Chapter 3 Some Aspects Of The Indian Society Economy And Culture Salient Points
Salient Points At A Glance
Since the 7th century AD, there was a downturn in trade and commerce in many parts in northern India. The wretched condition of the towns caught the eyes of the travelers.
From the middle of 7th century to the middle of the 12th century, trade and commerce started flourishing again. New trade routes and new cities had been founded.
During the middle of the 7th century to the middle of the 12th century trade and commerce became significant in the Indian economy along with agriculture.
Kanauj and Thaneswar grew as important administrative centres.
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In contemporary society, there was the existence of groups such as ‘Samanta’, ‘Raja’, ‘Raunak’, etc. Many of them had control over certain regions.
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Thus society was stratified into different classes comprising of the king, the group of leaders, and the common people. The temples played an important role in the economy of south India. Common people and artisans settled around the temples.
In the Chola administration, the king was assisted by a council of ministers. The kingdom was divided into provinces or Mandalams. A council called ‘Nagaram’ was set up to redress the problems of the traders.
In the Pala-Sena age, Bengal’s economy was based on agriculture, industry, and trade. The king used to grant lands to religious institutions in the agrarian society. ‘Cowrie’ was the main medium of exchange.
The Bengali language emerged during the Pala age. Ancient Bengali language gradually came into existence from a degenerated Magadhi language in the Gauda-Bengali pattern.
Works of literature, grammar, religion, philosophy, and medicine were usually written in Sanskrit.
In the Pala age, Mahayana Buddhism merged with other philosophical thoughts and gave birth to religious concepts like Vajrayana or Tantrayana, Sahajayana, and Kalachakrayana.
During the Pala age, there was no recognition of gods or goddesses, nor any importance to hymns (mantras) and rituals in the religious concepts. The concept of a clear mind and soul was emphasized.
It was said that eternal deliverance or Nirvana could be achieved only by a pure soul.
During the closing years of the Pala reign, the Buddhist Siddhacharyas started to compose ‘Charyapada’. The charyapadas depicted the contemporary Bengal environment and the livelihood of the common people.
Besides, the early Bengali language gradually developed through charyapada.
The Buddhist monasteries were the learning centers of the Buddhist philosophers. Monasteries of Nalanda, Odantapuri (near Nalanda), Vikramshil (near Bhagalpur), Sompuri (at Paharpur in Rajshahi district) Jagaddal (in North Bengal), Bikrampuri (in Deccan) are worth mentioning.
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The art form of the Pala era is known as the eastern Indian style of art. The main architectures of the Pala age were stupa, vihara, and temple.
Chapter 3 Topic A Indian Economy Descriptive Questions
Question 1. State the causes behind the rise of Indian feudalism.
Answer:
The socioeconomic relationship based on the system of distribution of land and administrative hierarchy starting from the king at the top to the peasants at the bottom is called feudalism.
Causes behind the rise of Indian feudalism
1. Agrahaar system:
Lands and villages were granted specifically to Brahmins.
2. Rise of dependent farmers:
Since the Gupta period, peasants had to provide forced labour (begar) and had to pay land revenue along with a large number of illegal taxes. This gave rise to a class of dependent farmers.
3. Decay of townships:
Since the 4th-5th centuries, there was deurbanisation in North India. The importance of Vaishali, Kaushambi, Sravasti, Kushinagara, and Kapilavastu declined. This paved the way for the rise of feudalism gradually.
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4. Decline in trade:
Internal trade and international sea-borne trade had declined. Agriculture grew more important as the dependence on land increased. The economy became decentralized and more provincial.
5. Rise of regional powers:
The provincial powers ruled hereditarily since Gupta Age. This gave rise to the regional administration, centering which feudalism came into existence.
6. Allegiance:
Soldiers and military commanders owed more allegiance to the provincial governors than to the central authority in Gupta Age. This allegiance became the foundation of feudalism in the future.
Question 2. Focus on the development of feudalism in ancient India.
Answer:
R S Sharma has divided the period of development of feudalism of ancient India into three parts
- The first phase (300-600 AD), phase (900-1200 AD).
- The second phase (600-900 AD) and
- Third three parts
Development of feudalism in ancient India
1. Emergence of feudal lords:
Since the 2nd century, feudal traits appeared in Maharashtra, followed by Central India in the 4th and 5th centuries, and gradually spread to Bengal, Odisha, Assam, and Kerala in the deep south.
