Class 7

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

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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.

MansabMarwar
MongolGovernor
Sisodiya RajputUzbeg
Rathor RajputMewar
Nur JahanRank

Answer:

MansabRank
MongolUzbeg
Sisodiya RajputMewar
Rathor RajputMarwar
Nur JahanJahangir
SubadarGovernor

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

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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:

AnantavarmanKerala
JagannathaBengal
MahodayapuramOrissa
LilatilakamKangra
MangalakavyaPuri
MiniatureKerala

Answer:

AnantavarmanOrissa
JagannathaPuri
MahodayapuramKerala
LilatilakamKerala
MangalakavyaBengal
MiniatureKangra

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:

StatesFoods List
North – PunjabRajma-chawal, Makke di rod and sarson da saag, gobhi-paratha
South — KarnatakaIdli-Dosa, Sambhar, Rice and fish
East – West BengalRice and Fish, mutton curry, different types of vegetables
West – RajasthanDaal-bati-churma, pyaj kachori, mawa kachori
Central – Madhya PradeshDal-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.

StatesClothes worn – menClothes worn – women
North – PunjabLungi, kurta and turbanChuridar kurta, salwar kameez and dupatta
South – Tamil NaduShirt, AngavastraBlouse, saree, lehenga
East – OdishaDhoti, kurta GamuchaSaree, blouse
West – GujaratChorno, kediyuChaniyo, choli, odhni as dupatta
West – MaharashtraDhoti, pehta, kurta, safaSaree and choli
Central – Madhya PradeshSafa, dhoti, bandi, mirzaiLehenga, 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

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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

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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

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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

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

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

→ Many new dynasties came into existence in the subcontinent between seventh and twelfth centuries.

→ The Emergence of New Dynasties:

  • There were big landlords or warrior chiefs in different regions of the subcontinent in seventh century.
  • They were working under the existing kings as samantas or subordinates. As moderately they gained power and wealth and eventually they declared themselves to be maha-samanta, maha-mandaleshvara.
  • Some of them asserted their independence from their overlords. Rashtrakutas were the subordinates of Chalukyas in Karnataka. Dantidurga, a Rashtrakuta chief, overthrew his Chalukya overlord and performed a ritual called hiranyagarbha (means, the golden womb) in eighth century.
  • Some other lords were same as Rashtrakutas were Kadamba Mayurasharman and Gurjara-Pratihara Harichandra who successfully established their kingdoms.

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

→ Administration in the Kingdoms:

  • Titles such as maharaja-adhiraja (great king, overlord of kings), tribhuvana- chakravartin (lord of the three worlds) were adopted by these new kings. They shared their power with their samantas as well as alliance with traders, brahmanas and peasants.
  • Peasants, cattle-keepers, artisans, were persuaded or compelled to surrender part of what they produced. They were the main producers of the states.
  • These products were used to finance the king’s establishment, as well as for the construction of temples and forts. They were also used to fight wars, which were in turn expected to lead to the acquisition of wealth and access to land as well as trade routes. Sometimes these were claimed as “rent” due to a lord who asserted that he owned the land. Revenue was also collected from traders.

→ Prashastis and Land Grants:

  • Learned Brahmanas composed the Prashastis who often helped the kings in the administration. They tell us how rulers wanted to characterize themselves as heroic, courageous and victorious warriors.
  • Long Sanskrit poem was composed by Kalhana, who described the history of kings who ruled over Kashmir. But he was different from the writers of Prashastis as he was very critical and analytical about the kings and their policies.

→ Warfare for Wealth

  • The city of Kanauj in the Ganga valley was a specific region, which every dynasty tried to control. For centuries, three main dynasties; Rashtrakuta, Gurjara-Pratihara and Pala dynasties fought over it. Because of this long conflict, historians describe it as the “tripartite struggle”.
  • Temples were often targeted when the kings attacked other kingdoms which were sometimes extremely rich. Usually, kings built those to show and exhibit their power and resources.
  • One such ruler was Sultan Mahmud Ghazni of Afghanistan, who ruled from 997 to 1030 CE. His main aim was to attack wealthy temples, which included the temple of Somnath, Gujarat. He continued to control over parts of Central Asia, Iran and north¬western part of the subcontinent.
  • The Arabic work, known as the Kitab-ul Hind, written by a scholar named Al-Biruni on appeal of Sultan remains an important source for historians. He also consulted Sanskrit scholars to prepare this.
  • Some other kings were also engaged in war, those were Chahamanas, later known as the Chauhans, who ruled around Delhi and Ajmer.
  • They tried to expand their territories but were opposed by Chalukyas and Gahadavalas in the west and east region.
  • The popular Chahamana ruler was Prithviraja III (1168-1192), who defeated an Afghan king, Sultan Muhammad Ghori in 1191, but lost to him the very next year in 1192.

