NCERT Solutions For Class 6 History Chapter 9 New Empires And Kingdoms

NCERT Solutions For Class 6 History Chapter 9  New Empires And Kingdoms Exercises

Question 1. State whether true or false:

1. Harishenacomposed a prashasti, in praise of Gautamiputra Shri Satakarni.
Answer: False

2. The rulers of Aryavarta brought tribute to Samudragupta.
Answer: False

3. There were twelve rulers in Dakshinapatha.
Answer: True

4. Taxila and Madurai were important centers under the control of the Gupta rulers.
Answer: False

Read and Learn More NCERT Solutions For Class 6 Social Science

5. Aihole was the capital of the Pallavas.
Answer: False

6. Local assemblies functioned for several centuries in South India.
Answer: True.

Question 2. Mention three authors who wrote about Harshavardhana.
Answer:

The Following Authors Wrote About Harshavardhana:

1. Banabhatta
2. Xuan Zang (Hien T-Sanga)
3. Ravikirti

Question 3. What changes do you find in the army at this time?
Answer:

We find the following changes in the army at this time:

1. A permanent army was kept by the king or the ruler. This was well organized.
2. Soldiers used different kinds of weapons such as battle axes, arrows, spikes, spears, swords, etc.
3. Elephants, chariots, and cavalry were used along with foot soldiers in the royal army.
4. Besides, there were military leaders who provided the king the troops when the king needed them. Troops were not paid regular salaries. Instead, some of the military leaders received grants of land. They collected revenue from the land.
5. They used this money to maintain soldiers and horses. They provided equipment for war. These men were known as samantas (WRt). Whenever the ruler was weak Samantas tried to become independent.

Question 4. What were the new administrative arrangements during this period?
Answer:

Following New Administrative Arrangements Were Noticed During This Period:

1. Some important administrative posts were now hereditary. This means that sons succeeded fathers to these posts. For example, the poet Harishena was a maha-danda-nayaka, or chief judicial officer, like his father.
2. Sometimes, one person held many offices. For example, besides being a maha-danda-nayaka Harishena was a kumar-amatya, meaning an important minister, and a sandhi-vigrahika meaning a minister of war and peace.
3. Besides, important men probably had a say in local administration. These included:
   1. The nagara-shreshthi or chief banker or merchant of the city.
   2. The sarthavaha or leader of the merchant caravans, the prathama-Kulik or the chief craftsman,
   3. The head of the kayasthas or scribes.

Question 5. What do you think Arvind would have to do if he was acting as Samudragupta?
Answer:

Arvind Would Have To Do The Following Things If He Was Acting As Samudragupta:

1. Arvind had to march solemnly in splendid robes, twirl his mustaches, and wield the silver-paper-wrapped sword with gusto.
2. Arvind had to sit on the throne play a veena, and recite poetry.
3. Arvind had to fight several battles.

Question 6. Do you think ordinary people would have read and understood the prashastis? Give reasons for your answer.
Answer:

I think ordinary people would have not read and understood the prashastis because they were illiterate and did not know the Sanskrit in which the prashastis were written. But they were told about prashastis by some literate persons or Brahmins.

Question 7. If you had to make a genealogy for yourself, who are the people you would include in it? How many generations would you like to show? Make a chart and fill it.
Answer:

If I Had To Make A Genealogy For Myself I Would Like To Include The Following Persons In It:

1. Name of my great grandfather.
2. Name of my grandfather.
3. Name of my father and mother.
4. The name/names of my sons/daughters.
5. The name/names of my grandchildren.

I Would Like To Show The Following Five Generations:

1. Great Grandfather
2. Grandfather
3. Parents
4. My own name
5. Names of my children
6. Names of my grandchildren.

Question 8. How do you think wars affect the lives of ordinary people today?
Answer:

Today’s Wars Affect The Lives Of Ordinary People In The Following Ways:

1. They are killed in large numbers.
2. Their property—houses, shops, etc. are destroyed.
3. Wars create violence and disturbances in society.
4. Development projects and welfare works undertaken by the government for the welfare and benefit of the people are disturbed and postponed.
5. Wars waste economic and other resources. Governments generally impose more taxes on the people.

Question 9. What was the difference between the way in which Samudragupta treated the rulers of Aryavarta and Dakshinapatha?
Answer:

Samudragupta’s policies towards Aryavarta were very strict. All the nine rulers were defeated and their kingdoms were merged in his empire. He treated the rulers of Dakshinapath in a different manner. The twelve rulers surrendered and were allowed to rule again.