2. Kushana Age:
There was an admixture of feudalism and aristocracy in the first half of the Kushana age. Pataliputra, along with other kingdoms of eastern India, was under feudal rule.
3. Gupta Age:
At the beginning of the Gupta era, absolute, centralized monarchy gradually changed into the semi-feudal federal system. Emperor Samudra Gupta started this system by conditionally restoring conquered realms to the defeated kings in lieu of revenue tax.
After the death of Emperor Skanda Gupta, the power and authority of the feudal lords increased.
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Question 3. What do you know about the Chola system of administration?
Answer:
The Chola system of administration was highly organized and efficient.
Chola system of administration
- King: The king was the central point of administration and all the authority rested in his hand.
- Provincial administration: The whole empire had been divided into nine provinces called ‘Mandalams’.
- Source of income: Chola government depended mainly on land revenue as the main source of income.
- Army: The Cholas possessed an efficient army and navy.
- Village Administration: A group of villages was called ‘Nadu’. It was one of the most important administrative units of the Cholas. The village council or ‘Ur’ administered the villages.
Question 4. Write a note on the economic condition during the reign of the Pala and Sena rulers of the
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
1. 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.
2. Trade:
The traders also paid taxes to the king for trade and commerce. The decline of the trade during the Pala-Sena age affected the system of currency, and ‘Cowrie’ became the main medium of exchange.
3. Industry:
Handicrafts deserve special mention among all other industries. The artisans were organized in various guilds.
4. 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.
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Conclusion:
As the economy of Bengal became exclusively dependent on agriculture, there was a decline of the economy.
Question 5. Write what you know about the food habits of the Bengalis during the Pala- Sena age.
Answer:
We get to know about the food habits of the Bengalis from contemporary literary works.
Food habits of Bengalis during the Pala- Sena age
1. Main Food:
Rice was the staple food of the Bengalis during the Pala-Sena age.
2. Description in ancient verses:
In the ancient verses, there are descriptions of food like steamed rice with pure ghee along with Mourala fish, the jute stems, creamed milk, and ripe bananas.
3. Menu of the poor:
Various kinds of spinach and vegetables filled the menu of the poor.
4. Vegetables in the menu:
Vegetables like brinjal, bottle gourd, ridge-gourd, pumpkin, fig, etc. were included in the Bengali diet since antiquity.
5. Fishes in the menu:
Bengalis had the habit of eating varieties of fishes like rohi, puti, mourala, shol, hilsa etc.
6. Non-veg in the menu:
People used to eat the meat of goats, deer, different types of birds, tortoises and crabs, snails, dried fish, etc.
7. Confectioneries:
Their daily menu included molasses from sugarcane, and milk and its products like curds, sweets, kheer (condensed milk), payesh.
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8. Addition of Potato and Dal:
Much later, during the medieval period, the Bengalis learned to eat potatoes from the Portuguese and dal from the North Indians.
9. Other items in the menu:
Sugarcane juice and mohua were also common in Bengali society.
Conclusion:
From the above discussion, we can conclude that during the Pala-Sena age, the Benglis had diversity in their food habits.
Chapter 3 Topic A Indian Economy Analytical Questions
Question 1. Why did temples become the centers of settlement in South India? Or, What was the role played by the temples of South India between 7th and 12th century AD?
Answer:
For various reasons, temples have become the centres of settlement in South India.
Non-taxable land:
In South India, kings, rich merchants, and aristocrats donated and gifted land to temples which helped in the maintenance of temples and the luxurious lifestyle of priests.
Professions related to temple:
Temples gradually became very wealthy and supported the livelihood of priests, garland makers, singers, dancers, chefs, and gardeners.
Other reasons:
Temple authorities used the vacant land for agriculture and trading. Many people like builders and pilgrims also settled around the temples.
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Question 2. State the consequences of Indian feudalism.
Answer:
The consequences of Indian feudalism are
Loss of unity:
Feudal lords set up local self-government independently giving rise to regionalism and disintegration. Thus, centralized political unity and integrity were lost.
Weakness of central law and order:
Decentralization of power caused chaos and lawlessness. The king’s power slackened and the feudal lords became autocrats.
The decline in trade and commerce:
The feudal economy was agriculture-based which adversely affected external and internal trade.
Question 3. What were the impacts of Feudalism in India?