→ A Closer Look-The Cholas

  • From Uraiyur to Thanjavur
  • In the Kaveri delta, the subordinates to the Pallava kings of Kanchipuram Muttaraiyar rose to power.
  • Vijayalaya, who belonged to the family of the Cholas from Uraiyur, captured the delta in the middle of the ninth century. He also built the Thanjavur town and a temple for goddess Nishumbhasudini there.
  • The most powerful Chola ruler was Rajaraja I. He expanded his territory over most of. these areas and reorganised the administration of the empire. Rajendra I was Rajaraja’s son and he continued his legacies and policies. He was also very famous like his father.
  • Splendid Temples and Bronze Sculpture
  • Rajaraja and Rajendra built big temples in Thanjavur and Gangaikonda-cholapuram.
  • Temples were the core place of economic, social and cultural life apart from the place of worship.
  • Chola bronze images were very extraordinary and considered amongst the finest in the world. These were associated with the temples.

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

→ Agriculture and Irrigation

  • Agriculture developed a lot and contributed to the achievements of the Cholas.
  • They made several water channels which provided the necessary moisture for agriculture especially cultivation of rice.
  • Different methods were used for irrigation such as huge tanks were constructed to collect rainwater, digging of wells. Irrigation works require planning – organising labour and resources, maintaining these works and deciding on how water is to be shared.

→ The Administratioir of the Empires

  • Ur means settlements of peasants, which became prosperous with the spread of irrigation agriculture. Villagers formed larger units in groups called nadu. The village council and the nadu had many administrative services including giving out justice and collecting taxes.
  • Some rich landowners got titles from Chola kings like muvendavelan (a velan or peasant serving three kings), araiyar (chief), etc., as markers of respect, and assigned them with important offices of the state at the centre.
  • Brahmanas also received land grants or brahmadeya. Hence, a large number of Brahmana settlements rose in the Kaveri valley. Each land was looked after by an assembly or sabha of major Brahmana landholders. These assemblies worked thoroughly and efficiently.
  • Nagarams which means associations of traders also occasionally performed administrative functions in towns.
  • Inscriptions show that the sabha had separate committees to look after irrigation works, gardens, temples, etc.

JAC Class 7 Social Science Notes

JAC Class 7 Social Science Notes History Chapter 10 Eighteenth-Century Political Formations

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JAC Board Class 7 Social Science Notes History Chapter 10 Eighteenth-Century Political Formations

→ In eighteenth century, the political conditions of India changed quite elaborately and within a relatively short span of time.

→ The Crisis of the Empire and the Later Mughals:

  • During the closing years of the seventeenth century, the Mughal Empire started facing a variety of crisis after having huge success period. There were number of reasons for this crisis. Emperor Aurangzeb had depleted the military and financial resources of his empire by fighting a long war in the Deccan.
  • It became very tough and difficult for the later Mughal emperors to keep a check and hold on their powerful mansabdars.
  • They had exceptional political, economic and military powers over vast regions of the Mughal Empire. As the governors amalgamated their control over the provinces, the periodic remission of revenue to the capital declined.
  • In many parts of northern and w estern India, peasants and zamindari rebellions also created these problems.
  • In 1739, Nadir Shah, the ruler of Iran sacked and devastated the city of Delhi during the economic and political crisis, and took away huge amounts of wealth. Between 1748 and 1761, this invasion was followed by a series of ransacking raids by Ahmad Shah Abdali, the Afghan ruler w’ho invaded north India five times.
  • The different groups of nobles were divided into two major groups — the Iranis and Turanis means nobles of Turkish descent.
  • Mughal emperors w’ere humiliated a lot. Farrukh Siyar (1713-1719) and Alamgir II (1754-1759) were assassinated and two others Ahmad Shah (1748-1754) and Shah Alam II (1759-1816) were blinded by their nobles.

