DAV Class 7 SST Chapter 10 Question Answer – The Rise of Small Kingdoms in North India

These DAV Class 7 Social Science Book Solutions and DAV Class 7 SST Chapter 10 Question Answer – The Rise of Small Kingdoms in North India are thoughtfully prepared by experienced teachers.

DAV Class 7 SST Ch 10 Question Answer – The Rise of Small Kingdoms in North India

DAV Class 7 SST Ch 10 Solutions – The Rise of Small Kingdoms in North India

Something To Know

A. Tick (✓) the correct option.

Question 1.
Who was the author of Kaviragamarga?
(a) Dantidurga
(b) Govind III
(c) Amoghavarsha
(d) Gopala
Answer:
(c) Amoghavarsha

Question 2.
Vikramsheel Vihar, a centre for Buddhist education was established by
(a) Gopala
(b) Dharampala
(c) Mihir Bhoj
(d) Devapala
Answer:
(b) Dharampala

Question 3.
The Sun temple, known for its fine architecture, is situated at –
(a) Puri
(b) Bhubneswar
(c) Khajuraho
(d) Konark
Answer:
(d) Konark

Question 4.
Who among the following kings was elected by the people?
(a) Dantidurga
(b) Mihir Bhoj
(c) Gopala
(d) Govinda III
Answer:
(c) Gopala

Question 5.
Which one of the following temples was NOT constructed by the Paratiharas?
(a) Thanjavur
(b) Khajuraho
(c) Konark
(d) Mahabalipuram
Answer:
(d) Mahabalipuram

B. Fill in the blanks.

1. Regional languages developed very fast under the rule of ……………, a Pratihara king.
2. ………….. was the real founder of Rashtrakuta empire.
3. The gift of land to the Brahmins was known as ………….. or …………
4. The Bhakti saints opposed ………….. and ……………
5. The examples of the paintings of north India can be found in the form of …………….
Answer:
1. Mihir Bhoj
2. Dantidurga,
3. Brahmadeya; Agrahara,
4. superstitions; narro-mindedness,
5. murals

C. Write True or False for the following statements.

1. The kingdoms of Pratiharas and Palas rose in north India.
2. Govinda III was a Rashtrakuta ruler.
3. The Tripartite struggle involved the Rashtrakuta, the Pratihara and the Pala.
4. The four main clans of Rajputs are known as Agnikulas.
5. Mohammad Ghori came from China.
Answer:
1. True
2. True
3. True
4. True
5. False.

D. Answer the following questions in brief.

Question 1.
Name the four main clans of the Rajputs.
Answer:
The main four clans of Rajputs were Paramaras (Malwa), Pratiharas (Rajasthan-Gujarat), Chauhans (Ajmer) and Chalukyas (Gujarat).

Question 2.
Mention the titles taken by Rashtrakuta rulers.
Answer:
They took up titles like Chakravarti, Maharajadhiraj and Param Bhattarak.

Question 3.
Who was Chand Bardai?
Answer:He was court-poet of Prithviraj Chauhan.

Question 4.
List the temples built by Pratihara rulers.
Answer:
Khajuraho, Kanchipuram, Thanjavur, Bhubaneswar, Puri and Konark were built during the rule of the Pratiharas.

Question 5.
Give reasons for the decline of fedudal system in north India.
Answer:
It led to the decline of many empires as the feudal lords gave only a small part of the land revenue to the king. This weakened the power of the kings. Moreover, many feudal lords, like Chauhans and Paramaras, became powerful and established independent empires.

E. Answer the following questions.

Question 1.
Why is the period after Harsha- vardhan’s death called a period of political instability?
Answer:
After the death of Harshavardhana, his empire divided into several states and kingdoms. The states and kingdoms were rarely at peace with are another, with each trying to conquer each other. Many warriors came to power under the kings. They were called samantas. During this time, these samantas became more powerful than the rulers. Also in Bengal a period of confusion seems to have prevailed after the death of Harsha. But, it is well known that during this time Bengal faced lots of infighting among the small kingdoms.

