Class 7th (A and C) Social Studies History 7th week assignment Chapter-2 New Kings and kingdoms The Emergence of New Dynasties
• By the seventh century there were big landlords or warrior chiefs in different regions of the subcontinent.
The Rashtrakutas
• The Rashtrakutas in the Deccan were subordinates to the Chalukyas of Karnataka.
• During the mid-eighth century, a Rashtrakuta chief called Dantidurga overthrew his Chalukya overlord.
• Gurjara-Pratihara Harichandra and Kadamba Mayurasharman were Brahmanas successfully established kingdoms in Karnataka and Rajasthan respectively.
Administration in the Kingdoms
• Many of these new kings often shared power with their samantas as well as with associations of peasants, traders and Brahmanas.
• Revenue in the form of land rent was collected from peasants, cattle-keepers and artisans and Traders.
Prashastis and Land Grants
• Prashastis depicted the image that the kings wished to project about themselves.
• These were composed by learned Brahmanas who were rewarded by grants of land.
Warfare for Wealth
Tripartite Struggle
• Kanauj, a city in the Ganga valley was an important city of the time.
• For centuries, rulers belonging to the Gurjara-Pratihara, Rashtrakuta and Pala dynasties fought for control over Kanauj, called as the “tripartite struggle”.
Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni
• Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni from Afghanistan (ruled from 997 to 1030) raided the subcontinent almost every year and targeted wealthy temples, including Somnath in Gujarat.
Chahamanas or the Chauhans • The Chahamanas or the Chauhans, who ruled around Delhi and Ajmer, attempted to expand their control to the west and the east.
• They were opposed by the Chalukyas of Gujarat and the Gahadavalas of western Uttar Pradesh.
The Cholas
• Cholas were subordinates of the Pallava kings of Kanchipuram.
• Vijayalaya, of the Chola family from Uraiyur, captured the Kaveri delta from Muttaraiyar in the middle of the ninth century.
• The successors of Vijayalaya conquered neighbouring regions such as the Pandyan and the Pallava territories to the south and north.
• The most powerful Chola ruler was Rajaraja I.
Splendid Temples and Bronze Sculpture
• The big temples of Thanjavur and Gangaikonda-cholapuram, built by Rajaraja and Rajendra, are sculptural and architectural marvels.
Agriculture and Irrigation
• The river Kaveri branches off into several small channels before draining into the Bay of Bengal. → Water from these channels provides the necessary moisture for agriculture, particularly the cultivation of rice.
• Forests were cleared and land was levelled for agriculture in many areas.
• Wells were dug and tanks were constructed to collect rainwater
The Administration of the Empire
• Settlements of peasants, called ur, became prosperous with the spread of irrigation agriculture.
Important Questions with answers
1) How did the Rashtrakutas become powerful?
A:(i) Rashtrakutas in the Deccan initially were subordinate to the Chalukyas of Karnataka. (ii) In the mid-eighth century, Dantidurga, a Rashtrakuta chief, overthrew his Chalukya overlord and performed a ritual called hiranya-garbha (literally, the golden womb). (iii) when this ritual was performed with the help of Brahmanas, it was thought that the sacrificer could be reborn as a Kshatriya, even if he was a non-Kshatriya by birth. (iv) When the Rashtrakutas gained power and wealth, they declared themselves independent from their overlords and established their own territories.
Q:2 What were the two major cities under the control of the Chahamanas?
A:Delhi and Ajmer were the two major cities under the control of the Chahamanas. Q:3 Contrast the “elections” in Uttaramerur with present day panchayat elections.
A:The “elections” in Uttaramerur:
In the elections for the members of the Sabha in Uttaramerur, names of those eligible to be members of these committees were written on small tickets of palm leaf and kept in an earthenware pot, from which a young boy was asked to pick the tickets, one by one for each committee. Present day panchayat elections: The present day panchayat elections are held based on the universal adult franchise. Every adult in India, irrespective of their wealth and the communities, she/he belongs to, has one vote.
Q:4 Who were the parties involved in the “tripartite struggle”?
A: The parties involved in the "tripartite struggle" were: (i) Gurjara-Pratiharas (ii) Rashtrakutas (iii) Palas
Q:5 What were the activities associated with Chola temples?
A: Activities associated with Chola temples: (i) Chola temples were centres of craft production. They were also endowed with land by rulers as well as by others. (ii) They were not only places of worship but also were the hub of economic, social and cultural life as well. (iii) Priests, garland makers, cooks, sweepers, musicians, dancers, etc. lived near the temple and provided many varieties of services. (iv) Temples were also associated with the making of Chola bronze images which are considered amongst the finest in the world. Q:6 What kind of irrigation works were developed in the Tamil region?
A: Kind of irrigation works developed in the Tamil region: (i) Water from the channels of river Kaveri provided the necessary moisture for agriculture, particularly the cultivation of rice. (ii) In the Delta region, embankments were built to prevent flooding. (iii) Canals were constructed to carry water to the fields. (iv) Sluice-gates were built to regulate the outflow of water from a tank into the channels that irrigated the fields. (v) In some areas, wells were dug, and in some places huge tanks were constructed to collect rainwater.
Q:7 What did the new dynasties do to gain acceptance?
A: (i) The new dynasties in specific regions were acknowledged by existing kings as their subordinates or samantas.
(ii) They were expected to bring gifts for their kings or overlords, be present at their courts and provide them with military support.
(iii) They gained power and wealth and declared themselves maha-samanta, mahamandaleshvara (the great lord of a “circle” or region) and so on.
(iv) They asserted their independence from their overlords.
(v) They performed rituals to be reborn themselves as Kshatriya with the help of Brahmanas.
(vi) They fought war with neighbouring regions to gain power and also built temple to acknowledge it.
Q:8 What were the qualifications necessary to become a member of a committee of the sabha in the Chola Empire?
A: (i) Qualifications necessary to become a member of a committee of the sabha in the Chola Empire are:
Members of the sabha should be owners of land from which land revenue is collected. They should have their own homes. They should be between 35 and 70 years of age. They should have knowledge of the Vedas. They should be well-versed in administrative matters and honest. If anyone has been a member of any committee in the last three years, he cannot become a member of another committee. Anyone who has not submitted his accounts, as well as those of his relatives, cannot contest the elections.