VII....Tracing Changes Through A Years

Q1: Who was considered a ‘foreigner’ in the past?

Ans:A person who was a stranger or who was not a part of the society or culture was considered as a ‘foreigner’ or ‘pardeshi’ or ‘ajnabi’.

2: State whether True or False: –

1. We do not find inscriptions for the period after 700.
2. The Marathas asserted their political importance during this period.
3. Forest-dwellers were sometimes pushed out of their lands with the spread of agricultural settlements.
4. Sultan Ghiyasuddin Balban controlled Assam, Manipur and Kashmir

Ans:(a) T (b) T (c) T (d) F

Q3: Fill in the blanks:

1. Archives are places where ___________ are kept.
2. _______ was a fourteenth century chronicler.
3. _____ ______ _____ _____ and ______ were some of the new crops introduced into the subcontinent during this period

Ans:(a) manuscripts / records / documents (b) Ziyauddin Barani (c) Potatoes, corn, chillies, tea and coffee.

Q4: List some of the technological changes associated with this period.

Ans:Some of the technological changes associated with this period:

• Persian wheel in irrigation.
• Fire arms in combat.
• Spinning wheel in weaving.
• New foods and brewages like potato, corn, chillies, tea and coffee.

Q5: In what ways has the meaning of the term “Hindustan” changed over the centuries?

Ans:The meaning of the term ‘Hindustan’ changed over the centuries in various ways. In the 13th century Muihaj-i-Siraj used the term ‘Hindustan’ to mean the areas of Punjab, Haryana and the area lying between Ganga and Yamuna. He used this term in a political sense that was a part of the dominion of Delhi Sultan.
In the 16th century Babar used the same term to describe the geography, the fauna and the culture of the inhabitants of this subcontinent. In 14th century Amir Khusaru used the erm ‘Hind’ in the same sense as Babar did in 16thcentury.
But the term ‘Hindustan’ never carried the political and national meanings as the term ‘India’ does today.

Q6: How were the affairs of Jatis regulated?

Ans:The affairs of jatis were regulated in the following ways –

• Jatis formed their own rules and regulations.
• There was an assembly of elders called Jati panchayat which used to enforce the rules etc.
• Jatis were also directed to follow the rules of the village.
• Several villages were governed by a chieftain.