12_Building, Painting and Books SOCIAL SCIENCE/HISTORY/CLASS-VI BUILDING, PAINTING 12 AND BOOKS  INDIAN ARCHITECTURE Harappan civilisation show excellent town planning. The most spectacular buildings are the Great Bath and the Great Granary.

 PROGRESS MADE IN THE FIELD OF ARCHITECTURE SCULPTURE AND PAINTINGS

Find Arts and Architecture : Ancient had achieved wonderful heights in the fields of fine arts, viz. architecture, sculpture, painting, jewellery, metallurgy, stone and metal polishing, and engineering. In the field of architecture the Public Bath of Mohen-jo-Daro, Buddhist temples at Gaya, the at and Bharhut, the Gupta temples at Deograh and Bhitrigaon, the Lingaraja Temple at Bhubaneswar, the Tejpal Temple at Mount Abu, the Mahadeva Temple at Khajuraho, Vishnu Temple at Badami and the Shiva Temple at Tanjore deserve special mention. The Khajuraho temples were built by the Chandela Rajput rulers.

The Cholas were also great builders. They built many beautiful temples. Their best known temple is the Brihadeswara Temple at Tanjore (in Tamil Nadu), dedicated to Lord Shiva.

PAGE# 53 12_Building, Painting and Books SOCIAL SCIENCE/HISTORY/CLASS-VI

This is the biggest and most perfectly built temple of South India. It is known for its spacious courtyard and massive tower. Its tower rises to a height of 57 metres (190 feet) like a pyramid in 13 successive storeys. This temple, especially its tower, is the finest example of the Dravidian art. The tower-like structure is called Vimana. The idea of constructing a Copuram or a fine gateway to the enclosed walls of the temple was first conceived by the Chola kings.

In the field of sculpture and stone-carving, we have the Indus seals and toys, the Ashokan pillars at Sanchi, Sarnath, Lauria Nandangarh, Rampura, etc., stone-images made during the Gupta and the Rajput periods, several other pieces of sculpture made in the style and the images carved in stone at the Ajanta and the .

 AJANTA AND ELLORA CAVES

The situated in are among the most famous Buddhist caves in India. They are a World Heritage Site4. They date back to the 2nd century BCE. There are 29 caves in all of which only a few are grihas ( monument halls). The others are (monasteries) where Buddhist monk lived. All these rock-cut caves exhibit excellent architectural skills and are exquisitely carved. The caves also have paintings and sculptures which are masterpieces of art made by skilled craftsmen. They depict scenes from the Buddha's life, his previous births and the Jataka tales.

Beautiful paintings called murals adorn the walls ceilings and pillars of the Ajanta Caves. The technique of painting is known as frescoes. A thick layer of mud mixed with vegetable material was applied on the rock surface. This was covered by a thick layer of plaster. This formed the base surface of the painting. The painting was done with the help of pigments mixed with a gum. Brushes were made of animal hair. These frescoes also depict many scenes from the everyday life in cities and villages.

Of the Buddhist caves, the Carpenter's hut or Vishwakarma Cave is the most famous. It has a 15 ft statue of the Buddha sitting in a preaching posture.

Rock-cut caves are also found in Odisha near Bhubaneswar. These are the Khandagiri Caves built in the 1st century BC. There are 33 caves of which 18 are in Udayagiri and 15 are in Khandagiri. These awesome caves were built during the reign of King Charvela.

PAGE# 54 12_Building, Painting and Books SOCIAL SCIENCE/HISTORY/CLASS-VI Of the Udayagiri Caves, Rani Gumpha is the most famous. The wall carvings depict scenes from the royal courts. The Hathi Gumpha Cave is important because it has a 17 line inscription in Brahmi script which is a valuable source of information about king Kharvela.

