SHIKHAR MAINS 2022 - DAY 1 Answer ENGLISH

Q1: Examine the various aspects of art and architecture of the Bronze Age civilization.

Approach

·       Start your answer with a general introduction to the civilization of the Harappan civilization.

·       Discuss town planning, sculpture and painting.

·       Conclude answer by explaining the importance of Harrapan civilization.

Answer -
Harappa or Indus Valley Civilization is one of the oldest civilizations in the world. It was in mature state between 2600-1900 BC, In this era, humans started using bronze, a metal mixed with copper and tin. Harappan Civilization mainly present in North Eastern Afghanistan , Extended from northwestern Pakistan to the northern region of India, It was a contemporary civilization of ancient Egypt and Mesopotamian civilization. The highest concentration of archaeological sites related to Harappan civilization has been found in Ghaggar/Hakra river valley. The archaeological sources obtained from the sites of the Harappan civilization give information about the art and architecture of the time.

Harappan era architecture

·       The most important feature of the Harappan civilization was its town planning. , The planning of most of the cities of this civilization was uniform. Cities were often covered with a network of roads, There is usually a difference between the settlement of the East and the West in the cities. Where the western part shows fortifications or fortified structures, the eastern part appears to be a normal residential area. It is possible that the western part may have been an administrative or public area. Probably the people of the ruling class lived in the western part, Even today, administrative centers and the residences of administrators are often located in specific areas.

·       A major feature of the cities of Harappan civilization was their drainagesystem. The drain coming from each house used to open into the drains built on the side of the road. All the drains were covered with stones, Manholes were also made somewhere in the drains. Drains were constructed with pucca bricks. This continues to be a feature of current urban water management.

·       The roads here cut each other at right angles , by which the city was divided into many rectangular blocks , It is a popular form of urbanization even today. The importance of this form of urbanization is from the point of view of security and communication with the administration along with beauty. Houses were built on both sides of the road, The doors and windows of these houses did not open towards the road but towards the back of the house. The design of these buildings was very similar to that of modern buildings. Mohenjodaro , Harappa , Rakhigarhi , Lothal , dholavira , Surkotada and Kalibanga were the main urban centers of the Indus civilization. The planning of these cities presents evidence of the Indus civilization being a developed urban civilization.

Indigo sculpture

·       In Harappan Cities evidence of metal, stone and clay sculptures is found. Although there is less evidence of stone and metal sculptures compared to contemporary civilizations.

·       Most of the evidence of stone sculptures comes from Mohenjodaro and some have been found from Harappa although stone sculptures are numerically few. Some of the prominent statues are Dancing youth's torso (Harappan), the statue of a man with a beard from Mohenjodaro.

·       The liquid wax method (lost wax) was used in the manufacture of metal sculptures. Among the metal sculptures, the bronze dancer (Mohenjodaro) is the most famous. Apart from this, idols of bulls and other animals made of metal have also been found.

·       Beauty and balanced body proportion is the important feature of these idols. In other words, these sculptures represent realistic art. Along with this, the cost of these sculptures must have been high, so it is estimated that these statues express the attitude of the upper classes of the society in the field of art.

·       Clay sculptures have also been found in abundance from various Harappan cities. There are more statues of women than men. Among the animals, the largest number of humped bull idols have been found. In addition, various animals and birds, Evidence of statues related to toys and general humour is found, These idols do not have artistic beauty like stone and metal sculptures but are an important source of knowing the religious beliefs and means of entertainment of common people of contemporary society. This tradition of sculpture is still present in our lives in some form or the other.

Harappan painting

·       Red color and black color have been used more in carving paintings, most of the evidence of Harappan paintings is obtained from utensils. Trees and plants were mostly depicted on the pots like Peepal, Neem etc.

·       Some of the prominent paintings are picture of a cunning fox from Lothal, picture of a fisherman from Harappa. That is, in the pictures, importance has been given to various elements of nature. The tradition of paintings on pottery continues.

