Q 1 – Name the activities which flourished in towns and villages?
Ans. Arts, crafts and production activities flourished in towns and villages.
Q 2 – Why were social changes not same at all the places?
Ans. Social change was not the same everywhere, because different kinds of societies evolved differently.
Q 3 – Under which rules was the society divided?
Ans. Society was already divided according to the rules of vama.
Q 4 – Who prescribed the rules of varna?
Ans The rules of vama were prescribed by the Brahmanas.
Q 5 – What did the vama system resulted in? .
Ans. From the vama system difference between the high and low, and between the rich and poor were increased
Q 6 – Where did tribes live?
Ans. Many tribes usually lived in forests, hills, deserts and places difficult to reach.
Q 7 – Name the tribes which used to live in Punjab?
Ans. Khokhar tribes were lived in Punjab.
Q 8 – Which tribal communities lived in Multan and Sind?
Ans. Langahs and Arghuns lived in Multan and Sind.
Q 9 – Which tribal community was found in north-west?
Ans. Balochis were another large and powerful tribe in the north-west.
Q 10 – Name the tribe which lived in western Himalaya?
Ans. In the western Himalaya lived the shepherd tribe of Gaddis.
Q 11 – In which part of the subcontinent did Nagas and Ahoms tribes live?
Ans. In the north-eastern part of the subcontinent.
Q 12 – Name the most important trader nomads?
Ans. The Banjaras were the most important trader nomads.
Q 13 – Name the tribal communities which emerged as new Rajput clans?
Ans. The tribal communities which emerged as new Rajput clans were Hunas, Chandelas, Chalukyas and others.
Q 14 – What do you understand by word ‘tanda’?
Ans. The Banjaras were the most important trader nomads. Their caravan was called tanda.
Q 15 – What was the occupation of pastoral tribes?
Ans. The main occupation of pastoral tribes was cattle and horse rearing. They sold these animals to the prosperous people.
Q 16 – What was sold by the Petty Pedlars?
Ans. Petty Pedlars travelled from village to village. They made and sold ropes, reeds, straw matting and coarse sacks.
Q 17 – What did the entertainers do for their livelihood?
Ans. Some castes of tribes were entertainers who performed in different towns and villages for their livelihood.
Q 18 – What has been mentioned in Akbar Nama about the Gonds?
Ans. In the Akbar Nama, it has been mentioned that the Gond kingdom of Garha Katanga had 70,000 villages.
Q 19 – Who were specialized artisans?
Ans. Smiths, carpenters and masons were specialized artisans.
Q 20 – Name any two tribes which lived in the extreme South.
Ans. Vetars and Maravars.
Q 21 – What are itinerant groups?
Ans. Itinerant groups are craftspersons, pedlars and entertainers who travel from place to place practicing their different occupations.
Q 22 – What are tribes?
Ans. Tribes are the people who do not follow the social rules and rituals prescribed by the Brahmanas and nor were they divided into numerous unequal classes Such societies are often called tribes.
Q 23 – How did tribes obtain their livelihood?
Ans. Tribes obtained their livelihood from agriculture, herders. Some tribes were nomadic and moved from one place to another with their animals. They sell animal produces and buy other things of their need.
Q 24 – How did tribal societies change?
Ans. Caste-based and tribal societies also depended on each other for their diverse needs. This relationship, of conflict and dependence, gradually caused both societies to change.
Q 25 – How did the customs and traditions of tribes preserved?
Ans. Mostly tribal people did not keep written records, but they preserved rich customs and oral traditions. These were passed down to each new generation.
Q 26 – How did Sultan Alaudddin Khalji used the Banjaras?
Ans. Sultan Alauddin Khalji used the Banjaras to transport grain to the city markets. They also transported food grain for the Mughal army during military campaigns.
Q 27 – Give the name of different lineages which were powerful?
Ans. Among the Kshatriyas, new Rajput clans became powerful by the 11th and 12th centuries. They belonged to different lineages, such as Hunas, Chandelas, Chalukyas and others. Some of these had been tribes earlier. Many of these clans came to be regarded as Rajputs.
Q 28 – Give a brief account of the Gonds tribes.
Ans. He Gonds lived in a vast forested region called Gondwana. They practised shifting cultivation. They had many clans and each clan had its own raja or rai. In the Akbar Nama it has been mentioned that the Gond kingdom of Garha Katanga had 70,000 villages The kingdom was divided into garhs. This was further divided into units of 84 villages called chaurasi. The Chaurasi was subdivided into barhots which were made up of 12 villages each.
