A. Choose the correct answer.
1. The kingdom which was popularly known as Cholamandalam:
(a) Chola kingdom
(b) Chera Kingdom
(c) Pandya kingdom
(d) Pala kingdom
Answers
Answer:
Explanation:
Chola kingdom
Answer:
Explanation:Write a note on how resources were obtained during the period.
Answer: The resources were obtained from producers who were often persuaded or compelled to surrender their produce partially. Sometimes their produce was claimed as ‘rent’ due to a lord who asserted that he was the owner of the land. Revenue was also collected from traders.
Who were samantas? What was expected of them?
Answer: During the seventh century, there were many big landlords or warrior chiefs in the subcontinent, who were often acknowledged by the kings as their subordinates or samantas. The samantas were expected to bring gifts for the kings or overlords, attend their courts and provide them with military support.
Briefly describe prashastis.
Answer: Prashastis contain details which may not necessarily be literally true. They tell us the way the rulers wanted to depict themselves; for example as great achievers, victorious, fearless, valiant etc. Brahamanas composed the prashastis, who occasionally helped in the administration also.
Very Short Answer Type Questions
Were the kings independently very powerful? If no, with whom did they share their powers?
Answer: No, they were not fully independent. They shared their power with samantas and associations of peasants, traders and Brahamanas.
What were the sources used by the author Kalhana in the twelfth century for composing his poem?
Answer: The sources Kalhana used for the Sanskrit poem were inscriptions, documents, eye witness accounts and earlier histories.
What was the role of Vijayalaya during the period?
Answer: In the mid-ninth century Vijayalaya captured the delta from the Muttaraiyar and built the town of Thanjavur and also a temple of Goddess Nishumbhasudini there.
Who was Rajendra I? What were his achievements?
Answer: Rajendra I was Rajaraja’s son. He continued his policies and even raided the Ganga Valley, Sri Lanka and countries of south-east Asia; developing a navy for these expeditions.Answer: The following kings were involved in warfare for wealth:
Mahmud of Ghazni: The period of his rule was from 997 to 1030 and his control extended over parts of Central Asia, Iran and north-western part of the subcontinent. Almost every year he raided the subcontinent, mainly targeting wealthy temples as mentioned above. One of such temples he raided is that of Somnath, Gujarat. He used the wealth he plundered to create a splendid capital city at Ghazni. Since he was interested in knowing more about the people he conquered, he entrusted a scholar named Al-Biruni to write an account of the subcontinent. His Arabic work called Kitab al-Hind is still an important source for historians. To prepare this account he consulted Sanskrit scholars.