JAC Class 7 Social Science Notes History Chapter 10 Eighteenth-Century Political Formations

→ Emergence of New States:

  • The Mughal Empire gradually disintegrated into a number of independent, regional states in the eighteenth century. These can be divided into three overlapping groups:
  • The rulers of Awadh, Bengal and Hyderabad states did not break their formal ties with the Mughal emperor though extremely powerful and quite independent. These w’ere the old Mughal provinces.
  • States such as several Rajput principalities that had enjoyed considerable independence under the Mughals as watan jagirs.
  • The last group consists of states that were under the control of Marathas, Sikhs and others like the Jats. They had seized their independence from the Mughals after a long-drawn battle.

→ The Old Mughal Provinces:

  • Among all the states in the old Mughal provinces, the three stand out strikingly.
  • These were Hyderabad, Awadh and Bengal and founded by members of the high Mughal nobility who had been governors of these large provinces, Asaf Jah (Hyderabad), Sa‘adat Khan (Awadh) and Murshid Quli Khan (Bengal).
  • Asaf Jah and Murshid Quli Khan held a zat rank of 7,000 each while Sa’adat Khan’s zat was 6,000.

→ Hyderabad:

  • The founder of Hyderabad state, Nizam-ul- Mulk Asaf Jah (ruled 1724-1748), was one of the most powerful members at the court of the Mughal Emperor Farrukh Siyar.
  • He ruled independently without seeking any direction or order from Delhi or without facing any interference however he was still a servant of the Mughal emperor.
  • They were constantly engaged in war against the Marathas to the west and with independent Telugu warrior chiefs, Nayakas of the plateau. The desire was to control the rich textile-producing areas of the Coromandel coast in the east.

→ Awadh:

  • In 1722, Burhan-ul-Mulk Sa‘adat Khan was appointed subadar of Awadh and founded the Awadh state.
  • Burhan-ul-Mulk also held the important offices of subadari, diwani and faujdari. It means he was responsible for managing the political, financial and military affairs of the province of Awadh.
  • He also tried to decrease Mughal influence in his region by reducing the number of officeholders i.e., jagirdars appointed by the Mughals and appointed his loyal servants to these vacant positions.
  • The state sold the right to collect taxes to the highest bidders. These are called as ‘revenue farmers’ or ijaradars who agreed to pay the state a fixed sum of money.
  • New social groups like moneylenders, bankers influenced the management of the state’s revenue system.

→ Bengal:

  • Murshid Quli Khan was appointed as the naib means deputy to the governor of the province and was not a formal subedar. Bengal broke away from the Mughals under Murshid Quli Khan.
  • He also had the hold of the revenue system similar to the rulers of Hyderabad and Awadh.
  • He transferred all Mughal jagirdars to Orissa (now Odisha) and ordered a major reassessment of the revenues of Bengal to reduce Mughal influence there.
  • The contiguous connection between the state and bankers was noticeable in Hyderabad and Awadh as well as in Bengal under the rule of Alivardi Khan (ruled 1740-1756).
  • During his reign, Jagat Seth’s banking house became extremely prosperous.

JAC Class 7 Social Science Notes History Chapter 10 Eighteenth-Century Political Formations

→ Three common features of these states were:

  • First, they were highly dubious of some of the administrative systems that they had inherited from the Mughals particularly in the jagirdari system.
  • Second, they followed the practice of ijaradari means contracted with revenue-farmers for the collection of revenue.
  • The third is very common feature in all these states was that their emerging relationship with rich bankers and merchants.

→ The Watan Jagirs of the Rajputs:

  • In the eighteenth century, many Rajput kings had served under the Mughals with variation. In return, they were permitted to enjoy considerable autonomy in their watan jagirs. The ruler of Jodhpur, Ajit Singh was also involved in the sectional politics at the Mughal court.
  • Raja Ajit Singh of Jodhpur was the governor of Gujarat and Sawai Raja Jai Singh of Amber was governor of Malwa. In 1713, these offices were renewed by Emperor Jahandar Shah.
  • As they extended their watans or territories, Nagaur was conquered and annexed to the house of Jodhpur, whereas Amber seized large portions of Bundi. Sawai Raja Jai Singh founded his new capital at Jaipur and was given the subadari of Agra in 1722.

