(A) Short answer questions:
1. Explain the two kinds of traders during the Medieval period.
2.What were capital towns of the Medieval period? Explain with the help of an example.
3. Who were the skilled people of Masulipatnam ?
4 What are the different types of towns?
(B) Long answer questions:
1. Explain how did the towns develop.
2. Describe the rise and fall of Surat.
3. Write a short note on Hampi.
4. Differentiate between
foreign and inland trade.
Answers
Answer:
1 ans-There were different kinds of traders in the medieval times, including the banjaras (nomadic people). And traders who travelled a lot came together to form traders' associations or guilds, the most famous ones being Manigramam and Nanadesi.
2ans-The best example is Thanjavur. During the reign of Chola Dynasty (King Rajaraja Chola), its capital was Thanjavur. Architect Kunjaramallan Rajaraja Perunthachchan built Rajarajeshwara Temple. Besides the temple, there were palaces with mandapas or pavilions.
Answer:
2
Administrative Centres: Thanjavur was the capital of the Cholas. It was an administrative town. This is situated on the banks of Kaveri. Rajarajeshvara temple (built by Rajaraja Chola) is in this town. Kunjaramallam Rajaraja was the architect of this temple. Apart from the temple; palaces with mandapas (pavilions) are present in this town. The kings held court in these mandapas. Barracks for the army were also present in the town.
Important aspects of the town
There were bustling markets; selling grain, spices, cloth and jewellery.
Wells and tanks provided water supply to the town.
The Saliya weavers of Thanjavur and Uraiyur made clothes. Fine cottons were made for the king and nobility and coarse cottons were made for the masses. These clothes were also used for making flags to be used in temple festivals.
The sculptors or sthapatis at Svamimalai used to make exquisite bronze idols and tall, ornamental bell lamps.
Temple Towns
Thanjavur was also a temple town. Temples used to be the hub of economy and society.
Sources of Money for Temples: Rulers used to build temples to demonstrate their devotion. Additionally; they also endowed the temples with grants of land and money for rituals, feeding pilgrims and priests, and festivities. Donations were also made by pilgrims.
Use of Money by Temples: Temples used their money to finance trade and banking. Gradually many priests, artisans, workers, traders, Etc. settled near the temple to cater to the needs of the temple as well as pilgrims. This is how temple towns grew.
Some of the important temple towns which developed in this period are; Bhillasvamin (Bhisla or Vidisha in Madhya Pradesh), Somnath (Gujarat), Kanchipuram and Madurai (Tamil Nadu) and Tirupati (Andhra Pradesh). Tiruvannamalai in Tamil Nadu and Vrindavan in Uttar Pradesh are examples of pilgrimage centres which developed as a town.
The city of Ajmer
It was a city in Rajasthan and the capital of the Chauhan kings in the 12th century. It later became the suba headquarters of the Mughals. It was a perfect example of religious harmony and coexistence. Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti who was a celebrated Sufi saint attracted devotees from all creeds. He settled in Ajmer in the 12th century. The Pushkar lake near Ajmer has attracted pilgrims since ancient times.