New Beginnings Cities and States Class 7 Extra Questions and Answers SST Chapter 4

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Class 7 SST Chapter 4 New Beginnings Cities and States Extra Questions

NCERT Class 7 Social Science Chapter 4 Extra Questions on New Beginnings Cities and States

New Beginnings Cities and States Class 7 Very Short Question Answer

Question 1.
What is the meaning of the term ‘Janapada’?
Answer:
Janapada means the land where a tribe or ‘jana’ settles.

Question 2.
Name any two Mahajanapadas.
Answer:
Magadha and Kosala.

Question 3.
What was the capital of the Vajji confederacy?
Answer:
Vaishali.

Question 4.
Which metal’s use led to agricultural expansion during the Mahajanapada period?
Answer:
Iron.

Question 5.
How many Mahajanapadas are mentioned in the Buddhist texts?
Answer:
Sixteen.

Question 6.
What type of government existed in the Vajji Mahajanapada?
Answer:
Republican or Gana-sangha system.

Question 7.
What was the role of a Kshatriya in the Varna system?
Answer:
Kshatriyas were expected to defend the society and the land, and to engage in warfare if necessary.

Question 8.
What is ‘Jati’?
Answer:
Jati refers to group based on birth and occupation. 9. Name one early Tamil kingdom mentioned in Sangam literature.
Answer:
Chola.

Question 10.
Name any one ancient southern kingdom that traded with other countries.
Answer:
Avanti.

New Beginnings Cities and States Class 7 Short Question Answer

Question 1.
What are Janapadas?
Ans.
Janapadas were the earliest territorial units in ancient India where people (jana) settled. These were formed as tribes became more settled and began to control land. Each Janapada had its own ruler and army.

Question 2.
What led to the emergence of Mahajanapadas?
Answer:
With the use of iron tools, agriculture flourished, and small Janapadas expanded into larger political units called Mahajanapadas. Increased trade, urbanization, and population growth also contributed to this transformation.

Question 3.
Name any four Mahajanapadas.
Answer:
Magadha, Kosala, Avanti, and Vajji were among the sixteen Mahajanapadas mentioned in ancient texts like the Anguttara Nikaya.

Question 4
Describe one feature of the Vajji confederacy’s political system.
Answer:
Vajji was a republican Mahajanapada, where decisions were made by an assembly of representatives or elders, not by a single monarch. It is an early example of collective decision-making.

Question 5.
How did the use of iron affect ancient Indian society?
Answer:
Iron tools, especially iron ploughshares, improved farming efficiency. This led to food surpluses, population growth, and the rise of cities and states like the Mahajanapadas.

Question 6.
What is the difference between Vama and Jati? Ans. Vama was the ancient division of society based on
duties (Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya, Shudra), while Jati refers to a more rigid system of sub-castes based on birth and occupation that evolved later.

Question 7.
What were the main occupations of the four Vamas?
Answer:

1. Brahmins: Priests and teachers
2. Kshatriyas: Warriors and rulers
3. Vaishyas: Traders and farmers
4. Shudras: Servants and laborers

Question 8.
Why were the southern kingdoms able to trade with other countries?
Answer:
The southern regions were rich in precious stones, gold, and spices. So, they traded profitably with other parts of India and with overseas kingdoms.

Question 9.
What kind of economy existed in the Mahajanapadas?
Answer:
The Mahajanapadas had an agricultural economy supported by trade, craft production, and the use of coins. Urban centers emerged, and taxes were collected to maintain armies and administration.

Question 10.
How were decisions made in republican Mahajanapadas like Malla and Vajji?
Answer:
In republican Mahajanapadas, decisions were made collectively in councils or assemblies of elders or elected representatives, rather than by a single king.

New Beginnings Cities and States Class 7 Long Question Answer

Question 1.
Explain the political evolution from Janapadas to Mahajanapadas.
Answer:
The Janapadas were the earliest territorial units in ancient India formed as Vedic tribes settled in specific areas. Over time, as agriculture improved especially with the use of iron tools populations increased and societies became more complex. This led to the rise of larger and more organized political units known as Mahajanapadas around the 6th century BCE. There were sixteen such Mahajanapadas,. These states had capital cities, standing armies, and systems of taxation. While most were monarchies, some like Vajji and Malla developed republican forms of governance, making decisions through councils. This period laid the foundation for later empires like Magadha and the Mauryas.