Question 2.
Mention any five important features of the Rashtrakuta empire.
Answer:
The five important features of the Rashtrakuta empire were:
(a) The empire acted as a bridge between north and south India.
(b) The Rashtrakuta rulers maintained huge armies and encouraged trade for prosperity of the people.
(c) They were great patrons of art and learning. Their rule saw the flourishing of regional literature.
(d) Religions tolerance prevailed in the empire. The rulers followed Jainism but patronised also Buddhists, Hindus and Muslims.

Question 3.
What is the contribution of the Pala dynasty in various fields?
Answer:

• The Palas had a highly organised administrative system.
• They developed a powerful army.
• They were the last major Indian dynasty to imbrace Buddhism. The Nalanda University was revived by the patronage of the Palas. It has been famous all over the eastern world.
• They also established a Buddhist monastery and an university at Vikaramshila.

Question 4.
Mention any four features of Pratiharas rule.
Answer:

• The Pratiharas were great warriors.
• They were great patrons of art and literature.
• During Pratiharas rule, regional languages developed at a fast rate.
• The magnificent temples of Thanjavur, Khajuraho, Puri, Konark, Kanchipuram and Bhubaneshwar were built during their rule.

Question 5.
Describe the economic and social condition of north India during the medieval period.
Answer:
Economical condition:
here was a great economic disparity among different social classes. The royal family, high officials and the traders were prosperous. The people living in villages were poor. The temples were the centres of riches and hence, attracted a lot of invaders. Feudal system was prevalent in north India. The kings granted land as rewards to officers who came to be known as Thakurs or Rais. They provided military assistance to the king at times of war.

Social condition:
The rigid caste system led to the division of Indian society. The king, the feudal lords and the brahmins in high positions, enjoyed a life of luxury. Land was cultivated mainly by shudras who were burdened by taxes and social discrimination. The condition of women was quite miserable. They were deprived of education. The evil practices of sati, child-marriage and polygamy contributed to the decline in the status of women.

Value-Based Question

The Rashtrakutas followed Jainism but also patronised Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam.

• What qualities of Rashtrakutas are depicted in the above mentioned statement?
• How far is it correct to call the Rashtrakutas secular in the light of present day secularism in India?
• We see Indian secularism advocates respect of all religions. Then why do some people disrespect the religion of others?
• Give two suggestions to make people tolerant towards other religions.

Answer:
Do yourself with the help of Internet and other sources.

Map Skill

On an outline map of India, mark the extent of the Rashtrakutas, Palas, Pratiharas and Rajput kingdoms.

Something To Do

Question 1.
Collect pictures of the great monuments of north India and make a scrapbook with information about their location, special characteristics, modes of travelling to reach there, famous handicrafts, etc.
Answer:

Note – Students should collect information about the above monuments.

Question 2.
Prepare a comparative table as per the following format about the Rashtrakutas, the Palas and the Pratiharas.
Answer:

Dynasty	Names of the Kings	The Period	Religion	Literary Achievements	Art and Architecture
Rashtrakutas	Govinda-III	936-968 CE	Jainism	Kannada	Temples at Aihole
Palas	Dharmapala	8th Century	Buddhism	Established Vikramshila University	Somapuri in Verendri, the largest Buddhist Vihara
Pratiharas	Nagabhata-I	730-756 CE	Hinduism	–	Teli-ka temple, Gwalior and Khajuraho temple

DAV Class 7 Social Science Chapter 10 Question Answer – The Rise of Small Kingdoms in North India

A. Tick (✓) the correct option.

Question 1.
The Rashtrakutas took over the control in
(a) eastern India
(b) Avanti
(c) northern part of Deccan
(d) Southern part of Deccan
Answer:
(c) northern part of Deccan

Question 2.
The northern Deccan comprised of present
(a) Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra and Karnataka
(b) Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka
(c) Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Bihar
(d) Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra
Answer:
(a) Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra and Karnataka