Apart from these rock-cut temples many stone temples were also built in India. An outstanding example is the Shore Temple at Mahabalipuram. It was constructed in the 7th century BE during the rule of King Narasirnhavam II. It is a five-storeyed structure made of blocks of granite. It is not carved out of rock unlike the temples we have read about earlier. It is an excellent example of Pallava architecture. The spire of the temple is not rounded. It has pyramidical tiered spires. It is dedicated to both Lord Shiva and Lord Vishnu.

The ratha (chariot) temples at Mahabalipuram are monolithic temples carved out of granite rocks. These five temples have multi-pillared halls and sculptured walls.

The Vishnu temple at Deogarh was built during 'the Gupta period in the 5th century BC. It is one of the earliest examples of stone temples in India. There are many sculptured panels showing the myths and tales related to Lord Vishnu.

The Iron Pillar at Mehrauli This iron pillar is about 22 ft high and weighs 6 tons. It is said to have been built at the time of Chandragupta Vikramaditya. It has not rusted even after 1,600 years. The pillar has a Sanskrit inscription in Brahmi script and gives information about a King Chandra who has been identified as Chandragupta Vikramaditya.

 LITERARY WORKS The great epics of Mahabharata and Ramayana were both written in Sanskrit by Ved Vyasa and Valmiki respectively. They have timeless moral teachings. The Ramayana was passed down by oral tradition before it was written down. The exact time of its writing is not known. It is the story of King Rama and his queen Sita.

The Mahabharata is a collection of more than 74,000 verses divided into 18 books. It tells us the story of the Pandavas and their victory over their evil cousins, the Kauravas. It also contains the Bhagavad Gita which is a conversation between Lord Krishna and Arjuna on the battle field. This epic unfold some great moral truths.

 THE PURANAS There are 18 Puranas. They contain myths and stories of gods and goddesses, cosmology and spiritual philosophy. Initially, they were passed on as oral tradition and written down much later. Some of the important ones are the Vishnu Purana and the Shiv Purana. The Puranas serve as guide books for life. They have many interesting stories

 WORKS OF KALIDASA Kalidasa wrote many poems in Sanskrit. Two of his lyric poems are Meghaduta and Ritusamhara. Meghaduta is one of the finest works of Kalidasa. Raghuvamsa and Kumarasambhava are epic poems. He also wrote plays like Malavikagnimitra and Shakuntalam. The play Shakuntalam has been translated in many languages and is considered a masterpiece. These are a few lines translated from this play.

PAGE# 55 12_Building, Painting and Books SOCIAL SCIENCE/HISTORY/CLASS-VI  JATAKA TALES These are collections of short stories written in the 3rd century BC. They teach values and morals in an interesting manner. These stores have been passed down many generation. They are about the previous lives of the Buddha and each stories teaches some important lesson of life. They inspire honesty, truthfulness, kindness and self-respect. These were originally written in Pali but they have been translated. Scenes from the Jataka tales have been carved on stupas and painted on the walls of the Ajanta Caves.

 PANCHATANTRA (FIVE TREATISES) These are also a collection of short stories each of which teaches a moral. The stories are presented and narrated by a sage called Vishnu Shanna. He wrote these stories to teach values of life to a king's sons. Most of the stories are amusing and animals play an important role in them. One famous short story is The lion and the hare.

Tamil literature dates back almost 2,000 years. The history of Tamil literature is closely related to the history of Tamil Nadu. Jain and Buddhist monks also contributed to Tamil literature. The five great Tamil epics are , Manimegalai, Civaka Cintamani, and Valayapathi.

Silappatikaram was written by Ilango Adigal, a Buddhist monk. It dates back to 5th century BC and involves three ancient Tamil kingdoms – Chera, Chola, and Pandya. The epic also vividly describes the Tamil society of the period, its cities, the people's religious and folk traditions and their gods.

