Towns, Traders And Craftpersons

(Solutions)

Let’s Recall

1. Fill in the blanks:

(a) The Rajarajeshvara temple was built in ___________ .
(b) Ajmer is associated with the Sufi saint ___________ .
(c) Hampi was the capital of the __________ Empire.
(d) The Dutch established a settlement at ___________ in Andhra Pradesh.
Answers:
(a) The Rajarajeshvara temple was built in Thanjavur.
(b) Ajmer is associated with the Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti.
(c) Hampi was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire.
(d) The Dutch established a settlement at Masulipatnam in Andhra Pradesh.
2. State whether true or false:
(a) We know the name of the architect of the Rajarajeshvara temple from an inscription.

Answer: True
(b) Merchants preferred to travel individually rather than in caravans.

Answer: False
(c) Kabul was a major centre for trade in elephants.

Answer: False
(d) Surat was an important trading port on the Bay of Bengal.
Answer: False
3. How was water supplied to the city of Thanjavur?
Answer: Water was supplied to the city of Thanjavur from wells and tanks.
4. Who lived in the "Black Towns" in cities such as Madras?
Answer: Merchants, artisans - weavers, traders and craftspersons lived in the "Black Towns" in cities such as Madras.

Let’s Understand

5. Why do you think towns grew around temples?
Answer: Towns grew around temples because:

1. They were administrative centres.
2. They were also centres of commercial activities and craft production.
3. Temples wealth were used to finance banking and trades by the temple authorities.
4. In order to cater the needs of pilgrims, a large number of priests, artisans, workers and traders settled near the temple and slowly pilgrimage centres developed into townships.

6. How important were craftspersons for the building and maintenance of temples?
Answer: Craftspersons were very important for the building and maintenance of temples. 

1. Craft persons like goldsmiths, bronzesmiths, blacksmiths, masons and carpenters were essential to the building of temples.
2.  They were also helpful in the artwork like making idols, designing the walls and the roofs.
3. The prosperous community of weavers also made donations to temples.

7. Why did people from distant lands visit Surat?
Answer: People from distant lands visit Surat because:

1. It was the emporium of western trade.
2. It was the gateway for trade and also been called the gate to Mecca because many pilgrim ships set sail from here.
3. Portuguese, Dutch and English had their factories and warehouses at Surat. 
4. Textiles of Surat were famous for their gold lace borders (zari).
5. There were magnificent buildings and innumerable pleasure parks for the comfort of the people.

8. In what ways was craft production in cities like Calcutta different from that in cities like Thanjavur?
Answer: Craft production in cities like Calcutta different from that in cities like Thanjavur in following ways:

1. Craftspersons in Thanjavur were independent while in Calcutta they were in the hands of Europeans.
2. In Thanjavur, crafts were developed on interest, while in Calcutta craftspersons began to work on a system of advances.
3. Craftspersons of Thanjavur were having liberty to sell their own made crafts and textiles while in Calcutta they no longer had the liberty of selling their own crafts.

Let's Discuss

9. Compare any one of the cities described in this chapter with a town or a village with which you are familiar. Do you notice any similarities or differences? 

Answer: The two famius cities that I would Compare are  Surat and Delhi

Surat: Surat was Emporium during the Mughal period due to the production of various goods. It was known as Gateway to West Asia due to the trade centre. It is a Cosmopolitan city. Here we can can see factories and warehouses. Surat was known for cotton textiles world wide.

Delhi: It was also an emporium during the Mughal period. Basically it was an administrative town. Delhi was also a Cosmopolitan city. There were many factories and warehouses. It was known for business, trade, and commercial pursuits.

10. What were the problems encountered by merchants? Do you think some of these problems persist today?

Answer: The problems that the merchants had to face are as follows:

1. There was very high competation as many merchants were trying to trade in those articles that fetched more profit.
2. Merchants had to travel long distances and transport facilities were not good.
3. Since traders had to pass through many kingdoms and forests, there used to be the danger of robery. 
4. They usually travelled in caravans and formed guilds to protect their interests. It was impossible to carry on individual trade. 

Some of the problems that persist today are: 

1. The hight competation from the multinational companies. 
2. Hight custom duties from large number of countries.
3. High taxes, online scames are some of the challanges that are faced today by both the sellers and buyers.