Important Questions: New Kings & Kingdoms - UPSC MCQ

• In ancient times, new kings often did not rule independently. They frequently shared power with other groups like samantas (subordinates), peasants, traders, and Brahmanas.
• This helped in maintaining stability and support within their kingdoms.

Topic in NCERT: Administrations in the Kingdoms

Line in NCERT: However, in spite of such claims, they often shared power with their as well as with associations of peasants, traders and Brahmanas

The Chola rulers in the past mainly collected taxes in the form of forced labor and land revenue. This means that people had to work for the rulers or give a part of what they earned from their land as taxes. This helped the rulers in building temples, forts, and fighting wars.

Topic in NCERT: Four hundred taxes!

Line in NCERT: "The most frequently mentioned tax is vetti, taken not in cash but in the form of forced labour, and kadamai, or land revenue."

• The temple at Thanjavur (Brihadisvara Temple) was built by Raja Raja I.
• The temple at Gangaikondacholapuram was constructed by his successor, Rajendra I.

Topic in NCERT: Splendid Temples and Bronze Sculpture
Line in NCERT: "The big temples of Thanjavur and Gangaikondacholapuram, built by Rajaraja and Rajendra, are architectural and sculptural marvels."

Topic in NCERT: The Administration of the Empire

Line in NCERT: "Rich peasants exercised considerable control over the affairs of the nadu under the supervision of the central Chola government."

Rulers like Nagabhata described their achievements in 'prashastis', which are like special stories or reports about all the great things they did.

Topic in NCERT: The "achievements" of Nagabhata

Line in NCERT: Many rulers described their achievements in prashastis.

Yes, the statement is True. Nagabhata, a Pratihara king, defeated the kings of Andhra, Sind, Maharashtra, and Orissa. He achieved victories over various rulers according to the inscription found in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh.

Topic in NCERT: The "achievements" of Nagabhata

Line in NCERT: "The kings of Andhra, Saindhava (Sind), Vidarbha (part of Maharashtra) and Kalinga (part of Orissa) fell before him even as he was a prince..."

• Mahmud of Ghazni, a ruler from Afghanistan, attacked the subcontinent several times with the goal of acquiring wealth from rich temples.
• He raided the region around the years 1000 to 1025.
• His primary targets were the wealthy temples, including the one in Somnath, Gujarat.
• Much of the wealth he took was used to build a magnificent capital city in Ghazni.
• Therefore, the statement that Mahmud of Ghazni raided the subcontinent 17 times with a religious motive is True.

Topic in NCERT: Warfare for Wealth

Line in NCERT: "He raided the subcontinent 17 times (1000-1025) with a religious motive."

The essential method used to provide water for farming in ancient times was Constructing huge tanks to store water

In many ancient civilizations, such as those in the Indus Valley, Mesopotamia, and Egypt, people constructed large tanks, reservoirs, and canals to store and manage water for agricultural purposes. These methods allowed them to collect and store water during the rainy season and distribute it during drier periods, which was crucial for farming in arid and semi-arid regions.

Topic in NCERT: Agriculture and Irrigation

Line in NCERT: "In other places huge tanks were constructed to collect rainwater."

> In the 12th century, the Chauhan Dynasty or the Chahamanas ruled over the two major cities – Delhi and Ajmer.
> As these cities were centrally located, the Chahamanas aimed to extend their control to the west and the east, where they were defeated by the Chalukyas of Gujarat and the Gahadavalas of western Uttar Pradesh.
> Prithviraj III (1168-1192) was the best-known Chahamana ruler. In 1191, he defeated the Afghan ruler, named Sultan Muhammad Ghori, but in the very next year, in 1192, he also lost to him.

Topic in NCERT: Warfare for Wealth

Line in NCERT: "Other kings who engaged in warfare included the Chahamanas, later known as the Chauhans, who ruled over the region around Delhi and Ajmer."

Chola temples were not only places of worship but also centers of craft production and social activities. They often became the nuclei of settlements and were endowed with land by rulers and others, supporting various specialists.

Topic in NCERT: Splendid Temples and Bronze Sculpture

Line in NCERT: "temples were not only places of worship; they were the centres of economic, social and cultural life."

• By the seventh century, landlords or warrior chiefs served as subordinates to existing kings.
• They brought gifts, attended courts, and provided military support to their overlords.
• As they gained power and wealth, they:
  • Declared themselves as mahasamantas (great lords of a region).
  • Asserted independence from their overlords.
• This marked the emergence of new dynasties and helped them gain acceptance as rulers.

Topic in NCERT: The Emergence of New Dynasties

Line in NCERT: "they were expected to bring gifts for their kings or overlords, be present at their courts and provide them with military support."

The Rashtrakutas became powerful when Dantidurga, a Rashtrakuta chief, overthrew his Chalukya overlord and performed the Hiranya-garbha ritual. This marked the beginning of their dominance and expansion.

Topic in NCERT: The Emergence of New Dynasties

Line in NCERT: "mid-eighth century, Dantidurga, a Rashtrakuta chief, overthrew his Chalukya overlord"

As powerful landlords or warrior chiefs gained more power and wealth, they declared themselves to be "maha-Samanta" or "maha-mandaleshvara," indicating their status as great lords of a region and asserting their independence from their overlords.

Topic in NCERT: The Emergence of New Dynasties

Line in NCERT: "As samantas gained power and wealth, they declared themselves to be maha-samanta, maha-mandaleshvara (the great lord of a 'circle' or region) and so on. Sometimes they asserted their independence from their overlords."

The literal meaning of 'Hiranya-Garbha' is 'golden womb.' This ritual was believed to symbolize the rebirth of the sacrificer as a Kshatriya, thus legitimizing the rule of those who were not Kshatriyas by birth but sought to gain acceptance and power.

Topic in NCERT: The Emergence of New Dynasties

Line in NCERT: "performed a ritual called hiranya-garbha (literally, the golden womb)."

The Gurjara-Pratiharas ruled over the regions of Gujarat and Rajasthan.

Topic in NCERT: Warfare for Wealth

Line in NCERT: "One particularly prized area was the city of Kanauj in the Ganga valley. For centuries, rulers belonging to the Gurjara-Pratihara, Rashtrakuta and Pala dynasties fought for control over Kanauj."