© Government of Tamilnadu SOCIAL SCIENCE First Edition - 2004 Reprint - 2006 (HISTORY - CIVICS - GEOGRAPHY) CHAIRPERSON Mr. B. Ramanathan Mr. K. Devarajan Lecturer (S.G), Dept., of History Joint Director Presidency College Directorate of Govt. Examination Chennai - 600 005. Chennai - 600 006. STANDARD VII REVIEWERS Mr. K.S. Krishnasamy Sr. Dr. Dona Grace Jayaseely Lecturer (S.G), Dept. of History Dept. of Geography Pachaiyappa’s College Nirmala College for Women Chennai - 600 030. Coimbatore - 641 018. AUTHORS Untouchability is a sin Mr. K. Murugesan Dr. (Ms) J. Maria Anita Anandhi P.G. Asst. Dept. of Geography Untouchability is a crime Govt. Hr. Sec. School Nirmala College for Women Thiruporur, Kanchipuram Dist. Coimbatore - 641 018. Untouchability is inhuman Mrs. Beulah Devakumari, Mrs. V. Meenakshi, B.T. Asst. District Institute of Education and CSI, Corley Hr. Sec. School Training Chennai - 600 059. Kumulur, Trichy Dist. Mrs. Sujatha Madhukar, P.G. Teacher DAV Boys Senior Sec. School Chennai - 600 086 Price : Rs. TAMILNADU This book has been prepared by the Directorate of School Education TEXTBOOK CORPORATION on behalf of the Government of Tamilnadu College Road, Chennai - 600 006. This book has been printed on 60 GSM Paper CONTENTS CIVICS HISTORY 1. Our Nation - National Emblems 92 Page No 2. Social Awareness - Road Rules, Road Safety, 1. Chola Period - Sources - Rulers 1 First Aid. 100 2. Chola Administration - Local Administration - 3. Secular Policy of the state 110 Kudavolai System 10 4. Democracy - meaning - definition - direct and 3. Social, Economic and Religious Life of People under indirecsst democracy 116 the Cholas 18 5. Political Parties - Role - National and Regional 4. Cultural Development - Literature, Art and Parties - Funcstions 125 Architecture under the Cholas 25 6. What is meant by Human Rights - Child Rights 134 5. Second Pandiyan Empire - Sources - Rulers 33 GEOGRAPHY 6. Development of Literature - Art and Architecture Introduction 143 under Pandyas 41 1. The Earth 125 7. Tamilnadu under the Vijayanagar Empire - Social 2. Atmosphere 155 and cultural Impacts 49 3. Atmospheric Temperature 167 8. Tamilnadu under the Nayak Rule - Madurai, 4. Pressure 183 Tanjore, Ginjee and Vellore Nayaks - 5. Winds 193 Social and Cultural Condition 59 6. Atmospheric Humidity and Rainfall 205 9. Maratha Rule - Culture, Development of Literature 7. Climatic Types 223 and Art 71 8. Soil 231 10. Sethupathis, Thondaimans and Nawabs - Social life 9. Natural Vegetation and Wildlife 244 of people 80 iii iv UNIT – I I. CHOLA PERIOD – SOURCES – RULERS Learning Objectives: 1 To enable pupil to know the sources for the study of the Cholas. 2. To enable pupil to know the life and achievements of the Chola rulers. The Cholas and their contributions find significant place in the history of South India. The early Cholas ruled during the Sangam period. Karikala was the greatest king among the early Chola kings. After a long period, when the Pallava dynasty declined, the Chola kingdom began to shine once again. The greatness of the later Chola rule was revived by the Chola king Vijayalaya. The later Chola kings ruled from 850 A.D to 1279 A.D for nearly 430 years. AD – Anno Domini BC – Before Christ Sources: History of any society or kingdom can be written only with the help of available relevant source materials. Lot of inscriptions, archaeological and literary sources are available for the study of the history of the Cholas. Great literature like Mahavamsam talk about the early Cholas. Foreign visitors like Megasthenes, give useful informations about the early Cholas. The inscriptions of Ashoka and many contemporary sources talk about the early Chola kings and also about the early Chola rule. Inscriptions: Inscriptions are the main sources of information for the history of the Chola period. Inscriptions talk about the life of the rulers, 1 administration, political, economic, Numismatic Sources: religious, social and cultural conditions The Chola kings issued gold, silver and copper coins. Specimen during the Chola period. Inscriptions of gold coins are extremely rare. Silver and copper coins are found in were placed on the walls of the plenty. temples and pillars. This is amply illustrated in the Brahadeeswarar temple at Tanjore known as “Big temple”. Many important inscriptions are found in Cuddalore, Villupuram, Karandhai Plate Trichy, Tanjore, Chidambaram, Kumbakonam and Nagapattinam. The stone inscriptions give us useful informations about the administration of the Chola rulers. Thiruvandhipuram inscriptions speak about the reign of Rajendra III. The Uttaramerur inscriptions give Figure of tiger was engraved as the Chola emblem on every informations about the kudavolai system, village administration, taxation Chola