MAINS DAILY QUESTIONS & MODEL ANSWERS:
Q1. Assess the development of science and technology during the Gupta age. Can Gupta age be considered as high watermark of scientific development in ancient India? Comment.
GS I – Indian History
Introduction:
- The Gupta period witnessed a tremendous progress in the field of art, science and literature and on account of this it has been called “a golden age”. A few scholars even call this period a period of renaissance.
Science and Technology in Gupta period:
- The Gupta period witnessed a brilliant activity in the sphere of mathematics, astronomy, astrology and medicine.
- Aryabhatta was a great mathematician and astronomer. He wrote the book Aryabhatiya in 499 A.D.
- It deals with mathematics and astronomy. It explains scientifically the occurrence of solar and lunar eclipses.
- Aryabhatta was the first to declare that the earth was spherical in shape and that it rotates on its own axis.
- However, these views were rejected by later astronomers like Varahamihira and Brahmagupta.
- Metallurgy had also made a wonderful progress during the Gupta period. The craftsmen were efficient in the art of casting metal statues and pillars.
- The gigantic copper statue of Buddha, originally found at Sultanganj now kept at Birmingham Museum, was about seven and a half feet height and nearly a ton weight.
- The Delhi Iron pillar of the Gupta period is still free from rust though completely exposed to sun and rain for so many centuries. This shows the technological acumen of the Gupta era.
Conclusion:
- Therefore, the cultural progress witnessed during the Gupta period may be called the culmination of Indian intellectual activities. It was a glorious period in the Indian sub-continent after the Mauryan period and saw the development of science and technology along with literature in an exemplary manner.
Q2. Elaborate the contributions of Pallava rulers towards the growth and development of temple architecture of India.
GS I – Indian History
Introduction:
- The Pallava dynasty existed between the 3rd and 9th centuries CE, ruling a portion of what is today Andhra Pradesh (early Pallavas) and Tamil Nadu (later Pallavas).The tradition of direct patronization of the temples began with the Pallavas. Starting with rock-cut temples, Pallava sculptors later graduated to free-standing structural shrines which inspired Chola temples of a later age.
- Perhaps no other empire has garnered appreciation for their contribution to rock-cut architecture as Pallavas. Some of the monuments created by Pallavas during their rule through rock excavation have garnered the worldwide admiration for its beauty and the skills displayed by the artists. Pallava sculpture shows greater details of workmanship, lighter anatomy and more developed artistic finishing.
- They were the pioneers of South Indian art and architecture as they had introduced the stone architecture in the Tamil country. Even as a building material, stone was not or rarely used here, possibly because of its strong association with funerary customs. The fascination of carving whole temples into the living rock which spread over India during the first millennium AD had not yet seized the South by the end of the 6th century. Their contributions are still extant because granite was used for building temples and carving sculptures.
Evolution of architecture of Pallavas:
- Pallava architecture can be now sub-divided into two phases – the rock cut phase and the structural phase.
- Rock cut phase:
- The rock cut phase lasted from the 610 to 668 AD and consisted of two groups of monuments – the Mahendra group and the Mamalla group.
- The Mahendra groupis the name given to monuments constructed during the reign of Mahendravarman I
- The monuments of this group are invariably pillared halls hewn out of mountain faces.
- These pillared halls or mandapas follow the prototype of Jain temples of the period.
- The best examples of Mahendra group of monuments are the cave temples at Mandagapattu, Pallavaram and Mamandur.
- The second group of rock cut monuments belong to the Mamalla group.
- During this period free-standing monolithic shrines called rathas were constructed alongside pillared halls.
- Some of the best examples of this style are the Pancha Rathas and Arjuna’s Penance at Mahabalipuram.
- Free standing temples:
- The second phase of Pallava architecture is the structural phase when free-standing shrines were constructed with stone and mortar brought in for the purpose.
- The Rajasimha group encompasses the early structural temples of the Pallavas when a lot of experimentation was carried out.
- The best examples of this period are the Shore Temple at Mahabalipuram and the Kanchi Kailasanathar Temple at Kanchipuram both constructed by Narasimhavarman II who was known as Rajasimha.
- The best example of the Nandivarman group of monuments is the Vaikunta Perumal Temple at Kanchipuram.
Conclusion:
- During this period, Pallava architecture attained full maturity and provided the models upon which the massive Brihadeeswarar Temple of the Cholas at Thanjavur and Gangaikonda Cholapuram and various other architectural works of note were constructed.
- The recent announcement of 11 ancient temples in Kancheepuram making it to the UNESCO’s tentative list of world heritage sites opens an avenue for the region to be back on the tourism map. This will ensure better care of the structures as the final honour brings with it international recognition.
