JAC Class 7 Social Science Solutions History Chapter 8 Devotional Paths to the Divine

JAC Board Class 7th Social Science Solutions History Chapter 8 Devotional Paths to the Divine

JAC Class 7th History Devotional Paths to the Divine InText Questions and Answers

Page 105

Question 1.
You can observe this process of local myths and legends receiving wider acceptance even today. Can you find some examples around you?
Answer:
Do it yourself. (Hint :Hinduism, the religion of the majority of the citizens of India, has varied faith whose local rituals and traditions are diverse.); Folk religion in Hinduism many explain the ’rationale behind local religious practices,and contain local myths that explain the existence of local religious customs or the location of temples.

Page 106

Question 2.
How does the poet describe his relationship with the deity?
Answer:
The poet feels his lord inside his body. Due to this reason, the poet is set free from sorrow, birth, death and illusion. He believes that nobody can separate him from God and salvaged with the light of the blessings of God.

JAC Class 7 Social Science Solutions History Chapter 8 Devotional Paths to the Divine

Page 107

Question 3.
Try and find out more about the ideas of Shankara or Ramanuja.
Answer:
Shankara or Shankaracharya

  • He was bom to a poor Brahmana couple in Kerala. He was one of the most authoritative and powerful philosophers of south India. He presented the idea of Advaita wich means idea of oneness of the individual soul and Supreme God. He believed, that a person could understand the ultimate reality and attain salvation only after following the path of renunciation and acquiring knowledge. Maya was neither an existence nor a non-existence and wasa therfore indescribable.
  • Ramanuja
  • Ramanuja was bom in Tamil Nadu. He was influenced by Alvars. He taught that an extreme devotion to God would help to attain salvation. He also gave the idea of Vishishtadvaita which means the soul remains distinct even after union with God.

Question 4.
What is the temple that Basavanna is offering to God?
Answer:
Basavanna is offering the temple of his body to his God. According to him, his legs are pillars, his body the shrine, and head a Cupola of gold.

Page 109

Question 5. Discuss the ideas about the social order expressed in these compositions.
Answer:
The ideas expressed by these composition are that God lives in the heart of all people irrespective of their caste, creed or gender. He treats the weak as his children which are in fact God themselves. If someone discriminates with these people then he should be ashamed of his own deed.

Page 115

Question 6.
Why do you think Mirabai left the Rana’s palace?
Answer:
Mirabai was a Rajput princess married into the royal family of Mewar. But she never liked the life of a palace. Hence, she left it and became a disciple of Ravidas, a saint from a caste considered “untouchable”. She, devoted her life to Lord Krishna and composed innumerable bhajans expressing her intense devotion. Her songs also openly challenged the norms of the ‘upper’ castes and became popular with the ordinary people. Once Mirabai drunk the poison sent by her husband. Still she did not die. The incident became very popular. People thought that she was saved by Lord Krishna. Thus she was proved to a true devotee.

Question 7.
In what ways are the ideas in this poem similar to or different from those of Basavanna and Jalaluddin Rumi?
Answer:
Similarity

  • The idea of this poem stress on equality and against Brahmanas dominance and caste system. The central ideas of Kabir, Basavanna and Jalauddin Rumi emphases that the God resides within one’s heart. It cannot be found anywhere else on this earth.
    Difference
  • No need to keep fast on Ramzan as Allah lives in the heart and not outside.

Page 120

Question 8.
Imagine, you are attending a meeting where a saint is discussing the caste system. Relate the conversation.
Answer:
The main points of the conversation are:

  • Origin of the Caste system started from vama system.
  • Division in the society.
  • Caste conflicts’.
  • Major ill effects of the caste system.
  • How to remove the caste evils.

JAC Class 7th History Devotional Paths to the DivineTextbook Questions and Answers

( Let’s Recall)

Question 1.
Match the following:

The Buddha namghar
Shankaradeva worship of Vishnu
Nizamuddin Auliya questioned social differences
Nayanars Sufi saint
Alvars worship of shiva

Answer:

The Buddha questioned social differences
Shankaradeva namghar
Nizamuddin Auliya Sufi saint
Nayanars worship of Shiva
Alvars worship of Vishnu

Question 2.
Fill in the blanks:
(a) Shankara was an advocate of…..
(b) Ramanuja was influenced by the……
(c)…….. and …… were advocates of Virashaivism.
(d)…….. was an important centre of the Bhakti tradition in Maharashtra.
Answer:
(a) Advaita
(b) Alvars
(c) Basavanna, Allama Prabhu, Akkamahadevi
(d) Vitthala temple in Pandharpur.

Question 3.
Describe the beliefs and practices of the Nathpanthis, Siddhas and Yogis.
Answer:
The beliefs and practices of the Nathpanthis, Siddhas and Yogis were:

  • They recommended the renunciation of the world.
  • They fully believed that the path of salvation lay on meditation ‘ on the formless reality and the accomplishment of oneness with it.
  • They recommended intense training of the mind and body through Yogasanas, meditation and breathing exercises to achieve salvation.
  • They did not believe in conventional religion and rituals.

Question 4.
What-were the major ideas expressed by Kabir? How did he express these?
Answer:
Kabir’s teachings were based on a complete, indeed intense, rejection of the major religious traditions. His teachings openly questioned all forms of external worship of both Brahmanical Hinduism and Islam, the pre-eminence of the priestly classes and the caste system. Kabir believed in a formless Supreme God and preached that the only path to salvation was through bhakti or devotion.

JAC Class 7 Social Science Solutions History Chapter 8 Devotional Paths to the Divine

He expressed these ideas through poetry and bhajans. The language of his poetry was in the form of hindi widely understood by ordinary people. Sometimes he used cryptic language which was difficult to understand. We get the information about his ideas from a huge collection of verses called sakhis and pads. It is said that it has been composed by Kabir itself and sung by wandering bhajan singers. Some of them were collected and preserved in the Guru Granth Sahib, bijak and Panch Vani.

(Let’s Understand)

Question 5.
What were the’ major beliefs and practices of the Sufis?
Answer:
The major beliefs and practices of the Sufis were:

  • Sufis sought union with God.
  • They also composed poems like the saint did, expressing their feelings and a rich literature in prose including anecdotes and fables developed around them.
  • They often rejected the detailed rituals and codes of behaviour demanded by the Muslim religion scholar.
  • They developed detailed methods of training using Zikr means chanting of a name or sacred formula, contemplation, sama means singing, raqs means dancing, discussion of parables, breath control, etc. under the guidance of a pir or master.
  • Hence, emerged the silsilas, a genealogy of Sufi teachers each following a little different method or tariqa of ritual practice.

Question 6.
Why do you think many teachers rejected prevalent religious beliefs and practices?
Answer:
Many teachers rejected prevalent religious beliefs and practices because such beliefs advocated social differences, where the lower castes were oppressed by the upper castes. They believed in the power of personal devotion and felt attracted by the idea of a Supreme God, which believed that the only path to salvation was through bhakti or devotion.

Question 7.
What were the major teachings of Baba Guru Nanak?
Answer:
The major teachings of Baba Guru Nanak were:

  • Baba gave special attention to the importance of the worship of one God.
  • He insisted that caste, creed or gender was immaterial for attaining salvation. It was based on the persuit ‘ of active life with a strong sense of social commitment.
  • He gave more importance to right belief, worship, honest living and helping others.
  • Baba Guru Nanak also promoted the idea of equality.
  • Nam, dan and isnan were the essence of his teaching which means right worship, welfare of others and purity of conduct.
  • His teachings are now remembered as nam-japna, kirt-kama and vandchhakna, which also underline the importance of right belief and worship, honest living, and helping others. Thus, Baba GuruNanak’s idea of equality had social and political implications.

(Let’s Discuss)

Question 8.
For either the Virashaivas or the sants of Maharashtra, discuss their attitude towards caste.
Answer:
The Virashaivas or the sants of Maharashtra, their attitude towards caste were as follows:

  • They believed in the equality for all people.
  • Humanistic attitude was present in both of them.
  • They were against the Brahmanical ideas about the conduct and behaviour of women and castes.
  • Their belief was that Bhakti means sharing others’ pain.
  • During the thirteenth to the seventeenth ‘centuries, Maharashtra saw a great number of saint-poets who rejected all forms of ritualism, outward display of piety and social differences based on birth.
  • They always wished for society where people whether they are rich or poor, high or low could live in harmony and peace.

Question 9.
Why do you think ordinary people preserved the memory of Mirabai?
Answer:
Ordinary people preserved the memory of Mirabai because:

  • She was married into a royal family as she was a Rajput princess. But, she had no interest in the worldly affairs.
  • She was devoted to Krishna and composed many bhajans expressing her ardent devotion.
  • Her devotion to her god was supreme. She lived a very simple life with the ordinary people.
  • Her songs had challenged the upper caste and became very popular with the common people in Rajasthan and Gujarat.

(Let’s Do)

Question 10.
Find out whether in your neighbourhood there are any dargahs, gurudwaras or temples associated with saints of the bhakti tradition in your neighbourhood. Visit any one of these and describe what you see and hear.
Answer:
Need to do it yourself. (Hint : seen many people going their with devotion and do prayer and hear preaching of religious people with great devotion).

Question 11.
For any of the saint-poets whose compositions have been included in this chapter, find out more about their works, noting down other poems. Find out whether these are sung, how they are sung, and what the poets wrote about.
Answer:
We have read about many saint-poets who were bhakti saint or sufi saint. We learnt about Kabir, Tulsidas, Baba Guru Nanak, Mirabai and Surdas. Their religious works such as poems, bhajans are read out and sung at religious places by bhakti singers and poets. We hear these songs in television and radio.

Also, read many books about them. Kabrr’s dohas are very famous. Most of his work were concerned with devotion, mysticism and discipline. One of his famous doha has been translated: ‘Worry is such a thief that it eats one’s heart. What can a doctor do? How far will his medicine reach?’

JAC Class 7 Social Science Solutions History Chapter 8 Devotional Paths to the Divine

Question 12.
There are several saint-poets whose names have been mentioned but their works have not been included in the chapter. Find out more about the language in which they composed, whether their compositions were sung, and what their compositions were about.
Answer:
Need to do it yourself. (Hint: Marathi saints such as Dnyaneshwar (Gyaneshwar), Namdev, Eknath and Tukaram as well as women like Sakhubai and the family of Chokhamela, who belonged to the “untouchable” Mahar caste. All sung in Marathi. Mirabai in Rajasthani. Surdas in Brijbhasha).

JAC Class 7th History Devotional Paths to the Divine Important Questions and Answers

Multiple Choice Questions

Question 1.
There were………Nayanars.
(a) 63
(b) 53
(c) 43
(d) 73
Answer:
(a) 63

Question 2.
The Virashaiva movement started in
(a) Punjab
(b) Maharashtra
(c) Karnataka
(d) Kerala
Answer:
(c) Karnataka

Question 3.
Ghazzali was a
(a) great mathematician of Central Asia
(b) great Sufi saint of North India
(c) great Sufi saint of South Asia
(d) great Sufi saint of Central Asia
Answer:
(c) great Sufi saint of South Asia

Question 4.
Kabir’s bhajans were preserved in
(a) Punch Vani
(b) Bijak
(c) Guru Granth Sahib
(d) All of these
Answer:
(d) All of these

Question 5.
Vitthala is a form of
(a) Vishnu
(b) Ganesha
(c) Shiva
(d) None of these
Answer:
(a) Vishnu

JAC Class 7 Social Science Solutions History Chapter 8 Devotional Paths to the Divine

Question 6.
The teachers of Chishti Silsilas was / were
(a) Baba Farid
(b) Question utubuddin Bakhtiar Kaki
(c) Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti
(d) All of these
Answer:
(b) Question utubuddin Bakhtiar Kaki

Question 7.
The Puranic stories mainly consists of
(a) legends
(b) local myths
(c) Both (a) and (b)
(d) Neither (a) nor (b)
Answer:

Question 8.
Ramcharitramanas of Tulsidas is written in
(a) Sanskrit
(b) Awadhi
(c) Bhojpuri
(d) Marathi
Answer:
(d) Marathi

Question 9.
The word ‘langar ’ means
(a) tution centre
(b) health centre
(c) common place of worship
(d) common kitchen
Answer:
(d) common kitchen

Question 10.
Hagiography means
(a) writing of the lives of saints
(b) study of pictures
(c) writing on gods
(d) study of writing
Answer:
(a) writing of the lives of saints

Very Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1.
What do you mean by monotheism?
Answer:
Submission to one God is called as monotheism.

Question 2.
What do you understand by Shariyat?
Answer:
The holy law developed by muslim scholars are called as Shariyat.

Question 3.
Who started Virashaiva movement?
Answer:
Virashaiva movement was started by Basavanna and his companions such as Allama Prabhu and Akkamahadevi.

JAC Class 7 Social Science Solutions History Chapter 8 Devotional Paths to the Divine

Question 4.
What do you understand by namghars?
Answer:
Namghars are the houses of recitation and prayer, a practice that continues till date.

Question 5.
List some of the famous Sufi saints.
Answer:
Some of the famous Sufi saints are Nizamuddin Auliya, Baba Farid, Khwaza Muinuddin Chisti, Bakhtiar Kaki, etc.

Question 6.
Who were Alvaras and Nayanars?
Answer:
The saints who were devoted to Vishnu and Shiva were Alvaras and Nayanars respectively.

Question 7.
Which Guru compiled the composition of Guru Nanak?
Answer:
Guru Angad compiled the composition of Guru Nanak.

Question 8.
What do you mean by nam, dan and isnanl
Answer:
By nam, dan and isnan we mean right worship, welfare of others and purity of conduct respectively.

Question 9.
What is the name of the earliest example of Tamil literature which was composed during the early centuries of the Common Era?
Answer:
Sangam literature is the earliest Tamil literature which was composed during the early centuries of the Common Era.

Question 10.
What do you understand by silsilas?
Answer:
An ancestary of Sufi teachers where each of them follow a little different method or tariqa of instruction and ritual practice is called as silsilas.

Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1.
What do you mean by Advaita?
Answer:
A Vedic belief that identifies the individual self means atma with the ground of reality means brahman. The Indian philosopher Shankara was an advocate of Advaita. He contemplated the world around us to be an illusion or maya and taught renunciation of the world and adoption of the path of knowledge to understand the true nature of Brahman and attain salvation.

Question 2.
Who was Ramanuj a and what was his idea?
Answer:
In the eleventh century, Ramanuja bom in Tamil Nadu and was deeply influenced by the Alvars. According to him the best means of attaining salvation was through intense devotion to Vishnu. He introduced the doctrine of Vishishtadvaita means qualified oneness in that the soul even when united with . the Supreme God remained distinct definite.

JAC Class 7 Social Science Solutions History Chapter 8 Devotional Paths to the Divine

Question 3.
Who was Shankaradeva?
Answer:
In late fifteenth century, Shankaradeva of Assam highlighted and gave special importance to devotion of Vishnu and composed poems and plays in Assamese. He also began the practice of setting up namghars which were houses of recitation and prayer and that practice still continues to date.

Question 4.
How and when did Khalsa Panth emerge?
Answer:
In the seventeenth century, the Sikh movement began to get politicized and a development which reached at its peak gave rise to the institution of the Khalsa by Gum Gobind Singh in 1699. The community of the Sikhs was called the Khalsa Panth which became a political entity.

Question 5.
What is the similarity between Bhakti Movement and Sufism?
Answer:
The similarity between Bhakti Movement and Sufism are the following:

• Both of them believed in the service of God.
• Both of them believed in the spiritual development.
• Both of them considered truthful in the parampara of Guru Shishya.

Question 6.
What were the ideas and teachings of the saints of Maharashtra?
Answer:
The saints of Maharashtra rejected all forms of ritualism, outward display of piety and faith and social differences based on birth. Moreover, they even rejected the idea of renunciation and preferred to live with their families, earning their livelihood like any other people while serving fellow human beings in need.

Question 7.
Why do you think that most of the followers of Guru Nanak were artisans, agriculturists, traders, artisans and craftsperson?
Answer:
Most of the followers of Gum Nanak were artisans, agriculturists, traders and craftsperson because Gum Nanak was determined that his followers must be householders and should adopt productive and useful occupations. People should have an active life with a strong sense of social commitment.

JAC Class 7 Social Science Solutions History Chapter 8 Devotional Paths to the Divine

Question 8.
People turn to the teachings of the Buddha or the Jainas during the medieval period. Why do they did that?
Answer:
There was a belief that social benefits come from birth in a ‘noble’ family or a ‘high’ caste which was the subject of many learned texts. Most of the people were uneasy with such ideas and turned to the teachings of the Buddha or the Jainas. According to which it was possible to prevail over social dissimilarity and break the cycle of rebirth through personal effort.

Question 9.
What are Khanqahs and why those were made?
Answer:
Houses were made for travellers to take rest especially made in religious order. Assemblies were held in Khanqahs by Sufi masters. Devotees of all disciplines assembled and gathered to this place. It included the ordinary and common people, members of royal and noble families. Here, they discussed matters such as spiritual, took the blessings of the saints or be there to attend the cultural activities such as dance and music.

Question 10.
Chola and Pandya kings contributed for the growth of the Bhakti movement. How did they do that?
Answer:
In between the tenth and twelfth centuries, the Chola and Pandya kings built many elaborate temples around most of the shrines which was visited by the saint-poets, helped in strengthening the links between the bhakti tradition and temple worship.

Long Answer Type Questions

Question 1.
Explain in brief on new religious developments in north India.
Answer:
In the thirteenth century, in north India a new’ wave of the Bhakti movement began. This was a time when Brahmanical Hinduism, Islam, Sufism, various strands of Bhakti and the Nathpanths, Siddhas and Yogis influenced each other. Ordinary and common people such as peasants, craftspersons, artisans, traders, etc., showed their interest in listening to these new saints. Kabir and Baba Guru Nanak were against orthodox religious practices. Tulsidas and Surdas accepted existing beliefs and practices but wanted to make these accessible to all.

Tulsidas was a devotee of Rama. His Ramacharitmanas is a very unique creation. Surdas was a whole hearted devotee of Krishna. His compositions compiled in the Sursagara, Sursaravali and Sahitya Lahari, expresses his devotion. Shankaradeva of Assam emphasised devotion to Vishnu and composed poems and plays in Assamese. He began the practice of setting up namghars means houses of recitation and prayer. Other important saints such as Dadu Dayal, Ravidas and Mirabai were present.

Mirabai was a Rajput princess and was married into the royal family of Mewar in the 16th century. She became a disciple of Ravidas, an untouchable saint. She devoted her life to Lord Krishna. She composed a number of bhajans expressing her ardent devotion. A special feature of most of the saints is that their works were composed in regional languages and could be sung easily. Hence, they became very popular among the common people.

JAC Class 7 Social Science Solutions History Chapter 8 Devotional Paths to the Divine

Question 2.
Explain the teachings of the Bhakti saint Kabir.
Answer:
The Bhakti saint Kabir’s teachings were based on a complete, indeed ardent and rejection of the major religious traditions:

  • His teachings openly denied all forms of external worship of both Brahmanical Hinduism and Islam, the pre-eminence of the priestly classes and the caste system.
  • The language of his poetry was a form of spoken Hindi which was widely understood by ordinary and common people. He also sometimes used cryptic language, which was difficult to understand and follow.
  • He believed in a formless Supreme God and preached that the only path to salvation and liberation was through bhakti or devotion.
  • He drew his followers from among both Hindus and Muslims.
  • His teachings reflect the secular values of life.
  • We came to know about his ideas from a huge collection of verses called sakhis and pads which is said to have been composed by him and sung by wandering bhajan singers.

