Important Questions Class 7 Social Science Our Pasts 2 Chapter 1
History aims at helping students to understand the contemporary existing social, political, religious and economic condition of the people by discussing past lives of the different communitiesl. The first chapter of Class 7 Social Science Our Pasts 2 is Tracing History through a Thousand Years. This chapter gives students the opportunity to gain more in-depth information on significant historical events and movements, particularly those that have occurred over the past 100 years or more. Students can easily access all this and more on the Extramarks’ website.
History is one such subject that requires attention and constant reading by the students. The NCERT Textbook, NCERT Exemplar, other reference books, past years’ exam papers, and other sources have all been used by Extramarks professionals to compile Chapter 1 Class 7 Social Science Our Pasts 2 Important Questions. To assist students in understanding each chapter, our History experts have compiled a list of step-by-step solutions. Students can register today with Extramarks and access Social Science Our Pasts 2 Class 7 Chapter 1 Important Questions.
In addition to class 7 Social Science Our Pasts 2 Chapter 1 Important Questions, students can access materials like NCERT Solutions, CBSE revision notes, past years’ question papers, NCERT books, and much more can be found easily on the Extramarks’ website.
Important Questions Class 7 Social Science Our Pasts 2 Chapter 1- with Solutions
History academicians at Extramarks have curated an entire list of Important Questions Class 7 Social Science Our Pasts 2 Chapter 1 from many different sources. This chapter gives students the opportunity to gain more in-depth information on significant historical events and movements, particularly those that have occurred over the past 100 years or more. These questions and solutions Extramarks’ NCERT Solutions is a solved key to textual questions. By referring to this, a student can accomplish any desired learning goal like – studying a concept/chapter from scratch, revising before examination help students to comprehend Tracing History through a Thousand Years in a better manner.
Mentioned below are a few Important Questions Class 7 Social Science Our Pasts 2 Chapter 1 and their solutions:
Question 1. How do Historians divide the past into periods? Do they face any problems in doing so?
Answer 1. British historians classified Indian history into three distinct eras in the middle of the nineteenth century. The three eras were broken down into “British,” “Muslim,” and “Hindu.” According to British historians, the kingdom’s history was categorised in this way because they thought that there had not been many substantial changes in culture, society, or the economy except for the shift in the monarchs’ religion.
There are issues with the British historians’ division. Such divisions fail to consider the Indian subcontinent’s variety. In comparison to the sixteenth or eighteenth centuries, the eleventh and eighth centuries were very different.
In the eyes of historians, time is more than just a calendar, a clock, years, days, or hours. Studying history is simpler by splitting history into distinct eras or parts that share certain traits. It highlights the parallels and differences in social progress, economic organisation, values, and ideas.
Historical documents are written in various languages, which are constantly evolving. For instance, contemporary Persian differs from mediaeval Persian. In addition to vocabulary and syntax, there are also variances in the meanings, which are constantly evolving.
When reading historical writings, maps, and records, historians must be mindful of the historical circumstances and backdrops in which they were created because the cartography varied between two distinct eras.
Question 2. How were the affairs of Jatis regulated?
Answer 2. Throughout this period, there were many social and economic divisions among the populace, which gave rise to the creation of Jatis, or sub-castes, where individuals were graded according to their jobs and backgrounds. In certain places, a group of senior citizens known as the Jati panchayat oversaw their affairs . The jatis were expected to abide by the laws set down by their chieftain-led communities.
Question 3. Write the difference between the two maps of India created in 1154 and 1720?
Answer 3. In 1154 CE, an Arab cartographer named Al-Idrisi created a map. In the 1720s, a French cartographer created a map of the same region. The two had a few distinctions:
- North India was mistakenly labelled as south India on Al-map.
- Arabic place names are indicated on maps. Kanauj, also known as Qanauj, is in Uttar Pradesh.
- The map by a French cartographer was created some 600 years later. By that time, numerous changes had occurred.
- This map is more well-known. Coastal regions have more detail.
- The merchants and sailors of Europe travelled with this map.
Question 4. List some of the technological changes associated with this period.
Answer 4. Following are a few examples of the technological advancements made during this time:
- The spinning wheel in weaving
- The Firearms in combat
- The Persian wheel for irrigation
Question 5. What are the difficulties historians faced in using manuscripts?
Answer 5. When studying manuscripts, historians encounterd a variety of challenges, including:
- Manuscripts were handwritten.
- Any two copies have a lot of variances from one another.
- Handwritten Manuscripts were hard to read.
