NCERT Solutions for Class 7 social science Chapter 15: Empires and Kingdoms 6th to 10th Centuries Class 7

What major changes characterised this period?
Answer:
This period saw the rise of many regional kingdoms after the decline of the Guptas. Powerful dynasties like the Palas, Gurjara-Pratiharas, Rashtrakutas, Chalukyas, Pallavas, and Cholas expanded their territories. Local administration grew stronger, land-grant systems encouraged agriculture, and trade networks widened across Asia and Africa. Important developments took place in art, temple architecture, literature, mathematics, and astronomy, making this a time of major political and cultural change.

How did the political, cultural, and religious developments shape India during this period?
Answer:
During this period, political changes led to the rise of strong regional kingdoms such as the Palas, Pratiharas, Rashtrakutas, Chalukyas, and Cholas. These kingdoms built powerful administrations, fought wars for territory, and improved local governance through village assemblies and land grants.

What was the impact of foreign invasions and interactions on Indian society and polity during this period?
Answer:
Foreign invasions and interactions brought both challenges and changes to India. The Hunas weakened the Gupta Empire, leading to political fragmentation, but later they assimilated into Indian society, adopting local languages and customs.

Do you recall where the capital of the earlier Maurya and Gupta empires was located?
How do you think this shift may have shaped the sub-continent’s politics in the years to come? (Page 64)
Answer:
Yes. I recall, the capital of both the Maurya Empire and the Gupta Empire was located at Pataliputra, near present-day Patna in Bihar. The Shift away from a single capital like Pataliputra led to the rise of many powerful regional kingdoms.

If you know the Devanagari script, with the help of your teacher try to identify some of the letters in Harșha’s signature (see Fig. below). (Page 64)

Answer:
Some of the Devanagari letters we can identify in Haraha’s signature are:
ह, म, र, ज, स, श्री, त।

Looking at the map (below), can you identify a few mountain passes or desert areas that Xuanzang had to cross while travelling between China and India?
Can you also identify a few important Buddhist centres of learning that Xuanzang visited in India? Do you know
something of their significance? (Page 66)

Answer:
Looking at the map, Xuanzang (also spelled Zhuanzang/Hiuen Tsang) had to travel through several difficult mountain passes and deserts while moving from China to India. Some key ones include:

Why was Kannauj so attractive to those powerful dynasties?
Observe its location on the map given below and discuss in class. (Page 68)

Answer:
Kannauj was very attractive to powerful dynasties because of its strategic geographical location in early medieval India. Here are the key reasons:
(a) Located in the fertile Ganga-Yamuna Doab: This region was extremely fertile and rich in agricultural production. Control over Kannauj meant access to food resources, population, and revenue.

Form groups in your class to discuss the following questions,then compare the groups’ answers.(Page74)
(a) What qualities does Kalhana think a historian should have?
Answer:
Kalhana believed that a historian should be truthful and fair, and rely on reliable sources rather than imagination or praise. He carefully examined earlier writings, inscriptions, temple records, and grants to correct mistakes and connect events accurately. He also felt that history should teach moral lessons, showing how just rulers prosper while cruel rulers and their families perish.

Shankaracharya taught that brahman is the ultimate reality or the pure consciousness, and that the world as we perceive it is maya or illusion. He established four mathas (monasteries and centres of learning) at Badrinath, Puri, Dwarka, and Sringeri. Mark the location of these cities on a map; why do you think he chose four different corners of India rather than more central locations? (Page 75)
Answer:
Shankaracharya established mathas at Badrinath (North in Uttarakhand), Puri (East in Odisha), Dwarka (West in Gujarat), and Sringeri (South in Karnataka)-each located at a different corner of India. He did this for several important reasons:

Note this panel’s highly dynamic three-dimensional composition, expressing Durga’s confident assault on the demon.

(a) Can you identify some of Durga’s many weapons? And her vahana?(Page 79)
Answer:
In this panel, Goddess Durga is shown with multiple weapons, symbolising her power, like a trident (trishul), a sword, a bow and arrow, a club/mace, and a spear in different hands. These are gifts from various gods to help her defeat the buffalo demon Mahishasura. Her vahana (vehicle) is the lion, which stands beside her. The lion represents courage, strength, and fearlessness.

What details do you observe in these coins? (Page 90)

Answer:
Both coins show the profile of the ruler’s face on one side. On the other side, there are symbols and designs, such as a wheel or decorative marks. The coin of Toramana also has his name “Tora” written in Brahmi script.

Why do the coins of Toramana and Skandagupta appear so similar? (Page 90)
Answer:
The coins look similar because the Huna rulers adopted the Gupta style of coin making. They copied the design, shape, and symbols of Gupta coins to show power and legitimacy. By doing so, Toramana wanted to look like a rightful Indian king, just like the Guptas.

