Class 7 Social Science Chapter 9 NCERT Book - From the Rulers to the Ruled: Types of Governments

 Page 1


185
Governance and Democracy
9 – From the Rulers to the Ruled: Types of Government
From the Rulers to 
the Ruled: Types of 
Governments
A ruler’s duties in the internal administration of the country 
are three-fold: rak?ha (protection of the state from external 
aggression), palana (maintenance of law and order within the 
state), and yogak?hema (safeguarding the welfare of the people).
Kau?ilya in Arthashastra 
(translation by L.N. Rangarajan)
1. What are the different types of 
government? 
2. Where do governments get their 
power from? 
3. How does a country’s 
government interact with the 
people?
4. Why does democracy matter?
The Big 
Questions
CHAPTER
9
Fig. 9.1. Inside the Indian Parliament
Chapter 9.indd   185 Chapter 9.indd   185 08-04-2025   11:43:43 08-04-2025   11:43:43
Page 2


185
Governance and Democracy
9 – From the Rulers to the Ruled: Types of Government
From the Rulers to 
the Ruled: Types of 
Governments
A ruler’s duties in the internal administration of the country 
are three-fold: rak?ha (protection of the state from external 
aggression), palana (maintenance of law and order within the 
state), and yogak?hema (safeguarding the welfare of the people).
Kau?ilya in Arthashastra 
(translation by L.N. Rangarajan)
1. What are the different types of 
government? 
2. Where do governments get their 
power from? 
3. How does a country’s 
government interact with the 
people?
4. Why does democracy matter?
The Big 
Questions
CHAPTER
9
Fig. 9.1. Inside the Indian Parliament
Chapter 9.indd   185 Chapter 9.indd   185 08-04-2025   11:43:43 08-04-2025   11:43:43
186
Exploring Society: India and Beyond | Grade 7 Part 1
What is Government?  
What are its Functions?
In Grade 6, we learned what government is and explored some 
of its roles.
The government plays an important role in our lives. This role 
includes:
 ? maintaining law and order in society;
 ? ensuring peace, stability, and security for the people;
 ? managing relationships with other countries;
 ? taking care of national defence;
 ? delivering essential goods 
and services (education, 
healthcare, infrastructure);
 ? managing the economy and 
economic activities;
 ? working for the welfare and 
improving people’s lives.
LET’S EXPLORE
 Æ Do you remember this 
picture from your Grade 6 
textbook? 
 Æ The government also has 
many other roles. Try to list 
them.
In Grade 6, we learned that India has a democratic form of 
government. Like India, many countries have a democratic 
government; but some countries have other forms of 
governments. Even all democratic governments are not exactly 
the same. In this chapter, we will learn about various forms of 
government, how they differ from each other, and how they 
function.
Fig. 9.2
Chapter 9.indd   186 Chapter 9.indd   186 08-04-2025   11:43:44 08-04-2025   11:43:44
Page 3


