WBBSE Solutions For Class 7 History Chapter 3 Some Aspects Of The Indian Society Economy And Culture Topic C Miscellaneous

WBBSE  Chapter 3 Some Aspects Of The Indian Society Economy And Culture Topic C Miscellaneous Long Question And Answers

Question 1. Write an essay on the expansion of Indian culture in Southeast Asia.
Answer:

From ancient times, India had close contact with Southeast Asia, comprising Burma, Thailand, Indo-China, Anam and Malaya peninsula, Sumatra, Java, Bali, and Borneo islands. They are altogether known as ‘Suvarnabhumi’. ‘Subarnabhumi’ means ‘Golden Land’ or ‘Land of Gold’.

Expansion of Indian Culture in South-east Asia

• Burma: Based on literary and archaeological evidence, it is claimed that the entire culture and civilization of Burma are of Indian origin.
• Kamboja: It was founded in Southeast Asia in the first or second century AD. It was a Hindu kingdom. Ankortham was its capital. A Vishnu temple of Angkor Vat was constructed here.

Read and Learn More WBBSE Solutions For Class 7 History

Other:

Champa, Malaya peninsula, Java, Bali, and Ceylon were also connected with India.

1. The stupa of Borobudur was constructed in Java.
2. The Sailendra dynasty of the Malay peninsula was an ardent patron of Indian culture.
3. According to tradition, Vijay Singha conquered the island of Lanka and named it Singhal’ (Ceylon).

Question 2. If you want to draw a picture of the Indian feudal system, why does it look like a triangle? How did the feudal lords spend their livelihood in this system?
Answer:

Pyramidal feudalism in India:

• Indian feudal system resembled a pyramid in the sense that the base of the pyramid consisted of a large number of peasants, who cultivated land and the king was at the apex.
• Between the two, the middle layers consisted of the various hierarchies of feudal lords. They collected revenue from farmers. After keeping a portion of it for themselves, they deposited a part of it to the ruler.
• They also maintained law and order in their feudal areas and provided soldiers to the king during war.

The livelihood of feudal lords:

• The ruler officially occupied the land as the central authority. He granted land to military commanders and royal officials in lieu of salary.
• The feudal lords did not cultivate the land but lived near the allotted land.
• They kept a part of the revenue taken from farmers for themselves and sent the rest to the government.

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Question 3. Compare and contrast the agriculture and commerce progress of the Pala and Sena periods.
Answer:

The agriculture and commerce progress of the Pala and Sena periods:

Question 4. Write a note about the art and architecture of Bengal in the Pala period.
Answer:

Art of Bengal in the Pala Period:

Period During the reign of the Palas and Senas, cotton, silk, and woolen textiles of Bengal were very popular. Arab and Chinese travelers have highly praised the fine cotton cloth of Bengal.

 

 

• The jaggery and sugar of Bengal were very popular too. Metallic swords and ornaments were produced in Bengal.
• Artisans carved wooden models of huts, temples, palanquins, and bullock carts. Even the shipbuilding industry of Bengal was well-reputed.
• Bronze image of Vishnu, stone sculptures of Mahishasuramardini and Vishnu of Pala Age

Examples of Real-Life Applications of Historical Knowledge

The architecture of Bengal in the Pala Period:

• The most famous specimens of Pala architecture have been found in Magadha (South Bihar). Here universities like Vikramshil and Odantapuri need mention. The Sompuri University of Bengal is also a fine example of Pala sculpture and architecture.
• Numerous idols and statues carved in the Pala era have been found in these ruins. The two most famous sculptors of the Pala era were Dhiman and Bitpala.
• During the Sena era, artisans created beautiful idols of Garuda, Durga, Vishnu, Aradhanarishvara etc.

Question 5. Write a note on the society and religion of the Pala-Sena era.
Answer:

Social life during Pala-Sena era

• Profession: Most people of Bengal were cultivators. Others occupations included blacksmith, potter, trader, butcher, tanner, fisherman, doctor, priest, and fowler.
• Casteism: Occupation-based communities were in vogue. Casteism and untouchability were more rigid in nature in the Sena age than in the Pala age.
• Position of women: The position of women declined greatly. In the Sena age child- marriage and the Sati system became more prevalent.
•  Food, clothes, and ornaments: People consumed rice, fruits, vegetables, ghee, fish, milk, and jaggery. Men generally wore dhotis. Women wore sarees and were fond of ornaments such as necklaces, armlets, and earrings.

