The Making Of Regional Cultures

Manipravalam was a language consisting of Sanskrit and the regional language (Malayalam). The book written in that language is Lilatilakam, dealing with grammar and poetics. This book was composed during the 14th century.

1. Major patrons of Kathak were the Mughal emperors and the Nawabs of Lucknow.

2. Subsequently, Kathak developed into dance forms with two ‘gharanas’ -one of Rajasthan (Jaipur) and other of Awadh (Lucknow).

3. Under the patronage of Wajid Ali Shah, the last Nawab of Awadh, Kathak grew into a major art form.

Bengal developed a typical style in temple architecture. The important architectural features of the temples of Bengal are –

1. The double-roofed (dochala) or four-roofed (chauchala) structure of the thatched huts, resembling the ‘Bangla Dome’ which became the Bengali style in Temple Architecture.

2. In the four-roofed structures, four triangular roofs placed on the four walls move up to converge on a curved line or a point.

3. Temples were built in a square platform.

4. The interior walls are relatively plain and the outer walls are generally decorated with paintings, ornamental tiles or terracotta tablets.

In the ancient days, the minstrels occupied an important position in the society and they used to record and preserve the stories of Rajput heroes in the form of poems and songs. Ordinary people were attracted by these stories and poems of the minstrels.

Minstrels proclaimed the achievements of the heroes to preserve their memory and inspire others to follow their example. So, the minstrels used to sing about only those brave warriors who chose death on the battlefield rather than accept defeat.

We know more about the cultural practices of rulers than about those of ordinary people because:

1. Only rulers could afford historians for the purpose of documentation.

2. In those times only rulers had the resources to preserve their work.

The conquerors such as Mughals, Marathas and the English East India Company tried to control the temple of Jagannatha at Puri mainly because of:

1. The importance of Jagannatha temple increased continuously as a center of pilgrimage,

2. Its authority in social and political matters also increased simultaneously,

3. If they have control of the temple it would make the local people to accept their rules,

4. Most importantly, by gaining control over the temple they could access the huge wealth of the temple collected from the donations of the pilgrims.

1. Temples were built in Bengal to house the local deities who had gained the recognition of the Brahmanas.

2. To demonstrate power and proclaim their deity.

3. When social and economic position of people improves they built temples to proclaim their status.