Q7
(a) The Virashaiva Movement of Southern Deccan in the twelfth century was essentially an attempt at social reform. Discuss. (15 marks) (b) The various Gharanas of Hindustani classical music were outcomes of patronage by regional princely courts, rather than central imperial ones. Discuss. (15 marks) (c) The prolonged conflict between the Vijayanagara Kingdom and the Bahmani successor states was influenced less by cultural factors, and more by strategic and economic considerations. Comment. (20 marks)
हिंदी में प्रश्न पढ़ें
(a) बारहवीं शताब्दी के दक्षिणी दक्कन में वीरशैव आंदोलन वास्तव में एक समाज सुधार का प्रयास था। विवेचना कीजिए। (15 अंक) (b) हिंदुस्तानी शास्त्रीय संगीत के विभिन्न घराने केंद्रीय राजशाही के बजाय क्षेत्रीय रियासतों के संरक्षण के परिणाम थे। विवेचना कीजिए। (15 अंक) (c) विजयनगर राज्य और बहमनी के उत्तराधिकारी राज्यों के मध्य दीर्घकालीन संघर्ष सांस्कृतिक कारणों से कम और सामरिक तथा आर्थिक कारणों से ज्यादा प्रभावित था। टिप्पणी कीजिए। (20 अंक)
Directive word: Discuss
This question asks you to discuss. The directive word signals the depth of analysis expected, the structure of your answer, and the weight of evidence you must bring.
See our UPSC directive words guide for a full breakdown of how to respond to each command word.
How this answer will be evaluated
Approach
The directive 'discuss' requires balanced argumentation with evidence for and against the proposition in each sub-part. Allocate approximately 25-30% time/words to (a) and (b) each (15 marks each), and 40-45% to (c) (20 marks). Structure: brief composite introduction acknowledging the three distinct themes; separate body sections for each sub-part with internal debate; integrated conclusion drawing thematic connections between regionalism, patronage, and state formation in medieval Deccan.
Key points expected
- For (a): Basavanna's 12th-century reform agenda (c.1130-1167), critique of caste hierarchy and ritualism, Anubhava Mantapa as institutional innovation, but also counter-argument on its theological/linguistic (Kannada) dimensions beyond social reform
- For (b): Regional gharanas (Gwalior, Kirana, Jaipur, Agra, Patiala) emerging under Maratha, Rajput, and Awadh courts post-Mughal decline; contrast with limited imperial patronage under Delhi Sultans/Mughals for Hindustani music; Tansen's legacy and subsequent regional dispersal
- For (c): Strategic contest over Raichur Doab and Konkan-Goa coastline; economic drivers including horse trade, pepper ports, and diamond mines; minimal religious/cultural war rhetoric in contemporary sources (Firishta, Nuniz) versus realpolitik of shifting alliances
- For (a): Gender dimensions—Akka Mahadevi and women devotees; tension between radical equality and subsequent institutionalization of Lingayat as distinct caste
- For (b): Gharana systematization in 18th-19th centuries (Bhatkhande's documentation), pedagogical gurusishya parampara, and technological/urban transformations affecting court dependence
- For (c): Battle of Talikota (1565) as culmination of resource competition; diplomatic marriages and cultural exchanges contradicting civilizational clash thesis; role of Portuguese naval presence in reshaping economic calculations
- Synthesis: Comparative regionalism across three cases—Virashaiva as anti-Brahmanical regional assertion, gharanas as cultural regionalism, Vijayanagara-Bahmani conflict as territorial-economic regionalism
Evaluation rubric
| Dimension | Weight | Max marks | Excellent | Average | Poor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chronology accuracy | 18% | 9 | Precise dating for Basavanna's movement (c.1130-1167, peak under Bijjala II); correct 18th-19th century timeline for gharana crystallization; accurate periodization of Vijayanagara-Bahmani conflict (1336-1565) with specific battles (Raichur 1520, Talikota 1565) and successor state chronology (Ahmadnagar, Bijapur, Golconda, Bidar, Berar) | Broad century-level accuracy with minor errors (e.g., conflating early and late Bahmani periods); vague 'medieval' or 'Mughal era' descriptors for gharanas; correct Talikota date but confused causation | Anachronistic framework (e.g., Virashaiva in 10th century or post-Vijayanagara); fundamental timeline errors (Talikota before 1500); gharanas attributed to Akbar's court exclusively |
| Source & evidence | 22% | 11 | Primary source deployment: Vachanas for Virashaiva theology; Firishta's Tarikh-i-Firishta and Domingos Paes's chronicle for Vijayanagara-Bahmani dynamics; Abdul Hamid Lahori or European travel accounts for gharana patronage; specific musician names (Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, Faiyaz Khan, Alladiya Khan) and their court affiliations | General reference to 'contemporary sources' without specificity; correct but uncritical use of secondary scholarship (K.A. Nilakanta Sastri, Richard Eaton); some musician or battle names but incomplete linkage to courts | No primary source citation; reliance on textbook generalizations; factual errors in musician-court associations; confusion between Carnatic and Hindustani traditions |
| Multi-perspective analysis | 22% | 11 | For (a): Balances social reform thesis (K. Ishwaran) against religious/sectarian interpretation (Lingayat as distinct religion); for (b): Acknowledges both regional court thesis and alternative Mughal influence (Shah Jahan's Naubat Khana); for (c): Weighs strategic-economic thesis (Burton Stein, Eaton) against residual cultural/religious factors (temple desecration episodes, Islamic rhetoric) | One-sided argument for each sub-part without substantive counter-argument; acknowledges complexity in (c) due to higher marks but superficial treatment of (a) and (b) | Wholly affirmative or negative response to each proposition without nuance; conflates all three cases into undifferentiated 'communal vs secular' framework; ignores historiographical debates entirely |
| Historiographic framing | 20% | 10 | Explicit engagement with: for (a)—S.M. Jamdar on Lingayat caste formation vs. M. Sivaramkrishna on radical bhakti; for (b)—Daniel Neuman's ethnographic work on gharana sociology; for (c)—Stein's 'segmentary state' vs. Wagoner's 'Sultanate hybridity' and Eaton's 'frontier thesis'; demonstrates awareness of how historiography shifted from communal to regional-economic frameworks | Implicit awareness of scholarly positions without explicit naming; correct identification of 'recent historians' or 'some scholars argue'; some confusion between scholars and their specific contributions | No historiographic awareness; presents arguments as self-evident facts; anachronistic application of contemporary political frameworks to medieval contexts |
| Conclusion & synthesis | 18% | 9 | Synthesizes three cases into coherent argument about Deccan regionalism: Virashaiva as social-religious regional assertion, gharanas as aesthetic regionalism enabled by political fragmentation, Vijayanagara-Bahmani conflict as territorial regionalism; connects to broader UPSC themes (fragmentation of Mughal successor states, colonial encounter with regional cultures, modern linguistic state formation) | Separate conclusions for each sub-part without cross-referencing; generic summary without thematic integration; misses opportunity to connect medieval regionalism to modern Indian federalism | No conclusion or abrupt ending; repetitive summary of points made; introduces new, unsupported claims in conclusion; fails to address the 'discuss' directive's requirement for balanced judgment |
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