JAC Class 7 Social Science Solutions

JAC Class 7 Social Science Solutions History Chapter 3 The Delhi Sultans

JAC Board Class 7th Social Science Solutions History Chapter 3 The Delhi Sultans

JAC Class 7th History The Delhi Sultans InText Questions and Answers

Question 1.
Do you think the circle of justice is an appropriate term to describe the relationship between the king and his subjects?
Answer:
Yes, the circle of justice is an appropriate term to describe the relationship between the king and his subjects.

Page 33

Question 2.
Express Minhaj’s ideas in your own words. Do you think Raziyya shared these ideas? Why do you think it was so difficult for a woman to be a ruler?
Answer:
According to Minhaj, God has created a social order in which man’s subordinate is woman. Therefore, a women like Raziyya does not have right to rule. It is against the ideal social order created by God. Raziyya did not share these ideas. It was very difficult for a woman to be a ruler because of the social set up at that time and women were considered as subordinate to men.

JAC Class 7 Social Science Solutions History Chapter 3 The Delhi Sultans

Page 35

Question 3.
How complete and effective was its control over such a vast territory?
Answer:
Except under the rule of Allauddin Khalji, the Sultanate did not have complete and much effective control over such a vast territory.

Question 4.
Compare Figures 2, 3, 4 and 5. What similarities and differences do you note amongst the mosques? The mosques in Figures 3,4 and 5 show an evolution in architectural tradition that culminates in Shah Jahan’s mosque in Delhi (see F”ig. 7 in Chapter 5).
JAC Class 7 Social Science Solutions History Chapter 3 The Delhi Sultans 1
Similarities:

  • Every mosque has a huge entrance door and gates are almost similar in shape.
  • These are extended to both sides of the corridor.
    Differences:
  • From Fig. 2 to Fig. 5, the designs of the entrance door becomes complex and complicated.
  • In Fig. 3, 4 and 5, the small window over the entrance door can be seen. Fig. 3 shows three such windows and Fig. 4 and 5 shows only one window.
  • Over the entrance door, there is a boundary around the dome seen only in Fig. 5.

Page 38

Question 5.
Can you think of any reason why a slave would be better than a son?
Answer:
In the old days of master, a well-brought up slave always serves better than the son.

Question 6.
Why do you think Barani criticized the Sultan?
Answer:
Barani citicised Sultan because Sultan Muhammed Tughluq appointed lower caste, or base-bom people to the higher administrative post by ignoring the nobles.

Page 40

Question 7.
Describe the ways in which the chieftains arranged for their defence. The ways in which the chieftains arranged for their defence are as under:

  • The chieftains fortified themselves in mountains, in rocky, uneven and rugged places as well as in bamboo groves.
  • The bamboo grove forest served as ramparts, inside with people lived with their cattle and their crops.
  • Also rain, water was collected to fulfil water needs. Very hard to cut. This made it a suitable and most defensive place to live in.

Question 8.
Imagine you are a peasant in Alauddin Khalji’s or Muhammad Tughluq’s reign and you cannot pay the taxes demanded by the Sultan. What will you do?
Answer:
If I were a peasant in Alauddin Khaliji’s reign, I would try to save my life because I might have captured by Sultan’s men and would be severely punished. If I were a peasant in Muhammad Tughluq’s region, I would join the rebel against the Sultan.

JAC Class 7th History The Delhi Sultans Textbook Questions and Answers

( Let’s Recall)

Question 1.
Which ruler first established his or her capital at Delhi?
Answer:
Ananga Pala (Tomaras) of the Rajput Dynasty first established his capital at Delhi.

Question 2.
What was the language of administration under the Delhi Sultans?
Answer:
The language of administration under the Delhi Sultans was Persian.

JAC Class 7 Social Science Solutions History Chapter 3 The Delhi Sultans

Question 3.
In whose reign did the Sultanate reach its farthest extent?
Answer:
During the reign ofMuhammad Tughluq, the Sultanate reached its farthest extent and had marched across a large part of the subcontinent. They defeated the rival armies and seized several cities. The Sultanate also collected taxes from the peasantry and dispensed justice in its realm.

Question 4.
From which country did Ibn Battuta travel to India?
Answer:
Ibn Battuta travelled from Morocco (Africa) to India.

(Let’s Understand)

Question 5.
According to the “circle of justice”, why was it important for military commanders to keep the interests of the peasantry in mind?
Answer:
According to the “circle of justice”, it was important for military commanders to keep the interests of the peasantry in mind because the salaries which were paid to the military came from the revenue collected from the peasants and peasants could pay the revenue only when they were prosperous and happy. Thus, the military commanders promoted justice and honest governance.

Question 6.
What is meant by the “internal” and “external” frontiers of the Sultanate?
Answer:
The “internal” frontiers of the Sultanate means the consolidation of the hinterlands of the garrison towns. During these campaigns, forests were cleared in the Ganga-Yamuna doab and hunter-gatherers and pastoralists were expelled from their habitat and these lands were handed over to the peasants. They also promoted regional trade through the establishment of New fortresses and garrison towns. External frontier of the Sultanate means that it aims at the military journey of the Sultanate in southern India during the reign of Alauddin Khalji which started with Muhammad Tughlaq.

Question 7.
What were the steps taken to ensure that muqtis performed their duties? Why do you think they may have wanted to defy the orders of the Sultans?
Answer:
The steps that were taken to ensure that muqtis performed their duties were:

(i) To lead military campaigns and maintain law and order in their iqtas.

(ii) The muqtis had to coh ct the revenues of their assignments as salary in exchange for their military services and had to pay their soldiers from these revenues.

(iii) Control over muqtis was most effective if their office was not inheritable and if they were assigned iqtas for a short period of time before being shifted.

(iv) They wanted to defy the orders of the Sultans because there were many restrictions imposed on them. Accountants were appointed to check the amount collected by them for the state. They made sure that muqtis collected only the taxes prescribed by the state.

Question 8.
What was the impact of the Mongol invasions on the Delhi Sultanate?
Answer:
It led to military and market reforms under Allauddin Khalji. The impact of the Mongol invasions on the Delhi Sultanate was that the Delhi Sultanate posed a big administrative challenge. They mobilized a standing army in Delhi. Alauddin Khalji constructed a garrison town at Siri for his soldiers. He imposed taxes on land to feed the army at the rate of fifty percent of peasant’s yield. He began to pay the army in cash. Also, Muhammad Tughluq converted Delhi into a garrison town and shifted people of Delhi to Daulatabad in south. He also disbanded the army. He also planned to invade Mongol capital in Transoxiana, but plan was aborted.

(Let’s Discuss)

Question 9.
Do you think the authors of tawarikh would provide information about the lives of ordinary men and women?
Answer:
The authors of tawarikh would not provide information about the lives of ordinary men and women because the authors lived in cities and not in touch with village people so much. They often wrote about the Sultans to get rich rewards and nothing to do with the ordinary people.

JAC Class 7 Social Science Solutions History Chapter 3 The Delhi Sultans

Question 10.
Raziyya Sultan was unique in the history of the Delhi Sultanate. Do you think women leaders are accepted more readily today?
Answer:
Raziyya Sultan was really unique in the history of the Delhi Sultanate. Nowa-days, women leaders are accepted more readily because now people are more educated and know the potential of women. Even in rural areas, we now see Sarpanch and councillors.

Question 11.
Why were the Delhi Sultans interested in cutting down forests? Does deforestation occur for the same reasons today?
Answer:
The Delhi Sultans cleared the forests in the Ganga-Yamuna doab and gave these lands to peasants in order to uplift and encourage agriculture. They also established new towns and fortresses in these lands to protect trade routes and to promote regional trade. No. deforestation does not occur for the same reasons today. Nowadays, due to over-population, urbanisation and commercialization, vegetation area is being reduced.

(Let’s Do)

Question 12.
Find out whether there are any building built by the Delhi Sultans in your area. Are there any other buildings in your area that were built between the twelfth and fifteenth centuries? Describe some of these buildings, and draw sketches of them.
Answer:
With the help of teachers and parents, students can visit their city and prepare the list themselves.

JAC Class 7th History The Delhi Sultans Important Questions and Answers

Multiple Choice Questions

Question 1.
The phrase which define the relationship between the king and his subjects is called as
(a) Circle of Administration
(b) Circle of Loyalty
(c) Circle of Justice
(d) Circle of Confidence
Answer:
(c) Circle of Justice

Question 2.
Bandagon is a Persian word for…….
(a) client
(b) soldier
(c) slave
(d) administrator
Answer:
(c) slave

Question 3.
Alauddin Khalji built the Siri Fort in Delhi to
(a) provide accommodation to growing population
(b) defend city from Mongol invasions
(c) protect people from Rajput invasions ‘
(d) None of the above
Answer:
(b) defend city from Mongol invasions

Question 4.
Among the following who was not a Turkish ruler?
(a) Raziyya
(b) Balban
(c) Iltutmish
(d) Khizr Khan
Answer:
(a) Raziyya

Question 5.
Delhi Sultanate’s foundation was laid
(a) in the beginning of eleventh century
(b) in the beginning of twelfth century
(c) in the beginning of thirteenth century
(d) at the end of thirteenth century
Answer:
(c) in the beginning of thirteenth century

Question 6.
Raziyya became Sultan in
(a) 1336
(b) 1246
(c) 1225
(d) 1236
Answer:
(d) 1236

Question 7.
Tax on cultivation was known as
(a) Tax
(b) Kharaj
(c) Revenue
(d) None of these.
Answer:
(b) Kharaj

Question 8.
The cities built by the Delhi Sultans were
(a) Siri
(b) Jahanpanah
(c) Delhi-Kuhna
(d) All of these
Answer:
(d) All of these

Question 9.
Muhammad-bin Tughlaq’s successor was
(a) Firuz Shah Tughlaq
(b) Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq
(c) Ibn Batuta
(d) Alauddin Khalji
Answer:
(a) Firuz Shah Tughlaq

Question 10.
Raziyya Sultan was dethroned in
(a) 1210
(b) 1230
(c) 1220
(d) 1240
Answer:
(d) 1240

JAC Class 7 Social Science Solutions History Chapter 3 The Delhi Sultans

Question 1.
How many dynasties were there in Delhi Sultanate?
Answer:
There were five dynasties in Delhi Sultanate.

Question 2.
Under which dynasty, Delhi became the first capita] city?
Answer:
Under Tomara Rajputs, Delhi became the first capital city.

Question 3.
What is Delhiwal?
Answer:
Coins minted in the city which were widely circulated were called delhiwal.

Question 4.
Who were the authors of “tawarikh ”?
Answer:
The authors of tawarikh were learned men like secretaries, administrators,poets and courtiers, who re ounted events and advised rulers on governance.

Question 5.
Who was Sultan Iltutmish’s daughter?
Answer:
Raziyya was Sultan Iltutmish’s daughter.

Question 6.
What do you mean by hinterland?
Answer:
The land near to a city or port that supplyit with goods and services is known as hinterland.

Question 7.
Which famous traveller came from Morocco, Africa in the fourteenth century?
Answer:
The famous traveller who came fromMorocco, Africa in the fourteenth century was Ibn Battuta.

Question 8.
In which period Tughlaq dynastyruled?
Answer:
From 1320 -1414, Tughlaq dynastyruled.

Question 9.
During prayers, Muslims in Indiaface which side and why?
Answer:
During prayers, Muslims in India facewest side because Mecca is in that direction.

Question 10.
When was the mosque, Jamali Kamali built?
Answer:
It was built in late 1520s.

Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1.
What was the role of bandagan inDelhi Sultanate?
Answer:
Sultan Iltutmish favoured bandagan as they were trained to some of the very important positions in the kingdom. They were totally dependent on their master, hence the king could rely and trust upon them.

Question 2.
When Delhi became an importantcity and why?
Answer:
Delhi became an important city intwelfth century. It was under Tomaras important commercial centre. Many rich people, mainly merchants lived in the city and constructed several temples. Coins had a wide circulation here as they were minted here.

JAC Class 7 Social Science Solutions History Chapter 3 The Delhi Sultans

Question 3.
What were the reasons that promptedMuhammad-bin Tughluq to shift the capital to Daulatabad?
Answer:
The main reasons that promptedMuhammad-bin Tughluq to shift the capital to Daulatabad were:

  1. Since it was located in the centre of empire, Muhammad-bin Tughlaq felt that he would be able to control and administer the empire better and in a good position from Daulatabad.
  2. The Mongols were a continuous threat to Delhi. Daulatabad would be safe from Mongol attacks.

Question 4.
Mention the types of taxes collectedunder Delhi Sultanate.
Answer:
There were three types of taxes collectedunder Delhi Sultanate:
(a) On cattle
(b) On houses
(c) On cultivation called Kharaj and amounting to. about half of the peasant’s produce.

Question 5.
Why do you think it was necessaryto reinforce the idea of community’ among Muslims?
Answer:
It was necessary to reinforce the ideaof community among Muslims because they came from variety of backgrounds. Question 6: Why was Raziyya not accepted as a Sultan in spite of being talented?
Answer:
Raziyya became Sultan in 1236. Shewas the daughter of Sultan Iltutmish and was very talented and qualified more than her brothers. According to Minhaj- i-Siraj, though she was more talented than her brothers, she was not accepted as a ruler. Those days women were not allowed to enjoy independent identityand were supposed to be subordinate to men. Hence, she was dethroned in 1240.

Question 7.
Why Barani criticized the SultanMuhammad Tughlaq?
Answer:
Ziyauddin Barani, a mid-fourteenthcentury chronicler, criticized the appointments as a sign of the Sultan’s loss of political judgement and decisions and his incapacity to rule. Sultan Muhammad Tughluq appointed these people who didn’t know anything about politics—Aziz Khummar, a wine distiller, Firuz Hajjam, a barber, Manka Tabbakh, a cook, and two gardeners, Ladha and Pira, to high administrative posts.

Question 8.
Why were the accountants appointed by the state during the reigns of Alauddin Khalji and Muhammad Tughlaq? What was the salary of the Muqtis?
Answer:
To check the amount of revenuecollected by the muqtis, accountants were appointed by the state. As a salary, the muqtis collected the revenue of their assignments.

Question 9.
What were the four stages involved inthe preparation of a manuscript?
Answer:
Four stages in the preparation of amanuscript are as follows:

  1. Preparing the paper.
  2. Writing the text, description of an event.
  3. Melting gold to highlight important words and passages.
  4. Preparing the binding.

Question 10.
Why do you think that large parts of the subcontinent remain out of control of the Delhi Sultans? What were the consequences?
Answer:
The large parts remained outside the subcontinent of the Delhi Sultans because they were very far. It was difficult to control Bengal from Delhi. The consequences were many. This paved the way for distant territories to become independent. Even in the Gangetic plain there were forested areas that Sultanate forces could not penetrate. It was a golden opportunity for the local chieftains to establish their power and rule in respective territories.

Long Answer Type Questions 

Question 1.
Describe briefly “Three Orders”which was formulated in France.
Answer:
The “Three Orders” was first formulatedin France in the early eleventh century. Three classes were made to divide the society. They were those who prayed, those who fought, and those who tilled the land. This was supported by the Church to consolidate its dominant role in society. This helped the emergence of a new warrior group called knights. The church used them to propagate their idea of “Peace of God”. The aim was to direct warriors away from disputes amongst themselves and send them instead on a campaign against the Muslims who had captured the city of Jerusalem.

JAC Class 7 Social Science Solutions History Chapter 3 The Delhi Sultans

Question 2.
What measures did Alauddin Khalji took to achieve his goals to become second Alexander and conquer the world? How far did he succeed?
Answer:
Alauddin Khalji became king in 1296.He was very ambitious. Measures taken to achieve the goals were:

  • He tried to win the loyalty of the noble and curb their power.
  • He tried to conquer Rajasthan and Deccan.
  • He tried to force the Mongols to go back.
  • To achieve this, he needed a large sum of money and to earn it he had to have more revenues and for which he took the following measures:
  • The land taxes were raised on the wealthier people of Doab.
  • He made it very clear that if anyone showed the sign of disloyalty, that person would not be spared.
  • He even controlled the prices of the goods so that no one can make large profits and everyone could pay the price he demanded.
  • He ordered a new judgement of the cultivated land and the revenue. Hence, he was able to keep the record of the revenue amount collected by various persons and had a control over it.
  • He also kept a check on the revenue which the nobles got from their land and did not allow them to keep anything more than that.

Question 3.
Who was Sher Shah Suri? What was phenomenal about his administration?
Answer:
Sher Shah Suri (1540-1545) started his career as the manager of a small territory for his uncle in Bihar and eventually challenged and defeated the Mughal emperor Humayun twice (1530-1540, 1555-1556). Sher Shah captured Delhi and established his own dynasty. Though the Suri dynasty ruled for only fifteen years (1540-1555), it introduced an administration that borrowed elements from Alauddin Khalji and made them more efficient and productive. Sher Shah Suri’s administration became the model followed by the great emperor Akbar (1556-1605) when he consolidated the Mughal Empire.

JAC Class 7 Social Science Solutions

JAC Class 7 Social Science Solutions History Chapter 7 Tribes, Nomads and Settled Communities

JAC Board Class 7th Social Science Solutions History Chapter 7 Tribes, Nomads and Settled Communities

JAC Class 7th History Tribes, Nomads and Settled Communities InText Questions and Answers

Page 92

Question 1.
On a physical map of the subcontinent, identify the areas in which tribal people may have lived.
Answer:
Students need to do it themselves. (Hint: Tribes used to live in forests, hills, deserts and places different to reach. Therefore, you can search such areas on the physical map of the subcontinent and mark them.)

Page 95

Question 2.
Find out how grain is transported from villages to cities at present. In what ways is this similar to or different from the ways in which the Banjaras functioned?
Answer:
At present, grains are transported from villages to cities in trucks, trains, etc. The present-day method of transportation is much faster than the method of Banjaras who used bullock- carts for grain transportation.

JAC Class 7 Social Science Solutions History Chapter 7 Tribes, Nomads and Settled Communities

Page 99

Question 3.
Discuss why the Mughals were interested in the land of the Gonds.
Answer:
The Mughals were interested in the land of the Gonds because:

  • It’ was in central part of the subcontinent.
  • Garha Katanga was a rich state. It earned much wealth by trapping and exporting elephants to other kingdoms.
  • Mughals ruled over the northern part and they wished to expand their control over the southern kingdoms as well.
  • In order to achieve that, they first had to control in the central part of the subcontinent which was ruled by Gonds.

Page 100

Question 4.
Why do you think the Mughals tried to conquer the land of the Ahoms?
Answer:
The Mughals tried to conquer the land of the Ahoms because:

  • Ahoms ruled the north-east region of the subcontinent, Mughals tried to expand their control in the entire subcontinent hence tried to conquer the land of Ahoms.
  • Their land was fertile and produced a variety of crops.
  • The land was a rich source of forest produce and animals such as elephants which were war animals and this also led the Mughal to attack on the land of Ahoms.

Page 101

Question 5.
Imagine, you are a member of a nomadic community that shifts residence every three months. How w ould this change your life?
Answer:
Think due to nomadic life, my education would be highly disturbed otherwise I would have to live in a hostel. That would result in the separation of the family. I would get a chance to see my new places, to go through unknown, unexplored forests. Therefore, my life would be changed in both positive and negative manners.