Question 3.
Amoghavarsha was a well known
(a) Rashtrakuta king
(b) Pala king
(c) Pratihara king
(d) None of them
Answer:
(a) Rashtrakuta king

Question 4.
Which religion/religions were practised in the Rashtrakuta empire?
(a) Jainism and Buddhism
(b) Jainism, Buddhism and Hinduism
(c) Jainism, Buddhism, Hinduism and Islam
(d) Buddhism, Hinduism and Islam
Answer:
(c) Jainism, Buddhism, Hinduism and Islam

Question 5.
Who crushed the power of Rashtrakutas?
(a) Cholas
(b) Palas
(c) Rajputs
(d) Chalukyas
Answer:
(d) Chalukyas

Question 6.
The famous Nalanda University was revived during the
(a) Rajput period
(b) Pratihara rule
(c) Rashtrakuta rule
(d) Pala rule
Answer:
(d) Pala rule

Question 7.
Palas were the great patrons of
(a) art
(b) literature
(c) education
(d) all of them
Answer:
(d) all of them

Question 8.
Dharamapala’s son Devapala defeated the
(a) Huns
(b) Arabs
(c) Mongols
(d) Mughals
Answer:
(a) Huns

Question 9.
The beautiful temples of Khajuraho and Puri were built during the rule of the
(a) Palas
(b) Pratiharas
(c) Rashtrakutas
(d) Cholas
Answer:
(b) Pratiharas

Question 10.
The famous tripartite struggle occurred among
(a) the Palas, the Pratiharas and the Rajputs
(b) the Palas, the Rashtrakutas and the Rajputs
(c) the Palas, the Pratiharas and the Rashtrakutas
(d) the Cholas, the Chalukyas and the Rajputs
Answer:
(c) the Palas, the Pratiharas and the Rashtrakutas

Question 11.
The Chauhans ruled over
(a) Ajmer
(b) Kanauj
(c) Gujarat
(d) Malwa
Answer:
(a) Ajmer

Question 12.
Which of the following goddesses was not worshipped by the Rajputs?
(a) Kali
(b) Laxmi
(c) Durga
(d) Saraswati
Answer:
(d) Saraswati

B. Very Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1.
What happened after the death of Harshavardhan?
Answer:
The whole empire disintegrated into many small kingdoms.

Question 2.
What do you mean by the Age of Three Empires?
Answer:
After the death of Harshavardhan, his empire disintegrated into several small kingdoms. However, three among them namely the Palas, the Pratiharas and the Rashtrakutas emerged as powerful kingdoms between 750 CE and 1000 CE. Hence, this period is known as the Age of Three Empires.

Question 3.
How do you know about the religious tolerance of the Rashtrakutas?
Answer:
The Rashtrakutas built rock cut temples at Ellora which belonged to Hindu Buddhists and Jain sects. This proves that they were tolerant to other religions.

Question 4.
Who was Amoghavarsha? Write two sentences on him.
Answer:
Amoghavarsha was a famous Rashtrakuta king. He was great lover of Sanskrit. He wrote Kaviragamarga, a Kannada poetry.

Question 5.
What did the people of Bengal do to maintain peace and order in their state?
Answer:
They elected Gopala as their king, who set up the Pala dynasty and strengthened it by bringing peace and order in the Kingdom.

Question 6.
Who was the founder of the Pratihara empire?
Answer:
The founder of the Pratihara empire was Nagabhatta I.

Question 7.
What led to the disintegration of the Pratihara dynasty?
Answer:
The Pratihara dynasty disintegrated into small kingdoms because its rulers were always engaged in battles. This weakened the empire.

Question 8.
Who was Prithviraj Chauhan? When did he come to the throne?
Answer:
Prithviraj Chauhan was the most powerful king of the Chauhan dynasty. He came to the throne in 1177 CE.

