Static Quiz – 01 May, 2022

• Solution: D
•
• The Centre for Cultural Resources and Training (CCRT) is one of the premier institutions working in the field of linking education with culture.
• Established in 1979, pioneered by Smt. Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay and Dr. Kapila Vatsyayan, it functions as an autonomous organization under the aegis of Ministry of Culture, Government of India.
• At the philosophical core of the CCRT lies a commitment to holistic education, encompassing the cognitive, emotional and spiritual development of children.
• To this end the CCRT conducts education grounded in cultural knowledge and understanding as conducive to clarity, creativity, independence of thought, tolerance and compassion.
• CCRT has been contributing to the strengthening of the foundation of the nation by making education culture based and meaningful.
• The CCRT has its headquarters in New Delhi and three Regional Centres at Udaipur in the west, Hyderabad in the south and Guwahati in the north-east to facilitate the widespread dissemination of Indian art and culture.
• The CCRT revitalizes the education system by creating an understanding and awareness among teachers, students and educational administrators about the plurality of the regional cultures of India and integrating this knowledge with education.

Solution: A

• Six Schools of Indian Philosophy:

• Over centuries, India’s intellectual exploration of truth has come to be represented by six systems of philosophy.
• These are known as Vaishesika, Nyaya, Samkhya, Yoga, Purva Mimansa and Vedanta or Uttara Mimansa.
• These six systems of philosophy are said to have been founded by sages Konada, Gotama, Kapila, Patanjali, Jaimini and Vyasa, respectively.
• These philosophies still guide scholarly discourse in the country. German-born British indologist, Friedrich Max Muller, has observed that the six systems of philosophy were developed over many generations with contributions made by individual thinkers.
• However, today, we find an underlying harmony in their understanding of truth, although they seem distinct from each other.

Solution: D

• There were at least three different kinds of people living in most villages in the southern and northern parts of the subcontinent. In the Tamil region, large landowners were known as vellalar, ordinary ploughmen were known as uzhavar, and landless labourers, including slaves, were known as kadaisiyar and adimai.
• In the northern part of the country, the village headman was known as the grama bhojaka. Usually, men from the same family held the position for generations.
• In other words, the post was hereditary.
• The grama bhojaka was often the largest landowner.
• Generally, he had slaves and hired workers to cultivate the land.
• Besides, as he was powerful, the king often used him to collect taxes from the village.
• He also functioned as a judge, and sometimes as a policeman.
• Apart from the gramabhojaka, there were other independent farmers, known as grihapatis, most of whom were smaller landowners.
• And then there were men and women such as the dasa karmakara, who did not own land, and had to earn a living working on the fields owned by others.

Solution: B

• By the first century CE, there is evidence of changes in Buddhist ideas and practices.
• Early Buddhist teachings had given great importance to self-effort in achieving nibbana.
• Besides, the Buddha was regarded as a human being who attained enlightenment and nibbana through his own efforts
• However, gradually the idea of a saviour emerged. It was believed that he was the one who could ensure salvation.
• Simultaneously, the concept of the Bodhisatta also developed.
• Bodhisattas were perceived as deeply compassionate beings who accumulated merit through their efforts but used this not to attain nibbana and thereby abandon the world, but to help others.
• The worship of images of the Buddha and Bodhisattas became an important part of this tradition.
• This new way of thinking was called Mahayana – literally, the “great vehicle”. Those who adopted these beliefs described the older tradition as Hinayana or the “lesser vehicle”.

• Solution: C

• Kings adopted a number of steps to win the support of men who were powerful, either economically, or socially, or because of their political and military strength.
• For instance:
• Some important administrative posts were now hereditary.
• This means that sons succeeded fathers to these posts.
• For example, the poet Harishena was a mahadanda-nayaka, or chief judicial officer, like his father.
• Sometimes, one person held many offices. For instance, besides being a maha-dandanayaka, Harishena was a kumar-amatya, meaning an important minister, and a sandhi-vigrahika, meaning a minister of war and peace.
• Besides, important men probably had a say in local administration.
• These included the nagarashreshthi or chief banker or merchant of the city, the sarthavaha or leader of the merchant caravans, the prathama-kulika or the chief craftsman, and the head of the kayasthas or scribes.

