Daily Quiz: UPSC Prelims Marathon – February 4, 2019

In North India it is common for an entire temple to be built on a stone platform with steps leading up to it. Further, unlike in South India it does not usually have elaborate boundary walls or gateways. While the earliest temples had just one tower, or shikhara, later temples had several. The garbhagriha is always located directly under the tallest tower. There are many subdivisions of nagara temples depending on the shape of the shikhara

During Mughal period,he village headmen (muqaddams) and smaller landlord (khuts) enjoyed a higher standard of life. In addition to their own holdings, they held lands for which they paid revenue at concessional rates. Sometimes, they misused their offices to force the ordinary peasants to pay their share of the land revenue also.

These people were prosperous enough to ride on costly Arabi and Iraqi horses, wear fine clothes and behave like members of the upper classes.

Huyen langlon is an Indian martial art from Manipur. Huyen langlon consists of two main components: thang-ta (armed combat) and sarit sarak (unarmed fighting). The primary weapons of huyen langlon are the thang (sword) and ta (spear).

The thang-ta aspect of huyen langlon can be practiced in three ways: ritual, demonstration, and combat. The first way is related to tantric practices and is entirely ritualistic in nature. The second way consists of a spectacular performance involving sword and spear dances. These routines can be converted into actual fighting practices. The third way is the true combat application.

Thang-ta shares a connection with certain war-dances, often blurring the line between dance and combat forms, such as thangkairol(sword dance) and khosarol (spear dance). Many ritualistic dances in Manipur were traditionally performed by martial artists such as the spear dance for funerals or the sacred thengou dance. The sword movements in dance are meant to either symbolize protection or ward off evil spirits

Pattachitra painting:

Pattachitra refers to the Classical painting of Odisha, in the eastern region of India.’Patta’ in Sanskrit means ‘Vastra’ or ‘clothings’ and ‘chitra’ means paintings.The tradition of Pattachitra is closely linked with the worship of Lord Jagannath.

Madhubhani painting:

Madhubani painting is a style of painting, practised in the Mithila region of Bihar state. Themes revolve around Hindu Gods and mythology, along with scenes from the royal court and social events like weddings. Generally no space is left empty; the gaps are filled by paintings of flowers, animals, birds, and even geometric designs.In this paintings artists use leaves, herbs and flowers to make the colour which is used to draw the paintings.

Kalighat  Painting:

Kalighat painting or Kalighat Pat originated in the 19th century Bengal, in the vicinity of Kalighat Kali Temple, Kalighat, Kolkata, India, and from being items of souvenir taken by the visitors to the Kali temple, the paintings over a period of time developed as a distinct school of Indian painting.

Lord Reading (1921–26):

• Criminal Law Amendment Act and abolition of cotton excise
• Repeal of Press Act of 1910 &Rowlatt Act of 1919
• Violent Moplah rebellion in Kerala (1921)
• Foundation of CPI (1921)
• ChauriChaura Incident (1922)
• Foundation of Swaraj Party (1923)
• Kakori Train Dacoity (1925)
• Foundation of RSS (1925)
• Murder of Swami Shardhanand (1926).
• Suppressed non-cooperation movement.

• VinayaPitaka : Rules of discipline in Buddhist monasteries.
• SuttaPitaka : Largest, contains collection of Buddha’s sermons.
• AbhidhammaPitaka : Explanation of the philosophical principles of the Buddhist religion.

Warren Hastings (1772–1785):

• First Governor General of India.
• Brought the Dual Governmnet of Bengal to an end by the Regulating Act, 1773
• Became Governor-General in 1774 through the Regulating Act, 1773.
• Wrote introduction to the first English translation of the ‘Gita’ by Charles Wilkins
• In 1781, he founded the Calcutta Madrasa, for promotion of Islamic studies
• He founded the Asiatic Society of Bengal with William Jones in 1784.
• Auctioned the right to collect land revenue to the highest bidder; Divided Bengal into districts and appointed collectors and other revenue officials.
• Rohilla War (1774); 1st Anglo-Maratha War (1776–82): 2nd Anglo-Mysore War (1780–84).

Note: Permanent Settlement in Bihar and Bengal was introduced by Lord Cornwallis in 1793.