JAC Class 7th History Tribes, Nomads and Settled Communities Textbook Questions and Answers

( Let’s Recall)

Question 1.
Match the following:

garh khel
tanda chaurasi
labourer caravan
clan Garha Katanga
Sib Singh Ahom state
Durgawati paik

Answer:

garh chaurasi
tanda caravan
labourer paik
clan khel
Sib Singh Ahom state
Durgawati Garha Katanga

Question 2.
Fill in the blanks:
(a) The new castes emerging within varnas were called………
(b) ……… were historical works written by the Ahoms.
(c) The …….. mentions that Garha Katanga had 70,000 villages.
(d) As tribal states became bigger and stronger, they gave land grants to…….. and
Answer:
(a) Jatis
(b) Buranjis
(c) Akbar Nama
(d) poets, scholars

Question 3.
State ‘T’ for true and ‘F’ for false.
(a) Tribal societies had rich oral traditions.
(b) There were no tribal communities in the north western part of the subcontinent.
(c) The chaurasi in Gond states contained several cities.
(d) The Bhils lived in the north-eastern part of the subcontinent.
Answer:
(a) True
(b) False
(c) False
(d) False

Question 4.
What kinds of exchanges took place between nomadic pastoralists and settled agriculturists?
Answer:
Nomadic pastoralists moved over long distances with their animals and lived on milk and other pastoral products. They exchanged wool, ghee, etc., with settled agriculturists for grain, cloth, utensils and other products.

(Let’s Understand)

Question 5.
How was the administration of the Ahom state organised?
Answer:
The administration of the Ahom state was organised in the following manner:

  • The administration became centralized in the first half of the seventeenth century.
  • They depended upon forced labour. Those who were forced to work for the state were known as paiks.
  • The society was divided into clans or Khels.
  • People from densely populated area were shifted to less populated area.
  • Ahom clans were thus broken.
  • Most of the adult males served the army during war.
  • The peasants were given land by his village community and even king could not take his land without the permission of the community

Question 6.
What changes took place in varna- based society?
Answer:
The following changes took place in varna-based society:

  • Varna-based society and tribal people constantly interacted with each other.
  • Within varna, smaller castes or jatis emerged.
  • Many social groups and tribes were taken into caste based society and given the status of jatis.
  • Instead of varna, jatis became the basis of organizing the society.
  • A separate jati of specialized artisans such as smiths, masons, carpenters were acknowledged by the Brahmanas.
  • New Rajput clans became powerful among the Kshatriyas.
  • Many dominant tribes of Punj ab, Sind and North-west Frontier rejected the caste system and adopted Islam.
  • Most of the tribes became the part of the caste system but only the leading tribal families could join the ruling class. Majority of the population joined the lower jatis.

Question 7.
How did tribal societies change after being organised into a state?
Answer:
The tribal societies changed after being organised into a state in many ways. With the help of the following societies we can understand better:
Gond Society

  • Gradually the equal society of Gond got divided into unequal social classes.
  • Brahmanas became more influential and powerful as they received land grants from Gond Rajas.
  • The Gond chiefs now wished to be acknowledged as Rajputs. Ahom Society
  • The society was very sophisticated. Poets and scholars were given land grants.
  • Theatre was also encouraged.
  • The influence of Brahmanas increased. Temples and Brahmanas were granted land by the king. Hinduism became the predominant religion during the reign of Sib Singh. But after adopting Hinduism, the kings did not give up their traditional beliefs.

(Let’s Discuss)

Question 8.
Were the Banjaras important for the economy?
Answer:
The Banjaras were the most important trader nomads. The caravan of the banjaras was called tanda. Sultan Alauddin Khalji used the Banjaras to transport grain to the city markets. They carried grain on their bullocks from different areas and sold it in towns. They transported food grain for the Mughal army during military campaigns. They bought grains where it was cheaply available and carried it to places where it is dearer and .later, again reloaded their oxen with anything that can be profitably sold in other places.

JAC Class 7 Social Science Solutions History Chapter 7 Tribes, Nomads and Settled Communities

Question 9.
In what ways was the history of the Gonds different from that of the Ahoms? Were there any similarities?
Answer:
The history of the Gonds was different from that of the Ahoms in the following ways:

  • The Gond society was not as much developed as the Ahom society. The Ahoms built a large state by using firearms. They could even make high quality gunpowder and cannons.
  • The Ahom society was veiy sophisticated. Poets and scholars were given land grants. Theatre was encouraged. We do not find traces of these things in the Gond society.
  • Similarities between the Gonds and Ahoms:
  • Both were capable of building large states.
  • Both faced Mughal attacks. Both were defeated by the Mughals, despite their brave defence.
  • Both of them granted land to the ‘ Brahmanas, who became very influential and powerful.
  • We find the centralised administration in the history of the Gonds as well as the Ahoms.

(‘Let’s Do)

Question 10.
Plot the location of the tribes mentioned in this chapter on a map. For any two, discuss whether their mode of livelihood was suited to the geography and the environment of the area where they lived.
Answer:
Many tribes lived in different parts of India. See the map given below

  • The tribes settled temporarily at the places which suited them as per their need and livelihood. Whenever, they found the environment or their mode of living conditions unfavourable, they migrated to other suitable places.
  • Could see Kolis and Beards lived in Maharashtra and Karnataka. Most of the Bhils became settled agriculturists and some remained hunter-gatherers.

Question 11.
Find out about present-day government policies towards tribal populations and organise a discussion about these.
Answer:
Present-day government policies towards tribal populations are very positive and beneficial:

  • Facilities like roads, water,electricity have been increased in the tribal areas.
  • Education is being spread in the tribal areas.
  • The government is working actively for the overall upliftment of the tribal populations. Many organisations have been set up.
  • The government has enforced reservation for them in government jobs. They are now joining the mainstream of the society.
  • The government is also determined to protect their cultural and social traditions.

Question 12.
Find out more about present-day nomadic pastoral groups in the subcontinent. What animals do they keep? Which are the areas frequented by these groups?
Answer:
Present-day nomadic pastoral groups in the sub-continent are Gaddi shepherds living in the western Himalayas, Gujjar-Bakarwals, living in Jammu & Kashmir, Banjaras living in Rajasthan. These nomadic people keep sheep, goats, camels, horses and cows. They frequently visit Kumaon region of Uttarakhand, Jammu & Kashmir and Rajasthan.

JAC Class 7th History Tribes, Nomads and Settled Communities Important Questions and Answers

Multiple Choice Questions

Question 1.
The most important tribe in the later years of Punjab
(a) Gonda
(b) Gakkhars
(c) Khokhar
(d) Langahs
Answer:
(b) Gakkhars

Question 2.
………….. was the son of Rani Durgawati.
(a) Bir Narain
(b) Dalpat
(c) Aman Das
(d) None of these
Answer:
(a) Bir Narain

Question 3.
The famous General who defeated the Cheros in 1591 was
(a) Akbar
(b) Jahangir
(c) Raja Man Singh
(d) Sib Singh
Answer:
(c) Raja Man Singh

JAC Class 7 Social Science Solutions History Chapter 7 Tribes, Nomads and Settled Communities

Question 4.
Sib Singh was an important ruler of the
(a) Kolis
(b) Bhils
(c) Gonds
(d) Ahoms
Answer:
(d) Ahoms

Question 5.
…….. prescribed the rules of the ‘varna ’ system.
(a) The Vaishyas
(b) The Brahmanas
(c) The Kshatriyas
(d) None of these
Answer:
(b) The Brahmanas

Question 6.
The means of livelihood of tribes were
(a) Ashing
(b) they bought things which they needed from traders
(c) survived on special grants given by the kings
(d) agriculture and hunting gathering
Answer:
(d) agriculture and hunting gathering

Question 7.
Two more important and powerful tribes were Mundas and Santals, they were from
(a) Jharkhand, Orissa (now Odisha), Bengal
(b) Jharkhand, Bengal, Assam
(c) Kerala and Tamil Nadu
(d) Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan
Answer:
(a) Jharkhand, Orissa (now Odisha), Bengal

Question 8.
The shepherd tribe of …. lived in western Himalayas.
(a) Balochis
(b) Arghuns
(c) Khokhar
(d) Gaddis
Answer:
(d) Gaddis

Question 9.
The Gonds practiced
(a) Subsistence cultivation
(b) Plantation cultivation
(c) Shifting cultivation
(d) None of these
Answer:
(c) Shifting cultivation

Question 10.
divided the Ahom society.
(a) khels
(b) barhots
(c) garhs
(d) None of these
Answer:
(a) khels

Very Short Answer Type Questions

Question 2.
Which tribe was powerful in north-west?
Answer:
The Balochis tribe was powerful in the north-west.

Question 3.
Which all tribes lived in extreme south? Where does the Kutiya Khond tribe live?
Answer:
In south, there were large tribal populations of Koragas, Vetars, Maravars and many others. Kutiya Khond tribe lived in Odisha.

Question 4.
What do you understand by tribes?
Answer:
The societies which did not followed the social rules and rituals prescribed by the Brahmanas nor divided into many classes are called as tribes.

JAC Class 7 Social Science Solutions History Chapter 7 Tribes, Nomads and Settled Communities

Question 5.
Who all are specialized artisans?
Answer:
The specialized artisans were the masons, carpenters and smiths.

Question 6.
Which tribe introduced new method of rice cultivation?
Answer:
The Ahom tribe introduced new method of rice cultivation.

Question 7.
Which things did the Mughals captured by defeating the Gonds?
Answer:
The things which the Mughals captured by defeating the Gonds were precious coins and elephants.

Question 8.
How Garha Katanga became a rich state?
Answer:
Garha Katanga became a rich state by earning huge wealth by trapping . and exporting wild elephants to other kingdoms.

Question 9.
What do you mean by tandal
Answer:
The most important trader nomads were the Banjaras. Their caravan was called tanda.

Question 10.
Who defeated the Cheros?
Answer:
Mughal forces under Aurangzeb captured many Chero fortresses and defeated the tribe.

Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1.
What do you mean by paiksl To which region they belong to?
Answer:
The Ahoms depended upon the forced labour and those who were forced to work for the state were called paiks. They belonged to Ahom state.

Question 2.
What do you mean by itinerant groups?
Answer:
Itinerant groups, such as craftspersons, pedlars and entertainers travel from place to place practising their different occupations.

Question 3.
Write in short the administrative system of Gond kingdom.
Answer:
The administrative system of the Gond kingdom was becoming centralized. The kingdom was divided into garhs and each garh was controlled by a specific Gond clan. This was again divided into units of 84 villages called chaurasi. The chaurasi was further subdivided into barhots which were made up of 12 villages each.

Question 4.
Describe in brief the term ‘khel’ in context to Ahom society.
Answer:
Ahom society was divided into clans or khels. Artisans in the Ahom areas came from the adjoining kingdoms as there were very few castes of artisans. A khel often controlled many villages. The peasant was given land by his village community. Even the king could not take it away without the community’s consent.

Question 5.
Banjaras were used by Sultan Alauddin Khilji and the Mughals. How?
Answer:
To transport grains to the city markets, Sultan Alauddin Khilji used the Banjaras. The Banjaras under the Mughals carried grains on their bullocks from different areas and sold it in towns. They also transported food grains to Mughal army during military campaigns.

Question 6.
In what way the present day historians use to write tribal histories?
Answer:
Contemporary historians and travellers give very less information about tribes. A few exceptions apart, mostly tribal people did not keep written records but they preserved rich customs and oral and verbal traditions. These were passed down to each new generation. Present day historians have started using such oral and verbal traditions to write tribal histories.

Question 7.
Who were Ahoms and how did they managed to build a large state?
Answer:
In .the thirteenth century, the Ahoms relocated to the Brahmaputra valley from present-day Myanmar. They created a new state by overpowering the older political system of the bhuiyans which means landlords. During the sixteenth century, they annexed the kingdoms of the Chhutiyas (1523) and of Koch-Hajo (1581) and defeated many other tribes.

Question 8.
What were the occupation of Ahom society.
Answer:
Most of the adult males served in the army during war. At other times, they were engaged in building dams, irrigation systems and other public works. They also introduced new methods of rice cultivation. These were the occupation of Ahoms.

JAC Class 7 Social Science Solutions History Chapter 7 Tribes, Nomads and Settled Communities

Question 9.
Briefly discuss how did the tribes earn their livelihood.
Answer:
Agriculture was the main source of livelihood of many tribes. Some were hunter-gatherers or herders. Most of the time they combined these activities to make full use of the natural resources of the area in which they lived. Some of the tribes were nomadic and moved from one place to another. A tribal group controlled land and pastures jointly and divided these amongst households according to its own rules.

Long Answer Type Questions

Question 1.
Explain in detail about the tribal people found in different parts of subcontinent.
Answer:
Tribal people were found in most of the region of the subcontinent.

  • In Punjab, the Khokhar tribe was very influential during the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. Later, the Gakkhars became more important.
  • The Langahs and Arghuns were found in Multan and Sind and dominated extensive regions before they were defeated by the Mughals.
  • In the north-west, the Balochis were another large and very powerful tribe.
  • In the western Himalayas, the shepherd tribe of Gaddis were present.
  • The distant north-eastern part of the subcontinent too was entirely dominated by tribes such as the Nagas, Ahoms and many more.
  • In many areas of present-day Bihar and Jharkhand by the twelfth century, Chero chiefdoms had emerged.
  • The Mundas and Santals were among the other important tribes that lived in this region and also in Orissa and Bengal.
  • In the Maharashtra highlands, Gujarat and Karnataka, Kolis, Berads and numerous others were found.
  • Further south there were large tribal populations of Koragas, Vetars, Maravars and many others.
  • Across western and central India, the large tribe of Bhils were spread. The Gonds were found in great numbers across the present-day states of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh.

Question 2.
In which way the religious differences occur over the years in state?
Answer:
The religious differences occurred over the years in the state in the following ways:

  • Initially, the Ahoms worshipped their own tribal gods and followed their own rituals and traditions.
  • During the first half of the seventeenth century, the influence of Brahmanas increased.
  • At the same time, temples and Brahmanas were granted lands by the king. And, gradually, Brahmanas became powerful.
  • During the reign of Sib Singh, Hinduism became a predominant religion.
  • Even after variations in religion, the kings did not comply completely and give up their beliefs after adopting Hinduism.

JAC Class 7 Social Science Solutions

JAC Class 7 Social Science Solutions History Chapter 2 New Kings and Kingdoms

JAC Board Class 7th Social Science Solutions History Chapter 2 New Kings and Kingdoms

JAC Class 7th History New Kings and Kingdoms InText Questions and Answers

Page 16

Question 1.
Locate the Gurjara-Pratiharas, Rashtrakutas, Palas, Cholas and Chahamanas (Chauhans). Can you identify the present-day states over which they exercised control?
Answer:
Yes, we can identify the present statesover which they exercised and control are as under:
Gurjara-Pratiharas: Western Uttar Pradesh; Northern madhya Pradesh Rashtrakutas—Maharashtra, Central Madhya Pradesh, Northern Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka Palas—Bengal and North east of India Cholas—Tamil Nadu Chahamanas (Chauhans)—Eastern Rajasthan, Delhi, Haryana, Punjab

Page 17

Question 2.
Do you think being born as a Kshatriya was important in order to become a ruler during this period?
Answer:
Yes, as rulers and warriors belonged to Kshatriya group.

Page 18

Question 4.
In what ways was this form of administration different from the present-day system?
Answer:
In the present system the administration is run by the elected governments in most of the countries or states. Resources are from different taxes and tariffs on producers, consumers and citizens. Then these resources are used for developing the state and providing facilities to the citizens. Nowadays, no one can compel any labour or worker to work. If someone does so or violates the law or doesn’t follow the rules and regulations, then the person can be punished by the judiciary.

Page 19

Question 5.
Also, see if you can find some of the areas mentioned in the inscription on Map 1. Other rulers made similar claims as well. Why do you think they made these claims?
Answer:
Yes, we can find some areas mentioned in the inscription on Map 1. Rulers had to control over large regions hence, other rulers also rpade similar claims.

Page 20

Question 6.
List all the possible sources of irrigation mentioned in the inscription, and discuss how these might have been used.
Answer:
The possible sources of irrigation mentioned in the inscription are digging of small and large wells, construction of canals, rivers, fish ponds. They might have been used by making earthen embankments and planting trees. Huge tanks were constructed to collect rainwater.

Page 21

Question 7.
Look at Map 1 and suggest reasons why these rulers wanted to control Kanauj and the Ganga valley.
JAC Class 7 Social Science Solutions History Chapter 2 New Kings and Kingdoms 1
Answer:
Kanuaj was a veiy fertile and prized region so there was a struggle to control Kanuaj in the Ganga valley region in between Rashtrakutas, Gurjaras- Pratiharas and Palas.

Question 8.
Look at Map 1 again and discuss why the Chahamanas may have wanted to expand their territories?
Answer:
The Chahamanas might have wanted to expand their territories to gain power and become incomparable so that no ruler could fight with them.

Page 27

Question 9.
Do you think women participated in these assemblies? In your view are lotteries useful in choosing members of committees?
Answer:
Women didn’t participated in these assemblies because in inscriptions and documents it is not mentioned about the women’s role. No, lotteries are not useful to choose members of committees. The best way is through elections.

Question 10.
Were there any Brahmanas in this hamlet? Describe all the activities that were taking place in the village? Why do you think temple inscriptions ignore these activities?
Answer:
There were no Brahmanas in this hamlet. The activities that were taking place in this village are drum making, working in paddy field, agrarian labour, etc. These were considered insignificant hence temple inscriptions ignored these activities.

Question 11.
In w hat ways was this system different from those prevalent in the Indian subcontinent?
Answer:
The difference is that the T’ang dynasty used a system known as bureaucracy of merit to select its officials whereas the dynasties present in the Indian subcontinent which were the Gupta’s and the Wardhan dynasty used a system of selecting officials in which the sons succeeded their father’s, i.e., hereditary.

Question 12.
Imagine you are present in an election for a sabha. Describe what you see and hear.
Answer:
To be done by students themselves.

JAC Class 7th History New Kings and Kingdoms Textbook Questions and Answers

( Let’s Recall)

Question 1:
Match the following:

Gurj ara-Pratiharas Western Deccan
Rashtrakutas Bengal
Palas Gujarat and Rajasthan
Cholas Tamil Nadu

Answer:

Gurj ara-Pratiharas Gujarat and Rajasthan
Rashtrakutas Western Deccan
Palas Bengal
Cholas Tamil Nadu

Question 2.
Who were the parties involved in the “tripartite struggle”?
Answer:
Gurjara-Pratihara, Rashtrakuta and Pala dynasties were the parties involved for control over Kanauj in the “tripartite struggle”.

Question 3.
What were the qualifications necessary to become a member of a committee of the sabha in the Chola Empire?
Answer:
The qualifications necessary to become a member of a committee of the sabha in the Chola Empire were

  1. He should be owner of a land from which land revenue is collected.
  2. He should have his own home.
  3. He should be between 35 and 70 years of age.
  4. He should have knowledge of the Vedas.
  5. He should be well-versed in administrative matters and honest.
  6. He should not be a member of any committee in the last three years.
  7. He must have submitted details of his as well as his relatives account to the authority.

Question 4.
What were the two major cities under the control of the Chahamanas?
Answer:
The two major cities that were under the control of the Chahamanas were Delhi and Ajmer.

