JPSC Prelims Paper 1 Mock Test - 6 - JPSC (Jharkhand) MCQ

• Mohiniyattam literally interpreted as the dance of ‘Mohini’, the celestial enchantress of Hindu mythology, is the classical solo dance form of Kerala. Mohiniyattam as seen today has evolved through a long process of evolution. It traces its origin to the temples of Kerala.
• Salient Features of Mohiniyattam Dance:
  • Mohiniyattam is characterized by graceful, swaying body movements with no abrupt jerks or sudden leaps. It belongs to the lasya style which is feminine, tender, and graceful.
  • The movements are emphasized by the glides and the up and down movement on toes, like the waves of the sea and the swaying of the coconut, palm trees, and the paddy fields.
  • The footwork is not terse and is rendered softly. Importance is given to the hand gestures and
• Mukhabhinaya with subtle facial expressions.
  • Movements have been borrowed from Nangiar Koothu and female folk dances Kaikottikali and the
• Tiruvatirakali.
  • Mohiniyattam lays emphasis on acting. The dancer identifies herself with the character and sentiments existing in the compositions like the Padams and Pada Varnams which give ample opportunity for facial expressions.
• The hand gestures, 24 in number, are mainly adopted from Hastalakshana Deepika, a text followed by
• Kathakali. Few are also borrowed from NatyaShastra, AbhinayaDarpana, and Balarambharatam.
  • The gestures and facial expressions are closer to the natural (gramya) and the realistic (lokadharmi) than to the dramatic or rigidly conventional (natyadharmi).
• Hence option (c) is the correct answer.

Ayagar System

• It was a Socio-economic system which originated first in the Karnataka region in ancient period and then spread to Tamil and Andhra regions in the medieval period.
• It meant that the requirements of the rural population in certain goods and social services were met by a staff of professionals, who were remunerated not with the payment for work done, but summarily with a fraction of gross agricultural produce, called Ayam.
• All village artisans and menials together with the community administrative staff were therefore known by the common name of ayagars (receivers of the ayam).

Hence, option (a) is correct.
 

• Statement 1 is not correct: Early Jain Tirthankar images and portraits of kings, are found at Mathura. Images of Vaishnava (mainly Vishnu and his various forms) and Shaiva (mainly the lingas and mukhalingas) faiths are also found at Mathura but Buddhist images are found in large numbers. It may be noted that the images of Vishnu and Shiva are represented by their ayudhas (weapons).
• Statement 2 is correct: The Kushans brought together masons and other artisans trained in different schools and countries. Indian craftsmen came in contact with the Greeks and the Romans, especially in the northwest frontier in Gandhara giving rise to the Gandhara school of art which had a strong Greco-Roman influence.
• Statement 3 is correct: The Gandhara art spread to many regions thereby influencing various local schools like Mathura and Sarnath. Mathura school produced many Buddha images but was also famous for the headless erect statue of Kanishka whose name is inscribed on its lower part.

Rashtrakutas (755 – 975 A.D.)

• The Rashtrakutas were of Kannada origin and Kannada language was their mother tongue.
• Dantidurga was the founder of the Rashtrakuta dynasty.
• His successor Krishna I was also a great conqueror. He defeated the Gangas and the eastern Chalukyas of Vengi. He built the magnificent rock-cut monolithic Kailasa temple at Ellora. Hence, statement 2 is incorrect.
• Amoghavarsha I (815- 880 A.D.) ruled for a long period of 64 years. He had lost control over Malwa and Gangavadi.
• Yet, his reign was popular for the cultural development. He was a follower of Jainism.
• He was also a patron of letters and he himself wrote the famous Kannada work, Kavirajamarga.
• He had also built the Rashtrakuta capital, the city of Malkhed or Manyakheda.

• Statement 1 is correct: The shape of the main temple tower known as vimana in Tamil Nadu is like a stepped pyramid that rises up geometrically rather than the curving shikhara of North India. In the South Indian temple, the word ‘shikhara’ is used only for the crowning element at the top of the temple which is usually shaped like a small stupa or an octagonal cupola— this is equivalent to the amlak and kalasha of North Indian temples.
• Statement 2 is not correct: At the entrance to the North Indian temple’s garbhagriha, it would be usual to find images such as mithunas and the river goddesses, Ganga and Yamuna, in the south you will generally find sculptures of fierce dvarapalas or the door-keepers guarding the temple. It is common to find a large water reservoir, or a temple tank, enclosed within the complex in the Dravida style temple.
• Statement 3 is correct: At some of the most sacred temples in South India, the main temple in which the garbhagriha is situated has, in fact, one of the smallest towers. This is because it is usually the oldest part of the temple. With the passage of time, the population and size of the town associated with that temple would have increased, and it would have become necessary to make a new boundary wall around the temple. This would have been taller than the last one, and its gopurams would have been even loftier. So, for instance, the Srirangam temple in Tiruchirapally has as many as seven ‘concentric’ rectangular enclosure walls, each with gopurams. The outermost is the newest, while the tower right in the center housing the garbhagriha is the oldest.