Solution: D

• The Buddha (and other teachers) taught orally – through discussion and debate.
• Men and women (perhaps children as well) attended these discourses and discussed what they heard.
• None of the Buddha’s speeches were written down during his lifetime.
• After his death (c. fifthfourth century BCE) his teachings were compiled by his disciples at a council of “elders” or senior monks at Vesali (Pali for Vaishali in present-day Bihar).
• These compilations were known as Tipitaka – literally, three baskets to hold different types of texts.
• They were first transmitted orally and then written and classified according to length as well as subject matter.
• The Vinaya Pitaka included rules and regulations for those who joined the sangha or monastic order;
• The Buddha’s teachings were included in the Sutta Pitaka;
• and the Abhidhamma Pitaka dealt with philosophical matters.
• Each pitaka comprised a number of individual texts.
• Later, commentaries were written on these texts by Buddhist scholars.

Solution: D

• The most important idea in Jainism is that the entire world is animated: even stones, rocks and water have life.
• Non-injury to living beings, especially to humans, animals, plants and insects, is central to Jaina philosophy. In fact the principle of ahimsa, emphasised within Jainism, has left its mark on Indian thinking as a whole.
• According to Jaina teachings, the cycle of birth and rebirth is shaped through karma.
• Asceticism and penance are required to free oneself from the cycle of karma.
• This can be achieved only by renouncing the world; therefore, monastic existence is a necessary condition of salvation.
• Jaina monks and nuns took five vows: to abstain from killing, stealing and lying; to observe celibacy; and to abstain from possessing property.

Solution: C

• Sangam Literature:

• The corpus of Sangam literature includes Tolkappiyam, Ettutogai, Pattuppattu, Pathinenkilkanakku, and the two epics – Silappathigaram and Manimegalai.
• Tolkappiyam authored by Tolkappiyar is the earliest of the Tamil literature.
• It is a work on Tamil grammar but it provides information on the political and socioeconomic conditions of the Sangam period.
• The Ettutogai or Eight Anthologies consist of eight works – Aingurunooru, Narrinai, Aganaooru, Purananooru, Kuruntogai, Kalittogai, Paripadal and Padirruppattu.
• The Pattuppattu or Ten Idylls consist of ten works – Thirumurugarruppadai, Porunararruppadai, Sirupanarruppadai, Perumpanarruppadai, Mullaippattu, Nedunalvadai, Maduraikkanji, Kurinjippatttu, Pattinappalai and Malaipadukadam.
• Both Ettutogai and Pattuppattu were divided into two main groups – Aham (love) and Puram (valour).
• Pathinenkilkanakku contains eighteen works mostly dealing with ethics and morals.
• The most important among them is Tirukkural authored by Thiruvalluvar.
• Silappathigaram written by Elango Adigal and Manimegalai by Sittalai Sattanar also provides valuable information on the Sangam polity and society.

Solution: C

• Cheras:
• Cheran Senguttuvan was a famous ruler of this dynasty.
• Cheran Senguttuvan belonged to 2nd century A.D. His younger brother was Elango Adigal, the author of Silappathigaram.
• Among his military achievements, his expedition to the Himalayas was remarkable.
• He defeated many north Indian monarchs.
• Senguttuvan introduced the Pattini cult or the worship of Kannagi as the ideal wife in Tamil Nadu.
• The stone for making the idol of Kannagi was brought by him after his Himalayan expedition.
• The consecration ceremony was attended by many princes including Gajabhagu II from Sri Lanka.

Solution: B

• Harsha’s Administration:
• The administration of Harsha was organized on the same lines as the Guptas did.
• Hiuen Tsang gives a detailed picture about this.
• The king was just in his administration and punctual in discharging his duties.
• He made frequent visits of inspection throughout his dominion.
• The day was too short for him. Taxation was also light and forced labour was also rare.
• One sixth of the produce was collected as land tax.
• Cruel punishments of the Mauryan period continued in the times of Harsha.
• Hiuen Tsang condemned the trials as barbarous and superstitious.
• Harsha’s army consisted of the traditional four divisions – foot, horse, chariot and elephant.
• The number of cavalry was more than one lakh and the elephants more than sixty thousands.
• This was much more than that of the Mauryan army.
• The maintenance of public records was the salient feature of Harsha’s administration
• The archive of the Harsha period was known as nilopitu and it was under the control of special officers.
• Both good and bad events happened during his time had been recorded.