Magnum Opus of Medieval India Questions & Answers

Hi Everyone!! This article will share Magnum Opus of Medieval India Questions & Answers.

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Magnum Opus of Medieval India Questions & Answers

Question 1: Name the two ragas introduced by Amir Khusrau.

Answer: Amir Khusrau introduced many ragas such as aiman, ghora, sanam, etc.

Question 2: Who were the greatest Telugu scholars of medieval period?

Answer: Nanniah, Tikkana, Errapragada were a few great Telugu scholars of medieval period.

Question 3: Name the two painters who accompanied Humayun to Kabul.

Answer: Humayun persuaded two famous Persian painters, Mir Sayyid Ali and Abdus Samad to accompany him to Kabul.

Question 4: Describe Vamana Pandit’s contribution to Marathi literature.

Answer: Vamana Pandit’s contribution in Marathi literature includes Yathartha-dipika, Karmatatva, Sita-Svayamvara, etc.

Question 5: Write a brief note on the Jagannath cult.

Answer:

• The cult of Lord Jagannath at Puri, in Odisha, around whom the religious life of Odisha has evolved.
• Legendary sources suggest that Jagannath was originally a local God who was late considered to be a form of Vishnu.
• The temple for Lord Jagannath at Puri was built in the 12^th century by Anantavarman, the King of the Ganga dynasty.
• In 1230 CE, King Anangabhima III dedicated his empire to Lord Jagannath and identified himself as the deputy of the Lord.
• Gradually, the temple became an important centre of pilgrimage.
• It has become one of the four important places of pilgrimage known as Char Dham for the devout Hindus of all part of India.
• Large crowds of devotees are to be noticed in Jagannath Ratha Yatra at Puri.

Magnum Opus of Medieval India Questions & Answers

Question 6: Trace the growth of miniature painting.

Answer: The classical art of miniature painting developed in different ways.

• They small sized painting generally done on cloth and paper. Some of these paintings are found in Western India.
• These were seen in the Jain manuscripts. As the earliest Jain manuscripts were made of palm leaves which had lot of restriction in terms of scope, the format and the range of colours but with the introduction of paper, greater variety of the miniatures were introduced.
• By the fifteenth century, provincial kingdoms such as Malwa, Gujarat emerged as the important centres of painting.
• Under the Mughals, the art of miniature painting reached a high level of refinement. The Mughal emperors patronised skilled painters who decorated and illustrated the manuscripts.
• Under the guidance of the painters (Mir Sayyid Ali and Abdus Samad) during the reign of Akbar, a painting workshop was set up in which many painters from all parts of the country and of different backgrounds worked.
• This led to the emergence of Mughal School of Painting which represents a synthesis of Persian and Indian art style.
• The themes of these paintings were court scenes, hunting scenes or battle scenes and depicting social life.
• Bright Indian colours such as peacock blue, Indian red, etc. were used.
• The Persian translation of Mahabharata and Akbarnama are some examples which contain important illustrations.

Question 7: How did the music develop during medieval period?

Answer:

• Music received encouragement under the Mughal rulers.
• Akbar patronised Tansen who composed many ragas. Jahangir, Shah Jahan were also great patron of music but Aurangzeb discouraged music and imposed ban upon it.
• During the later Mughal period, some important developments took place in the field of music.
• Music also flourished in different provinces such as Kashmir, Gujarat and Malwa.
• Sharqi rulers of Jaunpur were great lovers and patron of music.
• Adil Shahi Sultans of Bijapur and Baz Bahadur of Malwa appreciated the art of music.
• The Bhakti and Sufi saints also played a significant role in the development of music.

Question 8: Give an account of Bengali literature.

Answer:

• Many Sanskrit epics were translated into Bengali.
• The advent of Chaitanya, the leader of Vaishnava Bhakti movement introduced a new genre in Bengali literature. Many biographies of Chaitanya appeared.
• Chandidasa is a great name in medieval Bengali literature.
• The Sultans of Bengal patronised Bengali literature.
• Nusrat Shah of Bengal encouraged many scholars and had the Ramayana and Mahabharata translated into Bengali.
• Maladhar Basu compiled Sri-Krishna-Vijaya in which he took up the Krishna legend as the theme. He also translated Bhagvat Purana into Bengali.
• The Mangalkavyas (literally auspicious poems) describe the glory of many gods and goddesses.
• Songs of Queen Maynamati and her son Gopichandra, stories related to worship of Dharma Thakur and many folk tales, ballads are also a part of Bengali literature.

Question 9: Explain the changes observed in the field of dance during the medieval period.

Answer:

• Many classical dance forms developed in different parts of India.
• Kathak is a distinct dance form of North India. The word Kathak is derived from the word katha which means a story.
• The kathakars or story tellers were associated with the temples. They narrated stories of gods and goddesses by using songs, facial expressions and gestures.
• With the spread of the bhakti movement, a whole new range of lyrics and musical forms evolved.
• The legends of Radha-Krishna proved immensely popular along with the works of Meerabai, Surdas, etc.
• Under the Mughals the costumes and the style changed substantially.
• Kathak developed in two schools or gharans – the Jaipur and the Lucknow.
• Under the patronage of Wajid Ali Shah, the last Nawab of Awadh, Kathak grew into a major dance form.

So, these were Magnum Opus of Medieval India Questions & Answers.