Question 10. Arrange these titles in order of importance: Raja, maharaj-adhiraja, maharaja.
Answer:

1. Maharaj-adhiraja,
2. Maharaja,
3. Raja.

Question 11. Look at the political map of India and list the present-day states that Harshavardhana passed through when he went

1. To Bengal and
2. Up to the Narmada.

Answer:

1. Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand
2. Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh

Question 12. Who were the other rulers who tried to control the coasts and why?
Answer:

Cholas, Pandyas, Satavahans, and Kushanas tried to control the coasts. This was basically to control the trade route and take taxes.

Question 13. What do you think may have been the advantages and disadvantages of having hereditary officers?
Answer:

• There were certain advantages of having hereditary officers. The officers would be loyal and trustworthy. They would maintain their territories as they would be going to their sons only.
• On the other hand, this could mean the officers becoming more powerful in a territory and trying to set up independent kingdoms.

NCERT Solutions For Class 6 History Chapter 9  New Empires And Kingdoms Very Short Answer Type Questions

Question 1. Mention the names of two main historical sources of Harsha.
Answer:

1. Harshacharita, the biography of Harshavardhana, written by his court poet, Banabhatta.
2. Travel description of the Chinese pilgrim, Xuan Zang.

Question 2. What were prashasties?
Answer:

Prashasties were poems composed in praise of rulers by their court poets.

Question 3. Name four types of rulers described by Harishena.
Answer:

Four types of Rulers Were:

Question 4. Who wrote Harsha’s biography?
Answer:

Banabhatta wrote Harshacharita in Sanskrit.

NCERT Solutions For Class 6 History Chapter 9  New Empires And KingdomsShort Answer Type Questions

Question 1. Who was Samudragupta? What is the main source of history about him?
Answer:

Samudragupta was a famous ruler of a dynasty known as the Guptas.

We know about Samudragupta from a poem composed by Harishena. This was inscribed on the Ashokan pillar at Allahabad. This inscription is of the special kind known as prashasti, a word, meaning ‘ in praise of’.

The poet praised the king in glowing terms

• As a warrior,
• As a king who won victories in battle,
• Who was learned and a poet.

He is also described as equal to the gods.

Question 2. Discuss about genealogies of the Gupta. Write some sentences of Chandragupta II of the Gupta dynasty.
Answer:

Genealogies of the Gupta Rules

1. Allahabad—prashasti mentions Samudragupta’s great grandfather, grandfather, father, and mother.
   • His mother, Kumara Devi, belonged to the Lichchhavi Gana, while his father
   • Chandragupta was the first ruler of the Gupta dynasty to adopt the grand title of maharaj-adhiraja, a title that Samudragupta also used.
2. Samudragupta in turn figures in the genealogies of later rulers of the dynasty, such as his son, Chandragupta II. We know about him from inscriptions and coins. He led an expedition to western India, where he overcame the last of the Shakas.
3. According to later beliefs, his court was full of learned people, including Kalidas, the poet, and Aryabhata, the astronomer.

Question 3. Describe in short about Harshavardhana and the Harshacharita.
Answer:

Harshavardhana and the Harshacharita

1. Harshavardhana ruled nearly 1400 years ago. His court poet Banabhatta, wrote his biography, The Harshacharita in Sanskrit. This gives us the genealogy of Harsha and ends with his becoming King.
2. Xuan Zang (the Chinese Buddhist Pilgrim) spent a lot of time at Harsha’s court. He wrote in detail about Harsha.
3. Harsha was not the eldest son of his father. He became king of Thanesar after both his father and elder brother died.

His brother-in-law was the ruler of Kanauj. When he was killed by the ruler of Bengal, Harsha took over the kingdom of Kanauj.

He then led an army against the ruler of Bengal. He was successful in the east and conquered both Magadha and Bengal.

But he was not as successful elsewhere. He tried to cross the Narmada (river) to march into the Deccan but was stopped by Pulakeshin 2.

Question 4. Write a short note on the assemblies in the Southern Kingdoms.
Answer:

The Sabha: The inscriptions (prashasties) of the Pallavas mention a number of local assemblies.

1. These included the sabha. This was an assembly of Brahmin landowners. This assembly functioned through sub-committees, for irrigation, agricultural operations, making roads, local temples, etc.
2. The Ur: Second important assembly in the southern kingdom was the Ur, This was a village assembly in areas where the land owners were not Brahmins.
3. The nagaram: The third main assembly in the Southern Kingdoms was the nagaram. It was an organization of merchants. These assemblies were controlled by rich and powerful landowners and merchants.

