4 DELHI UPSC SECRETS = www.delhiupscsecrets.com | 74 47 896 897 FOR UPSC CSE PRELIMS 2024 ART-CULTURE & HERITAGE(@) DELHI UPSC SECRETS INDIAN ART & CULTURE Gp ee iol ¢ Architecture refers to designing of and construction of buildings, various types of materials are used i.e. stone, wood, glass, metal etc, involves study of engineering and engineering mathematics and depends upon measurement. €g.Taj Mahal, Red Fort ¢ sculpture is a 3D work of art. is made of single piece of material, involves creativity, imagination and may not depend on measurement .eg. Nataraja Image, Dancing Girl Purse) Post Mauryan Art y Classification of India Architecture South Indian Art Harappan Mauryan Art Art EEC EUG I} Delhi Sultanate = , rf seats + Seals + Seal Shapes: © Seals come in square, rectangular, circular, or triangular shapes. © The standard Harappan seal is typically a 2x2 square inch plaque. © Material Composition: ©. Seals are primarily made from materials like soft river stone, especially steatite. + Engravings and Script: ‘© Each seal is engraved with pictographic script. © The scriptis yet to be deciphered. © Some seals aiso feature animal impressions. + Material Variation: © Seals have been found in materials such as gold and ivory. + Symbolic Elements: © Onaverage, each seal contains 5 signs or symbols. © Common motifs include animals like bulls, elephants, tigers, goats, and monsters.eg unicorn seal © Occasionally, trees and human figures are also depicted. + Direction of Writing: © The direction of writing on the seals is from right to left. «Significance of Seals 1) They were mainly used as unit of trade and commerce. Pashupati Seal 2) They were also used as an amulet (to ward off the evil) 3) They were also used as an educational tool (presence of pie sign). Gupta Age Art OPT Le} _Neo-Roman [sae [peeensecee tJ a(@) DELHI UPSC SECRETS INDIAN ART & CULTURE Sculpture + Three-Dimensional Stone Statuaries: © Harappa and Mohenjodaro feature stone statuaries showcasing exceptional handling of three-dimensional volumes. * Notable Stone Figures: ‘© Two prominent stone figures include a torso in red sandstone and a bust of, a bearded man in steatite. + Bronze Casting: © Harappan art extensively employed bronze casting. © The prevalent technique used was the "Lost wax technique." © Inthis method, wax figures are coated with clay, dried, heated, and then molten wax is drained out, leaving a hollow mold. © The molds filled with bronze or another metal, and once cooled, the clay is, removed. © Examples of Metal-Cast Sculptures: © Kalibangan and Daimabad have yielded excellent examples of metal-cast, sculptures. * Bronze Figure: © Bronze sculptures include both human and animal figures. © Anotable example is the statue of a girl, often referred to as the ‘Dancing Girl. ‘* Artistic Animal Figures: © Among animal figures in bronze, the buffalo with its uplifted head, back, and sweeping horns, as well as the goat, are cited for their artistic merit. * Terracotta Terracotta is a fire baked clay and is handmade using pinching method.The Indus Valley people made terracotta images also but as compared to stone and bronze statues the terracotta representations of human formare crude. They are more realistic in Gujarat sites and Kalibangan. Examples are Mother Goddess, Toy carts with A - Toy ears with wheels % Pottery ‘+ Alarge quantity of pottery excavated from the sites indicates gradual evolution of various design motifs as employed in different shapes and styles. Potteries were mainly plain, red and black painted. The Indus Valley pottery consists chiefly of very fine wheel- made wares, very few being hand-made. * Plain pottery is more common than painted ware. Plain pottery is generally of red clay, with or without a fine red or grey slip. It includes knobbed ware, ornamented with rows of knobs. * The black painted ware has a fine coating of red slip on which geometric and animal designs are executed in glossy black paint. * Use of Pottery 1. For household purpose (storage of water, food grains etc). 2. For decoration- Miniature vessels used for decoration (Less than % inch). 3. Used as perforated pottery (large hole at the bottom and small holes all over the wall, and probably was used for straining liquor.) ¢ Beads and Ornaments * Harappan men and women adorned themselves with a wide variety of ornaments crafted from various materials, including precious metals, gemstones, bone, and baked clay. © Necklaces, armlets, and finger rings were commonly worn by both males and females, * The bead industry was well-developed, with evidence of factories at Chanhudaro and Lothal ao tJ © emervatipseseces tcl(@) DELHI UPSC SECRETS INDIAN ART & CULTURE * Beads were crafted from materials like cornelian, amethyst, steatite, turquoise, etc. Beads exhibited various shapes, including disc:shaped, cylindrical spherical, barrel-shaped, and segmented, showcasing great technical skill in their production. * Discoveries of dead bodies buried with ornaments indicate the cultural significance of personal adornmentsJHarappans demonstrated an awareness of fashion, evident in different hairstyles and the wearing of beards. * Cinnabar_was utilized for_cosmetics, including lipstick, face paint, and eyeliner, reflecting an understanding of beauty practices