Write brief notes on each of the following in about 20 words each.
Bodhisattva:
In early Indian Buddhism, the term Boddhisattva was primarily used to refer specifically to Gautama Buddha in his former life. The Jataka tales, which are the stories of the Buddha's life, depict various attempts of the Bodhisattva to embrace qualities like self-sacrifice and morality. Different branches of Buddhism give different meaning to it. Theravada Buddhism believes that the term was used by Buddha to refer to himself.
Megasthenes:
It was the Greek ambassador of Selucus Nikator in the court of Chandragupta Maurya. He stayed in his court between 305-299 BC and wrote accounts of people in his work `Indica'.
Brihadeshwara Temple:
It is an architectural work of Chola empire. It was built by Rajaraja I of Chola dynasty at Gangaikondacholapuram, Tanjavur in 1010 AD. It is a celebrated Shiva temple.
Perini Shivatandavam:
It is an ancient dance form from South India. It originated and prospered in Andhra Pradesh during the Kakatiya dynasty. Perini is performed by males, and it is believed that in ancient times this was performed before the soldiers set to war.
Allasani Peddna:
He was one of the members in Ashtadiggajas, the eight gems of Telugu poetry flourished in the court of Krishna Devarayya of Vijayanagar empire.
Chisti Silsila:
It was introduced by Sheikh Muinuddin Chisti. It is a famous silsila of Sufism that believes in pantheistic monism, Wandat-ul-Wujud (unity of being).
Rama Sethu:
It is also known as Adam's bridge is a connecting chain of limestone shoals between India and Sir Lanka. According to Hindu scriptures and belief, Lord Rama and his army had built a bridge from Rameshwaram to Sri Lanka.
Age of Sangam:
Literature It was the age of great literatures during 1st century BC to 3rd century comprising 18 minor and major works under the Chera and Pandya rulers in which the Tamil poets created great literary works.
Bhakti:
It was a form of worshipping of deities through total devotion and love for the Gods, believing that the Gods answer the prayers for their love to the devotees. It started in South India and spread to North India.
`Ashtadhyayi' of Panini:
It is mainly a grammar book. In this book, the contemporary social, economic and cultural incidents at that time are also narrated.
Charvaka:
The main propounder of materialistic philosophy of ancient India which came to be called as Lokhayatha, who was a disciple of Brihaspati and who wrote `Brihaspati Sutra'. It is totally a materialistic philosophy which does not accept the existence of God.
Ajivikas Makhaliputra Ghosalla established this community in the 6th century BC which believed in atheism and determinism. This heterodox sect received patronage by Magadh Mauryan kings like Bindusara, Ashoka.
Gandhara art:
It is also known as Indo-Greek art (Greco-Roman). This art is a form of idol art which started developing in the 1st and 2nd century during post-Mauryan period in North-West part of India. It emphasised on depiction of human anatomy and use of dark blue sandstone.
Mlechchhas:
In the epics, those tribes were called Mlechchhas who did not believe in the institutions related to Brahman religion and Vedic influence. It was referred even by Al-Beruni, later even Muslims came to be called so.
Lingayats:
The Shaiva community worshipped `Linga'. It is also known as Veershaiva. Brahman Vasava, cousin of Kalachuris of Karnataka, established Lingayat.
Nagarjunkonda It is an important Buddhist centre of ancient India. It has a stupa built by Ikshavakus, situated on an ancient trade route in Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh.
Rudramadevi She was a ruler of Kakatiya dynasty of Warangal. She took the title of Rudradeva Mahajan. She was mentioned by Marco Polo as well.
Sati:
It was the evil practice in Hindu religion which involved the burning of the widow in the pyre of the husband. First evidence of it was from the Gupta Age. It was abolished in 1829 by British Government.
Ramanuja:
He was a great saint in the medieval period. He introduced Vashista Advaita' and showed new path in the Bhakti Movement.
Kalhana He was a Kashmiri historian of the 11th century, during the reign of Harsha, the king of Kashmir. His `Rajtaranginr gives the chronology of the kings of Kashmir.
Yakshagana:
It is a traditional theatre form that combines dance, music, dialogue, costume, make-up and stage techniques, found in the coastal district in the carnatic region.
Natya Shastra This is the oldest book on drama written by Bharata Muni, during the Mauryan period and its first
complete compilation is dated between 200 BC and 200 AD. It deals with every aspect of the drama including writing for the stage performance.
Tabaqat-i-Nasiri :
This is a famous book of Minhaj-us-Siraj. It is dedicated to Nasiruddin Mahmud. It contains the early history of Sultanate period.
Madhura Vijayam:
It is a 14th century Sanskrit poem about the capture of Madurai by Vijayanagar prince Kumara Kampanna II and written by his wife Gangadevi.
Panduranga Mahatmyam It is Tenali Ramakrishna's great work (Kavya) of high merit, remarkable for its sonorous dignity of phrasing, and is counted as one of the Pancha Mahakavyas of Telugu Literature. It contains a legendary account of a shrine of Vishnu as `Panduranga'.
Prithviraj Raso:
This book is an eulogy to Prithviraj Chauhan, the famous ruler of Ajmer. It is written by Chandbardai, and talks about the Agnikula origin of the king.
Yajnavalkya Smriti The law book of Yajnavalkya belonging to the Gupta Age, was quite liberal to the condition of sudras and women.
Suttapitaka:
It is one of the three pitakas of Buddhism written by Buddha's disciple Ananda. It contains sermons of Buddha.