Question 9.
Mention one achievement of Prithviraj Chauhan.
Answer:
He checked the advances made by Muhammad Ghori of Ghor in Afghanistan by defeating him at the battlefield of Tarain near Bhatinda.

Question 10.
What does Chand Bardai’s Prithviraj Raso narrate?
Answer:
The famous epic poem narrates the bravery and heroism of Prithviraj Chauhan.

Question 11.
What was Johar?
Answer:
Johar means immolating in the fire. The women of royal families committed johar to protect their honour if their menfolk were defeated or killed in a battle.

Question 12.
What led to the development of regional languages like Marathi, Gujarati and Bengali during the Rajput period?
Answer:
During the Rajput period, the Bhakti saints preached and composed songs in these languages.

Question 13.
Who built the famous Khajuraho temple complex?
Answer:
The Chandelas, the rulers of Bundelkhand built the famous Khajuraho temple complex.

Question 14.
Name the five kingdoms that emerged from the Pratihara empire?
Answer:

• The Chauhans of Rajasthan
• The Gahrwals of Kanauj
• The Solankis of Gujarat
• The Paramaras of Malwa, and
• The Chandelas of Bundelkhand.

Question 15.
Who was the last great ruler of ancient India?
Answer:
Harshvardhan was the last great ruler of ancient India.

Question 16.
Name the present regions that are comprised of Avanti.
Answer:
Gujarat and southern Rajasthan.

Question 17.
Mention the titles taken by Rashtrakuta rulers.
Answer:
Rashtrakuta ruler took up titles like Chakravarti, Maharajadhiraj and Param Bhattarak.

Question 18.
Who set up Vikramsheel Vihar?
Answer:
Dharamapala set up Vikramsheel Vihar.

Question 19.
How many clans of the Rajputs were there?
Answer:
There were 36 clans of the Rajputs.

Question 20.
Name the language which enjoyed a place of prominence in north India.
Answer:
Sanskrit.

Question 21.
Why were the Pratiharas known as the Gurjara Pratiharas?
Answer:
The Pratiharas were also known as the Gurjara Pratiharas because they were originated from Gujarat. They ruled over Gujarat and southwestern Rajasthan.

C. Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1.
Mention the three important developments that took place in northern India.
Answer:
The three important developments that took place in northern India were—

• North India came in close contact with western and central Asia.
• Most of the kingdoms came under the rule of the Rajputs, who were constantly at war with one another.
• The continuous wars created political instability, that caused beginning of the Turkish invasions in north India.

Question 2.
The Pratiharas were great patrons of art and literature. Mention some points in favour of this statement.
Answer:

• The greatest Pratihara king Mihir Bhoj was a well known scholar. He gave a great boost to regional languages.
• During the Pratihara rulers, early forms of Marathi and Gujarati were spoken in western India. Bengali, Assamese and Oriya became popular in eastern India.
• The beautiful temples of Khajuraho, Kanchipuram, Thanjavur, Bhubaneshwar, Puri and Konark were built during the rule of the Pratiharas.
• The art of miniature painting also started during that period.

Question 3.
What do you know about the Pala rulers?
Answer:
(a) It was Gopala who established Pala empire in Bengal. His successors used ‘Pala’ after their name and therefore, their empire came to be known as Pala dynasty, which ruled over for about 400 years.
(b) Dharamapala was the greatest ruler of this dynasty. He set up a centre for Buddhist education which was known as Vikramsheel Vihar.
(c) His son Devapala extended the Pala empire and also defeated the Huns. But after his death, the decline of Palas started.
(d) The Pala rulers were the followers of Buddhism. They were great patrons of art, education and literature.

Question 4.
Give reason for the struggle among the Rashtrakutas, the Palas and Pratiharas over Kanauj.
Answer:
Kanauj was considered a symbol of power in north India Therefore, the three kingdoms; namely, the Rashtrakutas, the Palas and the Pratiharas were continuously engaged in a struggle to possess Kanauj and establish their supremacy there.