Q 29 – What do you understand by Shifting cultivation?
Ans. In the Shifting cultivation trees and bushes in a forest area are first cut and burnt. The crop is sown in the ashes. When this land loses its fertility, another plot of land is cleared and planted in the same way.
Q 30 – What did Peter Mundy write about pastoral nomads?
Ans. Peter Mundy wrote about pastoral nomads that they carried wheat, rice and even their wives and children with them. They buy grain from where it was cheaply available and sold it to places where they could earn profit.
Q 31 – Describe Nomadic pastoralists and their different types.
Ans. Nomads are wandering people. Many of them are pastoralists who roam from one pasture to another with their flocks and herds. They lived on milk and other pastoral products. They exchanged wool, ghee etc., for grain, cloth, utensils and other products. Many pastoral tribes reared and sold animals such as cattle and horses to the prosperous people.
The Banjaras were the most important trader nomads. Their caravan was called tanda. Sultan Alauddin Khalji used the Banjaras to transport grain to the city markets. They transported food grain for the Mughal army during military campaigns.
Different castes of petty pedlars also travelled from village to village. They made and sold ropes, reeds and straw matting and coarse sacks. Some castes were entertainers who performed in different towns and villages for their livelihood.
Q 32 – Give a brief account of different communities of tribes and their place of habitation.
Ans. In Punjab, the Khokhar tribe was very influential during the 13th and 14th centuries. Langahs and Arghuns tribals dominated extensive regions in Multan and Sind. The Balochis were another large and powerful tribe in the north-west. They were divided into many smaller clans under different chiefs. In the western Himalaya lived the shepherd tribe of Gaddis.
The north-eastern part of the subcontinent too was entirely dominated by tribes-the Nagas, Ahoms and many others. In many areas of present-day Bihar and Jharkhand, Chero Chiefdoms had emerged by the 12th century.
The Mundas and Santals tribes lived in this region and also in Orissa and Bengal. Kolies, Berads and others belonged to Maharashtra highlands and Karnataka. Kolies also lived in many areas of Gujarat. In South, there were large tribal populations of Koragas, Vetars, Maravars and others.
The large tribes of Bhils were spread across western and central India. Many of them had become settled agriculturists and some even zamindars. The Gonds were found in great numbers across the present-day states of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh.
Q 33 – Describe the tribes who were powerful.
Ans. In Multan and Sind, the Langahs and Arghuns dominated extensive regions. The Balochis were another large and powerful tribes in the north-west. In many areas of present-day Bihar and Jharkhand, Chero Chiefdoms had emerged by the 12th century.
Q 34 – Who were the Ahoms? Give brief information about the Ahoms.
Ans. The Ahoms migrated to the Brahmaputra valley from Myanmar in the 13th century. During the 16th century they annexed the kingdoms of Chhutiyas and Koch-Hajo and subjugated many other tribes. The Ahoms built a large state and for this they used firearms and high quality gunpowder and cannons Almost all adult males served in the army during war. They were engaged in building dams, irrigation systems and other public works. The Ahoms also introduced new methods of rice cultivation. The Ahom society was divided into clans or khels and a Khel controlled over several villages.
Q 35 – State Ahoms faith in religion and their historical work.
Ans. The Ahoms worshipped their own tribal gods however, the influence of Brahmanas increased. Temples, Brahmanas, poets and scholars were granted land by the king. In the reign of Sib Singh, Hinduism became the predominant religion, but the Ahom kings did not completely give up their traditional beliefs after adopting Hinduism. The Ahoms translated important works of Sanskrit into the local language which are counted as Historical works..
Q 36 – Were the Banjaras important for the economy?
Ans. The Banjaras were very important for the economy. They were trader-nomads and controlled trade and commerce. They played an important role in transporting grain to the city markets. They usually bought grain where it was cheaply available and carried it to places where it was dearer. From there, they again reloaded their oxen with anything that could be profitably sold in other places.
Q 37 – In what ways was the history of the Gonds different from that of the Ahoms? Were there any similarities?
Ans. The history of the Gonds was different from that of the Ahoms in the following ways:
- Gonds lived in Gondwana while Ahoms lived in Brahmaputra valley.
- Gonds practiced shifting cultivation while Ahoms did not practice shifting cultivation.