It is clear from the above description that the Harappan Civilization , was in a sufficiently developed state in terms of art and architecture , Various aspects of Harappan era art and architecture provide input to the present art and architecture, that is, these characteristics can be seen even in the present urbanization, so the cultural aspect of Harappan era is still present in one form or the other. ,

Q2 - Explain the causes of the Battle of Plassey. Along with it discuss its consequences.

Approach-

·       Start your answer with the background of the Battle of Plassey.

·       Discuss the causes of the Battle of Plassey.

·       While briefly depicting the events of the Battle of Plassey, mention its consequences.

 Answer -

Starting of British Political Power in India is believed to be from 1757 Battle of Plassey when the army of the English East India Company defeated Siraj-ud-daula, the Nawab of Bengal. Enthused by defeating the French in the Carnatic Wars, the British made better use of their experiences in this war. Bengal was then the richest and most fertile province of India. Company in 1717 was doing illegal trade using the royal decree given by the Mughal emperor, which was harming the economic interests of Bengal. It was against this background that Siraj-ud-Daulah in 1756 took Kasimbazar and Kolkata under his control and the British had to take refuge on an island called Fulta. After that, with the help of naval assistance led by Watson and Clive, who came from Madras, the British again challenged Siraj-ud-daula and conquered Calcutta. However, soon both sides had decisive battle in Plassey on 23 June ,1757.

 Reasons for the Battle of Plassey

·       Imperialist ambitions of the British - Controversy over misuse of the 1717 decree (order) of Farrukhsiyar - Damage to the revenue of Bengal by the right of dastak given by Farrukhsiyar and misuse of it by the employees of the company not to pay tax on private business, angered the Nawab.

·       Challenge to the sovereignty of Siraj-ud-Daulah - Enthused by the Second Carnatic War, the British challenged the authority of Siraj-ud-Daula, such as taxing Indian goods in Calcutta, fortify Calcutta despite the refusal of the Nawab, Protection of Nawab's opponents etc. Siraj took these actions as a violation of his sovereignty.

·       Reaction of Siraj-ud-Daulah - Siraj-ud-Daulah in June ,1756 Established control over Kasimbazar and Calcutta and the British officers had to take refuge in Fulta Island, Siraj-ud-daula handed over the responsibility of Calcutta to an officer named Manikchand, who had betrayed him.

·       Black-hole event - Holbel mentioned this incident. Although it has not been proved historically, yet it united the British for retaliation from Siraj-ud-Daulah.

·       British control over Calcutta – In January 1757 British re-established control over Calcutta under the leadership of Clive. Siraj-ud-Daulah accepted British sovereignty for an instant, Although the Nawab compulsively accepted all the demands of the British, but the British wanted to put a confidant on the throne in his place.

·       Conspiracy by Clive - In a conspiracy along with Chief General Mir Jafar, and many other officers and big businessmen Clive plans to remove the Nawab. According to the plan, there was a confrontation between the two armies at a place called Plassey and within a few hours the British won.

 Consequences of the Battle of Plassey

 Political consequences

·       Rise of the British as a Political Power in East (Bengal, Orissa).

·       The weakening of the political position of the Nawab of Bengal due to which the influence of the British on the political administration of Bengal such as interference in the appointment of officers of the Nawab etc.

·       The ambition of the British increased and its effect was seen in the form of political intervention in other Indian regions.

 Financial Consequences

·       A huge amount as compensation to the British ,

·       Zamindari of the 24 pargana and the British also took a considerable amount as a gift. The British took advantage of the access to the rich resources of Bengal in the Third Carnatic War and the expansion of their territory in North India.

·       The employees of the company were given the facility of free trade even on private trade.

·       The English East India Company weakened the French and Dutch companies and gained a monopoly on trade and commerce in Bengal

After the Battle of Plassey, the East India Company established itself not only as a commercial body but also as a military company. Now it had a huge area which could be protected only through a trained army. As a result, the company moved towards military-consolidation and its political interference and dominance in different parts of India increased.