Empires and Kingdoms: 6th to 10th Centuries
Class 7 · Social Science Part 2 · 22 Questions
Do you recall where the capital of the earlier Maurya and Gupta empires was located?
How do you think this shift may have shaped the sub-continent's politics in the years to come?
Can you also identify a few important Buddhist centres of learning that Xuanzang visited in India? Do you know something of their significance?
Does the above ceremony remind you of a similar event discussed in Part 1 of this textbook?
What does this tell us about the Rāshṭrakūṭas?
What qualities does Kalhaṇa think a historian should have?
What do these lines reveal about his method of gathering information? In what ways does it resemble or differ from the way history is currently written?
Kalhaṇa also writes, 'That noble-minded poet is alone worthy of praise whose words, like that of a judge, remain free from love or hatred in relating the facts of the past.' What does he mean by 'free from love or hatred'? How would meeting this condition make a historian more reliable?
Śhankarāchārya taught that brahman is the ultimate reality or the pure consciousness, and that the world as we perceive it is māyā or illusion. He established four maṭhas (monasteries and centres of learning) at Badrinath, Puri, Dwarka, and Sringeri. Mark the location of these cities on a map; why do you think he chose four different corners of India rather than more central locations?
How does a professional group transform into a jāti?
What does this suggest about the way the indigenous people responded to invasions?
Why do you think the queen chose to give away her treasure?
What does this reveal about the role of women in warfare?
Why do you think the author calls the ruler a 'foe to the Muslim faith'?
| Sanskrit | Arabic | English |
|---|---|---|
| sandal | sandalwood | |
| tāmbūla | tanbūl | |
| karpūra | camphor | |
| pippalī | filfil |
The table lists common everyday words, highlighting their similar pronunciation across the three languages. By comparing these sounds, you can identify words that are closely related or share common roots in all three languages. With the help of your teacher, use this observation to complete the table.
If you lived in Kannauj during the struggle between the Pālas, the Pratīhāras and the Rāṣhṭrakūṭas, how would it change your daily life and your estimate of the rulers? Write a letter on this to your friend living in Kanchipuram.
Emperors and kings during this period controlled only core regions and governed other regions through subordinate vassals. What would be the advantages and the challenges of such a system?
In what ways were the invasions of the Hūṇas and the Arabs different in their aims, methods, and impact on the Indian subcontinent? Prepare a write-up, discuss and present it in the class.
Imagine you are a common citizen watching the Prayāga assembly. How would you react to Harṣha giving away most of his wealth?
Forming groups, let each group choose one Ālvār and one Nāyanār and prepare a biography poster or booklet. Include their life stories and a sample poem or two (in translation).