NCERT Solutions for Class 7 Social Science History Chapter 10 Eighteenth-Century Political Formations

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Eighteenth-Century Political Formations NCERT Solutions for Class 7 Social Science History Chapter 10

Class 7 History Chapter 10 Eighteenth-Century Political Formations InText Questions and Answers

Text Book Page No. 139

Question 1.
See Chapter 4,Table 1,which group of people challenged Mughal authority for the longest time in Aurangzeb’s reign?
Answer:
Marathas challenged Mughal authority for the longest time in Aurangzeb’s reign.

Text Book Page No. 144

Question 1.
In trying to consolidate their rule, why did Mughal subadars also want to control the office of diwan ?
Answer:
The office of diwan was the finance office. By controlling finances of a province subadars or governors could actually exert full control over other officers and thus consolidate their position.

Text Book Page No. 148

Question 1.
What is the Khalsa ? Do you recall reading about it in Chapter 8 ?
Answer:
Khalsa is the political wing of Sikhs. It consists warriors. Yes, I have read about it in Chapter 8.

Text Book Page No. 152

Imagine

Question 1.
You are a ruler of an eighteenth century kingdom. Tell us about the steps you would take to make your position strong in your province, and what opposition or problems you might face while doing so.
Answer:

1. In order to make my position strong, I would reform military and financial systems of my province.
2. I would end corruption in the administration.
3. The most expected problem would be the attack by some other kingdom. I would be ready to face any such attack.

Class 7 History Chapter 10 Eighteenth-Century Political Formations Exercise Questions and Answers

Let’s Recall
Question 1.
Match the following :
Answer:

Subadar	provincial governor
Faujdar	a Mughal military commander
Ijaradar	a revenue farmer
Misl	a band of Sikh warriors
Chauth	tax levied by the Marathas
Kunbis	Marathas peasant warriors
umara	a high noble

Question 2.
Fill in the blanks :
(a) Aurangzeb fought a protracted war in the ______
Answer:
Deccan

(b) Umara and jagirdars constituted powerful sections of the Mughal ______
Answer:
Nobility

(c) Asaf Jah was given charge of the Deccan subadari in ______
Answer:
1724

(d) The founder of the Awadh nawabi was ______
Answer:
Sa’adat Khan

Question 3.
State whether true or false :
(a) Nadir Shah invaded Bengal.
Answer:
False

(b) Sawai Raja Jai Singh was the ruler of Indore.
Answer:
False

(c) Guru Gobind Singh was the tenth Guru of the Sikhs.
Answer:
True

(d) Poona became the capital of Marathas in the eighteenth century.
Answer:
True

Question 4.
What were the offices held by Sa’adat Khan?
Answer:
Sa’adat Khan held the combined offices of subadari, diwani and faujdarL In fact, he was responsible for managing the political, financial and military affairs of the province of Awadh.

Let’s Discuss

Question 5.
Why did the Nawabs of Awadh and Bengal try to do away with the jagirdari system ?
Answer:

1. Under the jagirdari system, revenue was collected by the jagirdars appointed by the Mughal emperor.
2. By abolishing emperor-appointed jagirdars the Nawabs of Awadh and Bengal tried to take the revenue (finance) department under their control.
3. The transfer or dismissal of the jagirdars and selling the right to collect revenue to revenue farmers made Nawabs exert and acquire control over the resources of the province. Hence, they tried to do away with the jagirdari system.

Question 6.
How were Sikhs organised in the eighteenth century?
Answer:

1. After the death of Guru Gobind Singh, Sikhs were mobilised by Banda Bahadur, who declared their sovereign rule by striking coins in the name of Guru Nanak and Guru Gobind Singh. However, he was executed by the Mughals in 1716.
2. Under a number of able, leaders in the eighteenth century, the Sikhs organised themselves into a number of bands called jathas and later on misls.
3. Their combined forces were known as the grand army.
4. The entire body used to meet at Amritsar at the time of Baisakhi and Diwali to take collective decisions.
5. A system called rakhi was introduced offering protection to cultivators on the payment of a tax of 20 percent of the produce.