→ Seizing Indepedence: The Sikhs:

  • Sikh organisation helped in regional state building in Punjab during seventeenth century. Guru Gobind Singh fought many battles against the Rajput and Mughal rulers both before and after the establishment of the Khalsa. The Khalsa rose in revolt against the Mughal power under Banda Bahadur’s leadership after Guru Gobind Singh’s death in 1708 and declared their monarch by striking coins in the name of Guru Nanak and Guru Gobind Singh, between the Sutlej and the Jamuna. Banda Bahadur was captured in 1715 and executed in 1716.
  • The Sikhs organised themselves into a number of bands known as jathas and later on misls. Their combined forces were known as the dal khalsa means grand army.
  • Rakhi was introduced as a system which offered protection to cultivators on the payment of a tax of 20 per cent of the produce.
  • In the late eighteenth centuiy, the Sikh territories extended their rule from the Indus to the Jamuna but they were separated under different rulers. One of the powerful rulers was Maharaja Ranjit Singh who reunited these groups and established his capital at Lahore in 1799.

→ The Marathas:

  • Another powerful regional kingdom was the Maratha kingdom who opposed to Mughal rule. With the support of powerful warrior families of Deshmukhs, Shivaji (1627-1680) established a stable kingdom.
  • The backbone of the Maratha army was the groups of highly mobile, peasant pastoralists (kunbis).
  • After Shivaji’s death, a family of Chitpavan Brahmanas served Shivaji’s successors as Peshwa or principal minister. The capital of the Maratha kingdom became Poona (now Pune).
  • The Marathas developed a very successful military organisation under the Peshwas.
  • The Maratha empire expanded in between 1720 and 1761. The Maratha king was acknowledged as the overlord of the entire Deccan peninsula by the 1730s and possessed the right to. levy chauth and sardeshmukhi in the entire region.
  • The Maratha expanded their rule rapidly into Rajasthan and the Punjab in the north, Bengal and Orissa in the east and Karnataka and the Tamil and Telugu regions in the south, after attacking Delhi in 1737.
  • During the third battle of Panipat in 1761, the rulers became hostile and didn’t supported the Marathas.
  • Apart from strong military campaigns, the Marathas also developed an effective administrative system. Agriculture was uplifted and trade was also revived. This helped Maratha chiefs means sardars such as Sindhia of Gwalior, Gaekwad of Baroda and Bhonsle of Nagpur to utilize the resources to raise powerful and strong armies.
  • New trade routes emerged within regions such as trade between Agra and Surat expanded to include Poona and Nagpur in the south and Lucknow and Allahabad in the east.

JAC Class 7 Social Science Notes History Chapter 10 Eighteenth-Century Political Formations

→ The Jats:

  • During the late seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, the Jats consolidated their power and their leader, Churaman, had captured territories situated to the west of the city of Delhi. By the 1680s they had begun to rule the region between the two royal cities of Delhi and Agra.
  • They were prosperous agriculturists and towns- such as Panipat and Ballabhgarh became important trading centres.
  • The kingdom of Bharatpur emerged as a strong state under the rule of Suraj Mai. Many of the city’s notables took refuge there when Nadir Shah sacked Delhi in 1739.
  • Nadir Shah’s son Jawahir Shah had a strong troops of 30,000 people, hired another 20,000 Maratha and 15,000 Sikh troops to fight the Mughals.
  • The Bharatpur fort was built in a fairly traditional style but at Dig the Jats built an elaborate garden palace combining styles influenced by Amber and Agra.

JAC Class 7 Social Science Notes

JAC Class 7 Social Science Notes Civics Chapter 1 On Equality

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JAC Board Class 7 Social Science Notes Civics Chapter 1 On Equality

→ Equality is the main characteristics of democracy and affects all aspects of its functioning.

→ Equal Right to Vote:

  • In India which is a democratic country, all adults irrespective of what religion they belong to, how much education they have had, what caste they are, or whether they are rich or poor are allowed to vote is called Universal Adult Franchise.
  • The idea of universal adult franchise is based on the idea of equality because it states that every adult in a country, irrespective of their wealth and the communities she/he belongs to, has one vote.

