CDS History · Medieval India
Art, Architecture and Science
Chola bronzes and the Thanjavur temple, the Sultanate and Mughal buildings of Delhi and Agra, Indo-Islamic building terms, and the astronomy and medicine of medieval India.
Why this matters
Ten CDS questions, seven of them HARD and eight since 2023, so this theme is growing. The Chola questions test the meaning of an image, part by part; the science questions are statement sets where each line must be checked.
Concept 1 of 3: Chola bronzes and the Thanjavur temple
Chola metal-workers cast images of the gods by the lost-wax method, and their Nataraja, Shiva as Lord of Dance, is the most famous Indian bronze. Every hand and foot of the Nataraja means something, and CDS asks which part means what.
Definition
- The Chola period is known for the beauty and technical skill of its bronze images, cast by the lost-wax method. Their iconography and style match the stone images of the same temples.
- Nataraja: the right leg stands on Apasmara, the dwarf of ignorance. The left leg is raised in the bhujangatrasita pose; it stands for tirobhava, kicking away the veil of illusion. The upper right hand holds the damaru (drum) and the upper left hand holds fire. The main right hand is raised in abhaya (do not fear).
- Rajaraja I's Brihadishvara temple at Thanjavur shows Shiva most often as Tripurantaka, destroyer of the three cities.
- In 1931, Chola murals were found in the temple's inner passage; one shows Shiva as Yoga-Dakshinamurti, the teacher.
| Image or part | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Chola bronzes | Finest metal images of India; same iconography as the stone imagesQ CDS 2024 (II): both statements were correct. |
| Nataraja's right leg | Stands on Apasmara, the dwarf of ignorance |
| Nataraja's raised left leg | Bhujangatrasita pose: tirobhava, kicking away illusionQ |
| Nataraja's hands | Upper right: damaru; upper left: fire; main right: abhaya |
| Brihadishvara, Thanjavur | Shiva most often as TripurantakaQ |
| Thanjavur murals, found 1931 | Shiva as Yoga-DakshinamurtiQ CDS 2024 (I): the Buddhist and Jain subjects in the options belong to other sites. |
Practice this conceptself-check · 4 quick reps
The same idea in a real exam question:
CDS · 2023 · CDS (II) 2023 — General Knowledge · Q55Hard
Example 1 · Medieval India · Art, Architecture and Science
Consider the following statements with reference to the Nataraj bronze sculpture of Chola period :
1. Shiva is shown balancing himself on his right leg representing tirobhava.
2. Shiva is shown raising his left leg in bhujangatrasita stance, representing kicking away the illusion from the devotee's mind.
3. The main right hand holds the damaru, Shiva's favourite musical instrument.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
Tirobhava is the raised leg
Kicking away illusion (tirobhava) is shown by the raised left leg. The right leg stands on Apasmara. A statement linking tirobhava to the right leg is false.
The drum is in an upper hand
The damaru is held in the upper right hand. The main right hand gives abhaya, assurance, so 'the main right hand holds the damaru' is false.
Concept 2 of 3: Buildings and painting styles
Delhi's monuments line up by dynasty: Slave, Tughlaq, Lodi, then the Mughals at Agra. Put the dynasties in order and the buildings fall into place. Two more items are words: a building part and a school of painting.
Definition
- Qutb Minar: begun by Qutbuddin Aibak about 1199, finished by Iltutmish.
- Tughlaqabad Fort: built by Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq in the 1320s.
- Bada Gumbad in the Lodi Garden: 1490s, reign of Sikandar Lodi.
- Fatehpur Sikri: built by Akbar from 1571.
- A pendentive is the curved triangular piece in the corner between two walls that carries a round dome over a square room by passing its weight down to the arches.
- Basohli painting is a Pahari style of the hill states, known for bold, intense colour.
| Building or term | Builder or meaning | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Qutb Minar | Begun by Qutbuddin Aibak, finished by Iltutmish | About 1199 onwardQ CDS 2017 (II): the order is Qutb Minar, Tughlaqabad, Bada Gumbad, Fatehpur Sikri. |
| Tughlaqabad Fort | Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq | 1320s |
| Bada Gumbad, Lodi Garden | Reign of Sikandar Lodi | 1490s |
| Fatehpur Sikri | Akbar | From 1571 |
| Pendentive | Triangular corner piece carrying a dome on its arches | Indo-Islamic buildingsQ CDS 2026 (II): the bracket that joins the base of the dome to its arches. |
| Basohli | A Pahari style with bold, intense colour | 17th to 18th centuryQ |
Practice this conceptself-check · 4 quick reps
The same idea in a real exam question:
CDS · 2017 · CDS (II) 2017 — General Knowledge · Q77Hard
Example 2 · Medieval India · Art, Architecture and Science
Consider the following :
1. Tughlaqabad Fort
2. Bada Gumbad in Lodhi Garden
3. Qutub Minar
4. Fatehpur Sikri
Which one of the following is the correct chronological order of building the above monuments?
The Qutb Minar has two builders
The Qutb Minar was begun by Qutbuddin Aibak and finished by Iltutmish. It is still the oldest building in any list with Tughlaq, Lodi or Mughal monuments.
Concept 3 of 3: Astronomy and medicine
Medieval India kept up its own science and learnt from others. Kerala's astronomers worked out the moon and eclipses; Mughal doctors practised Greek-Arab medicine; an 18th century Rajput king used European tables to build his observatories.
