Chapter 2 New Kings and Kingdoms

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

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

Page 16

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

Page 17

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

Page 18

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

Page 19

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

Page 20

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

Page 21

Question 7.
Look at Map 1 and suggest reasons why these rulers wanted to control Kanauj and the Ganga valley.

Answer:
Kanuaj was a veiy fertile and prized region so there was a struggle to control Kanuaj in the Ganga valley region in between Rashtrakutas, Gurjaras- Pratiharas and Palas.

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

Page 27

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

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

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

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

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

( Let’s Recall)

Question 1:
Match the following:

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

Answer:

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

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

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

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

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

(Let’s Understand)

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

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

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

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

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

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

(Let’s Discuss)

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

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

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

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

(Let’s Do)

Question 11.
Compare the temple shown in this chapter with any present-day temple in your neighbourhood, highlighting any similarities and differences that you notice.

Answer:
Similarities are

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

Differences are:

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

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

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

Multiple Choice Questions

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Very Short Answer Type Questions

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Short Answer Type Questions

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Long Answer Type Questions 

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

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

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

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

JAC Class 7 Social Science Solutions

JAC 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.

→ 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.

→ 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