Tag: architecture as power: forts and sacred places

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Questions Related to architecture as power: forts and sacred places

Multiple choice history architecture as power: forts and sacred places cholas of tanjore forts and temples in medieval period cultural heritage of india

Why did Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni destroy the temple of Somnath?

  1. To win credit as a great hero of Islam.

  2. To loot the precious idols and immense wealth stored in the temple.

  3. To build a mosque in its place

  4. Only A and B
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Temples were destroyed by invading rulers as they were a symbol of the power, prestige and wealth of a king. The king was viewed as a representative of God. They were also a large store of treasure and riches. Thus, temples were viewed as targets that were to be attacked in the course of battles.
Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni was a contemporary of Rajendra I. During his campaigns in the subcontinent, he also attacked the temples of defeated kings and looted their wealth and idols. Sultan Mahmud was not a very important ruler at that time. By destroying the Somnath temple he tried to win credit as a great hero of Islam.

Multiple choice history architecture as power: forts and sacred places cholas of tanjore forts and temples in medieval period cultural heritage of india

Why did the Sinhalese ruler Sena general II order his general to invade Madurai?

  1. To find and restore the golden statue of Buddha

  2. To capture territory

  3. To avenge the defeat of Sena I by the Pandyan king Shrimara Shrivallabha

  4. Both A and C
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Temples were destroyed by invading rulers as they were a large store of treasure and riches. Thus, temples were viewed as targets that were to be attacked in the course of battles.

In the early ninth century, when the Pandyan king Shrimara Shrivallabha invaded Sri Lanka and defeated the king, he removed all the valuables like The statue of the Buddha made entirely of gold in the Jewel Palace and the golden images in the various monasteries.

The blow to the pride of the Sinhalese (Srilankan) ruler had to be avenged and the next Sinhalese ruler, Sena II ordered his general to invade Madurai the Pandyan capital.

Multiple choice history architecture as power: forts and sacred places cholas of tanjore forts and temples in medieval period cultural heritage of india

How was the 90 tonne stone transferred to the top of the shikhara of the Rajarajeshvara temple at Thanjavur?

  1. Manually lifted.

  2. Rolled over an inclined plane.

  3. Lifted using a chain & pulley system.

  4. Using an unknown ancient technology.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Monuments provide an insight into the technologies used for construction. 
The Rajarajeshvara temple at Thanjavur had the tallest shikhara amongst the temples of its time. Constructing it was not an easy task as there were no cranes and the 90 tonne stone was too heavy for manual lifting.
So architects built an inclined plane to the top of the temple, placed the boulder on rollers and rolled it all the way to the top. The path started more than four kilometres away so that it would not be too steep.

Multiple choice history architecture as power: forts and sacred places cholas of tanjore forts and temples in medieval period cultural heritage of india

Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni was a contemporary of ____________

  1. Rajendra 1

  2. Rajaraja 1

  3. Both

  4. None
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni was a contemporary of Rajendra I. During his campaigns in the subcontinent, he also attacked the temples of defeated kings and looted their wealth and idols. Sultan Mahmud was not a very important ruler at that time. But by destroying temples especially the one at Somnath he tried to win credit as a great hero of Islam.

Multiple choice history architecture as power: forts and sacred places cholas of tanjore forts and temples in medieval period cultural heritage of india

The architect of the Rajarajeshvara temple was _____________.

  1. Rajaraja Chola

  2. Rajendra Chola

  3. Kunjaramallan Rajaraja Perunthachchan

  4. None
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The Rajarajeshvara temple was built by Rajaraja chola the great Chola King.
It is located in the current state of Kerala.
The architect of the Rajarajeshvara temple was however, Kunjaramallan Rajaraja Perunthachchan who has his name carved on the walls of the temple.

Multiple choice history architecture as power: forts and sacred places cholas of tanjore forts and temples in medieval period cultural heritage of india

The Khajuraho shrines built by the Chandella rulers are dedicated to _________.

  1. Brahma and Vishnu

  2. Vishnu and Laxmi

  3. Shiva and Parvati

  4. All of the above
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Khajuraho Temples are among the most beautiful medieval monuments in the country. It is a group of Hindu temples dedicated to different dieties. The largest temple at khajuraho i.e. the Lakshmana temple is dedicated to Vaikuntha Vishnu. Chandella rulers built these temples between AD 900 and 1130.

Multiple choice history architecture as power: forts and sacred places cholas of tanjore forts and temples in medieval period cultural heritage of india

In which of the following groups the Khajuraho temples have been divided?
1. North Zone
2. East-West Zone
3. South Zone
4. North-South Zone

  1. 1 and 2

  2. 2 and 3

  3. 1 and 3

  4. 3 and 4
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The Khajuraho temple complex is generally categorized into groups based on their geographical location, specifically the Western (West) and Eastern (East) groups, often referred to as East-West and South zones.