- Gond kingdoms were large, Ahom kingdom was small.
- Gond kingdoms were divided into garhs, Ahoms built a large state.
- Gonds did not use fire-arms, Ahoms used fire-arms for the first time in the history of the subcontinent
The similarity is that both were tribes:
- The Mughals tried to control the lands of both at different point of time.
- There were changes in society of both due to the diversification of occupations.
Q 38 – Plot the location of the tribes mentioned in this chapter on a map. For any two, discuss whether their mode of livelihood was suited to the geography and the environment of the area where they lived.
Ans. Several tribes live in different parts of India. See the map given below
These tribes settled temporarily at the places which suited them as per their need and livelihood. Whenever they found the environment or their mode of living unfavourable, they migrated to other suitable places.
Q 39 – Find out about present-day government policies towards tribal populations and organise a discussion about these.
Ans. Policies about Tribal population
- Overall upliftment.
- Land rights.
- Education.
- Cultural and social upliftment.
- Roads, water, industries.
- Mainstreaming.
- Enforcement of reservation in government jobs.
Q 40 – Find out more about present-day nomadic pastoral groups in the sub-continent.
Ans. What animals do they keep? Which are the areas frequented by these groups? Ans. Present-day nomadic pastoral groups in the sub-continent are – Gaddi shepherds living in the western Himalayas, Gujjar Bakarwals, living in Jammu & Kashmir, Banjaras living in Rajasthan. These nomadic people keep sheep, goats, and camels. They frequently visit the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand, Jammu & Kashmir, and Rajasthan.
Q 41 – How did the castes of entertainers earn their livelihood?
Ans. They earned their livelihood by performing in different towns and villages.
Q 42 – Which tribe was very influential in Punjab during the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries?
Ans. The Khokhar tribe was very influential in Punjab during the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries
Q 43 – Name the tribe which was powerful in the north-west.
Ans. Balochis
Q 44 – Name any two tribes which lived in the extreme South
Ans. Vetars and Matravers
Q 45 – Who were specialised artisans?
Ans. Smiths, carpenters, and masons were specialised artisans.
Q 46 – Who controlled Garh?
Ans. A Gond clan usually controlled the Garh.
Q 47 – What made the Brahmanas more influential in the Gond Society?
Ans. The Gond raja began to grant land to the Brahmanas. This made them influential.
Q 48 – Who was Aman Das?
Ans. He was the Gond raja of Garha Katanga.
Q 49 – Who was Durgaivaii?
Ans. She was the daughter of Salbahan, the Chandel Rajput raja of Mahoba. She got married to Dalpat, the son of the Gond raja Aman Das.
Q 50 – When did the Mughal forces attack Garha Katanga?
Ans. The Mughal forces attacked Garha Katangst in 1565.
Q 51 – What made Garha Katanga a rich state?
Ans. Garha Katanga earned huge wealth by trapping and exporting wild elephants to other kingdoms. This made it a rich state.
Q 52 – Name the items which the Mughals captured by defeating the Goods.
Ans. Precious coins and elephants.
Q 53 – Who introduced new methods of rice cultivation?
Ans. The Ahoms introduced new methods of rice cultivation.
Q 54 – When did the Mughals attack the Ahom kingdom?
Ans. The Mughals attacked the Ahom kingdom in 1662
Q 55 – What do present-day historians use to write tribal histories?
Ans. They use oral traditions and rich customs of the tribal people to write their (tribals’) histories.
Q 56 – Mention some special features of tribal societies.
Ans. ome special features of tribal societies are :
- They did not follow the social rules and rituals which the Brahmanas prescribed.
- They were not divided into many unequal classes.
- Members of the society were united by kinship bonds.
Q 57 – How did the tribal people earn their livelihood?
Ans. The main occupation of the tribal people was agriculture. But there were also hunter-gatherers or herders. Most often they combined these activities to make full use of the natural resources of the area in which they lived. Some tribes were nomadic moving from one place to another.
A tribal group controlled land and pastures jointly and divided these amongst household as per its own rules
Q 58 – Write a short note on Bcuyaras’.
Ans. The Banjaras were important trader nomads. They usually moved in caravan known as tanda. A tanda contained as many as 6 or 7 hundred persons. They carried their wives and children along with them. They owned their oxen. They bought grain where it was cheaply available and carried it to places where it was dearer. From there, they again reloaded their oxen with anything that could be profitably sold in other places. The Banjaras did not travel more than 6 or 7 miles a day. They preferred cool weather. After unloading their oxen, they freed them to graze
Q 59 – How did Sultan Alauddin Khalji and the Mughals use the Bcuyaras?