(Let’s Understand)

Question 5.
How did the Rashtrakutas become powerful?
Answer:
The Rashtrakutas become powerful in the following way:

  1. They were the subordinates or samantas of the Chalukyas of Karnataka. They provided military support to their kings. Gradually, they gained power and wealth.
  2. They declared themselves to be maha- samantas, maha- mandaleshvara.
  3. Later in the mid-eighth century, Dantidurga, a Rashtrakuta chief, performed a ritual hiranya-garbha and over ruled the Chalukya overlord. After the ritual was over he was reborn as Kshatriya, even if he was not by birth.

Question 6.
What did the new dynasties do to gain acceptance?
Answer:
In the 7th century, big landlords and warrior chiefs came into power. They were subordinates of the existing kings and were known as samantas. Gradually, they gained power and wealth and declared themselves as maha-samanta and maha-mandaleshvara. Later on, they overruled their kings and established their .

own Kingdom. For example, Dantidurga, a Rashtrakuta chief, overthrew his Chalukya overlord and performed a ritual called hiranya- garbha and became the ruler. Also, men from enterprising families used their military skills to carve out kingdoms. Kadamba Mayurasharman and Gurjara- Pratihara Harichandra, were brahmans who successively established kingdoms in Karnataka and Rajasthan respectively.

Question 7.
What kind of irrigation works wre developed in the Tamil region?
Answer:
The kind of irrigation works developed in the in the Tamil region were such as the wells were dug, tanks were constructed to store rain water and canals were made. All this work required, planning, organising labour and resources.
Decisions were taken collectively on the usage of water. New rulers and people took active interest in these activities.

Question 8.
What were the activities associated with Chola temples?
Answer:
The Chola temples were the nuclei of settlements growing around them which included centres of craft production. Temples were also endowed with land by rulers as well as by others. The produce of the land was used for the maintenance of the priests, garland makers, cooks, sweepers, musicians, dancers etc who were associated with the temples and used to work for them. Hence temples were not simply the place of worship. They were also the hub of economic, social and cultural life as well.

(Let’s Discuss)

Question 9.
Look at Map 1 once more and find out whether there were any kingdoms in the state in which you live.
Answer:
As per the student’s state, the answer will vary hence they have to give their own answer. Suppose, you are living in Delhi. Then, can show that it was ruled by Chauhana dynasty (11th -12th century). Prithviraj Chauhan was the most popular King.

Question 10.
Contrast the “elections” in Uttaramerur with present day panchayat elections.
Answer:

Uttaramerur election (Tamil Nadu)
In this . election, the names of the members elected by the sabha member were written on a palm leaf and put into the earthen pot and from which a young boy was asked to pick the tickets and members were elected.

Present day panchayat (Tamil Nadu)
In this election, nomination forms are filled and submitted by the member who wish to contest elections. These are held on fixed date. Votes are given to the candidates and those who get maximum number of votes are declared as winner or elected.

(Let’s Do)

Question 11.
Compare the temple shown in this chapter with any present-day temple in your neighbourhood, highlighting any similarities and differences that you notice.
JAC Class 7 Social Science Solutions History Chapter 2 New Kings and Kingdoms 2
Answer:
Similarities are

  1. Idols of gods and goddesses
  2. Brahmanas do the pujas in the temple.

Differences are:

Early period temple Present day temple
Sculptures were exclusive and unique. Common sculptures.
Various people were there like priests, musicians, dancers, cook, sweepers, etc. Only priests can be seen.
Images were one of the important features on the wall. No images on the wall.
Pyramid-like shape. Triangle-like shape.

Question 12.
Find out more about taxes that are collected at present. Are these in cash, kind, or labour services?
Answer:
Nowadays we pay a number of taxes like property tax, road tax, service tax, entertainment tax, water tax, GST, VAT, etc. These taxes are in cash only and not in kind of labour services.

JAC Class 7th History New Kings and Kingdoms Important Questions and Answers

Multiple Choice Questions

Question 1.
Samantas become powerful in
(a) 7th century
(b) 9th century
(c) 11th century
(d) None of these
Answer:
(a) 7th century

Question 2.
The subordinates of Chalukyas were called as
(a) Gurjara-Pratiharas
(b) Palas
(c) Rashtrakutas
(d) Cholas
Answer:
(c) Rashtrakutas

Question 3.
The inscriptions of the Cholas who ruled in Tamil Nadu refer to more than ………. terms for different kinds of taxes.
(a) 300
(b) 200
(c) 100
(d) 400
Answer:
(d) 400

Question 4.
A long Sanskrit poem of the twelfth century contains the history of kings who ruled over
(a) Kashmir
(b) Tamil Nadu
(c) Uttar Pradesh
(d) Rajasthan
Answer:
(a) Kashmir

Question 5.
The officials generally recruited for collecting revenues and army were from .
(a) brahmana families
(b) tribal people
(c) influential families
(d) None of these
Answer:
(c) influential families

Question 6.
Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni from Afghanistan ruled from
(a) 990 to 1030 CE
(b) 991 to 1030 CE
(c) 985 to 1020 CE
(d)987 to 1030 CE
Answer:
(b) 991 to 1030 CE

Question 7.
The best-known Chahamana ruler was
(a) Rajaraja
(b) Dantidurga
(c) Prithviraja III
(d) Ramraja I
Answer:
(c) Prithviraja III

Question 8.
A minor chiefly family called as the Muttaraiyar were subordinates to the
(a) Cholas
(b) Pallavas
(c) Pandyan
(d) Palas
Answer:
(b) Pallavas

Question 9.
Brahmanas were rewarded by land grants which were recorded on
(a) iron plate
(b) silver plate
(c) gold plate
(d) copper plate
Answer:
(d) copper plate

Question 10.
The prized area was the city of in the Ganga valley.
(a) Kanauj
(b) Calcutta (now Kolkata)
(c) Allahabad
(d) Banaras (now Varanasi)
Answer:
(a) Kanauj

Very Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1.
What do you mean byprashastis?
Answer:
The inscriptions that were written in praise of someone or something, mostly for rulers or kings.

Question 2.
What was the name of Rashtrakuta chief who overthrew his Chalukya overlord?
Answer:
Dantidurga was the Rashtrakuta chief who overthrew his Chalukya overlord.

Question 3.
Who all were involved in ‘tripartite struggle’?
Answer:
Rulers belonging to the Gurjara- Pratihara, Rashtrakuta and Pala dynasties were involved in the ‘tripartite struggle’.

Question 4.
Where did Chahamans ruled?
Answer:
They ruled over the region around Delhi and Ajmer.

Question 5.
Who wrote ‘Kitab-ul Hind’?
Answer:
A scholar named Al-Biruni wrote it.

Question 6.
Vijayalaya built which town and a temple for which goddess?
Answer:
V ijayalaya built the town of Thanjavur and a temple for goddess Nishumbhasudini.

Question 7.
What were the titles given by Chola kings to some rich landowners?
Answer:
Mnvendavelan (a velan or peasant serving three kings), araiyar (chief), etc., were the titles given by Chola kings to some rich landowners.

Question 8.
What is vellanvagai?
Answer:
A land of non-Brahmana peasant proprietors. It is mentioned in the Cholas inscription.

Question 9.
In which century, Periyapuranam, a Tamil work was written about the lives of ordinary people?
Answer:
In twelfth century, Periyapuranam, a Tamil work was written about the lives of ordinary people.

Question 10.
Who was defeated by Prithviraj HI in 1191?
Answer:
An Afghan ruler named Sultan Muhammad Ghori was defeated in 1191 by Prithviraj III.

Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1.
Who were known as Samantas?
Answer:
T here were big landlords or warriorchiefs in different regions of the subcontinent in the 7th century. Existing kings often acknowledged them as their subordinates or Samantas.

Question 2.
Which kind of irrigation works were developed in the Tamil area?
Answer:
Various methods were used for irrigation. In some areas, wells were dug, in other places big tanks were constructed to collect rainwater. Embankments were built to prevent flooding and canals were constructed to carry water to fields.

Question 3.
For the states what were the different sources of revenue?
Answer:
The different sources of revenue for the state came from cattle-keepers, peasants and artisans who were the producers. They were forced to surrender whatever they produced. Traders also had to pay the revenue.

Question 4.
What do you mean by ‘ur’? What is nadu?
Answer:
Settlements of peasants, who became prosperous with the spread of irrigation agriculture are known as ‘ur’. And, groups of such villages formed larger units known as nadu.

Question 5.
Write the types of taxes which were collected by Cholas.
Answer:
The types of taxes which were collected by Cholas:
(a) Kadamai
(b) Vetti (taken in the form of forced labour)
(c) Land revenue

Question 6.
Who was Muhammad Ghazni?
Answer:
Muhammad Ghazni was an Afgan Sultan. He ruled from 997 to 1030, and controlled over parts of Central Asia, Iran and the north-western part of the subcontinent. He raided the wealthy temples, including that of Somnath, Gujarat.

Question 7.
What do you mean by Brahmadeya?
Answer:
Brahmadeya means land gifted to Brahmanas. An assembly or sabha of prominent Brahmana landholders were made to look after each brahmadeya
and they worked very efficiently and effectively. Inscriptions were often made on the stone walls of temples where their decisions were recorded in details.

Question 8.
How temples played an important role during the Chola kingdom?
Answer:
Rajaraja I, and his son Rajendra built two great temples of Thanjavur and Gangaikonda-cholapuram. They were the centres of craft production and also controlled the financial aspects which were related to them. They became the hub of economic, social and cultural life as well apart from religious activities.

Question 9.
Who were responsible for doing different functions of administration including dispensing justice and collecting taxes? Which caste exercised control over the affairs of the nadu under the supervision of the central Chola government?
Answer:
The village council and the nadu were responsible for doing different functions of administration including, dispensing justice and collecting taxes. Rich peasants of the Vellala caste exercised control over the affairs of the nadu under the supervision of the central Chola government.

Question 10.
When and how did the new class of rulers emerged in the seventh century?
Answer:
A new class emerged in the seventh century as they were given the titles of samantas or subordinates by the existing rulers. These were big landlords or warriors. Later, they gained power and wealth and declared themselves to be maha-samantas or maha-mandaleshwara. Gradually, they asserted independence and established their own kingdom.

Question 11.
Who was Nagabhata? Where do we find the details of Nagabhata?
Answer:
Nagabhata was a Pratihara king. We find the details of Nagabhata in one of the prashastis written in Sanskrit and found in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh. He exploited a lot.

Long Answer Type Questions 

Question 1.
Kings often rewarded Brahmanas by grants of land. What instructions were given along with the land?
Answer:
Kings often rewarded Brahmanas by grants of land. These were recorded on copperplates, which were given to those who received the land. The instructions in written from is as under: We have demarcated the boundaries of the land by making earthen embankments, as well as by planting thorny bushes. This is what the land contains: fruit-bearing trees, water, land, gardens and orchards, trees, wells, open spaces, pasture-land, a village, anthills, platforms, canals, ditches, rivers, silt-laden land, tanks, granaries, fish ponds, bee hives, and deep lakes.

He who receives the land can collect taxes from it. He can collect the taxes imposed by judicial officers as fines, the tax on betel-leaves, that on woven cloth, as well as on vehicles. He can build large rooms, with upper stories made of baked bricks, he can get large and small wells dug, he can plant trees and thorny bushes, if necessary, he can get canals constructed for irrigation. He should ensure that water is not wasted, and that embankments are built.

Question 2.
Describe the achievements of Rajaraja I, the Chola king.
Answer:
The achievements of Rajaraja I, the Chola king were:
He attacked the kingdom of the Pandyas, Cheras and part of Mysore (now Mysuru) as well. He realized the importance of controlling the sea. He would be stronger if he could control over the South India. He also campaigned towards north in the Deccan during the reign of Vengi. Coast of Kerala, Ceylon (currently Sri Lanka) had good fortune which come to them through trade. India sent spices, precious stones, textiles, etc., to western Asia which helped him to gain more power and wealth.

Question 3.
Why were the Kaveri river important for the Cholas? Why embankments had to be built in the delta areas?
Answer:
The Kaveri river was important for the Cholas because of many reasons. The Cholas became successful through new developments in agriculture. The Kaveri river overflow frequently depositing fertile soil on their banks. Water from the channels also provide the necessary moisture for agriculture, particularly the cultivation of rice. It branches off several channels before emptying into the Bay of Bengal. To prevent flooding, embankments had to be built in the delta areas.

JAC Class 7 Social Science Solutions

JAC Class 7 Social Science Solutions History Chapter 1 Tracing Changes Through a Thousand Years

JAC Board Class 7th Social Science Solutions History Chapter 1 Tracing Changes Through a Thousand Years

JAC Class 7th History Tracing Changes Through a Thousand Years InText Questions and Answers

Question 1.
Look at the areas in the interior of the subcontinent on Map 2. Are they as detailed as those on the coast? Follow the course of the River Ganga and see how it is shown. Why do you think there is a difference in the level of detail and accuracy between the coastal and inland areas in this map?
JAC Class 7 Social Science Solutions History Chapter 1 Tracing Changes Through a Thousand Years 1
Answer:
No, the areas are not as detailed as those oh the coast. The European merchants and sailors who used this map, did not go to the inland places of the subcontinent much as they interacted with the coastal areas. Hence, the level of detail and accuracy of coastal areas is better than the inland areas, in the map.

Page 3

Question 2.
Can you think of any other words whose meanings change in different contexts?
Answer:
Yes, word-Ruler (King) Ruler (Law makers)

Page 4

Question 3.
When was paper more expensive and easily available in the thirteenth or the fourteenth century?
Answer:
The paper was expensive in 13th century and in 14th century it was easily available.

JAC Class 7 Social Science Solutions History Chapter 1 Tracing Changes Through a Thousand Years

Question 4.
Of the technological, economic, social and cultural changes described in this section, which do you think were most significant in the town or village in which you live?

Answer:
Secondary occupations are done in town and in villages they do primary occupations such as agriculture.

Question 5.
Why do you think rulers made such claims?
Answer:
They were real rulers of the country. They were supreme. No other ruler could fight them. They showed others that they are the most powerful rulers. That is why, they made such claims.

Question 6.
Make a list of the languages mentioned by Amir Khusrau. Prepare another list of names of languages spoken today in the regions he mentioned. Underline names that are similar and circle those that are different.
Answer:
Languages mentioned by Amir Khusrau are Lahori, Sindhi, Kashmiri, Dvarsamudri, Gujari, Gauri, Hindawi. List of names of languages spoken today in the regions are Kashmiri, Awadhi, Pahari, Himachali, Punjabi, Gujarati, Sindhi, Marathi, Hindi, Urdu, Bengali, Oriya, Assamese, English, Tamil, Telegu, Gurkhati, Lepena. Similar are Awadhi, Kashmiri, Sindhi Different are Remaining all.

Question 7.
Did you notice that the names by which languages are known have changed over time?
Answer:
Yes, most of them have changed over time.
Answer:
No, the areas are not as detailed as those oh the coast. The European merchants and sailors who used this map, did not go to the inland places of the subcontinent much as they interacted with the coastal areas. Hence, the level of detail and accuracy of coastal areas is better than the inland areas, in the map.

JAC Class 7 Social Science Solutions History Chapter 1 Tracing Changes Through a Thousand Years

Question 8.
Find out whether and for how long your state was part of these pan- regional empires.
Ans:
Delhi for about thousand years (700 to 1750), if you reside in Delhi.

Question 9.
Do you remember what Amir Khusrau had to say regarding Sanskrit, Knowledge and Brahmanas?
Ans:
According to Amir Khusrau, Sanskrit was an old language, does not belong to any religion and Brahmanas were great scholars of Sanskrit.

Page 14

Question 10.
Imagine you are a historian. Choose one of the themes mentioned in this chapter, such as economic, social or political history, and discuss why you think it would be interesting to find out the history of that theme.
Answer:
I would choose social and political history. It would be interesting to find out the history of social and political changes because:

  1. This period saw emergence of new foods beverages.
  2. New technologies appeared.
  3. It was period of mobility when people travelled long distances.
  4. Extension of agriculture brought social changes.
  5. Important changes occurred in religion.
  6. Politically different groups become important.

JAC Class 7th History Tracing Changes Through a Thousand Years Textbook Questions and Answers

Question 1.
Who was considered a “foreigner” in the past?
Answer:
The word “foreigner” was used in medieval period for any stranger or unknown person who was not a part of the certain society or culture in a said village. A forest dweller might be considered as a foreigner by city dweller. In Hindi a foreigner is termed as pardesi.

Question 2.
State whether true or false:
(a) We do not find inscriptions for the period after 700.
(b) The Marathas asserted their political importance during this period.
(c) Forest-dwellers were sometimes pushed out of their lands with the spread of agricultural settlements.
(d) Sultan Ghiyasuddin Balban controlled Assam, Manipur and Kashmir.
Ans:
(a) False
(b) False
(c) True
(d) False

Question 3.
Fill in the blanks:
(a) Archives are places where………are kept.
(b) …….. was a fourteenth century chronicler.
(c) …….’……..’…….’……….. and …… were some of the new crops introduced into the subcontinent during this period.
Answer:
(a) manuscripts
(b) Ziyauddin Barani
(c) Com, chillies, potatoes, tea, coffee.

Question 4.
List some of the technological changes associated with this period.
Answer:
Some important technological changes associated with this period were:

  1. The use of spinning wheel in weaving
  2. The use of Persian wheel in irrigation
  3. The use of firearms in combat.

Question 5.
What were some of the major religious developments during this period?
Answer:
Some of the major religious developments during this period were as follows:

  1. Hinduism saw many changes including worship of deities.
  2. Kings built new temples.
  3. Brahmanas emerged as a strong group in society. They were the priests in temples.
  4. The idea of Bhakti emerged.
  5. The new teaching of Question uran was brought by merchants and migrants. It is the holy book of Muslims.
  6. They had two sub sects – Shia and Sunni.
  7. A class of patrons emerged as they were the rulers who provided protection and shelter to ulemas.

(Let’s Understand)

Question 6.
In what ways has the meaning of the term ‘Hindustan’ changed over the centuries?
Answer:
The meaning of the term ‘Hindustan’ changed over the centuries in the • following way:

  1. ‘Hindustan’ was first used by Minhaj-i-Siraj in 13th century. It included the areas of Punjab, Haryana and the land between Ganga and Yamuna rivers. He used it in a political sense that were a segment of the dominions of the Delhi Sultanate.
  2. In the sixteenth century, Babur used the term ‘Hindustan’ to describe the geography, fauna and culture of the subcontinent.
  3. Amir Khusrau, a fourteenth century poet also used the term ‘Hind’ to describe the geographical and cultural entity.
  4. The term did not carry the political and national meanings as the term ‘India’ is used today.

Question 7.
How were the affairs of jatis regulated?
Answer:
The affairs of Jatis were regulated in the following manner:

  1. Jatis formulated their own rules and regulations to manage the members.
  2. These regulations were enforced by the Jati Panchayat.
  3. They were also required to follow the rule of the villages. Many villages were governed by a Chieftain.
  4. Jatis were divided on the basis of economic and social position.

Question 8.
What does the term pan-regional empire mean?
Answer:
The term pan-regional empire means an empire spanning over various regions. Some of the dynasties are Mughals, Cholas, Khaljis and the Tughluqs.

(Let’s Discuss)

Question 9.
What are the difficulties historians face in using manuscripts?
Answer:
Historians faced many difficulties in using manuscripts:

  1. In early days, it was handwritten. Palm leaves were used to write as paper.
  2. Historians translated the facts as per the manuscripts which they got.
  3. Different historians presented it in their own manner as the handwriting was not always clear. They introduced some changes as well. Later it was quite difficult to accept which one was the original manuscript.

