Which of the following optionals is the most scoring?
wat to study for gs ?.....tell me from basics.....
ncert books wat subjects i need to study from which classes.....
can i get ncert books online for low prices.....
I need guidance for essay paper of upsc mains. Please share some tips.
Has anyone subscribed to EPW articles and willing to share it ?
Will anyone clear the exam of IAS without coaching as I am from bhopal where no such good coaching are there .?
friends help me out here....i m new to dis forum ...plzz provide me guidance about how to begin my preparation .....what are the relevant topics to cover ......stratergy dat i should follow at d very start of my preparation .....and everythng as i havnt taken any coaching .....so plzz help out friends...thnku....
Hii friends... I am graduated from B.Sc. (Ag.). So just tell me that which 2 subject should I select for mains ?
Is there anyone who is still left with some parts of NCERTs and all the reference books.But,still targeting & hoping to clear CSE 2016?
From Where I Can get Complete Study Material ?
Can anyone tell me the source through which I know syllabus of IAS that helps me what to study or what not ?
IS there any good online classes like offline classes which prepare us for IAS ?
Can president reject a money bill, yes no nothing mentioned in constitution
Guys plse suggest which Institute is best for coaching in delhi?
Can anyone please post a link regarding all the initiatives by narendra modi or maybe list all of them. Thanks.
can anyone please suggest coaching in old rajendar nagar..with weekend batches...Sri chaitanya is available, any reviews about it.
Thanks
UPSC Civil Services GK
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In this article, we will discuss the definition of culture, its origin and the basis of Indian culture.
Definition of culture:
i) For a layman, the word 'culture' assumes the same meaning as words like norms, customs, traditions, conventions, values & beliefs, etc.
ii) Etymologically, the word has been derived from the Latin word 'agriculture', which means to till or cultivate. The Sanskrit equivalent for culture is
iii) Thus, German philosopher Arnold Keyserling defined culture as 'the transformation of the uncultivated into the cultivated humanity.'
iv) Culture can thus be summed up as something which is formed, shaped and moulded as per the inherent tendencies and outlooks and forms the basis of the holistic political, social, economic and religious activities.
v) Culture is expressed in the form of arts, sciences, literature, industry and crafts.
Contributory factors in the shaping of culture:
i) The biggest contributing factor in the building of a region's culture is its environment. It plays a vital role
ii) The second factor is the group of intellectuals or elites, who are from the same soil but tend to mould the contemporary culture.
iii)
iv) Fourthly, foreign impact is responsible for the formation and development of native culture.
Culture & its determinants:
As we have seen, the environment, the intellectual and the elite, family and foreign impact, etc. are the core factors influencing culture in each generation. But, the question remains, how does it happen? How is culture determined and shaped economically, socially, historically and politically? Let us understand how these factors have intermingled to shape our culture over thousands of years.
1. Socio-economic influences: i) Major cultural transformations happen due to socio-economic and political developments.
ii) The emergence and development of Vedic civilisation in India can be one of the best examples of economic influences on culture. The Vedic civilisation gave birth to the Varna system, which then mutated into the caste system, which is even today a major aspect of Indian culture.
iii) Economic growth and prosperity were essential for growth of art and architecture during the Maurya and Gupta period.
iv) The growth of trade & commerce enabled towns to flourish in the 14th and 15th centuries. This disrupted the age-old barter system in villages, which was actually based on the caste system. Eventually, it raised questions about occupational restrictions due to the caste system. Thus, it was the rise of Bhakti movement across different regions.
v) The Bhakti movement played a vital role in reshaping Indian culture and bringing
vi) The increased surplus production during the Mughal rule resulted in a rise in the Mughal architecture during the medieval period. Various forms of arts like music, painting and writing also developed due to the court patronage by Mughals.
vii) During British expansion in India, due to the rise of capitalism, Indian culture started to take a modern turn. This led to the rise of middle-class people with western education & morals and
2. Political influences:
i) Different political structures of various reigns also impacted our culture.
ii) For example, vast empires like that of the Mauryans, Guptas and the Mughals had followed autocracy and political centralisation by bringing in various feudal regions under one rule. This ensured a formation of a unified culture which later formed the basis of national culture.
iii) However, soon after the fall of these dynasties, feudal lords assumed command of their respective regions and paved way for a separate identity of their religion. This was the beginning of
iv) Many monuments and architectural buildings were built by rulers/dynasties bearing expressions of the religions they professed. For example, after accepting Buddhism, Emperor Ashoka raised many stupas such as Sanchi stupa, Bharhut stupa, Lion capital, etc.
v) In the later period, the British expansion laid the roots of democracy in India, which eventually became the basis for modern Indian culture.
