Romesh Chunder Dutt, historian and political leader

Romesh Chunder Dutt (1848-1909) was a famous historian, economic thinker and political leader. In 1899, he presided over the annual conference of the Indian National Congress held in Lucknow.  

According to revolutionary and mystic Aurobindo Ghose, Romesh Chunder Dutt “prepared the public mind for the boycott movement” and “not only wrote history but created it.”   

His famous work is the Economic History of India (1902). Apart from translating the Ramayana and Mahabharata in English, he also translated the Rig Veda in Bengali. 

Great Stupa of Amaravati

                                                 Amaravati Stupa|Wikimedia Commons

Located in the lower Krishna valley in the Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh, Amravati is famous for its ruined stupa which in its final form was completed c A.D. 200. The stupa was once larger than that of Sanchi in Madhya Pradesh and was adorned with carved relief panels depicting scenes of the Buddha’s life. These relief medallions are among the wonderful works of India art. The Stupa was surrounded with free standing Buddha figures.

Barabar Caves: Oldest Surviving Rock-cut Caves in India

Barabar Caves/Wikipedia Commons

Apart from the stupas, caves are the main architectural remains of the period preceding the Gupta dynasty which was founded in the first half of the fourth century AD. The earliest and most prominent among these artificial caves, excavated for religious purposes, are the Buddhist caves of Barabar, in the Jehanabad district of Bihar. 

Carved out from solid rocks, Barabar caves (located 25 km north of Gaya) were excavated by the greatest Mauryan emperor Ashoka for use by Buddhist monks in the 3rd century BC. However, two of the Barabar caves were also dedicated by him to the monks of Ajivika sect who were among the chief rivals of Buddhists. This goes on to show that the Ajivika sect enjoyed patronage of Ashoka and his successor Dasharatha who is also credited with the dedication of two caves in the Nagarjuni Hills, near Barabar, to the Ajivikas. 

The inner walls of the Barabar caves are finely polished. The workmen of these caves belonged to the school that was responsible for the polish of Ashokan pillars and inscriptions which he erected in the 3rd century BC in different parts of the country. 

Jain Councils

                                Sthulabhadra Jain temple in Patna/ Ghosh Ujjwal via Wikimedia Common

On the death of great Jain saint Bhadrabahu, the First Jain Council was called by the Jaina monk Sthulabhadra at Patliputra. At this great council, the twelve Angas or sections, the sacred cantons of the Svetambaras, were compiled which replaced the fourteen former Jaina texts (Purvas). 

The Second Jaina Council was held in Valabhi in Saurashtra (Gujarat) in the 5th century AD under the leadership of Devardhi Kshamasraman. At the council, the Oral Jain traditions of the Svetambaras were finally reduced to writing in the form of twelve Upangas or minor sections, and various lesser sections. 

Dholavira: Fifth largest Harappan site

Dholavira|Rahul Zota via Wikimedia Common

The archeological site of Dholavira in the Bhachau taluka of Kutch district in Gujarat is one of the two largest Harappan settlements in India. Rakhigarhi in Haryana is the other one. 

Locally known as Kotada timba, meaning a large fort, Dholavira was first explored by ASI’s J P Joshi. However, it was excavated extensively by RS Bisht in the 1990s. 

This Indus Valley Civilization site had three divisions – christened as ‘citadel’ or ‘acropolis’, “middle town” and “lower town” with elaborate gate complex on its fortifications.  

Like other Harappan sites, the script written by the inhabitants of Dholavira remains indecipherable. The characters of the script found at Dholavira are huge.

Mughal Painting

Chief components of Mughal paintings were Indian, Persian and Chinese. The imported style introduced by the Mughals mingled with the contemporary Indian schools of painting flourishing in different parts of the country. Gujarat, Rajputana and Kashmir were important centres of Indian painting in the early Mughal period. Court life and natural life inspire most of the subjects of Mughal paintings. Portraits of the Mughal emperors are also one of the themes of the Mughal paintings. 

Persian painter Abdus Samad was appointed tutor to the Prince Akbar by Humayun. Abdus Samad and Mir Sayyid Ali were invited to the Mughal court to prepare a lavishly illustrated manuscript of the Persian translation of the Hamzanama, the celebrated Arab epic about a legend Hamza. Hamzanama had 1004 illustrated pages in its twelve volumes.

Development of fresco painting (Frescoes on the walls of Fatehpur Sikri) was an important contribution to the field painting during Akbar’s period which also witnessed the introduction of European painting at the Mughal court.  

Daswanth, Farrukh Beg and Basawan were the famous painters in Akbar’s court. Impressed by his talent, Akbar sent Daswanth to Abdus Samad. Daswanth’s illustration of the Persian translation of the Mahabharata is now in Jaipur. Baswan was another talented painter. Abul Fazal, the court historian, refers by name to thirteen Hindu and five Muslim painters in the court of Akbar. 

Portrait painting made special progress during the reign of Jahangir who himself was an excellent connoisseur of painting. Ustad Mansur at his court was famous for his paintings of animal and human portraits. 

Aga Reza and his son Abul Hasan from Herat in Afghanistan were employed by Jahangir. Abdul Hasan was bestowed the title of Nadir-uz-Saman ("Wonder of the Age") by Jahangir who took pride in his ability to recognise the artist by their paintings.  

Shah Jahan was the last great royal patron of Mughal school of painting. 

Key Points

• Abdus Samad was given the title of Shirin Qalam. 
• Abul Hasan was given the title of Nadir-uz-Zaman ("Wonder of the Age") by Jahangir.  
• Ustad Mansur was given the title of Nadir-ul-Asr ("Unequalled of the age").

Salabat Khan’s Tomb at Ahmadnagar

                                     Tomb of Salabat Khan/ Wikipedia Commons

The octagonal tomb of Salabat Khan is at the centre of an octagonal terrace on a picturesque hill site in Ahmadnagar in Maharashtra. Salabat Khan was a minister under Sultan Murtaza I (1565-88) of Ahmadnagar Sultanate, known more famously as the Nizam Shahi dynasty, one of the five independent states that arose on the debris of the Bahmani Sultanate.  

Salabat Khan’s tomb is also known as Chand Bibi’s palace. Chand Bibi was the daughter of Husain Nizam Shah of Nizam Shahi dynasty and widow of Ali Adil Shah belonging to the Bijapur’s Adil Shahi dynasty.