Longman Panorma History Solutions Solutions for Class 7 Social science Chapter 6 Towns, Traders And Craftsmen are provided here with simple step-by-step explanations. These solutions for Towns, Traders And Craftsmen are extremely popular among Class 7 students for Social science Towns, Traders And Craftsmen Solutions come handy for quickly completing your homework and preparing for exams. All questions and answers from the Longman Panorma History Solutions Book of Class 7 Social science Chapter 6 are provided here for you for free. You will also love the ad-free experience on Meritnation’s Longman Panorma History Solutions Solutions. All Longman Panorma History Solutions Solutions for class Class 7 Social science are prepared by experts and are 100% accurate.

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Question A.1:

What was the difference between a shahr and a qasba?

Answer:

 

Shahr Qasba
It was a large town. It was a small town or an extension of a village. A large village with a market centre had the potential to become a qasba.
Population density was relatively higher.
Population density was relatively lower.

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Question A.2:

What was nagaram?

Answer:

In ancient times, a small township in south India was called nagaram. It has loosely linked villages in the surroundings where merchants used to buy local produce at a wholesale rate. They later distributed these products at a retail rate in the local market.

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Question A.3:

What was the main source of income of the three types of towns.

Answer:

The three types of towns along with their main sources of revenue have been discussed below.
 

(1) Camp or court towns: These towns thrived on the revenue collected from agriculture and other sources.
(2) Pilgrimage towns: These temple towns invited a large number of regular tourists. To cater to the needs of these tourists, a large number of priests and shopkeepers were employed; this led to the growth of towns and the generation of income for its people.
(3) Port towns: The import and export of goods generated a huge revenue. Resources were spent by the Sultanate in the towns to boost the growth of the urban craft industry. This helped in generating ample revenue in these towns.

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Question A.4:

Why do you think towns grew around the temples?

Answer:

Temples were considered places of great importance. A large number of pilgrims used to flock to these temples; this led to the creation of employment for priests, innkeepers, food sellers and others. A need was felt for improving housing facilities. Subsequently, towns started developing around these temples. Madurai is one such town.

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Question A.5:

Why did the traders move in groups?

Answer:

Traders had to pass through dense forests and rough terrain, where robberies were quite common. So, to ensure their safety, they moved in groups from one place to another.

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Question A.6:

What were the items of export and import among the Gujarati traders?

Answer:

Gujarati traders were involved in the export of textiles and spices. They imported gold and ivory from Africa and spices, Chinese blue pottery, tin and silver from Southeast Asia and China. Gujarati traders were pioneers in trading and they mostly traded with countries like East African countries and China.

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Question A.7:

Why was the city of Hampi famous?

Answer:

Hampi was the capital of the Vijaynagar Empire. It was chosen as the capital because of its strategic location. It was a famous centre for spice and cotton trade. Today, it is famous for its archaeological ruins. It is also an important religious site.

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Question B.1:

How did the towns develop around the iqta headquarters.

Answer:

With the coming of the Mughals, towns started developing, with Delhi as the administrative centre. Iqta headquarters first emerged as camp sites, which later grew in size and magnitude. The nobility preferred to stay at the iqta headquarters along with their cavalry. Following are some reasons behind the development of towns around the iqta headquarters:
 
(1) Trade needs: Being the administrative centre, the iqtas also became important centres for trade. This led to the increase of settlers in and around the iqtas. The growing population  not only provided all the basic services to the iqtas but also helped its trade to thrive.
 
(2) Cultural needs: The Persian rulers and nobility wanted leisure and comfort of a different style, such as Persian songs and  silk to wear. This encouraged immigration from Islamic cultural areas to these places. Further, they gave patronage to several Indian artisans who gradually shifted to areas near the iqta headquarters to provide better services to the nobility.

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Question B.2:

Highlight the factors that led to the development of trading or manufacturing towns.

Answer:

Medieval towns could be broadly grouped into three categories, and manufacturing towns were one of them. These towns served as regions of trade and later developed into full-fledged towns. The factors leading to their development are as follows:

(1) Growing market: With the introduction of various technological devices, manufacturing towns reached new heights. New activities were introduced here, including carpet weaving, silk weaving and paper making. All these activities contributed to the settlement of more people in these areas.
(2) Trading regions: Since these regions were associated with the production of goods, they gradually developed into areas of massive trade. These regions started witnessing an influx of merchants, traders, artisans and many others who finally settled in these areas. This led to the development of these towns.
(3) Nobility: The Sultanate was nestled in towns and spent its enormous resources in these towns. This ultimately gave a thrust to the growth of trading or manufacturing towns.

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Question B.3:

Why do you think the town of Surat remained a constant target of almost all the rulers?

Answer:

Surat emerged from a hamlet in the 13th century as the most important trading town. Many kings fought over the right to administer Surat. Some of the reasons behind that are given below.

(1) Trade centre: It emerged as the most important trade centre, as it connected the Indian subcontinent with the West. It was also known as the Gateway to the West, as it provided an important trading route to West Asia via the Gulf of Ormuz.

(2) Textile centre: The city was famous for its zari-embroidered cotton fabrics, which had a huge market in West Asia. Thus, it served as a good source of revenue.

(3) Gateway to religious journey: It was also known as the Gate to Mecca or the Blessed Port, as many ships set sail for pilgrimage from here.

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Question B.4:

Compare and bring out the differences and similarities between a medieval and a modern town.

Answer:

The differences and similarities between medieval and modern towns can be understood with the following points:

Medieval Towns

(1) People: The number of people who lived in these towns was very less. Majority of the people lived in villages.
(2) Self-sufficiency: People in these towns were mostly self-sufficient.
(3) Employment: Very few people were wage earners. They mostly had their own small businesses, or produced goods only for self-consumption.
(4) Trade: Trade played an important part in these towns, but the variety of goods produced and procured was not much.


Modern Towns

(1) People: Even today, a majority of people live in villages. However, the number of people who live in modern towns has increased considerably.
(2) Self-sufficiency: No one is self-sufficient these days. We depend upon the market for goods and services.
(3) Employment: The number of wage earners is comparatively higher today. People have their own private businesses, shops, etc. Many people are employed in other services; they work for a higher authority.
(4) Trade: Trading has reached new heights. A huge variety of goods are now produced, which are consumed domestically and are exported to other countries as well.

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Question C.1:

Traders and merchants often moved in caravans.

Answer:

The given statement is true.

Explanation: Traders and merchants often moved in groups, as they had to cross dark forests and rough terrain where robbery was quite common. So, in order to protect themselves, they travelled in groups.

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Question C.2:

Hampi was the capital of Bahmani kingdom.

Answer:

The given statement is false.

Explanation: Hampi was the capital of the Vijayanagar Empire for almost two hundred years. It was chosen as the capital because of its strategic location. It was a famous centre for spice and cotton trade.

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Question C.3:

Masulipatam enjoyed trade with Southeast Asia.

Answer:

The given statement is true.

Explanation: In the 14th century, Arab traders discovered the town of Masulipatam. It gradually became an important medieval port. Later, Europeans used it for trade with Southeast Asian countries.

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Question C.4:

Surat was considered the Gateway to the East.

Answer:

The given statement is false.

Explanation: Surat is the port city of Gujarat. It was considered the Gateway to the West. It was an important centre for trade with West Asia via the Gulf of Ormuz.

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Question C.5:

Medieval rulers employed several craftsmen is the building activity.

Answer:

The given statement is true.
 

Explanation: The medieval rulers wanted rapid construction of palaces and other buildings, so they employed several craftsmen for this work. Many craftsmen migrated to these areas to teach new techniques and technology used in the construction work.



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