coin issued during that period. Names of the Chola Kings were and land revenue. Meikirthis are also found in inscriptions. Anbil plates, also engraved on chola coins. King Rajaraja issued a new Ceylon type the Kanyakumari stone inscription, Karanthai plates and Thiruvalangadu of coins Chola coins are useful to fix the chronology of the Chola rulers. copper plates give useful informations about the Cholas. The Tanjore Coins are also useful to study the social and economic condition of the Chola period. Peruvudaiyar temple inscriptions talk about the existence of saivism. The inscriptions of contemporary rulers like Cheras, Pandyas, Numismatics means a study of coins. Rashtrakutas and Gangas speak about the Cholas. Literature: Literary sources are very useful for the study of Monuments: Monuments are important sources for the history of the both Sangam Cholas and later Cholas. Sekkilar’s Periyapuranam deals Cholas. Monuments are part of the temples. The Brahadeeswarar with the life of Saiva devotees. Sekkilar was a contemporary of temple of Tanjore, the Gangaikonda Cholapuram temple, Kulothunga – II. Kalingathuparani of Jayamkondan, three Ulas and the Airavateesvarar temple of Dharasuram and the Kambagareswarar Kulothungan pillai tamil of Ottakoothar give useful informations temple in Thirupuvanam are some of the important monuments of the about the Cholas. Other literary works like Veerasoliyam, Sthalapuranam, Navachola charitham and Cholavamsa charitham speak Cholas. about the early Cholas. 2 3 Foreign sources: Mahavamsam the Ceylon literature talks Rajaraja the Great: about the relationship between the early Chola country and Ceylon 985AD–1014 AD: Rajaraja – I kingdom. It also speaks about the Chola rule in Ceylon. European was son of Parantaka – II and travellor Marcopolo and foreign writer Megasthanese give interesting Vanavan Mahadevi. Thiruvalangadu informations about the Cholas. Al-beruni a muslim historian writes about plates speak about Rajaraja-I. He the Cholas. was the most powerful king of the Chola dynasty. The greatness of Later Chola Dynasty: King Vijayalaya was the founder of the later Rajaraja brought glory not only to Chola dynasty. He captured Tanjore from the Muttaraiyas and made it the Chola kingdom, but also to the his capital in 850 A.D. He defeated the Pallava King Aparajitha and Tamil country. He issued several conquered his Kingdom. He also annexed the Kongu country. He was inscriptions. Rajaraja had a strong a worshipper of Siva. He built Siva temples in many places. army. He defeated the Chera army Parantaka–I:- 907AD–953 AD: Uttaramerur inscriptions speak at Thiruvanathapuram. He also about Parantaka – I. He was son of Aditya. He conquered many parts defeated Baskara Ravi the Raja of of Southern India and extended his boundary. He captured Madurai. Kollam. He assumed a title He took up the title Maduraikondan to commemorate his victory over “Kandalur salai Kalamarutharuliya”. the Pandya king. After defeating the combined armies of the Pandyas He defeated the Pandya king and Ceylon kings, he assumed the title “Maduraiyum Ezhamum Kondan”. Amarabhujangan. He extended his empire upto Nellore in north. Rajaraja defeated Mahinda V the king of Ceylon and occupied Parantaka improved village administration. He was a devotee Anuradhapuram and the northern part of Ceylon. He made Polonnaruva of Lord Siva. He provided golden roof to the Nataraja temple at city a new capital. Rajaraja got the title “Mummudi Cholan” after the Chidambaram and came to be called as “Pon Veintha Cholan”. Parantaka conquest of three southern kingdoms of Cheras, Pandyas and Ceylon. was succeeded by Kandaraditya, Arinjaya, SundaraChola alias Parantaka II and UttamaChola. He captured Gangapadi, Tadigaipadi and Nolambapadi in the Mysore region. He successfully completed digvijayam with the conquest of Meikirthis are life history or Biographies of Kings vilignam. He conqured Kalinga and Maldives island. He also had titles with details of their achievements ‘Arunmozhi’, ‘Rajakesari’. Rajaraja was ably assisted by his efficient son Rajendra. 4 5 Rajaraja was an able administrator. He introduced land survey Kulothunga-I:- 1070–1170 AD : Kulathunga gave a new turning point system. He encouraged local self government through out his empire. to the Chola history. Literary sources like Kulothunga cholan pillaitamil, He built the big temple namely Brahadeeswarar temple in Tanjore and Vikrama Cholan Ula speak about his administration and military Siva temple in Quilon and Polonnaruva. He was a devotee of Lord conquests. He controlled the Pandya and Chera kings. He fought with the western chalukya king Vikramadithya. During the reign of Siva. He encouraged Buddhism and supported Saivism. He gave Kulothunga, the Chola empire was very