SSC
Kathakali took shape in Kerala in the 17th century under the patronage of which ruler?
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Answer: Option A — The Prince of Kottarakkara
Detailed Solution
The correct answer is the Prince of Kottarakkara. Kathakali, the classical dance-drama of Kerala, took shape in the 17th century. Its origins are linked with the Ramanattam, a dance-drama on the story of Rama created by the Raja (prince) of Kottarakkara, a small kingdom in southern Kerala, usually identified as Kottarakkara Thampuran. Note that the source book from which this question was taken gives the answer as "Prince of Karnataka", which is an error. The correct answer is the Prince of Kottarakkara, in Kerala.
According to a popular story, the Zamorin of Calicut, Manavedan, had created the Krishnanattam, a dance-drama on the life of Krishna, in Sanskrit. When the Prince of Kottarakkara asked for the Krishnanattam troupe to be sent to his court, the Zamorin refused, saying that the people of the south would not understand the art. In response, the Prince of Kottarakkara created the Ramanattam, a new dance-drama on the Ramayana, written in Malayalam so that ordinary people could understand it. The Ramanattam is considered the direct ancestor of Kathakali. Later, Kottayam Thampuran, a prince of the Kottayam kingdom in northern Kerala, wrote four plays based on the Mahabharata and made important changes to the form. The art also drew on older traditions such as Koodiyattam, Krishnanattam, Theyyam and the martial art Kalaripayattu. In the 20th century, the poet Vallathol Narayana Menon founded the Kerala Kalamandalam in 1930, which became the main centre for the training and revival of Kathakali.
About the other options:
- The Zamorin of Calicut (Manavedan) created the Krishnanattam, a related but separate art form, not Kathakali.
- The Maharaja of Mysore and the Nizam of Hyderabad ruled kingdoms outside Kerala and are not linked with the origin of Kathakali.
💡 Exam tip
Kathakali grew from the Ramanattam of the Prince of Kottarakkara. The Krishnanattam was created by the Zamorin of Calicut, and the two are often contrasted in exam questions.💬 Discussions on this question
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Indian Dance Forms — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Indian Dance Forms, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
Indian dance forms are one of the most frequently tested areas of static GK. This topic covers the eight classical dances recognised by the Sangeet Natak Akademi (Bharatanatyam, Kathak, Kathakali, Kuchipudi, Odissi, Manipuri, Mohiniyattam and Sattriya), the folk and tribal dances of every state, and related terms such as mudra, abhinaya, lasya and tandava. Most questions ask which state a dance belongs to, which community performs it, or which feature identifies a classical style. Learn the classical dances with their state and one signature feature each, such as the face make-up of Kathakali or the brass plate of Kuchipudi. For folk dances, group them state by state, since exams often list three or four dances and ask for the common state. Watch for dances shared by more than one state, such as Chhau, which has three styles. Practise the Indian dance forms questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.