Textbook Solutions: Tribal and Nomadic Communities | Footprints Class 7: Book Solutions, Notes & Worksheets PDF Download

I. Based on your understanding, choose the correct option. 

Q1.
Ans: (b)

Q2.
Ans: (c)

Q3.
Ans: (a)

Q4.
Ans: (b)

Q5. 
Ans: (c)

Q6.
Ans: (b)

Q7.
Ans: (c)

Q8.
Ans: (b)

Q9.
Ans: (c)

Q10.
Ans: (b)

II. Answer the following questions in one sentence. 

Q11.
Ans: Patrilineal refers to a social system in which ancestry and inheritance are traced through the male line.

Q12.
Ans: The vast Mongol Empire encompassed regions in Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.

Q13.
Ans: The bhuiyans were locally powerful landlords in Assam.

Q14.
Ans: Khel in the Ahom society was a clan or a group controlling several villages.

Q15.
Ans: One of the greatest achievements of the Ahoms was the compilation of Ahom chronicles called the buranjis, which provided historical records of their rule.

III. Answer the following questions In brief. 

Q16.
Ans: The Akbarnama tells us that the Gond kingdom of Garha Katanga was a well-structured administrative system with territorial divisions called garhs, each administered by a particular clan. The kingdom had a complex administrative structure and controlled a large number of villages.

Q17.
Ans: Queen Durgawati was the wife of Sangram Shah, the Gond raja of Garha Katanga. After her husband's death, she assumed the reins of government and resisted Mughal forces but was eventually defeated and killed. She is remembered for her bravery and leadership.

Q18.
Ans: The Ahoms initially had conflicts with the Mughals. In 1662 CE, the Mughals, led by Mir Jumla, attacked the Ahom kingdom, defeated them, and acquired immense wealth. However, due to an epidemic in the Mughal camp, the Mughal control over the region did not last long, and the Ahoms regained power.

Q19.
Ans: The paik system was a labor service system in the Ahom state. Every male member of the village between the ages of 15 and 50 who was not a noble, priest, high caste, or a slave had to provide service to the kingdom in exchange for land. This system was non-transferable and non-hereditary, and paiks participated in construction and military service. It was a way to maintain a workforce without a regular standing army.

IV. Answer the following questions in detail. 

Q20.
Ans: Tribal societies in medieval India exhibited several characteristics:

• Egalitarian nature: They were usually not divided into classes or castes, emphasizing social equality.
• Kinship bonds: These were crucial, and tribes were composed of clans tracing descent from a common ancestor.
• Nomadic or settled lifestyle: Some tribes were nomadic, while others settled down, often in remote and inaccessible areas.
• Economy: They practiced activities like animal rearing, shifting agriculture, and small-scale craftsmanship.
• Community ownership: Land and pastures were owned and controlled collectively by the community.
• Patrilineal or matrilineal society: Some followed a patrilineal system, while others, like the Caros and Khasis, were matrilineal.

Q21.
Ans: The Gonds were one of the largest tribes in medieval India. They resided in an area known as Condwanaland. Some practiced shifting cultivation, while others herded cattle or worked as laborers. The administration of Garha Katanga, a Gond kingdom, was organized into territorial divisions, clans, and villages. Gond chiefs often assumed Rajput titles and gave land grants to Brahmanas. The Gond kingdoms were eventually taken over by the Marathas and Bundela Rajputs.

Q22.
Ans: In the 17th century, the Ahom administration became centralized. An essential element was the paik system, a labor service arrangement where non-noble, non-priest, non-high caste, and non-slave males provided service to the kingdom in exchange for land. This system was crucial since the Ahoms did not maintain a regular standing army. The society was organized into clans (khel), and village communities held significant power.

Q23.
Ans: Tribal societies changed after coming into contact with caste-based societies in various ways. Some tribes adopted the caste system and political structures of settled agricultural communities. In some cases, tribal customs and rituals were absorbed into Hindu religious traditions. For example, certain tribal gods and goddesses were incorporated into the Hindu pantheon. The relationship between the two could be both conflictual and symbiotic, as they depended on each other for fulfilling specific needs, especially economic ones. These changes over time led to the recognition of tribal and ethnic groups in India as Scheduled Tribes, acknowledging their historical disadvantages and past categorization as the 'Depressed Classes' by the British.