Religious life during the Pala-Sena age

• The Palas were Buddhists but followed a policy of universal tolerance. Buddhism and Brahmanism coexisted. The Vajrayana sect was very popular. The Sena rulers were orthodox followers of Brahmanical religion.
• They were Shaivites. Other worshipped deities included Indra, Agni, Surya, Kuvera, Brihaspati, Shiva, and Vishnu. But Lakshmansena was a Vaishnava. Buddhism gradually declined under the Senas.

Question 6. If you were a peasant in the tenth century Bengal, write how would you pass your day.
Answer:

• My name is Dinabandhu and I am a resident of Burdwan. I am a farmer just as my ancestors were. My life revolves in a set pattern Atish around the land, seeds, weather, and cultivation. The land is my source of livelihood.
• I wake up early in the morning, perform my ablutions, take out the oxen from the byre, and drive them to the nearby field. Other peasants also accompany me. I strip down to my loin-cloth and try to plough as much land as possible before it gets too hot.
• Apart from ploughing, I carry out weeding, sprinkling seeds in the soil, transplantation of crops in monsoon, adding manure, watering the plants, and other related Atish tasks.
• In the course of farming, when I feel tired, I sometimes rest in the cool shade of the nearby trees and have a breakfast of Panta-Bhaat brought by my little son.
• I return home in the afternoon and after taking a bath and having my lunch, I take a nap on the cool floor of my mud house. I wake up in the late afternoon and return to the fields to plough the land till twilight falls.
• As darkness slowly gathers, I return home, hungry and tired. I then look forward to food and rest. Sometimes, I go to the market to buy seeds and salt, cooking- oil, and groceries.

Important Definitions Related to Indian Culture

We pay 1/6th to 1/4th of the total output as revenue, which is collected by state officials. On the whole, we are treated humanely by them. I also enjoy myself during festivals and holidays.

Question 7. Suppose you are a student of Vikramshil University. Your teacher Dipankar Srijnan (Atish) is going to Tibet. What would you like to know about his trip? What answers do you expect from him? Write an imaginary dialogue on this topic.
Answer:

Student: Salute to thee, my teacher.

Atish: What happened my son?

Student: No, nothing of the sort.

Atish: I don’t believe it. Your face has turned pale.

Student: Sir, you are my revered teacher. You are leaving us today. You are going to Tibet. So I have run to you.

Atish: Oh yes. Now I do feel your mental agony.

Student: Sir, we will become orphans then.

Atish: Do not say so, my child. There are many other competent teachers in the university. I will be with you always. My physical presence does not matter.

Student: May it be. But we will feel your absence always. There is no other teacher like you throughout India.

Atish: I am helpless my child. Don’t make any such comment about me. Then knowledge is dishonored. You must be modest. Otherwise, you must not find out the way to salvation.

Student: Excuse me, Sir. I will never say so.

Atish: I am very pleased to talk to Jnanaprava, the king of Tibet himself. I can’t refuse his request.

Student: Bless me, Sir.

Atish: Surely. Lord Buddha will bless you.

Question 8. From the contradictory pictures of Bengal reflected in the literature of the Sena period, what do you think about the social strata of Bengal in the Sena age?
Answer:

In the literature of Sena Age, we can find vivid descriptions of the lifestyle of both the rich and the poor of contemporary Bengali society. Thus we can say that there was tangible social discrimination.

Reflection of rich-poor discrimination in the literature of the Sena period

1. Social system:

• The verses composed by the court poets of Lakshmansena depict the luxury and grandeur of society. On the other hand, the rural lifestyle of a well-to-do farmer has also been delineated in one such verse.
• Again life of the poor class has also been depicted in contemporary literature. Poets had created images of a malnourished children with hunger, broken pitchers, and tattered clothes of the poor.
• In one such composition, the misery of the poor people of Bengal living in huts during monsoon is depicted, “wooden pillars are tottering, mud walls are melting, the straws of the roof have blown away, my dilapidated room is infested with frogs coming in search of earthworms”.

2. Food habits:

• In the ancient verses, there are descriptions of foods like steamed rice with pure ghee jute steams, creamed milk, and ripe bananas.
• Various kinds of vegetables like brinjal, bottle gourd, ridge-gourd, pumpkin, fig, arum, etc., and spinach filled the menu of the poor.

3. Economic condition:

• The rich and the poor had considerable discrimination between them in terms of their economic condition. On one hand, there was the rich luxuriant class; on the other hand, there was the poor class.
• The evidence of the miserable economic condition of the landless peasantry and the laborers can be found in contemporary inscriptions.

Question 9. Write a note on the economic condition during the reign of the Pala and Sena Rulers.
Answer:

In the Pala-Sena age, agriculture, industry, and trade were the main basis of Bengal’s economy.