Question 2.
How were the rulers selected and how did the assemblies work in ancient Indian janapada and mahajanapadas? Explain with examples.
Answer:
In ancient India, each janapada had a group of elders called sabha or samiti, who discussed important matters.

1. The raja (king) was not supposed to rule alone. He had to take advice from the sabha, ministers, and other leaders.
2. In mahajanapadas (bigger kingdoms), many kings ruled with help from their ministers and collected taxes, built forts, and kept armies.
3. Some powerful mahajanapadas were Magadha, Kosala, and Avanti.
4. But in Vajji and Malla, the people in the sabha chose their ruler and took decisions by discussion or voting.
5. These places were not ruled by kings alone, so they are called early republics similar to democracy today. This system shows that some parts of ancient India had a very special way of choosing leaders and taking decisions together.

Question 3.
What was the Vama system, and how did it evolve into the Jati system?
Answer:
The Varna system was a theoretical framework for social organization in early Vedic society. It divided people into four categories based on duties: Brahmins (priests), Kshatriyas (warriors), Vaishyas (traders), and Shudras (laborers). Initially, Vama was flexible and allowed movement between groups based on karma (action) and guna (qualities). However, over time, this evolved into the more rigid Jati system, where one’s birth determined social status, occupation, and marriage rules. The Jati system included thousands of sub-castes, each with its own rules and customs. This shift from a fluid to a fixed hierarchy contributed to social inequalities and rigid social structure that persisted for centuries.

Question 4.
Discuss the economic and technological developments that led to the rise of Mahajanapadas.
Answer:
The rise of Mahajanapadas was closely linked to technological and economic advancements. The introduction of iron tools especially the iron plough improved agricultural productivity, allowing people to settle permanently and support larger populations. This led to the emergence of cities and trade centers. The use of coins like punch-marked silver coins facilitated trade, taxation, and market transactions. Artisans, merchants, and farmers played cmcial roles in the economy. Trade routes connected the Indian subcontinent to Central Asia and beyond. This economic prosperity required organized administration, prompting the formation of stronger and larger states the Mahajanapadas with standing armies and bureaucracies to manage these growing societies.

Question 5.
Describe how trade and travel connected different parts of India in ancient times.
Answer:

1. In the 1st millennium BCE, many important roads were built for trade, travel, and military campaigns.
2. Two main trade routes were the Uttarapatha (north) and the Dakshinapatha (south).
3. Cities like Sisupalgarh became important centres of trade and had well-planned layouts.
4. In the south, kingdoms like the Cholas, Cheras, and Pandyas grew rich from trade.
5. Goods and culture moved across India and even reached other parts of Asia.
6. This made ancient India a vibrant and connected land.

Question 6.

Give the difference between janapada and mahajanapadas
Answer:

New Beginnings Cities and States Class 7 Source Based Questions

Read the below passage and answer the following questions:
In several regions of India, the techniques of extracting and shaping iron were actually perfected from the early 2nd millennium BCE, but it took a few centuries for iron to become a part of daily life. By the late 2nd millennium BCE, iron tools had become widespread, facilitating agriculture on a bigger scale. Iron also made better weapons than bronze, lighter and sharper-swords, spears, arrows, shields, etc.

(i) Which metal tools became common by the late 2nd millennium BCE?
Answer: Iron tools became common by the late 2nd millennium BCE.

(ii) Name two weapons made of iron mentioned in the passage.
Answer:
Swords and spears.

(iii) How did the use of iron tools affect agriculture and warfare in ancient India?
Answer:
Iron tools helped in fanning on a larger scale and made better weapons like swords and spears. These weapons were lighter and sharper than bronze ones, improving warfare.

 New Beginnings Cities and States Class 7 Picture Based Questions

Examine the given image and answer the following.
(i) What can be seen in the given image?
Answer:
The image of Shishupalgarh shows a gateway with fortifications, a water-filled moat, and a narrow passage to control movement.

(ii) What is Shishupalgarh?
Answer:
Shishupalgarh is an ancient site near Bhubaneswar, first excavated in 1948.

(iii) What can be seen outside the gateway of Shishupalgarh?
Answer:
A water-filled moat is visible outside the gateway.

(iv) Why is the gateway of Shishupalgarh narrow?
Answer:
The narrowing of the gateway was meant to control the movement of people and goods.

New Beginnings Cities and States Class 7 Map Skill Questions

Question 1.
Mark the following major Mahajanapadas on the given map of India: On the political map of India, locate and label the following Mahajanapadas:
(i) Kuru
(ii) Malla
(iii) Avanti
Answer:

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