 NATYA SHASTRA This is regarded as the oldest surviving text on stagecraft in the world. It consists of 6,000 verse stanzas and the whole text is written in Sanskrit. It is also known as the fifth Veda owing to its huge importance. The text tells us that the Natya Shastra was passed on from Brahma to a sage named Bharata. It also tells that natya or drama was created to give pleasure to tired minds. It deals with all aspects of dramatic performances like acting, speech, expressions etc. It also discusses plots of plays, dialogues and characters. It gives details about the music and instruments of that period. Thus Natya Shastra can be considered as the foundation of the fine arts.

 SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS The earliest known historical astronomer is Aryabhata. He described in his writings that the planets moved around the Sun in circular epicycles. He explained why eclipses were caused. He was the first to discover that the earth rotates on its axis daily. He also worked out the correct equation for calculating the orbit of a planet and knew the length of a year. He also described the properties of a circle and gave an accurate value for pi . He also described the decimal system and how to calculate square root and cube root. He is regarded as the 'Father of Algebra'.

Varahamihira was an astronomer and mathematician of the 6th century. He wrote the Britatsamhita which tells how to ascertain the value of metals and stones, to distinguish good breeds of animals and to make trees bear fruit out of season. It also gives explanation of seasons and the relation between clouds, rain and wind. Charaka Samhita and Sushruta Samhita are the earliest texts on medicine.

PAGE# 56 12_Building, Painting and Books SOCIAL SCIENCE/HISTORY/CLASS-VI The Charaka Samhita is dated to around 2nd century BC. It is the work of several authors and is a comprehensive text on Ayurveda. It is divided into 120 chapters dealing with food, certain diseases and their treatment and phannacology, pathology, nutrition and the diagnosis of diseases. It even gives details of how a hospital should be equipped.

The Sushruta Samhita deals with doctor's training, surgery, the treatment of wounds, symptoms of diseases children's care and anatomy.

 KEY WORDS 1. India's rich cultural heritage is the crowning glory of the Indian civilisation.

2. The Mauryas contributed greatly to Indian art and architecture. used stone extensively and constructed many palaces, rock-cut caves, monasteries, stupas and pillars.

3. The Ajanta Caves exhibit excellent architectural skill and are exquisitely carved.

4. The Ellora Caves are 34 rock-cut caves of which a few are Buddhist caves and the rest are Jain and Hindu caves.

5. Beside the rock-cut temples, many stone temples were also built in India. An outstanding, example is the Shore Temple at Mahabalipuram.

6. Our heritage includes many great literary works which serve as important sources of study of ancient India. The Mahabharat and the Ramayana and some examples.

7. Panchatantra and Jataka tales are collections of short stories with moral lessons from everyday life.

8. Jain and Buddhist monks also contributed to Tamil literature. There are five great Tamil epics.

9. The earliest known historical astronomer is Aryabhata. He was also a mathematician and is called the 'Father of Algebra'.

10. Charaka Samhita and Sushruta Samhita are ancient texts on medicine.

Monarchy : Where the head of the government is .a hereditary king. Republic : Where the head of the government is not hereditary but an elected one. Vegetarian : A person who does not eat meat or fish. Joint family : A family where a person lives together with his parents, brothers and children. Metallurgy : The science of metals.

PAGE# 57 12_Building, Painting and Books SOCIAL SCIENCE/HISTORY/CLASS-VI

[OBJECTIVE QUESTIONS] SECTION-A  FILL IN THE BLANKS Q.1 ...... was a great astronomer. Q.2 Stories about gods and goddesses are found in the ...... Q.3 ...... is recognised as the author of the Sanskrit Ramayana. Q.4 ...... and ...... are two Tamil epics. Q.5 The ...... at was built about 1400 years ago. Q.6 The small box placed at the centre of the stupa contains bodily remains of the ...... and his followers. Q.7 The ...... were recited in temples by priests and people came to listen to them. Q.8 Both the ...... and the ...... are supposed to have been composed by Vyasa. Q.9 ...... developed a scientific explanation for eclipses.