Question 10.
How do historians divide the past into periods? Do they face any problems in doing so?
Answer:
Historians divide past into periods on the basis of continuity. This continuity is further based on coins, inscriptions, architecture and textual records. Historians divided the past into periods by considering economic, social, cultural and religious changes. British historians divided the Indian history into three periods Hindu, Muslim and British. They only considered the fact that no significant changes occurred other than the religion of the rulers. They ignored the rich diversity of the subcontinent. Historians of the modem days divide history into ancient, medieval and modem history.

Significant changes occurred in the past thousand years. Historians vary to classify the periods as few takes periodization and some consider the socio economic factors of the past to characterize. We see that 16th century was not same as 18th century. Hence, describing the entire period as one historical unit is quite difficult.

(Let’s Do)

Question 11.
Compare either Map 1 or Map 2 with the present day map of the subcontinent, listing as many similarities and differences as you can find.
Answer:
JAC Class 7 Social Science Solutions History Chapter 1 Tracing Changes Through a Thousand Years 2

  • The Arab geographer, Al-Idrisi made Map 1 in 1154 CE.
  • It shows the Indian subcontinent from this larger world map.
  • It shows, South India at that place where North India is at present and Sri Lanka is the island at the top.
  • Places names are in Arabic. As Kanauj in Uttar Pradesh has been mentioned as Question anauj.
  • Present day maps of the subcontinent is more clear as it shows clear directions.

JAC Class 7 Social Science Solutions History Chapter 1 Tracing Changes Through a Thousand Years 3

  • The French cartographer in 1720 made Map 2. Map 1 is quite different from Map 2. Map 2 was made nearly 600 years later.
  • Information provided about the subcontinent changed a lot. Coastal areas are more comprehensive and detailed.
  • Cartography technique was different. Hence, this Map 2 appears to be more known and familiar to us.

Question 12.
Find out where records are kept in your village or city. Who writes these • records? Is there an archive? Who manages it? What kind of documents are stored there? Who are the people who use it?
Answer:
In our village, records are kept in the Panchayat office. In cities, records are kept in the municipal offices or municipal corporation. In villages, records are written by Gram Sevak who is a government employee. In cities these records are written and maintained by clerks. In villages, there are no archive and Sarpanch manages it. In cities, there are archives. The kind of documents stored there are government records such as details about land of the village, data of birth and deaths, public properties, rare manuscripts and books. Government officials, Researchers and Scholars use them.

JAC Class 7th History Tracing Changes Through a Thousand Years Important Questions and Answers

Multiple Choice Questions

Question 1.
Al-Idrisi drawn the map in
(a) 12th century
(b) 14th century
(c) 1th century
(d) None of these
Answer:
(a) 12th century

Question 2.
Cartographer is a person who draws
(a) paintings
(b) maps
(c) pictures
(d) All of these
Answer:
(b) maps

JAC Class 7 Social Science Solutions History Chapter 1 Tracing Changes Through a Thousand Years

Question 3.
In Al-Idrisi’s map, places are named in –
(a) Arabic
(b) Persian
(c) Sanskrit
(d) None of these
Answer:
(a) Arabic

Question 4. In 1720s, maps were made by
(a) German cartographers
(b) Arabic cartographers
(c) French cartographers
(d) English cartographers
Answer:
(b) Arabic cartographers

Question 5.
In 13th century, the term Hindustan was used by the chronicler
(a) Ziyauddin Barani
(b) Al-Idrisi
(c) Babur
(d) Minhaj-i-Siraj
Answer:
(d) Minhaj-i-Siraj

Question 6.
Amir Khusrau was a poet in
(a) Fourteenth century
(b) Sixteenth century
(c) Eleventh century
(d) Thirteenth century
Answer:
(a) Fourteenth century

Question 7.
The term ‘foreigner’ in Hindi means
(a) Ajnabi
(b) Pardesi
(c) Kshatriyas
(d) All of these
Answer:
(b) Pardesi

JAC Class 7 Social Science Solutions History Chapter 1 Tracing Changes Through a Thousand Years

Question 8.
Historians used the sources to study this period
(a) Architecture
(b) coins
(c) inscriptions
(d) All of these
Answer:
(d) All of these

Question 9.
Paper become cheaper and readily available in
(a) Twelfth century
(b) Thirteenth century
(c) Fourteenth century
(d) Eighth century
Answer:
(c) Fourteenth century

Question 10.
Ziyauddin Barani was a 14th century
(a) poet
(b) chronicler
(c) cartographer
(d) painter
Answer:
(b) chronicler

Very Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1.
What is the work of cartographer?
Answer:
A cartographer is a person who draws niaps.

Question 2.
What do you mean by archives?
Answer:
Archives are places where manuscripts were collected.

Question 3.
How the locations are shown in Al- Idrisi’s map?
Answer:
In his map, south India is shown at the present north India and at the top is the Sri Lankan island.

Question 4.
What is the study of coins called?
Answer:
The study of coins is called numismatics.

Question 5.
What do you mean by patron?
Answer:
Patron is an influential wealthy individual who supports another person who can be an artist, craftsperson, a learned man or a noble.

JAC Class 7 Social Science Solutions History Chapter 1 Tracing Changes Through a Thousand Years

Question 6.
Which term did Minhaj-i-Siraj used and when?
Answer:
The term was ‘Hindustan’ in the 13th century.

Question 7.
Shia and Sunni are sects of which religion?
Answer:
Islam.

Question 8.
What do you mean by pan-regional empire?
Answer:
Pan-regional empire means empire spanning in diverse regions.

Question 9.
What was the name given by Greeks to Indian subcontinent?
Answer:
Indus.

Question 10.
What are the sources used by the historians to study a particular period of history?
Answer:
The sources are coins, textual records, inscriptions and architectures to study a particular period.

Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1.
Define the following terms Manuscript, Medieval Period, Numismatics, Epigraphy, Archive.
Answer:
Manuscript – The script written by author /writer in his own handwriting. Medieval Period – The period between 700 CE to 1750 CE in Indian history is called medieval period. Numismatics – It is the study of coins. Epigraphy- It is the study of inscriptions. Archive – A place where all manuscripts and documents are stored.

Question 2.
What do the term scribes mean? How did the scribes worked with manuscripts?
Answer:
Scribes were those person who copy down the manuscripts. By hand, manuscripts were copied.

Question 3.
How are navigations and travelogues are important written source?
Answer:
During medieval period, many merchants and sailors visited India. Their writing about the places and the people they met gives us lots of information. They give details about economic, social and cultural things about that place.

Question 4.
How the value of paper was different in thirteenth and fourteenth century?
Answer:
The value of paper was very different in thirteenth and fourteenth century. In 13th century, a learned person wanted to copy a book but he didn’t have much paper, so he washed a portion of the manuscript which he didn’t required and dried the paper and used it. But in 14th century, if any person bought some food in the market and the shopkeeper would wrap it for you in the paper if you are fortunate enough.

JAC Class 7 Social Science Solutions History Chapter 1 Tracing Changes Through a Thousand Years

Question 5.
Medieval period helped in the development of Indian history. How?
Answer:
Medieval period has been very helpful in the development of Indian history because of the following reasons:

  1. Many modem languages developed during this period which we speak nowadays.
  2. Some of the food items and clothes we wear became very popular during this period.
  3. Our current religious faiths such as Sikhism, Islam can be traced.

Question 6.
There was a dramatic increase in the variety of textual records during this period. Why?
Answer:
There was a dramatic increase in the variety of textual records during this period because paper was readily available and also very cheap. People started writing holy texts, chronicles of mlers, letters and teachings of saints, judicial records, register of accounts and taxes on papers which can be kept properly.

Question 7.
Describe chronicles.
Answer:
A record of the rule of the kings and life at the court is called a chronicle. Most kings had court chroniclers who wrote in detail about what happened during their reign. Some important chronicles of the medieval period are: Rajatarangini by Kalhana, which is a history of the king of Kashmir.Tarikh-i-Firoz Shahi by Ziyauddin Barani, which describes the history of the Sultans of Delhi till the reign of Firoz Shah Tughluq

Question 8.
Many changes took place during 700 CE and 1750 CE. List some of them.
Answer:
Many changes took place during 700 CE and 1750 CE. Many technologies came into existence like the Persian wheel in irrigation, the spinning wheel in weaving and firearms in combat. New food and beverages also arrived in the subcontinent like potatoes,chillies, com, tea, and coffee.

Question 9.
What do you mean by JatiPanchayafl Who was the chief of the village?
Answer:
The assembly of elders which controlled the conduct of the members of their jati was called the Jati Panchayat. Villages were controlled by chieftains. Even the smaller jati panchayats were obligated to follow the village administration.

JAC Class 7 Social Science Solutions History Chapter 1 Tracing Changes Through a Thousand Years

Question 10.
Which group of people become important during medieval period and why?
Answer:
The group of people who becameimportant in this period were the Rajputs, a name derived from ‘Rajputra’ which means the son of a ruler. They included not just rulers but also soldiers and commanders who served in the armies of different rulers in the subcontinent. They claimed to be a kshatriya in caste status.

Question 11.
Why Brahmanas earned a respect in the society?
Answer:
Brahmanas earned respect in the society because they had the knowledge of Sanskrit which no one in general had. Their position was very dominant and consolidated by the support of their patrons – new rulers searching for power and dignity.

Question 12.
Muslim religion has two sects. What are they? How do they differ from each other?
Answer:
The two sects are Shia and Sunni. Shia muslims are those who believe that the Prophet Muhammad’s son-in-law Ali, was the legitimate leader of the Muslim community. Whereas, Sunni muslims are those who accepted the authority of the early leaders (Khalifas) of the community and the succeeding Khalifas.

Long Answer Type Questions

Question 1.
Explain medieval period of Indian history. It is termed as one of continuity and change. Why?
Answer:
History is divided into ancient, medieval and modem periods to make it easy to understand. The word medieval comes from.Latin word which means middle age. It saw many changes with the arrival of migrated people to the land. The society and economy of the subcontinent was transformed and reached a high level of richness and prosperity which attracted many merchants and traders.

In early medieval period, the Cholas and Rajput kings dominated the socio economic and political history of the country. In the later medieval period, the Turks and the regional kingdoms which emerged after the end of the Delhi Sultanate and the Mughals largely dominated the subcontinent.

Question 2.
What was the change in the religion during this period? Explain the major developments.
Answer:
During these thousand years, i.e., 700 CE to 1750 CE there has been major changes in religion. It was very prominent in Hinduism. The worship of new deities, the construction of temples by the kings and royals and the growing importance of Brahmanas, priests as a major group in society emerged as the changes. Also the idea of bhakti emerged.

Merchants, traders and migrants brought the teachings of 0uran, the holy book of Muslims. Patron class emerged during this period. They were the rulers who provided shelter and protection to the ulamas, the learned theologists and jurists. During this period, muslims were divided into two sects or groups Shia and Sunni. Shia Muslims believed in Prophet Muhammad’s authority while the Sunnis accepted the authority of the early leaders Khalifas.

JAC Class 7 Social Science Solutions History Chapter 1 Tracing Changes Through a Thousand Years

Question 3.
Discuss how coins, inscriptions and architectures are useful sources of information on medieval period.
Answer:
Coins, inscriptions, architectures are very useful sources of information on medieval period. Coins help us to know better the economic conditions of a kingdom. They were generally issued by the emperor of the empire. It helps us to know the provincial extent and duration of reign of the ruler. It helps historians to clarify their doubts about any particular event or dates which are mentioned in the book. Inscriptions are one of the major sources of information about Indian history.

Written records are engraved on stones, pillars, monuments, wall of temples and copper plates. They provide us information about the rulers, their kingdoms and some major events, geographical areas of the kingdom, etc. Inscriptions on copper plates were found around south Indian temples of medieval period. Monuments provide us the information about when they have been constructed and who built it. We get information on socio-economic, political conditions from the religious place of that time. Temples, tombs, mosque, stupas, palaces, forts, help us. Forts in Delhi, Jaipur, Hyderabad give an understanding of the architectural styles of that period.

JAC Class 7 Social Science Solutions

JAC Class 7 Social Science Solutions Geography Chapter 1 Environment

JAC Board Class 7th Social Science Solutions Geography Chapter 1 Environment

JAC Class 7th Geography Environment InText Questions and Answers

Question 1.
Look at your surroundings. Make a list of uses that the land in your neighbourhood is being put to.
Answer:
The land used in our neighbourhood is being put to parks, roads, places of worships, buildings, institutions, small scale industries, etc.

Question 2.
Where does the water you use in your home and school come from? Make a list of different uses of water in our daily life. Have you seen anyone wasting water? How?
Answer:
The water which we use in our home and school come from rivers, tanks, city water works, taps, etc.

  • Different uses of water in our daily life are for drinking, cooking, washing, cleaning, brushing, bathing, growing plants, sewerage disposal.
  • Several people waste water in various ways and seen it many times. While brushing teeth, they keep their tap on. Seen overflow of water tanks in many houses, as they forget to check the water. While working in kitchen, washing utensils, they keep tap in full speed and on always.
    Observe the sky while coming to school. Make a note whether the day is cloudy, rainy, sunny, foggy, etc. Students need to do it yourself.

Sample answer given below:
The day is sunny. It is not so hot. The sun is shining brightly and the sky is clear and blue and cannot see clouds. We can play outside. The weather is comfortable for swimming.

Page 4

Question 4.
Sketch or bring photographs of your place like the students in the story. Answer: Students need to do it yourself.

JAC Class 7 Social Science Solutions Geography Chapter 1 Environment

Page 5

Question 5.
Talk to some elderly person in your neighbourhood and collect information about-

  • The trees in his/ her neighbourhood when he/ she was your age.
  • The indoor games he/she played.
  • His/her favourite fruit at your age.
  • How did they make themselves comfortable during hot summers and cold winters? Display your answers on a wall/ bulletin board.

Answer:
Students need to do it yourself. Sample answer given below:

  • The trees of papaya, mango, guava, coconut, litchi, banana, etc.
  • Chess, carrom board, cards, ludo.
  • Mango, litchi and coconut.
  • During hot summer days they used to sit under huge trees where breeze blows and do swimming in ponds and lakes.
  • During cold winter days they used to sit near fire and outside to get sunlight.

JAC Class 7th Geography Environment Textbook Questions and Answers

Question 1.
Answer the following questions.
(i) What is an ecosystem?
Answer:
A system established by the interaction of all living organisms with each other and their surroundings in which they live and interlinked with transfer of energy and material. They are interdependent and called an ecosystem.

(ii) What do you mean by natural environment?
Answer:
Natural environment comprises of land, water, air, plants and animals. Hence, natural environment refers to both biotic and abiotic conditions that exist on the earth.

(iii) Which are the major components of the environment?
Answer:
The major components of the environment are:

  • Natural environment (land, air,
  • water, living beings)
  • Human environment (individual, family, community, educational, economic, religion, etc.)
  • Human made environment (parks, buildings, roads, bridges, monuments, etc.)

(iv) Give four examples of human made environment,
Answer:
Four examples of human made environment are parks, roads, monuments, buildings.

(v) What is lithosphere?
Answer:
The solid crust or hard top layer of the earth is called Lithosphere. It is usually made up of rocks and different minerals and covered with thin layer of soil.

JAC Class 7 Social Science Solutions Geography Chapter 1 Environment

(vi) Which are the two major components of biotic environment?
Answer:
Animals and plants are the two major componenets of biotic environment.

(vii) What is biosphere?
Answer:
The limited section of the earth where land, air and water interact with each other to support life is called biosphere. Hence, animal and plant kingdom together constructs biosphere means the living world.

Tick (√) the correct answer.

Question 2.
(i) Which is not a natural ecosystem?
(a) Desert
(b) Aquarium
(c) Forest
Answer:
(b) Aquarium

(ii) Which is not a component of human environment?
(a) Land
(b) Religion
(c) Community
Answer:
(a) Land

(iii) Which is a human made environment?
(a) Mountain
(b) Sea
(c) Road
Answer:
(c) Road

(iv) Which is a threat to environment?
(a) Growing plant
(b) Growing population
(c) Growing crops
Answer:
(b) Growing population

Question 3.
Match the following.

(i) Biosphere (a) blanket of ai? which surrounds the earth
(ii) Atmosphere (b) domain of water
(iii) Hydrosphere (c) gravitational force of the earth
(iv) Environment (d) our surroundings
(e) narrow zone where land, water and air interact
(f) relation between the organisms and their surroundings,,

Answer:

(i) Biosphere (e) narrow zone’ where land, water and air interact
(ii) Atmosphere (a) blanket of air which surrounds the earth
(iii) Hydrosphere (b) domain of water
(iv) Environment (d) our surroundings

Question 4.
Give reasons.

  1. Man modifies his environment
  2. Plants and animals depend on each other

Answer:

  1. Man modifies his environment to fulfill their basic needs and make their own life easy and comfortable. He also modifies to adapt itself ‘ to the natural surroundings and environment.
  2. Plants and animals depends on each other for their own interests and needs. Plants release oxygen and animals need to breathe it. Animals release carbon dioxide which plants required to breathe.

Activity

Question 5.
Imagine an ideal environment where you would love to live. Draw the picture of your ideal environment.
Answer:
Students need to do it by themselves.

JAC Class 7th Geography Environment Important Questions and Answers

Multiple Choice Questions

Question 1.
…………..is not a component of natural environment.
(a) Region
(b) Air
(c) Land
(d) Water
Answer:
(a) Region

JAC Class 7 Social Science Solutions Geography Chapter 1 Environment

Question 2.
The atmosphere contains
(a) dust
(b) gas
(c) water vapour
(d) all of these
Answer:
(d) all of these

Question 3.
Human made component of environment is ………
(a) air
(b) water
(c) buildings
(d) none of these
Answer:
(c) buildings

Question 4.
The force which hold earth’s atmosphere is…
(a) pulling force
(b) gravitational force
(c) pushing force
(d) magnetic force
Answer:
(b) gravitational force

Question 5.
The revolution which made communication easier and speedy across the world was
(a) French revolution
(b) Information revolution
(c) Green revolution
(d) Glorious revolution
Answer:
(b) Information revolution

Question 6.
Fifth June is celebrated as
(a) World smile day
(b) World chocolate day
(c) World environment day
(d) None of the above
Answer:
(c) World environment day

Question 7.
Different landforms are a part of
(a) lithosphere
(b) hydrosphere
(c) atmosphere
(d) biosphere
Answer:
(a) lithosphere

Question 8.
Industrial revolution was conducted in the period of
(a) Small scale production
(b) Population growth
(c) Use of money
(d) Large scale production
Answer:
(d) Large scale production

JAC Class 7 Social Science Solutions Geography Chapter 1 Environment

Question 9.
In French, the word ‘environment’ mean
(a) forest
(b) surrounding
(c) neighbourhood
(d) nature
Answer:
(c) neighbourhood

Question 10.
Hydrosphere comprises of
(a) lakes
(b) sea
(c) river
(d) all of these
Answer:
(d) all of these

Very Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1.
What do you mean by barter system?
Answer:
Barter system is a system or trade in which goods are exchanged without the use of money.

Question 2.
What is the importance of atmosphere?
Answer:
The importance of atmosphere is that it protects us from scorching heat and harmful rays from the sun.

Question 3.
What do you mean by atmosphere?
Answer:
The thin layer of air which surrounds the earth is called as the atmosphere.