among the Harappan people. * Extensive Town Planning * Town Planning: co Remarkable town planning observed in Harappa and Mohenjo-daro, co Rectangular grid pattern with roads running in north- south and east-west directions. © Roads intersecting at right angles, dividing the city into blocks. © Big roads and smaller lanes connecting houses and apartments to the main roads. Lower city * Building Types: Fig. Ll: Citadel and lower city © Three main types of buildings found: dwelling houses, public buildings, and public baths. © Burnt mud bricks of standardized dimensions used for construction. © Well-baked brick layers joined with gypsum mortar. © City Division: ‘© City divided into two parts: upraised citadel and lower part. © Upraised citadel in the western part used for large buildings like granaries, administrative structures, and pillared halls. © Some citadel buildings may have been residences of rulers and aristocrats. * Lack of Monumental Structures: ‘© Indus Valley civilization sites lack large monumental structures such as temples or palaces for rulers, unlike Egyptian and Mesopotamian civilizations. Granaries + Intelligent Granary Design: ‘© Granaries intelligently designed with strategic air ducts and raised platforms. © Designed for efficient storage of grains and protection against pests. + Prevalence of Public Baths: co Harappan cities highlight the importance of ritualistic cleansing through the prevalence of public baths. co Public baths, like the famous 'Great Bath’ in Mohenjo- daro, surrounded by galleries and rooms. co The Great Bath's flawless condition showcases the engineering capabilities of the Harappan civilization, * Diversity in Housing: © Lower city houses include small one-roomed structures, potentially used by the working class. © Some houses show evidence of stairs, indicating the possibility of double-storied dwellings. © Most buildings equipped with private wells, bathrooms, and effective ventilation. * Advanced Drainage System: ‘Striking feature of the Harappan civilization is the advanced drainage system. © Small drains from each house connected to larger drains alongside main roads. ‘© Loosely covered drains for regular cleaning and maintenance. Citadel Fig. 1.2: The Great Bath at Mohenjo-daro Pp oerisecee te ©) rere ott C[ seme(@) DELHI UPSC SECRETS INDIAN ART & CULTURE © Presence of cesspits at regular intervals. + Emphasis on Hygiene: © Importance placed on hygiene, both personal and public, is impressive. © Presence of wells observed at many sites, contributing to the overall water management system > Some of the important sites of the Indus Valley civilisation and their archaeological findings a Site Location Key Discoveries Harappa Present Pakistan, | - Two rows of six granaries with a big platform.Stone symbol of on the bank of lingam and yoni.- Mother goddess figure - Bronze sculpture of a iver Ravi dog chasing a deer.- Red sandstone male torso. Mohenjo-daro | Present Pakistan, | - The citadel.- The great bath.- The great granary- Post-cremation onthe River Indus | _ burial practices.- Bronze statue of the Dancing Girl.- Pashupati seal.- Sculpture of a bearded priest. Dholavira Gujarat = Giant water reservoir Unique water harnessing system. Stadium.- Dams and embankments.- Inscription with 10 large- sized signs.- Advertisement-like inscription. Lothal Gujarat = Important for naval trade.- Dockyard.- Practice of burial of cremated remains- Rice husk- Fire altars Painted jar- Terracotta figure of horse and ship.- Instruments for measuring angles. Rakhigarhi Haryana = Largest site of Indus Valley civilization.- Granary- Cemetery- Drains.- Terracotta bricks. Ropar Punjab, India = Dog buried with human in oval pit burials. Copper axe. Balathal & Rajasthan ~ Bangle factory - Toy carts. - Bones of a camel - Decorated bricks Kalibangan Citadel and lower town.- Fire altar. ‘Surkotada Gujarat = First actual remains of horse bones. Banawali Haryana, on the = Toy plough.- Barley grains.- Lapis lazuli. Fire altars. Oval- dried-up Saraswati | shaped settlement.- Radial streets (unique feature). river Alamgirpur | Meerut, Uttar ~ Easternmost site of IVC. Broken copper blade.- Ceramic items.- Pradesh, on the Impression of cloth on a trough. banks of Yamuna Mehrgarh Pakistan - Considered precursor to Indus Valley Civilization.- Pottery Copper tools. ‘Mauryan Art ‘© Nosignificantarchitectural remains have been found corresponding to the period between the Harappans and the Mauryas. ‘* This is probably because buildings were not made of stone in this period. 6 “century BCE marked the beginning of new socio-religious movements in the Gangetic valley in the form of Buddhism and Jainism which were part of Shraman tradition * By 4th century BCE, Mauryas established their power and Ashoka patronized Shraman tradition in 3rd century BCE and encouraged the development of distinct sculptural and architectural styles. ‘+ Religious practices had many dimensions and were not confined to one particular mode of worship. © Worship of Yakshas and mother goddesses were prevalent at that time, which later got assimilated into Buddhism and Jainism. Mauryan art represents an important transition in Indian art from use of wood to ston: Additional points ‘ume/DelhiUpscSecrets_ofcial SR? | poem sees te)