Answer:
The impacts of Feudalism in India are
Antagonism:
The Samantas and the Mahasamantas had a constant conflict with each other. Everyone wanted to increase his influence.
Denial of kingship:
Sometimes the Samantas even unified to fight against the king. They often refused to recognize the authority of the king.
The downfall of self-governance of villages:
Besides extracting revenues, these groups used to govern the villages and give judgment. Because of the dominance of the feudal lords, the self-governance of the villages was lost.
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Question 4. What according to you were the reasons for the downfall of the self-gover- nance of the villages?
Answer:
The Samantas and the Mahasamantas had a constant conflict with each other. They even unified to fight against the king. Besides collecting revenues they used to govern the villages and give judgment.
Because of the dominant feudal lords, who refused to recognize the authority of the king, the self-governance of the villages was declined.
Question 5. Why did the economy of Bengal became dependent on agriculture?
Answer:
The importance of trade and commerce was gradually declining in the Pala-Sena age. The monopoly of Arabs along the Arabian sea coast in Western India forced the Bengal traders to retreat.
Thus the importance of Bengal traders in foreign trade and commerce decreased. As a result, the economy of Bengal became dependent on agriculture.
Question 6. How were the textile, metal, and wood industries during the Pala-Sena age?
Answer:
Bengal had a noteworthy reputation for textile, metal, and wood industries during the Pala-Sena age. The textile industry was the main industry of this time. The fine cotton clothes of Bengal acquired fame far and wide.
Besides, people used metal objects for daily use. Women used to wear metal ornaments. Wood was widely used for the construction of houses, temples, palanquins, bullock carts, boats, etc.
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Chapter 3 Topic A Indian Economy Short Answer Type Questions
Question 1. What is meant by the term Feudalism?
Answer:
Term Feudalism:
In medieval India, a special group of officials were granted land in lieu of salary. Each of them headed a region. Besides extracting revenues, these groups used to govern the villages and gave judgments.
They lived on revenue or output of others’ labor. A system developed in such a way is known as Feudalism.
Question 2. Write two features of European Feudalism.
Answer:
The two important features of European Feudalism are
- The structure of the feudal society looked like a triangle and the king, feudal overlords, and vassals was placed at various levels of this structure. Peasants were of the lowest strata.
- The serfs were compelled to toil in the manor houses of the feudal lords.
Question 3. What are ‘Ur’ and ‘Nadu’?
Answer:
‘Ur’ and ‘Nadu’:
During the Chola reign in South India, the village, consisting of a 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 4. Why was a council called ‘Nagaram’ set up?
Answer:
A council called ‘Nagaram’ was set up for two reasons
- To redress the problems of the traders and
- To look after their interests.
Question 5. What is the ‘Brahmadeya’ system? Or, What is meant by the ‘Brahmadeya’ system?
Answer:
Brahmadeya system:
In South India, especially during the Chola reign, sometimes the brahmins were donated landed property to increase agricultural area. They cleared the barren land or forest area for settlement.
The lands donated to the brahmins were tax-free. This system of the donation was called the ‘Brahmadeya’ system.
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Question 6. How was the revenue system during the Pala-Sena age?
Answer:
Various types of taxes were imposed by the kings during the Pala-Sena age.
Agricultural tax:
The king collected one-sixth (1/6) of the produce from the farmers as revenue. The king even accepted fruits, flowers, and wood as revenue from the farmers for personal use.
Trade-related tax:
The traders also paid taxes to the king for trade and commerce.
Other taxes:
Other than the above-mentioned taxes, there were other additional taxes. The subjects had to pay tax for their security, for the entire village, for marts and ferries too.
Question 7. When and in which part of Europe feudalism was first introduced?
Answer:
Feudalism was first introduced in Western Europe in the 9th century.
Chapter 3 Topic A Indian Economy Objective Type Questions
State whether the following statements are true or false
Question 1. Temples of South India were used for rituals only.
Answer: False
Question 2. Ur was a village council.
Answer: True
Question 3. The bronze handicraft of the Cholas was very famous.
Answer: True
Question 4. In the Chola period, temple authorities had to pay tax for the land granted by the king.
Answer: False
Question 5. The King was the head of the Chola administration.
Answer: True
Question 6. Bengalis learned to eat potatoes from the French.
Answer: False
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Question 7. In the Pala-Sena era, the subjects paid taxes to the king for their security.
Answer: True
Question 8. The structure of the feudal society looked like a rectangle.