Question 7.
Why did Marathas want to expand beyond the Deccan?
Answer:
The Marathas wanted to expand beyond the Deccan in order to decrease the Mughal influence. By the 1720s, they seized Malwa and Gujarat from the Mughals and by the 1730s, the Maratha king was recognized as the overlord of the entire Deccan peninsula.

Question 8.
What were the policies adopted by Asaf Jah to strengthen his position?
Answer:
In order to strengthen his position Asaf Jah adopted the following policies :

1. He brought skilled soldiers and administrators from northern India who welcomed the new opportunities in the south.
2. He appointed manabdar and granted jagir.
3. He worked independently of the Mughal Emperor.

Question 9.
Do you think merchants and bankers today have the kind of influence they had in the eighteenth century?
Answer:
Bankers and merchants of today, do not have the kind of influence they had in the 18th century because of various governmental agencies doing this work.

Question 10.
Did any of the kingdoms mentioned in this chapter develop in your state? If so, in what ways do you think life in the state would have been different in the 18th century from what it is in the twenty-first century?
Answer:
Students, do it yourselves.
[Hint: Life would have been influenced by political activity and wars.]

Let’s Do

Question 11.
Find out more about the architecture and culture associated with the new courts of any of the following Awadh, Bengal or Hyderabad.
Answer:
(1) Architecture, and culture of Awadh :
The magnificent city of the Awadh rulers is a confluence of the richest forms of art, culture and traditions. It is under Awadh rule that art forms like Kathak, Thumri, Khayal, Dadra, Qawali, Ghazals and Shero-Shairi saw their finest hour. Culinary skills, too, reached heights of excellence. The legacy of the exquisite embroidery continues even today.
The field of architecture saw re-interpretation of the existing styles and experimentation in the fusion of the occidental and the oriental style of architecture. Tourist attractions include :

(2) Bara Imambara :
Built in the year 1784 by the champion of charity Nawab Asaf-ud-Daula, the Bara Imambara provided food to the famine stricken subjects of the Nawab. The monument is known for its simplicity of style, sheer proportion and symmetry.

(3) Clock Tower :
The 221 feet beautiful clock tower, constructed in 1887, is the tallest Clock Tower in India and one of the finest examples of British architecture in India.

(4) Sa’adat Ali’s Tomb :
The twin maqbaras of Sa’adat Ali Khan and Khurshid Zadi, near Begum Hazrat Mahal Park, are one of the best examples of Awadh architecture. The proportionate domes with elegant kiosks and above all, well-balanced architectural design makes them extremely interesting.

(5) Lakshman Tila :
It is situated to the north of the Imambara complex. The Tila contains the famous Alamgiri Mosque built by Sultan Ali, Governor of the province of Awadh, during the reign of Aurangzeb. The mosque is known for its outstanding symmetry of form and sobriety of decoration.

(6) Rumi Darwaza :
The Rumi Darwaza leads to the outer section of the Bara Imambara and is widely believed to be a facsimile of one of the gates of Constantinople. Also known as the Turkish Gateway, it is a brilliant example of Awadh architecture.

(7) Chattar Manzil :
The Umbrella Palace is an imposing facade with huge underground rooms and a beautiful dome surrounded by a gilt umbrella.

(8) Jama Masjid :
The construction of this mosque was started in 1840 by Mohammad Ali Shah but it was finally completed by his wife Begum Malika Jahan after his death. This splendid mosque built in the typical Mughal style lies to the west of Hussainabad Imambara. It is entirely free from pseudo-Italian art then in vogue in Lucknow.

(9) Moti Mahal :
There are three beautiful buildings on the fringes of the Gomti. The main one is the Moti Mahal or the Pearl Palace constructed by Nawab Sa’adat Ali Khan. The other two include Mubarak Manzil and the Shah Manzil. They were mainly constructed for the Nawab and his courtiers to watch animal combats from the balconies of the buildings.

Question 12.
Collect popular tales about rulers from any one of the following groups of people: the Rajputs, Jats, Sikhs, or Marathas.
Answer:
Students, do it yourselves.
[Hint: You can search through the internet or talk to your teachers about such heroic tales.]