UPSC Mains Answer Writing Practice GS -Test 16

UPSC Mains Answer Writing Practice GS -Test 16

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Check All  Mains Questions

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1. Religion is deeply entrenched in Indian art, yet there is no dearth of secular themes”. Explain. (150 Words) (10 Marks)

2. “India’s cultural diversity is best reflected in its diverse temple architectural styles”. Analyze. (150 Words) (10 Marks)

3. Even though nationalism was the key driving force behind unification of India and Germany, there were key differences in the way it was achieved. Examine (150 Words) (10 Marks)

4. Examine the role played by Bhakti movement in laying down the foundation stones of Indian renaissance? (250 Words) (15 Marks)

5. The League of Nations withered away soon after its inception, whereas the United Nations is gradually withering away. Critically examine. (250 Words) (15 Marks)

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Answers

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1. Religion is deeply entrenched in Indian art, yet there is no dearth of secular themes”. Explain. (150 Words) (10 Marks)

APPROACH:

• Introduction should explain the relation between art and religion
• Then give a brief overview of how religion is reflected in art culture of India
• Then explain the richness of secular art forms in India.

ANSWER: The earliest art forms originated as a part of primitive religions depicting the natural forces they worshipped. Hence religion influenced the formation of  art forms. From ancient to modern times a strong relationship existed between religion and arts.

Presence of Religion in Indian arts

• Crafts:the Proto Shiva seal, terracotta mother goddess of Harappa and Coins with Greek gods minted by Kushanas were great artcrafts and also an object of worship.
• Painting:Ajanta caves have beautiful images of Budha, Ellora caves have artistic renderings of all faiths and temples like Sittanavasal, Tamilnadu have Jain paintings.
• Dance: Classical dances had themes centred around hindu society. Eg:Manipuri depicted the celestial Shiva-Paravathi dance. Folk dances like paika(Bihar), kalbelia(Rajasthan) had religious themes
• Music:It is considered to have evolved from Samaveda. Devotional music like Bhajan and kirtans evolved as a separate ritualistic tradition.

Despite the immense influence of religion on art, there existed a rich secular art tradition in India.

• Music:Sugam sangeet promoted by Rabindranath Tagore was of secular nature. Several folk music like Alha from MP, Ovi in Maharashtra were leisure songs
• Painting: Mughal kings like Jahangir produced paintings with secular themes like flora and fauna
• Dance: Most folk dances were secular in nature.Eg:Bihu of Assam celebrates spring season and Paika is the war dance of Jharkhand
• Crafts: Harappan pottery, the rings, anklets and other jewellery were worn by everyone. Similarly most of the  bronze and iron statues and crafts built during the Gupta times did not reflect any religion in particular.

Thus it can be observed that Indian art forms were a blend of religious and secular themes ever since it evolved from the ancient times.

2. “India’s cultural diversity is best reflected in its diverse temple architectural styles”. Analyze. (150 Words) (10 Marks)

 APPROACH:

• Briefly give an introduction about India’s cultural diversity.
• Mention how cultural diversity is reflected in different temple architectural styles.

Answer: India’s cultural diversity is a blend of religious, linguistic, ethnic, regional diversity held together by nationalism. The diverse temple architectural styles reflect India’s cultural diversity as well.

• Nagara style:
  • It is a distinct style of temple architecture developed in North India. Eg: Dasavatara temple at Deogarh.
  • Temples followed Panchayatan style where the main deity is placed around the garbhagriha.
  • Images of river goddess Ganga and Yamuna are observed outside the garbhagriha. Shikhara is the pyramidal shaped figure.
  • Within the Nagara style, three sub schools have emerged as well such as Odisha, Khajuraho and Solanki style.
• Odisha style:
  • Lavishly decorated intricate carvings.
  • Shikaras are locally known as rekhadeuls.
  • Ground plan of the main temple is square shaped in nature. Eg: Sun Temple at Konark.
• Khajuraho Style:
  • Temples made up of sandstone.
  • Characterised by erotic sculptures which drew inspiration from Kamasutra.
  • Temples were built on an elevated platform. Eg: Khandariya Mahadeva temple.
• Solanki Style:
  • Temple walls were devoid of any carvings.
  • Unique feature is the presence of a step tank.
  • Temples are east facing as the sun rays fall directly into the central shrine.

• Dravidian Style:
  • Surrounded by high boundary walls.
  • Extensively found in the Southern parts of India. Developed under the patronage of Cholas, Pallavas etc.
  • Stepped linear shaped figure known as vimana extends above the garbhagriha. Eg: Brihadeeswara temple.
  • Characterised by the presence of water tanks. The temples of South India have religious plus administrative purposes as well.

