GRADE: 7

Chapter: New Kings and Kingdoms

KEY POINTS

Kingdom
 A kingdom is actually a piece of land only which is ruled by either a King or a
queen. In ancient India, there were many new kings and kingdoms.
 There were appearances of New Kings and Kingdoms.
 In different regions of the Indian subcontinent, there were big landlords and
warrior chiefs by the 7th century.

The Samantas
 They were mainly Samantas or subordinate to a king.
 The kings received a lot of gifts from them. The kings also received military
support from them.
 The king at the top of the hierarchy accepted and held big titles like Maharaj-
Adhiraj.
 These mighty kings shared their power with their Samantas and with an association
of peasants. There were many producers who were convinced to surrender.
 Then they used these resources to establish the king financially and for the
construction of temples and forts.

Dynasties
 The dynasties like Gujara–Pratihara, Rashtrakutas, and Pala fought for control over
the Kanauj.
 The war had three parties involved. Therefore, it is known as a tripartite struggle.
 It was a long-drawn conflict. Almost every year, Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni raided
the subcontinent and looted the temple also.
 They looted various temples like Somnath, Gujarat, and Mahmud.
 Prithviraj III was a popular Chauhan ruler. In 1191, he defeated t h e Afghan
ruler Mohammad Ghori. However, in 1192, he lost to him.

The Chola Dynasty

 The Chola Dynasty was in power from the latter half of the 9th century to the
beginning of the 13th century.
 Cholas are the successors of Vijayawada.
 Rajaraja was the most powerful Chola ruler.
 His son, Rajendra, occupied Srilanka along with those countries of Southeast
Asia.
 The Chola Empire’s bronze statues and temples stand as a testimony to its art
and architecture.