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Q44 (IAS/2014) History & Culture › Art & Architecture › Temple architecture styles Official Key

With reference to the cultural history of India, the term 'Panchayatan' refers to

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Your answer: —  ·  Correct: C
Explanation

In the cultural history of India, the term 'Panchayatan' refers to a style of temple construction[4]. This architectural style is characterized by a specific arrangement of shrines. The Panchayatan style used in temple construction had four shrines at four corners of temple[5]. The term literally means "five shrines" - consisting of a main central shrine with four subsidiary shrines positioned at the four corners, creating a quincunx pattern. This style became prominent in North Indian temple architecture, particularly during the medieval period. It represents an important development in Hindu temple architecture, reflecting the evolution of religious architectural forms in India.

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Don’t just practise – reverse-engineer the question. This panel shows where this PYQ came from (books / web), how the examiner broke it into hidden statements, and which nearby micro-concepts you were supposed to learn from it. Treat it like an autopsy of the question: what might have triggered it, which exact lines in the book matter, and what linked ideas you should carry forward to future questions.
Q. With reference to the cultural history of India, the term 'Panchayatan' refers to [A] an assembly of village elders [B] a religious sec…
At a glance
Origin: Mostly Current Affairs Fairness: Low / Borderline fairness Books / CA: 0/10 · 2.5/10
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This is a classic 'Term-Definition' question from the Static Art & Culture syllabus (NCERT Fine Arts). While 'Panchayat' (Option A) is a deliberate distractor from Polity, 'Panchayatan' is a technical architectural term. Strategy: Master the glossary of Sanskrit terms in Temple Architecture chapters; do not rely solely on general history books.

How this question is built

This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.

Statement 1
In the cultural history of India, does the term "Panchayatan" refer to an assembly of village elders?
Origin: Weak / unclear Fairness: Borderline / guessy
Indirect textbook clues
THEMES IN INDIAN HISTORY PART II, History CLASS XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 8: Peasants, Zamindars and the State > 2.2 Panchayats and headmen > p. 202
Strength: 5/5
“The village panchayat was an assembly of elders, usually important people of the village with hereditary rights over their property. In mixed-caste villages, the panchayat was usually a heterogeneous body. An oligarchy, the panchayat represented various castes and communities in the village, though the village menial-cum-agricultural worker was unlikely to be represented there. The decisions made by these panchayats were binding on the members. The panchayat was headed by a headman known as muqaddam or mandal. Some sources suggest that the headman was chosen through the consensus of the village elders, and that this choice had to be ratified by the zamindar.”
Why relevant

Describes a village panchayat as an assembly of elders, usually important village people forming a council that made binding decisions.

How to extend

A student could compare the term 'panchayat' here with 'panchayatan' linguistically (both sharing the root 'panch') and check cultural usages to see if 'panchayatan' denotes a similar five-member/elders' assembly.

History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 4: Emergence of State and Empire > District and Village Administration > p. 55
Strength: 4/5
“At the next level of administration came the districts, villages and towns. The district was under the command of a sthanika, while officials known as gopas were in charge of five to ten villages. Urban administration was handled by a nagarika. Villages were semi-autonomous and were under the authority of a gramani, appointed by the central government, and a council of village elders.”
Why relevant

States villages were semi-autonomous and governed by a council of village elders, establishing a recurring pattern of elders' councils in village administration.

How to extend

One could use this pattern to hypothesize that historical terms containing 'panch' related to village governance likely involved elder councils and then verify 'panchayatan' in lexicons or regional histories.

Exploring Society:India and Beyond ,Social Science-Class VII . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 4: New Beginnings: Cities and States > Early Democratic Traditions > p. 70
Strength: 4/5
“Each janapada had an assembly or council, called sabhā or samiti, where matters concerning the clan would be discussed. (Remember, from the chapter on 'India's Cultural Roots', that the words sabhā and samiti first appear in the Vedas, India's most ancient texts.) We may assume that most of the members were elders in the clan. The rājā was not expected to rule independently or arbitrarily;”
Why relevant

Explains early assemblies (sabhā/samiti) where most members were elders, showing a broader cultural pattern of elders forming decision-making councils.

How to extend

A student could generalize that many ancient Indian local governance terms describe elder assemblies and test whether 'panchayatan' fits this cultural pattern by consulting grammatical or historical sources.

Exploring Society:India and Beyond. Social Science-Class VI . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 11: Grassroots Democracy — Part 2: Local Government in Rural Areas > Panchayati Raj System > p. 164
Strength: 4/5
“Like every village in India, the Lakshmanpur people have a system of local government called 'Panchayat', which refers to a village council. Panchayats bring governance closer to the people, making it possible for them to actively participate in decision-making processes. That is why the Panchayat system, also known as Panchayati Raj, is a form of self-government. Panchayats play a vital role in addressing local issues, promoting development and ensuring that the benefits of government schemes reach the grassroots level.”
Why relevant

Defines 'Panchayat' as a village council (local government) used for self-government and local decision-making, tying 'panch' terminology to councils at village level.

How to extend

Using the established meaning of 'panchayat' as council, the student might investigate whether 'panchayatan' is a variant or specific form (e.g., five-member council) by checking linguistic/etymological references.

Geography of India ,Majid Husain, (McGrawHill 9th ed.) > Chapter 15: Regional Development and Planning > 5. The Panchayat-Level Planning > p. 58
Strength: 3/5
“A Panchayat is an elected body at village level. The Panchayat Raj System involeves a three-tier structure: • (i) village level,• (ii) block level, and• (iii) district level. The first tier at the village level is commonly known as Gram Panchayat or Gram Sabha (Village Assembly), the second tier at block level as Panchayat Samiti, and the third tier at district level as Zila Parishad. According to the provisions of Panchayat Acts 1996, the election to the Village Panchayat is held at an interval of five years where there is proportionate seat reservation for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes, and not less than one third seats for”
Why relevant

Shows modern formalization of 'Panchayat' as an elected village body (Gram Panchayat), reinforcing the link between the 'panch' root and village assemblies/institutions.

How to extend

From the modern institutional usage, a student could trace historical continuity of 'panch' terms and seek whether 'panchayatan' historically denoted an elders' assembly or a related institutional form.

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Statement analysis

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Statement analysis

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