What conclusions can you draw? (Page 90)
Answer:
These coins show that coin design was a way of showing authority. Foreign rulers like the Hunas used local Indian cultural symbols to gain acceptance. They wanted people to believe they were proper rulers, not outsiders.

The Chachnama records that when King Dahar was killed, his widowed queen put up a brave resistance, and when the situation became hopeless, she immolated herself along with other ladies. Another queen ordered her treasure to be distributed among the brave soldiers and inspired them to stand against the invaders.

Does the above ceremony remind you of a similar event discussed in Part 1 of this textbook? (Page 67)
Answer:
Yes, the ceremony described above reminds us of the Ashvamedha Yajna (Horse Sacrifice) discussed in Part 1 of the textbook because both were grand royal events connected to religion, prestige, and power.

Al-Masudi, a 10th-century Arab historian and traveller from Baghdad, gave high praise to a Rashtrakuta ruler: “His troops and elephants are innumerable. … There is none among the rulers of Sindh and Hind who in his territory respects the Muslims [as he does]. In his kingdom, Islam is honoured and protected. And, for them, mosques and congregational mosques, which are always full, have been built for offering prayers five times.” What does this tell us about the Rashtrakutas? (Page 72)
Answer:
This passage tells us several important things about the Rashtrakutas:

How does a professional group transform into a jati? (Page 85)
Answer:
A professional group becomes a jati when people doing the same occupation start treating themselves as a separate community. Over time, they begin to follow common customs, marry within their group, pass their profession from one generation to the next, and create their own rules. This makes the occupation-based group turn into a social group, or jati.

Sulaiman, a 9th-century Arab merchant and traveller, makes this comment on a Gurjara-Pratihara ruler: “This king maintains numerous forces, and no other Indian prince has so fine a cavalry. He is unfriendly to the Arabs … there is no greater foe of the Muhammadan faith than he. … He has riches, and his camels and horses are numerous. … There is no country in India safer from robbers.” Why do you think the author calls the ruler a ‘foe to the Muslim faith’? (Page 92)
Answer:
The author calls the ruler a “foe to the Muslim faith” because, in the eyes of the Arab traveller Sulaiman, the ruler strongly opposed the Arabs and stopped their advance in India.

The table lists common everyday words, highlighting their similar pronunciation across the three languages. By comparing these sounds, you can identify words that are closely related or share common roots in all three languages. With the help of your teacher, use this observation to complete the table. (Page 93)

Answer:

During this period, inscriptions began using both Sanskrit and regional languages simultaneously. In land grants, the ruler and his dynastic history were often praised in Sanskrit, while the operative details of the grant were recorded in the local language. Why do you think such inscriptions were written in two languages? (Page 81)
Answer:
Inscriptions were written in two languages – Sanskrit and the local language – because they had two different purposes:

If you lived in Kannauj during the struggle between the Palas, the Pratiharas and the Rashtrakutas, how would it change your daily life and your estimate of the rulers? Write a letter on this to your friend living in Kanchipuram.
Answer:
Kannauj
Date: 25.10.2026
Dear friend,
I hope you are doing well in Kanchipuram. Life here in Kannauj has become very difficult because of the struggle between the Palas, the Pratiharas and the Rasttrakuta. Every few years a different ruler tries to take control of our city. Armies march through the streets, and many people are afraid to travel or open their shops. We often hear the sounds of soldiers and horses, and our markets sometimes stay closed because of fighting.

Emperors and kings during this period controlled only core regions and governed other regions through subordinate vassals. What would be the advantages and the challenges of such a system?
Answer:
Advantages of such a system are:

In what ways were the invasions of the Hunas and the Arabs different in their aims, methods, and impact on the Indian subcontinent? Prepare a write-up, discuss and present it in the class.
Answer:
The invasions of the Hunas (5th6th century CE) and the Arabs (from the 7th century CE) in India differed in their aims, methods, and impact. The Hunas came mainly for territorial conquest and plunder, attacking rapidly with cavalry and causing widespread destruction of cities and temples, but they did not try to change the local culture. The Arabs, especially under Muhammad bin Qasim in Sindh, aimed to spread Islam and establish political control, using a mix of military campaigns

Imagine you are a common citizen watching the Prayaga assembly. How would you react to Harsha giving away most of his wealth?
Answer:
If I saw Harsha giving away his wealth at the Prayaga assembly, I would feel impressed and proud that my ruler was so generous. It would show that he cared for the poor and wanted to share his power and success. I would think of him as a kind and noble king who believed in helping others rather than keeping riches only for himself.

Forming groups, let each group choose one Alvar and one Nayanar and prepare a biography poster or booklet. Include their life stories and a sample poem or two (in translation).
Answer:
We have chosen Andal (Alwar) and Appar (Tirunavukkarasar), Nayanar. Here is their biography.