- Changes were made by the scribes who copied them as well.
- To determine the originality, historians had to read many copies of the same work.
Question 6. How has the word “Hindustan” evolved over time?
Answer 6. Over the decades, the meaning of the word “Hindustan” has evolved in the following ways:
- The phrase “Hindustan” was first used in the thirteenth century by Minhaj-i-Siraj. He referred to territories in Punjab, Haryana, and the region between the Ganges and the Yamuna. He used this phrase in reference to the political areas under the Delhi Sultanate’s control. South India was never included in the name.
- Babur, a poet, used the term “Hindustan” in the sixteenth century to refer to the topography, flora, and culture of the people who lived in the subcontinent.
- The poet Amir Khusrau employed the word “Hind” in the fourteenth century in the same way Babur used it in the sixteenth century.
- The word “Hindustan” did not have the same political and racial connotations as “India” has now.
Question 7. What were some of the major religious developments during this period?
Answer 7. Following are a few of the important and significant religious advancements that occurred during this time:
- Worship of new gods.
- The building of temples by the aristocracy.
- The increasing dominance of priests and Brahmanas as leading groups in society.
- The conception of bhakti is a loving, approachable deity that followers might encounter without the intervention of priests or complex ceremonies.
- Throughout this time, several new faiths emerged. The Holy Quran’s teachings were first brought to India around the 7th century by merchants and immigrants.
Question 8. What does the term pan-regional empire mean?
Answer 8. An empire that covers numerous areas is referred to as a pan-regional empire. Pan-regional empires included the Mauryan Empire, the Gupta Empire, the Chola Empire, the Maratha Empire, etc.
Question 9. Who was considered a ‘foreigner’ in the past?
Answer 9. In the mediaeval era, a stranger was considered a foreigner if they did not come from that hamlet or belong to that group or culture. So, for instance, a city person would have thought of a woodland inhabitant as an outsider. However, even if two individuals come from different castes or religions, they are not aliens if they live in the same village.
In the above section of Important Questions Class 7 Social Science Our Pasts 2 Chapter 1 all the significant topics of the chapter are covered.
Benefits of Solving Important Questions Class 7 Social Science Our Pasts 2 Chapter 1
A subject such as a History fills students with a sense of curiosity and requires extensive reading. Students are encouraged to go through Extramarks’ Important Questions Class 7 Social Science Our Pasts 2 Chapter 1. Students gather confidence by answering the important questions and going over their solutions.
Given below are some benefits of solving Important Questions Class 7 Social Science Our Pasts 2 Chapter 1:
- They are a solved key to all the textual questions. By referring to this, a student can accomplish any desired learning goal like – studying a concept/chapter from scratch, revising before examination etc.
- Through regular practice, students will be able to increase their understanding of the chapter and build a strong foundation on the concepts.
- Students can entirely rely upon these important questions as these are made following all the guidelines laid by CBSE.
- Important Questions Class 7 Social Science Our Pasts 2 Chapter 1 covers all the concepts of the entire chapter- Tracing History through a Thousand Years.
Extramarks provides comprehensive learning solutions for students from Class 1 to Class 12. Along with important questions and solutions, we have abundant resources available on our website. Students can click on the links given below to access some of these resources:
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Q.1 On what basis did British historians divide the history of India into three periods?
Ans. British historians divided the history of India into three periods.
This division was based on the idea that the religion of rulers was the only important historical change and that there were no other significant developments–in the economy, society or culture.
Q.2 Explain about the emergence of Rajputs.
Ans. The name Rajput is derived from “Rajaputra”, the son of a ruler.
Between the eighth and fourteenth centuries, a body of warriors who were Kshatriya by caste was termed as Rajputs.
The Rajputs were not just rulers and chieftains, but also soldiers and commanders who served in the armies of different monarchs all over the subcontinent.
This group of people became important in this period.
Poets and bards of these Rajput rulers ascribed some great qualities, such as great valour and immense sense of loyalty, to these rulers.
Q.3 In the Medieval period, for whom was the term foreigner used?
Ans. In the medieval period, a “foreigner” was any stranger who was not a part of a particular society or culture.
Therefore, a forest-dweller might have been regarded as a “foreigner”, by a city-dweller. But two peasants living in the same village were not foreigners to each other, even though they may have had different religious or caste backgrounds.
Q.4 What were the major developments in the religious traditions between 700 and 1750?
Ans. Period between 700 and 1750 witnessed major developments in religious traditions.
