Class 7 History Social Science Chapter 6 Towns, Traders And Craftspersons
1. Fill in the blanks:
The Rajarajeshvara temple was built in ………………..
Ajmer is associated with the Sufi saint…………………
Hampi was the capital of the ………….
The Dutch established a settlement at…………….. in Andhra Pradesh.
Answer:
(a) early 11th century
(b) Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti
(c) Vijayanagara
(d) Masulipatnam
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)—T, (b)—F, (c)—F, (d)—F.
3. How was water supplied, to the city of Thanjavur?
Answer:
Water from wells and tanks was supplied to the city of Thanjavur through channels.
Who lived in the ‘Black Towns’ in cities such as Madras?
Answer: Merchants, artisans (such as weavers), native traders and craftspersons lived in the ‘Black
Towns’.
5. Why do you think towns grew around temples?
Answer:
Towns grew around temples because of the following reasons:
Priests, workers, artisans, craftspersons settled around temples.
Several shops came up around temples to cater to the needs of pilgrims and priests etc.
6. How important were craftspersons for the building and maintenance of temples?
Answer:
Craftspersons were very important because of the following reasons:
They carried out inlay work in copper and silver. Craftspersons from Bidar were well-known for Bidri
work.
Goldsmiths, bronzesmiths, blacksmiths, masons, carpenters built temples.
They also maintained them.
Weavers also played an important role in cotton textiles.
7. Why did people from distant lands visit Surat?
Answer:
People from distant lands visited Surat because of the following reasons:
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 here.
There was a big market for cotton textiles. One could find several retail and wholesale shops selling
cotton textiles.
The textiles of Surat were famous for their gold lace borders, Le. zari and had a market in West Asia,
Africa and Europe.
There were ample rest-houses for the visitors. Magnificent buildings and innumerable pleasure parks
attracted people of far-off places.
8. In what ways was craft production in cities like Calcutta different from that in cities Wee Thanjavur?
Answer:
Craft production in Thanjavur was different from that of Kolkata in the following manner:
Craft production in Thanjavur was in the form of inlays work in copper and silver.
In Kolkata, it was in the form of cotton textiles, jute textiles, and silk textiles.
Thanjavur was a temple town and all lived in town.
Calcutta was a trading town and craftsmen lived in “Blacktown” areas.