All above mentioned local assemblies continued to function in the southern kingdoms for centuries.

NCERT Solutions For Class 6 History Chapter 9  New Empires And Kingdoms Long Answer Type Questions

Question 1. Give an account of Samudragupta as a warrior.
Answer:

Samudragupta As A Warrior:

1. Samudragupta was a brave ruler of the Gupta dynasty.
2. He uprooted nine rulers of Aryavarta. Their Kingdoms were made a part of his empire.
3. Twelve rulers of Dakshinapatha surrendered to him after being defeated. He then allowed them to rule again.
4. The rulers of Assam, Bengal, Nepal, etc. paid tributes. They followed the orders of Samudragupta. They attended his court from time to time.
5. The rulers of the outlying areas of the subcontinent, (Perhaps present-day, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iran) surrendered before him. They offered their daughters for marriage.

Question 2. Discuss two important ruling dynasties in south India of Harsha’s period of north India.
Or
Describe some of the main achievements of the Pallavas and the Chalukyas.
Answer:

The Pallavas And The Chalukyas

1. The Pallavas and Chalukyas were the most important ruling dynasties in south India during this period (i.e. Harsha’s reign in north India). The Kingdom of the Pallavas spread from the region around their capital, Kanchipuram to the Kaveri delta, while that of the Chalukyas was centered around the Raichur Doab, between the rivers Krishna and Timgabhadra.
2. The Pallavas and Chalukyas frequently attacked one another’s areas, particularly they attacked the capital cities, which were prosperous towns.
3. Aihole, the capital of the Chalukyas, was an important trading and commercial center. Initially, this town developed as a religious center, with a number of temples.
4. During the days of Pulakeshin 2, the Chalukyas defeated Harsha of Kanauj and Thaneswar. But this victory was short-lived.
5. Ultimately, both the Pallavas and the Chalukyas gave way to new rulers belonging to Rashtrakuta and Chola dynasties.

Question 3. Who was Pulakeshin II? Mention his main achievements, as described in his prasliasti.
Answer:

Pulakeshin 2 And His Prashasti:

1. The best-known Chalukya ruler was Pulakeshin 2. We know about him from a prashasti. This prases (inscription) was composed by Pulakeshin’s (2) court poet Ravikirti. This tells us about his ancestors, who are traced back through four generations from father to son.
2. Pulakeshin 2 evidently got the Kingdom from his uncle. According to Ravikirti, he led expeditions along both the west and the east coast.
3. Pulakeshin 2 checked the advance of Harsha from crossing Narmada.
4. Pulakeshin 2 also attacked the Pallava king, who took shelter behind the walls of Kanchipuram. However, the successors of Pulakeshin 2 were not very capable, and therefore the Chalukya’s victory against their political rivals was short-lived. The Chalukyas gave way to a new ruling dynasty, the Rashtrakuta.

Question 4. How were the kingdoms of northern India administered during the ages of the Guptas and the Harshavardhana?
Answer:

Administration

1. The two main old administrative features are given as follows:
   • As in the case of earlier rulers, land revenue remained important for these rulers (of the Gupta and Vardhan dynasties), and
   • The village remained the basic unit of administration.
2. New Developments in Administration: There were some new developments in administration. These were:
   • Support of feudal or lords. Kings adopted a number of steps to win the support of the powerful, either economically or socially or because of their political and military strength.
   • Some important administrative posts were made hereditary. The poet Harishena (writer of Allahabad-prashasti) was made a chief judicial officer, like his father.
   • Sometimes, one person held many offices. For example, besides being a maha-danda-nayaka, Harishena was a Kumar-amatya, meaning an important minister, and a Sandhi-vigrahika, meaning a minister of war and peace.
   • Besides, important men probably had a say in local administration. These included the Nagara-shreshthi or chief banker or merchant of the city, the Sarthavaha, or leader of the merchant caravans, the Prathama-Kulika, or the chief craftsman, and the head of the Kayasthas or scribes.
3. Rise of independent kingdoms: The above-mentioned changes introduced in the administrative setup were reasonably effective but sooner or later, some of these powerful men grew strong enough to set up independent Kingdoms.