Ans. Sultan Alauddin Khalji used the Banjaras to transport grain to the city markets. Under the Mughals the Banjaras carried grain on their bullocks from different areas and sold it in towns. They transported food grain for the Mughal army during military campaigns.
Q 60 – Write a brief note on the administrative system of the Gond kingdom.
Ans. The Gond Kingdom was divided into garhs. Each garh was controlled by a particular Gond clan. This was further divided into units of 84 villages called chaurasi. The chaurasi was subdivided into barhots which were made up of 12 villages each.
Q 61 – Write in brief about Rani DurgawatL
Ans. Rani Durgawati was married to Dalpat, the son of the Gond raja of Garha Katanga, Aman Das. Dalpat, however, died early. After his death, Rani Durgawati, being very capable, began to rule on behalf of her five-year-old son, Bir Narain. She extended her kingdom veiy soon. In 1565, when the Mughal forces under Asaf Khan attacked Garha Katanga, she put up a strong resistance. Finally, she was defeated. But she did not surrender, Instead she preferred to die.
Q 62 – Who were the Ahoms? How did they build a large state?
Ans. The Ahoms were the tribal people who migrated to the Brahmputra valley from present-day Myanmar in the 13th century. They created a new state by suppressing the older political system of the bhuiyans i.e. landlords. During the 16th century, they annexed the kingdoms of the Chhutiyas in 1523 and of Koch- Hajo in 1581. They also subjugated many other tribes. In this way, the Ahoms built a large state and for this they used firearms as early as 1530s.
Q 63 – Give a brief account of the tribal people found in different parts of the subcontinent
Ans. Tribal people were found in almost every region of the sub-continent. In Punjab, the Khokhar tribe was influential during the 13th and 14th centuries. Later, the Gakkhars became more important. In Multan and Sind, the Langahs and Arghuns dominated extensive regions. The Balochis were another large and powerful tribe in the north-west. In the western Himalayas, the Gaddi Shepherds lived. The Nagas, Ahoms and many others lived in the distant north-eastern part of the subcontinent. In many areas of present-day Bihar and Jharkhand, Chero Chiefdoms had emerged by the 12th century.
However, they were subdued by the Mughals. The Mundas and Santals were other important tribes that lived in these states and also in Orissa and Bengal. The Kolis, Berads and numerous others lived in the Maharashtra highlands, Karnataka and Gujarat. Further there were large tribal populations of Koragas, Vetars, Maravars and many others in South. The Bhils were spread across western and central India. By the late 16th century many of them had become settled agriculturists and some even zamindars. Many Bhil clans, nevertheless, remained hunter-gatherers. The Gonds were found in large numbers across the present-day states of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh.
Q 64 – What do you know about the Ahom Society?
Ans. Ahom society was divided into clans or Khels. There were very few castes of artisans, so artisans in the Ahom areas came from the nearby kingdoms. Kheloften controlled several villages. The peasant was given land by his village community. Even the king could not take it away without the community’s consent. The Ahoms worshipped their own tribal gods. But during the first half of the 17 century Brahmanas achieved great influence which gave rise to Hinduism.
In the reign of Sib Singh Hinduism became a predominant religion. However, the Ahom kings remained stick to their traditional beliefs to some extent even after adopting Hinduism. Ahom society was very sophisticated. Poets and scholars were given land grants. Theatre was encouraged
Q 65 – How did the nomadic pastoralists earn their living?
Ans. Nomadic pastoralists kept on moving from place to place with their animals. They lived on milk and other pastoral products. They also exchanged items like wool, ghee, etc. with settled agriculturists for grain, cloth, utensils and other products. They bought and sold these goods as they moved from one place to another, transporting them on their animals. The Banjaras were trader-nomads who bought grain where it was cheaply available and carried it to places where it was dearer.
From there, they again reloaded their oxen with anything that could be profitably sold in other places. Thus, they played an important role in connecting India to the outside world. Many pastoral tribes reared and sold animals, such as cattle and horses, to the wealthy people. Different castes of petty pedlars travelled from village to village. They made and sold wares like ropes, reeds, etc. Sometimes mendicants acted as wandering merchants. There were also castes of entertainers who earned their living by performing in different towns and villages.