JAC Class 7 Social Science Notes Civics Chapter 1 On Equality

→ Other Kinds of Equality:

  • Many kinds of inequalities exist in our country till now. One of the most common form is the caste system which is alive from centuries in India which also creates division among human beings.
  • Another form of inequality exists is lower castes or Dalits.
  • Dalit means ‘broken’ and lower castes are pointing to how they were and continue to be seriously discriminated against and exploited most of the time.
  • Dalits belong to the unprivileged class.
  • Omprakash Valmiki is a famous Dalit writer who wrote his harsh experience and feelings in his autobiography, ‘Joothari. He mentioned that how he was tortured by the teachers. He had to clean and sweep the floors and playgrounds while the other children were in the class studying.
  • There is another form of inequality which exists. The religion is also a big factor. The Ansaris were not given apartments on rent by many landlords and landladies because of they were from different religion. So made different types of excuses.

→ Recognising Dignity:

  • The three things – the caste we are bom into, the religion we practice and the class background we come from whether we are male or female determines why some people are treated unequally.
  • The above things happened with Omprakash Valmiki and the Ansaris who were treated unequally on the basis of differences of caste and religion.
  • The dignity of a person is violated when the person is treated unequally.
  • In the case of Omprakash and the Ansaris, they do not deserve to be treated like this. They deserve the same respect and dignity as anyone else.

→ Equality in Indian Democracy:

  • The Indian Constitution recognizes and acknowledges every person as equal. This means that every individual in the country including male and female persons from all castes, religions, tribes, educational and economic backgrounds are recognised as equal. This is not to say that inequality ceases to exist. It doesn’t.
  • Earlier no law existed to protect people from discrimination, torture and ill-treatment but now there are many works to see that people are treated with dignity and as equals. This means that no one can be discriminated against on the basis of their caste, creed, place of birth, religion, race, etc.

→ The recognition of equality consists some of the following provisions in the Constitution:

  • First, that every person is equal before the law. This means that every person from the President of the country to a domestic worker has to obey the same laws. Everyone is equal in front of law.
  • Second, no person can be discriminated against on the basis of their religion, race, caste, place of birth or whether they are female or male.
  • Third, every person has access to all public places including playgrounds, hotels, shops and markets. All persons can use publicly available wells, roads and bathing ghats.
  • Fourth, untouchability has been abolished.

JAC Class 7 Social Science Notes Civics Chapter 1 On Equality

→ The government has tried to implement the equality that is guaranteed in the Constitution by two ways.

  • First through laws
  • Second through government programmes or schemes to help disadvantaged communities.
  • Apart from the laws, the government has also set up several schemes to improve the lives of communities and individuals who have been treated unequally for several centuries.
  • The midday meal scheme is one of the steps taken by the government. This scheme was introduced in all government elementary schools to provide children with cooked lunch. The first state in India was Tamil Nadu to introduce this scheme, and in 2001, the Supreme Court asked all state governments to begin this scheme.
  • This midday meal scheme has many positive results. This has helped to lessen the caste prejudices because both lower and upper caste children in the school eat this meal together. Apart from this, in few places, Dalit women have been employed to cook the meal.
  • The midday meal scheme also helped to reduce the hunger of poor students who often come to school and cannot concentrate because their stomachs are empty. Hence, there is increase in the enrollment and attendance of poor children in school.
  • Despite of all these efforts, there continues to be a huge differences in our country between schools that the. rich attend and those that the poor children attends.
  • One of the reasons for the discrimination is that the attitudes change is very slow.
  • Establishing equality in a democratic society is a continuous struggle and one in which individuals as well as various communities in India need to contribute.

→ Issues of Equality in Other Democracies:

  • There are many democratic countries in the world where the issue of inequality exists. India is not the only country where there is inequality.
  • In the United States of America, the African-Americans whose ancestors were brought over from Africa to work as slaves, continue to describe their lives today as largely unequal and discriminated.
  • A day came when a huge agitation against the unequal ways in which African- Americans were treated and which came to be known as the Civil Rights Movement. It was started by Rosa Parks, an African- American woman who changed the course of American history with one defiant act.
  • The Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibited and banned discrimination on the basis of race, religion or national origin. It also stated that all schools would be open to African- American children and that they would no longer have to attend separate schools specially set up for them. In spite of this, a majority of African-Americans continue to be among the poorest in the country.