Fig 1: Diverse temple architectural styles

• Vesara style:
  • Combines features of Nagara and Dravidian style.
  • It is prevalent in the Karnataka state. Eg: Aihole temple groups.
  • Mandalas and vimanas are present in such temples.
• Hoysala style:
  • Multiple shrines were built around a central pillared hall.
  • The ground plan was star shaped in nature.
  • Patronised by Hoysala rulers. Eg: Hoysaleswara temple at Halebid.

The diversity of temple architectural styles indicate that there is no uniformity in architecture across India. The materials used for construction, the deities worshipped, the architectural styles used etc. differs region wise. It symbolises the cultural differences in different regions.

3. Even though nationalism was the key driving force behind unification of India and Germany, there were key differences in the way it was achieved. Examine (150 Words) (10 Marks)

APPROACH:

• Give a brief introduction about factors behind nationalism in India and Germany.
• While pointing out the similarities in Indian and German unification, explain the key differences between them both.

ANSWER: German unification was driven by the principle of nationalism which involved collective self-determination, territorial unification and formation of cultural identity. Indian unification was also driven by the ideas of nationalism which grew as an idea during colonial British rule. In addition to the principle of nationalism, there are other similar factors in the unification process.

• Both countries had a large geographical area. Unifying them together was a huge challenge in the initial stages.
• Both countries were unified by the charisma and leadership of a single leader.
• The unification process was mainly followed by the progress and development of the nation.

Indian and German unification

Sardar Patel and Bismarck were both instrumental in unifying the countries of India and Germany respectively. The unification process adopted by them was comparable to each other.

Similarity in unification process:

• Diplomacy: Sardar Patel tirelessly worked through persuasion, diplomacy to build Indian Republic. Similarly, diplomatic actions of Bismarck was unrivalled during his reign as chancellor of Prussia and Germany. He was able to outwit all other contemporary powers including France,Austria etc.
• Military Action:Both leaders used military action to consolidate the region. For example, Bismarck fought Austro-Prussian war and consolidated German federation. Also, Sardar Patel used military to annex the princely state of Hyderabad(Operation Polo).
• Real Politik: Both the leaders took decisions based on the practical situations and were not idealistic. Eg: Patel gave grants of privy purses to princes to annex the states and Bismarck and Bismarck used the Ems Dispatch to incite war against French.

Differences in unification process:

• Homogeneity of process: India did not have a common language nor religion nor culture. Therefore, Patel’s role to unify the country was more complex than Bismarcks because his unification was mainly done using the German linguistic criteria.
• Size of the task: Sardar patel dealt with unification of 565 princely states post independence.Bismarck meanwhile, dealt with the unification of only about 36 states.The process was not that complex for Bismarck in comparison to Patel’s.
• Method of process:Bismarck was against the ideology of democracy,liberalism and socialism. His basic idea of unification included achieving the target even in non-democratic ways. Eg: Bismarck’s blood and iron policy. Patel was a loyal and steadfast soldier of the Indian struggle for Independence. He believed in democratic values and upheld its principles.
• External factors: German unification was strengthened due to external factors. That is, the need for German unity was considered necessary due to the rise in French and Danish nationalism. In case of Indian unification, no such external factors were involved.

Both the leaders were so influential in the history of each nation as Patel prevented balkanisation of the country post independence and Bismarck created a new German empire from the previous Prussian empire.

 4. Examine the role played by Bhakti movement in laying down the foundation stones of Indian renaissance? (250 Words) (15 Marks)

APPROACH:

• Briefly mention about the Bhakti movement.
• Examine how it gave a foundation for Indian renaissance.

ANSWER:  Bhakti movement was a revolution started by the Hindu saints to bring religious reforms by adopting the method of devotion to achieve salvation moving apart from the previous shramana traditions . Bhakti Movement had its genesis in the South of India in the 8th century AD by Alvars -the devotees of Lord Vishnu and Nayanars-devotees of Shiva.

Role played in laying down foundation of Indian Renaissance:

• The Bhakti movement promoted growth of vernacular language in different parts of the country,since various preachers spoke and wrote in regional languages such as Kabirin hindi, Chaithanya Mahaprabhu in Bengali.
• The caste system was condemned and there were Bhakti poets from lower caste for instance Janabaibelong to low caste shudra family
• They were highly critical of ritual observance as maintained and fostered by the Brahmin priesthood.
• The women saints rejected traditional women’s role and social norms by leaving husbands and home altogether for example Akka Mahadevi of Lingayat sect and Mirabai
• Bhakti movement gave to people simple religion ,without complicated rituals.The new idea of a life charity and service to fellow human being developed
• With the synthesis of sufism and Bhakti tradition ,unity among the two communities fostered ,it also resulted in many cultural interaction for instance the development of Urdu as language
• Bhakti tradition reduced the North South divide. For example Ramananda of Allahabad was a follower of Ramanuja of the south. It gave a basis for cultural unification in the later times.
• Different philosophies evolved during the Bhakthi period. For example Shankaracharya’s Advaita, Madhvacharya dvaita philosophy and Nimbraka’s Dvaita advaita philosophy which helped to diversify the religious thoughts. The Indian renaissance accept the multi religious philosophies
• Different classical dances emerged from the movement for example Manipuri ,Kathak etc which can be linked as a part of cultural renaissance.
• The period saw use of music like as Ashtachap,Bhajan and kirtan,using the regional language such as Avadhi,Birj as the saint composers were able to reach people in social strata otherwise impervious to influence of art and music

The Bhakti movement took roots in both rural and urban area and exercised deep social,political ,and cultural influences on masses and laid down the foundational stones for Indian renaissance.

