BPSC CCE Prelims
Indian Art & Culture Previous Year Questions (PYQs)
Solved Previous Year Questions (PYQs) for Indian Art & Culture in BPSC CCE Prelims in English & Hindi Medium.
Chapter Breakdown: Scroll →
Which one of the following is not writen by Tulsidas?
Detailed Explanation:
Tulsidas (1532-1623) was a renowned Hindi poet-saint who composed devotional works primarily in Awadhi and Braj languages.
✅ Vinay Patrika: A collection of 279 hymns written by Tulsidas in Braj language, expressing devotion to Lord Rama.
✅ Geetavali: Composed by Tulsidas, containing songs on the life of Lord Rama in lyrical form.
✅ Kavitavali: Written by Tulsidas in Braj Bhasha, narrating episodes from the Ramayana in poetic form.
❌ Sahitya Lahari: This work is attributed to Surdas, not Tulsidas; it is a collection of Krishna-bhakti verses.
Answer: Option 3 is correct.
Match List I with List II
| List-I Building | List-II Built by |
| a) Kabuli Bagh Mosque | 1) Qutb ud-Din Aibak |
| b) Adhai Din Ka Jhopra | 2) Nur Jahan |
| c) Allahabad Fort | 3) Äkbar |
| d) Itmad-ud-Daulah Mausoleum | 4) Babar |
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:
Detailed Explanation:
a) Kabuli Bagh Mosque – Built by Babur in 1527 at Panipat to commemorate his victory in the First Battle of Panipat (1526); first Mughal monument in India.
b) Adhai Din Ka Jhopra – Constructed by Qutb ud-Din Aibak in 1192 at Ajmer by converting a Sanskrit college into a mosque; name means "shed of two and a half days".
c) Allahabad Fort – Built by Akbar in 1583 at the confluence of Ganga and Yamuna (Prayagraj); houses the famous Ashoka Pillar.
d) Itmad-ud-Daulah Mausoleum – Built by Nur Jahan (1622–1628) in Agra for her father Mirza Ghiyas Beg; called "Baby Taj", first Mughal structure in white marble with pietra dura inlay.
Correct matching: a-4, b-1, c-3, d-2.
The temple at Deogarh near Jhansi and the sculptures in the temple at Garhwa near Allahabad are important remains of
Detailed Explanation:
Deogarh Temple near Jhansi (also called Dashavatara Temple) is one of the earliest Gupta stone temples (5th–6th century CE), featuring Vishnu reliefs and marking the shift from wooden to stone architecture.
Garhwa sculptures near Allahabad display refined Gupta-style Hindu deity iconography with graceful postures and detailed ornamentation, characteristic of the Golden Age of Indian art (4th–6th centuries CE).
Both sites exemplify Gupta art and influenced later Indian temple architecture.
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Consider the types of land according to The Amarkosha:
a. Urvara - fertile
b. Maru - desert
c. Shadvala - grassy
d. Devamritaka - watered by rain.
Which of the following is correct?
Detailed Explanation:
Amarkosha is a Sanskrit lexicon compiled by Amarasimha that classifies land types based on physical and agricultural characteristics.
✅ Statement a – Correct: Urvara refers to fertile land suitable for cultivation.
✅ Statement b – Correct: Maru denotes desert or barren land.
✅ Statement c – Correct: Shadvala means grassy land or pasture land.
✅ Statement d – Correct: Devamritaka refers to land watered by rain (rain-fed land).
All four statements are correctly matched. Since Option 1 (a and b), Option 2 (c and d), and Option 3 (b, c, and d) are individually correct, the answer is Option 4 – More than one of the above.
Who wrote the book, Kiratarjuniya?
Detailed Explanation:
Bharavi, a 6th-century Sanskrit poet, authored Kiratarjuniya, a mahakavya (epic poem) depicting the battle between Arjuna and Shiva disguised as a mountain hunter (Kirata). It is renowned for its intricate poetic embellishments and linguistic virtuosity.
Bhatti wrote Bhattikavya, Shudraka authored the play Mrichchhakatika, and Kalidasa composed classics like Shakuntala and Meghaduta—none wrote Kiratarjuniya.
Therefore, Bharavi is the author of Kiratarjuniya, making Option 4 the correct answer.