What was the significance of a fort in medieval India? What were the strategic devices adopted in the construction of forts to confuse or defeat the enemy?

Building monumental forts was a regular feature in medieval times which often symbolised the seat of power of a king. When such a fort was captured by an attacking army the vanquished ruler either lost his complete power or his ..

What is the importance of the Bhagavata movement in the history of Indian art?

The Bhakti movement witnessed a surge in Hindu literature in regional languages, particularly in the form of devotional poems and music. This literature includes the writings of the Alvars and Nayanars, poems of Andal, Basava, Bhagat Pipa, Allama Prabhu, Akka Mahadevi,  Kabir,  Nanak,   Tulsidas, Gusainji, Ravidas,  Jayadeva, Namdev, Tukaram, Mirabai, etc. The Bhagavata Purāṇa is ..

Justify by giving illustrations from the paintings in the caves at Ajanta that the master painters who produced these paintings were in love with nature.

The caves Nos. I, II; XVI and XVII were painted in the Gupta period. The master painters of Ajanta were in love with nature. The flowering trees, quietly flowing streamlets and the roaming denizens of the forest have received unqualified ..

Compare the image of the Buddha in the Gandhara art with that in the Mathura art.

In the Gandhara school Buddha portrayed had Hellenistic features whereas in the Mathura school the Buddha was modelled on earlier Yaksha images. The Gandhara School had also roman as well as Greek influences and assimilated Archimedean, Parthian and Bactrian. The ..

Critically discuss the importance of terracotta as the material for artistic expression of the humble people.

Terracotta was the material for artistic expression of the humbler people to whom stone, not very easily obtainable in the plains of northern India and was a precious and costly material. A large number of variety of finds have been ..

Do you think that the Company School of Painting had a Pan-India Presence? Substantiate your answer.

The company style of paintings was not a Pan-India phenomenon. This style developed in some cities only which had any of the following qualities: These cities had monuments and an inflow of foreign officials or tourists. These cities had expatriates ..

Critically discuss why Buddha image from Sarnath is considered the highest triumph of Indian art.

The synthesis of the external form with the inner spirit is nowhere better illustrated than in the Buddha images of the Gupta period. The three most outstanding examples are the seated Buddha image from Sarnath, the inscribed image of the ..

Examine the contemporary relevance of ancient Indian literary works in modern Indian arts. How are artists today drawing inspiration from classical texts? Discuss.

Ancient Indian literary works continue to exert a profound influence on modern Indian art, serving as a reservoir of themes, motifs, and narratives. These texts, which include epics like the Mahabharata and Ramayana, and classical poetic works such as Kalidasa’s ..

How did the colonial period influence Indian literature and arts? Discuss the changes in themes, styles, and mediums during this era with suitable examples.

The colonial period deeply influenced Indian literature and arts, manifesting in altered themes, styles, and media. This colonial period introduced European literary forms and artistic techniques, which Indian artists and writers adapted in various ways. Introduction of New Genres and ..

Discuss the importance of the Gupta temple in the development of Indian architecture.

Of the religious monuments of the Gupta period the foremost is the Gupta temple. It was an independent structure built of dressed stone blocks placed together, which afforded ample scope for the exercise of the architect’s genius.Another feature of the ..