1. During this period, some important changes occurred in Hinduism. Worship of new deities and construction of temples by Kings began. The importance of Brahmanas and priests increased. They became dominant groups in the society.
2. Another major development was the emergence of the idea of Bhakti in which devotees did not require the aid of priests or elaborate rituals to reach their personal deity.
3. During this period, new religions also appeared in the subcontinent. Teachings of the Holy Quran were brought to India in the 7th century by merchants and migrants.
Q.5 What were ‘jatis’? How were the affairs of jatis regulated?
Ans. Jatis or sub-castes are the social groups divided on the basis of their background and occupations.
1) Jatis framed their own rules and regulations to administer the behaviour of their members. An assembly of elders, described in some areas as the jati panchayat, enforced these regulations.
2) Besides they had to follow rules of their village. Several villages were governed by a chieftain.
Q.6 Why did Brahmanas gain importance in Hindu society, during the thousand years?
Ans. Brahmanas became important during this period due to the following reasons:
1. They had knowledge of Sanskrit texts, which made them respectable in the society.
2. They had support of their patrons, new rulers searching for prestige.
Q.7 How was the ‘thousand years’ of Indian history witnessed considerable change? Why is it a challenge to study the history of ‘the thousand years’?
Ans. The ‘thousand years’ between 700 and 1750 was a period full of developments and new technologies.
The Persian wheel in irrigation, the spinning wheel in weaving, firearms in combat, new food and beverages were the new arrivals in the sub-continent.
The study of this period was a challenge because of the number of developments that had taken place in eighth and eleventh centuries are different from sixteenth and eighteenth centuries.
Q.8 Describe the major developments that occurred in Hindu religion during the thousand years?
Ans. During this period many changes were witnessed in religion.
1). The worship of new deities.
2). The construction of temples by royalty.
3). The growing importance of Brahmanas, the priests, as dominant groups in society.
Q.9 Describe, how the paper was very valuable during the thirteenth century?
Ans. In the middle of the thirteenth century, paper was very costly. Paper was also not available easily. During that time when a scholar wanted to copy a book, he was not having enough paper, so he had to wash the writing of a manuscript, he did not want, dried the paper and used it.
Q.10 Describe the difficulties faced by historians while using manuscripts?
Ans. There was no printing press during medieval period so the scribes copied manuscripts by hands. sometime while copying a manuscript, a scribe also introduced small changes. These small changes grew over centuries of copying until manuscripts of the same text became substantially different from the original one. As a result historians have to read different manuscript versions of the same text to guess what the author has originally written.
Q.11 Describe the Social changes that took place between eighth and fourteenth century.
Ans. The social changes that took place in the these years resulted in emergence of a complex society.
Travellers from different parts of the world had come to India and settled in new lands.
People were grouped into jatis, or sub-caste on the basis of their backgrounds and their occupations.
The Rajputs became most powerful.
Marathas, Sikhs, Jats, Ahoms and Kayasthas also got important positions in the society.
Q.12 Which languages were used between eighth and fourteen centuries?
Ans. According to Amir Khusrau various languages were in use during eighth and fourteenth century, like Sindhi, Lahori, Kashmiri, Dvarsamudri, Telangani, Gujari, Awadhi and Hindawi.
Q.13 Name the groups who asserted their political importance between the eighth and fourteen centuries?
Ans. The group of people such as Marathas, Sikhs, Jats, Ahoms, and Kayastha used the opportunities of the age to become politically important during this period.
Q.14 What is the difference between Shia and Sunni?
Ans. The Shia Muslim believed that the Prophet’s son-in-law was the legitimated leader of the Muslim community, whereas the Sunni Muslims accepted the authority of the early leaders, Khalifas.
Q.15 Name various sources which are necessary for knowing the past?
Ans. The sources used by historians to study the past are coins, inscriptions, architecture, textual records, manuscripts and documents of accounts and taxes. These documents used to provide a lot of detailed information to historians.
Q.16 Who was considered a ‘foreigner’ in the past?
Ans. In the past a ‘foreigner’ was any stranger, who was not a part of that society, or culture. A city dweller might regard a forest dweller as a foreigner. Two peasants in the same village were not foreigners even if they belonged to different communities.
Q.17 Who said -“Common people do not know Sanskrit, only Brahmans do”?
Ans. This was said by the poet “Amir Khusrau”.He said it in context of the various languages present in India. He said that in contrast to other regional languages, Sanskrit was the oldest language and only the Brahmanas knew it not the common people.
Q.18 Who brought the teachings of holy Quran to India?