Question 5.
What do you know about the origin of the Rajputs?
Answer:
There are several Rajput families which trace their origin to Sun or Moon and thus, are known as Suiyavanshi and Chandarvanshi, respectively. According to some historians, Rajputs are the descendants of foreign tribes that settled in India. It is also believed that the main four clans of Rajputs were born from fire altars. Hence, they are also known as Agnikulas.

Question 6.
What was the result of the constant infighting among the Rajput rulers?
Answer:
The constant infighting among the Rajput rulers resulted in disunity and enmity. This attracted the Muslim invaders in India. The Rajputs failed to join hands with each other to defend their country, India, from the Arab invasions.

Question 7.
Describe the economic condition of north India under the Rajput rulers.
Answer:

• The economic condition of north India under the Rajput rulers was not good.
• There was a great economic disparity in different social classes.
• The royal family, high officials and the traders were wealthy but the people living in villages led a life of poverty.
• The temples were the centres of riches, which attracted a lot of invaders.
• The kings granted land as rewards to officers.

Question 8.
Describe the condition of the society during the Rajput rulers.
Answer:

• Caste system was deeply rooted in the Indian society.
• The king, the feudal lords and the Brahmins enjoyed high positions in society but the Shudras were deprived of all privileges. They were under the burden of heavy taxes.
• The condition of women was quite miserable. They were deprived of education.
• Many evil practices such as sati, child marriage and polygamy were prevalent in the society. All of them contributed to the decline in the status of women.

Question 9.
List the effects on the social and economic life of the people due to the continuous infighting among the small kingdoms.
Answer:
The effects on the social and economic life of the people due to the continuous infighting among the small kingdoms are given below:

• The people led a life of poverty. They were deprived of all the facilities.
• Since the rulers were engaged in wars, so there was no one to listen to their problems.
• The Shudras cultivated land and were kept under heavy burden of taxes.

D. Long Answer Type Questions

Question 1.
Write notes on the following topics pertaining to the Rajput period: (a) Religion (b) Education (c) Art (d) Trade
Answer:
(a) Religion:

• The Rajputs were the great worshippers of Gods Vishnu and Shiva. They also worshipped Goddesses like Kali, Laxmi and Durga.
• The kings believed in giving gifts of land to the Brahmins, known as Brahmadeya or Agrahara.
• Hinduism was more popular than Buddhism. The Bhakti saints became popular who preached devotion to God. They discarded social discrimination, superstition and narrow mindedness.

(b) Education:

• The elementary education was limited to temples and monasteries. The universities of Nalanda and Vikramshila became centres for higher education.
• The study of philosophy and religion was encouraged but subjects like mathematics and science were ignored.
• Regional languages like Marathi, Gujarati and Bengali developed. But Sanskrit enjoyed a place of prominence.
• Pali and Prakrit languages were used for writing books on Buddhism and Jainism.

(c) Art:

• Mural paintings could be found in palaces, caves and temples.
• The Jain monks and painters of Bengal developed the art of miniature paintings.

(d) Trades:

• India under the Rajput period developed trade relations with the countries of the east, south¬east, west and central Asia and the European countries.
• This brought Indians into close contact with the developments of other countries.

Question 2.
The struggle among the Rashtrakutas, the Palas and the Pratiharas over Kanauj proved to be fatal for their kingdoms. Explain.
Answer:
Kanauj enjoyed prestigious position in north India. It was considered a symbol of power. Hence, all the three kingdoms; namely The Rashtrakutas, the Palas and the Pratiharas wished to establish their supremacy over Kanauj. They were continuously engaged in a struggle to possess it. Their struggle for supremacy was known as the Tripartite Struggle. Each of them succeeded in occupaying Kanauj in turns, as they were almost at par in military strength.

But the continuous battles weakened them and finally led to the decline of all the three great powers. Their empires disintegrated into many small kingdoms within a period of hundred years. This happened almost at the same time. Had they built a relationship with one another on mutual understanding they would have ruled for more time. Their unlimited ambitions marred them.