CBSE Notes For Class 6 History Chapter 10 Buildings, Paintings and Books

by

CBSE Notes For Class 6 History Social Science Chapter 10 Buildings, Paintings and Books

CBSE Notes For Class 6 History Chapter 10 Buildings in Brick and Stone

  • The buildings that have survived from the cast depicted the skills of Indian craftspersons. For example, stupas.
  • Artificial caves were another example of buildings that were created by cutting out hills. Some of these were decorated with sculptures and paintings.

Stupas

  • The word stupa means a mound. There are various kinds of stupas, round and tall, big and small, however, they have certain common features which are discussed below
  • Relic Casket It is a small box generally placed at the center of the stupa. This may contain bodily remains (such as teeth, bone, or ashes) of the Buddha or his followers, or things they used, as well as precious stones and coins.
  • This box was covered with soil. Later, a layer of mud brick or baked brick was added to the top. The dome-like structure was then covered sometimes with carved stone slabs.
  • Pradakshina Patha It is a path that was laid around the stupa. It was surrounded by railings and there was entrance to the path through gateways. The devotees walked around the stupa in a clockwise direction, as a mark of devotion. The stupa’s railings and gateways were decorated mostly with sculpture.

Amaravati was a place where a magnificent (extremely impressive/attractive) stupa once existed. Many of the stone carvings for decorating this stupa were built around 2000 years ago.

Temples

The earliest temples of Hindus also depicted the skill of Indian craftsmen. Delkes such as Vishnu. Shiva and Purga were wors binned in these temples. Some of die finest stone temples were built in Mahabalipuram and Aihole. The temples have the following features

  • Garbhagriha It was the room where the image of the main deity was placed. The priests performed the religious rituals at the garbhapihu. and devotees offered worship to the del tv.
  • Shikhara It was a tower, mostly built on top of the garbhagrtha to mark it as a sacred place. Building shikhara required careful planning. For example, shikhara on the temples at Bhitargaon.
  • Mandapa It was a hail where people could assemble.

Building the Stupas and Temples

Mostly the kings or queens built stupas and temples, as building them was expensive. There were various stages in building a stupa or a temple. The stages were as follows

  • Firstly, good quality stone had to be found, quarried, and transported to the place that was chosen for the new building.
  • ” Secondly, these rough blocks of stone had to be shaped and sculpted into pillars and panels for walls, floors, and ceilings.
  • Thirdly, all these had to be placed exactly in the right position.

Kings and queens probably spent money from their wealth to pay the craftspeople who worked to build these structures.

When devotees came to visit the temple or the stupa, they mostly brought gifts, which were used to decorate these buildings. For example, an association of ivory workers paid for one of the beautiful gateways at Sanchi Stupa.

Other people who paid for decorations were merchants, farmers, garland makers, perfumers, smiths, and many men and women who were recognized only by their names which were inscribed on pillars, railings, and walls.

CBSE Notes For Class 6 History Chapter 10 Painting

In Ajanta, there are many caves that were hollowed out of the hills over centuries. Many of these were monasteries for Buddhist monks and some of them were decorated with paintings.

Most of these paintings were done in the light of torches. The colors were made of plants and minerals, which are bright even after 1500 years. The artists who created these works of art remain unknown.

CBSE Notes For Class 6 History Chapter 10 The World of Books

  • During this period, some of the best-known epics were written. Epics are grand, long compositions about heroic men and women, and also include stories about Gods.
  • Ilango was a famous poet who composed the Tamil epic, the Silappadikaram, around 1800 years ago. It is the story of a merchant named Kovalan, who lived in Puhar and fell in love with a courtesan named Madhavi, neglecting his wife Kannagi.
  • Later, Kovalan and Kannagi left Puhar and went to Madurai, where he was wrongly accused of theft by the court jeweler of the Pandya king. The king sentenced Kovalan to death.
  • Kannagi was full of grief and anger at this injustice and destroyed the entire city of Madurai.
  • Another Tamil epic, the Manimekalai was composed by Sattanar around 1400 years ago. This describes the story of the daughter of Kovalan and Madhavi.
  • These epics were lost for many centuries, and their manuscripts were discovered about 100 years ago. Other writers of epics include Kalidasa who wrote in Sanskrit

Recording and Preserving Old Stories: Many Hindu religious stories were also written around the same period. These include the Puranas, the Ramayana, and the Mahabharata.

