Textbook Solution: Goodbye, Pasha Begum! | Class 7 English Alive PDF Download

A. Read the sentences and answer these questions.

Q1. No one gets away after insulting a princess of the Timuriya Dynasty.

a. Name the speaker.

Ans: The speaker is Begum Sahiba.

b. What was insulting to the speaker?

Ans: Bindi's refusal to recognize her authority and her dismissive attitude was insulting to the speaker.

c. What did she do next?

Ans: She ordered that Bindi be punished by taking her to her room to be whipped.

Q2. What are you doing Roshan? How many times have I told you that no one will be whipped?

a. Name the speaker.

Ans: The speaker is Pasha Begum.

b. How was the speaker related to Roshan?

Ans: The speaker, Pasha Begum, is Roshan’s older sister.

c. What does the sentence tell us about the speaker?

Ans: The sentence tells us that the speaker is compassionate and opposes the use of physical punishment, insisting on discipline and proper process within her authority.

Q3. Aurangzeb went to Agra and brought Jahanara back to Delhi. He made her the head of the harem again. During her father's reign, she was called Begum Sahib, but Aurangzeb gave her the new title of Pasha Begum, the Princess Royal.

a. Name the speaker.

Ans: The speaker is Bindi’s father.

b. Who was the speaker talking about?

Ans: The speaker was talking about Jahanara.

c. Why did Aurangzeb bring Jahanara back?

Ans: Aurangzeb brought Jahanara back to appoint her as the head of the harem again after her father, Shahjahan, fell ill and was imprisoned.

B. Answer these questions briefly.

Q1:  What places did Bindi and her family visit in Delhi?

Ans: They visited the Qutub Minar, Humayun's Tomb, and the Red Fort.

Q2. What did Bindi want to do on her holiday?

Ans: Bindi wanted to do something more exciting than sightseeing, like shopping at Janpath, eating chaat at Bengali Market, or visiting a shopping mall.

Q3. Why did Bindi want to rest?

Ans: Bindi wanted to rest because she was tired, her feet were aching, and her eyes were tired from the constant sightseeing.

Q4. Where was Bindi when she woke up? What happened with her there?

Ans: Bindi woke up in a different time, the Mughal era, inside the Rang Mahal, which was transformed and filled with people from that era. She was mistaken for a slave girl and was about to be punished before being saved by Pasha Begum.

Q5. Where did Pasha Begum and Bindi go?

Ans: Pasha Begum took Bindi to a quiet room filled with books and an open terrace.

Q6. What did Pasha Begum's room look like?

Ans: The room had niches in the wall holding books, and there was a big bound volume placed on a wooden stand.

Q7. What happened when Bindi tried to touch Pasha Begum?

Ans: When Bindi tried to touch Pasha Begum, everything went dark, and Bindi found herself back in the present time, confused.

Q8. Why did the Mughals prefer to call themselves Timuriya?

Ans: They preferred to call themselves Timuriya as a way to honor their descent from the Persian conqueror Timur the Lame.

C. Think and answer these questions.

Q1. Why do you think Bindi didn't tell her family about the episode?

Ans: Bindi might have felt that the episode was too surreal or unbelievable to share, or she might have been processing the experience herself before deciding to discuss it.

Q2. Do you think Bindi really travelled in time and went into the Mughal era, or was it all a dream? Give reasons for your answer.

Ans: It was likely all a dream, influenced by the historical surroundings and her family's discussions about Mughal history. Her sudden transition back to reality and the physical setting supports this theory.

Q3. Do you think history fascinated Bindi right from the beginning of the story? Why/Why not?

Ans: Initially, Bindi was not fascinated by history; she was bored with the constant visits to historical monuments and wanted to do other activities.

Q4. What, according to you, made Bindi start developing an interest in history?

Ans: Her vivid dream or time-travel experience, where she interacted with historical figures and witnessed history firsthand, likely sparked her interest in history.

Q5. What if, like Bindi, you time travelled into the past? Which era would you like to travel to, and whom would you like to meet? Give reasons for your answer.

Ans: If I were to time travel into the past, I would choose to visit the Renaissance period in Europe, particularly Italy. This era was marked by a remarkable flourishing of art, science, and culture that laid the foundation for modern Western civilization. I would be especially interested in meeting Leonardo da Vinci. Leonardo was not only a masterful artist, known for works like the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper, but also an ingenious inventor and scientist. His notebooks, filled with sketches, scientific diagrams, and ideas ahead of his time, would be fascinating to explore firsthand. Meeting him would provide deep insights into the creativity and interdisciplinary thinking that defined the Renaissance. Plus, observing his work process and the cultural milieu of the time would offer a unique perspective on how historical and cultural forces shape artistic and scientific advancements.