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NEW KINGS AND KINGDOMS(EXERCISE SOLUTION)

Chapter 2                                                  

Class
History

 New Kings and
Kingdoms

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1. Match the following:

a. Gurjara-Pratiharas         
i) Western Deccan

b. Rashtrakutas                    ii)
Bengal

c. Palos                                  iii) Gujarat and Rajasthan

d. Cholas                               iv
) Tamil Nadu

 Answer:

a.  Gurjara-Pratiharas       iii)
Gujarat and Rajasthan

b.   Rashtrakutas               
  i) Western Deccan

c.    Palas                                ii) Bengal

d.   Cholas                             iv) Tamil
Nadu
 

2. Who were the parties involved in the
‘tripartite struggle’?

Answer:

The parties involved in the tripartite
struggle were Gurjar-Pratihara, Rashtrakuta, and Pala dynasties.

3. What were the qualifications necessary
to become a member of a committee of the sabha in the Chola Empire?

Answer:

 All
those who wish to become members of the sabh:

1.    They
 should be owners of the land from which
land, revenue is collected.

2.    They
should have their own homes.

3.    They
should be between 35 and 70 years of age.

4.    They
should have knowledge of the Vedas.

5.    They
should be well-versed in administrative matters and honest in all dealings.

4. What were the two major cities under
the control of the Chahamanas?

Answer: 

Delhi and Ajmer were the two cities under
control of the Chahamanas.

 5. How did the Rashtrakutas become
powerful?

Answer:

Rashtrakutas became powerful in the
following manner:

1. Rashtrakutas
were subordinates to the Chalukyas of Karnataka.

2. In
the mid-eighth century Dantidurga, a Rashtrakuta chief, overthrew his Chalukyan
overlord.

3. He
performed a ritual called Hiranya-garbha with the help of Brahmanas.

4. This
ritual was, then, considered to lead the rebirth of the sacrificer as
Kshatriya, even if he was not Kshatriya by birth.

6. What did the new dynasties do to gain
acceptance?

Answer: 

1. The
new dynasties gained power and wealth.
2. Thereafter
they declared themselves to be Maha-Samantas or Mahamandaleshwara.
3. Many
of such kings adopted high sounding titles like Maharaja-Adhiraja or Tribhuvana-chakravartin.
4. They
also deputed learned brahmanas to depict them as valiant, victorious warriors.
5. Their
activities were recorded in Prashastis.
6. They
tried to demonstrate their power and resources by building large temples.
 

7. What kind of irrigation works were
developed in the Tamil Nadu?

Answer:

Large scale cultivation was developed in
Tamil Nadu and in many cases artificial irrigation became necessary. A variety
of methods were used:

a)   Wells
were dug.

b)  Huge
tanks were constructed to collect rainwater.

c)   Canals
were constructed

All this work required planning,
organizing labour and resources. Decisions were taken collectively on the usage
of water. New rulers and people took an active interest in these activities.

8. What were the activities associated
with Chola temples?

Answer:

Splendid temples and bronze sculptures of
the Cholas:

a)   Rajaraja
and Rajendra built big temples of Thanjavur and Gangaikondacholapuram.

b)  They
are architectural and sculptural marvels.

c)   Chola
temples often became the centre of settlements around them.

d)  These
were centres of craft production.

e)   Temples
were also endowed with land by both rulers and others.

In other words, temples were not only
places of worship; but also the hub of economic, social and cultural life.

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                             Very Short Answer Type Questions

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1. Who was Dantidurga?

Answer: Dantidurga was a Rashtrakuta chief
who turned out to be a kshatriya after performing a ritual known as
hiranya-garbha.

2. What was called ‘rent’?

Answer: 
Resources obtained from the producers were called ‘rent’.

3. Who paid revenue?

Answer: 
The traders paid revenue

 4. What were ‘Prashastis’?

Answer: 
Prashastis were the details depicting the rule and personality of the
rulers

 5. Who were the writers of Prashastis?

Answer: 
The learned brahmanas were the writers of the Prashastis.

 6. Who was Kalhana?

Answer: Kalhana was a great Sanskrit poet
from Kashmir.

 7. What was ‘tripartite struggle’?            

Answer: 
The tripartite sruggle was a long drawn conflict among the rulers of
Gurjara-Pratihara, Rashtrakuta and Pala dynasties for control over Kanauj.

 8. Who wrote Kitab al-Hind?

Answer: 
A great Arab poet al-Baruni wrote Kitab al-Hind

 9. Who was Prithviraja in ?

Answer: Prithviraja III was a famous
Chauhan ruler of Delhi and surrounding regions during 1168-1192.

 10. Who destroyed the temple of Somnath?

Answer: Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni, a ruler
of Afghanistan, destroyed the temple of Somnath.

 11 Why are the temples of Thanjavur and
Gangaikonda-cholapuram famous for?

Answer: 
These temples are famous for their architectural and sculptural marvels.

 12. What was called as ‘ur’?

Answer: 
The settlements of peaseants were called as ‘ur’.

 13. What were called ‘nadu’?

Answer: The larger units of the groups of
‘ur’ were called ‘nadu’.

 14. What was known as ‘brahmadeya’?

Answer: The land gifted to Brahmanas was
called as ‘brahmadeya’.

 15. Define ‘nagarams’.

Answer: ‘Nagarams’ were the associationa
of traders

 16. What was ‘sabha’?

Answer: 
An assembly of prominent Brahmanas that looked after brahmadeya was
called ‘sabha’.

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                                     Short
Answer Type Questions

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 1. Write a note on ‘Prashastis’.

Answer: 

 Prashastis, often written by learned
Brahmanas, were details of the functioning of a king. They may not be literally
true. They tell us how rulers wanted to depict themselves—as valiant,
victorious warriors etc. Brahmanas were rewarded by grants of land which were
recorded on copper plates.

 2. Who was Kalhana? Why was he famous for?

Answer: 

 Kalhana was a great Sanskrit poet who
wrote a long Sanskrit poem depicting the ruler of Kashmir. He used a variety of
sources, including inscriptions, documents, eyewitness accounts. He was
different from the writers of Prashastis for he was often critical about rulers
and their policies.

 3. Who was Prithvirqja III? Who defeated
him?

Answer:

 Prithviraja III (1168-1192) was a Chahamanas,
later known as Chauhan ruler. He ruled over the regions around Delhi and Ajmer.
He defeated Sultan Muhammad Ghori, an Afghan conqueror in 1191. But only one
year after it in 1192 he was defeated by Ghori. It was the end of his rule and
life both.

 4. What was the role of temples during
Chola kingdom?

Answer: 

The Chola rulers like Rajaraja and
Rajendra built two great temples of Thanjavur and Ganaikondacholapuram
respectively. Temples were the nuclei of settlements during this period. They
were the centres of craft production and also controlled the financial aspects
related to them. Hence, they were not only the religious centres but also the
hub of economic, social, and cultural life as well.

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