→ Challenge of Democracy:
The struggle for the recognition of all persons as equal and for their dignity should be maintained so that we can think of an equal people society. This issue of equality affects various aspects of our daily lives in democratic India.

JAC Class 7 Social Science Notes

JAC Class 7 Social Science Notes Civics Chapter 2 Role of the Government in Health

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JAC Board Class 7 Social Science Notes Civics Chapter 2 Role of the Government in Health

→ People expect the government to work tor their welfare in a democratic country and along with the provision of education, health, employment, housing or the development of roads, electricity, etc.

→ What is Health?

  • Health means our ability to remain free from illness and injuries. But health isn’t only about diseases, there are other factors as well that affect our health.
  • if people get clean drinking water or a pollution free environment they are likely to be healthy. While if people do not get adequate food to eat or have to live in cramped conditions, they will be prone to illness or unhealthy.
  • The various aspects of our lives which are a part of health are active positive not very anxious and without mental strain and stress.
  • Good health consists of both sound mind andbody.

JAC Class 7 Social Science Notes Civics Chapter 2 Role of the Government in Health

→ Healthcare in India:

  • Healthcare facilities consists of health centres, hospitals, laboratories for testing, ambulance services, blood banks, etc., which can provide the required care and services that patients need.
  • To run these facilities we need health workers, nurses, qualified doctors and other health professionals who can advice, diagnose and treat illnesses. Apart from these, we also need the medicines and equipment that are necessary and required for treating patients.
  • In India there are numerous experienced doctors and nurses present. Public healthcare system is a system of hospitals and health centres run by the government. It has the ability to look after the health of a large section of its population scattered over hundreds of thousands of villages.
  • Though we have most of the facilities and positive developments but then also we are not able to provide proper healthcare facilities to people.

→ Public and Private Healthcare Services:
Healthcare services .is divided into two services:

  • Public Health Services
  • Private Health Services

→ Public Health Services:

  • A series of health centres and hospitals run by the government is known as the public health service. They are linked together because they cover both rural and urban areas and can also provide treatment to all kinds of problems from common illnesses to special services.
  • Primary Health Care centres are available in villages which has a doctor and a nurse to assist and to deal with common illnesses. Such a centre covers many villages in a rural area. .
  • The District Hospital at the district level, supervises all the health centres. Large cities have many government hospitals.
  • For several reasons health service is called as ‘public’. To fulfil its promise and commitment of providing healthcare to all citizens, the government has established these hospitals and health centres. The resources needed to run these services are obtained from the money that we, the public, pay to the government as taxes.
  • The most important function of the public health system is that it is meant to provide quality healthcare services either free cfr at a low cost so that the poor can seek treatment.
  • Another important function of public health is to take action to prevent the spread of diseases such as TB, malaria, jaundice, cholera, diarrhoea, chikungunya, etc. This has to be organised by the government with the participation and support of people otherwise it is not effective.

→ Private Health Facilities:

  • There is a vast range of private health facilities that exist in our country. A large number of doctors run their own private clinics and hospitals. In the rural areas, Registered Medical Practitioners (RMPs) are available. Urban areas have large number of doctors, many of them providing specialised services.
  • There are many laboratories that do tests and offer special facilities such as X-ray, ultrasound, etc. There are shops as well from where we buy medicines.
  • In private facilities, patients have to pay a lot of money for every service that they use but this is not the case in public health facilities.
  • Now there are large companies that run hospitals and some are engaged in manufacturing and selling medicines.

JAC Class 7 Social Science Notes Civics Chapter 2 Role of the Government in Health

→ Healthcare and Equality:

  • Is adequate healthcare available to all?
  • In India, we face a situation where private services are increasing but public services are not. These private services are very expensive and it is difficult for poor people to afford the expenses. Apart from this, private facilities are available in urban areas only.
  • In order to earn more money and profit, these private services encourage practices which are incorrect. At times cheaper methods are available but not used.
  • The fact is that approximately 20 per cent of the population can afford all the medicines that they require during an illness. Hence, even for middle class people as well, medical expenses cause hardship.
  • In a study it was reported that nearly 40% of the people who are admitted in hospital had to borrow money or sell some of their possessions for their illness.
  • Poor people are undernourished and tend to fall ill frequently.
  • These poor families are not eating as much as they should. They are not provided basic necessities such as drinking water, adequate housing, clean surroundings, etc., and hence, are more likely to fall ill. The expenses on illness make their situation even worse and to sustain.
  • Many tribal areas have few health centres and they do not run properly and even private hospitals are also not present.
  • It is not only the deficiency of money that prevents people from getting proper medical treatment, it is also there lack of concerns as women’s health concerns are considered to be far less important than the health of men in the family.

