Tracing Changes through a Thousand Years

Maps

• Maps show the changes that happen throughout the years.
• However, the maps were not constant always in the history.
• The accuracy of map differs throughout the period.
• Changes in names of geographical places can also be traced through historical maps.

New and Old Terminologies

• The significance, usage and meanings of terminologies change over time.
• The context changed from geographical and cultural to political.

→ In modern context, foreigner means a person who is not Indian.

→ During the medieval period, a foreigner was any stranger who appeared in a village or city.

Historians and their Sources

• Major sources of historical information are:
  • Coins
  • Architecture
  • Inscriptions
  • Textual records
• The period from 700 AD to 1750 AD saw an increase in the number of textual records.

→ The reason was easy availability of paper and its low cost.

New Social and Political Groups

• There was large scale and variety of developments over the period between 700 AD and 1750 AD.

→ New technologies in irrigation, agriculture, crafts and warfare appeared in the subcontinent.

→ Travelling for trade and exploration also increased.

• Rajputs, a group of warriors who claimed Kshatriya status, gained in importance.
• The Marathas, Sikhs, Jats, Ahoms and Kayasthas also became important.

Caste System

• People were grouped into jatis or sub-castes.

→ They were ranked on the basis of their backgrounds and their occupations.

• Jatis framed their own rules and regulations to manage the conduct of their members.

Region and Empire

• During this period, many dynasties emerged.
• Dynasties like the Cholas, Khaljis, Tughluqs and Mughals were able to build a pan-regional empire.

Old and New Religions

• Religion was often closely associated with the social and economic organization of local communities.

→ Important changes occurred in Hinduism during this period:

→ They included the worship of new deities, and royal patronage of temples.

→ The teachings of Islam were also introduced through migrants and merchants.

→ Muslims regard the Quran as their holy book and accept the sovereignty of the one God, Allah.

Time and historical periods

• Time reflects changes in social and economic organisation, and in ideas and beliefs.
• British historians divided India’s history into three periods: “Hindu”, “Muslim” and “British”.

→ This was based on the idea that the religion of rulers defined the age.

→ Modern historians focus on economic and social factors, dividing history into ancient, medieval and modern periods.

MCQs

1. A place where documents and manuscripts are stored as records for knowledge is called an _______.

(a) Store

(b) Archive

(c) Almirah

(d) Warehouse

► (b) Archive

2. The Mughal Empire declined in the _______ Century.

(a) Sixteenth

(b) Eighteenth

(c) Seventeenth

(d) Nineteenth

► (b) Eighteenth

3. Which of the following is not the literary source

(a) Travelogue

(b) Coin

(c) Inscriptions

(d) Manuscripts

► (b) Coin

4. New foods and beverages arrived in the subcontinent were

(a) Potatoes, pulses, chillies, cabbage and coffee

(b) Potatoes, corn, chillies, pulses and coffee

(c) Potatoes, maize, chillies, maize and wheat

(d) Potatoes, corn, chillies, tea and coffee

► (d) Potatoes, corn, chillies, tea and coffee

5. There was no printing press earlier so the writers copied manuscripts by _______.

(a) paper

(b) hands

(c) pen

(d) prints

► (b) hands

6. Who brought the teachings of holy Quran to India?

(a) Merchants and Migrants

(b) Merchants and Hindus

(c) Merchants and Kshatiyas

(d) Migrants and Sikhs

► (a) Merchants and Migrants

7. The fourteenth-century chronicler Ziyauddin Barani wrote his chronicle first in _____.

(a) 1256

(b) 1556

(c) 1456

(d) 1356

► (d) 1356

8. The Shia Muslims who believed that the Prophet's Son-in-law was the legitimate leader of Muslim community.

(a) Ali

(b) Akbar

(c) Khan bahadur

(d) Baba Adam

► (a) Ali

9. An influential wealthy individual who supports another person - an artist, a crafts person, a learned man, or a noble is called a ______.

(a) Rajputs

(b) Muslims

(c) Hindus

(d) Patron

► (d) Patron

10. ______ was a fourteenth-century chronicler.

(a) Ziyauddin Baruni

(b) Minhaj-I Siraj

(c) Siraj Khan

(d) Sultan

► (a) Ziyauddin Baruni

11. Which of the following is the holy book of Muslims?

(a) Geeta

(b) Ramayan

(c) Guru granth sahib

(d) Quran

► (d) Quran

12. Who said -"Common people do not know Sanskrit, only Brahmans do"?

(a) Siraj

(b) Akbar

(c) Birbal

(d) Amir Khusro

► (d) Amir Khusro

13. ________ were collected by wealthy people, rulers, monasteries and temples.

(a) Costly things

(b) Document

(c) Manuscripts

(d) None of these

► (c) Manuscripts

14. _________, is a name derived from Rajaputra - the son of a Ruler, a body of warriors who claimed Kshatriya caste status.

(a) Shudras

(b) Hindus

(c) Kshtriya

(d) Rajputs

► (d) Rajputs

15. Who coined the term Hindustan in the thirteenth century?

(a) Al-Idrisi

(b) Babur

(c) Akbar

(d) Al-Rasid

► (b) Babur

16. _____ framed their own rules and regulations to manage the conduct of their members.

(a) Shudras

(b) Jatis

(c) Ahom

(d) Kayastha

► (b) Jatis

17. The people who copied manuscripts by hand were known as

(a) Sribe

(b) Scribes

(c) Scene

(d) Series

► (b) Scribes

18. Which of the language was used in Andhra Pradesh according to Amir Khusrau

(a) Kashmiri

(b) Sindhi

(c) Telangani

(d) Lahori

► (c) Telangani