Definition
- Kerala: Vararuchi, author of the Chandravakyas, devised the katapayadi system that writes numbers as letters, used to work out the moon's position on any day. Achyuta Pisharati (1550 to 1621) wrote the Uparagakriyakrama on eclipses. Ravi Varma of Mahodayapuram set up an observatory and is said to have begun the Kollam era.
- Medicine: Indian Tibb-i-Yunani (Graeco-Arabic medicine) was almost the same as Persian medicine of the time. Bernier, a physician, explained Harvey's discovery of the circulation of blood to the noble Danishmand Khan. Smallpox inoculation was a folk practice and is not described in the Yunani or Ayurvedic texts.
- Sawai Jai Singh II of Jaipur (ruled 1699 to 1743) built observatories (Jantar Mantar) at Delhi, Jaipur, Ujjain, Varanasi and Mathura and compiled the Zij-i Muhammad Shahi. He obtained de La Hire's tables and copied a refraction table from them; his astronomers built a telescope of their own and observed the phases of Venus.
| Scholar or practice | Time | Work |
|---|---|---|
| Vararuchi; Achyuta Pisharati; Ravi Varma | Kerala, up to the 17th century | Katapayadi numbers; a text on eclipses; an observatory and the Kollam eraQ |
| Tibb-i-Yunani and Bernier | 17th century | Medicine like Persia's; Harvey's discovery explained to Danishmand KhanQ CDS 2024 (I): two of the three statements were correct; smallpox inoculation was not in the texts. |
| Sawai Jai Singh II | 1699 to 1743 | Jantar Mantars; de La Hire's tables; a home-made telescopeQ CDS 2024 (I): both statements about his astronomy were correct. |
Practice this conceptself-check · 4 quick reps
The same idea in a real exam question:
CDS · 2023 · CDS (II) 2023 — General Knowledge · Q85Hard
Example 3 · Medieval India · Art, Architecture and Science
Consider the following statements about science in medieval South India :
1. The Katapayadi system of numerals, which was invented by Vararuchi of Kerala, the author of Chandra Vakyas, was used for calculating the position of Moon on any day of the year.
2. Achyuta Pisharati (1550 – 1621) wrote Uparagakriyakrama, a text on eclipses.
3. Ravi Varma of Mahodayapuram set up an observatory and is also said to have inaugurated the Kollam era.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?
A folk practice, not a textbook one
Smallpox inoculation was practised in India, but it was a folk practice. A statement that the Yunani and Ayurvedic texts described it is false.
Summary — formulas & gotchas at a glance
A revision cheat-sheet for the formulas and gotchas above. Click any concept name to jump back to its full explanation.
Reference tables (3)
Chola bronzes and the Thanjavur temple6 rows
| Image or part | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Chola bronzes | Finest metal images of India; same iconography as the stone imagesQ CDS 2024 (II): both statements were correct. |
| Nataraja's right leg | Stands on Apasmara, the dwarf of ignorance |
| Nataraja's raised left leg | Bhujangatrasita pose: tirobhava, kicking away illusionQ |
| Nataraja's hands | Upper right: damaru; upper left: fire; main right: abhaya |
| Brihadishvara, Thanjavur | Shiva most often as TripurantakaQ |
| Thanjavur murals, found 1931 | Shiva as Yoga-DakshinamurtiQ CDS 2024 (I): the Buddhist and Jain subjects in the options belong to other sites. |
Buildings and painting styles6 rows
| Building or term | Builder or meaning | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Qutb Minar | Begun by Qutbuddin Aibak, finished by Iltutmish | About 1199 onwardQ CDS 2017 (II): the order is Qutb Minar, Tughlaqabad, Bada Gumbad, Fatehpur Sikri. |
| Tughlaqabad Fort | Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq | 1320s |
| Bada Gumbad, Lodi Garden | Reign of Sikandar Lodi | 1490s |
| Fatehpur Sikri | Akbar | From 1571 |
| Pendentive | Triangular corner piece carrying a dome on its arches | Indo-Islamic buildingsQ CDS 2026 (II): the bracket that joins the base of the dome to its arches. |
| Basohli | A Pahari style with bold, intense colour | 17th to 18th centuryQ |
Astronomy and medicine3 rows
| Scholar or practice | Time | Work |
|---|---|---|
| Vararuchi; Achyuta Pisharati; Ravi Varma | Kerala, up to the 17th century | Katapayadi numbers; a text on eclipses; an observatory and the Kollam eraQ |
| Tibb-i-Yunani and Bernier | 17th century | Medicine like Persia's; Harvey's discovery explained to Danishmand KhanQ CDS 2024 (I): two of the three statements were correct; smallpox inoculation was not in the texts. |
| Sawai Jai Singh II | 1699 to 1743 | Jantar Mantars; de La Hire's tables; a home-made telescopeQ CDS 2024 (I): both statements about his astronomy were correct. |
Watch out for (4)
- Tirobhava is the raised leg→ Chola bronzes and the Thanjavur temple
- The drum is in an upper hand→ Chola bronzes and the Thanjavur temple
- The Qutb Minar has two builders→ Buildings and painting styles
- A folk practice, not a textbook one→ Astronomy and medicine
Test yourself on Medieval India
20 past CDS questions from this chapter, timed at 20 minutes and marked the way the exam marks it. You see your score and every answer the moment you finish. Free to start.