NCERT Solutions for Class 7 History Chapter 6 Towns, Traders And Craftspersons contains answers to the exercise questions given in the “Our Pasts-II”. All the answers provided here are accurate and simple that will help you understand the concepts easily and continue your studies without a doubt. These solutions will also help you to score higher marks with the help of well-illustrated answers. All the questions and answers are provided here in PDF format.
NCERT Solutions for Class 7 History Chapter 3 Questions and Answers
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:
(a) The Rajarajeshvara temple was built in 1010 A.D.
(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:
(a) True
(b) False
(c) False
(d) False
Question 3: How was water supplied to the city of Thanjavur?
Answer: Water was supplied to the city of Thanjavur from tanks and wells.
Question 4: Who lived in the “Black Towns” in cities such as Madras?
Answer: Merchants and artisans lived in “Black Towns” in cities such as Madras. The “blacks” or native traders and craftspersons were confined here while 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: Towns grew around temples because temples were central to economy and society. Temple authorities used their wealth to finance trade and banking. Also, the large number of pilgrims provided ample opportunities for traders and artisans to conduct business.
Question 6: How important were crafts persons for the building and maintenance of temples?
Answer: Craftspersons played an important role in the building and maintenance of temples:
(i) The Vishwakarma community consisting of goldsmith, bronzesmiths, blacksmiths, masons and carpenters were essential to the building of temples.
(ii) Weavers such as the Saliyar or Kaikkolars were prosperous communities and they made ample donations to temples.
(iii) The craftspersons of Bidar were skilled in their inlay work in copper and silver. They were also important for the building and maintenance of temples in their own way.
Question 7: Why did people from distant lands visit Surat?
Answer: People from distant lands visited Surat because it was the gateway of trade with west Asia.
- Surat was the gateway for trade with West Asia via the Gulf of Ormuz. Surat has also been called the gate to Mecca because many pilgrim ships set sail from Surat.
- In the seventeenth century, the Portuguese, Dutch and English had their factories and warehouses at Surat.
- The textiles of Surat were famous for their gold lace borders (zari) and had a market in West Asia, Africa and Europe.
- The state built numerous rest-houses for people from all over the world who came to the city.
- The Kathiawad seths or mahajans (moneychangers) had huge banking houses at Surat.
- The Surat hund is were honoured in the far-off markets of Cairo in Egypt, Basra in Iraq and Antwerp in Belgium.
- Due to these reasons, people from distant lands visited Surat.
Question 8: In what ways was craft production in cities like Calcutta different from that in cities like Thanjavur?
Answer: Crafts production in cities like Calcutta was formally planned and organised by European companies. Merchants and artisans were moved and confined to the ‘Black Towns’ constructed by the European companies within the new cities. On the other hand, the crafts production in old temple towns like Thanjavur focused on the needs of the temple and the pilgrims.