3. Foreign influences:
i) Since the earliest time, Indian society had been in contact with the outside world due to trade & commerce, migration, settlement and foreign invasions.
ii) The Aryans brought forms of agricultural products, new gold and beliefs. The gunpowder, cavalry and new military techniques were brought to India by Turks.
iii) Trade and commerce ties with China, Rome and Europe brought India stitched
iv) The Mughal invasion brought into India the Mughal style of architecture, miniature paintings, new melodies, musical forms, musical instruments, dastan & ghazals as new forms of literary expressions, etc.
v) The British rule brought to India the Victorian form of architecture, modern weapons, military discipline, democratic culture, telecommunications and other modern inventions.
vi) These new additions greatly influenced different aspects of the Indian culture, which is rightly given the tag of 'unity in diversity'.
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UPSC Civil Services GK
Dear Readers,
General Knowledge and Current Affairs are an important component of many competitive exams, such as the UPSC Civil Services Examination, SSC CGL Exam, Bank PO & other PSU entrance tests, etc. Therefore, understanding the concepts/terms/events that are significant in our daily lives is critical for aspirants. To make your preparation easier and to help you score better in your exams, we at PaGaLGuY bring you brief articles on important phenomena, concepts and events. Spend just 15 minutes every day on pagalguy.com and score at least 10 more marks in your General Studies paper!
To access all the content available on PaGaLGuY, login to
In this article, we are discussing characteristics of culture.
Difference between culture and civilisation:
Civilisation is a process whereby societies achieve heightened development through
In short, a civilisation grows out of culture but not every culture has developed into a civilisation.
Cultural Heritage:
i) As we have discussed before, culture is progressive. Our ancestors learn values/customs from their predecessors and include these in their own lifestyle. They also adopt new habits, while renouncing certain learnings if they seem irrelevant to the present time. In this way, culture is transmitted and carried forward from one generation to the other.
ii) The culture people inherit from their predecessors is called cultural heritage. When a nation inherits a culture, it is called national cultural heritage.
iii) Monuments and major sites like the Taj Mahal, Red fort, churches in Goa, the Sanchi Stupa, group of monuments at Hampi, the Ajanta-Ellora Caves, Great Living Chola Temples, etc. are part of our cultural heritage.
iv) It is to be noted that cultural heritage does not only comprise monuments and sites of architectural prominence. It also includes intellectual achievements, philosophies & schools of thought, scientific inventions & discoveries, etc.
v) Several notable scholars have played a crucial role in shaping India's cultural heritage.
vi) So, in
Characteristics of Culture:
i) Culture is learned & acquired: The various aspects of culture are learned from family members, friends and the society. A person's culture is influenced by the physical and social environments through which s/he operates.
ii) Culture is shared by a group of people: A thought or action which is shared, believed or practised by a group of people is called culture.
iii) Culture is dynamic: Culture gets modified as new ideas, trends and traditions replace or alter the old ones. No culture in the world is permanent.
iv) Culture is cumulative: Values, customs, habits and ideas, among others are passed by each generation to the coming generations. Every generation adds more knowledge to what they originally learnt and continue the cyclic transmission of culture.
v) Culture denotes the ideal behaviour patterns: Culture of a particular society lays out ideal behaviour patterns that are to be followed by individuals so as to gain social acceptance from people who are of the same culture.
vi) Culture is diverse: Culture is an amalgamation of many mutually independent factors.
Suggestions needed on picking the optional :
I really like both History and Geography as subjects. I have a really strong background in History too. But it is said that Geography is a comparatively scoring subject than History. So I am confused on which one to choose from these two?
Any comments?
Hey people , I want to prepare for CS
So kindly guide me for this
gud guidence will be appreciated
Please suggest me some good books for ancient india