SECTION-B  MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTION WITH ONE CORRECT ANSWER Q.1 In which city the iron pillar of Mehrauli is located ? (A) (B) Mathura (C) Delhi (D) Chandigarh

Q.2 What is height of the iron Pillar? (A) 12 Mts (B) 7.2 Mts (C) 5.0 Mts (D) 8.2 Mts

Q.3 What does stupa mean? (A) Mound (B) Round (C) Tall (D) Short

Q.4 Who are the God and Goddess whose statues are worshipped in Temples? (A) Shiva, Vishnu and Durga (B) Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi (C) All of these (D) None of these

Q.5 Name the hall where people could assemble. (A) Mundapa (B) Shikharas (C) Garphagrina (D) None of these

Q.6 Which was poet composed Silappadikaram ? (A) Ilango (B) Banbhatta (C) Kalidasa (D) All of these

Q.7 Who composed Meghaduta? (A) Banbhatta (B) Kalidasa (C) Surdasa (D) None of these

PAGE# 58 12_Building, Painting and Books SOCIAL SCIENCE/HISTORY/CLASS-VI Q.8 In which language was the Puranas written? (A) Hindi (B) Tamil (C) Sanskrit (D) English

Q.9 Which war was fought between the Kauravas and Pandavas? (A) Ramayana (B) Mahabharat (C) Both of these (D) None of these

Q.10 Which is the capital of Kosala? (A) Hastinapur (B) Ayodhya (C) Kamal (D) Delhi

Q.11 Who was Aryabhata ? (A) Mathematician (B) Zoologist (C) Archaeologist (D) None of these

SECTION-C Match the column: Q.1 Match the following: (i) Stupa (a) Place where the image of the deity is installed (ii) Shikhara (b) Mound (iii) Mandapa (c) Circular path around the Stupa (iv) Garbhagriha (d) Place in temples where people could assemble (v) Pradakshtna path (e) Tower

Q.2 Match the items in column A correctly with those given in column B. Column-A Column-B (i) It was the capital of Kosala (a) Stupas (ii) It is about the war fought (b) Ayodhya between Kauravas and Pandava (iii) They are of several kinds, round (c) Ajanta and tall, big and small (iv) Priest performed religious rituals here (d) Mahabharata (v) There are several monasteries here (e) Garbhagriha

PAGE# 59 12_Building, Painting and Books SOCIAL SCIENCE/HISTORY/CLASS-VI ANSWERS KEY

SECTION-A Q.1 Aryabhatta. Q.2 Puranas Q.3 Valmiki Q.4 Sillappadikaram, . Q.5 Durga temple Q.6 Buddha Q.7 Vedas Q.8 Puranas, Mahabharata Q.9 Aryabhatta

SECTION-B Q.1 C Q.2 B Q.3 A Q.4 A Q.5 A Q.6 A Q.7 B Q.8 C Q.9 B Q.10 B Q.11 A

SECTION-C

Q.1 (i) – (b), (ii) – (e), (iii) – (d), (iv) – (a), (v) – (c)

Q.2 (i) – (b), (ii) – (d), (iii) – (a), (iv) – (e), (v) – (c)

PAGE# 60 12_Building, Painting and Books SOCIAL SCIENCE/HISTORY/CLASS-VI

VERY SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS Q.1 When was the Iron Pillar made? Ans. It was made about 1500 years ago.

Q.2 Mention the most striking feature of the Iron Pillar. Ans. The Pillar has not rusted in all these years.

Q.3 What do you mean by the word 'Stupa'? Ans. The word Stupa means a mound. It is a Buddhist religious building.

Q.4 Why did devotees walk around the stupa in a clockwise direction? Ans. They did so to show their devotion.

Q.5 Why was famous? Ans. Amaravati was a place where a magnificent stupa once existed.

Q.6 Name the deities worshipped in the earliest Hindu temples. Ans. Vishnu, Shiva and Durga.

