Text Questions and Answers:
1. Match the following:
1. Gurjara-Pratiharas i) Western Deccan
2. Rashtrakutas ii) Bengal
3. Palas iii) Gujarat and Rajasthan
4. Cholas iv) Tamil Nadu.
Answers:
1. Gurjara –Pratiharas — iii) Gujarat and Rajasthan
2. Rashtrakutas — i) Western Deccan
3. Palas — ii) Bengal
4. Cholas — iv) Tamil Nadu.
2. Who were the parties involved in the ‘tripartite’ struggle.
Ans: The parties who were involved in the ‘tripartite’ struggle were the Gurjara –Pratiharas , Rashtrakutas and Palas.
3. What were the qualifications necessary to become a member of a committee of the sabha in the Chola empire.
Ans: The qualifications necessary to become a member of the committee of the sabha in the Chola empire are:
i) They should be owners of land from which land revenue is collected.
ii) They should have their own homes.
iii) They should be between 35 to 75 years of age.
iv) They should have knowledge of the Vedas.
v) They should be well versed in administrative matters and be honest.
4. What were the two major cities under the control of the Chahamanas.
Ans: The two major cities under the control of the Chahamanas are Delhi and Ajmer .
5. How did the Rashtra kutas become powerful.
Ans: The Rashtrakutas in the Deccan were the subordinate to the Chalukyas of Karnataka. It was during the mid 18th century when Dantidurga, a Rashtrakurta chief , overthrew his Chalukya overlord and performed a ritual called Hiranya-garbha with the help of the Brahmanas.
During this ritual or sacrifice, it was thought that one would be born as a Kshatriya, even if he was not one by birth. Also they fought against the dynasties of Gurjara Pratihara and Palas .Thus they established their kingdoms successfully in Karnataka and Rajasthan.
6. What did the new dynasties do to gain acceptance.
Ans: To gain acceptance ,the new dynasties took on new titles and performed religious rituals to become a part of the Kshatriyas. They were regarded as the subordinates by their overlords and later declared themselves to be Maha Samantas after gaining power and wealth. The new dynasties also engaged themselves in warfare to show their power and to get kingdoms for them.
7. What kind of irrigation works were developed in the Tamil region.
Ans: During the fifth or sixth century the areas near the Kaveri river in Tamil Nadu were opened up for large scale cultivation. The irrigation works that were developed in the Tamil region led to the development of water channels for agriculture, construction of embankments to prevent floods and digging of wells and tanks for storage of water.
8. What were the activities associated with Chola temples.
Ans: Chola temples were centres of craft production and often became the central place of settlements, which grew around them. The Chola temples were not only places of worship but also the of main centre of economic, social and cultural life.
There was also a lot of land owned by rulers, as well as by others. The produce of this land went into maintaining and looking after the people who worked in the temples.
Among the crafts of the temples, the making of bronze images are still considered the finest in the world. Their bronze images were mainly of dieties while some were of depicted devotees as well.
9. Look at Map 1 once more and find out whether there were any kingdoms in the state in which you live.
Ans: (The student s should answer this questions themselves as it depends on which state they stay).
10. Contrast the ‘elections’ in Uttaramerur with present day panchayat elections.
Ans: In Uttaramerur the names of person eligible to be members of the committee were written on small tickets of palm leaves.The tickets were put in an earthenware pot. A young boy was asked to take out the tickets one by one for each committee.
In the present day panchayat members are elected through a general election. Their names are printed along with their symbols on a paper called ballot paper. The voter puts a stamp over their choice and puts it in the ballot box. Votes are counted and the winners name is declared by the Returning Officer.
Let’s do: (Do it yourself)
12. Find out more about taxes that are collected at present. Are these in cash, kind or labour services.
Ans: Today we pay a number of taxes like property tax, road tax, service tax, entertainment tax, water tax, etc These taxes are in cash and not in kind nor in labour services.