MCQ
upsc-p1-history-art-architecture MCQ - Practice Questions with Answers
Solve 10 upsc-p1-history-art-architecture questions for RAS/RPSC preparation.
Practice questions
Q1With reference to colonial and modern architecture in India, consider the following statements: 1. Indo-Saracenic architecture combined European planning with elements such as domes, chhatris, arches and jalis. 2. Art Deco in Bombay was associated with streamlined facades, geometric ornament, cinemas and apartment buildings. 3. Le Corbusier's Capitol Complex at Chandigarh belongs to colonial classicism. Select the correct answer using the code given below.
Statements 1 and 2 are correct descriptions of Indo-Saracenic and Art Deco architecture. Statement 3 is incorrect: Chandigarh's Capitol Complex is tied to post-independence planning and modern architecture, not to colonial classicism.
Q2Consider the following statements about rock-cut architecture in India: 1. The Barabar caves are associated with Mauryan-period polish and Ajivika use. 2. Kailasa, Cave 16 at Ellora, is a monolithic excavation that imitates a freestanding temple complex. 3. Mahabalipuram contains structural temples but no monolithic works. Select the correct answer using the code given below.
Statements 1 and 2 are correct. Barabar is an early Mauryan-period rock-cut example associated with the Ajivikas, while Ellora's Kailasa is a monolithic excavation. Statement 3 is incorrect because Mahabalipuram includes monolithic rathas and rock-cut mandapas as well as the structural Shore Temple.
Q3With reference to the architectural vocabulary of Indian temples, consider the following statements: 1. In Nagara temples, a curvilinear shikhara normally rises above the garbhagriha. 2. Every pyramidal roof in an Indian temple is necessarily a Dravida vimana. 3. Vesara is the standard name for Buddhist rock-cut chaitya halls. Select the correct answer using the code given below.
Statement 1 is correct. The curving shikhara is a usual Nagara marker. A broad, low pyramidal phamsana roof may occur over a Nagara mandapa, so every pyramidal roof is not Dravida. Vesara refers to hybrid or transformed Deccan temple forms, not to Buddhist chaitya halls.
Q4Match List I with List II and select the correct answer using the code given below. List I (Site) 1. Ajanta 2. Elephanta 3. Sanchi 4. Pattadakal List II (Architectural association) a. Chalukyan experimentation with mixed temple forms b. Stupa-centred Buddhist complex c. Buddhist caves noted for paintings d. Shaiva site noted for a great three-faced image
Option A is correct. Ajanta is associated with Buddhist caves and major paintings; Elephanta is a Shaiva site known for its great three-faced image; Sanchi is a stupa-centred Buddhist complex; and Pattadakal displays Chalukyan experimentation with mixed temple forms.
Q5With reference to the Ajanta Caves, consider the following statements: 1. The complex has 30 caves on the cliff of the Waghora valley. 2. Caves 9, 10, 19, 26 and 29 are chaitya halls, while the remaining caves are mainly viharas. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Both statements are correct. Ajanta comprises 30 caves on the Waghora valley cliff. Caves 9, 10, 19, 26 and 29 are chaitya halls; the others are mainly viharas. This also distinguishes a prayer hall from a monastic residence.
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6Arrange the following architectural examples in chronological order, beginning with the earliest context: 1. Barabar caves and Mauryan polish 2. Sanchi monuments largely associated with the second and first centuries BCE 3. Udayagiri caves near Vidisha in the Gupta period 4. Kandariya Mahadeva in the Chandella context Select the correct answer using the code given below.
7Match List I with List II and select the correct answer using the code given below. List I (Architectural element) 1. Amalaka 2. Gopuram 3. Charbagh 4. Chaitya-window List II (Architectural context) a. Buddhist rock-cut facade motif b. Nagara temple crowning element c. Indo-Islamic garden planning d. Monumental gateway of a Dravida temple complex
8With reference to the Buddhist monuments at Sanchi, consider the following statements: 1. Every surviving stone railing and gateway at Sanchi belongs to Ashoka's original construction phase. 2. Many surviving stone railings and gateways belong to later enlargement phases, although Ashoka's patronage was central to the spread of stupas. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
9Arrange the following architectural contexts in chronological order, beginning with the earliest: 1. Early Sultanate experimentation at the Qutb complex 2. Fortified architectural idiom of the Tughlaqs 3. Mughal garden-tomb model represented by Humayun's Tomb 4. Late nineteenth-century Indo-Saracenic architecture Select the correct answer using the code given below.
10Consider the following statements regarding heritage conservation in India: 1. Article 49 places an obligation on the State concerning monuments, places and objects of national importance. 2. Article 51A(f) places the same obligation exclusively on state governments. 3. UNESCO directly grants construction permission in regulated areas around centrally protected monuments. Select the correct answer using the code given below.