Ch_9_Vital Villages, Thriving Towns

Let’s Recall

Q1. Fill in the blanks:

(a) _______ was a word used for large landowners in Tamil.

(b) The grambhojaka often got his land cultivated by the_____.

(c) Ploughmen were known as_____ in Tamil.

(d) Most grihapatis were _____ landowners.

Answer:

(a) Vellalar was a word used for large landowners in Tamil.

(b) The grambhojaka often got his land cultivated by the slaves and workers.

(c) Ploughmen were known as Uzhavar in Tamil.

(d) Most grihapatis were smaller landowners.

Q2. Describe the functions of the grambhojka. Why do you think he was powerful?

Answer: 

Gramabhojaka was the village headman. His post was hereditary. The king used him to collect taxes from the village. He also functioned as a judge, and sometimes as a policeman.

He was considered powerful because he was the largest landowner. He had slaves and hired workers to cultivate the land.

Q3. List the crafts persons who would have been present in both villages and cities.

Answer:

Craftsmen such as blacksmith, weavers, carpenters and potters were present in both villages and cities.

Q4. Choose the correct answer:

(a) Ring wells were used for:

1)      Bathing

2)      Washing clothes

3)      Irrigation

4)      drainage

Answer:

4)  drainage

(b) Punch marked coins were made of:

1)      Silver

2)      Gold

3)      Tin

4)      Ivory

Answer:

1) Silver

(c) Mathura was important:

1)      Rulers

2)      Craftspersons

3)      Religious centre

4)      Forested area

Answer:

(3) Religious centre

(d) Shrenis were associations of:

1)      Rulers

2)      Craftspersons

3)      Farmers

4)      Herders

Answer:

(2) Craftspersons

Let’s Discuss

Q5. Which of the iron tools shown on page 79 (of the NCERT textbook) would have been important for agriculture? What would the other tools have been used for?

Answer:

The iron tools shown on page 79 are tongs, axe and sickle. Out of these tools, sickle would have been important for agriculture.

Other tools would have been used for the following purposes:

·         Tongs would have been used by a blacksmith for making tools from hot iron.

·         Axe would have been important for cutting trees to gather firewood.

Q6. Compare the drainage system in your locality with that of the cities mentioned in the lesson. What similarities and differences do you notice?

Answer:

The drainage system in our locality is highly developed. We have an underground drainage system in which the bathrooms, toilets, and kitchens are connected to the main drains outside the houses.

If we talk about the ancient times, the archaeologists have found rows of pots, or ceramic rings arranged one on top of the other in many cities. These were known as ring wells. These seem to have been used as toilets in some cases, and as drains and garbage dumps. These ring wells were usually found in individual houses.

Similarities: The drainage system in our localities is well-planned. The same system was adopted in the cities mentioned in the lesson.

Differences: Today’s modern drainage systems are made of durable materials like concrete, PVC pipes and metals. The drainage in ancient times was made out of wood, mud bricks and thatch that was not durable and could not survive for long. 

Let’s Do

Q7. If you have seen crafts persons at work, describe in a short paragraph what they do. (Hint: how do they get the raw materials, what kind of equipment do they use, how do they work, what happens to the finished product)

Answer: 

I have seen crafts persons like blacksmiths and goldsmiths in villages and cities. Blacksmiths are a common sight who can be seen working with their tools to make different types of iron objects like doors, chairs, ladders, etc. They first collect the iron sheets and rod and then mend them into desired shapes by heating them to high temperatures. Some of the basic tools used by blacksmiths are hammers, tongs, chisels, flatters, etc. The finished product is sent to local or urban markets for sale.

Q8. List the functions performed by men and women who live in your city or village. In what ways are these similar to those performed by people who lived in Mathura? In what ways are they different?

Answer: 

In the cities, men and women are engaged in different kinds of jobs to feed their families. They work in offices or have their own business. Mathura was located on important trade routes. The people here worked as goldsmiths, blacksmiths, weavers, basket makers, garland makers, perfumers. Farmers and herders from adjoining areas worked to provide food for people in the city.

The life of people of our cities and that in Mathura was different only in the aspect of the presence of advancement and technology. Today, most people are working offices, banks, schools, colleges, etc., but all these were not present in ancient times. In those days, people were generally involved in crafts work that required them to be skilled and well trained in their work. They need to do all work manually.