Towns, Traders, Craftspersons

NCERT Solution

Write True or False for the following:

We know the name of the architect of the Rajarajeshvara temple from an inscription.
Merchants preferred to travel individually rather than in caravans.
Kabul was a major centre for trade in elephants.
Surat was an important trading port on the Bay of Bengal.

Answer: (1) T, (2) F, (3) F, (4) F

Fill in the blanks:

The Rajareshvara temple was built in ____.
Ajmer is associated with the Sufi saint ____.
Hampi was the capital of the _____ empire.
The Dutch established a settlement at ____ in Andhra Pradesh.

Answer: (a) Thanjavur, (b) Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti, (c) Vijayanagara, (d) Masulipatnam

Answer the following questions

Question 1: How was the water supplied to the city of Thanjavur?

Answer: From wells and tanks

Question 2: Who lived in the black towns in cities such as Madras?

Answer: Local merchants and crafspersons

Question 3: Why do you think towns grew around temples?

Answer: Temples used their money to finance trade and banking. Hence, gradually many priests, artisans, workers, traders etc settled near the temple to cater to the needs of the temple as well as pilgrims. This is how temple towns grew.

Question 4: How important were craftspersons for the building and maintenance of temples?

Answer: The craftspersons were very important for building and maintenance of temples. Masons built the buildings, carpenters made doors and windows and blacksmiths made iron articles. Other craftsmen made decorative items and sculptors made the statues and idols.

Question 5: Why did people from distant lands visit Surat?

Answer: People from distant lands visited Surat for trade and banking purposes. The Dutch, Portuguese and the English had their factories and warehouses there.

Question 6: In what ways was craft production in cities like Calcutta different from that in cities like Thanjavur?

Answer: The craftspersons of Thanjavur were independent and creative. They were not subjugated to anyone. Whereas the craftspersons of Calcutta had no liberty to sell their own cloth and were working on a system of advances. They were moved to Black Towns.