CHAPTER 2 – NEW KINGS AND KINGDOMS

Q1. Match the following-

Gurjara-Pratiharas       –      Western Deccan

Rashtrakutas                 –       Bengal

Palas                               –       Gujarat and Rajasthan

Cholas                            –        Tamil Nadu

ANS-

Gurjara-Pratiharas       –        Gujarat and Rajasthan

Rashtrakutas                 –        Western Deccan

Palas                               –        Bengal

Cholas                            –         Tamil Nadu

Q 2. Who were the parties involved in the “tripartite struggle”?

ANS- The parties involved in the “tripartite struggle” were the Gurjara-Pratiharas, Rashtrakutas and    Palas.

Q3. What were the qualifications necessary to become a member of a committee of the sabha in the     Chola Empire?

ANS-  To become a member of a committee of the sabha in the Chola Empire, the following    qualifications were necessary:

  • The members should be owners of land from which land revenue is collected. They should have their own homes.
  • They should be between 35 and 70 years of age.
  • They should have knowledge of the Vedas.
  • They should be well-versed in administrative matters and should be honest.
  • They should not be members of any other committee in the last three years.

Q4. What were the two major cities under the control of the Chahamanas?

ANS- The two major cities in control of the Chahamanas were Delhi and Ajmer.

Q 5. How did the Rashtrakutas become powerful?

ANS-

  • The Rashtrakutas were initially subordinate to the Chalukyas of Karnataka.
  • In the mid-eighth century, Dantidurga, a Rashtrakuta chief, overthrew his Chalukya overlord and performed the hiranya-garbha (literally the golden-womb). 
  • Thereafter, they fought with Gurjara-Pratihara and Pala dynasties and became powerful.

Q6. What did the new dynasties do to gain acceptance?

ANS-   To gain acceptance-

  • the new dynasties Gained wealth and power and declared themselves as maha-samanta, etc.
  • They got independence from their overlords.
  • They performed rituals to declare themselves as Kshatriyas with help from Brahmanas.
  • They built large temples to store their wealth and used the temples in wars.
  • They fought many wars to become independent.

Q7. What kind of irrigation works were developed in the Tamil region?

ANS- The irrigation works developed in the Tamil region were:

  • Water channels from the river Kaveri were used for agriculture.
  • Embankments were created in the delta region to prevent flooding.
  • Digging of wells and construction of tanks for water storage.
  • Canals were built for water distribution.

Q 8. What were the activities associated with Chola temples?

ANS-  A Chola temple was not only a place of worship but also the hub of economic, social and cultural    life.

  • Chola temples were centres of craft production.
  •  Bronze images were most distinctive.
  • Most of the bronze images were of deities, some were of devotees as well.
  • Temples were also endowed with land by rulers as well as by others.
  • The produce of the land went to maintain all the specialists who worked at the temple.