185
Governance and Democracy
9 – From the Rulers to the Ruled: Types of Government
From the Rulers to 
the Ruled: Types of 
Governments
A ruler’s duties in the internal administration of the country 
are three-fold: rak?ha (protection of the state from external 
aggression), palana (maintenance of law and order within the 
state), and yogak?hema (safeguarding the welfare of the people).
Kau?ilya in Arthashastra 
(translation by L.N. Rangarajan)
1. What are the different types of 
government? 
2. Where do governments get their 
power from? 
3. How does a country’s 
government interact with the 
people?
4. Why does democracy matter?
The Big 
Questions
CHAPTER
9
Fig. 9.1. Inside the Indian Parliament
Chapter 9.indd   185 Chapter 9.indd   185 08-04-2025   11:43:43 08-04-2025   11:43:43
186
Exploring Society: India and Beyond | Grade 7 Part 1
What is Government?  
What are its Functions?
In Grade 6, we learned what government is and explored some 
of its roles.
The government plays an important role in our lives. This role 
includes:
 ? maintaining law and order in society;
 ? ensuring peace, stability, and security for the people;
 ? managing relationships with other countries;
 ? taking care of national defence;
 ? delivering essential goods 
and services (education, 
healthcare, infrastructure);
 ? managing the economy and 
economic activities;
 ? working for the welfare and 
improving people’s lives.
LET’S EXPLORE
 Æ Do you remember this 
picture from your Grade 6 
textbook? 
 Æ The government also has 
many other roles. Try to list 
them.
In Grade 6, we learned that India has a democratic form of 
government. Like India, many countries have a democratic 
government; but some countries have other forms of 
governments. Even all democratic governments are not exactly 
the same. In this chapter, we will learn about various forms of 
government, how they differ from each other, and how they 
function.
Fig. 9.2
Chapter 9.indd   186 Chapter 9.indd   186 08-04-2025   11:43:44 08-04-2025   11:43:44
187
Governance and Democracy
9 – From the Rulers to the Ruled: Types of Government
What is Democracy?
As we studied in Grade 6, ‘democracy’ is best understood as ‘rule 
of the people.’ This means that the source of power and authority 
in a democracy are the people of the country. Let’s understand 
this with the example of a school.
A school example
A school is full of activities and things that must be done. Many 
day-to-day tasks need to be managed, and things need to be 
organised. For example, there are timetables to be made and 
followed, sports activities to be organised, food to be served 
during lunch time (also called the mid-day-meal), utensils to be 
cleaned, speakers to be decided for the morning assembly, and 
activities to be arranged for ‘No Bag Days’. The list is very long 
in terms of all that needs to be done in the school.
With so many things to be done, the Head Teacher realised that a 
Student Committee should be appointed so that students can be 
part of making the relevant rules to get all this done, then help in 
implementation of the rules, and ensure that the rules are being 
followed. The question before the Head Teacher was?—?who will 
be part of the committee?
The Head Teacher discussed this in the assembly. She proposed 
that it would be good if some students can take responsibility 
for these tasks. A student committee should be formed. Hearing 
this, the students got excited and started arguing.
Naghma: Students in Grade 12 are 
the most senior; we will take care of 
everything.
Shobha: But you will finish school in a 
few months. The students in Grade 11 
should take care of everything.
Gurpreet: If the students of only one 
grade will take care of everything, 
then how will they know about the 
problems that other grades face?
Fig. 9.3
Chapter 9.indd   187 Chapter 9.indd   187 08-04-2025   11:43:45 08-04-2025   11:43:45
Page 4


