UPSC Essentials brings to you its initiative for the practice of Mains answer writing. It covers essential topics of static and dynamic parts of the UPSC Civil Services syllabus covered under various GS papers. This answer-writing practice is designed to help you as a value addition to your UPSC CSE Mains. Attempt today’s answer writing on questions related to topics of GS-1 to check your progress.

Discuss how the architectural history of India experienced a distinct and impactful era during the Vijayanagara Empire.

How did spices, particularly pepper, serve as a conduit for cultural exchange between India and other countries?

Introduction

— The introduction of the answer is essential and should be restricted to 3-5 lines. Remember, a one-liner is not a standard introduction.

— It may consist of basic information by giving some definitions from the trusted source and authentic facts.

Body

— It is the central part of the answer and one should understand the demand of the question to provide rich content.

— The answer must be preferably written as a mix of points and short paragraphs rather than using long paragraphs or just points.

— Using facts from authentic government sources makes your answer more comprehensive. Analysis is important based on the demand of the question, but do not over analyse.

— Underlining keywords gives you an edge over other candidates and enhances presentation of the answer.

— Using flowcharts/tree-diagram in the answers saves much time and boosts your score. However, it should be used logically and only where it is required.

Way forward/ conclusion

— The ending of the answer should be on a positive note and it should have a forward-looking approach. However, if you feel that an important problem must be highlighted, you may add it in your conclusion. Try not to repeat any point from body or introduction.

— You may use the findings of reports or surveys conducted at national and international levels, quotes etc. in your answers.

Self Evaluation

— It is the most important part of our Mains answer writing practice. UPSC Essentials will provide some guiding points or ideas as a thought process that will help you to evaluate your answers.

QUESTION 1: Discuss how the architectural history of India experienced a distinct and impactful era during the Vijayanagara Empire.

Introduction:

— Harihara I of the Sangama dynasty established the Vijayanagara Empire. The kingdom existed between 1336 and 1646.

— The kingdom reached its pinnacle during the reign of Krishna Deva Raya (1509-1529), when it enjoyed military superiority over rival kingdoms such as the Bahmani Sultanate, the Golconda Sultanate, and the Gajapatis of Odisha.

— At its peak, the kingdom extended from Goa on the Konkan coast to parts of southern Odisha in the east and to the subcontinent’s southernmost tip in the south.

Body:

You may incorporate some of the following points in the body of your answer:

— The Vijayanagara Empire made significant contributions to culture and architecture. Poetry, writing styles, and literature in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Sanskrit flourished during this time period.

— The most striking feature about the location of Vijayanagara is the natural basin formed by the river Tungabhadra which flows in a north-easterly direction.

— According to Abdur Razzaq, an ambassador sent by the ruler of Persia to Calicut in the fifteenth century, was greatly impressed by the fortifications and mentioned seven lines of forts. These encircled not only the city but also its agricultural hinterland and forests while the outermost wall linked the hills surrounding the city.

— The fort was entered through well-guarded gates, which linked the city to the major roads. Gateways were distinctive architectural features that often defined the structures to which they regulated access.

— The construction of temples in the region had a long history, going back to dynasties such as the Pallavas, Chalukyas, Hoysalas and Cholas. Temples functioned as centres of learning. The walls of the Hazara Rama Temple include scenes from the Ramayana.

Virupaksha temple

— The Virupaksha temple was erected over decades, with inscriptions indicating that the first shrine was established in the ninth and eleventh centuries, and it was significantly expanded with the formation of the Vijayanagara Empire.

— The hall in front of the main shrine was built by Krishnadeva Raya to mark his accession.

— The halls in the temple were used for a variety of purposes. Some were spaces in which the images of gods were placed to witness special programmes of music, dance, drama, etc.

Vitthala Temple

— The principal deity is Vitthala, a form of Vishnu generally worshipped in Maharashtra.

— A characteristic feature of the temple complexes is the chariot streets that extended from the temple gopuram in a straight line.

Conclusion:

— Today, the capital of Vijayanagara, Hampi, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its sophisticated fortifications as well as numerous temples and other architectural marvels.

— Vijayanagara is remembered as a period of “cultural conservatism” in which classical forms of Hinduism were preserved amidst the growing Islamization of the rest of the subcontinent, particularly the north.

(Source: ‘Victory City’: A brief history of the kingdom of Vijayanagara, in which Salman Rushdie’s latest novel is situated by Arjun Sengupta, ncert.nic.in)

Points to Ponder

Temples of Vijayanagara Empire

Rulers of Vijayanagara Empire

Related Previous Year Question

Krishnadeva Raya, the King of Vijayanagar, was not only an accomplished scholar himself but was also a great patron of learning and literature. Discuss. (2016)

QUESTION 2: How did spices, particularly pepper, serve as a conduit for cultural exchange between India and other countries?

Introduction:

— Pepper has been widely consumed for most of recorded history, it was seen as a luxury good. It was produced almost exclusively along the Malabar Coast in the southwest of India.

— Archaeological evidence suggests that people in ancient India were using pepper as early as 2000 BCE. The spice was believed to be exported to other parts of Asia and North Africa.

— The earliest evidence of pepper being consumed outside of the Indian subcontinent comes from Egypt — the mummified remains of Ramesses the Great from 1213 BCE had peppercorns in the nostrils.

Body:

You may incorporate some of the following points in the body of your answer:

— Black pepper is native to the Malabar Coast, which roughly corresponds to the modern state of Kerala. A Moroccan traveller named Ibn Battuta referred to Malabar as “the land of pepper” and noted that “pepper grains are poured out for measuring by the bushel, like millet in our country.”

— The Zamorins had used pepper for centuries to trade with people all across the known world while also consolidating their power.

— The Persians had always sailed to the coast to Malabar, bringing back with them ships full of pepper to the Mediterranean.

— The trade of pepper along the Asia coasts also helped spread Islam further east, soon extending from East Africa to the southern coast of China.

— The Dutch East India Company established its first trading post on Indian soil in 1605, following which, using a combination of military force and revolutionary trade practices, they monopolised the sale of pepper.

— On the other hand, the Portuguese could also not control regions of the Malabar Coast that produced pepper significantly. They were essentially growers’, traders’, and consumers’ middlemen.

(Source: Pepper: The magic spice from Kerala that triggered global trade, drained the Romans and spawned new empires by Mira Patel)

Points to Ponder

Other spices which were traded

What India imports in exchange for pepper.

Related Previous Year Questions

The ancient civilization in Indian sub-continent differed from those of Egypt, Mesopotamia and Greece in that its culture and traditions have been preserved without a breakdown to the present day. Comment. (2015)

Assess the importance of the accounts of the Chinese and Arab travellers in the reconstruction of the history of India. (2018)

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