JAC Class 7 History Chapter 7 Tribes Nomads and Settled Communities

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

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

Page 92

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

Page 95

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

Page 99

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

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

Page 100

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

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

Page 101

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

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

( Let’s Recall)

Question 1.
Match the following:

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

Answer:

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

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

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

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

(Let’s Understand)

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

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

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

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

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

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

(Let’s Discuss)

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

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

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

(‘Let’s Do)

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

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

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

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

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

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

Multiple Choice Questions

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Very Short Answer Type Questions

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Short Answer Type Questions

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Long Answer Type Questions

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

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

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

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

JAC Class 7 Social Science Solutions