185
Governance and Democracy
9 – From the Rulers to the Ruled: Types of Government
From the Rulers to 
the Ruled: Types of 
Governments
A ruler’s duties in the internal administration of the country 
are three-fold: rak?ha (protection of the state from external 
aggression), palana (maintenance of law and order within the 
state), and yogak?hema (safeguarding the welfare of the people).
Kau?ilya in Arthashastra 
(translation by L.N. Rangarajan)
1. What are the different types of 
government? 
2. Where do governments get their 
power from? 
3. How does a country’s 
government interact with the 
people?
4. Why does democracy matter?
The Big 
Questions
CHAPTER
9
Fig. 9.1. Inside the Indian Parliament
Chapter 9.indd   185 Chapter 9.indd   185 08-04-2025   11:43:43 08-04-2025   11:43:43
186
Exploring Society: India and Beyond | Grade 7 Part 1
What is Government?  
What are its Functions?
In Grade 6, we learned what government is and explored some 
of its roles.
The government plays an important role in our lives. This role 
includes:
 ? maintaining law and order in society;
 ? ensuring peace, stability, and security for the people;
 ? managing relationships with other countries;
 ? taking care of national defence;
 ? delivering essential goods 
and services (education, 
healthcare, infrastructure);
 ? managing the economy and 
economic activities;
 ? working for the welfare and 
improving people’s lives.
LET’S EXPLORE
 Æ Do you remember this 
picture from your Grade 6 
textbook? 
 Æ The government also has 
many other roles. Try to list 
them.
In Grade 6, we learned that India has a democratic form of 
government. Like India, many countries have a democratic 
government; but some countries have other forms of 
governments. Even all democratic governments are not exactly 
the same. In this chapter, we will learn about various forms of 
government, how they differ from each other, and how they 
function.
Fig. 9.2
Chapter 9.indd   186 Chapter 9.indd   186 08-04-2025   11:43:44 08-04-2025   11:43:44
187
Governance and Democracy
9 – From the Rulers to the Ruled: Types of Government
What is Democracy?
As we studied in Grade 6, ‘democracy’ is best understood as ‘rule 
of the people.’ This means that the source of power and authority 
in a democracy are the people of the country. Let’s understand 
this with the example of a school.
A school example
A school is full of activities and things that must be done. Many 
day-to-day tasks need to be managed, and things need to be 
organised. For example, there are timetables to be made and 
followed, sports activities to be organised, food to be served 
during lunch time (also called the mid-day-meal), utensils to be 
cleaned, speakers to be decided for the morning assembly, and 
activities to be arranged for ‘No Bag Days’. The list is very long 
in terms of all that needs to be done in the school.
With so many things to be done, the Head Teacher realised that a 
Student Committee should be appointed so that students can be 
part of making the relevant rules to get all this done, then help in 
implementation of the rules, and ensure that the rules are being 
followed. The question before the Head Teacher was?—?who will 
be part of the committee?
The Head Teacher discussed this in the assembly. She proposed 
that it would be good if some students can take responsibility 
for these tasks. A student committee should be formed. Hearing 
this, the students got excited and started arguing.
Naghma: Students in Grade 12 are 
the most senior; we will take care of 
everything.
Shobha: But you will finish school in a 
few months. The students in Grade 11 
should take care of everything.
Gurpreet: If the students of only one 
grade will take care of everything, 
then how will they know about the 
problems that other grades face?
Fig. 9.3
Chapter 9.indd   187 Chapter 9.indd   187 08-04-2025   11:43:45 08-04-2025   11:43:45
188
Exploring Society: India and Beyond | Grade 7 Part 1
In this exciting situation, the students finally came to three 
options:
 ? Everyone in the school becomes part of the committee and 
takes responsibility. 
 ? The Head Teacher chooses the students herself for the 
committee. 
 ? The students choose their representatives through voting, 
and the chosen representatives become the members of the 
committee. 
LET’S EXPLORE
Which of the three methods do you think is most effective? 
Why?
The first method may seem appealing, but if every student in 
the school is part of the committee, it will be difficult to reach 
decisions and manage implementation effectively. In the second 
method, since the Head Teacher selects the students for the 
committee, many students will not have a role and won’t have 
a way to ensure that their voices are heard regarding what 
they need and want. However, in the third method, students 
from each grade can choose one representative from among 
themselves?—?someone they believe will effectively advocate 
for their class’s needs. This representative will serve on the 
committee, meaning that the student committee will consist of 
representatives from each grade. This approach is a democratic 
way to choose representatives and form a committee.
Functions of Government
Previously, we discussed the various roles that a government 
plays in our lives, similar to the responsibilities of a student 
committee in a school. Just like the school committee, a 
government must create necessary rules, implement them, 
and ensure that everyone follows these rules. These three 
responsibilities are known as the functions of government.
Representative: 
A person who is 
chosen to act or 
make decisions 
on behalf of 
another person 
or group of 
people
Chapter 9.indd   188 Chapter 9.indd   188 08-04-2025   11:43:46 08-04-2025   11:43:46
Page 5