Ans. Merchants and Migrants first brought the teachings of the holy Quran to India in the seventh century.
Q.19 Name the holy book of Muslims?
Ans. The holy book of Muslims is Quran.
Q.20 Define the periods in which British historians divided the Indian history?
Ans. The British historians divided the history of India into three periods namely Hindu, Muslim and British.
Q.21 What do you mean by Rajputs?
Ans. Rajputs, a name derived from “Rajaputra” – the son of a Ruler, a body of warriors who claimed Kshatriya caste status.
Q.22 Define a patron?
Ans. An influential wealthy individual who supports another person – an artist, a crafts person, a learned man, or a noble is called a patron.
Q.23 What was the impact of the decline of Mughal Empire?
Ans. When the Mughal Empire declined in the eighteenth century, it led to the re-emergence of regional states or powers in India.
Q.24 What is the difference between nastaliq style and shikaste style?
Ans. Different kinds of handwriting could make the Persian and Arabic language difficult to read.The Nastialiq style is more Cursive and easy to read. The shikaste is denser ,closer together and more difficult to read.
Q.25 Name the language, which was specifically used by Brahmins.
Ans. Sanskrit was used by Brahmanas, for religious purposes.
Q.26 Who was Ziyauddin Barani?
Ans. Ziyauddin Barani was the fourteenth century historian. He was a contemporary of Delhi Sultanate rulers like Mohammed bin Tughlaq and Firoz Tughlaq.
Q.27 What do you mean by an Archive?
Ans. A place where documents and manuscripts are stored as records is called an Archive.
Q.28 Who coined the term ‘’Hindustan’’ in the thirteenth century and which areas were covered under it?
Ans. The term Hindustan which we use as India – a modern nation state was first used by Minhaj-i-Siraj , a chronicler who wrote in Persian. The areas that he used this term for were Punjab, Haryana, and the lands between Ganga and Yamuna. He used the term in political terms for the land that came under the Delhi Sultanate.
Q.29 Name the Arab geographer who made a map of north India in 1154 AD?
Ans. Al-Idrisi, an Arab geographer made a map of north India in 1154 AD.
Q.30 Who is a cartographer?
Ans. A person who makes maps is called a cartographer.
Q.31 What were the causes for the migration of forest dwellers?
Ans. Forest dwellers migrated and changed their habitat due to two important factors:
1. Gradual clearing of forests
2. Extension of agriculture
Q.32 This is a painting of a scribe making a copy of a manuscript. Answer the following questions related to this picture:
1. Who were scribes?
2. Why is this painting called a miniature painting?
3. What form of visual art was used to decorate the texts of manuscripts?
4. Why were manuscripts written by hand?
Ans.
1.Scribes were people who copied manuscripts by hand.
2.This painting is only 10.5 cm by 7.1 cm in size. Because of its size it is called a miniature.
3.Miniature paintings were used to decorate the texts of manuscripts.
4.During early medieval period, there was no printing press so manuscripts were written by hand.
Q.33 This is a writing in Persian and Arabic. Answer the following questions related to this picture:
1. What can make the reading of Persian and Arabic difficult?
2. What is nastaliq style of writing?
3. What is shikaste style of writing?
4. Which style of writing is there in the above picture?
Ans.
1. Different kinds of handwriting can make the reading of Persian and Arabic difficult.
2. The nastaliq style of writing is cursive and easy to read.
3. The shikaste style of writing is denser and more difficult to read.
4. The above picture is of shikaste style of writing.
Q.34 Read the following passage and answer the questions given below:
In 1318 the poet Amir Khusrau noted that there was “a different language in every region of this land: Sindhi, Lahori, Kashmiri, Dvarsamudri (in southern Karnataka), Telangani (in Andhra Pradesh), Gujari (in Gujarat), Ma‘bari (in Tamil Nadu), Gauri, (in Bengal) … Awadhi (in eastern Uttar Pradesh) and Hindawi (in the area around Delhi)”.
Amir Khusrau went on to explain that in contrast to these languages there was Sanskrit which did not belong to any region. It was an old language and “common people do not know it, only the Brahmanas do”.
1. Who was Amir Khusrau?
2. List the languages mentioned by Amir Khusrau?
3. What were his views regarding Sanskrit? [1 + 1 + 2 = 4]
Ans.
1. Amir Khusrau was a fourteenth century poet.
2. He mentioned different languages for different regions such as Sindhi, Lahori, Kashmiri, Dvarsamudri, Telangani, Gujari, Ma‘bari, Gauri, Awadhi and Hindawi.
