NCERT Solutions for Class 7 History Chapter 6 – Towns, Traders and Craftspersons (Social Science), contains solutions to various questions in Exercise for Chapter 6. At the end of the Solutions, all the keywords and Notes which are important to understand From Towns, Traders and Craftspersons Class 7 History, have been explained in a simple and easy to understand manner. NCERT Solutions for Class 7 Social Science help to check the concept you have learnt from detailed classroom sessions and application of your knowledge.
| Category | NCERT Solutions for Class 7 |
| Subject | History (Social Science) |
| Chapter | Chapter 6 – Towns, Traders and Craftspersons |
Download NCERT Solutions for Class 7 History Chapter 6 – Towns, Traders and Craftspersons
NCERT Solutions for Class 7 History Chapter 6 – Towns, Traders and Craftspersons – NCERT Exercises
Question 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.
Answer 1:-
(a) The Rajarajeshvara temple was built in 1010 A.D at Thanjavur.
(b) Ajmer is associated with the Sufi saint Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti.
(c) Hampi was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire.
(d) The Dutch established a settlement at Masulipatnam in Andhra Pradesh.
Question 2:-
State whether true or false:
(a) We know the name of the architect of the Rajarajeshvara temple from an inscription.
(b) Merchants preferred to travel individually rather than in caravans.
(c) Kabul was a major centre for trade in elephants.
(d) Surat was an important trading port on the Bay of Bengal.
Answer 2:-
(a)True
(b)False
(c)False
(d)False
Question 3:-
How was water supplied to the city of Thanjavur?
Answer 3:-
Water was supplied to the city of Thanjavur situated on the banks of river Kauveri via wells and tanks.
Question 4:-
Who lived in the “Black Towns” in cities such as Madras?
Answer 4:-
Merchants and artisans such as weavers lived in the Black Towns in citites such as Madras. The “blacks” or the native traders and the crafts persons were often confined in black towns while on the other hand, the “white” rulers occupied the superior residencies of Fort St George in Madras or Fort St William in Calcutta.
Question 5:-
Why do you think towns grew around temples?
Answer 5:-
Towns grew around temples as temples were often located at the central part of the town and acted as the common point for all members of the society and in that period. The temples were gifted with grants of land and money in order to carry out elaborate rituals, feed the pilgrims and priests and celebrate festivals. The temple authorities also used their wealth to fund trade and banking and gradually a large number of priests, traders, artisans, workers etc. settled near the temple to satisfy its needs and those of the pilgrims and thus nurtured temple towns.
Question 6:-
How important were crafts persons for the building and maintenance of temples?
Answer 6:-
Crafts persons were important for the building and maintenance of temples owing to the following reasons:
- The Panchalas or Vishwakarma community which consisted of goldsmiths, bronze smiths, blacksmiths, masons and carpenters were extremely essential to the building of temples.
- Weavers such as the Saliyar or the Kaikkolars emerged as prosperous communities which made donations to the temples.
Question 7:-
Why did people from distant lands visit Surat?
Answer 7:-
The city of Surat was cosmopolitan with people of all castes and creeds living there. People from distant lands visited Surat for the following reasons:
- Its location as medival port in the western coast of the subcontinent along with the fact that it was the emporium of western trade during the Mughal period. Itwas also the gateway for trade with West Asia via the Gulf of Ormuz.
- Since many pilgrim ships set sail from Surat, it was also called the gate to Mecca.
- The Portuguese, and the Dutch had their factories and warehouses at Surat.
- There existed several retail and wholesale shops selling cotton textiles and the textiles of Surat were famous for their gold lace borders (zari). They had a market in West Asia, Africa and Europe.
- Surat had built abundant rest-houses to take care of the needs of people from all over the world who had come to the city. They also built magnificent buildings and several pleasure parks.
- The Kathiawadseths or mahajans who were the moneychangers had enormous banking houses at Suratand the Surat hundis were respectedin the far-off markets of Cairo in Egypt, Basra in Iraqand Antwerp in Belgium.
Question 8:-
In what ways was craft production in cities like Calcutta different from that in cities like Thanjavur?
