Question 81 of 253 · Indian Dance Forms
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The Sattriya dance of Assam was inspired by which movement?

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Answer: Option C — Bhakti movement

Detailed Solution

The correct answer is Bhakti movement. Sattriya, the classical dance of Assam, was created as part of the neo-Vaishnavite movement started in Assam by Srimanta Sankaradeva (1449-1568) in the 15th and 16th centuries. This movement was the Assamese part of the wider Bhakti movement, which spread across India from about the 7th century onwards and emphasised personal, loving devotion to God over ritual and caste.

Sankaradeva preached devotion to a single God, Krishna, an avatar of Vishnu, and his teaching was called Ek Sharana Naam Dharma (the religion of surrender to one God). He believed that the arts could carry the message of devotion to ordinary people, so he wrote songs called Borgeet, composed one-act plays called Ankiya Nat, and created the dances that accompanied them. He also founded the sattras, Vaishnavite monasteries that became centres of religion, culture and learning. In these sattras, the dances of the Ankiya Nat were preserved and developed by the monks over the centuries, and they became known as Sattriya, meaning "of the sattras". His disciple Madhavadeva continued and expanded this work. The Majuli river island in the Brahmaputra, the largest river island in India, is home to many of the most important sattras.

About the other options:

The Sufi movement was the mystical tradition within Islam, which spread in India through orders such as the Chishti and Suhrawardi. It influenced music, especially qawwali, but not Sattriya.

The Arya Samaj was a reform movement founded by Swami Dayanand Saraswati in 1875.

The Swadeshi movement was a political movement that began in 1905 against the partition of Bengal.

None of these inspired Sattriya.

💡 Exam tip

Link Sattriya with Sankaradeva, the Bhakti or neo-Vaishnavite movement, the sattras, the Ankiya Nat, the Borgeet and Majuli. Remember that Sattriya was recognised as a classical dance in 2000.

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More Indian Dance Forms Questions

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  1. Q1.The techniques of Rasa and Bhava used in Indian classical dance trace their origin to which ancient text?
  2. Q2.Lavani, Powada, Koli, Waghya Murali and Dhangari Gaja are folk dances of which state?
  3. Q3.The one-act play associated with the Sattriya tradition of Assam is called:
  4. Q4.Which dance form of Goa is known as the 'Warrior Dance'?
  5. Q5.Manipuri dance is based on the Rasleela themes of:

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.