Important Questions: Tribes, Nomads and Settled Communities | Social Studies (SST) Class 7 PDF Download

Q1: What do you know about religion practised by Ahom society?
Ans:  Originally, the Ahoms worshipped their own tribal gods. During the first half of the seventeenth century, however, the influence of Brahmanas increased. Temples and Brahmanas were granted land by the king. In the reign of Sib Singh (1714-1744), Hinduism became the predominant religion. But the Ahom kings did not completely give up their traditional beliefs after adopting Hinduism.

Q2: Write a brief note on Banjaras.
Or
Were the Banjaras important for the economy?
Ans:  The Banjaras were the most important trader nomads. Their caravan was called tanda. Sultan Alauddin Khalji used the Banjaras to transport grain to the city markets. Emperor Jahangir wrote in his memoirs that the Banjaras carried grain on their bullocks from different areas and sold it in towns. They transported food grain for the Mughal army during military campaigns. With a large army there could be 100,000 bullocks carrying grain.

Q3: How was the administration of the Ahom state organised?
Ans:

• The Ahom state depended upon forced labour. Those forced to work for the state were called paiks.
• A census of the population was taken. Each village had to send a number of paiks by rotation.
• People from heavily populated areas were shifted to less populated places. Ahom clans were thus broken up.
• By the first half of the seventeenth century the administration became quite centralised.

Q4: Write about the Rani Durgawati.
Ans:

• Durgawati was the daughter of Salbahan, the Chandel Rajput raja of Mahoba. She got married to Dalpat, the son of Gond raja Aman Das.
• Dalpat, however, died early. Rani Durgawati was very capable, and started ruling on behalf of her five-year-old son, Bir Narain.
• Under her, the kingdom became even more extensive. In 1565, the Mughal forces under Asaf Khan attacked Garha Katanga.
• A strong resistance was put up by Rani Durgawati. She was defeated and preferred to die rather than surrender. Her son, too, died fighting soon after.

Q5: How did tribal societies change after being organized into a state?
Ans:

• Considerable social change took place in the subcontinent. Varna-based society and tribal people constantly interacted with each other. This interaction caused both kinds of societies to adapt and change.
• There were many different tribes and they took up diverse livelihoods.
• Over a period of time, many of them merged with caste based society. Others, however, rejected both the caste system and orthodox Hinduism.
• Some tribes established extensive states with well-organised systems of administration. They thus became politically powerful. This brought them into conflict with larger and more complex kingdoms and empires.

Q6: What changes took place in varna-based society?
Ans: Smaller castes, or jatis, emerged within varnas. For example, new castes appeared amongst the Brahmanas. On the other hand, many tribes and social groups were taken into caste-based society and given the status of jatis. Specialised artisans – smiths, carpenters and masons – were also recognised as separate jatis by the Brahmanas. Jatis, rather than varna, became the basis for organising society.

Q7: How did the tribes earn their livelihood?
Ans:  Many tribes obtained their livelihood from agriculture. Others were hunter-gatherers or herders. Most often they combined these activities to make full use of the natural resources of the area in which they lived. Some tribes were nomadic and moved from one place to another. A tribal group controlled land and pastures jointly, and divided these amongst households according to its own rules.

Q8: How did the emergence of large states change the nature of Gond society?
Ans:  The emergence of large states changed the nature of Gond society.

• Their basically equal society gradually got divided into unequal social classes.
• Brahmanas received land grants from the Gond rajas and became more influential.
• The Gond chiefs now wished to be recognised as Rajputs. They began forming marital relation with Rajputs.

Q9: Mention some special features of tribal societies.
Ans:  Special features of tribal societies were:

• They did not follow the social rules and rituals prescribed by the Brahmanas. Nor were they divided into numerous unequal classes.
• Members of each tribe were united by kinship bonds.
• Many tribes obtained their livelihood from agriculture. Others were hunter-gatherers or herders.
• Some tribes were nomadic and moved from one place to another. A tribal group controlled land and pastures jointly, and divided these amongst households according to its own rules.

Q10: Write about Ahom society.
Ans:  Ahom society was divided into clans or khels. There were very few castes of artisans, so artisans in the Ahom areas came from the adjoining kingdoms. A khel often controlled several villages. The peasant was given land by his village community. Even the king could not take it away without the community’s consent. Originally, the Ahoms worshipped their own tribal gods. During the first half of the seventeenth century, however, the influence of Brahmanas increased. Temples and Brahmanas were granted land by the king. In the reign of Sib Singh (1714-1744), Hinduism became the predominant religion. But the Ahom kings did not completely give up their traditional beliefs after adopting Hinduism. Ahom society was very sophisticated. Poets and scholars were given land grants. Theatre was encouraged.