Question 4.
What do you mean by hydrosphere?
Answer:
Hydrosphere means the domain of water in the earth.

Question 5.
Why hydrosphere is of great significance?
Answer:
Hydrosphere comprises of water which helps to sustain a great variety of life form. It comprises various sources of water and different types of waterbodies like rivers, lakes, seas, oceans, etc. It is essential for all living organisms.

Question 6.
What do you mean by environment?
Answer:
Environment is our basic life support system. It provides the air we breath, the water we drink, the food we eat and the land where we live. It is a combination of natural and human made phenomena.

JAC Class 7 Social Science Solutions Geography Chapter 1 Environment

Question 7.
Give names of different types of waterbodies.
Answer:
Different types of waterbodies are lakes, rivers, seas, oceans, etc.

Question 8.
Does Cherrapunji gets heavy rainfall?
Answer:
Yes, Cherrapunnji gets heavy rainfall.

Question 9.
Which kind of animals do you find in desert?
Answer:
The kind of animals we find in deserts are camels, lizards, snakes and different types of insects.

Question 10.
Where do we find landforms?
Answer:
We find landforms over the continents and ocean floors.

Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1.
Do you think our environment is changing? Justify your answer.
Answer:
Our environment is changing very fast because our needs are increasing day by day and in order to fulfill these needs we are modifying and at times even destroying our natural surroundings.

JAC Class 7 Social Science Solutions Geography Chapter 1 Environment

Question 2.
What is the difference between biotic and abiotic environment.
Answer:
Biotic environment comprises of all the living organisms such as animals and plants. Abiotic environment comprises of all non-living components such as air, water, land. ‘

Question 3.
Why human beings are makingchanges in their environment?
Answer:
Human changes or made alterations of his environment according to his needs and demands. With time needs and demands grew and became more varied and wide. Human beings started learning new ways to use and change the environment. Hence, they leamt to grow crops and started harvesting, domesticate animals and lead a settled life.

Question 4.
What are the three major components of the environment which are collectively known as biosphere?
Answer:
The three major components of the environment which are collectively known as biosphere are atmosphere, lithosphere and hydrosphere.

Question 5.
Which gas human beings and plants use to sustain in the environment?
Answer:
Human beings use oxygen and plants use carbon dioxide to sustain in the environment. Plants uses carbon dioxide to make their food and releases oxygen. Human or animals releases carbon dioxide.

JAC Class 7 Social Science Solutions Geography Chapter 1 Environment

Question 6.
What is the importance of oxygen in air?
Answer:
The importance of oxygen in air is that humans and animals need it to breathe and sustain. Without oxygen life cannot sustain. It is the second most in quantity in’ air.

Question 7.
What are the differences between lithosphere and atmosphere?
Answer:
Differences between lithosphere and atmosphere:

Lithosphere

  1. The solid crust or the hard top layer of the earth is called as lithosphere.
  2. Grasslands, lands, forests, human settlements are a part of lithosphere.

Atmosphere

  1. The thin layer of the air that surrounds the earth is called as atmosphere.
  2. Atmosphere safeguard us from scorching heat and harmful ultra violet rays.

Question 8.
How does the ecosystem work?
Answer:
Each and every ecosystem is formed by the interaction between all living beings with each other and with the environment in which they live. The connection between biotic and abiotic elements of an ecosystem happen due to the transfer of energy. They are interdependent on each other.

JAC Class 7 Social Science Solutions Geography Chapter 1 Environment

Question 9.
Biosphere has a great impact on human beings? What are they?
Answer:
Biosphere has a great impact on human beings.
They are as follows:

  • It provides us our basic necessities of our life such as food, air, water, etc.
  • It provides us natural resources like fuel, energy, plants, minerals, etc.
  • It also provides us raw material for industries.

Question 10.
What do you understand by biodiversity?
Answer:
In our solar system, earth is the only planet where life sustains. Over period of time, life evolved and got diversified. Different types of species came into existence due to diversification process of nature. This wide range of species are called as biodiversity.

Long Answer Type Questions

Question 1.
Should we protect our environment? Justify your answer.
Answer:
Yes, we should protect our environment due to the following reasons:

  • It is our fundamental life support system. It provides us the air which we breathe, water which we drink and do cleaning works and land where we live.
  • It provides us many natural resources such as minerals, wood, fuel, etc.
  • By unwise use of resources such as forests, farms, pastures, hills, most of the parts of the environment has been badly affected and damaged.
  • The different activities of the human beings effects the environment in one way or the other.
  • If we don’t control now, then the problems which we will face will be very dangerous and irreparable like we don’t get enough rainfall where it is required hence crops and harvesting gets affected.

Question 2.
Is environment static or dynamic? Human beings have adapted and changed the environment accordingly to fulfill their needs. Explain briefly.
Answer:
Our environment is dynamic and not static. Different natural, external and human factors bring many changes in the environment.

  • Human beings have adapted to the environment and changed it to fulfill their needs and requirements:
  • Early humans led a simple life and fulfilled their needs from the surrounding nature. They adapted easily to the nature around them.
  • The human beings started using variety of things and their needs kept increasing.
  • To meet the requirements and needs, human beings learnt to grow crops, domesticate the animals and started to live a settled life.
  • Excess food and grains was produced. Hence, trade emerged with the rise of barter system.
  • Transport and agricultural needs ‘ were fulfilled by the invention of ’ wheels.
  • Also means of communication developed.
  • Human beings are using the natural resources beyond their needs and wasting it most of the time.
  • Due to human activities environmental degradation occurred.
  • Hence, human beings should mark this as his duty to maintain the environmental balance and stability.

JAC Class 7 Social Science Solutions

JAC Class 7 Social Science Solutions History Chapter 4 The Mughal Empire

JAC Board Class 7th Social Science Solutions History Chapter 4 The Mughal Empire

JAC Class 7th History The Mughal Empire InText Questions and Answers

Page 46

Question 1.
Do you think this painting suggests that the Mughals claimed kingship as a birthright?
JAC Class 7 Social Science Solutions History Chapter 4 The Mughal Empire 1
Answer:
As this painting portraits the hierarchy of the Mughal emperors right from Timur to Aurangzed, it depicts that the Mughals claimed kingship as a birthright.

Page 47

Question 2.
How was Humayum’s relationship with Safavid Iran different from Akbar’s?
Answer:
Humayum took refuge in the court of Safavid Iran when he was defeated by Sher Shah Suri. Therefore, he had friendly relations with Iran. Whereas, Akbar seized Kandahar from Safavid Iranian rulers. Hence, he was at war with them.

JAC Class 7 Social Science Solutions History Chapter 4 The Mughal Empire

Question 3.
Did the annexation of Golconda and Bijapur in Aurangzeb’s reign end hostilities in the Deccan?
Answer:
No, in spite of the annexation of Golconda and Bijapur, Aurangzeb faced unending disturbances in Deccan as Marathas started guerrilla warfare against him.

Page 50

Question 4.
Which do you think is a fairer division of inheritance: primogeniture or coparcenary?
Answer:
Coparcenary is the fairer division of inheritance. It is based on the principle of equality.

Page 51

Question 5.
What was the consequence of Shivaji’s insult by Aurangzeb?
Answer:
When Aurangzeb insulted Shivaji, and when latter came to accept Mughal authority, Shivaji escaped from prison and began guerrilla warfare in Deccan against Mughals .

Question 6.
Would this have meant more expenditure for the state?
Answer:
Yes, the increase in number of mansabdars with higher zat rankings would have led to more expenditure for the State.

Page 55

Question 7.
Can you identify the Jesuit priests in this picture?
JAC Class 7 Social Science Solutions History Chapter 4 The Mughal Empire 2
Answer:
Two persons wearing black robes are the Jesuit priests who are sitting on the upper left side in the picture.

Poge 57

Question 8.
Imagine you have inherited a kingdom. (Remember Babur and Akbar were about your age when they became rulers). How would you make your
Answer:
kingdom stable and prosperous? In order to make my kingdom stable and prosperous I will undertake following actions:

  1. I will reform administration, revenue, military and trade systems.
  2. I will try to uplift the common people such as peasants, artisans.
  3. I will check corruption in the court.
  4. I will tighten my hold on nobles.
  5. I will expand my kingdom.
  6. I will induct new war technology, etc.

JAC Class 7th History The Mughal Empire Textbook Questions and Answers

( Let’s Recall)

Question 1.
Match the following.

Mansab Marwar
Mongol Governor
Sisodiya Rajput Uzbeg
Rathor Rajput Mewar
Nur Jahan Rank

Answer:

Mansab Rank
Mongol Uzbeg
Sisodiya Rajput Mewar
Rathor Rajput Marwar
Nur Jahan Jahangir
Subadar Governor

Question 2.
Fill in the blanks.
(a) The capital of Mirza Hakim, Akbar’s half-brother,was……..
(b) The five Deccan Sultanates were Berar, Khandesh, Ahmadnagar,……. and
(c) If zat determined a mansabdar’s rank and salary, sawar indicated his………
(d) Abul azl, Akbar’s friend and counsellor, helped him frame the idea of ………so that he could govern a society composed of many religions, cultures and castes.
Answer:
(a) Kabul
(b) Bijapur, Golconda
(c) number of cavalrymen
(d) sulh-i-kul

JAC Class 7 Social Science Solutions History Chapter 4 The Mughal Empire

Question 3.
What were the central provinces under the control of the Mughals?
Answer:
The central provinces under the control of the Mughals were Delhi, Kabul, Sind, Marwar, Gujarat, Mewar, Bihar, Bengal, Orissa and Deccan.

Question 4.
What was the relationship between the mansabdar and the jagirl
Answer:
Mansabdars received the salary as revenue assignment which was called jagir. They didn ’t administer their jagirs. The revenue was collected for them by their servants while the mansabdars were working in some other parts of the province.

(Let’s Understand)

Question 5.
What was the role of the zamindars in Mughal administration?
Answer:
The role of the zamindars in Mughal administration is as follows:
Zamindars were the local headmen of the villages or a powerful chieftains appointed by the Mughal emperor. They worked as intermediaries. They were responsible for collecting taxes from peasants and deposited them with the treasurer.They also played a role of mnning the administration of the Mughals.1 Sometimes they became rebellious against the Mughal empire as they exercised a great deal of power.

Question 6.
How were the debates with religiousscholars important in the formation of Akbar’s ideas on governance?
Answer:
During the 1570s, Akbar had a discussion on religion with the Ulama, ” Brahmanas, Jesuit priests who were Roman Catholics and Zoroastrians. These discussions took place during his stay at Fatehpur Sikri in the ibadat 1 khana. Akbar was interested in thereligion and social customs of different people and his interaction with people of different faiths made him realise that their teachings created divisions and disharmony among his subjects.

Thus Akbar came to an idea known as ‘sulh-i kul’ which focused on a system of ethics honesty, justice and peace.Abul Fazl helped Akbar in framing a vision of governance around this idea of sulh-i kul, which was also followed by ‘ Jahangir and Shah Jahan as well.

Question 7.
Why did the Mughals emphasise their Timurid and not their Mongol descent?
Answer:
The Mughals emphasised on their Timurid and not their Mongol descent because the memory of Mongol emperor Genghis Khan was associated with the massacre of a vast number of people. It was also linked with the Uzbegs, their Mongol competitors. On the other hand, the Mughals took pride in the fact that Timur ancestry had captured the city of Delhi in 1398.

(Let’s Discuss)

Question 8.
How important was the income fromland revenue to the stability of the Mughal Empire?
Answer:
The income from land revenue led to thestability of the Mughal Empire because it was the main source of income of the Mughal Empire. It strengthened the economic system of the Mughal Empire. A huge amount of finance was needed to meet the administrative purpose and maintaining law and order which came from the revenue.It was important as they had to pay the salaries to the soldiers and officials and do welfare works for the common people.Its importance can be easily assessed from the fact that Todar Mai, Akbar ‘s revenue minister,, took 10-year period to carry out the proper calculation of land revenue.

JAC Class 7 Social Science Solutions History Chapter 4 The Mughal Empire

Question 9.
Why was it important for the Mughals to recruit mansabdars from diverse backgrounds and not just Turanis and Iranis?
Answer:
It was important for the Mughals to recruit mansabdars from diverse backgrounds and not just Turanis and Iranis because Mughal empire expanded to different regions. Hence, the problems of common folks would be understood better by the people living with them. This included Rajputs, Marathas, Afghans, Muslims and other groups. They came here to rule, so they needed to respect the diversity of the country in order to have a control over it.

Question 10.
Like the Mughal Empire, India today is also made up of many social and cultural units. Does this pose a challenge to national integration?
Answer:
Like the Mughal Empire, India today is also made up of many social and cultural units. This does not pose a challenge to national integration because of the following reasons: India follows a tradition of ‘unity in diversity’. All religions are equally reckoned by the constitution. Now-a-days, people get the right to choose their government and freedom to do what they want which was not same under the reign of Mughals. No, the gap in the income between the rich and the poor in India has not changed a great deal from the period of the Mughals, but the incomes have highly increased compared to that period.Some special advantages are also given to the weaker sections of the society for the upliftment of their living standards.

Question 11.
Peasants were vital for the economy of the Mughal Empire. Do you think that they are as important today? Has the gap in the income between the rich and the poor in India changed a great deal from the period of the Mughals?
Answer:
Peasants were vital for the economy ofthe Mughal Empire. Therefore, today’s economy does not totally depend upon peasants. Yes, they are important today as well.No, , the gap in the income between the rich and the poor in India has not changed a great deal from the period of the Mughals, but the incomes have highly increased compared to that period.

(Let’s Do)

Question 12.
The Mughal Empire left its impact on the different regions of the subcontinent in a variety of ways. Find out if it had any impact in the city/village/region in which you live.
Answer:
The Mughal Empire left its impact on thedifferent regions of the subcontinent in a variety of ways. It had many impact in the city, village, region in which we live. Urdu has enriched our literature, music and art of writing. Their contributions made the cities rich and colourful. As we can discuss about Delhi. It was the capital of Mughal Empire. We see many monuments and beautiful architecture.

JAC Class 7th History The Mughal Empire Important Questions and Answers

Multiple Choice Questions

Question 1.
Name the ruler whose mother was a descendant of the greatest Mongol warrior, Ghengis Khan, and his father descended from the legendary Timur.
(a) Babur
(b) Humayun
(c) TodarMal
(d) Jahangir
Answer:
(a) Babur

Question 2.
Babur was forced to leave his ancestral land and came to India and set up the first Mughal empire because
(a) He was a born tourist
(b) His younger brother wanted to become a king
(c) There was a drought in his ancestral land
(d) The Uzbegs invaded his ancestral land, Ferghana.
Answer:
(d) The Uzbegs invaded his ancestral land, Ferghana.

Question 3.
Humayun recaptured Delhi in 1555 with the help of
(a) Muhammad Ali of Africa
(b) Sher Khan of Afghanistan
(c) Ali Zafar of Turkey
(d) Safavid Shah of Persia (Iran)
Answer:
(d) Safavid Shah of Persia (Iran)

JAC Class 7 Social Science Solutions History Chapter 4 The Mughal Empire

Question 4.
Who became the emperor at the age of 13 and reigned from 1556 to 1605?
(a) Jahangir
(b) Akbar
(c) Humayun
(d) Shahjahan
Answer:
(b) Akbar

Question 5.
After Akbar, who continued his military campaigns and forced the Sisodiya Rajputs to accept the Mughal rule?
(a) Jahangir
(b) Bahadur Shah Zafar
(c) Shah Jahan
(d) None of these
Answer:
(a) Jahangir

Question 6.
Genghis Khan was the emperor of
(a) Central Asia
(b) China
(c) Mongol tribes
(d) All of these
Answer:
(d) All of these

Question 7.
Sulh-i-kul means
(a) Unity
(b) Gender discrimination
(c) Universal peace
(d) Payment equality
Answer:
(c) Universal peace

Question 8.
Which Mughal emperor was also known as Salim?
(a) Humayun
(b) Jahangir
(c) Akbar
(d) Shah Jahan
Answer:
(b) Jahangir

Question 9.
The salary of the mansabdars were known as…….
(a) Zabt
(b) Jat
(c) Jagir
(d) Mansab
Answer:
(c) Jagir

Question 10.
Akbar Nama was written by …….
(a) Todar Mai
(b) Birbal
(c) Tansen
(d) Abul Fazl
Answer:
(d) Abul Fazl

Very Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1.
What does Mansab mean?
Answer:
Mansab means position or rank.

Question 2.
What do you mean by the rule of primogeniture?
Answer:
By the rule of primogeniture, the elder son inherits the father’s property.

Question 3.
Ibrahim Lodi was defeated by Babur in which year and battle?
Answer:
Ibrahim Lodi was defeated by Babur in 1526 in the first battle of Panipat.

JAC Class 7 Social Science Solutions History Chapter 4 The Mughal Empire

Question 4.
Whom did Sher Khan defeated in the battle of Chausa and Kanauj?
Answer:
Sher Khan defeated Humayun in the battle of Chausa and Kanauj.

Question 5.
What was the other name of Prince Khurram assumed after he ascended the throne?
Answer:
Prince Khurram was named Shah Jahan when he ascended to the throne in 1627 after the death of Jahangir.

Question 6.
What do you mean by zat?
Answer:
Zat is a numerical value which determines the ranks and salaries. If zat is on higher side then the noble’s position is also a prestigious one and a big salary as well.

Question 7.
Who fought guerilla warfare?
Answer:
The Marathas fought the guerilla warfare.

Question 8.
In Iran, who helped and gave shelter to Humayun when he fled there?
Answer:
In Iran, Safavid Shah helped Humayun when he fled there.

Question 9.
Who was Genghis Khan?
Answer:
Genghis Khan was the king of the Mongol tribe, Central Asia and China.

JAC Class 7 Social Science Solutions History Chapter 4 The Mughal Empire

Question 10.
Who established the chain of justice?
Answer:
Jahangir, the Mughal emperor established the chain of justice outside his palace.

Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1.
Under the Mughals, what was the relationship between rank and salary?
Answer:
Zat, a numerical value helped in determining the rank and salary of the nobles. A grading system, ‘mansab’ was used to fix the rank, salary and military responsibilities.

Question 2.
What do you mean by Dogma and Bigot,
Answer:
Dogma is a statement or a connotation declared as authoritative with the expectation that it would be followed without question.
Bigot is an individual who is intolerant of another person’s religious beliefs or culture.

Question 3.
Whom did Aurangzeb insulted when he came to accept Mughal authority? What was the outcome of this insult?
Answer:
Aurangzeb insulted Shivaji when he came to accept Mughal authority. The outcome of this insult was that Shivaji escaped from Agra, declared himself an independent king and resumed his .campaigns against the Mughals.

Question 4.
What were the major events happened during Shahjahan’s reign?
Answer:
Under Shah Jahan, Mughal campaigns continued in the Deccan. The Afghan noble, Khan Jahan Lodi was defeated as he became rebellious. Campaigns were launched against Ahmadnagar, the Bundelas were also defeated and Orchha was seized. In the north-west, the campaign to seize Balkh from the Uzbegs was not successful and Question andahar was lost to the Safavids. In 1632, Ahmadnagar was finally annexed and the Bijapur forces sued for peace.

