Thinkers, Beliefs and Buildings Important Short and Long Question Class 12 History Chapter-4 Book-Themes in Indian History-I

 

Question - What contribution did the Begums of Bhopal make in the preservation of the Sanchi Stupa? Explain with three points?

Answer -

• gave plaster replicas to both the French and the British

• Shah Jahan Begum and Sultanjahan Begum donated money 

• Sultan Jahan Begum gave a grant to build a museum there.

• Grant given for construction of guest house

Question -  Explain the reasons for the rapid spread of Buddhism?

Answer -

• People were not satisfied with the contemporary religious practices

• In Buddhism, emphasis was given on good conduct rather than superiority based on birth, that is why people were attracted towards it 

• Emphasis was laid on friendship, compassion and equality towards those smaller and weaker than oneself.  

• the extinction of the caste system

Q.  What were the main principles of the middle path given by Gautam Buddha? Describe any three.

Answer -

• According to Buddha, kings and householders should be compassionate

• One must give up ego and desire 

• Find your own way to freedom

Question -  Who was the founder of Jainism? What impact did Jainism have on Indian society?

Answer- 

1. Founder - Swami Rishabhdev 

2. What was the impact of Jainism on Indian society

3. The path of non-violence 

4. Birth by karma determines rebirth

Question –  Who were Hinayana and  Mahayana?

Answer -

1. Hinayana

• Buddha was considered a great man

• Opposed idol worship and rituals

• believed in ancient ideas  

2. Mahayana

• Buddha was considered as God

• idol worship, prayed to Buddha

• believed in new ideas 

Question - What were the main characteristics of 'Buddhist period' sculpture? Mention any three.

Answer -

• Many sculptors have depicted Buddha not in human form but through symbols 

• Each symbol has a special meaning 

• This symbol is related to the life of Buddha

Question:  How were stupas constructed?

Answer -

• Stupas were built from donations 

• Hemispherical (mound shaped)  stupas were made 

• Toran gates were made  and these were surrounded from all sides 

Question –  Why is the 6th century BC considered important in Indian history?

Answer -

• The rise of Jainism  

• The rise of Buddhism 

• The early Upanishads were composed 

Question -  What rules did the 'bhikkhus' and 'bhikkhunis' have to follow in the Buddhist Sangha

Answer -

• The rules for bhikshus and bhikhunis are found in the Vinaya Pitaka –

• They had to live a simple life 

• He kept only the things necessary for living  like a bowl

• 'After becoming a bhikkhu, one had to give up the old identity

Question:  Write any three important teachings of Jainism?

Answer -

• believing the whole world to be alive

• non violence 

• do not kill 

• do not steal

• don't lie

• practicing celibacy 

• do not collect money 

Question -  How can you say that the key to the sculpture of Sanchi is found in Buddhist literature.  Write any three reasons?

                                           Or 

Explain the sculpture of Sanchi Stupa? How do Buddhist texts help in understanding Sanchi Stupa?

• Many other sculptures carved at Sanchi were probably not directly connected with Buddhism.

• Some beautiful women are also carved in the statues, who are seen swinging by holding a tree near the archway. Initially, scholars were a little confused about the importance of this statue.

• This idol did not seem to have any connection with sacrifice and penance, but after studying the literary traditions, he understood that this was the idol of Shalabhjika described in Sanskrit language. In folk tradition, it was believed that when this woman touched the trees, flowers would bloom and fruits would start growing.

•  It seems that it was considered an auspicious symbol and hence used in the ornamentation of the stupa.

• The statue of Shalabhajika shows that those who came to Buddhism enriched Buddhism with other beliefs, practices and concepts, both pre-Buddhist and extra-Buddhist.

• Many of the symbols or signs found in the sculptures at Sanchi certainly emerged from these traditions.

• Historians have studied Vesantara Jataka to understand the sculpture of Sanchi. Historians used to interpret a sculpture by comparing it with written evidence.

• Some statues were also found in Sanchi which were not related to Buddhism

• Historians have discovered that the people who came to Buddhism followed other customs and beliefs before Buddhism and before Buddhism

Question –  Write three important features of Vaishnavism ideology.

Answer -

• Lord Vishnu is considered the most important deity in the Vaishnavism school of thought. 

• In Vaishnavism, Dashavatara is imagined  

• Several avatars are depicted as idols. 

• Sometimes they are depicted as humans

Question:  Tell any three main features of Indian philosophy from 600 BC to 600 AD.