An economic condition during the Pala-Sena age

• Agriculture:
  • Though agriculture was the primary occupation, the state or the king had the ultimate authority over the lands. The king collected one-sixth (1/6) of the produce from the farmers as revenue.
  • In addition, the king even accepted fruits, flowers, and wood as revenue from the farmers to maintain their luxurious lifestyle.
• Trade: The traders also paid taxes to the king for trade and commerce. The decline of trade during the Pala-Sena age affected the system of currency, and ‘Cowrie’ became the main medium of exchange.
• Industry: Handicrafts deserve special mention among all other industries. The artisans were organized in various guilds.
• Additional taxes: Other than the main three types of taxes, there were other additional taxes. The subjects paid taxes to the king for their security. The villagers even had to pay taxes for the entire village. Again, the tax was imposed on marts and ferries.

Conclusion:

As the economy of Bengal became exclusively dependent on agriculture, there was a decline of the economy.

Class 7 WBBSE History Question Answer

WBBSE Chapter 3 Some Aspects Of The Indian Society Economy And Culture Topic C Miscellaneous Short Question And Answers

Question 1. Why did trade and commerce flourish in South India between the ninth and eleventh centuries AD?
Answer:

Trade and commerce flourished in South India between the ninth and eleventh century AD because of

• Mercantile associations: South Indian trade and mercantile guilds were financially powerful and encouraged trade and commerce.
• External trade: The Cholas, the main ruling dynasty in South India and Southeast Asia, encouraged trade. The Chalukyas and the Rashtrakutas also traded with the Arabs.
• Participation of temples: Temples of South India actively participated in trade and commerce.
• Participation of emperor and royal officials: The king and his royal officials themselves invested money in trade.

Question 2. Which crops were produced in Bengal during the Pala-Sena age? Which of these are still cultivated?
Answer:

• The economy of Bengal was basically agrarian during the Pala-Sena era. Paddy, mustard seeds, betel leaves, betel nuts, indigo, jute, and various fruits like mango, jackfruit, pomegranate, coconut, date, banana, and sugarcane were cultivated.
• All the crops except indigo are still cultivated nowadays.

Question 3. Describe the literary activities of the court of Lakshmansena.
Answer:

Lakshmansena was a patron of literature and learning and completed the Adbhutsagara, started by his father, Vallalsena.

1. Pancharatna: His court was adorned by the five gems or ‘Pancharatna’-Joydev, Dhoyee, Gobardhan, Umapati Dhar, and Sharana.
2. Compositions: Joydev composed ‘Geet Govinda’, and Dhoyee wrote ‘Pabanduta’. The minister Halayudha wrote the ‘Brahmanasarvasva’, a treatise on Vedic regulations.

Question 4. Why did the Sena rule last less than that of the Pala rule?
Answer:

The Sena rule lasted less than that of the Pala officially occurred by the ruler as the central rule.

The reason is

• Public support: Gopala was elected by the provincial feudal lords. So the Pala kings enjoyed greater public support than the Sena kings.
• Acceptance: The effective administrative system of the Palas gained more response among the laymen than that of the Senas.
• Other reasons: The Pala kings patronized the cultivation of literature and were tolerant towards other religions; while the Senas were orthodox followers of Brahmanism.

Real-Life Scenarios Involving Social Change in India

Question 5. What is revenue collection? How is revenue collected now?
Answer:

Revenue collection:

• In the southern kingdoms of ancient India, Viharas still exist today. the king used to levy a share from the produce of the farmers, herdsmen, and artisans. Thus the king collected revenues.
• Taxes were charged from different other sources. Important families of the regions collected taxes. Now revenues in the form of taxes and duties are collected by the corporations, municipalities, and panchayats.

Question 6. Why do you think the kings donated land to religious institutions?
Answer:

The kings donated land to religious institutions:

Common people and artisans settled around the temples. The temple authorities were granted tax-free lands by kings, merchants, and aristocrats. The harvest yielded from those lands supported the people associated with the temples.

Question 7. Which animals, birds, and main crops of Bengal in that period do you find even today?
Answer:

• Among the main crops of Bengal in that period (Pala-Sena age) paddy, mustard, and fruits like mango, jackfruits, banana, pomegranate, date, and coconut are cultivated in present-day West Bengal.
• Some of the birds and animals that can be seen today are a cow, buffalo, goats, ducks, pigeons, crows, cuckoos, elephants, tigers, monkeys, etc.

Question 8. Do you find any center for learning in the present time like the Buddhist Viharas?
Answer:

No, there are no such centers found in the present time like the Buddhist Viharas. However, few educational institutions that adhere to some of the norms of these Buddhist Viharas still exist today.