Puranas: Puranas literally means old. The Puranas contain stories about Gods and Goddesses, such as Vishnu, Shiva, Durga, or Parvati. They also contain details on how they were to be worshipped. Besides, there are details about the creation of the world, and about kings.

The Puranas were written in simple Sanskrit verse and were meant to be heard by everybody. They were probably recited in temples by priests, and people came to listen to them.

The Mahabharata: The Mahabharata is about the war fought between the Kauravas and Pandavas, who were cousins.

  • This war was all about gaining control of the throne of the Kuru kingdom and its capital, Hastinapur. The story of the Mahabharata was written 1500 years ago.
  • Both the Puranas and the Mahabharata are believed to have been compiled by Vyasa. The Bhagavad Gita is also a part of the Mahabharata.
  • During this period, some of the best-known epics were written. Epics are grand, long compositions about heroic men and women, and also include stories about Gods.
  • Ilango was famous poet who composed the Tamil epic, the Silappadikaram, around 1800 years ago. It is the story of a merchant named Kovalan, who lived in Puhar and fell in love with a courtesan named Madhavi, neglecting his wife Kannagi.
  • Later, Kovalan and Kannagi left Puhar and went to Madurai, where he was wrongly accused of theft by the court jeweler of the Pandya king. The king sentenced Kovalan to death. Kannagi was full of grief and anger at this injustice and destroyed the entire city of Madurai.
  • Another Tamil epic, the Manimekalai was composed by Sattanar around 1400 years ago. This describes the story of the daughter of Kovalan and Madhavi.
  • These epics were lost for many centuries, and their manuscripts were discovered about 100 years ago.
  • Other writers of epics include Kalidasa who wrote in Sanskrit

The Ramayana: The Ramayana is about Rama, a prince of Kosala, who was sent into exile. His wife Sita was abducted by the king of Lanka, Ravana.

Rama had to fight a battle to get her back. He won and returned to Ayodhya, the capital! of Kosala, after his victory. Valmiki is known as the author of the Sanskrit Ramayana.

Stories Told by Ordinary People

  • The ordinary people also told stories, composed songs and poems, sang and danced, and performed plays. Some of these are preserved in collections of stories such as the Jatakas4 and the Panchatantra5.
  • The stories from the Jatakas were mostly shown on the railings of stupas and in paintings in places such as Ajanta.

Writing Books on Science

  • Aryabhata, a mathematician and an astronomer, wrote a book in Sanskrit known as the Aryabhatiyam. He claimed that day and night were caused by the rotation of the Earth on its axis.
  • He developed a scientific explanation for eclipses. He also found a way of calculating the circumference of a circle, which is nearly as accurate as the formula used today. Varahamihira, Brahmagupta, and Bhaskaracharya were some other mathematicians and astronomers.

Ayurveda:  Ayurveda is a well-known system of health science that was developed in ancient India.

The two famous practitioners of Ayurveda in ancient India were Charaka (1st-2nd centuries CE) and Sushruta (4th century CE). Charak Samhita, written by Charak is a remarkable book on medicine. Susruta Samhita, written by Sushruta, is a book on detailed surgical procedures.

CBSE Notes For Class 6 History Chapter 10 Metallurgy

  • Metallurgy means the scientific study of metals and their uses. Ancient Indian metallurgists made major contributions to the metallurgical history of the world.
  • According to archaeological excavations, the Harappans were great craftsmen and had knowledge of copper metallurgy. They also manufactured bronze by mixing copper and tin. The Harappans belonged to the Bronze Age, while their successors belonged to the Iron Age.
  • India produced highly advanced types of iron like forged iron, wrought iron, and cast iron. The iron pillar at Mehrauli, Delhi is a remarkable example of the skill of Indian crafts persons. The iron pillar is 7.2 m high and weighs over 3 tonnes.
  • It was made about 1500 years ago. There is an inscription on the pillar mentioning about its date and a ruler named Chandra, who probably belonged to the Gupta dynasty. The amazing fact about the pillar is that it has not rusted through the centuries.

Leave a Comment