→ What Can Be Done?

  • It is the responsibility of the government to provide quality healthcare services to all its citizens, especially to the poor and the disadvantaged.
  • Health is as much dependent on basic amenities and social conditions of the people, as it is on healthcare services.

→ The Kerala Experience:

  • Kerala government gave 40% of the budget to the panchayats in 1996 to provide better environment in terms of healthcare, education, living standards, etc. to the rural peoples.
  • Water supply schemes were checked, the working of schools and anganwadis was ensured and specific problems of the village were taken up to solve. Health centres were also improved. All of this helped to improve the situation. But then also, some problems such as shortage of medicines, insufficient hospital beds, not enough doctors stayed.

→ The Costa Rican Approach:

  • Costa Rica is considered to be one of the healthiest countries in Central America.
  • The Costa Rican government spend the money that the army would have used, on health, education and other basic needs of the people. They believed that a country has to be healthy for its development and pays a lot of attention to the health of its people.
  • It provides safe drinking water, sanitation, nutrition and housing. Health education is also considered very important and knowledge about health is an essential and important part of education at all levels.

JAC Class 7 Social Science Notes

JAC Class 7 Social Science Notes Civics Chapter 3 How the State Government Works

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JAC Board Class 7 Social Science Notes Civics Chapter 3 How the State Government Works

→ Government works at three levels, they,are local, state and national.

→ Who is an MLA?

  • Members of the Legislative Assembly or MLAs are elected by the people. They then become members of the legislative assembly and also form the government. Hence, the MLAs represent people.
  • In India, every state has a Legislative Assembly. And, each state is divided into different areas or constituencies.
  • For example, Himachal Pradesh is divided into 68 assembly constituencies. From each constituency, the people elect one representative who then becomes a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA). These people who stand for election are from different parties.
  • A political party whose MLAs have won mote than half the number of constituencies in a.state can be said to be in a majority. The political party that has the majority is known as the ruling party and all other members are known as opposition.
  • After the elections, the MLAs belonging to the ruling or of majority party will elect their leader as who will become the chief minister.
  • The chief minister then selects other ministers for his government. After the elections, the Governor of the state appoints the chief minister and other ministers.
  • A Legislative Assembly is a place where all the MLAs, whether from the ruling party or from the opposition meet to discuss various things about their state. Hence, some MLAs have dual responsibilitie-one as an MLA and the other as a minister.

→ A Debate in the Legislative Assembly:

  • In a democracy, the members of the Legislative Assembly can ask questions, debate on important issue, decide where money should be spent, etc. They have the main authority.
  • The MLAs are together responsible for the work of the government. Here, the word ‘government’ refers to government departments and various ministers who head them. The overall head is the chief minister.
  • This is known as the executive part of the government. All the MLAs who assemble together in the legislative assembly are known as the Legislature. They are the ones who authorize and supervise their work.

JAC Class 7 Social Science Notes Civics Chapter 3 How the State Government Works

→ Working of the Government:

  • In a democracy, there are many ways through which people express their views and also take action.
  • Sometimes after the discussion in the assembly, press conference are organised by the minister.
  • Ministers also visit the areas where there are problems and meet the suffered people.
    The government announces compensations as well as solves the problems faced by the suffered families.
  • Enquiry committees are made to look into different problems such as water problem, sanitation, etc.
  • The people who are in power means the chief minister and the minister need to take actions. They do so through different departments such as the Public Works Department, the Agriculture Department, the Health Department, the Education Department.
  • The chief minister and other ministers also have to answer questions that are asked in the Legislative Assembly and convince people asking the questions that what proper steps are being taken.
  • The government can also decide to make new laws for the state regarding sanitation and health facilities.
  • Laws for the entire country are made in the Parliament.
  • In a democracy, it is the people who elect their representatives as Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs). Hence, it is the people who have the main authority.

