| garh |
chaurasi |
| tanda |
caravan |
| labourer |
paik |
| clan |
khel |
| Sib Singh |
Ahom state |
| Durgawati |
Garha Katanga |
2. Fill in the blanks:
(a) The new castes emerging within were called ________.
(b) _______ were historical works written by the Ahoms.
(c) The ______ mentions that Garha Katanga had 70,000 villages.
(d) As tribal states became bigger and stronger, they gave land grants to _______ and _______.
Solution:
(a) The new castes emerging with in varnas were called jatis.
(b) Buranjis were historical works written by the Ahoms.
(c) The Akbar Nama mentions that Garha Katanga had 70,000 villages.
(d) As tribal states became bigger and stronger, they gave land grants to poets and scholars.
3. State whether true or false:
(a) Tribal societies had rich oral traditions.
Solution: True
(b) There were no tribal communities in the north-western part of the subcontinent.
Solution: False
(c) The chaurasi in Gond states contained several cities.
Solution: False
(d) The Bhils lived in the north-eastern part of the subcontinent.
Solution: False
4. What kinds of exchanges took place between nomadic pastoralists and settled agriculturists?
Solution:
Nomadic pastoralists exchanged wool and ghee with settled agriculturists in return for grain, cloth, utensils and other products.
5. How was the administration of the Ahom state organised?
Solution:
Administration of the Ahom state:
(i) The administration was centralised during first half of the 17th century.
(ii) The Ahom state depended upon forced labour to work for the state and were called paiks.
(iii) Almost all adult males served in the army during war and in other times, they were engaged in building
dams, irrigation systems and other public works..
(iv) Ahom society was divided into clans or khels who often controlled several villages.
(v) The peasant was given land by his village community and even king could not take it away withouth the permission of the community.
6. What changes took place in varna-based society?
Solution:
Social changes took place in the varna-based society:
(i) Smaller castes or jatis emerged within varnas.
(ii) Many tribes and social groups were taken into caste-based society and given the status of jatis.
(iii) Jatis became the basis for organising society instead of varna.
(iv) Specialised artisans, smiths, carpenters and masons were also recognised as separate jatis by the Brahmanas.
7. How did tribal societies change after being organised into a state?
Solution:
Changes in tribal societies after being organised into a state:
(i) With the support of the Brahmanas, many tribes became part of the caste system.
(ii) Leading tribal families joined ruling classes and a large majority joined the lower jatis of caste society.
(iii) Many dominant tribes of Punjab, Sindh and the North-West Frontier had adopted Islam.
(iv) Some became politically powerful and conflicted with larger and more complex kingdoms and empires.
8. Were the Banjaras important for the economy?
Solution:
Banjaras were important for the economy as:
(i) They were the most important trader-nomads.
(ii) They were used to transport grain to the city markets.
(iii) They buy grain where it is cheaply available and carry it to places where it is dearer.
(iv) Sometimes they were hired by big merchants and trade for them.
(v) They carried grain on their bullocks from different areas and sold it in towns and also transported food grain for the Mughal army during military campaigns.
9. In what ways was the history of the Gonds different from that of the Ahoms? Were there any similarities?
Solution:
Difference:
(i) Gonds lived in a vast forested region called Gondwana while the Ahoms migrated to the Brahmaputra valley from present-day Myanmar.
(ii) Gonds practiced shifting cultivation while the Ahoms don't.
(iii) Gonds were completely annexed by Mughal empire while the Ahoms got defeated by the Mughals but direct control over the region could not last long.
Similarties:
(i) In both have administration was centralised.
(ii) Both were smaller tribe who grew annexed neighbouring small societies and got power.
(iii) Both the societies were divided into clans or jatis.
10. Plot the location of the tribes mentioned in this chapter on a map. For any two, discuss whether their mode of livelihood was suited to the geography and the environment of the area where they lived.
Solution:
Ahom settled in the northeastern part of the country. They experienced heavy rainfall. They introduced new methods of rice cultivation that required more water. They were engaged in building dams and irrigation systems.
Bhils lived in the western part of the country. It had fertile land and forests. By the 16th century many of them led a settled life of agriculturists. Many remained hunter-gathers.
11. Find out about present-day government policies towards tribal populations and organise a discussion about these.
Solution:
Present-day government policies towards tribal populations are very positive.
- Education is being spread in the tribal areas.
- Facilities like roads, water, electricity have been increased.
- The government is doing activities for the overall upliftment of the tribal populations.
- The government has enforced reservation for them in government jobs. This policy of the government has helped the tribal people in many ways. They are now joining the mainstream of society.
- The government is also determined to protect their cultural and social traditions.
12. Find out more about present-day nomadic pastoral groups in the subcontinent. What animals do they keep? Which are the areas frequented by these groups?
Solution:
Present-day nomadic pastoral groups in the sub-continent are – Gaddi shepherds living in the western Himalayas, Gujjar Bakarwals, living in Jammu & Kashmir, Banjaras living in Rajasthan. These nomadic people keep sheep, goats, and camels. They frequently visit the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand, Jammu & Kashmir, and Rajasthan.