5. The League of Nations withered away soon after its inception, whereas the United Nations is gradually withering away. Critically examine. (250 Words) (15 Marks)

APPROACH:

• Briefly give an introduction about the UN and League of Nations.
• Give reasons for the failure of the League of Nations.
• While mentioning the success of the United Nations, analyse how it withers away in the present times.

ANSWER: League of Nations was an outcome of the First World War with Geneva as headquarters. The creation of such an agency was envisaged by Woodrow Wilson’s 14 points for establishment of world peace. The United Nations was based on the Atlantic Charter 1942 with an aim to prevent further wars in the world and establish world peace post the World War.

Reasons for the failure of League of Nations:

• Germany was disarmed through the Treaty of Versailles.But other major powers were not disarmed through the treaty causing Germany to violate the treaty during Hitler’s rule.
• Turkey and Italy were both dissatisfiedwith the peace treaties. The Caliphate of Turkey was disbanded and Italy was not given political gains through it.
• The Conference of Ambassadors set up along with the League of Nations overruled the decisions of the League of Nation questioning its legacy.
• The League of Nations failed to check frontier violations after World War 1. Eg: Failure of Geneva Protocolduring 1924 broke down promises of compulsory arbitration during border disputes raising possibility of war.
• The Great Depression of 1929led to the loss of peace and stability across the world. The rise of Nazist and Fascist powers in Italy and Germany aided the possibility of another World War.

After the World War 2, United Nations was formed and was largely successful in ensuring world peace because:

• The major world powers such as the United States and USSR were active participants in the UN giving it legitimacy.
• The UN Charterframed after World War 2 was inclusive in nature as it included the proposals of major powers such as the US, USSR, Britain, China etc.
• The decisions of the UNare not based on consensus but rather based on majority thus giving more voice to the developing countries.
• The UN is a much more representative bodycompared to the League of Nations with nearly all nations becoming its members. It has become more representative of the Third World after former colonies gained independence.
• The UN was also successful because it concentrated on the economic and social development of its member nations especially the developing and least  developed countries. Eg: UNESCO, UNICEF
• The UN was also successful in preventing the escalation of conflicts between member countries by agreeing a ceasefire agreement between them. Eg: UN Ceasefire Agreementbetween India and Pakistan brokered by UN.

Yet, the United Nations is gradually withering away in the present times because:

• Peace and Security Issuesdue to conflict between states, violence and human rights violation between states, proliferation of weapons particularly weapons of mass destruction etc.
• Nuclear Proliferation: The failure of the non-proliferation treaty details the ineffectiveness of the United Nations and their inability to enforce crucial rules and regulations on offending nations
• UN Security Council: It has remained largely static, while the UN General Assembly membership has expanded considerably. The five permanent members enjoy the luxury of veto power which they use for meeting their own national interests. Eg: China blocked a serious discussion on the origin and sources of the COVID crisis.
• United States has cast a veto on Council resolutions16 times, many concerning Israeli-Palestinian relations. Russia has done so 17 times, including eight times over Syria.
• Administrative Inefficiency: UN signifıes a large and ineffıcient bureaucracy having ineffıcient decision-making process which involves 188 member governments. It has not done well in adapting to the changing world globalization, high technology, and modern telecommunications.
• Financing Issues:Lack of adequate financing. The UN system relies on assessed contributions from member states. Eg: USA suspended 100% funding for the UN Population Fund starting in 2017, UNAIDS and the WHO also experienced significant cuts losing about 30 percent and 20 percent of their U.S. funding.
• Non Conventional Challenges: Risk of climate change in the present times shift weather patterns threaten food production, the growing population across the world pose challenges to achieve sustainable development targets by 2030.
• Issues with UN Charter: Charter is vague in defining the duties of the secretary general. The Secretary General cannot show favoritism to any particular country, but the office is largely dependent on the funding and the good will of the most powerful nations.
• The Charter allows the General Assembly to act if a UNSC member veto causes threat to international peace and security. But the UNGA has not acted in reality.

Although there were cases of Cold War and related tension between USA and USSR post World War 2, it did not develop into a full fledged war. Thus, the UN can be described as much more successful compared to the League of Nations in establishing world peace.