→ A Wallpaper Project:
A wallpaper is an interesting activity through which research can be done on particular topics of interest.

JAC Class 7 Social Science Notes

JAC Class 7 Social Science Notes Civics Chapter 4 Growing Up as Boys and Girls

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JAC Board Class 7 Social Science Notes Civics Chapter 4 Growing Up as Boys and Girls

→ Being a boy or a girl is an important part of one’s identity. The roles women play and the work they do are usually valued less than the roles men play and the work they do.

→ Growing Up in Samoa in the 1920s:

  • In Samoan society, children did not go to school. Instead, they learnt many things such as how to take care of children or do household work from older children and from adults.
  • Young people learn fishing which was a very important activity on the islands. But they learnt these things at different points in their childhood.
  • Both boys and girls looked after their younger siblings.
  • The time when a boy was about nine years old, he joined the older boys in learning outdoor jobs such as fishing and planting coconuts.
  • Girls had to continue looking after small children or do tasks for adults till they were teenagers.
  • After attaining the age of fourteen or so, girls also went on fishing trips, worked in the plantations and learnt how to weave baskets.
  • In special cooking-houses, cooking was done. Boys were supposed to do most of the work while girls helped with the preparations.

JAC Class 7 Social Science Notes Civics Chapter 4 Growing Up as Boys and Girls

→ Growing Up Male in Madhya Pradesh in the 1960s:

  • The following points are taken from a small town scenario in Madhya Pradesh.
  • From Class VI onwards, boys and girls went to separate schools.
  • The girls’ school was designed very differently from the boys’ school. They had a central courtyard where they played in total seclusion and safety from the outside world. Whereas, the boys’ school had no such courtyard and the playground was just a big space attached, to the school.
  • The girls always went in groups because they also carried fears of being teased or attacked. But the boys who used the streets as a place to stand around idling, to play, to try out tricks with their bicycles.
  • We realise that societies make clear distinctions and differences between boys and girls. This begins from a very tender and young age. Boys are usually given cars to play with and girls dolls.
  • All the ways of telling children that they have specific roles to play when they grow up to be men and women. Hence, how girls must dress, what games boys should play, how girls need to talk softly or boys need to be tough, etc.
  • In most societies which includes our own as well, the roles men and women play or the work they do are not valued equally. Men and women do not have the same status.

→ Valuing Housework:
All over the world, the main responsibility for housework and care-giving tasks, such as looking after the family especially children, the elderly and sick members lies with women. Although, the work that women do within the home is not recognised as work and assumed that this is something that comes naturally to women. Hence, they does not have to be paid for and society devalues this work.

→ Lives of Domestic Workers:

  • The domestic workers are employed particularly in towns and cities. They do a lot of work such as sweeping and cleaning, washing clothes and dishes, cooking, looking after young children or the elderly people.
  • Most domestic workers are women and sometimes even young boys or girls are employed to do this work.
  • Wages are low as domestic work does not have much value. They work very hard as well from early morning till night but employers doesn’t give much respect to them.
  • In fact, housework actually involves many different tasks and works. Heavy physical work also required to do a number of these tasks. In both rural and urban areas women and girls have to fetch water. In rural areas women and girls carry heavy headloads of firewood as well.
  • The work women do is strenuous and physically demanding, these words are actually associate with men normally.
  • Another characteristics of housework and care-giving is that we do not recognise that it is very time consuming and have much less time for leisure.

JAC Class 7 Social Science Notes Civics Chapter 4 Growing Up as Boys and Girls

→ Women’s Work and Equality:

  • We all know equality is an important principle of our Constitution. The Constitution says that being male or female should not become a reason for discrimination. In reality, inequality between the sexes exists.
  • Hence, the Constitution recognises that burden of child-care and housework falls on women and girls and it has an impact on whether girls can attend school or not.
  • In many villages in the country, the government has set up anganwadis or child-care centres. The government has passed laws that make it mandatory for organisations that have more than 30 women employees to provide creche facilities. The provision of creches helps many women to take up employment outside the home. It also makes it possible for more girls to attend schools.

JAC Class 7 Social Science Notes