Question 5.
Babur was the first Mughal emperor. How he became an emperor and of which place?
Answer:
Babur was the first Mughal emperor (1526-1530), succeeded to the throne of Ferghana in 1494 when he was only 12 years old. Due to the invasion of another Mongol group, the Uzbegs, he was forced to leave his ancestral throne. After years of wandering he seized Kabul in 1504. In 1526, he defeated the Sultan of Delhi, Ibrahim Lodi, at Panipat which is called as First Battle of Panipat and captured Delhi and Agra. Hence, led the foundation of Mughal Empire.

Question 6.
Akbar had a discussion with people of different faiths. What did he realize after the discussion?
Answer:
On his discussion with people of different faiths, Akbar realized that the religious scholars who emphasized rituals and dogma were often bigots. Their teachings mainly created disharmony and divisions amongst the subjects.

JAC Class 7 Social Science Solutions History Chapter 4 The Mughal Empire

Question 7.
Write at least two instances of the Mughal marrying the Rajput women.
Answer:
Instances of the Mughal marrying the Rajput women are: The Kachhwaha princess, daughter of the Rajput ruler of Amber was the mother of Jahangir.
A Rathore princess, daughter of the Rajput ruler of Marwar was the mother of Shah Jahan.

Question 8.
What was Akbar’s religious policy?
Answer:

  • Akbar’s religious policy was as under:
  • Akbar introduced the idea of sulh-i-kul or “universal peace”.
  • This idea of tolerance did not discriminate between people of different religions in his realm.
  • Instead it focused on a system of ethics- honesty, justice and peace-that was universally applicable.

Question 9.
Write a note on Humayun.
Answer:
Humayun was the son of Babur. According to the will of his father, Humayun divided his inheritance. His brothers were each given a province. The ambitions of his brother Mirza Kamran weakened Humayun’s cause against Afghan competitors. Sher Khan defeated Humayun at Chausa (1539) and Kanauj (1540), and he fled to Iran. In Iran, Humayun received support from Safavid Shah. He recaptured Delhi in 1555 but died the next year after an accident.

Question 10.
What power and potential did the nobles exercise during Akbar’s reign?
Answer:
During Akbar’s reign, nobles commanded large armies and had access to large amounts of revenue. While they were loyal to the empire, they even functioned efficiently and effectively but by the end of the seventeenth century many nobles had built independent networks of their own. Their loyalties to the empire were weakened by their own self-interest.

Long Answer Type Questions

Question 1.
Describe Akbar Nama and Ain-i- Akbari.
Answer:
A three-volume history of Akbar’s reign, titled Akbar Nama was written by Abul Fazl. The first volume dealt with Akbar’s ancestors and the second volume recorded the events of Akbar’s reign. The third volume is the Ain-i-Akbari. It majorly deals with Akbar’s administration, army, household, revenues and the geography of his empire. It also provides important details about the traditions and culture of the people living in India. The most interesting aspect about the third volume, Ain-i-Akbari is its rich statistical details about things as diverse as crops, yields, prices, wages and revenues.

The descriptive features of administration was explained in Ain-i-Akbari. The empire was divided into provinces called subas which were governed by a subadar who carried out both political and military functions. And each province also had a financial officer or diwan. For the maintenance of peace and order, the subadar was supported by other officers mainly the military paymaster (bakhshi), the minister in charge of religious and charitable patronage (sadr), military commanders (faujdars) and the town police commander (kotwal).

JAC Class 7 Social Science Solutions History Chapter 4 The Mughal Empire

Question 2.
The peasantry suffered tremendously in the last years’of Aurangzeb’s reign. Explain.
Answer:
During Akbar’s reign, the jagirs were carefully assessed so that their revenues were more or less equal to the salary of the mansabdar. But during Aurangzeb’s reign this was no longer the case. The actual revenue collected was often less than the granted sum. There was also a huge increase in the number of mansabdars, which meant a long wait before they received a jagir. Hence, these and other factors created a shortage in the number of jagirs. Therefore, many jagirdars tried to extract as much revenue as possible while they had a jagir. So, Aurangzeb was unable to control these developments in the last years of his reign and the peasantry therefore suffered tremendously.

JAC Class 7 Social Science Solutions

JAC Class 7 Social Science Solutions History Chapter 9 The Making of Regional Cultures

JAC Board Class 7th Social Science Solutions History Chapter 9 The Making of Regional Cultures

JAC Class 7th History The Making of Regional Cultures InText Questions and Answers

Page 122

Question 1.
Find out how many states have been created in the last 10 years. Is each of these states a region?
Answer:
The four states Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Telengana have been created in the last 10 years. Yes, each of these state is a region.

JAC Class 7 Social Science Solutions History Chapter 9 The Making of Regional Cultures

Page 123

Question 2.
Find out when the languages you speak at home were first used for writing.
Answer:
Need to do it yourself with the help of teacher or parents. (Hint: Most probably around 9th century the languages were first used for writing)

Page 126

Question 3.
Find out whether there are traditions of heroes/heroines in your town or village. What are the qualities associated with them? In what ways are these similar to or different from the heroic ideals of the Rajputs?
Answer:
Need to do it yourself. (Hint: Any local hero/heroes would possess the qualities of a loyalty, friendship, love, anger, bravery, etc. Most of these qualities would be similar to ideals of the Rajputs.)

Page 127

Question 4.
Find out more about any one of these dance forms.
Answer:
Bharatanatyam is a dance of Tamil Nadu in southern India. It traces its origins back to the Natyashastra, an ancient treatise on theatre written by the mythic priest Bharata. Originally a temple dance for women, bharatanatyam often is used to express Hindu religious stories and devotions.

It was not commonly seen on the public stage until the 20th century. The dance movements are characterized by bent legs, while feet keep rhythm. Hands may be used in a series of mudras, or symbolic hand gestures, to tell a stoiy. Classical dance in India is based upon and influenced by the Natya Shastra, an ancient Indian text that is the foundation for performing arts.

Page 130

Question 5.
While Bengali is now recognised as a language derived from Sanskrit, early Sanskrit texts (mid-first millennium BCE) suggest that the people of Bengal did not speak Sanskritic languages. How, then, did the new language emerge?
Answer:
Bengali is a language spoken mostly in the state of Bengal and by Bengalis. Bengali is now recognised as a language derived from Sanskrit, but early Sanskrit texts (mid-first millennium BCE) suggest that the people of Bengal did not speak Sanskritic languages. From the fourth-third centuries BCE, commercial ties began to develop between Bengal and Magadha (south Bihar), which may have led to the growing influence of Sanskrit.

During the fourth century the Gupta rulers established political control over north Bengal and began to settle Brahmanas in this area.Thus, the linguistic and cultural influence from the mid-Ganga valley became stronger. In the seventh century the Chinese traveller Xuan Zang observed that languages related to Sanskrit were in use all over Bengal.

JAC Class 7 Social Science Solutions History Chapter 9 The Making of Regional Cultures

Page 132

Question 6.
Why do you think the second category of texts was not w ritten down?
Answer:
The second category of early Bengali literature was orally transferred to the new generation and not written down.

Page 133

Question 7.
Compare the temple shown here with that in Chapter 2.
Answer:
The temple in Chapter 2 is that of Gangaikonda cholapuram. The temple is built of stone and rock. The intricate designs on the roof of the temple which becomes narrow is the most significant features of this temple. On the other hand, the temple shown here describes a very unique feature of Bengal architecture. It was built on a square platform with a plain interior and exterior have decorative walls, ornamental tiles or terracotta shape and a double roof thached hut shape.

Page 136

Question 8.
Imagine, you are a Rajput prince. How would you like your story to be told?
Answer: Do it yourself.

JAC Class 7th History The Making of Regional Cultures Textbook Questions and Answers

(Let’s Recall)

Question 1.
Match the following:

Anantavarman Kerala
Jagannatha Bengal
Mahodayapuram Orissa
Lilatilakam Kangra
Mangalakavya Puri
Miniature Kerala

Answer:

Anantavarman Orissa
Jagannatha Puri
Mahodayapuram Kerala
Lilatilakam Kerala
Mangalakavya Bengal
Miniature Kangra

Question 2.
What is Manipravalam? Name a book written in that language.
Answer:
Manipravalam precisely means diamonds and corals and here it is a language. The name of a book written in that language is Lilatilakam, which deals with grammar and poetics.

Question 3.
Who were the major patrons of Kathak?
Answer:
Kathak began evolving into a distinct mode of dance in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries with the spread of the bhakti movement. The legends of Radha-Krishna were enacted in folk plays called rasalila, which combined folk dance with the basic gestures of the kathak story-tellers.

Under the Mughal emperors and their nobles, Kathak was performed in the court, where it acquired its present features and developed into a form of dance with a distinctive style. Subsequently, it developed in two traditions or gharanas: one in the courts of Rajasthan (Jaipur) and the other in Lucknow. Under the patronage of Wajid Ali Shah, the last Nawab of Awadh, it grew into a major art form.

JAC Class 7 Social Science Solutions History Chapter 9 The Making of Regional Cultures

Question 4.
What are the important architectural features of the temples of Bengal?
Answer:
The important architectural features of the temples of Bengal were as follows:

  • When local deities got recognised by the Brahmanas, their images began to be housed in temples.
  • The double roofed or four roofed structure of the thatched huts were copied by the temples.
  • Temples were mostly built in square platform.
  • The interior of the temple were usually plain but the exterior were decorated with paintings, ornamental tiles or terracotta tablets.
  • In the relatively more complex four roofed structure, four triangular roofs placed on the four wall move up to coincide on a curved line or a point.
  • In some temples, particularly in Vishnupur in the Bankura district ‘ of West Bengal, such decorations reached a high degree of excellence.

(Let’s Discuss)

Question 5.
Why did minstrels proclaim the achievements of heroes?
Answer:
Minstrels proclaimed the achievements of heroes because of the following reasons:

  • They used to recite poems and songs which depicted the tales and stories of the Rajput’s heroic deeds.
  • They inspired others to follow the examples of the Rajputs.
  • Common and ordinary people were also attracted by these stories which often depicted dramatic situations and a range of strong emotions loyalty, friendship, love, valor, anger, etc

Question 6.
Why do we know much more about the cultural practices of rulers than about those of ordinary people?
Answer:
Rulers were rich in power and wealth. They adopted several methods to preserve their achievements. Stories about Rajput heroes were recorded in poems and songs, which were recited by specially trained minstrels. Rulers patronised highly skilled painters who primarily-illustrated manuscripts containing historical accounts and poetry.

These were generally painted in brilliant colours and portrayed court scenes and other aspects of social life. Rulers spent a huge wealth on building temples to establish their power and status. Ordinary people did not do anything to preserve the records of their heroic deeds. The aforementioned reasons clearly show why we know more about the cultural practices of rulers than those of ordinary people.

Question 7.
Why did conquerors try to control the temple of Jagannatha at Puri?
Answer:
The conquerors tried to control the temple of Jagannatha at Puri because the temple gained the importance as a centre of pilgrimage. Its authority also increased in terms of social and political matters. Thus, they felt that this would make their rule acceptable to the local people.

Question 8.
Why were temples built in Bengal?
Answer:
Temples were built in Bengal for the following reasons:

  • From the late fifteenth century, temple building in Bengal got momentum till the nineteenth century.
  • Groups or individuals built temples to demonstrate and show their power and wealth.
  • With the support of various social groups, some of the temples got constructed.
  • New economic opportunities to people also helped in temple building to show their status.
  • Local deities once worshipped in thatched roof got recognition by Brahmanas. The recognition shifted them from the thatched hut to brick built temples.

(Let’s Do)

Question 9.
Describe the most important features of the culture of your region, focusing on buildings, performing arts and painting.
Answer:
Need to do it yourself. (Hint : Suppose, I live in Delhi. From beginning itself it has been a land of mixed culture and traditions. In olden days, it has been invaded many times and had been ruled by many rulers. They all affected its culture, religion, language, architecture, society, art, painting etc. We have monuments and buildings built by Mughals, Rajput rulers and many more. We also have temples, mosques built by different rulers. We can see the differences of culture in old and new Delhi now as well).

JAC Class 7 Social Science Solutions History Chapter 9 The Making of Regional Cultures

Question 10.
Do you use different languages for
(a) speaking,
(b) reading,
(c) writing? Find out about one major composition in language that you use and discuss why you find it interesting.
Answer:
Use of different language for speaking, reading and writing:

  • For speaking I use Hindi, English and Punjabi.
  • For reading I use Hindi and English.
  • For writing I use Hindi and English only.

Question 11.
Choose one state each from north, west, south, east and central India. For each of these, prepare a list of foods that are commonly consumed, highlighting any differences and similarities that you notice.
Answer:

States Foods List
North – Punjab Rajma-chawal, Makke di rod and sarson da saag, gobhi-paratha
South — Karnataka Idli-Dosa, Sambhar, Rice and fish
East – West Bengal Rice and Fish, mutton curry, different types of vegetables
West – Rajasthan Daal-bati-churma, pyaj kachori, mawa kachori
Central – Madhya Pradesh Dal-chapatis

Similarities and differences: Rice and chapattis are common throughout India. But in some parts of India non-vegetarian foods are popular.

Question 12.
Choose another set of five states from each of these regions and prepare a list of clothes that are generally worn by women and men in each. Discuss your findings.

States Clothes worn – men Clothes worn – women
North – Punjab Lungi, kurta and turban Churidar kurta, salwar kameez and dupatta
South – Tamil Nadu Shirt, Angavastra Blouse, saree, lehenga
East – Odisha Dhoti, kurta Gamucha Saree, blouse
West – Gujarat Chorno, kediyu Chaniyo, choli, odhni as dupatta
West – Maharashtra Dhoti, pehta, kurta, safa Saree and choli
Central – Madhya Pradesh Safa, dhoti, bandi, mirzai Lehenga, choli, odhni, Bandhani sarees

Students need to discuss with the help of mentioned points.

JAC Class 7th History The Making of Regional Cultures Important Questions and Answers

Multiple Choice Questions

Question 1.
Jagannatha means……..
(a) Lord of the empire
(b) The empire of the east
(c) Lord of the world
(d) None of these
Answer:
(c) Lord of the world

Question 2.
Xuan Zang was a…… traveller.
(a) Nepali
(b) Chinese
(c) Burmese
(d) Japanese
Answer:
(b) Chinese

Question 3.
……….. proclaimed himself as God.
(a) Ramanuja
(b) Ruler of Mahodyapuram
(c) Shankara
(d) King of Anangabhima
Answer:
(d) King of Anangabhima

JAC Class 7 Social Science Solutions History Chapter 9 The Making of Regional Cultures

Question 4.
Kathak’s major patrons were
(a) Rajputs
(b) Mongols
(c) Mughals
(d) Cholas
Answer:
(c) Mughals

Question 5.
The initial miniature paintings were done on
(a) art paper
(b) coarse paper
(c) bark of the tree
(d) palm leaves
Answer:
(d) palm leaves

Question 6.
Odissi and Kuchipudi are classical dances of
(a) Odisha and Andhra Pradesh
(b) Andhra Pradesh and Kerala
(c) West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh
(d) Punjab and Odisha
Answer:
(a) Odisha and Andhra Pradesh

Question 7.
Viharas are
(a) Educational institutions
(b) Health centres
(c) Buddhist monasteries
(d) Tourist places
Answer:
(c) Buddhist monasteries

Question 8.
Most of the Malayalam-speaking people live in
(a) Tamil Nadu
(b) Kerala
(c) Karnataka
(d) Andhra Pradesh
Answer:
(b) Kerala

Question 9.
Lilatilakam was composed in the literary style of Manipravalam which is a mixture of Sanskrit and Tamil. What does Manipravalam precisely mean?
(a) Diamond and pearl
(b) Diamond and gold
(c) Diamond and coral
(d) Gold and coral
Answer:
(c) Diamond and coral

Question 10.
The stories of the heroes of Rajasthan were recorded
(a) as songs and poems
(b) by writing on palm leaves
(c) as dances
(d) none of these
Answer:
(a) as songs and poems

Very Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1.
Which region was called Rajputana by the British?
Answer:
The region that constitutes most of the present day Rajasthan was called Rajputana by the British.

Question 2.
Kathak developed in which region?
Answer:
Kathak developed in the courts of Rajasthan (in Jaipur) and Lucknow.

Question 3.
The Bengali Brahmanas allowed to eat fish. Why?
Answer:
Fish was one of the main foods in the local diet that is why the Bengali Brahmanas were allowed to eat fish.

JAC Class 7 Social Science Solutions History Chapter 9 The Making of Regional Cultures

Question 4.
What objects or things were used by ordinary people for paintings?
Answer:
Ordinary people used pots, walls, floors, clothes for paintings.

Question 5.
What does the Naths mean?
Answer:
The Naths were the monks or saints who were engaged in a variety of yogic practices.

Question 6.
What does the term Kathaks mean?
Answer:
Originally, the Kathaks were a caste of story-tellers in temples of north India, who made stories more attractive by the additions of decorative features in their performances with gestures and songs.

Question 7.
What made Kangra paintings different from other paintings?
Answer:
Kangra paintings were made with soft colours including cool blues and greens and a lyrical treatment of themes which made it different from other paintings.

Question 8.
Which dynasty built Jagannath temple at Puri?
Answer:
In the twelfth century, rulers of the Ganga dynasty, Anantavarman built Jagannath temple at Puri.

Question 9.
The Chera Kingdom was established in which century?
Answer:
The Chera kingdom of Mahodayapuram was established in the ninth century in the south-western part of the peninsula which is part of present-day Kerala.

JAC Class 7 Social Science Solutions History Chapter 9 The Making of Regional Cultures

Question 10.
Name the text that was illustrated in the miniature paintings of Himachal Pradesh.
Answer:
The text that was illustrated in the miniature paintings of Himachal Pradesh was Bhanudatta’s Rasamanjari.

Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1.
Define the term Animism.
Answer:
Animism means the belief that all natural things such as plants, animals, rocks, thunder and earthquakes have spirits which human beings cannot see and can influence human events.

Question 2.
In how many categories, Bengali literature can be divided?
Answer:
Bengali literature can be divided into two categories, they are:

  • The first category of literature is bounded to Sanskrit. Under this category, the translated Sanskrit epics, the Mangalakavyas means auspicious poems and bhakti literature such as the biographies of Chaitanya, the leader of the Vaishnavite movement comes.
  • The second category consists of Nath literature such as the songs of Maynamati and Gopichandra stories concerning the worship of Dharma Thakur and tales, folk tales and ballads.

Question 3.
Dochala and Chauchala were used in which region and where?
Answer:
Dochala means two-roofed and chauchala means four-roofed. Dochala and Chauchala were used in Bengal region and in the structure of the thatched huts and temples.

Question 4.
In which year Jagannatha temple at Puri was built, by whom it was built and which deities are worshipped over there?
Answer:
In the 12th century, the ruler of Ganga Dynasty Anantavarman built the temple for Purushottama Jagannatha at Puri. The three deities namely Balabhadra, Subhadra and Jagannatha represents Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, are worshipped over there.

Question 5.
Explain in short about Rajput women.
Answer:
Like men, Rajput women were also very brave. To protect their honour, the practice of ‘Sad ’ or Self-immolation of widows for their husbands who died in war was started by Rajput women. These women who sacrificed their lives are shown as great heroines. Rajput cultures have been enriched by heroic deeds of men and women.

JAC Class 7 Social Science Solutions History Chapter 9 The Making of Regional Cultures

Question 6.
How do you think regional cultures evolve?
Answer:
Today, regional cultures are the product of complex processes and procedures of intermixing of local traditions and cultures with ideas from other parts of the subcontinent.

