Comprehension: (Que No. 1 - 5) Read the following passage and answer the…
2023
Comprehension: (Que No. 1 - 5)
Read the following passage and answer the questions given below it.
In the seventh and eighth centuries CE, Islam spread towards Spain and India. Islam came to India, particularly, with Muslim merchants, traders, holy men and conquerors over a passage of six hundred years. Although by the eighth century CE, Muslims had begun to construct in Sindh, Gujarat, etc., it was only in the early thirteenth century that large-scale building activity was begun by the Turkish State, established after the Turkish conquest of northern India. A noteworthy aspect of these migrations and conquests was that Muslims absorbed many features of local cultures and traditions and combined them with their own architectural practices. Thus, in the field of architecture, a mix of many structural techniques, stylised shapes, and surface decorations came about through constant interventions of acceptance, rejection or modification of architectural elements. These architectural entities or categories showcasing multiple styles are known as Indo-Saracenic or Indo-Islamic architecture. According to E. B. Havell, Hindus conceived manifestations of god everywhere in multiple forms as part of their religious faith whereas a Muslim thought of only one with Muhammad as His Prophet. Hence, Hindus adorned all surfaces with sculptures and paintings. Muslims, forbidden to replicate living forms on any surface, developed their religious art and architecture consisting of the arts of arabesque, geometrical patterns and calligraphy on plaster and stone.
Question:
According to E.B. Havell. the difference in Hindu and Muslim architecture is due to which of the following?
- A.
The different concepts of god
- B.
The different ideas about architecture
- C.
The different places of origin
- D.
The different beliefs about style
Attempted by 10 students.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: A
Answer: The difference in Hindu and Muslim architecture is due to their different concepts of God, as explained by E. B. Havell.
Hindus conceive manifestations of God in many forms, so they adorned surfaces with sculptures and paintings.
Muslims believe in one God and generally avoid depicting living forms; they developed non-figurative decorative arts such as arabesque, geometric patterns, and calligraphy.
Thus, according to Havell, the differing concepts of God led to different decorative practices and therefore different architectural outcomes.