Answer: False
Fill In The Blanks By Selecting The Appropriate Expressions From The Brackets
Question 1. In the Chola period, canals were dug from the ________ (Krishna/Kaveri/Godavari) river of Tamil Nadu to facilitate irrigation.
Answer: Kaveri
Question 2. ________ (Gold coin/Copper coin/Cowrie shell) was the main medium of exchange towards the end of the Pala era and throughout the Sena era.
Answer: Cowrie shell
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Question 3. The peasants had to pay ________ (1/6th /1/4th/ 1/3rd) of their crop as land revenue to the Pala and Sena kings.
Answer: 1/6th
Question 4. Bengalis might have learned the practice of consuming ________ (potatoes/peas/pulses) from the people of North India.
Answer: Pulses
Question 5. The animal which came from outside of Bengal is ________ (tiger/horse/monkey).
Answer: Horse
Chapter 3 Topic A Indian Economy Answer In A Complete Sentence
Question 1. Write the name of three trade centers mentioned in Xuanzang’s writings.
Answer: The name of the three trade centers mentioned in Xuanzang’s writings are Thaneswar, Kanauj, and Varanasi.
Question 2. Write the name of several powerful groups in Indian Society that existed between 7th- 12th century AD.
Answer: The name of several powerful groups in Indian society that existed between 7th- 12th century AD were Samanta, Raja, Raunak, etc.
Question 3. Why was the importance of old trade routes in northern India decline in 7th century AD?
Answer: The importance of old trade routes in northern India was declined in 7th century AD due to a recession in trade in many parts of northern India.
Question 4. Why did the foreign trade of India flourish significantly in 9th century AD?
Answer: The foreign trade of India flourished significantly in 9th century AD due to the activities of Arab trade.
Question 5. What is feudalism in Europe?
Answer: In 9th century AD, a politico-military system emerged in western Europe, which is known as feudalism.
Question 6. Which was the prime period of feudalism in Europe?
Answer: The prime period of feudalism in Europe was 12th century AD.
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Question 7. What titles did the Chola kings bestow on themselves?
Answer: The Chola kings bestowed on themselves high-sounding titles like Maharajadhiraj, Tribhuvan Chakrabartin, etc.
Question 8. What was the tax-free land donated to the Brahmins in the Chola kingdom called?
Answer: The tax-free land donated to Brahmins in the Chola kingdom was called Brahmadeya.
Question 9. How much of the produce was collected as revenue from the farmers in the Pala-Sena age?
Answer: One-sixth of the produce was collected as revenue from the farmers in the Pala-Sena age.
Question 10. What were the main agricultural products of Bengal in the Pala-Sena age?
Answer: The main agricultural products of Bengal in the Pala-Sena age were paddy, mustard, cotton, betel leaf, cardamom, mahua, and various types of fruits like mango, jackfruit, banana, pomegranate, date, coconut, etc.
Chapter 3 Topic A Indian Economy Select the most appropriate option for the following statements
Question 1. The temple became the focal point of inhabitation and culture in South India.
1. Kings and nobles donated tax-free land to temples.
2. Canals were cut off from rivers to facilitate irrigation projects near temples.
3. South Indian rulers constructed many temples.
Answer: 3. South Indian rulers constructed many temples.
Question 2. Bengal’s economy was dependent on agriculture during the Pala-Sena era.
1. Soil of Bengal became more fertile during the Pala-Sena era.
2. Arab traders began to dominate the western coast of India.
3. Rulers levied taxes on crops produced by farmers.
Answer: 2. Arab traders began to dominate the western coast of India.
Multiple Choice Questions
Question 1. In Chola administration, the kingdom was divided into
- Urs
- Mandalas
- Nagarams
- Nadus
Answer: 2. Mandalams
Question 2. Nagaram was set up
- To look after the trader’s interest
- For the formation of the industry
- For war
- For the development of agriculture
Answer: 1. To look after the trader’s interest
Question 3. Chettys were
- Feudal Lords
- Vagabonds
- Traders
- Farmers
Answer: 3. Traders
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Question 4. During the reign of which dynasty, two beautiful temples were built in Tanjore and Gangaikondacholapuram?
- Pratihara
- Chalukya
- Chola
- Pushyavuti
Answer: 3. Chola
Question 5. In the Pala-Sena age, the economy of Bengal depended on
- Agriculture
- Trade
- Industry
- War
Answer: 1. Agriculture