Class 7 History Chapter 7 Question Answers - The Making of Regional Cultures

Q1: Who were Kathaks?
Ans: Kathaks were originally a caste of story tellers in the temples of north India. They performed in village squares and temple courtyards. They were mostly specialized in recounting mythological and moral tales from the scriptures, and embellished their recitals with hand gestures and facial expressions.

Q2: Write short notes on miniature paintings.
Ans: Miniature paintings are small in size and generally are drawn in water colour on cloth or paper. The earliest miniatures were drawn on palm leaves or wood. Some of the most beautiful miniatures are found in western India and were used to illustrate Buddhist and Jaina texts. Themes used in the miniature paintings were from Indian epics like Ramayana, Mahabharata, Bhagavata Purana, Rasamanjari as well as ragas of Indian classical music, etc.

Q3: When was the Chera Kingdom established?
Ans: The Chera kingdom of Mahodayapuam was established in the ninth century in the south-western part of the peninsula, part of present day Kerala. The language of this region was Malayalam.

Q4: How did Kathak evolve as a dance form?
Ans: Kathak is the major classical dance form of northern India. The word Kathak means ‘to tell a story’. It is derived from the dance dramas of ancient India. As the name implies, this dance form originated in the temples where the priests would recite and emote out mythological stories and accompany them with hand gestures and facial expressions. This form of story-telling was adopted by story-tellers in temples, streets and various gatherings and evolved into an early version of the dance form that was passed on from generation to generation. The bhakti movement brought new influences of devotion and love to Kathak. Dances to stories of Radha-Krishna and other Hindu Gods were incorporated into the dance form.

Q5: Name the regions that attracted the miniatures.
Ans: After the decline of the Mughal Empire, miniature artists who were patronised by the Mughal emperors moved to the regional courts of Deccan and the Rajput courts of Rajasthan. They depicted the rulers and court scenes and themes from mythology and poetry. The core of miniature painting lies in Rajasthan and can be traced back to its school of Jodhpur, Jaipur, Mughal, Kangra and Mewar. While the Mughal School features muted colours, giving it a shadow and depth, the Rajasthan School uses bold primary colours which give the painting an abstract look.

Q6:Bengali literature can be divided into how many categories?
Ans: Bengali literature can be divided into two categories:

• One category of literature is indebted to Sanskrit. Under this category come the translated Sanskrit epics, the Mangalakavyas (auspicious poems) and bhakti literature such as the biographies of Chaitanya, the leader of the Vaishnavite movement.
• The second category includes Nath literature such as the songs of Maynamati and Gopichandra stories concerning the worship of Dharma Thakur and tales, folk tales and ballads.

Q7: Who built Jagannath temple at Puri and which deities are worshipped over there?
Ans: In the 12th century, a ruler of Ganga dynasty Anantavarman erected a temple for Purushottama Jagannatha at Puri. The Jagannath temple at Puri gained great importance and became a centre of pilgrims for both Hindus & Buddhists.The three deities namely Jagannatha, Sudhadra and Balbhadra represents Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, are worshipped over there.

Q8: What was the style of miniature that developed in Himachal Pradesh?
Ans: In the region of Himachal Pradesh by the late seventeenth century, a bold and intense style of miniature painting called Basohli developed. This style of painting is characterized by vigorous use of primary colours and a peculiar facial formula prevalent in the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries in the foothills of the Western Himalayas in the Jammu and Punjab States

Q9: Explain in brief the gharanas of Kathak dance form.
Ans: After Mughals, several schools or styles known as gharnas like Lucknow gharna, Jaipur gharana, Banaras gharana which helped the artists to take new challenges and obtain their individual mastery. Jaipur gharana include a command of complicated pure dance patterns. Lucknow style is famous for graceful expression of romantic feelings. It is characterized by precise, fine detailed movements and an emphasis on the exposition of thumri, a semi classical style of love song. Pandit Birju Maharaj also belong to Lucknow gharana.

Q10: What was the Kangara school of painting?
Ans: Nadir Shah invaded India and captured Delhi in 1739. This invasion resulted in the migration of Mughal artists to the hills. They found new school called the Kangara school of painitng. They got the inspiration from the Vaishnavite tradition. The famous colours of this were soft colours such as blue and green.

Q11: Why did conquerors try to control the temple of Jagnnatha at Puri?
Ans: The Jagannath temple at Puri gained importance as a centre of pilgrimage in due course. Its authority in social and political matters also increased. Therefore, all those who conquered Orissa, such as the Mughals, the Marathas and the English East India Company, tried to gain control over the temple. They felt that this would make their rule easily acceptable to the local people.

Q12: Why did minstrels proclaim the achievements of hearoes?
Ans: Stories about Rajput heroes and their valour were recorded in poems and songs and were recited by specially trained minstrels. These preserved the memories of the heroes and were expected to inspire others to follow their example. Ordinary people were also attracted by these stories which often depicted loyalty, friendship, love, valour, etc.