Nayanars and Alvars

• There were 63 Nayanars, who belonged to different caste backgrounds such as potters, “untouchable” workers, peasants, hunters, soldiers, Brahmanas and chiefs. The best known among them were Appar, Sambandar, Sundarar and Manikkavasagar. There are two sets of compilations of their songs – Tevaram and Tiruvacakam.
• There were 12 Alvars, who came from equally divergent backgrounds, the best known being Periyalvar, his daughter Andal, Tondaradippodi Alvar and Nammalvar. Their songs were compiled in the Divya Prabandham.

Hence, option (b) is correct.
 

About:

• Thrissur Pooram is celebrated in the Malayalam month of Medam (April-May).
• This festival is considered the “mother of all poorams”.
• It is held in the Thekkinkadu Maidanam in Thrissur Celebrations:
  • Obeisance to the Shiva:
    • The Pooram is centered on the Vadakkunnathan Temple, with all these temples sending their processions to pay obeisance to the Shiva, the presiding deity.
    • The Thampuran is believed to have chalked out the program and the main events of the Thrissur
• Pooram festival.
  • Flag Hoisting:
    • The pooram officially begins from the event of flag hoisting.
    • The flag hoisting ceremony (Kodiyettam) begins seven days before Thrissur Pooram. 
• All the participating temples of Thrissur Pooram are present for the ceremony, and there is a light fireworks to announce the commencement of the festival.
  • Poora Vilambharam:
    • Poora Vilambaram is a custom where the elephant pushes open the south entrance gate of the
• Vadakkunnathan Temple, which hosts the Thrissur Pooram, with the idol of 'Neithilakkavilamma' atop of it.
  • Madathil varavu:
    • One of the major events in Thrissur Pooram is "Madathil varavu", a panchavadhyam melam, participating more than 200 artists, with instruments such as thimila, madhalam, trumpet, cymbal and edakka.
  • Sample Vedikettu - the fireworks show:
    • On the fourth day after flag hoisting, Thiruvambady and Paramekkavu Devaswoms present a one-hour-long firework show known as the Sample Vedikettu. 

Statement 1 is not correct: The state’s geography is divided between a central valley that accounts for
about 10% of the landmass of Manipur and is home primarily to the Meitei and Meitei Pangals who
constitute roughly 64.6% of the state’s population.

• The remaining 90% of the geographical area comprises hills, surrounding the valley, that are home
• to the recognised tribes, about 35.4% of the population.
• Manipur’s two major tribal communities – Naga and Kuki – live in the hill districts, which account for about 90% of the state’s area.

Statement 2 is correct: The Meiteis are largely concentrated in the Imphal Valley.
They are currently categorized as OBCs or SCs, the Meitei people dominate in more than half the State’s Assembly constituencies. A majority of them identify as Hindu while about 8% are Muslim.

• Manipur has two major tribal communities – Naga and Kuki – live in the hill districts, which account for about 90% of the state’s area. The Meiteis account for roughly 64.6% of the state’s population and are largely concentrated in the Imphal Valley. They are currently categorized as OBCs or SCs, the Meitei people dominate in more than half the State’s Assembly constituencies. Hence, it is not the reason for the demand.
• Demand of Meitei community for ST status
• Loss of identity:
  • In their plea before the High Court, the petitioners argued that the Meitei community was recognised as a tribe before the merger of the princely state of Manipur with the Union of India in 1949.
  • They also claim that they lost their identity as a tribe after the merger.
• Victimization of the community & reduction in population:
  • In various pleas to the state and central governments, the STDCM has stated that as a result of being left out of the ST list, “the community has been victimized without any constitutional safeguards to date.
  • Their population which was 59% of the total population of Manipur in 1951 has now been reduced to 44% as per 2011 Census data”. Hence option 2 is correct.
• Preserving the community & land rights:
  • It was argued in court that the demand for ST status arose from the need to “preserve” the community, and “save the ancestral land, tradition, culture and language” of the Meiteis.
    • The Meitei/Meetei have been gradually marginalised in their ancestral land. Hence option 3 is correct.

Statement 1 and 2 are correct: Percussion instruments are the oldest man-made musical instruments and produce music based upon percussion. The family of percussion musical instruments includes those which require the use of methods like striking, rubbing, shaking or friction for playing them.

• Percussion instruments are of two main types: pitched and unpitched percussion instruments.

Statement 3 is not correct: Pitched percussion have specific notes and pitches while the latter lacks the identified pitch.
 

The International Buddhist Confederation (IBC), under the aegis of the Ministry of Culture celebrated Ashadha Purnima, as the Dharma Chakra Pravartana Divas.

