History is full of glorious stories of kings and empires. Some new dynasties emerged in different parts of the Indian subcontinent between the 7th and 12th centuries. With the rise of new dynasties and the foundation of powerful kingdoms, new kings and kingdoms marked a significant change in the political landscape of ancient India. Class 7 History Chapter 2 “New Kings And Kingdoms” provides solutions to the exercises which will be useful for examinations.
Class 7 History Chapter 2 Questions and answers
Let’s recall
1. Match the following:
| Gurjara-Pratihara | Western Deccan |
| Rashtrakutas | Bengal |
| Palas | Gujarat and Rajasthan |
| Cholas | Tamil Nadu |
Answer:
| Gurjara-Pratihara | Gujarat and Rajasthan |
| Rashtrakutas | Western Deccan |
| Palas | Bengal |
| Cholas | Tamil Nadu |
2. Who were the parties involved in the “tripartite struggle”?
Answer: Three parties- the Gurjara-Pratihara, Rashtrakuta, and Pala dynasties were involved in the “tripartite struggle” to control Kannauj.
3. What were the qualifications necessary to become a member of a committee of the sabha in the Chola empire?
Answer: The qualifications which were necessary for becoming a member of the sabha in the Chola empire:
- The person should be the owner of the land.
- He should have his own house.
- The age of a person should be between 35 years to 70 years and should know the Vedas.
- He should be honest and proficient in administrative matters.
- He should not be a member of any committee in the last three years.
- He should submit his accounts or those of his relatives to contest the elections.
4. What were the two major cities under the control of the Chahamanas?
Answer: Delhi and Ajmer were the two major cities under the control of the Chahamanas.
Let’s understand
5. How did the Rashtrakutas become powerful?
Answer: The Rashtrakutas ruled over the Deccan. They were subordinates under the rule of the Chalukyas of Karnataka. In the middle of the 8th century, a Rashtrakuta chief, Dantidurga overthrew his Chalukya overlord and performed a ritual called ‘hiranya-garbha’ with the help of Brahmins.
He fought against the dynasties of Gurjara Pratihara and Palas. In this way, they successfully gained kingdoms in Karnataka and Rajasthan respectively.
6. What did the new dynasties do to gain acceptance?
Answer: To gain acceptance,
The new dynasties assumed new titles and performed religious rituals.
They were treated as vassals or semantics by their overlords.
They declared themselves as maha-semantics after gaining power and wealth.
They involved themselves in warfare to assert their power and carve out kingdoms for themselves.
7. What kind of irrigation works were developed in the Tamil region?
Answer: The following kinds of irrigation works were developed in the Tamil region-
- The areas near the Kaveri River were opened up for large-scale cultivation.
- The irrigation works led to the development of water channels for agriculture.
- The construction of dams were built to prevent floods.
- Wells and tanks were dug for the storage of water.
8. What were the activities associated with Chola temples?
Answer: The following activities were associated with Chola temples
- Temples were the centres of craft production.
- These were places of worship as well as the hub of economic, social, and cultural life.
- Temples were provided lands by the kings.
- The income from this land was used for maintaining all the specialists who worked for the temple such as priests, musicians, garland makers, etc.
Let’s discuss
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 state of their own, the students can write the answer to this question accordingly.
10. Contrast the ‘elections’ in Uttaramerur with the present-day panchayat elections.
Answer: The system of election in Uttaramerur was quite different from that of the present-day panchayat elections:
The system of election in Uttaramerur
The names of persons eligible to be members of committees were written on small palm leaf stamps. The seals were kept in earthen pots. After that, a young boy was asked to draw tickets for each committee one by one.
Present-day Panchayat Elections
A piece of paper called ballot paper is printed with the names of the total number of members with symbols allotted to them. The voter stamps his choice and puts it in the ballot box. The votes are counted and the names of the winners are announced by the Returning Officer.
Let’s do
11. Compare the temple shown in this chapter with any present-day temple in your neighbourhood, highlighting any similarities and differences you notice.
Answer:
Similarities:
- Both temples hold immense spiritual significance.
- Both are places of worship.
- Both are known for their architectural beauty.
- Both temples act as centres for religious celebrations.
Differences
The ancient temple was built using stone, marble, or wood. while the present-day temple is built with a variety of materials such as concrete, steel, and glass, with new technology.
12. Find out more about taxes that are collected at present. Are these in cash, kind, or labour services?
Answer: The following Taxes are collected at present”
- Land tax
- Income tax
- Property tax
- Sale tax
- Excise tax
- VAT (value-added tax)
- Service tax
- Tax on electricity
- Tax on Water
These taxes are in cash or online.
Class 7 History Chapter 2 Questions And Answers
BOOK Page: 16
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 states over which they exercised control.
- Guijara-Pratiharas exercised control in Madhya Pradesh.
- Rashtrakuta exercised control in Maharashtra.
- Palas exercised control in West Bengal.
- Cholas exercised control in Tamil Nadu & Kerala.
- Chahamanas exercised control in Rajasthan.
BOOK Page: 17
2. Do you think being born as a Kshatriya was important to become a ruler during this period?
Answer: No, it was not important to be born as a Kshatriya to become a ruler during this period Because any lower caste person could overthrow the rulers and become king by performing rituals with the help of Brahmins.
For example, Dantidurga, a Rashtrakuta chief killed a Chalukya ruler and became the king after performing rituals.
BOOK Page: 18
3. In what ways was this form of administration different from the present-day system?
Answer: In the present system
- The people elect the government to run the administration.
- The tax is collected by the various departments of government.
- The collected tax is used for developing the state and providing facilities to the citizens.
- The rule of law is followed by all.
BOOK Page: 19
4. 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: Some of the areas mentioned in the inscription on Map 1 are Kanauj, Anarta, Vanga, etc. They made these claims to show their power and superiority.
BOOK Page: 21
5. Look at Map 1 and suggest reasons why these rulers wanted to control Kanauj and the Ganga Valley.
Answer: These rulers wanted to control Kanauj and the Ganga Valley because these were the most fertile areas during this period.
6. Look at Map 1 again and discuss why the Chahamanas may have wanted to expand their territories.
Answer: Chahamanas wanted to expand their territories as they occupied a central place in the subcontinent & they wanted to expand their territories in all directions.
BOOK Page: 27
7. Do you think women participated in these assemblies? In your view are lotteries useful in choosing members of committees?
Answer: No, women did not participate in these assemblies. In my view, lotteries are not useful in choosing members of the committees.
8. 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: No, there were no Brahmanas in this hamlet because they lived in temples or nearby.
The following activities were taking place in the village:
- Agrarian labor
- Rearing of cocks and a group of chickens
- Making of drums
- Husking of paddy.
Temple inscriptions ignored these activities because these activities were considered menial.
Read Also: NCERT Solution for Class 7 Political Science Chapter 2
FAQ
What is a dynasty in Class 7 History Chapter 2?
a dynasty means to pass the kingdom from generation to generation.
What did the new dynasties do to gain acceptance in Class 7 History Chapter 2?
The new dynasties took on new titles and performed religious rituals to gain acceptance.
Who built the first dynasty?
Narmer was recognized by the first dynasty kings as an important founding figure.
What are the five types of dynasties?
the Slave Dynasty (1206-90),
the Khilji Dynasty (1290-1320),
the Tughlaq Dynasty (1320-1413),
the Sayyid Dynasty (1414-51),
the Lodi Dynasty (1451-1526)
How did the new dynasty emerge?
New dynasties were emerging in southern India by showing themselves big or victorious using titles, and rituals.
Conclusion
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