Q.7 What was the garbhagriha? Ans. It was a room in the temple where the image of the diety was installed.

Q.8 Why was the garbhagriha so important? Ans. The image of the chief deity was placed in the garbhagrtha. Also, the priests performed religious rituals here.

Q.9 What was the shikhara ? Ans. It was a tower built on the top of the garbhagrtha to mark this out as a sacred place.

Q.10 What do you know about the monolithic temples at Mahabalipuram? Ans. Each of these temples was carved out of a huge, single piece of stone.

Q.11 Why did only Kings or queens decide to build stupas and temples? Ans. Building stupas and temples was an expensive affair. Ordinary people could not think about it.

Q.12 How were the gifts brought by the devotees used? Ans. The gifts brought by the devotees were used to decorate stupas and temples.

Q.13 How were paintings done in the dark caves? Ans. The caves were dark. Therefore paintings were done there in the torch light.

PAGE# 61 12_Building, Painting and Books SOCIAL SCIENCE/HISTORY/CLASS-VI Q.14 What are epics? Give examples. Ans. Epics are grand, long compositions about the heroic deeds of men and women, They include stories about gods as well. Example-the Mahabharata, the Ramayana.

Q.15 Which gods and goddesses were mentioned in the stories of the Puranas? Ans. Vishnu. Shiva. Durga or Parvati were mentioned in the stories of the Puranas.

Q.16 How were the Puranas different from the Vedas? Ans. Women and Shudras were not allowed to study the Vedas but these people could read and hear the verses of the Puranas.

Q.17 Where are the stories told by ordinary people preserved? Ans. The stories told by ordinary people are preserved in the Jatakas and the Panchatantra.

Q.18 Name the book written by Aryabhatta. In which language is it written? Ans. This book is Aryabhatiyam. It is written in Sanskrit.

SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS Q.1 Write a few lines on the Iron Pillar located at Mehrauli. Delhi Ans. • The Iron Pillar located at Mebrauli. Delhi was made about 1500 years ago. • It is made of Iron. Its height is 7.2 m and its weight is over 3 tones. • It was probably built during the Gupta dynasty. • It is amazing that the pillar has not rusted in all these years. • The pillar is a remarkable example of the skill of Indian crafts people. • The pillar is famous all over the world.

Q.2 How were stupas and temples built? Ans. Building stupas and temples was not an ordinary Job. It needed huge wealth which only kings or queens could afford. There were several stages in building a stupa or a temple. Firstly; good quality stone had to be found quarried and transported to the place that was often carefully selected for the new building. Secondly, these rough blocks of stone had to be shaped and covered into pillars, and panels for walls, floors and ceilings. Thirdly, these had to be placed in precisely the right position. Kings and queens spend money from their treasury to pay the crafts persons.

Q.3 What are the main features of Ajanta paintings? Ans. • The paintings of Ajanta are world famous. Ajanta is a place where several caves were hollowed out of the hills over centuries. • Most of these were Buddhist monasteries while some of them were decorated with paintings. • The caves are dark inside and therefore most of these paintings were done In the light of torches. • The colours are vivid even after 1500 years. • These colours were made of plants and minerals.

PAGE# 62 12_Building, Painting and Books SOCIAL SCIENCE/HISTORY/CLASS-VI Q.4 Write in brief about Kalidasa's Meghaduta. Ans. Kalidasa's Meghaduta is a best-known poem. It is one of his best literary creation. It is in Sanskrit. It was written during the Gupta reign. There is a description of monsoon in this famous book. The monsoon cloud is imagined to be a messenger between lovers who are separated from one another.

The poet beautifully describes the breeze that will carry the cloud northwards. It is a cool breeze. It blows with fragrance of the earth. It is delightful swollen by the cloud's showers. Elephants inhale it deeply. It causes the Wild figs to ripen. It blows gently with the cloud. This description is very sensuous and appealing. It creates a real picture of the cloud and the breeze. Kalidasa was really a poet at par.

