KINGS AND KINGDOMS

Class 7 History
SECTION A:- 
Q1. Fill in the blanks

i. As samantas gained power and wealth, they declared themselves to be maha-

samantas, mahamandaleshvara.
ii. The best-known Chahamana/Chauhan ruler was Prithviraja III, who defeated
an Afghan ruler named Sultan Muhammad Ghori in 1191.
iii. Tang dynasty remained in power between the seventh and tenth century.

Q2. Write True or False

i. Prashastis were composed by learned Brahmanas. True

ii. Initially Cholas were subordinate to the Chalukyas of Karnataka. False  
iii. Revenue was also collected from traders. True
 
SECTION B:
Q1. From the map below, locate the Gurjara-Pratiharas, Rashtrakutas,
Palas, Cholas and Chahamanas (Chauhans) and answer the following
questions:

a. Suggest reasons why rulers like Gurjara-Pratihara, Rashtrakuta and

Pala wanted to control Kanauj and the Ganga valley.
Ans. The city of Kanuaj and the Ganga Valley was a prized area as it was very fertile.
For centuries, rulers belonging to the Gurjara-Pratihara, Rashtrakuta and Pala
dynasties fought for control over Kanauj. Historians often describe it as the ‘tripartite
struggle.

b. Look at the map and discuss some reasons why the Chahamanas may
have wanted to expand their territories.

Ans. Chahamanas attempted to expand their control to the west and the east, where
they were opposed by the Chalukyas and the Gahadavalas of western Uttar Pradesh.
The dynasty of Chahamanas enjoyed the central position in the subcontinent. It,
therefore may have wanted to expand its territories in all the direction. It also must
have enjoyed enormous resources needed for its expansion of territories as their domain
lied in the fertile land irrigated by the waters of Yamuna and Ganga rivers. Therefore it
must have been the wealthiest of all the neighbouring dynasties, wanting to wage wars
against its neighbours.

SECTION C:

Q1. Think and Answer

A. What titles did the new kings adopt?
Ans. Many new kings adopted high sounding titles. These titles were Maharaja-adhiraj
meaning great king, overlord of kings, Tribhuvan-chakravartin meaning lord of the
three worlds, and so on.

B. Where was the information about grants of lands to Brahmins recorded?

What language was the information recorded in?
Ans. Kings often rewarded Brahmanas with grants of land. These were recorded on
copper plates. The plates were given to those who received land. The information was
written partly in Sanskrit and partly in Tamil.

C. How many different types of taxes were there in the Cholas kingdom and what
were they used for?
Ans. The inscriptions of the Cholas who rules in Tamil Nadu refer to more than 400
terms for different types of taxes. The most frequently mentioned tax is Vetti, taken not
in cash but in the form of forced labor, and Kadami, or land revenue. There were also
taxes on thatching the houses, the use of ladder to climb trees, a cess on succession to
family property, etc. these resources were used to finance the king’s establishment, as
well as for the construction of temples and forts. They were also used to fight wars,
which were in turn expected to lead to the acquisition of wealth in the form of plunder,
and access to land as well as trade routes.
 
D. What was so unusual about the writings of Kalhana?
Ans. Unlike the writers of prashastis, Kalhana was often critical about rulers and their
policies. This was the unusual feature about Kalhana.