Revision summary
India kept Sanskrit–Prakrit–vernacular, pilgrimage, and dharma as living practice. Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Greece lost their old public cults after conversion and empire. Harappan script is still unread, so the oldest urban layer is not a proven straight line. Islam, colonialism, and Partition remade custom even while older forms survived. The comment is fair as relative continuity, not as zero breakdown.
Model answer
Flow diagram
flowchart TD I[Vedic temple Bhakti stream] --> L[Living language ritual] E[Egypt Mesopotamia Greece] --> B[Cult and script break] C[Islam colony cities] --> I L --> P[Present India] C --> P
Conclusion
- Comment by comparing living ritual and language with dead scripts of the Nile and Tigris, then qualify with Islam, colonialism, and unread Harappa.
- Treat preservation as adaptive memory, not as an unbroken political state from Mohenjo-daro to the Republic.
Indian civilisation kept a denser living chain of language, pilgrimage, and social form than Egypt, Mesopotamia, or classical Greece. The difference is real, but it is continuity through change, not a culture without breakdown.
Quick related
Students also ask
-
Mesolithic rock cut architecture of India not only reflects the cultural life of the times but also a fine aesthetic sense comparable to modern painting. Critically evaluate this comment.
Next question in the 2015 paper (Q2). View answer →
-
Is Indian culture unchanged since the Indus cities?
No. Script, cities, and much religion of Harappa are not clearly continued. Continuity is stronger in later Vedic, classical, and Bhakti layers.
-
Did Greece keep nothing of its past?
Language, ruins, and philosophy survived. The old civic pagan cult did not survive as the public religion of the people.
PYQ trend
When UPSC asked this
Related PYQs from other years, newest first. Open a question to read it.
-
2017 · Q1 · GS I · 10 marks
How do you justify the view that the level of excellence of the Gupta numismatic art is not at all noticeable in later times? -
2017 · Q5 · GS I · 10 marks
How does the Juno Mission of NASA help to understand the origin and evolution of the Earth? -
2017 · Q11 · GS I · 15 marks
The spirit of tolerance and love is not only an interesting feature of Indian society from very early times, but it is also playing an important part at the present. Elaborate. (250 words). -
2016 · Q1 · GS I · 12 marks
Early Buddhist Stupa-art, while depicting folk motifs and narratives, successfully expounds Buddhist ideals. Elucidate. -
2016 · Q2 · GS I · 12 marks
Krishnadeva Raya, the king of Vijayanagar, was not only an accomplished scholar himself but was a also a great patron of learning and literature. Discuss. -
2016 · Q11 · GS I · 12 marks
With a brief background of quality of urban life in India, introduce the objectives and strategy of the 'Smart City Programme." -
2015 · Q2 · GS I · 12 marks
Mesolithic rock cut architecture of India not only reflects the cultural life of the times but also a fine aesthetic sense comparable to modern painting. Critically evaluate this comment. -
2015 · Q19 · GS I · 12 marks
Smart cities in India cannot sustain without smart villages. Discuss this statement in the backdrop of rural urban integration.
More from this paper
Q2 · UPSC Mains 2015 · GS I · 12 marks
Mesolithic rock cut architecture of India not only reflects the cultural life of the times but also a fine aesthetic sense comparable to modern painting. Critically evaluate this comment.
Indian Heritage and Culture
Mesolithic India left painted and engraved shelters, not cave temples. Bhimbetka and related sites show hunt, dance, and animals. Rock-cut architecture belongs to Mauryan and later religious caves. The line can look modern to us, but the makers had ritual and group aims. The comment is fair on culture, weak on architecture and on equating two art worlds.
Q3 · UPSC Mains 2015 · GS I · 12 marks
How difficult would have been the achievement of Indian independence without Mahatma Gandhi?
The Freedom Struggle
Gandhi built mass satyagraha from Champaran to Quit India and a daily constructive programme. Non-violence and a wide Congress made bargaining with Britain possible as a national claim. War, INA, peasants, and British weakness would still have pushed decolonisation. Partition shows his limits on communal peace. Without him freedom would likely have been bloodier and less united, not unthinkable.
Q4 · UPSC Mains 2015 · GS I · 12 marks
Mahatma Gandhi and Dr. B R Ambedkar, despite having divergent approaches and strategies, had a common goal of amelioration of the downtrodden. Elucidate.
The Freedom Struggle
Both men sought dignity, education, and an end to untouchability. Gandhi relied on repentance, temple entry, and village constructive work. Ambedkar relied on law, political safeguards, and critique of Hindu caste. The Poona Pact replaced separate electorates with reserved seats after a clash. Constitutional abolition of untouchability and later Navayana Buddhism mark Ambedkar’s distinct strategy.
Toppers' copies
Toppers' copies for this question will be uploaded soon.