Question 9. What are ‘Ur’ and ‘Nadu’?
Answer:

• During the Chola reign in South India, the village, consisting of settlement of peasants, was governed by a village council called ‘Ur’. A group of such villages formed the ‘Nadu’.
• The ‘Ur’ and ‘Nadu’ were the local bodies that looked after self-governance, judiciary, and revenue collection.

Question 10. Write a note on Chakrapani Dutta.
Answer:

• Chakrapani Dutta, possibly born in the Birbhum district of Bengal was an eminent medical practitioner during the Pala reign.
• He wrote books on nutritious food, herbs, and ingredients of medicines and even composed a treatise on the works of Susruta. His most famous compilation is ‘Chikitsa Sangraha’.

Question 11. How did the feudal lords earn their livelihood?
Answer:

• The feudal lords were divided into different groups.
• Sometimes they were granted land instead of a salary. The revenue from such lands was their source of income. Again, in some places, the defeated warlords also enjoyed the revenue of these regions.
• The only similarity of them was that they did not give minimum labor for the production. They enjoyed the revenues only, exacted from their subjects.
• If the questions above are solved then the ability to infer about the subject will be formed among the students. This will strengthen their ability to interpret and apply.

Question 12. The genre and conception of the feudal system of India have changed from one age to another. Presently, the system of feudalism is almost extinct. Can we find any of the features of feudalism till now?
Answer:

• All along, the principal trait of feudalism was class division. At present, our society is not divided in classes.
• Still, we can find the triangular class division in our places of work, either in the public or private sectors.
• Again, this class division is entirely based on efficiency, competence, and eligibility.
• The question above, if solved, is supposed to enable the students to be familiar with any present-day situation.
• As a result, a sense of social cooperation and empathy will grow among them.

Question 13. Write a table of the chronology
Answer:

Chronology:

WBBSE Chapter 3 Some Aspects Of The Indian Society Economy And Culture Topic C Miscellaneous Very Short Question And Answers

Question 1. Gobardhan, Umapati Dhar, Vijaysena, Dhoyee
Answer: Vijaysena

Question 2. Dipankar Srijnan, Shantarakshit, Haraprasad Shastri, Shantideva
Answer: Haraprasad Shastri

Question 3. Danasagara, Adbhutsagara, Brahmanasarvasya, Ramcharita
Answer: Ramcharita

Question 4. Samanta, Raja, Raunak, Baron
Answer: Baron

Class 7 WBBSE History Question Answer

Question 5. Ur, Chalukya, Nadu, Nagaram
Answer: Chalukya

Question 6. Charak, Sushruta, Kanishka, Chakrapani Dutta
Answer: Kanishka

Question 7. Nadu, Chola, Ur, Nagaram
Answer: Chola

Question 8. Odantapuri, Vikramshil, Nalanda, Jagaddal, Lakhnauti
Answer: Lakhnauti

Question 9. Joydev, Dhiman, Beetpal, Sandhyakar Nandi, Chakrapani Dutta
Answer: Chakrapani Dutta

Question 10. Luipada, Kanhapada, Ashvaghosh, Sarahapad,
Answer: Ashvaghosh

Question 11. How the Vikramshil Vihara was ruined?
Answer: Vikramshil Vihara was ransacked by the Turkish invaders.

Question 12. Why did most of the Viharas flourish during the Pala age?
Answer: Because the palas were patrons of Buddhism.

Understanding Miscellaneous Aspects of Indian Society

WBBSE Chapter 3 Some Aspects Of The Indian Society Economy And Culture Topic C Miscellaneous Fill In The Blanks

Question 1. ________ (Ramcharita/Geet Govinda/ Dansagara) was composed by Joydev.
Answer: Geet Govinda

Question 2. A Buddhist Vihara was set up at Nalanda in _________ (Bihar/Bengal/Orissa).
Answer: Bihar

WBBSE Chapter 3 Some Aspects Of The Indian Society Economy And Culture Topic C Miscellaneous True And False

Question 1. Fa-Hien came from Tibet.
Answer: False

Question 2. Bitpal and Dhiman were two Bengalee artists.
Answer: True

Question 3. Sri Lanka was known as Burma.
Answer: False

WBBSE Chapter 3 Some Aspects Of The Indian Society Economy And Culture Topic C Miscellaneous Match The Columns

Question 1.

Answer: 1. D, 2. A, 3. B, 4. C

Question 2.

Answer: 1. F, 2. D, 3. E, 4. A, 5. B, 6. C

Question 3.

Answer: 1. E, 2. D, 3. A, 4. F, 5. C, 6. B

 Question 4.

Answer: 1. D, 2. F, 3. B, 4. E, 5. C, 6. A