Answer -

• Jainism, Buddhism,  Early Upanishads, Early Stupas, Development of Mahayana,  Vaishnavism, Shaivism,  Goddess worship tradition

Question:  How were Buddhist texts prepared and preserved?

Answer -

• After the death of Lord Buddha, his disciples called a meeting in Vaishali  where his teachings were compiled.  This collection is called Tripitaka.

1. Vinaya Pitaka 

2. Sutta Pitaka

3. Abhidhamma Pitaka 

Question:  Give information about the origin, teachings and expansion of Jainism?

Answer -

• Origin of Jainism 

• Swami Rishabhdev is the founder of Jainism

• Jainism came before Buddhism 

• There have been 24 Tirthankaras in Jainism

• Mahavira was the 24th Tirthankar

Teachings of Jainism -  

• According to Jainism, the entire universe is considered to be living. 

• It is believed that there is life even in rocks and water

• Nonviolence towards living beings,  especially not killing humans, animals, plants  , and insects 

The central point of Jain philosophy is 

• non violence 

• do not kill 

• do not steal

• don't lie

• practicing celibacy 

• do not collect money 

Spread of Jainism

• Jainism spread to many parts of India 

• It also spread from India to other countries  but did not spread as much as Buddhism 

• Like Buddhists, Jain scholars  created a lot of literature in many languages ​​like Prakrit, Sanskrit, Tamil etc. 

Question:  How did ancient Hinduism emerge?

Answer - 

• Tell its main features.

• The aim of Puranic Hinduism was to simplify the Vedic religion and present it to the general public.  Its description is found in the Puranas.  It includes Vaishnava and Shaiva traditions.

1. Vaishnavism - Vishnu is the most important deity 

2. Shaiva - Shiva was considered as God

• In this, special importance was given to the worship of a particular deity 

• In this type of worship, the relationship between the worshipper and God was considered to be a relationship of love and devotion 

• that is called devotion

• Vaishnavism has the concept of ten incarnations.  It was believed that when the world was in a state of chaos and destruction due to the increasing influence of sinners,  then God used to incarnate in different forms to protect the world.

• These different incarnations  were popular in different parts  of the country . Many incarnations are depicted in the form of idols. 

• Shiva was made in the form of a linga as his symbol.  Sometimes Shiva is also depicted in human form.

Question -  What is the contribution of Buddhism to Indian society and culture? Explain.

Answer - 

• The teachings of Buddhism have had a profound influence on Indian society and culture 

• Lord Buddha said to follow the middle path

• rejected religious hypocrisy 

• According to Buddhist philosophy, the world is temporary and constantly changing, there is nothing permanent or eternal here

• He talked about adopting a middle path between severe penance and world power

• Buddhism rejected the caste system 

• Buddha said that society was created by humans and not by God

• Buddha advised kings and householders to be compassionate

• Buddha instructed his disciples to become a light for themselves because they must find their own path to salvation.

Question -  Briefly throw light on the organization and rules of Buddhism.

Answer -

• The group of Buddha's disciples was ready, so he established the Sangha.  They lived a simple life. 

• They only had the essentials for survival.

• Initially only men could join the Sangha but later women were allowed to join

• Once a person became a bhikkhu, he had to give up his old identity.

Question:  To which religion were stupas related?

Answer - 

• Stupas were related to Buddhism

• Relics related to Buddha were buried in stupas 

• The tradition of building stupas already existed  but it became associated with Buddhism later

Question - Why were stupas built? Throw light on the features related to their structure.

Answer -

• There were many other places that were considered sacred. 

• At these places, some relics related to Buddha, like his bones or the things used by him, were buried and  these mounds were called stupas. 

• The tradition of building stupas may have existed before the Buddha,  but it became associated with Buddhism.  Since they contained relics that were considered sacred  , the entire stupa gained prestige as a symbol of the Buddha and Buddhism. 

• According to a Buddhist text called Ashokavadana,  Ashoka  ordered parts of Buddha's relics to be distributed to every important city and stupas to be built over them. 

• By the second century BC, stupas had been built at places like Bharhut, Sanchi and Sarnath.

Structure of the stupa

• The Sanskrit meaning of stupa is mound, it has also been called egg,  gradually its structure became more complex 

• In this, a balance of many square and round shapes was created.  There was a harmika on top of the egg.  This balcony-like structure was a symbol of the house of the gods. 

• There used to be an altar around the fort which separated the holy place from the common world.  Later arches were also built in it and  the arches were carved on them. 

• These stupas are considered sacred places in Buddhism