untouchables the same rights to visit Hindu temples and worship the gods.
- He organised hundreds of followers to burn Manu-smriti manuscripts in 1927.
- In order to help the Dalits convert from Hinduism and become Buddhists, he founded the Navayan Buddhism movement in India.
- He battled for women’s rights, education, and empowerment. He implored women to resist being coerced into marriage. He advised ladies to put off getting married and having children.
The contributions of Dr. Ambedkar as a political reformer and leader:
- In 1930, he attended the Round Table conference on behalf of the untouchables. The Poona-Pact, signed by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar and Mahatma Gandhi, allocated reserved seats in the Provisional Legislatures to the economically disadvantaged sections.
- As a lawmaker, Ambedkar introduced a bill in the Bombay Legislative Assembly in 1937 with the intention of establishing a direct line of communication between the government and farmers in the Konkan region, thus ending the khoti system.
- An Advocate for Labourers’ Welfare: From 1942 until 1946, when he was the Labour Member of the Governor-General’s Executive Council, he prioritised the welfare of labourers. He played a key role in cutting the production shifts from fourteen to eight hours. The Indian Factory Act was drafted under his direction as well.
- He opposed the Industrial Disputes Bill of 1937 as a member of the Bombay Legislative Assembly because it took away workers’ freedom to strike.
- He introduced the Indian Trade Unions (Amendment) Bill in 1943 to require trade unions to be recognised by law.
- Furthermore, the Hindu Code Bill amply demonstrated his profound concern for the standing of women in society.
- Political party formation: Dr. Ambedkar was crucial in the untouchables’ organisation through the formation of political organisations including the All India Scheduled Caste Federation, the Independent Labour Party, and the Republican Party of India.
- His contribution to the constitution’s drafting: following independence, he was named chairman of the committee responsible for drafting the document. In order to protect a broad range of civil liberties for individual individuals, he inserted various clauses into the Constitution, including as the ban on discrimination in all its manifestations, the repeal of untouchability, and religious freedom.
- Promoted an egalitarian society founded on the core values of liberty, equality, and fraternity: Dr. Ambedkar put up a lot of effort to create a just society that was based on these values. He argued that these ideas are a trinity and that they are inseparable from one another.
- During the time when the nation was attempting to escape colonialism, Dr. Ambedkar was a strong proponent of implementing important nation-building initiatives in a multifaceted way. Even now, Dr. Ambedkar’s ideas and philosophy remain highly relevant to Indian society in their pursuit of social justice, the abolition of untouchability, the establishment of equality and freedom, and genuine democracy. In India and around the world, millions of people are still motivated by his legacy.
