Chapter-10
The Flowering of Regional Cultures
Q1. When did modern Indo-Aryan languages start emerging? Give Examples of modern Indo-Aryan languages.
A1. Modern Indo-Aryan languages started emerging in the ninth and tenth centuries. Odia, Bengali, Marathi,
Hindi and related languages are some examples of modern Indo-Aryan languages.
Q2. Which language was known as the ‘camp language’? Why?
A2. Urdu was known as the camp language. This was because Urdu emerged in the camp of soldiers. Soldiers
came from all parts of the country and spoke different languages. Urdu emerged as a link language which
was spoken and understood by all.
Q3. Name the centers of Rajasthani style of painting. When did this style flourish?
A3. The main centers of the Rajasthani style of painting were Mewar, Jodhpur, Bundi, Bikaner, Kota and
Kishangarh. Rajasthani style of painting flourished from the late 14th till the late 18th century.
Q4. From which word is ’Kathak’ derived? Who were the kathakars?
A4. The word ‘Kathak’ is derived from the word ’Katha’, which means story. The kathakars were a caste of
storytellers attached to temples. They used gestures and songs to tell stories in praise of god.
Q5. Write some distinctive features of the temples of Bengal.
A5. Some distinctive features of the temples of Bengal are –
• Bricks and terracotta are used on a large-scale.
• Temples are four roofed structures with four triangular roofs moving up to converge at a point.
• The outer walls of these temples are covered with terracotta tiles that depict scenes from the epics.
Q6. Discuss the development of Hindi literature in the medieval period.
A6.
• Hindi was widely spoken in the medieval period. Braj and Awadhi were the two popular dialects.
• Chandbardai’s Prithviraj-Raso is consider one of the earliest works in Hindi literature.
• Tulsidas and Surdas were famous Hindi poets. Tulsidas and Surdas wrote the Ramcharitra manas and Sur
Sagar respectively.
• Prem Vatika by Raskhan and Satsai by Bihari are notable works in Hindi.
Q7. Discuss the development of Persian literature in the medieval period.
A7. The Turks introduced Persian in India. Soon it become the court language and administrative records were
maintained in Persian. Amir Khusrau wrote in Persian. The Ramayana, the Mahabharata, The Bhagavad Gita
and the Upanishads were translated into Persian. Books in Arabic and Turkish were also translated into
Persian Akbar’s Akbarnama, Jahangir’s memoirs, Tuzuk-i-Jahangir, Abdul Hameed Lahoris Padshahnamah
Are some notable works in Persian. Many dictionaries in Persian were also compiled in this period.
Q8. Discuss the main features of Mughal painting.
A8. Mughal paintings were generally miniature paintings. The miniatures were done on paper or cloth. The
painting style was a fusion of Indian and Persian traditions. The painters used bright colours. The themes of
the paintings included scene from royal court, battles, royal hunts nature daily life of the household,
mythology, portraits and episodes from Hindu epics and Persian classics.
Q9. How did the regional kingdoms contribute to the development of music in medieval India?
A9. The rulers of Jaunpur and Gwalior were patrons of music. Ghunyal-ul-munyas and sangeet siromani were
two musical works compiled inn Jaunpur, Sultan Hussain Shah Sharqi of Jaunpur composed many ragas. Raja
Singh Tomar of Gwalior wrote an important musical work, Man Kautuhal. A distinctive style of music also
developed in Kashmir. Music also prospered in regional kingdoms of Gujarat and Malwa.
Q10. Write short notes on -music during the Mughal period, literature and music in medieval Bengal.
A10. Music during the Mughal period- Music flourished in the Mughal period. Abul Fazl says that they were 36
musicians in the court of Akbar, some of whom were women. Mian Tansen was the most famous musician in
Akbar’s court, he composed many new ragas. Jahangir and Shah Jahan also had musicians in their court. It
was during Aurangzeb’s reign that singing was banned in the Mughal court. However, several books on
classical music were written in Persian during his reign.
Literature and music in medieval Bengal – Many Sanskrit classics were translated into Bengali. Sultan
Alauddin Husain got the Ramayana and the Mahabharata translated into Bengali. The famous poet,
Maladhar translated the Bhagavad Purana into Bengali. He also compiled Sri-Krishna-Vijaya. Folk music,
especially baul singing, prospered in Bengali. Chaitanya Maha Prabhu popularized kirtans that were sung in
chorus and accompanied by instrumental music. Hundreds of illustrated manuscripts from the Husain Shahi
period have been found.
