New Kings and Kingdoms

Between the seventh and twelfth centuries, many new dynasties emerged. Powerful landlords or warrior chiefs, called samantas, were expected to bring gifts and troops to their overlords, but some grew strong enough to declare themselves independent. The Rashtrakutas of the Deccan were once subordinate to the Chalukyas; in the mid-eighth century, Dantidurga overthrew his Chalukya overlord and performed the hiranya-garbha ritual. Brahmanas composed prashastis praising kings. The Gurjara-Pratiharas, Rashtrakutas and Palas fought a long tripartite struggle for control over Kanauj in the Ganga valley. Mahmud of Ghazni from Afghanistan raided the subcontinent seventeen times between 1000 and 1025, including the Somnath temple, and the scholar al-Biruni wrote the Kitab al-Hind. Prithviraja III of the Chahamana dynasty defeated Muhammad Ghori in 1191 but lost to him in 1192. In the south, the Cholas rose to power when Vijayalaya captured the Kaveri delta in the mid-ninth century and built Thanjavur. Rajaraja I and Rajendra I expanded the empire, and magnificent temples like the Brihadeshvara at Thanjavur were built. Villages were governed by assemblies such as the ur and the sabha.

Detailed Worksheet: New Kings and Kingdoms Section A - Definitions (10 marks) 1. Who were samantas? (2 marks) 2. What was a prashasti? Who composed it? (2 marks) 3. What was the hiranya-garbha ritual? Who performed it? (2 marks) 4. What was the tripartite struggle? Name the three dynasties involved. (2 marks) 5. What were the ur and the sabha in the Chola kingdom? (2 marks) Section B - Calculations and Applications (15 marks) 6. Arrange in chronological order: Prithviraja III defeats Muhammad Ghori, Dantidurga overthrows the Chalukyas, Vijayalaya captures the Kaveri delta, Mahmud of Ghazni begins his raids. Give approximate dates or centuries. (3 marks) 7. Mahmud of Ghazni ruled from 997 to 1030 and raided the subcontinent 17 times. (i) For how many years did he rule? (ii) If his 17 raids took place in the 25 years from 1000 to 1025, how many raids per year is that on average (to one decimal place)? (iii) Name one temple he plundered. (3 marks) 8. Match the land grants of the Chola period with their meaning: vellanvagai, brahmadeya, shalabhoga, devadana, pallichchhandam. (3 marks) 9. Name three ways in which kings in this period raised resources from the people, and explain the term "revenue". (3 marks) 10. The first and second battles of Tarain were fought in 1191 and 1192. (i) How many years ago was the first battle from 2026? (ii) Who won each battle? (iii) Why were these battles important? (3 marks) Section C - Diagrams (10 marks) 11. On an outline map of India, mark the areas of the Rashtrakutas, the Palas, the Gurjara-Pratiharas, the Cholas and the city of Kanauj. (4 marks) 12. Draw a flowchart showing how a samanta could rise to become a king. (3 marks) 13. Draw a timeline from 700 CE to 1200 CE and mark five important events of this chapter. (3 marks) Section D - Analysis and Higher-order Thinking (15 marks) 14. The Chola rulers built big temples such as at Thanjavur and Gangaikondacholapuram. (i) Who built the Brihadeshvara temple? (ii) Why did kings build temples? (iii) What activities took place around temples? (iv) Name the famous art form of Chola craftsmen. (v) How was the temple linked to the economy? (5 marks) 15. Inscriptions from Uttaramerur describe how members of the sabha were chosen. (i) What qualifications were required? (ii) How were members selected by lots? (iii) Who were excluded? (iv) Do you think this was democratic? Explain. (5 marks) 16. Kanauj was the prize in the tripartite struggle. (i) Where is Kanauj? (ii) Why was the Ganga valley valuable? (iii) What did the long struggle mean for the people? (iv) Which dynasty finally gained control for a time? (5 marks) Instructions: Time allowed 2 hours. Attempt all sections. Use CE for dates and draw maps neatly with a key.