Question 5. Describe the changes that came in the army.
Answer:

1. Some of these rulers maintained a well-organized army, with chariots, elephants, cavalry, and foot soldiers. Besides, there were military leaders who provided the rulers with troops whenever they required them.
2. Feudal lords were not paid regular salaries. Instead, some of them received grants of land. They collected revenue from the land and used this to maintain soldiers and horses.
3. They also provided equipment for warfare to the kings. These men were known as Samantas.
4. Whenever the ruler was weak, Samantas tried to become independent.

Question 6. Discuss the position of the ordinary people in India in this period, being studied in this chapter (i.e., chapter 8).
Answer:

Position Of The Ordinary People Of India

• Books of that period give us a glimpse of the lives of ordinary people of India.
• For example, Kalidas (a great Sanskrit poet) tells us about life in the King’s court. Most Brahmins are shown as speaking Sanskrit. Women and men, other than the ruler and Brahmins, use Prakrit.
• As per the Chinese Buddhist pilgrim, Fa Xian, some people were treated as untouchables. They were supposed to live on the outskirts of the village/city.

NCERT Solutions For Class 6 History Chapter 9  New Empires And Kingdoms Multiple Choice Questions

Choose The Correct Answer:

Question 1. Who was the famous ruler of a dynasty known as Guptas?

1. Chandragupta
2. Samudragupta
3. Ashoka
4. Siddhartha

Answer: 2. Samudragupta

Question 2. To which language does the term ‘prashasti’ belong?

1. English
2. Hindi
3. Sanskrit
4. Tamil

Answer: 3. Sanskrit

Question 3. What was the meaning of kumar-amatya?

1. Minister
2. Chief banker
3. Scribe
4. Judicial officer

Answer: 1. Minister

Question 4. Who wrote the biography of Harshavardhana?

1. Surender Sharma
2. Amir Khusro
3. Banabhatta
4. None of these

Answer: 3. Banabhatta

Question 5. Who tried to cross Narmada to march into Deccan?

1. Harshavardhana
2. Banabhatta
3. Siddhartha
4. Ashoka

Answer: 1. Harshavardhana

Question 6. Who was the best ruler of Chalukyas?

1. Pulakeshin 1
2. Pulakeshin 2
3. Pulakeshin 3
4. None of these

Answer: 2. Pulakeshin 2

Question 7. What was the Indian name given to Greeks and

1. Yadavs
2. Yavanas
3. Javas
4. All of these

Answer: 2. Yavanas

Question 8. Who tried to become independent when rulers became weak?

1. So mantas
2. Harshavardhana
3. Ashoka
4. Chandragupta

Answer: 1. So mantas

Question 9. Who was famous for his plays depicting life in the king’s court?

1. Banabhatta
2. Ravikirti
3. Kalidasa
4. None of these

Answer: 3. Kalidasa

Question 10. “Abhijnana – Shakuntalam” is the story of love between which king and a young woman named Shakuntala.

1. Dushyanta
2. Harshavardhana
3. Ashoka
4. Chandragupta

Answer: 1. Dushyanta

NCERT Solutions For Class 6 History Chapter 9  New Empires And Kingdoms Objective Type Questions

Question 1. Fill in the blanks with appropriate words.

1. Prayag prashasti was composed by _______, a court poet of _______
Answer: Harishena, Samudragupta

2. _______ was the court poet of Pulakeshin II.
Answer: Ravikirti

3. Mother of Samudragupta, Kumara Devi belonged to _________ gana.
Answer: Lichchhavi

4. Pallavas and Chalukyas were replaced by ________ and _________
Answer: Rashtrakutas, Cholas

5. Raichur Doab was between rivers ______ and _______
Answer: Krishna, Tungabhadra.

Question 2. State whether the given statement is true or false.

1. Harshvardhan’s success was checked by Harishena.
Answer: False

2. Aryabhata was an astronomer.
Answer: True

3. Xuan-Zang spent time in Harsha’s court and left an account of it.
Answer: True

4. Powerful samantas tried to become independent.
Answer: True

5. Conditions for untouchables were very good.
Answer: False.

Question 3. Match the contents of Column A with that of Column B.

Answer: 1-c, 2-e, 3-f, 4-a, 5-d, 6-b

NCERT Solutions For Class 6 History Chapter 9  New Empires And Kingdoms Map Skills

On the outline map of India locate the following:

• Prayaga (Allahabad)
• Mathura
• Pataliputra (Patna)
• Thanesar
• Kanauj
• Nalanda
• Aihole
• Kanchipuram.