3. Amir Khusrau was of the view that Sanskrit did not belong to one particular region. It was an old language. It was the language of Brahmanas and not of the common masses.
Q.35 The term ‘Hindustan’ used in the 13th century by Minhaj-i-Siraj comprised of which areas?
Ans. The term ‘Hindustan’ used in the 13th century by Minhaj-i-Siraj comprised of areas of Punjab, Haryana and the lands between the Ganga and Yamuna. He had used the term in a political sense for lands that were a part of the dominions of the Delhi Sultan.
Q.36 What should the historians keep in mind while reading documents and maps from the past?
Ans. While reading documents and maps from the past the historians should understand the different historical backgrounds and the contexts in which information about the past was produced.
Q.37 What are sources? How are sources helpful to historians?
Ans. Sources are important to trace the ancient records. Different types of sources are coins, inscriptions, architecture and textual records.
References to historical events and traditions are scattered in many ancient Indian texts.
Historians use these sources to learn about the past, depending upon the period of their study and the nature of their investigation.
Q.38 Why was there a dramatic increase in the variety of textual records between 700 to 1750 CE?
Ans. During this period, paper became cheaper and widely available. This resulted in a dramatic increase in the variety of textual records between 700 to 1750 CE.
People started using paper to write holy texts, chronicles of rulers, letters and teachings of saints, petitions and judicial records and for registers of accounts and taxes.
Q.39 Mention one group of people who became important between 700 to 1750 CE? What were their main characteristics?
Ans. During this period, Rajputs began to play a prominent part in the Northern and Western parts of India.
Most Indian states during this period were ruled by Rajputs.
Rajputs were not only rulers and chieftains but also soldiers and commanders who served in the armies of different monarchs, all over the subcontinent.
Main characteristics –
The whole life of a Rajput was devoted to war.
They were regarded as brave and loyal people.
They had many other outstanding virtues and a spirit of chivalry and lived upto it inspite of difficulties.
Q.40 Explain, how the information from the manuscripts could be misleading or wrong?
Ans. During this period, there was no printing press so the scribes had to copy manuscripts by hand.
The copying of the manuscripts relied upon the accuracy of the scribes.
While copying the manuscripts, the scribes could made unintentional errors. At times, scribes would also correct the spelling, grammar and alter what they believed to be mistakes inherent in the text.
They amended apparent historical and geographical errors.
These small differences grew over centuries of copying until manuscripts of the same text became substantially different from one another.
As a result, historians find it difficult to use the information from the manuscript and have to read different manuscript versions of the same text to guess what the author had originally written.
Q.41 Mention some important changes that occurred in the lives of Indians during 700 CE to 1750 CE.
Ans. Different changes revolutionised the lives of people within a span of thousand years –
People started travelling long distances in search of opportunities.
New food crops arrived in the Indian sub-continent, with travellers.
New technological inventions in agriculture, Persian wheel, used in irrigation and spinning wheel in weaving.
Gradually clearing of forests led to the extension of agriculture, affected the lives of peasants.
Many forest dwellers began to migrate and started tilling land, acquiring the title of ‘peasants’. These peasants were influenced by the regional market dynamics and priests. As a result, society became more differentiated and people were grouped into caste and sub-castes depending upon their occupation and background.
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
1. What is Class 7 History’s first chapter?
The Class 7 NCERT History textbook has ten chapters. Tracing Changes Through A Thousand Years is the first chapter. The chapter discusses several global social, economic, political, and religious developments that have occurred over the past thousand years. Along with their relevance, significant events that contributed to creating the world we live in are also described. Students can refer to Extramarks Important Questions Class 7 Social Science Our Pasts 2 Chapter 1 to grasp the essential questions of the chapter with precision.
2. What are the key points in Chapter 1 of Our Pasts 2 in Class 7 Social Science from NCERT?
History Chapter 1 of the NCERT Solution for Class 7 covers historical changes, occurrences, and the development of human civilization.
The terminology of history, historical occurrences and changes, the emergence of various social and political groupings, other areas and their empires, and the development of both new and ancient faiths are the key topics covered in chapter 1.
The NCERT Solution for Class 7th History Chapter 1 also aims to provide information about various historical eras and times.
There are several maps for students to practise on at the conclusion of the chapter. The maps are organised according to the many historical events in each chapter.
Students can easily refer to Extramarks Important Questions Class 7 Social Science Our Pasts 2 Chapter 1 to understand all the concepts of the chapter- Tracing History through a Thousand Years.