Answer 8:-
The craft production in cities like Calcutta was quite different from that in cities like Thanjavur. The craft production in cities like Calcutta was organized by European companies where the crafts persons were not free or independent to sell their own crafts and textiles. On the other hand, in Thanjavur, the crafts persons were permitted and could autonomously sell their own products.
The crafts and commerce also experienced some major changes. In Calcutta as merchants and artisans (such as weavers) were moved into the ‘Black Towns’ which were established by the European companies. The ‘blacks’ or native traders and crafts persons were confined in these towns while the ‘white’ rulers occupied the superior residencies like St. William Fort in Calcutta. On the other hand, in Thanjavur, crafts persons lived near the temples and the Saliya weavers of Thanjavur manufactured cloth for flags to be used in the temple festivals, fine cotton for the king along with the nobility and coarse cotton for the ordinary masses.
Question 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 9:-
New Delhi, the capital city of India can be compared to Thanjavur, the capital of Cholas. While the two have differences like Delhi has an elaborate and well-laid transportation system and ishuge in size when compared toThanjavur,also Delhi is more of a commercial town as compared to Thanjavur which was mainly a land of peasants. But having said these, the two also have certain resemblances. The governance of the whole city is done by the parliament standing in Delhi similar to Thanjavur which was also an administrative centre. The town of Delhi also is bustling with markets selling grain, spices, cloth and jewellery like the city of Thanjavur did.
Question 10:-
What were the problems encountered by merchants? Do you think some of these problems persist today?
Answer 10:-
The problems encountered by merchants included them having no access to proper means of transportation owing to which they had to pass through many kingdoms and forests which imposed threats over them. Hence they usually travelled in caravans and formed guilds to protect their interests. They also often had to work as agents for different companies neglecting their own jobs. Such problems do not persist in exact terms in present times however they do exist like often in rural areas small merchants face transportation problems and also have to work for landlords incase they take hefty loans and are unable to pay back.
Question 11:-
Find out more about the architecture of either Thanjavur or Hampi, and prepare a scrap book illustrating temples and other buildings from these cities.
Answer 11:-
Hampi formed the center of the Vijayanagara empire and the magnificent ruins atHampidivulges a well-fortified city:
- No mortar orcementing agent was used in the construction of these walls and the technique followed was to wedge them together by interlocking.
- It was a strong city fortified with walls and towers. The walls were made of very strong masonry and beautiful buildings with existence of flat roofs .
- The buildings in the royal complex had splendid arches, domes and pillared halls with positions for holding sculptures.
- There existed well-planned orchards and pleasure gardens with sculptural motifs such as the lotus and corbels.
Question 12:-
Find out about any present-day pilgrimage centre. Why do you think people go there? What do they do there? Are there any shops in the area? If so, what is bought and sold there?
Answer 12:-
Vaishno Devi is a present-day pilgrimage centre located in Katra, Jammu. People visit the temple to worship the deity. The worshippers offer prayers in the temple. There are several shops located around and on the way to the temple. Items which are bought and sold include food, statues and photos of deities, religious offerings, mementos etc.
Topics Covered in Chapter 6 – Towns, Traders and Craftspersons Class 7 History (Social Science)
- Administrative Centres
- Temple Towns and Pilgrimage Centres
- A Network of Small Towns
- Taxes on markets
- Traders Big and Small
- Crafts in Towns
- A Closer Look: Hampi, Masulipatnam and Surat
- A Gateway to the West: Surat
- Fishing in Troubled Waters: Masulipatnam
- New Towns and Traders
Important Terms Relevant for NCERT Solutions for Class 7 History Chapter 6 – Towns, Traders and Craftspersons :
Temple towns: Towns which emerged around temples were called temple towns.
Urbanisation: The process by which cities develop is called urbanisation.
Vishwakarma: Vishwakarma were also known as Panchalas and were a community of craftsmen consisting of goldsmiths, bronze smiths, blacksmiths, masons and carpenters.
Emporium: Emporium is a place where goods from diverse production centres are bought and sold.
Black Town: Black towns were referred to the places within the new cities (Bombay, Calcutta and Madras) established by European companies where the “blacks” or native traders and crafts persons were confined to reside.
NCERT Solutions for Class 7 History (Social Science)