• The auspicious day of Ashadha Purnima, which falls on the full moon day of the month of Ashadha as per the Indian lunar calendar, is also known as Esala Poya in Sri Lanka and Asanha Bucha in Thailand.
• The day marks Buddha’s first teaching after attaining Enlightenment to the first five ascetic disciples on the full-moon day of Ashadha at ‘Deer Park’, Risipatana Mrigadaya in the present day Sarnath, near Varanasi, India

State: Meghalaya
Movement: The Khasi Rebellion of 1833
Start Year: 1833

• Tirot Sing, also known as U Tirot Sing Syiem was a Khasi chief of the early 19th century.
• He drew his lineage from the Syiemlieh clan and declared war and fought against British for  attempts to take over control of the Khasi Hills. In the Anglo-Khasi War, the Khasis resorted to 
• Tirot Sing was eventually captured by the British in January 1833 and deported to Dhaka.
• Pair 2 is not correct: Veer Surendra Sai

State: Odisha
Movement: 1857 Rebellion of Sambalpur
Start Year: 1857

• Surendra Sai was born in the year 1809 in Rajpur Khinda, located about 35 kms. from Sambalpur.
• Next in line to the throne of Sambalpur after the death of Maharaja Sai in 1827, Surendra Sai helped the tribal people in the fight against the British by encouraging their language and cultural development.
• He was a man with great military genius. He guarded the passes to check military inflow of the 
• Britishers in Sambalpur.
• During the 1857 Mutiny, the Hazirabagh Jail was broken down and prisoners were liberated including Veer Surendra Sai. The 1857 rebellion of Sambalpur was essentially a tribal rebellion.
• Pair 3 is correct: Paona Brajabashi

State: Manipur
Movement: Khongjom Battle of 1891
Start Year: 1891

• The Anglo-Manipuri war or the Khongjom Battle broke out in 1891. Attempting to resist British  forces marching from Tamu, 700 Manipuri soldiers were dispatched to Thoubal led by Major  General Paona Brajabashi, a brave soldier of the kingdom of Manipur.
• Manipur celebrates Khongjom Day every year on 23rd April.
• Pair 4 is not correct: Laxman Naik

State: Odisha
Movement: Koraput Revolt, 1942
Start Year: 1942

• Laxman Naik, belonging to the Bhumia tribe of Odisha, was accepted as the tribal leader by the  people of Koraput and its surrounding region like Malkanagiri and Tentulipada.
• The tribal people devoted themselves for the cause of national freedom. He mobilized the tribal  people for development works like construction of roads, building bridges and establishing  schools. He asked the villagers not to pay any tax. He spearheaded the fight against colonial oppression  and exploitation.
• During the Quit India Movement 1942, he was nominated to represent Matili. He used  nonviolence as a main weapon against colonial power.
• The tribal people called him “Gandhi of Malkangiri.

Alluri Sitarama Raju: He was born on 04 July 1897, in a village called Mogallu near Bhimavaram in Andhra Pradesh, Alluri Sitarama Raju was a sanyasi and a strong believer in justice who raised his voice against unlawful British policies. He had led the Rampa rebellion, which was launched in 1922. He was honoured for his valour and fiery spirit with the title, “Manyam Veerudu” (Hero of the Jungle).

• Statement 1 is correct: It is a traditional form of art and craft practised by the Lambani community, also known as the Banjara community in Karnataka.
• Statement 2 is correct: Lambani embroidery is a vibrant and intricate form of textile embellishment characterized by colourful threads, mirror work, and a rich array of stitch patterns. Lambani art includes a wide range of products, such as clothing, textiles, accessories, home decor items, and jewellery. It received the status of Geographic Indication (GI) tag in 2010 from Karnataka. Lambani craft tradition involves skillfully stitching together small pieces of discarded fabric to create a beautiful fabric.
• Statement 3 is not correct: Lambanis, also called Lambadis or Banjaras, were nomadic tribes who came from Afghanistan to Rajasthan and have now spread themselves across Karnataka and other parts of India. The language of Banjara is known as “Gorboli” “Gor mati Boli” or “Brinjari” an independent dialect (under the category of Indo-Aryan language). They are known by different names like:
  • Lambada or Lambadi, Sukali in Andhra Pradesh
  • Lambani in Karnataka
  • Gwar or Gwaraiya in Rajasthan

• Wajid Ali Shah started two distinct forms of Kathak, one is Rahas and the other one is called Raas. Hence, Statement 1 is not correct.
• He established the famous Parikhaana (abode of fairies) in which hundreds of beautiful and talented girls were taught music and dancing by expert-teachers engaged by the royal patron. Hence, Statement 2 is correct.
• The famous poet Mirza Ghalib received the gracious patronage of Wajid Ali Shah, who granted him a pension of Rupees five hundred per year in 1854. So, Statement 3 is correct.