'The Making of Regional Cultures' — Practice

Question 1

How did regional languages develop in medieval India? Explain with examples.

Accepted Answer

Regional languages grew from parent languages (Sanskrit, Prakrit, Apabhramsha) as people began writing and singing in their own tongues. Bengali produced the Charyapada; Marathi produced the Dnyaneshwari; Telugu produced Nannaya's Mahabharata; Malayalam emerged from Tamil. Bhakti poetry and royal patronage enriched these languages and gave regions their cultural identity.

Question 2

Compare the Nagara and Dravida styles of temple architecture.

Accepted Answer

The Nagara style of North India has a curved tower (shikhara) over the sanctum, as seen at Konark and Khajuraho. The Dravida style of South India has a pyramidal tower (vimana) and large gateway towers (gopurams), as seen at the Brihadeshwara Temple, Thanjavur.

Question 3

Name two classical dance forms from South India and their regions.

Accepted Answer

Bharatanatyam (Tamil Nadu) and Kathakali (Kerala). Kuchipudi (Andhra Pradesh) is also accepted.

Question 4

What is the earliest known text in Bengali and from which language did Malayalam emerge?

Accepted Answer

The Charyapada (10th-12th centuries) is the earliest Bengali text. Malayalam emerged from Tamil.

Practice — 'The Making of Regional Cultures'

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