185
Governance and Democracy
9 – From the Rulers to the Ruled: Types of Government
From the Rulers to 
the Ruled: Types of 
Governments
A ruler’s duties in the internal administration of the country 
are three-fold: rak?ha (protection of the state from external 
aggression), palana (maintenance of law and order within the 
state), and yogak?hema (safeguarding the welfare of the people).
Kau?ilya in Arthashastra 
(translation by L.N. Rangarajan)
1. What are the different types of 
government? 
2. Where do governments get their 
power from? 
3. How does a country’s 
government interact with the 
people?
4. Why does democracy matter?
The Big 
Questions
CHAPTER
9
Fig. 9.1. Inside the Indian Parliament
Chapter 9.indd   185 Chapter 9.indd   185 08-04-2025   11:43:43 08-04-2025   11:43:43
186
Exploring Society: India and Beyond | Grade 7 Part 1
What is Government?  
What are its Functions?
In Grade 6, we learned what government is and explored some 
of its roles.
The government plays an important role in our lives. This role 
includes:
 ? maintaining law and order in society;
 ? ensuring peace, stability, and security for the people;
 ? managing relationships with other countries;
 ? taking care of national defence;
 ? delivering essential goods 
and services (education, 
healthcare, infrastructure);
 ? managing the economy and 
economic activities;
 ? working for the welfare and 
improving people’s lives.
LET’S EXPLORE
 Æ Do you remember this 
picture from your Grade 6 
textbook? 
 Æ The government also has 
many other roles. Try to list 
them.
In Grade 6, we learned that India has a democratic form of 
government. Like India, many countries have a democratic 
government; but some countries have other forms of 
governments. Even all democratic governments are not exactly 
the same. In this chapter, we will learn about various forms of 
government, how they differ from each other, and how they 
function.
Fig. 9.2
Chapter 9.indd   186 Chapter 9.indd   186 08-04-2025   11:43:44 08-04-2025   11:43:44
187
Governance and Democracy
9 – From the Rulers to the Ruled: Types of Government
What is Democracy?
As we studied in Grade 6, ‘democracy’ is best understood as ‘rule 
of the people.’ This means that the source of power and authority 
in a democracy are the people of the country. Let’s understand 
this with the example of a school.
A school example
A school is full of activities and things that must be done. Many 
day-to-day tasks need to be managed, and things need to be 
organised. For example, there are timetables to be made and 
followed, sports activities to be organised, food to be served 
during lunch time (also called the mid-day-meal), utensils to be 
cleaned, speakers to be decided for the morning assembly, and 
activities to be arranged for ‘No Bag Days’. The list is very long 
in terms of all that needs to be done in the school.
With so many things to be done, the Head Teacher realised that a 
Student Committee should be appointed so that students can be 
part of making the relevant rules to get all this done, then help in 
implementation of the rules, and ensure that the rules are being 
followed. The question before the Head Teacher was?—?who will 
be part of the committee?
The Head Teacher discussed this in the assembly. She proposed 
that it would be good if some students can take responsibility 
for these tasks. A student committee should be formed. Hearing 
this, the students got excited and started arguing.
Naghma: Students in Grade 12 are 
the most senior; we will take care of 
everything.
Shobha: But you will finish school in a 
few months. The students in Grade 11 
should take care of everything.
Gurpreet: If the students of only one 
grade will take care of everything, 
then how will they know about the 
problems that other grades face?
Fig. 9.3
Chapter 9.indd   187 Chapter 9.indd   187 08-04-2025   11:43:45 08-04-2025   11:43:45
188
Exploring Society: India and Beyond | Grade 7 Part 1
In this exciting situation, the students finally came to three 
options:
 ? Everyone in the school becomes part of the committee and 
takes responsibility. 
 ? The Head Teacher chooses the students herself for the 
committee. 
 ? The students choose their representatives through voting, 
and the chosen representatives become the members of the 
committee. 
LET’S EXPLORE
Which of the three methods do you think is most effective? 
Why?
The first method may seem appealing, but if every student in 
the school is part of the committee, it will be difficult to reach 
decisions and manage implementation effectively. In the second 
method, since the Head Teacher selects the students for the 
committee, many students will not have a role and won’t have 
a way to ensure that their voices are heard regarding what 
they need and want. However, in the third method, students 
from each grade can choose one representative from among 
themselves?—?someone they believe will effectively advocate 
for their class’s needs. This representative will serve on the 
committee, meaning that the student committee will consist of 
representatives from each grade. This approach is a democratic 
way to choose representatives and form a committee.
Functions of Government
Previously, we discussed the various roles that a government 
plays in our lives, similar to the responsibilities of a student 
committee in a school. Just like the school committee, a 
government must create necessary rules, implement them, 
and ensure that everyone follows these rules. These three 
responsibilities are known as the functions of government.
Representative: 
A person who is 
chosen to act or 
make decisions 
on behalf of 
another person 
or group of 
people
Chapter 9.indd   188 Chapter 9.indd   188 08-04-2025   11:43:46 08-04-2025   11:43:46
189
Governance and Democracy
9 – From the Rulers to the Ruled: Types of Government
The creation of rules is called the legislative function; these 
rules serve as the framework for running the country. The 
implementation of these rules and the administration of the 
country according to them is known as the executive function. 
Finally, ensuring that the rules are followed is referred to as the 
judicial function.
Democracy is defined as the ‘rule of the people’. This means 
that, similar to the third method of electing representatives in a 
school, in a democracy, the people select their representatives to 
govern them. However , not every country uses the same method 
for choosing these representatives. We will explore this topic in 
more detail in the following sections.
    DO YOU KNOW?
 
Abraham Lincoln, a U.S. president in the late 19th century, 
described democracy as a ‘government of the people, by the 
people, for the people’, a phrase still widely used today.
Mural:  
A large 
painting 
or artwork 
created 
directly on  
a wall or  
a ceiling
Fig. 9.4. An 1896 mural by the painter Vedder called 
‘Government’ from the Library of Congress, USA. 
Chapter 9.indd   189 Chapter 9.indd   189 08-04-2025   11:43:47 08-04-2025   11:43:47