New Kings And Kingdoms

Exercise

Let's Recall                                 

1. Match the following:                                                                          

Column A	Column B
1. Gurjara Pratiharas	Western Deccan
2. Rashtrakutas	Bengal
3. Palas	Gujarat and Rajasthan
4. Cholas	Tamil Nadu

Answer:-                                                                                                                                          

Column A	Column B
1. Gurjara Pratiharas	Gujarat and Rajasthan
2. Rashtrakutas	Western Deccan
3. Palas	Bengal
4. Cholas	Tamil Nadu

2. Who were the parties involved in the ‘tripartite struggle’?

Answer: The parties involved in the tripartite struggle were Gurjar-Pratihara, Rashtrakuta, and Pala dynasties.

3. What were the qualifications necessary to become a member of a committee of the sabha in the Chola Empire?

Answer: The qualifications to became the member of a sabha according to the Uttaramerur inscription are below:

All those who wish to become members of the sabha 

• Should be owners of the land from which land, revenue is collected.
• Should have their own homes.
• Should be between 35 and 70 years of age.
• Should have knowledge of the Vedas.
• Should be well-versed in administrative matters and honest in all dealings.
• If anyone has been a member of any committee in the last three years, he cannot become a member of another committee.
• Anyone who has not submitted his accounts, as well as those of his relatives, cannot contest the elections.

4. What were the two major cities under the control of the Chahamanas?
Answer: Delhi and Ajmer were the two cities under control of the Chahamanas.
5. How did the Rashtrakutas become powerful?
Answer: Rashtrakutas were subordinates to the Chalukyas of Karnataka. In the mid-eighth century Dantidurga, a Rashtrakuta chief, overthrew his Chalukyan overlord. He performed a ritual called Hiranya-garbha with the help of Brahmanas. This ritual was, then, considered to lead the rebirth of the sacrificer as Kshatriya, even if he was not Kshatriya by birth.
6. What did the new dynasties do to gain acceptance?
Answer: The new dynasties gained power and wealth. Thereafter they declared themselves to be maha-samantas or mahamandaleshwara. Many of such kings adopted high sounding titles like maharaja-adhiraja or tribhuvana-chakravartin. They also deputed learned brahmanas to depict them as valiant, victorious warriors. Their activities were recorded in Prashastis. They tried to demonstrate their power and resources by building large temples.
7. What kind of irrigation works were developed in the Tamil Nadu?
Answer: Large scale cultivation was developed in Tamil Nadu and in many cases artificial irrigation became necessary. A variety of methods were used:

• Wells were dug
• Huge tanks were constructed to collect rainwater
• Canals were constructed

All this work required planning, organizing labour and resources. Decisions were taken collectively on the usage of water. New rulers and people took an active interest in these activities.
8. What were the activities associated with Chola temples?
Answer: The activities associated with chola temples were:

• Chola temples often became the centre of settlements around them.
• These were centres of craft production. 
• The produce of this land endowed by both rulers and others, went to maintain all the specialists who worked at the temple and very often lived near it.
• They included priests, garland makers, cooks, sweepers, musicians, dancers, etc.
• Temples were not only places of worship; but also the hub of economic, social and cultural life.
• Amongst the crafts associated with temples, the making of bronze images was the most important.

9. Look at Map 1 once more and find out whether there were any kingdoms in the state in which you live.
Answer: 

As we belong to Jammu and Kashmir, therefore here we will discuss about this state:
Kashmir was under the indirect rule of Queen Didda as regent of son Abhimanyu (968 to 980). She took over the throne in 980 to 1003. Didda was succeeded by Sangram Raja who is believed to be the real founder of Lohara kingdom. 
10. Contrast the ‘elections’ in Uttaramerur with present day panchayat election?
Answer: The system of election in Uttaramerur was quite different from that of the present day panchayat elections. In the Uttaramerur election, the names of the persons eligible to be members of the committees were written on small tickets of palm leaves. The tickets were put into an earthenware pot. Thereafter a young boy was asked to take out the tickets, one by one for each committee. But the present day panchayat members are elected through a general election.

The names of the total members are printed with a symbol allotted to them on a paper called ballot paper. The voter put a stamp over their choice and drops it in a ballot box. Votes are counted and the winners’ name is declared by the Returning Officer. Every procedure is organized by a statutory body.
11. Compare the temple shown in this chapter with any present-day temple in your neighbourhood, highlighting any similarities and differences that you notice.
Answer: Comparison between the present day temples such as the Shiwal Mandir of Anantnag Jammu and Kashmir and the temples shown in chapter:                                                                                                                                          

Temples Shown in Chapter	Temples in our neighborhood
Pyramidal Shape	Triangular in Shape with apex and base
Images on Walls	No images on the walls
Settlements and land nearby	No such settlement or land nearby
Several specialists - priests, Garland makers, sweepers, cook etc	Only priests

Find out more about taxes that are collected at present. Are these in cash, kind, or labour services?
Answer: Taxes collected at present.

•  Land tax
•  Income tax 
• Wealth tax 
• Sale tax 
• Property tax 
• Excise tax VAT (value-added tax) 
• Goods and Service Tax (GST) 
• Education cess {tax) 
• Tax on electricity 
• Water tax 

These taxes are generally in cash.