(DAW)

DAILY ANSWER WRITING

Feb.’23

GS-I (Paper- I I)
(Model Answer-1)
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 Sunya IAS – DAILY ANSWER WRITING (DAW) – FEB.’23
GS – I (PAPER – I I)
(Model Answer)

Q1. To what extent does the condition of the socio-religious status become more
believable from the evidence of the art and architecture? Give your arguments
with examples.

(150 words, 10 marks)

Approach
Introduction: Briefly describe India’s rich art and architecture.
Body:
 Explain how various art and architecture reflects socio-religious conditions
with examples
 Explain the limitations of using art and architecture in understanding socio-
economic conditions
Conclusion: Conclude appropriately.

Introduction: India has a rich heritage of art and architecture in forms of music, dance,
painting, temple architecture etc. This not only adds cultural value, but also acts as a
reflection of conditions of socio-religious status of the time.

Condition of socio-religious status from the evidence of the art and architecture as
follows

 Social conditions:
 Social structure: Religious as well as secular literature give insights on social
structure, particularly hierarchy and status.
o Example: Four-fold varna system is mentioned in Rig Veda.
 Status of women: Art forms reflect good and bad aspects of the position of
women during the time.
o Example: Worship of female deities such as Durga shows respect towards
women, while presence of social evils such as Devadasi system of Temple
of south India shows poor treatment of women.
 Prosperity: Presence of rich art and architecture represents the prosperous nature
of the society and economy.
o Example: Gupta period is known as ‘Golden Age’ due to achievements in
the field of art and literature.
 Presence of skilled workers: Sophistication of paintings and architecture along
with rich literary works shows presence of highly skilled workers of the time.
o Examples: Pala miniature painting, Indo-Islamic architecture etc.
 Depiction of day-to-day life: Art forms such as literature, painting, folk dances,
and music reflected common man's life in their theme.
o Example: Warli painting of Maharashtra depicts hunting, harvesting,
dancing etc.

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 Sunya IAS – DAILY ANSWER WRITING (DAW) – FEB.’23
GS – I (PAPER – I I)
 Social evils: Social evils such as untouchability, sati, child marriages etc were
mentioned in literary works.
o Example: Untouchability is mentioned in Dharma sastra, later Bhakti
literature criticized the evils of untouchability.
 Religious conditions:
 Coexistence of religions: Tolerance between multiple religions can be deducted
from some cave architecture of the past.
o Example: Ellora caves comprise Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist temples.
 Royal patronage of religions: It is clear from the presence of wealthy and large
temples, royal painting of Gods and Goddesses, rock edicts etc.
o Examples: Brihadeeswara temple (Chola dynasty), Asoka’s edicts to
promote Buddhism.
 Forms of worship: Evidence of idol worship and nature worship can be found
through various ancient art and architecture, particularly temple architecture.
o Examples: Pashupathi seal (Indus valley civilization), Konark sun temple
(Dedicated to Hindu sun God Surya)
 Bhakti system: Bhakti literature represents the legacy of socio-religious
movement. Use of vernacular language and socially inclusive themes shows
resentment against the rigid caste system of the time.

Art and architecture is not always a true reflection of socio-religious status in the
following ways

 Elitist nature: Most of the art and architecture is associated with royal patronage and
is out of touch with reality.
o Example: Even though the Gupta period is known as the Golden age, social
rigidity of the time in forms of caste discrimination rarely became a theme of
popular art.
 Glorification: It is true particularly in the case of royal inscription, painting, and
literature, and made to appease the rulers.
o Example: Royal inscriptions known as ‘Prahasti’ contain glorified depiction
of kings.
 Not inclusive: Art forms often cater to high class/caste sections of the society. Hence,
marginalised sections such as women, the lower caste etc are not represented properly
in them.
Conclusion: Nevertheless, art and architecture give valuable information about the socio-
religious status of the time, and these are often used by historians to study socio-economic
and political conditions of the time.

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