Question 7.
What was the role of Cher as in the development of Malayalam?
Answer:
The Chera kingdom of Mahodayapuram was established in the ninth century in the south-western part of the peninsula, part of present-day Kerala. It is very likely that Malayalam was spoken in this region. The rulers and kings introduced and mentioned about the Malayalam language and script in their inscriptions. As a matter of fact, this is one of the earliest illustrations of the use of a regional language in official records in the subcontinent.

Question 8.
Miniature painting developed manifold under the Mughal patronage. How?
Answer:
The Mughal emperors Akbar, Jahangir and Shah Jahan patronised highly skilled painters and artists who first and foremost illustrated manuscripts which contained historical events and poetry. These were generally painted in brilliant and bright colours and portrayed court scenes, scenes of battle or hunting, and other aspects of social life. They were often exchanged as gifts and were viewed only by the emperor and his close associates.

JAC Class 7 Social Science Solutions History Chapter 9 The Making of Regional Cultures

Question 9.
Give a short note on classical dances of India.
Answer:
There are eight .classical dance formsof India and the status has been granted by the Sangeet Natak Academy. These forms include Bharatanatyam of Tamil Nadu, Odissi of Odisha, Manipuri of Manipur, Kathakali and Mohiniaattam of Kerala, Kuchipudi of Andhra Pradesh, Kathak of Lucknow and Yakshagana of Karnataka. These dance forms have their own set of rules. Most of these dance forms draw their origin to the Natya Shastra of Bharata Muni of ancient times.

Long Answer Type Questions

Question 1.
What do you mean by the pirs? What was their position and status in the society?
Answer:
The early colonizers in Bengal sought some order and assurance in the unstable and unfavourable conditions of the new settlements. These were provided by the community leaders who also functioned as teachers and adjudicators and were sometimes attributed and assigned with supernatural powers.

Hence, people referred to them with affection and respect as pirs. This included saints or Sufis and other religious personalities, daring colonizers and deified soldiers, various Hindu and Buddhist deities and even animistic spirits. The cult of pirs became very popular and their shrines can be found everywhere in Bengal.

  • A Pirs role is to guide and teach his disciples on the Sufi path. This is generally done by general lessons known as Suhbas and individual guidance is also there.
  • The title Peer Baba is common and used to give a acknowledgement to Sufi masters or similarly honoured persons. After their death people visit their tombs.

Question 2.
Briefly describe about Rajput traditions and cultures of heroism.
Answer:
Rajputs made the culture and traditionsvery distinctive. They are firmly related to the culture and tradition of Rajasthan. These are inter-linked with the ideals and aspirations of rulers. Rajasthan has been ruled by various brave Rajput families from about eighth century. One of the great and famous Rajput king was Prithviraj Chauhan.

The rulers are known for their bravery and a huge sense of sacrifice. They also cherished the perfect ideal of a hero who fought firmly and bravely and often chose death on the battlefield rather’than face defeat. Stories and tales about Rajput heroes were recorded in songs and poems which were recited by trained and skilled minstrels.

The memories of heroes were preserved and were expected to inspire and motivate others and expected to follow their examples. Common people also liked these tales which were depicted in dramatic situations and had a range of strong emotions in the form of bravery, loyalty, anger, love, friendship, etc.

JAC Class 7 Social Science Solutions

JAC Class 7 Social Science Notes Civics Chapter 5 Women Change the World

JAC Board Class 7 Social Science Notes Civics Chapter 5 Women Change the World

→ Still getting an education was one way in which new opportunities were created for women.

→ Fewer Opportunities and Rigid Expectations:

  • Many people believe that women make better nurses because they are more patient and gentle.
  • This is linked to women’s roles within the family. In the same way, it is believed that science requires a technical mind and girls and women are not capable of dealing with technical things.
  • Most of the people believe in these stereotypes, hence many girls do not get the same support that boys do to study and train to become doctors and engineers.
  • Once girls finish their school, they are encouraged by their families to see marriage as their main aim in life.
  • We live in a society in which all children face pressures from the world around them. Sometimes, these come in the form of demands from adults. At other times, they can just be because of unfair teasing by our own friends.

JAC Class 7 Social Science Notes Civics Chapter 5 Women Change the World

→ Learning for Change:

  • • An extremely important part of our life is going to school. As more and more children enter school every year, we begin to think that it is normal for all children to go to school.
  • In the past, the skill of reading and writing was known to only a few. Most children learnt the work their families or elders did. The situation was worse for the girls. In communities that taught sons to read and write, daughters were not allowed to learn the alphabet. Even in families where skills like pottery, weaving and craft were taught, the contribution of daughters and women was only seen as supportive.
  • In the nineteenth century, many new ideas about education and learning emerged. Schools became more common and communities that had never leamt reading and writing started sending their children to school but there was a lot of opposition to educating girls even then.
  • Around 200 years ago, Rashsundari Devi (1800-1890) was bom in West Bengal. At the age of 60, she wrote her autobiography in Bangla. Her book titled A mar Jiban is the first known autobiography written by an Indian woman.
  • During that time, it was believed that if a woman leamt to read and write, she would bring bad luck to her husband and become a widow.
  • She leamt the alphabets with great efforts and read the Chaitanya Bhagabat as well. There were days when she did not have a moment’s rest, no time even to sit down and eat.
  • Another example is about Rokeya Sakhawat Hossain (1880-1932) who did a lot in the field of education for women. She herself knew how to read and write Urdu. Later, she also learnt to read and write English and Bangla. She wrote a phenomenal story named ‘Sultana’s Dream’.

→ Schooling and Education today:

  • Though today, both boys and girls attend school in large numbers. Yet, there are differences between the education of boys and girls.
  • India has a census every 10 years which counts the whole population of the country along with other details.
  • According to the 1961 census, about 40 per cent of all boys and men were literate compared to just 15 per cent of all girls and women. In the census of2001, these figures have grown upto 76 per cent for boys and men and 54 per cent for girls and women. But, then also there is a huge gap.
  • Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) girls leave school at a rate that is higher than the category of ‘All Girls’. It means that girls who are from Dalit and Adivasi backgrounds are less likely to remain in school. The 2001 census also found that Muslim girls are less likely than Dalit and Adivasi girls to complete primary school.
  • In many parts of the country, especially in rural and poor areas, there may not even be proper schools nor teachers who teach on a regular basis.
  • Most families are too poor and not able to bear the cost of educating all their children. Boys may get preference in this situation. Many children also leave school because they are discriminated against by their teacher and classmates.

→ Women’s Movement:

  • Now, women and girls have the right to study and go to school. There are other spheres .such as legal reform, violence and health where the situation of women and girls has improved.
  • Women individually as well as collectively have struggled to bring about these changes. This struggle is known as the Women’s Movement. Individual women and women’s organisations from different parts of the country are part of the movement.
  • The diversity, passion and efforts of those involved makes it a very vibrant and energetic movement. Different methods and strategies have been used to spread awareness, fight discrimination and seek justice. Many men also supported this movement.

JAC Class 7 Social Science Notes Civics Chapter 5 Women Change the World

→ Campaigning:

  • Campaigns are to fight discrimination and violence against women are an important part of the women’s movement.
  • Campaigns also led to new laws being passed. In 2006, a law was passed to give women who face physical and mental violence within their homes are known as domestic violence some legal protection.
  • In 1997, to protect women against sexual harassment at the workplace and within educational institutions, efforts made by the women’s movement led the Supreme Court to formulate guidelines.
  • In the 1980s, women’s groups across the country campainged against ‘dowry deaths’ means cases of young brides being murdered by their in-laws or husbands, greedy for more dowry.
  • Women did so by coming on to the streets, approaching the courts, and by sharing information. Hence, this became a public issue in the newspapers and society and the dowry laws were changed to punish families who seek dowry.

→ Showing Solidarity
The women’s movement is also about showing solidarity with other women and causes.

JAC Class 7 Social Science Notes

JAC Class 7 Social Science Notes Geography Chapter 8 Human Environment Interactions: The Tropical and the Subtropical Regions

JAC Board Class 7 Social Science Notes Geography Chapter 8 Human Environment Interactions: The Tropical and the Subtropical Regions

→ Life in the Amazon Basin:

  • The river Amazon flows through the equatorial region between 10°N and 10°S.
  • River’s mouth is the place where a river flows into another body of water.
  • Number of tributaries join the Amazon River to form the Amazon basin. The river basin drains portions of Brazil, parts of Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Columbia and a small part of Venezuela.

→ Climate

  • The Amazon Basin has been characterized by hot and wet climate throughout the year. Day and nights both are almost equally hot and humid. The skin feels sticky.
  • Rain occurs almost everyday. The temperatures of daytime are high with very high humidity. The temperature during night goes down but the humidity remains high.

JAC Class 7 Social Science Notes Geography Chapter 8 Human Environment Interactions: The Tropical and the Subtropical Regions

→ Rainforests:
In this region, heavy rainfalls happen. Hence, the forests are very thick that the dense ‘roof’ are created by the leaves and branches which does not allow the sunlight to reach the ground.

  • Orchids, bromeliads grow as plant parasites as only shade tolerant vegetation may Birds which are found are toucans, humming birds, bird of paradise with their brilliantly coloured plumage, oversized bills for eating make them different from birds we commonly see in India. These birds make loud sounds in the forests. These forests are very rich in fauna.
  • Monkeys, sloth and ant-eating tapirs are found in this forest. Different species of reptiles and snakes such as crocodiles, snakes, pythons are also found. Anaconda and boa constrictor are some of the species which are found here.
  • It is the home for various kinds of insects. Many species of fishes such as the flesh eating Piranha fish is also found in the river. Hence, this basin is exceptionally rich in the variety of life found there.

→ People of the Rainforests

  • Most of the food are grown in small places after clearing some trees in the forest. Men usually hunt and fish along the rivers and women take care of the crops.
  • They mainly grow tapioca, pineapple and sweet potato. The women take care of their families alive by growing vegetables as hunting and fishing are uncertain.
  • They practice ‘slash and bum agriculture’ which is a way of cultivating land where farmers clear a piece of land by slashing or cutting down trees and bushes and then they are burnt.
  • Manioc which is also known as cassava that grows under the ground like the potato is the staple food. They also eat queen ants and egg sacs. Coffee, maize and cocoa are also grown which are the cash crops.
  • Some people live in thatched houses shaped like beehives. Some live in large apartment like houses are known as ‘Maloca’ with a steeply slanting roof.
  • In the older days, only by navigating the river the core of the forest could be reached. In 1970, all parts of the rainforest was made accessible by the Trans Amazon highway. Aircrafts and helicopters are also used for reaching the remote places.
  • In the Amazon basin, it is evaluated that a large area of the rainforest has been disappearing annually.
  • Due to destruction of forest, the topsoil is washed away as the rains fall and the lush forest turns into a barren landscape.

→ Life in the Ganga-Brahmaputra Basin

  • Ganga-Brahmaputra basin in the Indian subcontinent is formed by the tributaries of rivers Ganga and Brahmaputra together. This basin lies in the sub-tropical region which is situated between 10°N to 30°N latitudes.
  • The River Ganga has the tributaries such as the Ghaghra, the Son, the Chambal, the Gandak, the Kosi and the tributaries of Brahmaputra drain it.
  • The main features of this basin are the plains of the Ganga and the Brahmaputra, the mountains and the foothills of the Himalayas and the Sundarbans delta.
  • The monsoon climate is the main climate of this region. The monsoon brings rains from mid-June to‘mid-September. Hence, the summers are hot and the winters cool.
  • The environment plays a major role in the distribution of the population. Inhospitable terrain is mostly found in the mountain areas with steep slopes. Hence, population is less who live in the mountain area of the Ganga-Brahmaputra basin.
  • Human habitation is present in the plain area which is the most suitable land as the soil is fertile. The main occupation of the people is agriculture where flat land is available to grow crops.
  • The density of population of the plains is very high. Paddy is the main crop as the cultivation of paddy requires sufficient water, so it is grown in the regions where there is high rainfall.
  • The other crops which are grown here are wheat, maize, sorghum, gram and millets. Sugarcane and jute are the cash crops which are also grown. In some areas of the plain, banana plantations are found.

JAC Class 7 Social Science Notes Geography Chapter 8 Human Environment Interactions: The Tropical and the Subtropical Regions

→ Tea is grown in West Bengal and Assam.
In some parts of Bihar and Assam, silk is produced through the cultivation of silk worms. Crops are grown on terraces in the mountains and hills, where the slopes are gentle.

  • In the Ganga and Brahmaputra plain tropical deciduous trees grows such as teak, sal and peepal. In the Brahmaputra plain, thick bamboo groves are very common. The delta region is covered with the mangrove forests.
  • In some parts of Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh, coniferous trees such as pine, deodar and fir can be found. The climate is cool and the slopes are steep.
  • Many animals are found in this basin. Elephants, tigers, deer and monkeys are found. In the Brahmaputra plain, the one-homed rhinoceros is found. In the delta region, Bengal tiger, crocodiles and alligator are found. Aquatic life are found in the fresh river waters, the lakes and the Bay of Bengal Sea. The most popular varieties of the fish are the rohu, catla and hilsa.

→ The staple diet of the people living in this region are fish and rice.

  • Several big towns and cities are present near the Ganga-Brahmaputra plain. The main cities are Prayagraj, Kanpur, Varanasi, Patna and Kolkata with the dense population which are located along the River Ganga.
  • The wastewater and garbage from these cities and industries is discharged into the rivers which leads to the pollution of the rivers.
  • In the Ganga-Brahmaputra basin, all the means of transport are well developed. In the plain areas, the people use the roadways and railways transport to move from one place to another. The waterways, is an important means of transport particularly along the rivers. Kolkata is an important port on the River Hooghly. Large number of airports are present in the plain areas.
  • The other important activity of the basin is tourism. Taj Mahal on the banks of River Yamuna in Agra, Prayagraj on the confluence of the Rivers Ganga and Yamuna and invisible Saraswati river which is known as Triveni Sangam, Buddhist stupas in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, Lucknow with its Imambara, Kaziranga and Manas wild life sanctuaries in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh has a distinct tribal culture which are some of the places worth a visit.

JAC Class 7 Social Science Notes

JAC Class 7 Social Science Notes Geography Chapter 9 Life in the Deserts

JAC Board Class 7 Social Science Notes Geography Chapter 9 Life in the Deserts

→ There are places in the world where people have learned to survive in extreme severe and harsh temperatures some regions are as hot as fire and some as cold as ice and these regions are known as the deserts of the world.

→ Low rainfall, scanty vegetation and extreme temperatures are the features and specifications of deserts.

→ The Hot Desert-Sahara:

  • Sahara desert is the world’s largest desert. It has an area of around 8.54 million sq km.
  • The Sahara desert covers eleven countries – Algeria, Chad, Egypt, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Sudan, Tunisia and Western Sahara.
  • Sahara desert is covered not only with the enormous stretches of sands, but there are also gravel plains and elevated plateaus with bare rocky surface. At some regions, these surfaces may be more than 2500 m high.

JAC Class 7 Social Science Notes Geography Chapter 9 Life in the Deserts

→ Climate:

  • The climate of the Sahara desert is scorching and unbearably hot and parch dry.
  • Rainy season is very short. The sky is cloudless and clear.
  • During the day, the temperatures may soar as high as 50°C which heats up the sand and the bare rocks and which in turn radiates heat making everything around very hot.
  • During the nights temperatures reach near zero degrees with freezing cold.

→ Flora and Fauna:

  • In the Sahara desert, vegetation consists of cactus, date palms and acacia.
  • There are oasis in some regions – green islands with date palms surrounding them.
  • The animals which are found here include camels, hyenas, jackals, foxes, scorpions, many varieties of snakes and lizards.

→ People:

  • Despite rough and harsh climate, the desert has been inhabited by many groups of people who are engaged in different types of works and activities.
  • There are many nomadic tribes and among them are the Bedouins and Tuaregs who are mainly into rearing livestock like goats, sheep, camels and horses.
  • These animals provide them with numerous things such as milk, hides from which they make leather for belts, slippers, water bottles, hair is majorly used for mats, carpets, clothes and blankets. These people wear heavy robes as protection against dust storms and hot and fiery winds.
  • The oasis in the Sahara and the Nile Valley in Egypt holds up and supports the settled population. The people grow date palms because water is available.
  • Crops such as rice, wheat, barley and beans are also grown. In Egypt, Egyptian cotton is famous worldwide which is grown there. The detection and finding out oil which is required by the whole world in Algeria, Libya and Egypt is constantly transforming and changing the Sahara desert.
  • Other important minerals that are found here includes iron, phosphorus, manganese and uranium.
  • The cultural environment of the Sahara is undergoing a vast change. Highways are made which criss-cross the ancient camel paths. High rise glass cased buildings tower over mosques.
  • In the salt trade, trucks and vehicles are replacing camels.
    Tuaregs are working as guides to foreign tourists: Most of the nomadic herdsmen are heading to city life finding jobs in oil and gas operations.

→ The Cold Desert-Ladakh:

  • A cold desert lying in the Great Himalayas on the eastern side of Jammu and Kashmir is Ladakh.
  • In the north, the Karakoram Range and in the south, the Zanskar mountains enclose it. Through Ladakh, many rivers flow and the most important one is Indus river. The rivers form deep valleys and gorges. In Ladakh, many glaciers are found such as the Gangri glacier.
  • The altitude in Ladakh varies from about 3000 m in Kargil to more than 8,000 m in the Karakoram. The climate is extremely cold and dry due to its high altitude.
  • In summer, the day temperatures are just above zero degree and the night temperatures below 30°C.
  • In the winters, it is freezing cold where the temperatures remain below 40°C for most of the time.
  • There is very little rainfall as low as 10 cm every year as it lies in the rain shadow of the Himalayas. The region encounters freezing winds and burning hot sunlight.

→ Flora and Fauna:

  • Due to high deficiency of moisture and barrenness, the vegetation is sparse. There are scanty patches of grasses and shrubs for animals to graze. In the valleys, groves of willows and poplars are seen.
  • In the summers, apples, apricots and walnuts the fruit trees bloom.
  • In Ladakh, many species of birds are seen such as Robins, redstarts, Tibetan snowcock, raven and hoopoe. Some of these are migratory birds also.
  • Wild goats, wild sheep, yak and special kinds of dogs are the animals of Ladakh.
  • The animals are reared to provide the milk, meat and hides.
  • To make cheese and butter, Yak’s milk is used. The hair of the sheep and goat is used to make woollens.

JAC Class 7 Social Science Notes Geography Chapter 9 Life in the Deserts

→ People:

  • People here are either Muslims or Buddhists.
  • Many Buddhist monasteries dot the Ladakhi environment with their traditional ‘gompas’. Some of the famous monasteries are Hemis, Thiksey, Shey and Lamayuru.
  • People involve themselves in cultivating barley, potatoes, peas, beans and turnip in the summers.
  • The climate in winter months is so harsh and unbearable that people keep themselves engaged in different festivities and ceremonies.
  • The women not only work in the house and fields but also manage small business and shops. They are very hardworking and laborious.
  • The capital of Ladakh is Leh which is well connected by both road and air. The National Highway 1A connects Leh to Kashmir Valley through the Zoji La Pass.
  • The major activity is the tourism as many tourists streaming in from within India and abroad. The major and important activities are visiting the gompas, treks to see the meadows and glaciers, witnessing ceremonies and festivities.
  • Due to modernization, life of people is undergoing change. Due to scarcity and lack of resources like water and fuel, they are used with reverence, appreciation and care. Nothing is discarded or wasted.

JAC Class 7 Social Science Notes