Q.5 What are Puranas? Mention some of their features. Ans. The term Purana literary means old. The Puranans are collections of old Hindu religions stories. Here are some of their features: • They contain stories about gods and goddesses such as • Vishnu, Shiva, Durga or Parvati. • They also contain details on how these deities were to be worshipped. • There are accounts as well about the creation of the world and about kings. • Puranas unlike Vedas could be read and heard by everybody including women and Shudras.

Q.6 Describe the contribution of Aryabhatta to Science. Ans. The name of Aryabhatta emerged during this period. He became famous as a mathematician and astronomer. He wrote a book in Sanskrit known as the Aryabhatiyam. He stated that day and night were caused by the rotation of the earth on its axis, even though it seems as if the sun is rising and setting everyday. He developed a scientific explanation for eclipses as well. He also found a way of calculating the circumference of a circle, which is nearly as accurate as the formula we use today.

LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Q.1 What are stupas? Mention some of their striking features. Ans. Stupas are Buddhist religious buildings made of brick and stone. There are several kinds of stupas. • Some are round and tall while some are big and small. Here are some striking features of stupas.

• There is a small box, known as a relic casket, placed at the centre or heart of the stupa. The box contains bodily remains of the Buddha or his followers, or things they used, as well as precious stones and coins.

• This box was covered with earth. Later, a layer of mud brick or baked brick was added on top. And then, the dome like structure was sometimes covered with carved stone slabs.

• A path called the pradakshina patha was laid around the stupa. This was surrounded with railings. Entrance to the path was through gateways.

• Devotees walked around the stupa in a clockwise direction as a mark of devotion.

PAGE# 63 12_Building, Painting and Books SOCIAL SCIENCE/HISTORY/CLASS-VI Q.2 Describe the earliest Hindu temples. Ans. Some Hindu temples were also built during this period. The deities worshipped in these shrines were Vishnu. Shiva and Durga. The most important part of the temples was the garbhagriha, which was a room where the image of the chief deity was placed. It was at this place that priests performed religious rituals and devotes offered worship to the deity. The garbhagriha had a tower known as the shikhara built on its top. This marked the place as a sacred one. Building shikharas require careful planning. Most temples also had a mandapa. This was a hall like structure meant for the common people to assemble. Mahabalipuram and Aihole in south India were famous for their temples. These were stone temples. The monolithic temples of Mahabalipuram were very beautiful. Each of these temples was carved out of a huge, single piece of stone. It is therefore they are known as monoliths. The Durga temple at Aihole was built about 1400 years ago.

Q.3 Describe the two Sanskrit epics the Mahabharata and Ramayana. Or Why are the epics like Mahabharata and Ramayana so popular even today? Ans. The Mahabharata and Ramayana are the most popular of the epics and other religious books of the . They are also famous among the followers of other religion. The causes for their popularity are almost the same. The story of the Mahabharata tells family drama followed by a great war between the two groups of the same family, the Kauravas and Pandavas. Here, we learn how to fights for the right cause. The Pandavas are dethroned and banished diplomatically by their cousin Duryodhana. They are always subjected to humiliation and injustice. Finally, they are put in a great battle to get their own right. In the Mahabharata we know how much tolerance one should have, how one can fight for a justified cause, how we should respect our elders, etc. There are so many teachings of ideal life in it. The Gita, which constitute a part of the Mahabharata is in itself considered as a great epic. It unfolds all the mysteries of life, the life before and the life after. In the same way the Ramayana, written in the most popular language of the time, teaches us the high ideals of life. Rama, the most prominent character, shows how man should follow the ideals of life. He possesses all the virtues of a highly idealistic and realistic human being. He follows the system in a humble way. He fights for the justice and his right. This story is told in a very realistic way. It seems to be the story of a common man. So it has a great appeal in our society till today.

PAGE# 64