Daily Quiz: UPSC Prelims Marathon – November 13

Both the statements are correct:

• Maratha did not emphasised on Science and technology for the development modern weaponry.
• Maratha did not emphasised on the development of trade and industry. They were interested in raising revenue from the helpless peasantry and failed to give sound administration to the people. They were more focussed towards waging wars and bringing more and more territories under their control. They were not concerned about consolidating their gains. It seems they lacked outlook and program necessary for founding all India empire.

Shuddhi Movement was started by AryaSamaj in early 20th century to bring back those Hindu people back to their religion, who had converted themselves to Islam and Christianity. DayanandaSaraswati claimed to be rejecting all non-Vedic beliefs altogether. Hence the AryaSamaj unequivocally condemned idolatry, animal sacrifices, ancestor worship, pilgrimages, priestcraft, offerings made in temples, the caste system, untouchability and child marriages, on the grounds that all these lacked Vedic sanction. It aimed to be a universal church based on the authority of the Vedas

The nature of scriptural authority in Hinduism is different from Islam and Christianity in the sense that these two world religions claimed more or less exclusive divine authority for their books, the Veda never put up any such claim. Hinduism thus suffered from the universal character of their scriptures. DayanandaSaraswati was aware of this disadvantage and was moved by the evalengical spirit of Christianity and Islam to create a similar militancy in Hinduism itself. He therefore, moved to give the Vedas the same degree of supernatural authority, which was claimed by the Quran and Bible.

Dev Samaj

• Dev Samaj one of the important religious and social movements in Bengal was founded in 1887 by SatyanandaAgnihotri (PanditShivNarayanAgnihotri).
• SathyanandaAgnihotri initiated the dual worship of himself and God in 1892 and three years later, the worship of God was discarded.
• The Dev Samaj strongly opposed the caste system and it laid emphasis on maintaining a strict moral standards and a significant moral standard. The Dev Samaj encouraged the education of woman.

Carnatic music is a system of music commonly associated with the southern part of India especially. Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.Carnatic music is completely melodic with improvised variations. PurandaraDasa is credited with having founded today’s Carnatic music.  He is credited with having elevated Carnatic music from religious and devotional music into the realm of a performing art.Carnatic music is usually performed by a small ensemble of musicians consisting of a principal performer (vocalist) a violin, mridangam,  and a tamburu.

Important elements of carnatic music:

• Sruti: commonly refers to musical pitch
• Swara: refers to type of musical sound that is a single note, which defines a relative position of a note, rather than a defined frequency.
• Raga :A raga in carnatic music prescribes a set of rules for building a melody.
• Tala:Tala refers to the beat set for a particular composition ( a measure of time)

M.S. Subbulakshmi : was a renowned Carnatic vocalist. She was the first musician ever to be awarded the Bharat Ratna. She also received Ramon Magsaysay Award. Some of the famous works include Suprabhatam, Bhajagovindam, Vishnu Sahasranamam, Hanuman Chalisa etc.

1. Jhoomar is a folk dance performed during the harvest season in Punjab. It is slower and more rhythmic form of bhangara.The dance is performed in circle to the tune of emotional songs.

Note: Ghoomar is a traditional women’s folk dance of Rajasthan. It is performed by groups of women in swirling robes, and  accompanied by men and women singing together.

2. Changudance is a popular dance form from Orissa. It derives its name from a kind of drum called Changu, which invariably accompanies  the dance.  The dance is performed only by women.

3. Kavadiattam is a dance performed by the devotees during the ceremonial worship ofMurugan the Tamil God of war. Kavadi itself is a physical burden through which the devotees implore for help from the God Murugan.

4. Yakshagana is a musical dance drama popular in Karnataka. A Yakshagana performance begins at the twilight hours with the beating of several fixed compositions on drums for upto an hour before the ‘actors’ get on the stage.

Statement 1 is incorrect:  Jainism was founded by Rishabhanath.The Parshwanath was the 23rd Tirthankar.

Statement 2 is Correct: In Jainism, three Ratnas (Triratnas) are given and they are called the way to Nirvana. They are Right Faith, Right Knowledge and Right Conduct.

Statement 3 is correct: First Council was held at Pataliputra by Sthulabhadra in the beginning of third century BC. It resulted in the compilation of 12 Angas to replace 14 Purvas

All the above statements are correct:

Kanishka (AD 78-144):

• He had two capitals- first at Purushpur, near modern Peshawar and second at Mathura.
• Kanishka controlled the famous silk route in Central Asia, which started from China and passed through his empire in Central Asia and Afghanistan to Iran and Western Asia which formed part of Roman Empire.
• Kanishka is known in history for two reasons:

1. He started an era in AD 78, which is now known as Saka era and is used by the Govt, of India.
2. He extended his whole-hearted patronage to Buddhism (Held the fourth Buddhist Council in Kashmir).

• Charaka lived between the third and second centuries BC, and was the court physician of the Buddhist King Kanishka. He was also the author of the one of the oldest and the most important ancient authoritative writings onAyurveda, the CharakaSamhita.