Towers, Traders And Craftspersons
Class 7th Our Pasts Ii CBSE Solution
Let's Recall
Question 1.Fill in the blanks:
(a) The Rajarajeshvara temple was built in ____________.
(b) Ajmer is associated with the Sufi saint ____________.
(c) Hampi was the capital of the ____________ Empire.
(d) The Dutch established a settlement at ___________ in Andhra Pradesh.
Answer:
(a) The Rajarajeshvara temple was built in 1010 A.D.
The Rajarajeshvara temple is regarded as one of the existing 108 ancient Shiva Temples located at Taliparamba in the Kannur district of Kerala
(b) Ajmer is associated with the Sufi saint Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti.
Sufi saint Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti, the chieftain and founder of the Chishtiyya silsila. He is one of the most respected and universally recognized figures in Sufism and Islam. He was a great spiritual leader and a reformer.
(c) Hampi was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire.
Two brothers Harihara (Hakka) I and Bukka Raya laid the foundation of the Vijaynagar city. It was one of the important kingdoms in the medieval Indian history. Vijaynagar Dynasty rules over India for 3 centuries.
(d) The Dutch established a settlement at Masulipatnam in Andhra Pradesh.
The town of Masulipatnam or Machlipatna lay on the delta of the Krishna-river. In the seventeenth century it was a centre of intense activity
Question 2.
State whether true or false:
(a) We know the name of the architect of the Rajarajeshvara temple from an inscription.
(b) Merchants preferred to travel individually rather than in caravans.
(c) Kabul was a major centre for trade in elephants.
(d) Surat was an important trading port on the Bay of Bengal.
Answer:
(a) We know the name of the architect of the Rajarajeshvara temple from an inscription (True)
Yes, we know the name of the architect of the Rajarajeshvara temple from an inscription.
(b) Merchants preferred to travel individually rather than in caravans (False)
In previous times merchants have to travel through many kingdoms and forests so they preferred to travel in caravans rather than individually.
(c) Kabul was a major centre for trade in elephants (False)
Kabul was a major centre for horse trade.
(d) Surat was an important trading port on the Bay of Bengal (False)
Surat was an important trading port in Gujarat.
Question 3.
How was water supplied to the city of Thanjavur?
Answer:
The water was supplied to the city from tanks and wells. The city was filled with the markets selling grains, spices, clothes and jewellery.
Question 4.
Who lived in the “Black Towns” in cities such as Madras?
Answer:
In eighteenth-century, trade and commerce underwent major changes. Merchants and artisans moved to live in towns of cities such as Madras. These towns were established by Europeans for locals whom they regarded as “black”. So these towns were known as “black towns” and merchants and artisans lived in these towns for trade.
Let's Understand
Question 1.Why do you think towns grew around temples?
Answer:
Reasons due to which towns grew around the temples were:
1. Because temples were central to the economy and society.
2. Temple authorities used their wealth to finance trade and banking.
3. Gradually people like, priests, artisans, traders and workers, starting to settle near the temple to cater to the needs of the temple.
4. Also, the large number of pilgrims provided ample opportunities for traders and artisans to conduct business.
Question 2.
How important were crafts persons for the building and maintenance of temples?
Answer:
Craftspersons played a crucial role in the building and adorning of temples:
1. For building temples, Vishwakarma community, which consisted of goldsmiths, blacksmiths, masons and carpenters, were essential.
2. Donations were also important for the temples so weavers such as Saliyar or Kaikkolars were the prosperous communities and they made ample amount of donation for the temples.
3. For building and maintenance of the temples with gold, silver, alloy-work, and textile and wood products, craft persons were needed.
4. They also catered to the needs of pilgrims, thereby forming an important part of the ongoing trade.
Question 3.
Why did people from distant lands visit Surat?
Answer:
People from distant lands visited Surat because:
1. Surat was the gateway of trade with West Asia.
2. It was also famous for its Zari textiles which had a huge market in West Asia, Africa and Europe.
3. It has also been called the gate of Mecca because many pilgrim ships set sail from here.
4. It has a big market of cotton textiles.
5. It also provides rest-houses to the traders who travelled from other locations.
Question 4.
In what ways was craft production in cities like Calcutta different from that in cities like Thanjavur?
Answer:
