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Kerala Plus Two History Chapter Wise Questions and Answers Chapter 11 Rebels and the Raj: The Revolt of 1857 and its Representations

Question 1.
Where did the 1857 Revolt start?
Answer:
Meerut

Question 2.
Who was the leader of the Revolt at Kanpur?
Answer:
Nanasahib

Question 3.
Who was the Governor General who said that Awadh was a cherry that would fall into their mouth?
Answer:
Dalhousie

Question 4.
Who is the person behind the Military Aid System?
Answer:
Lord Wellesley

Question 5.
Which principality is known as the nursery of the Bengal army?
Answer:
Awadh

Question 6.
Who drew the picture called “Relief of Lucknow”?
Answer:
Thomas Johns Barker

Question 7.
1857 Revolt had a common style or model. Explain.
Answer:
Historians generally believed that there was no planning or united effort on the part of the rebels. But later studies show that there was some planning and unified effort on the part of the army in the Revolt. They had mutually exchanged news of their activities. Therefore the 1857 Revolt had a style of its own. When the news of Revolt of one city reached another city, there also Revolt took place. The incidents that occurred in different army units were similar in nature. The rebels attacked and looted the homes of the British officials, they vandalized the government organizations, they burned the documents and records and they looted the treasury. These things were similar everywhere.

Attacking government officials was part of the revolt. The rebels also attacked Collectors, judicial personnel and policemen. They also destroyed railways lines and communication channels. These were some of the ways in which the rebels revolted.

Question 8.
How was the Mutiny planned? What were the means of communication used by the rebels?
Answer:
There was communication among the different military groups in the army camps. For example, after refusing to use the new greased cartridges, the cavalry in Awadh (7^th Awadh Irregular Cavalry) informed the 48^th Native Infantry about this. In the letter from Awadh it was mentioned that they were protecting their faith and they were waiting for further instructions from the 48^th Infantry. The Sepoys and their messengers from one centre exchanged their ideas and schemes . with another centre and that way the Revolt was planned. People talked about the Revolt.

The captain of the Awadh military police was Hearsey. He was given protection by the Indian officials working under him. 41 Native Infantry asked the Military Police to either kill Hearsey or hand him over to them. But the Military Police did not do any of these. Finally a group of officials chosen from each regiment was given the right to take a decision in this matter. Charles Ball, one of the early historians of the Revolt, has pointed out that at night there used to be meetings of such military councils. It shows that during the Revolt some decisions were taken collectively. Sepoys were living in barracks. They had similar ways of life. Often they belonged to the same religious faith. Therefore it was possible for them to plan together and take decisions. The Sepoys themselves were the planners of their Revolt.

Question 9.
Who were the leaders of the 1857 Mutiny? What roles did Shah Mai and Moulavi Ahmadullah Shah. play in it?
Answer:
Shah Mai was an important leader of the 1857 revolt. He lived in a village in Baraut Pargana in U.P. He belonged to the Jats. Many of the Jats were rich people. They objected to the land tax system of the British government. High taxes and the way in which it was collected affected the lives of the people. Their lands were often occupied by traders and money lenders. Shah Mai raised his voice against the exploitation of the British and their agents.

Shah Mai organized the fanners and heads of villages. He travelled in the nights and encouraged people to rise in revolt against the British. The revolt slowly became a popular revolt. The peasants fought against all kind of injustices. The followers of Shah.

Mai destroyed government buildings and bridges. They also destroyed the roads to prevent the government military from entering their villages. They saw the roads and bridges as the symbols of British rule. They also sent arms and food to the rebels in Delhi. They also destroyed the communication facilities between the British headquarters and Meerut.

Shah Mai forcefully occupied the bungalow of a British official and converted it into a Hall of Justice. There he settled the quarrels among the villagers and punished the culprits. He also established a kind of secret service chain.

Moulavis played a significant role in the 1857 revolt. One of them was Moulavi Ahamadullah Shah. He was educated at Hyderabad. From an early age, he became a religious preacher. In 1856, he openly came out against the British. He declared jihad against the British and travelled across the villages. He exhorted the people to rebel. He travelled in a palanquin with drummers in front and followers behind. He was therefore popularly known as Danka Shah. Danka means a drum or a tom-tom

Thousands of people began to accompany the Moulavi. Many considered him a prophet. The British were frightened. In 1856 the Moulavi reached Lucknow. The British prevented him from making propaganda in the town. As he refused, he was arrested and sent to a prison in Faisalabad. When he was released, the 22 Native Infantry declared him their leader. He took part in the famous Chinhat battle. In this battle the British army under Henry Lawrence was utterly defeated. The courage and strength of the Moulavi attracted people. Some people believed that he had some magical powers. They believed that he was undefeatable and the British could not kill him. It was this belief that gave the Moulavi his strength.

Question 10.
Rumours and predictions played a big role in the 1857 Revolt. Explain with examples. Why did people believe in the rumours?
Answer:
Rumours and predictions did play a big role in the 1857 Revolt. They worked as a propelling force for the rebels to be more active. The immediate cause of the Revolt was the rumour about the new cartridges for the Enfield rifles. A rumour spread that these cartridges were smeared with cow and pig fat. This news spread among the North Indian sepoys like wildfire. The sepoys of Meerut went to Delhi. They told the Emperor Bahadur Shah about this. The covers of the new cartridges were to be opened by using teeth. The use of cow and pig fat would thus pollute both the Hindus and Muslims. They felt their religions were in danger. Although the British tried to show that this was just a rumour, people refused to believe them.

The origin of this rumour was later found out. Captain Wright, who was the Commander of the Rifle Instruction Depot, had reported an Incident. In the 3^rd week of January 1857, a khalasi from a lower caste asked a Brahmin sepoy to give him some water from his container of water. The sepoy refused to give him his container saying that touch by a lower caste would pollute the water. The angered Khalasi then told him that soon he would have to use cartridges smeared with cow and pig fat and then he would lose his caste. We don’t know the truth of this story. But this rumour spread fast, creating great unrest among the sepoys of both religions. The British failed to explain things in time.

Another rumour quickly followed. It said that the British government was deliberately panning to destroy the Hindu and Muslim faiths. The rumour mongers also said that the bones of both cows and pigs were ground and mixed with the flour sold in the market. People then refused even to touch this flour. There was also a feeling that the British were trying to convert Hindus and Muslims into Christianity. This increased the fear and anxiety of the followers of these religions. Although the British official tried to remove their fear, they did not believe them.
All these rumours played havoc.

The British also took steps to take over the small kingdoms or principalities in the land. They annexed Awadh on the pretext of maladministration. They took Jhansi and Satara using laws of succession and heredity. In all the regions taken by them, the British enforced their own administration, laws, tax systems and means of tax collection. All these things made the people of North India worried. They felt that their religious, social and economic ideas were being destroyed by the British. The activities of the Christian missionaries made their doubts stronger. In such uncertain circumstances, rumours spread like wild fire.

Question 11.
Awadh was a Centre of the 1857 Revolt. Based on this statement, prepare an essay on the Revolt in Awadh.
Answer:
The taking over of Awadh by the British made the local kings, talukdars, peasants and sepoys very unhappy and angry. By taking over Awadh, not only the Nawab but also many talukdars lost their jobs. The talukdars had many estates and fortresses in the villages of Awadh. They had been in control of these lands for generations. They had much power in the villages. They also used to keep small army units with them. Some even had armies numbering up to 12,000 soldiers. Even the small ones had 200 footmen.

The British refused to accept the autonomy and authority of the talukdars. Soon after they took over Awadh, they dispersed the armies of the talukdars and destroyed their fortresses. The land tax system also was not liked by the talukdars. The British enforced the new tax system in 1856. This was called the Summary Settlement of 1856. This was enforced with the concept that the talukdars had no permanent ownership of the land. The British saw them as encroachers who got the ownership of the land using all kinds of cheating and even force.

The British wanted to avoid the talukdars and make settlements with the real owners of the land. They thought this would reduce exploitation of the farmers and increase the government’s income. But in reality none of these happened. The officials soon realized that the tax imposed on the farmers was much more than their capacity to pay. In short the Summary Settlement was a failure. St satisfied neither the farmers nor the talukdars.

As talukdars lost their positions, their social status was lost. The relations between them and the farmers were ruined. Before the take-over by the British there was cordiality between the talukdars and the farmers. Although the talukdars were strict, they often behaved like the guardians of peasants. They helped peasants in their needs. They also gave peasants loans during festivals. Peasants also showed loyalty to talukdars. But the coming of the British spoiled all these. The farmers got no consideration from the British. The British charged them heavy tax and used strict methods to collect it. During crop failure, or times of trouble, or feasts, the British never helped the peasants.

The ousted talukdars wanted to get back their lost estates and power. They became the strongest enemies of the British. In places like Awadh, where the revolt was the worst, the talukdars and the farmers were in the forefront of the revolt. Many of the talukdars were loyal to the Nawab. They joined Begum Hazrat- Mahal, the wife of the Nawab, in her fight against the British. Even in failure, the talukdars did not abandon the Begum.

The taking over of Awadh by the British made the sepoys also unhappy. Many of them were from Awadh itself. They did not like the idea of their birthplace getting into the hands of the British.

Question 12.
Who was the man behind the Military Aid System? What were its conditions?
Answer:
It was Lord Wellesley that introduced the Military Aid System, in 1728. The rulers who agreed to this system had to accept certain conditions.

• The ruler of the principality should maintain a permanent army of the Company in his land.
• The expenses for this army should be borne by the ruler.
• The rulers who join this system must not make any alliance with other countries or go to war without permission from the British
• The Company will be responsible for the safety of the ruler and his kingdom. The principality should, maintain a British Resident in his capital.
• Resident is the official designation for the representative of the Governor General. A Resident is appointed in places where there is no direct British rule.

Question 13.
Explain the role of talukdars in the 1857 Revolt.
Answer:
The British wanted to avoid the talukdars and make settlements with the real owners of the land. They thought this would reduce exploitation of the farmers
and increase the government’s income. But in reality none of these happened. The officials soon realized that the tax imposed on the farmers was much more than their capacity to pay. In short the Summary Settlement was a failure. It satisfied neither the farmers nor the talukdars.

As the talukdars lost their positions, their social status was lost. The relations between them and the farmers were ruined. Before the take-over by the British, there was cordiality between the talukdars and the farmers. Although the talukdars were strict, they often behaved like the guardians of the peasants.

They helped the peasants in their needs. They also gave the peasants loans during festivals. The peasants also showed loyalty to the talukdars. But the coming of the British spoiled all these. The peasants got no consideration from the British. The British charged them heavy tax and used strict methods to collect it. During crop failure, or times of trouble, or feasts, the British never helped the peasants.

The ousted talukdars wanted to get back their lost estates and power. They became the strongest enemies of the British. In places like Awadh, where the revolt was the worst, the talukdars and the farmers were in the forefront of the revolt. Many of the talukdars were loyal to the Nawab. They joined Begum Hazrat Mahal, the wife of the Nawab, in her fight against the British. Even in failure, the talukdars did not abandon the Begum.

The taking over of Awadh by the British made the sepoys also unhappy. Many of them were from Awadh itself. They did not like the idea of their birthplace getting into the hands of the British.

Question 14.
The Sepoys had many problems and complaints. What were they?
Answer:
The Sepoys had many problems and complaints. They had small salaries. The places they had to stay and the food they got were not of good quality. It was also difficult to get leave. The chances of promotion were limited. They did not get any foreign service allowance for working outside India. The journeys across the seas were not liked by many, because some religions prohibited such journeys. They also were unhappy because the British did not allow many of them to wear head covers and also beards.

Question 15.
There was a vision of unity among the people in the 1857 Revolt. Clarify.
Answer:
One of the most important features of the 1857 Revolt was the unity exhibited by the Hindus and Muslims. This unity was the strength of the rebels. It was clear from the declarations they made. They were addressed to all the people irrespective of their religious faith. The edicts issued by the Muslim rulers made sure that they respected the feelings of Hindus. The Revolt was seen as a battle in which both Hindus and Muslims had to win. These declarations reminded people of the unity that existed in pre-British India. Under the Muhgal rule, both the communities had worked together. An edict that came from Bahadur Shah asked the people to stand behind the flags of both Muhammed and Mahavira to fight against the British. During the Revolt, no difference between Hindus and Muslims was seen.

Question 16.
What measures did the British adopt to suppress the 1857 Revolt?
Answer:
It was not easy for the British to put down the Revolt quickly. They took legal, military and diplomatic measures to suppress the Revolt.
The British made many new laws to suppress the Revolt. By the laws made in May and June 1857, the entire North India was brought under military law. The military commanders were given the power to try and punish the rebels. Even ordinary British citizens were given this right. In short, normal laws and judicial procedures were suspended. All the rebels were sentenced to death. With the aid of the new laws the British tried to suppress the Revolt.

The British made use of their military might to suppress the Revolt. More soldiers were brought from England. They tried to recapture the lost regions. ‘ Their main aim was Delhi. They knew the symbolic significance of Delhi. So they wanted to get it back at any cost. They planned a two-pronged attack. Two sets of armies were used. One set began to move from Calcutta to Delhi and the other from Punjab. They started their efforts in June, but they could capture Delhi only at the end of September 1857. Both the rebels and the army fought bitterly. All the rebels from North India came to Delhi to prevent the British from taking over Delhi. Finally Delhi fell into the hands of the British.

.In the Ganges Plain also the progress of the British was slow. British soldiers took the villages one by one. The villagers fought heroically against the British. The British soon realized that they were facing not just a rebellion but a huge revolt. Forsyth who was a British official said that \(\frac{4}{3}\) of the Awadh male adults took part in the fight. The British could recapture the place only after a long fight, in March 1859. The leaders of the revolt were forced to surrender. All the rebel centres – Kanpur, Lucknow, Jhansi, Bareilly, Banaras, Allahabad, and Gwalior-were recaptured by the British.

The landowners and the farmers of most of the modem Uttar Pradesh combined their efforts in fighting the British. This made the British worried. So they played diplomacy here. They promised the landlords that they would return the land taken from them. They ousted the landowners who still rebelled and gave presents to those who withdrew from the revolt. Many landowners died heroically in their fight against the British. Many escaped into Nepal but died their either from hunger or disease. By the end of 1859, the revolt was completely put down. Thus the authority of the British over India was re-established.

Question 17.
There are differing views about the Revolt in the pictures drawn by people. In light of this statement, describe how the Revolt was presented in British pictures.
Answer:
In the British pictures there are differing views. In fact the Revolt was often pictured in such a way as to get public opinion in their favour. They praised the British leaders who saved the British and suppressed the rebels. The picture ‘Relief of Lucknow’ drawn by Thomas Johns Barker was one such picture. When the rebels attacked LucknovV, the Commissioner Henry Lawrence, along with some Christians, took refuge in the Residency, protected by fortresses. Lawrence was killed, But Colonel Ingles saved the Residence from the rebels. In the meantime the British army under James Otram and Henry Havelock suppressed the rebels. Soon Colin Campbell, who was the new commander of the army of British came with an army and released all those who had taken shelter in the Residency. In the British descriptions this is shown as an example of heroic defence by the British and how gallantly they fought against the rebels.

The picture of Barker shows the entry of Campbell. In the middle of the picture we see the British commanders Campbell, Outram, and Havelock. The sighs of hands around point them to the middle of the picture. The heroes are standing in a well-lit maidan. In front there are shadows of the broken down Residency. In front there are wounded and dying people as proof of the sacrifices the British made in defending their Empire. There are also pictures of triumphant horses indicating the reestablishment of the British authority. Such pictures increased the self-confidence of the British. They also gave them the feeling that the revolt had ended and the British had been triumphant.

You can Download Social Institutions: Continuity and Change Questions and Answers, Notes, Plus Two Sociology Chapter Wise Questions and Answers Kerala Chapter 3 help you to revise complete Syllabus and score more marks in your examinations.

Kerala Plus Two Sociology Chapter Wise Questions and Answers Chapter 3 Social Institutions: Continuity and Change

Social Institutions: Continuity and Change Questions and Answers

Question 1.
In the Census taken by the British Government in the year ………… information about the caste was included.
Answer:
1860

Question 2.
From the names given below, who is not considered to be a leader of the lower castes of South India?
a) Sri Narayana Guru
b) Ayyankali
c) Chattambi Swamikal
d) Gandhiji
Answer:
Gandhiji

Question 3.
From… the British Government began to take regular census every 10 years.
a) 1781
b) 1881
c) 1891
d) 2001
Answer:
1881

Question 4.
From among the given things what is not an important feature of the Upper Classes?
a) right to education
b) right to enter temples
c) Not drinking alcohol
d) political power
Answer:
Not drinking alcohol

Question 5.
From the following chose the family in which members of only two generations live: Joint family, Nuclear family, Extended Family.
Answer:
Nuclear family

Question 6.
The family in which newly married couples stay with the family of the father of the groom is called …….
Answer:
Patriarchal family

Question 7.
A family of a mother with her children and their children is called ………
Answer:
Matriarchal family

Question 8.
What are the 3 most important social institutions of a society?
Answer:
Jati, Tribe (Gotram), Family

Question 9.
The 4-phase division of the society is called ……….
Answer:
Caste System

Question 10.
Who is the father of Indian Sociology?
a) VenierElvin
b) G. S. Ghurye
c) M.N. Srinivas
d) Periyar
Answer:
G.S. Ghurye

Question 11.
Match the following

A	B	C
Caste	Matrififcal	Fought against caste system
Herbert Risley	Social Revolution	Sanskritization
M.N. Srinivas	Matriarchal family	Patrilocal
Sri Narayana Guru	1901	Patriarchal family
Authority	Dominant Caste	Information about Caste
Dwelling place	Regional classification	More than 1000 sub-castes

Answer:

Question 12.
Explain the different levels of the meaning of ‘Jati’.
Answer:
Jati is translated as ‘caste’ in English. Caste actually comes from Portuguese. It means ‘pure breed’. Jati shows a social arrangement of people based on birth. Varna is another word that means Jati. Both these words ‘Jati’ and ‘Varna’ are often used as synonyms. But actually there are some differences between them. Varna is a Sanskrit word. It means color. The ‘Varna’ system originated during the Veda period. At that time the people were divided into four groups – Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaisya, and Sudra. This 4-class division is called Varna, in these 4 groups, a good number of people were not included.

They were excluded from the 4-Varna system. They included those ostracised from the Jati, foreigners, slaves and the people of the defeated nations. These people who were excluded from the 4-Varna system were called ‘Panchamar’ or ‘the fifth group’. Jati is a common name to indicate a group. In this, even inanimate things, plants, animals and persons were included. Thus Jati is simply an institution and S does not mean Varna.

Question 13.
Explain the relation between Jati and Varna.
Answer:
In fact, the actual relation between Jati and Varna is often debated by scholars. There are many imaginary concepts about this. Varna system is an all-India system. The 4-Varna system can be seen everywhere in India. But Jati is a regional or local institution. A Jati found in one area of India may not be found in another area. The Jati chain is different in each area. The main difference between Jati and Varna is in the number. Vamas are 4. But there are hundreds of Jatis and Updates. The Jati system is highly complicated.

Question 14.
What are the main features of Jati?
Answer:

• Jati is decided by birth.
• Marriage in the same group (Swagana Vivaham).
• Restrictions in food items and sharing of food.
• Hierarchical system by giving people high, low and middle status.
• Upajatis and upa-upajatis
• Kulathozhil (specified family jobs)

Question 15.
What re the contributions of Jyoti Rao Phule?
Answer:
Jyoti Rao Phule was later known as Mahatma Phule. He started a Social Reformation Movement in Maharashtra.

• He gave leadership to a fight against Brahmin domination and Jati system.
• He worked for the education of the lower castes and women.
• He rejected the idea of ‘purity-pollution’ (suddha- asuddha) concepts.
• He worked for righteousness and human rights of the lower castes.
• • He found the Satyajodhak Samaj.

Question 16.
Jati system is a combination of two kinds of principles. Explain.
Answer:
Theoretically, Jati system is a combination of two kinds of principles. One kind is based on differences and distance. The other kind is based on universality and power hierarchy (chain).
Each Jati is supposed to be different from others. Therefore each Jati was expected to keep away from other Jatis. Most of the rules and regulations of Jati are formulated on the principle of preventing the mingling of Jatis. Thus there were restrictions regarding marriage and ‘panthibhojanam’ (eating together).

At the same time a Jati can’t survive by itself. It can survive only as part of larger community. And this is its universality. The community (society) as a whole is not based on any principle of equality. There is a hierarchical order there. It is like a ladder. In this ladder each Jati is given its place.
Jati is a combination of two kinds of concepts:
a) Differences and distance from other Jatis.
b) Part of a larger community and part of a power hierarchy.

Question 17.
Explain the purity-pollution (Suddha-Asuddha) concept of Jati system.
Answer:
Purity and Pollution are like antonyms, opposite to each other. Purity is associated with the higher classes whereas impurity or pollution is associated with the lower classes. Purity is related to those things which are considered sacred. Thus some rituals in temples can be performed by only the Upper Castes like Brahmins. But those who do lowertypes of jobs, like cleaning, sweeping, etc. are considered impure and even their touch was avoided polluting (untouchability) by the Upper Classes.

Question 18.
What changes did Colonialism bring in the Jati system?
Answer:
Scholars say1 that colonialism brought drastic changes in the Jati system. There are some scholars who even argue the Jati-system as we see it today is not part of the Indian system, but is a creation of colonialism. However, these systems were not deliberately introduced but happened over centuries, it is true that the colonialists did make some changes in the existing system.

Question 19.
Who is Periyar? What were his contributions?
Answer:
E . V. Ramaswami Naicker is called Periyar. He was a rationalist and a leader of the lower caste people of South India. He taught that all people are equal and freedom and equality were the birthrights of everyone. He formed the ‘Swabhiman Movement.’ He took part in the Vaikom Satyagraha, in Kerala.

Question 20.
What were the reforms made for the prosperity of the lower castes by the Colonial rulers?
Answer:
Towards the end of their rule, the Colonial Masters took some interest in bringing prosperity to the so called lower classes of people. As part of the reform activities, in 1935, the Government prepared a schedule of the lower classes. This schedule was officially approved by a law. Those that were approved in the schedule were known as Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and they got special considerations from the Government.

All the lower class people who even suffered from the inhuman, horrible ‘untouchability’ were in the schedule. This way the Colonial rulers brought some good changes in the rigid caste system in India.

Question 21.
What were the factors that brought changes in the Indian Jati System after independence?
Answer:
Changes in the Jati System were brought by different factors working together. They included industrialization, urbanization and spread of modem education.
Developmental activities by the nation and the growth of private industries brought economic changes. This indirectly affected Jati system. Modern industries created a lot of new employment opportunities. The Jati laws did not apply to those jobs. When people of different castes began go work together in factories and business enterprises, many of Jati restrictions became impractical and irrelevant.

Urbanization made life according to Jati laws impossible. People of different Jatis had to live together in cities. It was not practical to live in the city following Jati system. There people had to live together.

Question 22.
Codify the ideas of Sree Narayana Guru.
Answer:

• He propagated the principle of universal brotherhood.
• He fought against the Varna system and dominance by the Upper Class.
• He tried to wipe away the evil practices among the Ezhavas.
• He formed the SNDPYogam.
• He brought a silent revolution in the Kerala Society. He spread the message of One Jati, One Religion and One God for Man.

Question 23.
What is Sanskritization?
Answer:
Sanskritization is a process by which members of the lower classes adapt the lifestyles and social conventions of the Higher classes with the intention of raising their own status in society. It is a way through which the lower class people try to enter the higher classes. They do it through imitation.

Question 24.
What is meant by dominant Caste (Prabala Jati)? What are they?
Answer:
Through the land reform measures after independence, many people got ownership of their lands. Among these new owners of land, the castes that had big numbers were called dominant castes by M.N. Srinivas. The land reforms took away the rights of many high caste estate owners to their estates. They were not making any contributions to the economic system except that they collected axes from the farmers. The lands that were confiscated from these landlords were given to people at the next lower level. The people who newly got the land rights were not farmers. They were simply managers of agriculture. They were middle-class Dalits who had a lot of members. Here are some dominant castes:
a) Yadavs of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh.
b) Vokkaligas of Karnataka.
c) Reddys and Khammans in Andhra Pradesh.
d) Marathis of Maharashtra
e) Jats of Punjab, Haryana and Western UP.
f) Patidars of Gujarat

Question 25.
What were the special features of the dominant castes?
Answer:
The special features are:

• Large number
• Land and economic power
• Political power

Question 26.
What are the permanent features of ‘Gotras’ (Tribes)?
Answer:
The permanent features of Gotras include their region, language, special physical features, and environmental habitat. The Tribals in India are scattered in many regions of the country. But in some places, there are some concentrations. Among the Tribals, some 85% live in Central India. Central India is a wide area extending to Western Gujarat and Rajasthan, Eastern West Bengal and Orissa. Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Chhatisgarh, Parts of Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh come in this vast area. Of the remaining 15%, more than 11% live in North-East States, and the remaining in different other States of India.

If we look State-wise, most of them are found in the North-East States. Except in Assam, all the North East States have Tribals which come to more than 30% of the total population. In Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram and Nagaland 60 to 95% of the people belong to Tribal groups. IntherestoflndiatheTribalpopulation is negligible. Except in Orissa and Madhya Pradesh, the Tribals are less than 12% of the population. Hills, forests, village plains and even some industrial ‘ belts of cities are the habitats of these Tribals.

Question 27.
Based on language, how are the Tribal groups categorized?
Answer:
Based on language, Tribal groups are categorized into 4:
a) Indo-Aryan
b) Dravidian
c) Austric
d) Tibeto-Burman
The first two, Indo-Aryan and Dravidian, are also spoken by other people of India. Among the Tribals, 1% speak Indo-Aryan and 3% speak Dravidian languages. Austric and Tibeto-Burman are the most popular languages of the Tribals.
Based on physical and racial features, the Tribals of India are divided into 5:
a) Negrito
b) Australoid
c) Mongoloid
d) Dravidian
e) Aryan.
Of these the last two – Dravidian and Aryan, are shared by other Indians also.

Question 28.
Tribal Groups are categorized based on their acquired features. Explain.
Answer:
Acquired features include the ways they earn their livelihood and their mixing with Hindu communities. Sometimes both these happen simultaneously. Based on the means of their livelihood, Tribais are grouped as fishermen, collectors of food, hunters, shifting cultivators, peasants, estate workers, and industrial workers.
Adapting Hindu ways of life is another criterion for the categorization of Tribal Groups. In Sociology, political science and public matters this criterion is more widely used.

Question 29.
Write about the mainstream views about the Tribal Groups of India.
Answer:
In 1940 there was a controversy regarding separation/ integration of the Tribal groups in India. This was the result of a feeling that Tribal Groups should themselves separately from the mainstream society. The spokesman for the Separation theory was Verrier Elwin and the spokesman for Integration was G.S. Ghurye.

The proponents of the Separation theory argued that the Tribals should be kept separate from the mainstream society. They said that these Tribals should be protected from traders, financiers, Hindu and Christian missionaries. All these people are trying to make the Tribals laborers without land and thus make them non- Tribals. The Separation Theory supporters argued that the close relation between Tribals and mainstream society would result in their ruin.

On the other hand, the Integration theory supporters argued that Tribals are part of the Hindu community. GS. Ghurye called them backward Hindus. He argued that the Tribals should be integrated into the mainstream Hindu community. They also said that since the Tribals are backward Hindus, they also should be treated like the other Scheduled Castes and given all considerations.

This argument created a lot of noise in the Indian Constitutional Assembly. People supported both sides. Finally, it was agreed that the Tribals should be integrated into the mainstream gradually. It was this approach -gradual or controlled integration – that resulted in many welfare schemes for the Tribals. There were many welfare schemes for them, provisions for them in the Five Year Plans, specific Tribal schemes, Tribal welfare blocks, multiple-aim schemes and so on. But the integration of the Tribals created a basic problem. The Five Year Plans during the Nehru Era gave prominence to Industrial and agricultural development. Later government followed the same policy The stress was given to the construction of huge dams and factories and exploiting mineral wealth for the development of country.

Question 30.
What are the problems faced by the Tribals?
Answer:
Tribals depended on the forest for their livelihood. The loss of forests was a big blow to them. During the British rule forests were exploited. This tendency continued even after independence. The coming of the land under private ownership also adversely affected the Tribals. When private landowners had their own private lands, the Tribals held their land collectively. This collective ownership proved harmful to them. For example, when a series of dams were constructed on Narmada River, ail the communities did not equally share their advantages and disadvantages. It helped the private landowners but it was harmful to the Tribals, who owned the land collectively.

Many of the regions where* Tribals are concentrated are becoming the targets, and thus victims, of national development schemes. Non-Tribals migrate into their areas in large numbers. It proves a great threat to ihe Tribals and their ways of life. It also reduces their population. For example, in Jharkhand, because of the migration by non-tribals into the new industrial areas, the number of Tribals has been reduced drastically there. But the most dramatic development was in North-Easter States. In States like Tripura, the Tribal population has come down to half in just one decade. The same thing was seen in Arunachal Pradesh. ,

Question 31.
What are the reasons for the rise of Tribal Movements?
Answer:
There are mainly two reasons. One of them is the problem related to the control of land, forests and such other important economic resources. The second problem in connected with the racial-cultural being of the Tribals.

Question 32.
What are the special features of the internal structure of the family?
Answer:
The following are the features:

• A family can be nuclear or joint.
• It can be patriarchal or matriarchal.
• The hereditary rights can be paternal or maternal.

Question 33.
What are the differences between a nuclear family and an extended family?
Answer:
Nuclear family is the smallest. It is also called the primary family. In a nuclear family, there are the parents and their children. It consists of members belonging to two generations.
An Extended family is quite different. It is commonly known as joint family. There are different types of extended families. In an extended family, more than one couple and their children live. This can be a group of brothers and their families. It could be the family of an old couple whose children and grandchildren stay with them. An extended family is often seen as a sign of India. But that was never a strong-knit family. It was limited to some regions and some communities. An extended family is not a strong form even now.

Question 34.
What are the other forms of families?
Answer:
In the different communities of India, different forms of families are found. These differences occur because of the factors like residence, authority, and heredity. Depending on the residence (dwelling), families are of two kinds: paternal and maternal. When the newly married couple stays with the parents of the bride, we call it maternal family. On the other hand, when the newly married couple lives with the parents of the groom, it will be called paternal family.

Depending on hereditary rights there are two kinds of families-matriarchal and patriarchal. In matriarchal families, properties go to the daughters of the mother. In patriarchal families, the property goes to the sons.

Question 35.
How can we divide the family based on authority?
Answer:
Here also we divide the families into patriarchal and matriarchal. In patriarchal families the men wield authority. The father is the leader. In matriarchal families, women wield the authority. The mother is the leader here.

You can Download Bhakti-Sufi Traditions Questions and Answers, Notes, Plus Two History Chapter Wise Questions and Answers Kerala Chapter 6 help you to revise complete Syllabus and score more marks in your examinations.

Kerala Plus Two History Chapter Wise Questions and Answers Chapter 6 Bhakti-Sufi Traditions (Changes in Religious Beliefs and Devotional Texts)

Question 1.
The propagator of the Great and Little (Brahat-Laghu) tradition:
Answer:
Robert Redfield

Question 2.
Jagannath is the form of which god?
Answer:
Vishnu

Question 3.
The Collection of Saiva hymns by Appar, Sambandhar andSundarar:
Answer:
Thevaram

Question 4.
The book known as Tamil Veda:
Answer:
Nalayira Prabandham

Question 5.
The founder of the Virasaiva Movement?

Question 6.
Under whose leadership did the Arabs attack Sindh?
Answer:
Mohammed Qasim

Question 7.
The common name given to the emigrants in the Middle Ages.
Answer:
Mlechans (the ignorant)

Question 8.
The Founder of Chishti Silsila.
Answer:
Khajamuiddin Chishti

Question 9.
The place where Khawjamuiddin’s tomb is located?
Answer:
Ajmer

Question 10.
What are Lorinamas?
Answer:
Lullabies

Question 11.
Who is the author of the hymns called ‘Shabab’?
Answer:
Guru Nanak

Question 12.
Who authored the Adi Grantha Sahib?
Answer:
Guru Aijun Singh

Question 13.
What are the different forms of piety?
Answer:

1. Regular worship in the temples.
2. Adoration in wild joy.
3. Recitation of hymns and prayers.

Question 14.
Match the items in Column A with those in Column B.

A	B
a) Azhvars	Persia
b) Ulamas	Devotees of Vishnu
c) Parashika	Sufism
d) Thasavuf	Islamic scholars

Answer:

A	B
a) Azhvars	Devotees of Vishnu
b) Ulamas	Islamic scholars
c) Parashika	Persia
d) Thasavuf	Sufism

Question 15.
Match the following.

A	B
a) Zimmi	Chain
b) Silsila	Protection
c) Ziyarat	Pilgrimage
d) Rub	Paramatma

Answer:

A	B
a) Zimmi	Protection
b) Silsila	Chain
c) Ziyarat	Pilgrimage
d) Rub	Paramatma

Question 16.
What is tantrikaradhana? Give two of its special features.
Answer:
Tantrikaradhana is connected with the adoration of Devis (goddesses). Rituals of this kind were in existence in many parts of the subcontinent. Both men and women could participate in them. When these traditions were carried out, differences of Jati and Varna were ignored. In other words, there was no discrimination of gender, Varna or Jati in Tantrikaradhana. The Tantric ideas greatly influenced Saivism and Buddhism.

The followers of Tantric rituals ignored the authority of the Vedas. They tried to uphold their favourite God – Vishnu or Siva. They were in conflict with the principles of Buddhism and Jainism.

Question 17.
How did the pilgrimage centres develop from the travels of Azhvars and Nayanars?
Answer:
During the travels of Azhvars and Nayanars, they recognized certain holy spots as the abodes of their favourite gods. In these places, they built huge temples. These temples later became pilgrimage centres. The recitation of the hymns written by pious poets and worshiping the idols of favourite gods became part of the rituals followed in these temples.

Question 18.
The Chola Kings encouraged Brahmin-Piety traditions. Explain with examples.
Answer:
From the 9^th century to the 13 century, some powerful Chola Kings ruled the country. They supported the Brahmin-Piety traditions. They made land-gifts. They built Vishnu arid Siva temples. It was they who built some of the most imposing Siva temples at Chidambaram, Thanjavur and Gangaikonda Cholapuram. Some very beautiful bronze idols of Siva were also made at this period.

It was the Nayanars who gave encouragement to the sculptors. The Chola Kings encouraged the Nayanars and Azhvars. There were some economic motives behind this. It was the Vellalar farmers who made the economic base for the Chola rule. Naturally, the rulers wanted the support of the Vellalar farmers, who respected Azhvars and Nayanars. That is why the Chola Kings gave their full support to the Azhvars and Nayanars.

Chola kings often claimed divine support. They tried to proclaim their glory by building huge and beautiful temples. These temples were adorned with idols made of stone and metals. The tried to translate the dreams of the popular poets of the hymns into reality. The Kings also encouraged recitations of the Saiva hymns in Tamil in their temples.

They also took the initiative to collect these hymns and make it into a book form (Thevaram). The Chola King named Paranthakan I, got the metallic idols of Appar, Sanbandhar and Sundarar made and they were placed in a Siva Temple. An inscription dated 945 shows this. During festivals, the idols were carried in processions.

Question 19.
Who were Virasaivas? What is the relation of Basavanna with this Movement?
Answer:
In the 12^th century, a new pious movement came up in Karnataka. A Brahmin named Basavanna (1106-1168) was the leader of this movement. Virashaiva Movement is also called Lingayat. In the beginning, Basavanna was a believer of Jainism. He had also served as a minister under King Bijala of Chalukya. Because of serious differences of opinion, Basavanna decided to quit Jainism and with his son-in-law, he formed the Virashaiva Movement. His followers were called Virasaivas or Lingayats.

Question 20.
Point out the religious faiths of the Lingayats and show their importance.
Answer:
Lingayats became an important religious group. They worship Siva in his manifestation as linga, They wore around their left shoulder small linga tied on a cord. The linga was kept in a small silver casket. They also venerated Jangama, the wandering Shaivite monks. Lingayats believe that when they die they will get absorbed in Siva and they will not come back to this world. Therefore they do not cremate their bodies. They bury their dead with elaborate rituals. Lingayats challenged the Caste system.

They also objected to the concept of ‘pollution’(untouchability) and rebirth. Because of these views, they got a lot of followers from the marginalized sects. They encouraged adult marriage and widow re-marriage, which were against the teachings of Dharmasastra. They also rejected fasting, sumptuous meals, pilgrimage and sacrifices or yagas.

Question 21.
What is meant by Zimmi? Explain.
Answer:
Zimmi comes from the Arab word zimma. It means protection. The non-Muslims who lived under Muslim rule were called Zimmis. They had to pay a special tax known as ‘Jizya’.

Question 22.
What are the Five Pillars of Islam?
Answer:
All the people who accept Islam have to acknowledge the Five Pillars of Islam. They are:

1. There is no God except Allah and Mohammed is his Prophet (Shahada).
2. Pray five times a day (Namaz/Salat)
3. Zakat (Almsgiving)
4. Fasting during the month of Ramzan -e) Hajj (Pilgrimage to Mecca)

Question 23.
Dinashrams were centres of social life. Justify this statement.
Answer:
By the 11^th century, Sufism became an Organized Movement with Quranic Literature and rituals of its own. Sufis began to assemble around centres called Dinashrams. Sufis and their disciples lived in these ashrams. They also became centres for Sufi spiritualism and activities.

Dinashrams were under a teacher called Shaikh, Pir orMurshid. He enrolled members into the Dinashram. The disciples were known as Murids. The relation between the teacher the disciple was a special feature of Sufism. Each Pir nominated his successor. The Pir also formulated the spiritual activities of the inmates, the relation between the teacher and the disciples, and the relation between the teacher and the common people and such things.

Question 24.
Write a note about the regional traditions in the construction of mosques.
Answer:
The blending of the global creed of the Muslims and the regional traditions was best seen in the Vastu (construction principles) of the mosques. Some of the Vastu of the mosque are universal. They turn towards Mecca (West), the Mihrab (the semicircular niche in the wall of a mosque) showing where Mecca is, and the Minbar (pulpit – from where the sermons are made).

But there are regional differences. There are variations in the top parts of the building and the materials used for the construction. For example, the Atia Mosque (1609) in Bangladesh is made of bricks. The mosque in Srinagar in Kashmir is built with timber. It was built in 1935.

Question 25.
What is Sufism? What are its salient features?
Answer:
It is a mystic movement that developed within Islam. It is a reformation movement. In the early centuries of Islam, a group of people known as Sufis founded this group. They got their inspiration from the Koran and also from the life of Prophet Mohammed. The Khalifa rule was facing ruin at this time. The greed it showed to worldly life and luxury, made many people dislike it. They turned to mysticism and asceticism. They came to be known as Sufis.

Question 26.
Describe the structure and activities of the Dinashrams.
Answer:
By the 11^th century, Sufism became an Organized Movement with Quranic Literature and rituals of its own. Sufis began to assemble around centres called Dinashrams. Sufis and their disciples lived in these ashrams. They also became centres for Sufi spiritualism and activities.

Dinashrams were under a teacher called Shaikh, Pir orMurshid. He enrolled members into the Dinashram. The disciples were known as Murids. The relation between the teacher the disciple was a special feature of Sufism. Each Pir nominated his successor. The Pir also formulated the spiritual activities of the inmates, the relation between the teacher and the disciples, and the relation between the teacher and the common people and such things.

Question 27.
Write about two Sufi Silsilas that became popular in India.
Answer:
Most Sufi groups are known by the names of their founders. The Khadiri group is known in the name of Shaikh Abdul Khadir Jilani. But the Chishti groups are known by the place where it originated. Chishti is a town in Central Afghanistan.

Question 28.
There were among the Sufis who followed the Islamic laws and those who breached them. By what names are they known?
Answer:
They are known by different names like Qalandars, Madaris, Malanga and Haidari’s.

Question 29.
In the worship of Chishtis, evaluate the importance of Ziyarat and Khavali.
Answer:
In the worship of Chishtis, Ziyarat and Khavali were important. Pilgrimage to the tombs of Sufi Ascetics is called Ziyarat. All over the Muslim world, this is practised. Ziyarat is an opportunity to get spiritual blessings. For the last 7 centuries, people from different faiths and classes have been showing their respect to five famous Chishti ascetics. The most important of them is Garib Nawaz (one who offers solace to the poor) of Khwaja Muinuddin. There are some reasons why this became so famous:

1. The simple life of Khwaja Muinuddin, the greatness of his disciples and the encouragement given by royal visitors.
2. The first Sultan to visit the tomb was Muhammed bin Tughluq (1324-51). But the memorial here was built with the funds given by the Sultan of Malwa, Giyasuddin Khilji, at the end of the 15^th century.
3. This tomb is located along the trade route connecting Delhi and Gujarat. Therefore it attracted many travellers.

By the 16^th century, this tomb became very famous. Even Akbar was impressed by the zealous hymns sung by the pilgrims. He visited this place 14 times to seek blessings for his military operations, to keep his pledges, and to have children. After each visit he gave expensive gifts, it is recorded in the royal documents. In 1568, he donated a huge cauldron to make cooking easy so that food could be given to the pilgrims. He also built a mosque on the premises of the tomb. Music and dance were part of Ziyarat. There were mystical hymns. These were sung by specially trained musicians called Khawals. Their music was capable of giving some kind of spiritual bliss.

Question 30.
In the relations between Chishtis and the nation, there were cordiality and also confrontations. Do you agree? Justify.
Answer:
An important feature of the Chishti tradition is asceticism. Chishtis kept away from worldly powers. But they did not keep themselves completely away from political power. They used to get donations and alms from the rulers and also from rich nobles. The Sultans gave Dinashrams tax-free land (Inam). For – these they established trusts.

The kings wanted the support of the Sufis to make their rule legal. When the Turks established the Delhi Sultanate, the Ulamas wanted to make Sharia the country’s law, but the rulers did not agree to this. Since most of their subjects were non-Muslims, they knew that the imposition of Sharia would provoke them into making protests. In this situation, they wanted to pretend that they received their authority directly from God. For this they needed the support of the Sufi leaders, it was believed that the Awliya, the Sufi leader, could talk with God to improve the material and spiritual condition of the people. That is why many kings wanted their tombs to be near Dinashrams and the Sufi Pilgrim centres.

In short, Sufis maintained good relations with the rulers and received material help from them. The kings tried to make use of the popularity and spiritual power of the Sufis. But there were occasions when the Kings and Sufis got Into conflicts. Both tried to show their position to be superior. Both wanted people to prostrate before them and kiss their feet. When a Sufi Shaikh was addressed high titles were used. The followers of Nizamuddin Awlia addressed him as Sultan-ul-mashaik- the Sultan of Shaikhs. In such shows of power, there were a confrontation between the Sultans and the Sufis.

Question 31.
Who were the two poets that visited Nizamuddin Awlia?
Answer:
Amir Hasan Sijzi and Amir K.huzro

Question 32.
What are Maznavis?
Answer:
Some Sufis considered love for humanity as a symbol for showing love to God. They wrote long poems on this symbol. Such poems are called Maznavis.

Question 33.
Who formed the basis for the Khalsa Panth? What are its 5 symbols?
Answer:
Guru Govind Singh formulated the basis for the Khalsa Panth. The members were supposed to carry 5 symbols with them, they are Kesh (long hair), Kangha (comb), Kara (a metal bracelet), Kachera (cotton under-garments) and Kripan (a curved sword). Together, they are the 5 Ks.

Question 34.
Who was Mirabai? Evaluate her contributions.
Answer:
Mirabai did not have any group of followers or organizations. But she continued to be a source of inspiration for many for centuries. She had composed many Bhajanas. They were all hymns addressed to Bhagwan Krishna. Their hymns I are still used by both men and women, especially those belonging to the lower classes. They are more popular in Rajasthan and Gujarat.

Question 35.
Bhakti-Sufi thinkers used different languages to propagate their views. Explain.
Answer:
There are many sources that help us to recreate. Bhakti-Sufi Traditions. Ancient philosophical sources, Book traditions, New Writings, Hagiographies, etc. are some of them. In the new sources, mostly we have the compositions of ascetic poets. Most of them came out as oral tradition in the languages spoken by people. They were musical. They were collected after the death of their authors by their disciples or fans.

The leaders of the Bhakti Movements were Azhvars and Nayanars. Azhvars worshipped Vishnu. Nayanars adored Siva. Literature Books talk about 12 Azhvars and 63 Nayanars. They composed their hymns mostly in Tamil and a few in Telugu.

Chishtis also used the regional languages for communication and composition of their hymns. Those who were connected with the Chishti Silsila of Delhi used Hindavi. Baba Farid wrote his hymns in the regional language. In Bijapur in Karnataka, a special type of Sufijtymns was popular. These hymns were written inDakhani, a local variety of Urdu. The Sufi teachers who lived here in the 17^th and 18^th centuries were the writers of these hymns. When grinding grain or weaving, women used to sing these. hymns.

The poems of Kabir are available in many languages and dialects. Some of them are written in ‘Sant Bhasha’. Some of his writings are called ‘Ulat Bansi’. Here ideas are put in a very complicated mariner, probably to show that understanding the ultimate reality is very difficult. Some examples if his mystic experiences are seen in ‘Blooming lotus without flowers’, Tire spreading in the sea’.

To explain the ultimate reality, Kabir used different traditions including the Islamic, Vedanta and Yoga. Using Islamic tradition, he called the Ultimate Reality as Khuda, Hasrat and Pir. From the Vedanta tradition he used words like Alak (who can) be seen), Nirakar (with no body), Brahmam, Atma etc. From the Yoga traditions he used Sabda (noise) and Sunya (Emptiness).

Among the books on God and religion, we see a big variety in language, style and presentation. The simplest writings are those of Basavanna. But the most complicated are the writings called ‘farman’ by the Mughal Emperors who wrote in highly ornamental Persian language.

Question 36.
Describe the coming of Sufism in India, the founding of theSilsiias and their activities.
Answer:
(Areas to be considered: the growth of Sufism, Dinashrams and Silsilas, Language and communication, the attitude towards the nation.) Sufism is a mystic movement that developed within Islam. It is a reformation movement. In the early centuries of Islam, a group. of people known as Sufis founded this group.

They got their inspiration from the Koran and also from the life of Prophet Mohammed. The Khalifa rule was facing ruin at this time. The greed it showed to worldly life and luxury, made many people dislike it. They turned to mysticism and asceticism. They came to be known as Sufis.

By the 11^th century, Sufism became an Organized Movement with Quranic Literature and rituals of its own. Sufis began to assemble around centres called Dinashrams. Sufis and their disciples lived in these ashrams. They also became centres for Sufi spiritualism and activities.

Dinashrams were under a teacher called Shaikh, Pir or Murshid. He enrolled members into the Dinashram. The disciples were known as Murids. The relation between the teacher the disciple was a special feature of Sufism. Each Pir nominated his successor. The Pir also formulated the spiritual activities of the inmates, the relation between the teacher and the disciples, and the relation between the teacher and the common people and such things.

Most Sufi groups are known by the names of their founders. The Khadiri group is known in the name of Shaikh Abdul Jhadir Jilani. But the Chishti groups are known by the place where it originated. Christ is a town in Central Afghanistan. There were among the Sufis who followed the Islamic laws and those who breached them. They are known by different names like Qalandars, Madaris, Malanga and Haidari’s.

Chishtis used the regional languages for communication and composition of their hymns. Those who were connected with the Chishti Silsila of Delhi used Hindavi. Baba Farid wrote his hymns in the regional language. In Bijapurin Karnataka, a special type of Sufi hymns was popular. These hymns were written in Dakhani, a local variety of Urdu. The Sufi teachers who lived here in the 17^th and 18^th centuries were the writers of these hymns. When grinding grain or weaving, women used to sing these hymns.

The poems of Kabir are available in many languages and dialects. Some of them are written in ‘Sant Bhasha’. Some of his writings are called ‘Ulat Bansi’. Here ideas are put in a very complicated manner, l probably to show that understanding the ultimate reality is very difficult. Some examples if his mystic experiences are seen in ‘Blooming lotus without flowers’, ‘fire spreading in the sea’.

You can Download Peasants, Zamindars and the State Questions and Answers, Notes, Plus Two History Chapter Wise Questions and Answers Kerala Chapter 7 help you to revise complete Syllabus and score more marks in your examinations.

Kerala Plus Two History Chapter Wise Questions and Answers Chapter 7 Peasants, Zamindars and the State (Agrarian Society and the Mughal Empire)

Question 1.
Writer of Ain-i-Akbari.
Answer:
Abul Fasal

Question 2.
What does ‘Muzarian’ mean?
Answer:
Farmers

Question 3.
The king that banned tobacco
Answer:
Jehangir

Question 4.
What does ‘mandal’ mean?
Answer:
Village head

Question 5.
What does ‘jungli’ mean?
Answer:
Forest Dwellers

Question 6.
A forest produce hat was exported to foreign countries?
Answer:
Resin from trees.

Question 7.
Private lands of zamindars.
Answer:
Milkiyat

Question 8.
Head of the revenue department during the Mughal period.
Answer:
Diwan

Question 9.
Who brought mansabdari system?
Answer:
Akbar

Question 10.
The person who translated Ain-i-Akbar.
Answer:
Henry Blockman

Question 11.
Arrange the following incidents in chronological order:
a. The First Battle of Panipat
b. The British exile Bahadur Shah II
c. Reign of Akbar
d. Nadir Shah attacks India
Answer:
a. The First Battle of Panipat
c. Reign of Akbar
d. Nadir Shah attacks India
b. The British exile Bahadur Shah II

Question 12.
What are the four names used in the Indo-Persian sources to indicate farmers?
Answer:
Raiyat, Muzarian, Khud Kashta and Pahi Kashta.

Question 13.
Who are Khud Kashta and Pahi Kashta? What are their differences?
Answer:
Khud Kashta had their own farmlands in the village. They stayed there permanently and did agricultural work. In short, they are permanent dwellers in the village.
Pahi Kashta did not have lands of their own. They did agricultural work on a contract basis. They did not do agricultural work permanently or stay permanently in the village.

Question 14.
Mention the 4 things that helped agricultural growth in the Mughal period.
Answer:

1. Limitless land
2. Availability of plenty of labourers
3. Mobility of the farmers
4. Irrigation facilities

Question 15.
Name two crops that were related to the seasons.
Answer:
Agriculture was done in two seasons – Spring and Autumn. The Spring crops were called Kharif and the Autumn crops were called Rabi.

Question 16
Mention the two important responsibilities the Mandal (Head of the Village) had. Were the Mandals corrupt?
Answer:
The main responsibility of the Village Head was supervising the income and expenditure. A Patwari (accountant) helped him in this duty.
In Eastern India, all marriages were conducted in the presence of the Mandal (Village Head). In other words, he had the responsibility to observe the behaviour of people so that they did not breach the Jati laws.

Mandals often misused their powers. With the help of the Patwari, they often falsified accounts. They showed a lesser income from their property but they charged more from smaller farmers.

Question 17.
There were Jati Panchayats during the Mughal period. What were the things they did?
Answer:
Apart from the Village Panchayat, each Jati had its own ‘Jati Panchayat’. They had considerable authority in the village community. They had the following responsibilities.

• In Rajasthan, they settled civil differences among the members.
• They worked as mediators in land disputes.
• They judged if marriages were conducted as per Jati laws.
• They decided the protocol to be followed at village functions.
• Except in criminal cases, the decisions of the Jati Panchayats were accepted by the government.

Question 18.
What is meant by ‘jins-i-kamil’? Why did the Mughal rulers encourage it?
Answer:
It means perfect crops. It referred to cash crops. Since they brought income to the country, Mughal rulers encouraged farmers of cash crops. The most important jins-i-kamil were cotton and sugar cane. Cotton was cultivated in Central. India and the highlands of Deccan. Bengal was famous for sugar cane. Pulses and oil.seeds like mustard also were considered cash crops. It shows there was mixture of food crops and cash crops in the country.

Question 19.
Going away from the village (Abandoning) was a way of protest in the Mughal period. Explain
Answer:
Often farmers of the Lower castes complained against officials of the government and zamindars. The decision of the Panchayats would depend on the type of case. Where the case was related to excessive tax, Panchayat often suggested some kind of reconciliation between the parties. If the settlement did not come, farmers often protested. Sometimes they went away, abandoning the village. Land lying without cultivation was available everywhere. Moreover, labourers were in great demand. In the circumstances, leaving the village was a good way of protest by farmers.

Question 20.
The agriculturists of the Mughal period were also artisans. Comment.
Answer:
In a village community, it was not easy to distinguish between agriculturists and artisans. People often worked as both. Even agriculturists and their families dyed clothes did embroidery, made earthenwares, made agricultural implements and repaired them. The leisure period between the stages of agriculture – the period between sowing and weeding, between weeding and harvesting, etc. – was used for manufacturing small useful items.

Question 21.
What is Jajmani system? What are its main features?
Answer:
The artisans received their remuneration in different ways. Jajmani was an Indian system of interaction between upper castes and lower castes. It was an economic system where lower castes performed various functions for upper castes and received grain in return. In the Jajmani system, the artisans and owners of the land discuss things and come to an agreement regarding payment. For example, the zamindars in Bengal paid the ironsmiths, carpenters and goldsmiths some money and the remaining in grains.

Question 22.
The activities of the forest dwellers for their livelihood were connected with the seasons. Do you agree with this statement? Do these activities are connected with their mobility?
Answer:
The forest dwellers who earned their living by collecting forest produce, hunting and rotating cultivation were called jungli. All these activities were based on seasons. For example, the Bhills in Uttar Pradesh collected forest produce during Spring. They did fishing in Summer, agriculture in the rainy season and hunting in Autumn. Naturally, they could not – continue living in the same place for long. They moved from place to place to carry on with their various activities. Mobility was an important factor for the Junglis.

Question 23.
Describe two reasons which brought the Zamindars high status.
Answer:
The first reason is Jati. All the Zamindars belonged to the higher caste. The second reason is the services (khidmat) they rendered to the country.

Question 24.
The weaker sections of the society had some ways to acquire the status of Zamindars. What were they?
Answer:
The Zamindars got united in different ways. These include the colonization of new lands, the exchange of land rights, older of the government, and the purchase of the land. Using some of these ways the lower class people could rise to the status of Zamindars. Zamindaris (lands of the zamindai) were often bought and sold.

Question 25.
Although Zamindars were generally exploiters, their relations with the agriculturists were those of mutuality, paternal affection and patronage. Examine the truth of this statement.
Answer:
There is no doubt that the Zamindars were an exploitative tribe. They exploited peasants in different ways. But their relations with the agriculturists were often those of mutuality, paternal affection and patronage. Two things prove this.

• Firstly, we see that the Bhakti ascetics did not show Zamindars as exploitators of persecutors. These ascetics had strongly criticised the discriminatory measures on Jati basis and the tortures and other repressive measures used against the lower classes by the upper classes. They criticized the revenue officials but not the Zamindars. It shows the relation between Zamindars and farmers was good.
• Secondly, in the 17^th century, there were a number of agricultural uprising in North India. Most of them were against the state and not against Zamindars. Sometimes Zamindars got the support of the peasants when they protested against the state.

Question 26.
What do the words ‘Jama’ and ‘Hasil’ show?
Answer:
The first step in the land revenue system is the determination of the amount of tax to be given by the farmer. This amount is called Jama. The collection of the tax is the second stage. Hie amount collected is known as ‘Hasil’.

Question 27.
When was the writing of “Akbar-nama” by Abut Fasal completed? How many books are there? Explain.
Answer:
In 1598, the 42nd year of Akbar’s reign, Akbar-nama v was completed. Ain-i-Akbari is part of the Akbarmama.
Akbarnama has three books; The first two books art historical writing. The first book deals with the Mughal history before Akbar. The second book deals with the rule of Akbar until 1602. Ain-i-Akbari is planned as a collection of royal laws, and a description of the geography of the empire.

Question 28.
How did the coming of external powers influence village life?
Answer:
External powers came into village life. The most important of them was the Mughal power The majority of the income of the Mughal ruler came from agricultural products. Therefore, the agents of the government tried to control the village community. These officials included tax assessors, tax collectors and keepers of records. They made sure that work was going on regularly and taxes were received.

• Village communities were connected with urban centres.
• Farmers produced a lot of things for the market Naturally trade, money and markets came into the village and thus connected them with the cities.

Question 29.
Describe the agricultural technologies and irrigation methods used during the Mughal period.
Answer:
The government gave all kinds of support to farmers for irrigation projects. The government took the responsibility of making canals (Nahr and nala) in North India. Old canals were repaired. It was during Shah Jahan’s reign that the Shahnahar Canal in Punjab was repaired. For irrigation, even well-water was used Water Was drawn from wells using wheel and bullocks. Babar describes the various methods used in irrigating the land in his memoir ‘Babar-nama’. He points out that people used Persian wheel, bucket and rope to get water from the well.

Agriculture depended on the efforts of people, they also used animal power. There were wooden ploughs in use. Using iron ploughshares on wooden ploughs made it easy to make furrows. But the furrows would not be deep dry grounds. There they used drills They spattered the seed by hand – They, also used an iron blade for digging and weeding.

Question 30.
What is Mansabdari system?
Answer:
This was a special feature of the Mughal rule. It was Akbar who put it into operation, It is a system which joined the civil and military positions. Mansab means status or position. The official who got the position of. mansab is called mansabdar. Akbar gave all officials this status. These officials were to keep a certain number of cavalrymen under them. ThusAkbarwas able to combine civil and military duties in an official. Some mansabdars were given money as their salary. But many were assigned lands in place of money. These lands were called jagirs. From these jagirs, the mansabdars could collect taxes equal to the amount of their salary. Mansabdars were frequently transferred.

Question 31.
Assess the role of women in agricultural production.
Answer:
In the agricultural community of the Middle Ages, women played an important role. They worked alongside men in the fields. When men ploughed the land and made furrows, women sowed seeds. Later they weeded, harvested and separated the chaff from the grain.

• In the Middle Ages, in agricultural communities, all human efforts and resources were used for production. Naturally, there was no gender discrimination here.
• Even then women were given some special considerations because of their childbearing nature. In Western India, women who were having their periods were not allowed to touch the plough or the potter’s wheel. In Bengal, menstruating women were not allowed into the betel leaf farms.
• Things, like spinning, making the clay ready for pot making, stitching etc., were mainly done by women. With the commercialization of products, the role of women began to increase. Women worked not only in their homes and fields but also in the households of their employers. Sometimes they even went to the market for selling things.

Question 32.
Land tax was very important in the economic system of the Mughals. Justify the relevance in this statement.
Answer:
The basis of Mughal economy was land. Land tax was the main source of the government’s income. Because of that to ensure that taxes came in, the government appointed a number of officials to assess the land tax and to collect it. The head of the revenue department (Daftar) was Diwan. He supervised the economic system of the Empire. To help the Diwan there was an Amil-Guzar (Revenue Collector) and many other officials. These officials went around the villages to ensure that taxes came to the Treasury. They became a Strong power in formulating agricultural relationships with the government.

Before fixing the tax, the state collected all the information regarding the agricultural lands and their products. There were two stages in the tax system of the Mughals: Fixing Tax and its actual collection. The first step in the land revenue system is the determination of the amount of tax to be given by the farmer. This amount is called Jama. The collection of the tax is the second stage. The amount collected is known as ‘Hasil’.

Farmers could pay their tax in cash or in goods. The government preferred cash. The government had tried to raise the tax to the maximum. But often it could not collect the fixed tax. Regional circumstances often prevented the government from collecting the entire tax.

Question 33.
Write an essay assessing the position women had in the agricultural sector and in society during the Mughal period.
Answer:
In different communities, men and women played some special roles in the field of production. In the agricultural community Of the Middle Ages, women played an important role. They worked alongside men in the fields. When the men ploughed the land and made furrows, the women sowed the seeds. Later they weeded, harvested and separated the chaff from the grain.

In the Middle Ages, in agricultural communities, all human efforts and resources were used for production. Naturally, there was no gender discrimination here.

Even then women were given some special considerations because of their nature. In Western India, women who were having their periods were not allowed to touch the plough or the potter’s wheel. In Bengal, menstruating women were not allowed into the betel leaf, farms.

Things, like spinning, making the clay ready for pot making, stitching etc., were mainly done by women. With the commercialization of products, the role of women began to increase. Women worked not only in their homes and fields but also in the households of their employers. Sometimes they even went to the market for selling things.

Village communities depended on work for their livelihood. There was a need for more hands to work in the fields. As persons who brought forth children, women were seen as an important group. But the death rate among women was high. Lack of nutrition, regular childbirth, death during delivery, etc. were the reasons for their higher death rate. As a result, there was a considerable reduction in the number of married women. In the agricultural and artisan communities, this caused the rise of some special social customs. These customs were different from those practised by the upper classes. In some communities, instead of getting a dowry, men started giving bride-price. Laws also permitted remarriage of widows and divorced women.

Women had this importance of being the sources of producing children. Society was worried if their importance would make society lose control over them. By the established social laws, man was the head of the family. The male members of the family and the community imposed strict laws on women. Women who were suspected of cheating were severely punished.

Women could complain to the Panchayat against the misbehaviour of their husbands. From the documents received from Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra, we can see complaints of women sent to the Grama Panchayats seeking justice. Women protested against their men’s cheating (marital infidelity). They also complained against the negligence of their husbands towards their wives and children. Infidelity of men was not often punished. But the state and the higher communities tried to bring comfort to their families. Generally, names of the complaining women were not written in the Panchayat records. Instead, the complainant was referred to as the mother of a certain person, his sister or his wife.

The condition of the wives of the landowners was much better. They had the right to get ancestral property. In Punjab, women, including widows, were actively involved in the market to sell the properties they received as heritage. Hindu and Muslim women got zamindaris as hereditary property. They had the freedom to sell them or mortgage them. In the 18^th century, there were a number of known zamindaris in the name of women in Bengal. One of the biggest and most famous zamindaris, Rajshahi, was in the control of a woman.

You can Download Kings and Chronicles: The Mughal Courts Questions and Answers, Notes, Plus Two History Chapter Wise Questions and Answers Kerala Chapter 8 help you to revise complete Syllabus and score more marks in your examinations.

Kerala Plus Two History Chapter Wise Questions and Answers Chapter 8 Kings and Chronicles: The Mughal Courts

Question 1.
The founder of the Mughal Empire?
Answer:
Babur

Question 2.
The last ruler of the Mughal Empire?
Answer:
Bahadur Shah Safar

Question 3.
The administrative language of the Mughal Empire?
Answer:
Persian

Question 4.
The language that came from a mixture of Persian and Hindavi?
Answer:
Urdu

Question 5.
Those who opposed the Mughal art and painting?
Answer:
Ulamas

Question 6.
The author of Badshahnama?
Answer:
Abdul Hamid Lahori

Question 7.
The ruler who reintroduced Jizya?
Answer:
Aurangzeb

Question 8.
The first capital of the Mughals?
Answer:
Agra

Question 9.
The ruler who brought ‘jarokha darshan’ (public audience)?
Answer:
Akbar

Question 10.
Finance Minister (Head of Revenue Department) in the Mughal rule was called?
Answer:
Diwan-i-ala.

Question 11.
Which Mughal ruler is connected with the 1st Battle of Panipat?
Answer:
Babur

Question 12.
What are Chronicles?
Answer:
As per the instructions from the Mughal Emperors, the palace historians kept a diary of the important happenings in the country. These are the Chronicles. They talk about the achievements of the Mughal rulers. They also give chronologically important events. Chronicles are an important source to study about the Mughal Capital and Mughal Empire.

Question 13.
Why was Akbar especially interested in Abul Fazl?
Answer:
Abul Fazl was the writer of Akbamama. Abul was born and brought up in Agra. He was well-versed in Arabic, Persian, Greek Philosophy and Sufism. He was a scholarly debater and had independent thinking. He severely criticised the views of conservative ulamas. Akbar was attracted by these qualities of Abul Fazl and so he appointed him as his advisor and spokesman. Akbar’s intention was to release the nation from the control of orthodox ulamas. As a palace historian, Abul Fazl was able to formulate ideas related to the administration Akbar liked him very much.

Question 14.
What is special about nastaliq style of writing?
Answer:
Akbar showed great interest in writings in nastaliq script. Nastaliq script is one of the most fluid calligraphy styles for the Arabic alphabet. It has short verticals with no serifs, (serif is a.small line attached to a letter) and long horizontal strokes. It is written using a piece of trimmed reed called “qalam”(“pen” in Arabic) and carbon ink, named “davaf”.

Question 15.
Point out the information we get from the Mughal Chronicles
Answer:
Chronicles give a chronological account of incidents. The Mughal chronicles are great sources to know about Mughal history.

• They give information regarding the founding of the Mughal Empire.
• They tell us about the policies and schemes the Mughal Kings wanted to implement.
• They tell us how theories of all kinds developed and how they reached the people.

Question 16.
Point out the importance of pictures in the manuscripts of the Mughal period.
Answer:
Artists, those who made pictures, played a big role in writing the manuscripts. In the Chronicles along with descriptions of things, pictures were also included. They gave a visual picture of things. The manuscript writer left the following page blank if he felt there was a need for a picture to illustrate the matter. In these blank spaces, artists drew pictures. These pictures were small in size and so they were called ‘miniatures’.

The pictures in the manuscripts increased their beauty and utility.

They showed things in a visual manner of things that would be difficult to describe using words, they give a good picture of the country and the power of the rulers.

Question 17.
Which were the Mughal capitals in India?
Answer:
In 1707 Aurangzeb died. After his death, 13 rulers of the Mughal dynasty ruled India. They were known as Later Mughals. During their rule, the dynasty’s power began to decline. As the Central administration became weak, regional rulers started becoming more and more autonomous. The Later Mughals failed to prevent foreign attacks. Although the Mughal Empire was breaking up, the Mughal rulers tried to maintain their status and glory. They continued symbolically. In 1857, the British dethroned the last Mughal ruler Bahadur Shah Safar II. With this, the Mughal rule ended. The Mughal capitals were Agra (Babur), FatehpurSikri, Lahore (Akbar), Shajahanabad (Shah Jahari).

Question 18.
What were the aims of the Mughal rulers in getting the Chronicles written?
Answer:

• One of the aims was to let people know the policies of the state.
• Another aim. was to let the enemies of the country know that their efforts were bound to fail and they would be defeated.
• A third aim was to leave the records of the Mughal rule to future generations.

Question 19.
What does ‘zulh-e-kul’ mean? What were the steps taken by Akbar for this?
Answer:
Zulh-e-kul means complete peace. The Chronicles point out that in the Mughal Empire there were Hindus, Jains, Zorashtrians, Buddhists, Muslims, and Christians. The Emperor, Akbar, was a tolerant person and he extolled the virtues of unity, peace, and stability. He worked with all communities to ensure peace and justice. Thus zulh-e-kul was jan important feature of Akbar’s rule.

• Abul Fazl points out that it was the base of an enlightened rule.
• It helped all the religious groups to have their faith and (nodes of worship. But it did not allow the different groups to fight or jeopardise the security of the country. ,
• Akbar made special efforts to put Zulh-e-kul into practice. It was executed through state policy. He asked all the officials to follow this policy. He also introduced and social and religious reforms to facilitate zulh-e-kul.
• Akbar stopped taking religious taxes. There were taxes for taking bath in the holy places like Prayag and Banaras. Non-Muslims had to pay Jizya. All these were stopped by Akbar as they were religious taxes.

Question 20.
Who introduced jarokha darshan? What was its purpose?
Answer:
Akbar introduced this. The day of the Emperor started with prayers. Then he would appear in a balcony which faced eastward. Jharoka is this balcony. All kinds of people – soldiers, traders, artisans, agriculturists, women with sick children – waited for this darshan of the Emperor* This is called jharoka darshan. This was a way of getting the support of the people and increasing the acceptability of the government.

Question 21.
From where did the Mughals get the idea of ‘divine light’ (Divya Prakasam)?
Answer:
Mughals believed in the theory of divine kingship. They believed and propagated that their authority came directly from God. The court historians explained the legend of Queen Alanqua to propagate this divine kingship theory and divya prakasam. Alanqua was taking rest in her camp. She was conceived by the rays of the sun. Her son had bequeathed this divine right to all the future kings. Thus the Mughal king also got this divine light.

Question 22.
What does Abul Fazl say about picture painting. Was it different from the opinion of the Ulamas? Explain.
Answer:
Abul Fazl qualified picture painting as a magical art. He believed that it had the power to give life to even inanimate things.

Pictures showing the Emperor, the court, and people created constant conflicts between the rulers and the ulamas. These ulamas based their objection on the Koran and Hadith. The ulamas said that making pictures of people is against Islamic law. By making pictures, the artist is questioning the authority of God to create things. They believed that the power of creation belonged entirely to God.

Question 23.
Who was Jahanara? What were her contributions to the architectural field?
Answer:
Jahanara was the daughter of Shah Jahan. She was in charge of the gardens and buildings. Shah Jahan made a new capital known as Shahjahanabad.
Jahanara was the one who planned many of the buildings in the new capital. Here a two-storeyed inn with a fine sit-out and garden needs special mention. She was the one who planned the Chandni Chowk Bazar, the main center in Shajahanabad.

Question 24.
Describe the processes involved in preparing manuscripts.
Answer:
Many people were involved in the preparation of a manuscript. They included paper manufacturers, copywriters, guilders (beautifiers), artists (who drew pictures) and binders (those who bound the manuscripts in book form).

• Paper manufacturers prepared the sheets.
• Scribes or calligraphers copied the text. ‘
• Gilders made the pages look fine.
• Artists drew pictures.
• Binders arranged the pages and bound them neatly. The completed manuscript became a valuable thing, a thing of beauty and scholastic treasure. The beauty of the manuscripts showed that the Mughal emperors loved knowledge and beauty.

Question 25.
Akbar is considered the greatest of the Mughal rulers. Why?
Answer:
Humayun was the father of Akbar. After Humayun’s death in 1556, Akbar became the ruler. Akbar is considered the greatest Mughal ruler. Here are the reasons:

• He not only expanded his empire but also unified it. He made the empire the biggest, strongest and richest at that time.
• He succeeded in extending the boundaries of the Mughal Empire up to the Hindukush Mountain Range.
• He was able to resist the expansion schemes of the Uzbeks in Central Asia and the Safavid dynasty of Iran.

Question 26.
Who was Gulbadan Begum? What were her contributions?
Answer:
When Akbar asked Abul Fazl to write the history of his rule, he also asked his aunt Gulbadan to help. He asked her the record the memoirs of Babur and Humayun. Akbar thought that this would help Abul Fazl in his work. Gulbadan Began accepted this challenge and wrote a book titled ‘Humyun-nama’. It was the description of Humayun and his rule. It looks into the private life of the Mughals. It is not a book of praise-singing. She has written here about the fights and confrontations among the kings and princes. She has also shown how the elderly ladies of the family helped in solving such disputes.

Question 27.
Different kinds of greetings were in existence in the Mughal court. Describe them.
Answer:
Different kinds of greetings were in existence in the Mughal Court to show respect for authority. It showed the status of each one in the court.

• Deep Prostration: This was shown to those with the highest power.
• ‘Sijda’: In this a person knelt and touched his forehead on the floor.
• During Shah Jahan’s time, he first introduced ‘zaminbos’ (kissing the ground) and later ‘chartaslim’. Another greeting was kornish. Here the subject places his right palm on his forehead and bows. By bowing his head, the seat of intellect and wisdom, he is showing his respect for the authority.

Question 28.
What were the special features of the Mughal Lordship?
Answer:
The Mughal lords came from different backgrounds. Members were chosen from different religious and Class and Tribal groups. There were Mughals, Afghans, Turks, Persians, Indian Muslims and Rajputs in this assembly.

Question 29.
How did the word ‘Mughal’ originate? Is it something the Mughals themselves chose? Explain:
Answer:
Mughal comes from Mongol. Today that name reminds us of the greatness of an Empire. It was not a name that was chosen by the rulers themselves. Through their fathers, the Mughals were the successors of Timur, the ruler of Turkey. They called themselves Timurids. Through his mother, the first Mughal ruler, Babur, had relations with ChengizKhan, the ruler of Mongols. Babur spoke Turkish. He actually considered the Mongols as ‘uncivilized’.

Question 30.
Who were the writers of the Mughal Chronicles? What ware the things they stressed in their writing?
Answer:
The writers of the Mughal Chronicles were court (palace) historians. They stressed matters connected to the ruler, his family, the court, nobles and lords, wars, administrative arrangements and so on. Their – historical writings were about the Emperors. Thus. we have Akbarnama, Shah Jahannama and Alangirnama (Alangir was a title of Aurangzeb).

Question 31.
What was the administrative language of the Mughals? Why did they choose that language?
Answer:
Persian was the administrative language. People who were well-versed in it got power and status. The Emperor, his family members and the elite of the court spoke in Persian. It was used at all levels of the administration. Therefore even accountants, clerks and other officials learned it. People who came from different parts of the subcontinent also used Persian.

Question 32
Who were the successors of Akbar?
Answer:
His successors were three able rulers – Jahangir (1605-27), Shah Jahan (1628-58) and Aurangzeb (1658-1707).

Question 33.
What were the three special features of Mughal theory „ about kingship?
Answer:
a) Divine Right of Kings.
b) Zulh-e-kul.
c) Social contract.

Question 34.
Shah Jahan was very much interested in architecture.
– Evaluate this statement.
Answer:
Shah Jahan was greatly interested in architecture. He built some beautiful and imposing buildings. In 1648 he moved his capital from Agra to Shahjahanabad. He built the Red Fort, Juma Masjid, Chandni Chowk (an extensive maidan with rows of trees) to include in his new capital Shahjahanabad. The new capital was exquisite enough to show the pomp and greatness of the Mughal Empire.

Question 35.
The center of the Mughal Court was the king. Justify.
Answer:
The Chronicles show that the administration of the Empire was fully vested in the ruler. He was the supreme authority in administration, judiciary, and military. Others had to simply obey his orders.

Question 36.
When did Mughal Rulers take titles? Did they give titles to others?
Answer:
Mughal Emperors took many fancy titles. Such titles included common titles like Shahanshah (King of Kings or Rajadhiraja), and special titles like Jehangir (One who conquers the world) and Shah Jahan (King of the World). They took these titles on coming to the throne. These titles indicate that the Mughal emperors had control even beyond the boundaries of their country. Contemporary history talks about diplomatic relations and also conflicts that existed between the Mughal rulers and their neighbors. The reasons for the conflicts were regional interests.

Question 37.
Who were the inmates of the ‘Harem’ of the Mughal rulers? How many types of wives did the rulers have?
Answer:
The household of the rulers was called harem. Harem is a Persian word meaning a holy place. It included the ruler’s wives, concubines, close and distant relatives including mother, step-mothers, foster-mothers, sisters, daughters, daughters-in-law, aunts, children, maid servants, and slaves.
The mughal rulers had two types of wives – begums and aghas.

Begums came from royal families. They came with a lot of dowry (mahar) by way of things, ornaments and money. They received preferential treatment in their husband’s household. They were given greater consideration by their husbands. The other wives (aghas) were not from royal families.

Question 38.
The Mughal aristocrats were the pillars of the Empire. Do you agree?
Answer:
The Mughal aristocrats were definitely the supporting pillars of the empire, the main pillar being the ruler. They were the officials and collectively they were called the aristocrats. They were the ruling class. Considering the importance they had during the Mughal period, some historians called the Mughal rule as ‘Rule by the Aristocrats’ or, to use the official name ‘oligarchy’.

Question 39.
Do you think there was a close relationship between the aristocrats (officials) and the Mansabdari system?
Answer:
There was a close relationship between the aristocrats (officials) and the Mansabdari system. Akbar was the one who introduced the mansabdari system. He did it to organize a strong and efficient army. The civil duties of the mansabdars were combined with their military service.

• In this system each official was given the status of mansab. The person who got it was a mansabdar.
• The status of mansabdar had two aspects – zat and zawar. Zat was a private title. It showed the position of the person in the administrative chain and his salary. Zawar shows the number of cavalrymen a mansabdar had to keep under him.

Question 40.
The Mughal administration had adequate arrangement for keeping the records and exchange information. Evaluate this statement.
Answer:
The Mughal rulers gave important consideration for maintaining records. All royal orders (farman) were presented in the royal court. All applications and documents were preserved by a group of palace scribes. These scribes or writers were called ‘waqianavis’. They worked under the ‘mir bakshi’ (head of the military). The agents of the aristocrats and the regional authorities recorded all the processes of the royal court under the heading “News from the Exalted Court” or “Akbarat”.

The times and dates of the Royal Court have been recorded here. ‘Akbarat’ has all the details regarding the attendance in the Court, the assigning of jobs and titles, the diplomatic missions, the gifts received and even the enquiries the Emperor made about the health of the officials. This information is quite valuable in writing the life histories and activities of rulers and aristocrats. The Mughal postal system helped in exchanging communication. It was through the royal post that news and official documents were sent all over the country.

There were runners to carry the post and to pass information to the Emperor quickly. It is reported that there were 4000 runners in the country. They carried the papers in the form of scrolls carried in bamboo boxes. They worked all the time with hardly any rest. This postal system (by runners) helped the king to get information from faraway places in record time.

Question 41.
Describe the features of the Mughal Provincial , Administration Do you think it was easy to control the Provinces? Justify.
Answer:
The Mughal Empire was divided into many Provinces. They were called subas. Provincial Administration was a miniature model of the Central administration. In the Provinces also there were Ministers and officials to help them. The head of the provincial administration was called Subedar (Provincial Governor). He was appointed by the Emperor. The Subedar had to report directly to the Emperor.

• Each province was divided into districts, called sirkars. They were under officials called faujdars (commandants). There were plenty of footmen and gun-carrying soldiers in every district.
• The sirkars were divided into parganas (sub-districts). The officials in charge of parganas were known as qanungo, chaudhuri, and quazi. Qanungo kept the revenue records. Choudhari collected the revenues. Qazi handled judicial matters.
• Parganas were divided into villages. They were administered by gramasabhas.

Question 42.
Kandahar was a problem for the Mughal rulers. Evaluate this statement.
Answer:
Kandaharwas an important military and commercial city. This was a fort-city and there were conflicting claims about this between the Mughals and the Safavids of Iran. Initially, Kandahar was under Humayun. Two years after the death of Humayun Iran took possession of that city. In 1595 Akbar recaptured it. Although the Safavids had diplomatic ‘ relations with the Mughals, they continued to claim Kandahar. In 1613, Shah Jahan sent a diplomatic representative to the Court of Shah Abbas in Iran. The idea was to let the Mughals continue to have power over Kandahar. But the mission failed. In 1622, the Persian Army attacked Kandahar. The Mughal army was not battle-ready to defend the place. They were forced to give up Kandahar to Safavids. All efforts to recapture it later failed.

Question 43.
Describe the important considerations that influenced Mughal relations with the Ottomans.
Answer:
The main considerations were religious and economic. The Mughals wanted to ensure easy access to their traders and pilgrims in areas under Ottoman Turks. They especially wanted to ensure freedom to travel in Hijaz which was part of Ottoman Arabia. Mecca and Medina are located there. The Mughal emperors had both religious and trade interests in these places.

Question 44.
Critically examine the relations between Akbar and the Jesuits.
Answer:
Akbar was keen on knowing about Christianity. So he sent his messengers to Goa to invite Jesuit priests to the Mughal Court. In 1580, the first Jesuit group reached Fatehpur Sikri and spent nearly two years there. They talked to Akbar about Christianity. They also talked to Ulamas about the good aspects of the Christian religion.

Two more Jesuit groups were sent to India. They reached in the Lahore Mughal Court in 1591 and 1595. The Jesuits have recorded certain things from their private observations. They throw light on the character and thoughts about the Emperor. When there were public meetings, the Jesuits were given seats quite close to Akbar. He had very cordial relations with them

You can Download Through the Eyes of Travellers Questions and Answers, Notes, Plus Two History Chapter Wise Questions and Answers Kerala Chapter 5 help you to revise complete Syllabus and score more marks in your examinations.

Kerala Plus Two History Chapter Wise Questions and Answers Chapter 5 Through the Eyes of Travellers (Perceptions of Society)

Question 1.
The book of AIBiruni.
Answer:
Kitab-ul-Hind

Question 2.
Ibn Battuta’s home country.
Answer:
Morocco

Question 3.
What does Ulak mean?
Answer:
Horse Post (Mail)

Question 4.
The traveller who argued that in India there was no private land ownership.
Answer:
Bernier

Question 5.
The person who talked about Oriental Despotism:
Answer:
Montesquieu

Question 6.
The language in which Bemierwrote his book:
Answer:
English

Question 7.
The scholar who wrote Rihla and made it into book form:
Answer:
Ibn Juzayy

Question 8.
Travellers had different aims. Mention any four.
Answer:

1. Look for a  job
2. Escape from natural disaster
3. Merchants, traders, soldiers, pilgrims, priests.
4. Spirit of adventure

Question 9.
Mention the names of three travellers that visited. India between the 11^th and 17^th centuries.
Answer:

1. Al-Biruni came to India from Uzbekistan in the 11^thcentury.
2. Ibn Battuta came from Morocco in the 14^th century.
3. Francois Bemierfrom France came in the 17^th century.

Question 10.
Where did Al-Biruni live? How did he reach Gazni?
Answer:
AI-Biruni was born at Khwarisnr in Uzbekistan. Khwarism was an important centre of knowledge and so he got the best education possible. He was a linguist – a scholar in many languages. He knew Syriac, Arabic, Persian, Hebrew and Sanskrit. He was not familiar with Greek. But he had read the books of Plato and other Greek philosophers through Arabic translations.

In 1017 Sultan Mahmud Gazni attacked Khwarism. He made many people prisoners and took them to Gazni. Al-Biruni was one of them. Although he came to Gazni as a prisoner, he began to like the place. He entered the services of Mahmud Gazni and remained in Gazni until he died at the age of 70.

Question 11.
What were the two special features of Al-Biruni’s writing?
Answer:
Since he was a linguist, he was able to compare many languages and make correct translations. He translated many Sanskrit books. He translated the Sanskrit grammar book by Patanjali into Arabic. He translated the books of Euclid, the Greek Mathematician, into Sanskrit for use by his Brahmin friends.

Question 12.
Al-Biruni himself has specified the reasons behind his writing. What are they?
Answer:

1. As a help to those who wanted to discuss religious issues with Hindus.
2. As a storehouse for those who like to live with Hindus.

Question 13.
Ibn Battuta was a fearless traveller. Do you agree with this statement? Justify your answer.
Answer:
In those days travels were risky. There were robbers everywhere. Battuta himself was attacked by robbers a number of times. He gave preference to travel with his friends in a caravan. But this did not protect him from robbers. When he was going from Multan to Delhi, his caravan was attacked by robbers. Many of his co-travellers were killed. Ibn Battuta was severely wounded.

Ibn Battuta was an Enthusiastic and determined traveller: Difficulties along the way and the attacks from robbers did not stop him. Before he returned to Morocco, he travelled extensively in North Africa, West Asia, Central Asia, the Indian subcontinent, and China. It is believed that he reached even China.

Question 14.
Ai-Biruni faced some problems in understanding and writing about India. Point them out.
Answer:
Al-Biruni was conscious of the problems involved in understanding strange countries. He has mentioned three things that proved difficult:

1. The first problem was language – Sanskrit was quite different from Arabic and Persian languages. It was not easy to translate the concepts from one language into another.
2. The second problem was the differences in religions and rituals.
3. The third problem was the secluded people who were interested only in their things. They looked at foreigners with suspicion and were not willing to mingle with them freely.

Question 15.
What was the attitude of Al-Biruni to the Varna System? Give his arguments against untouchability.
Answer:
Al-Biruni accepted the Class distinctions as put forward by Brahmins. But he did not approve of the untouchability practised by them. He said that things that were impure would always try to get back their purity and succeed. For example, the sun purifies the air. The salt in sea-water prevents it from getting polluted. Without this natural purification, life would be impossible on this earth. He argued that untouchability is against natural laws.

The ideas of Al-Biruni exercised a powerful influence in the study of Sanskrit books. The rules regarding Varna System were formulated favouring the Brahmins. In real life, Varna was not so strict. For example, the antyaja (who were born outside the Varna System) were expected to work for the agriculturists and zamindars for small wages. Although they were socially suppressed, they were included in the economic activities.

Question 16.
Ibn Battuta has said that in India there was an excellent transport and communication system. Justify.
Answer:
The country had taken special measures to encourage traders. Along most trade routes, there were guest houses and inns. The postal system in India surprised Ityi Battuta. This helped the merchants to send their goods to distant places and also to repay-their debts. The postal system was efficient. From Sindhi it took only a few days for goods to reach Delhi. The news sent by the spies would reach the Sultan in just five days.

Ibn Battuta has said that there were two types of posts in India -the horse post and the footmen post. Horse post was called ‘uluq’. Royal horses were posted every 4 miles and his helped in making communication fast. The footmen-post was called ‘dawa’. ‘Dawa’ means 1/3 of a mile. Within a mile, there were 3 camps for the footmen.

Question 17.
There were serious differences between the observations of Ibn Battuta and Bernier. What are they?
Answer:

Ibn Battuta	Bernier
1) He was attracted by the newness, and strangeness of things.	1) Gave more importance to negative things.
2) He wrote about all the things that interested and impressed him.	2) He was more interested in the contrasts he found between the things in Europe, especially his country, France, and here.

Question 18.
How do you look at the observation of Bernier Wlfo thought that the Oriental world is inferior and worse than the Western world? Justify your answer with examples.
Answer:
Bernier presented India on the model of the binary opposition. This way India was presented as directly opposite to Europe. He also presented the differences between India and Europe on a comparative scale. India was at the lowest rung of the ladder. In short, Bernier felt that India was inferior and worse than the. Western countries.

Question 19.
How did the words Hindu, Hindustan and Hindavi come into existence?
Answer:
The word Hindu came from an old Persian word. In the 6-5 centuries BC, this word was used to indicate the region lying east of the River Sindhu.

The Arabs continued using this expression. They called this region Al-Hind and the people ‘Hindi’. Later, the Turks started calling the people Hindu and their land as Hindustan and their language Hindavi. None of these was indicative of any religion. The word Hindu was used to indicate somebody’s religion much later.

Question 20.
Why did Bernier think that the royal ownership of land is highly destructive?
Answer:
He thought like that because:

1. Landowners could not pass on their land to their heirs.
2. They were not interested in maintaining or improving the land.
3. It prevented the landowners who wanted to bring prosperity to their land from taking positive steps and make long term investments.
4. It caused destruction of agriculture.
5. It led to the suppression of farmers.
6. It adversely affected the living standards of people.

Question 21.
What is the opinion of Bernier about the Middle Class? Can you agree with his argument?
Answer:
Bernier says that there was no Middle Class in India. There were only 2 classes – the poor and the rich. The poor were the majority and they were suppressed by the ruling minority. There were too poor and too rich people, but there was no middle state. Bernier did not have a good impression about the Mughal Empire. He assessed the Mughal King as follows:

1. The king was the king of beggars and uncultured people.
2. The Mughal cities and towns were in a state of ruin and the air there was polluted.
3. The fields were full of bushes and marshlands which caused diseases.

Question 22.
How did Bernier assess the Mughal Empire?
Answer:
Bernier said that the sole reason for the bad condition in the country was the royal ownership of the land. But modem historians do not agree with him. There is no indication in the Mughal documents that the land belonged to the lung. For example, Abdul Fasal, who was a scholar and historian during the reign of Akbar, said the land taxes were a reward for the sovereignty (supreme authority) of the king.

The king charged taxes from his subjects in return for the protection given to them. It was not taxes for the land owned by the ruler. Land tax was often high. That might be reason why the Europeans travellers thought that all the land belonged to the king. In fact, it was neither tax nor land tax. It was a tax on the crops.

Question 23.
Do you think the description of the cities by Bernier was an oversimplification of things? Why?
Answer:
In the 17^th century, 15% of Indians lived in cities. This was more in proportion than the people living in cities in Western Europe. In spite of that the Mughal cities were called camp towns by Bernier. Camp Towns are those that depend on the capital city for existence. During the Mughal rule, the capital was often shifted. Bernier says that when the capital was moved to a new city, it developed fast, but when the capital was moved from there, the city got ruined. Cities did not have strong social and economic bases. They relied on royal protection.

There is some kind of contradiction in what Bernier says about cities. He says the manufacturing sector was in ruin. But he says there were large scale exports of products. Bernier’s is an oversimplification of things. At that time there were manufacturing cities, trade cities, port cities, holy cities, and pilgrimage centres. Their existence shows the prosperity of the trading and working communities.

Among the merchant and trading communities, there were strong bonds, often blood relations. They had organized themselves into organizations based on caste and profession. In Western India, these trading communities were called Mahajans. Their top leader was Seth. The topmost one in the city was called nagarseth.

In the city, there were doctors (Hakim, Vaidyas), teachers (Pandits, Mullah), advocates (Vakil), Artists, Musicians and calligraphers. Some of them were working for the king. But most of them worked for the people in bazars and markets.

Question 24.
Ibn Battuta says there was distinction even among slaves. Based on this statement, assess the situation of the women slaves in the country.
Answer:
Battuta’s descriptions make it clear that there were discriminations even among slaves. Under the Sultan many women slaves served. Some of them were experts in dance and music. Once, Battuta had an opportunity to enjoy their performance, during the wedding celebrations of the Sultan’s sister.

Women slaves also worked as spies of the Sultan. The Sultan employed them to secretly observe the activities of his nobles. Slaves, both men and women, were generally employed for household work. Ibn Battuta says that to carry palanquins slaves were used. The price of women slaves bought for domestic work was very little. Most families could afford one or two of them.

European travellers often spoke highly of the behaviour shown to women. They did that to show the differences between the treatment given here to women and the treatment of women in European countries. Bemierwrote extensively about the practice of Sati. Bemierpoints out that all women did not observe Sati in the same manner. Some jumped into the pyre happily. But some had to be forced into the pyre.

Question 25.
“The descriptions of Bernier influenced Western theorists.” Examine the validity of this statement.
Answer:
Since the time of the writings of Bernier, they have influenced Western theorists. These descriptions were used by the French Philosopher Montesquieu to develop his concept of Oriental Despotism. This theory argues that the Eastern (Oriental) Kings had full authority over their subjects. The subjects often lived in poverty. All land belonged to the ruler. There . was no private property. Except the King and the lords, all lived difficult lives.

This concept was further developed by Karl Marx in the 19^th century. The concept he developed is called Asiatic Production Process. Marx argued that even before colonization, in India and in other parts of Asia, the ruling class acquired the profits coming from extra production. This helped in developing village communities that had self-governing powers and were considered equals.

But these communities, in spite of their autonomous status, were supervised by the Centre. Till the extra profits flowed into their hands, the rulers respected the autonomous village communities. Marx considered the system of production in Asia as stunted and unfit for growth.

Question 26.
Bernier attitude was a comparison between the East and the West. Prepare an essay containing is views and descriptions about India.
Answer:
Things to be considered:

1. The non-progressive East
2. Problem of land ownership
3. Middle Class
4. Village Communities
5. Mughal Nation
6. Cities
7. Sati

Ibn Battuta and Bemierwrote their travel notes with their different views. Ibn Battuta was attracted by the newness and strangeness of things. He wrote about all the things that interested and impressed him. But Bernier’s descriptions were quite different. He gave more importance to negative things. He was interested in the contrasts he found between the things in Europe, especially in his country, France, and here, he wanted to influence the rulers to take just decisions.

Bernier presented India on the model of the binary opposition. This way India was presented as directly opposite to Europe. He also presented the differences between India and Europe on a comparative scale. India was at the lowest rung of the ladder. In short, Bernier felt that India was inferior and worse than the Western countries.

Bernier talked about land ownership in India. There was no private ownership of land here. The land here belonged to the king. The king divided the land among his lords. This was not good as people did not take an interest in developing the land and invest in the land for long term purposes.

Bernier says that there was no Middle Class in India. There were only 2 classes – the poor and the rich. The poor were the majority and they were suppressed by the ruling minority. There were too poor and too rich people, but there was no middle state. Bernier did not have a good impression about the Mughal Empire and its rulers.

The village communities were poor. They were often mistreated by the cruel landlords. Since there was no private land, people were not willing to work hard. Taxes were heavy. On the whole life in the village was unpleasant.

Bernier thought that the Mughal rulers were more interested in their comfort and luxury. They were not much worried about the welfare of the subjects. To Bernier Indian cities were Camp Towns. But his views are contracted by modem historians Bemier himself wrote to say that there were large scale exports from the country. Naturally from camp towns, they could not have exported a lot of things. For that, they would need manufacturing cities, trade cities and port cities. One touching description in Bernier’s writing is the description of Sati.

The widow in his description was a girl of about 12. He witnessed this piteous incident J in Lahore. This is what he wrote: “In Lahore, I saw a girl of 12 giving up her life in the pyre of her husband. She came to the pyre like a dead person. She was trembling with fear. She was crying piteously. I can’t describe the pain she must have been experiencing then. With the help of an old woman, 4 Brahmins performed the rituals. That woman forced the girl to sit on the pyre. To prevent her from running away her hands and legs were tied. That poor girl was burnt alive.”

We must admit that Bernier was often prejudiced against the East. But his descriptions offer us valuable information about the society and its ways of life at the time of his visit to India.

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Kerala Plus Two History Chapter Wise Questions and Answers Chapter 1 Bricks, Beads and Bones (The Harappan Civilisation)

Plus Two History Chapter Wise Questions And Answers In Malayalam Question 1.
Which site in the Harappan civilization was the first to be discovered?
Answer:
Harappa

Question 2.
At which site was the Great Bath found?
Answer:
Mohenjo Daro

Question 3.
Who was the first Director of the Indian Archaeology Department (Archaeological Survey of India) (ASI)?
Answer:
Cunnigham

Question 4.
From which place were the Harappan people getting their copper?
Answer:
Oman

Question 5.
Who is the spokesman for the Aryan Invasion theory?
Answer:
Mortimer Wheeler

Question 6.
Who is the author of the book entitled “The Story of Indian Archaeology”?
Answer:
S.N. Roy

Question 7.
Which was the year in which John Marshall declared the discovery of the Harappan Civilization?
Answer:
1924

Question 8.
Match the items in Colum A with those in Column B.

A	B
Small settlements	Script
Seals	Early Harappan Civilization
Lamba Excavations	Aadhi Sivan
Pasupati	John Marshall

Answer:

A	B
Small settlements	Early Harappan Civilization
Seals	Script
Lamba Excavations	John Marshall
Pasupati	Aadhi Sivan

Question 9.
Match the following.

A	B
Harappan Seals	Priestly King
Centre of Power	Picture script
Mortimer Wheeler	Hill of the Dead
Mohenjo Daro	Ayran attack

Answer:

A	B
Harappan Seals	Picture script
Centre of Power	Priestly King
Mortimer Wheeler	Aryan Attack
Mohenjo Daro	Hill of the Dead

Question 10.
Find the relation between a and b in each group and fill in the blank accordingly.

1. A. Magan : Oman
   B. Dilman : ……….
2. A. Fortress : Public buildings
   B. LowerTown : ……..
3. A. Charles Masson : English Official
   B. Cunningham : ……………………

Answer:

1. Bahrein Island
2. Area of living
3. The first Director of ASI

Question 11.
The Harappan civilization is divided into three stages. What are they? What are their special features?
Answer:
The Harappan Civilization existed between 2600 and 1900 BC. In the same region there were pre and post Harappan Civilizations. The pre Harappan Civilization was called Early Harappan. The post Harappan Civilization was called Late Harappan. To show the Harappan Civilization as separate from these, it is often called the Mature Harappan Culture.

Question 12.
The Harappan city was divided into sections. Explain.
Answer:
The City was divided into two sections:

1. The Citadel.

2. TheLowerTown.

The Citadel (Fortress):
This is built On a manmade platform. It is on the western side of the city. This is the highest part of the city. There are two reasons for its height. Firstly, it is built on higher ground. Secondly, the buildings are put up on a platform made of clay bricks. The fortress is protected with walls around it. Therefore it looks different from the Lower Town. In the fortress, there are tall buildings. They are public buildings. They were used for special public activities. The Warehouse and the Great Bath were the main structures in the fortress.

The Warehouse:
The biggest building in Mohenjo Daro is the Warehouse there. The bottom part of the Warehouse is made of bricks. They still remain there. The upper part was built with wood. It got destroyed long ago. The Warehouse was used to store the left- overgrain.

Question 13.
Point out the importance of the Great Bath.
Answer:
The most important structure in the fortress (citadel) of Mohenjo Daro is the Great Bath. It is in a rectangular shape. The pond is in the yard which is surrounded by corridors on all four sides. To get into the pond there are steps on the northern and southern sides. The bottom of the pond is made watertight using bricks and lime paste. This prevents the water from seeping down and making the water level go down.

There are rooms on 3 sides of the pond. There was a big well in one of the rooms. The water for the pond ‘ was brought from this well. There were provisions for filling the pond with water and to make the dirty water flow out into drains. Historians think that the Great Bath had a religious importance. They think that this Great Bath was used for ritual baths. The Great Bath shows the importance the Harappans gave to cleanliness. It also shows their engineering and technical skills.

Question 14.
Write on a note on the weights and measures of Harappa.
Answer:
To ensure proper exchanges of goods, the Harappans had developed correct weights and measures. These played an important role in the commercial activities. They made measuring weights with a kind of firestone. They also used limestone and alabaster or marble for making weights. Generally, they all appeared like cubes. There were no markings on their weights.

The lower units of the weights were considered as doubles – 1,2, 4, 8, 16, 32, etc. until 12,800). But the higher units were taken in normal numeric system (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9). Very small weights were used to measure ornaments and beads. Some metallic balances were also discovered.

Question 15.
From the remains of vegetables and bones of animals, explain the food habits of the Harappans.
Answer:
The Harappans made their living by practising agriculture arid animal husbandry. They had different crops. They also tamed different animals. From the burnt remains of grain and seeds found in the Harappan sites, archaeologists have been able to conclude the types of food the Harrapans took. Archaeo-Botanists, who are experts in ancient Botany, have carefully studied these remains found at the Harappan sites. From their researches they found:

1. The Harappans took different types of grains and vegetables. They used wheat, barley, different kinds of pulses and peas and sesame (gingelly).

2. They also used rice and millet. At the sites in Gujarat, remains of millet were found. Rice was seen only rarely. They were found in Lothal and Rangpur in Gujarat.

3. The Harrapans ate a lot of fish and meat. The bones of cattle, sheep, goat, buffalo and pig were found at the Harappan sites. The studies conducted by anchor-zoologists and zoo-archaeologists show that the Harappans tamed these animals. They had tamed even wild pigs, deer and gharial (large fish-eating crocodile) which are usually wild animals.

4. It is not clear if the Harappans got these by hunting or from other hunting groups. Remains of fish and chicken were also found at the Harappan sites.

Question 16.
What were the agricultural technologies used by the Harappans? Explain with examples.
Answer:
The main occupation of the Harappan people was agriculture. The remains of different grains found in the Harappan sites make that clear. But it is not easy to reconstruct their agricultural technologies. For example, we are not sure if the Harappan people sowed the seeds in ploughed farms. The images found on the seals and clay sculptures show that they were familiar with bulls. From this, the archaeologists think that probably they used bulls to plough the fields.

At the sites in Kolistan (Pakitan) and Banwali (Haryana), clay models of ploughs were found. At Kalibengan in Rajasthan, the researchers v have found evidences of a ploughed field. In this field, there are two different rows of furrows. It shows they cultivated different crops.

Researchers also tried to find out the type of implements the Harappans used for harvesting. We are not sure if they used sickles with wooden handles or some metallic implements for cutting the crops.

Question 17.
How did the Harappan people solve the problem of lack of rain (shortage of water)?
Answer:
Most Harappan sites were located in semi-deserts. Since the land was dry, there was a need for water for agriculture. For irrigation, the people made canals. At the Harappan site of Shortugai in Afghanistan, there are remains of the canals. But in Punjab or Sindh, such remains are not seen. The ancient canals might have disappeared by the accumulation of silt over long periods.

Well, water was also used for irrigation. There were also huge clay jars for storing water for agricultural purposes. (E.g. Dholaveera)

Question 18.
For what all things did Harappans use bulls?
Answer:
Animal husbandry was one of the important means of livelihood to the Harappans. Bones of cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, etc. were found at different Harappan sites. Studies made by archaeo-zoologists and zoo-archaeologists show that the Harappans had domesticated these animals. Wild animals like wild pig (boar), deer and gharial (fish-eating crocodiles) were also tamed by them. The Harappans had a special liking for humped bulls. Bulls were used for ploughing, to pull carts and also carry goods. Donkeys and camels were used for carrying heavy burdens.

Question 19.
Explain the strategies used by archaeological researchers to find out the social differences in the Harappan culture.
Answer:
In the Harappan society, there were economic and social differences among people. The ways they buried their dead, the luxury items they used and the different types of houses they lived in, show these differences.

1. Burials: To find out the social differences among the people, a technique (strategy) that researchers use is studying about their burial rituals. By studying about the pyramids in Egypt the researchers found the social differences among the ancient people there. Most of the pyramids were the tombs of kings. The dead bodies of the kings (pharaohs) were buried with a lot of wealth.

The tombs found at the Harappan sites give some ideas about the burial rituals of the people. Generally, the Harappans buried their dead. But there are differences in digging the’ grave. On the upper edges of some graves, bricks were laid out. The differences in these graves indicate the differences in the social status. The graves with bricks might have been the graves of the rich.

In some graves, there were ornaments and earthenwares. This shows the belief of the Harappan people in life after death. In some places along with the dead bodies rings with shells and beads were also buried. In the digging done at a gravesite in the mid-1380s, at Harappa, near a mans skull, there were 3 shell rings, a jasper (sun-stone), and an ornament made from hundreds of small beads.

Along with some dead bodies, mirrors made of copper were also found. Generally speaking, the Harappans did not believe in burying things with the dead bodies. But in some cases, some expensive things were found in the graves. This shows the social differences that existed among people.

2. Things of Luxury: Another method the researchers use to find out the differences among people is studying the artefacts (things made by people). They divide these things into two types, a) Useful things,b) Things of luxury, in the first category there are things of everyday use. Pounding stone (for grinding grains), clay pots, needles, body-cleaning things etc. come in this category. These were commonly found, in the graves of the lower town where common people lived.

Things of luxury include uncommon things, things made of expensive materials not locally available, things made with the help of complicated technologies and so on. Pots of faience (glazed pots) are examples of this. They are made with local or metallic sand mixed with colour and gum and are made firm in the fire. Since they were difficult to make they were considered expensive.

Only the rich people had luxury things with them. Luxury and expensive things were found in the vast living areas of Mohenjo Daro and Harappa. In the small areas, they were not commonly seen. For example in Mohenjo Daro and Harappa.

They unearthed a lot of high-quality small containers for keeping aromatic spices and perfumes In small places like Kalibangan, such things were not found. Gold was very rare and expensive. All the golden ornaments got from the Harappan sites were found in hoards.

3. Different kinds of Houses: From a study of the different houses, we can know about the social differences among the Harappan people. The houses ranged from single-room to multi-storied houses. They clearly indicate the social differences among people. The palatial houses belonged to the rich. The poor lived in single-room houses.

Question 20.
The Harappan people were much interested in making beads.” Comment.
Answer:
Making beads was one of the things that the Harappans liked most. To make beads they used different kinds of materials. They used different kinds of stones like carnelian, jasper, sapphire, crystal, alabaster or limestone. They also used metals like copper, bronze and gold. They also made use of shells, faience and clay to make beads.

Some bead garlands were made from two different types of beads. The beads were attached together. Some beads were even covered with gold. These ornaments were of different shapes Some were round, some looked like pillars, some were oval in shape, some looked like barrels and some had a crescent shape. Some garlands were decorated with Inscriptions and pictures. Their designs were very beautiful.

The skill needed to make beads differed with the material used in them. Beads with limestone, which were not very strong or hard, were easy to make. Limestone was ground and was made into a paste and from this beads were moulded.

This was helpful in giving beads different shapes. Even now the researchers are struggling to find out how the ancient people could make such fine beads from limestone. Beads made from stronger stones had different geometrical shapes.

Beads were made from carnelian. At different stages of manufacturing, the yellow raw material and the beads were heated to give them red colour. The projections on the surface are removed and the beads are filed smooth and holes are drilled in them. They used special kinds of drills to make holes in the beads.

Nageshwar and Balakot were settlements near the sea. They were centres for making things with shells. With shells, they made bangles, spoons and different decorative pieces. From these places, the things they made were distributed to other places. In the same ways, bead products made in Chanhudaro and Lothal were sent to bigger city centres like Mohenjo Daro and Harappa.

Question 21.
What all things are considered by the archaeological researchers to find out the centres for the production of various artefacts?
Answer:

1. They try to find the places from where raw materials for the artefacts came. They include limestone hills, shells, and copper ore.
2. Instruments or tools for making the artefacts.
3. Incomplete things, whose manufacturing process is not finished.
4. Waste material

Question 22.
Point out the strategies used by the Harappans to obtain their raw materials.
Answer:
They collected their raw materials from the subcontinent. They used the following strategies:

1. Establishment of Settlements:
They established settlements in the areas where raw materials were easily available. For example, they made settlements in places like Nageswar and Balakot from where they could get shells. They made settlement in Shortughai (Afghanistan) where sapphires were easily available. They made settlements in Lothal where carnelian and limestone were easily.got.

2. Sending Expeditions:
Sending expeditions was another technique that the Harappans used to get raw materials. They sent expeditions to Khetri in Rajasthan, for copper, and South India for gold. These expeditions helped them to have good relations with the local communities. In these places, beads from limestone made by the Harappans have been found. This shows the relations between the two peoples.

Researchers have found evidences for the culture called Ganeshwar-Jodhpur Culture from the Khetri region. This culture has many types of clay pots and plenty of copper things different from those found in the Harappan culture. There was a possibility that these people gave copper to Harappans.

Question 23.
Explain the commercial and cultural relations the Harappan people maintained with far-away countries.
Answer:
The Harappans collected raw materials for their manufactured goods (artefacts) from faraway places. This was done mainly through commerce. The Harappan people had commercial ties with Oman, Mesopotamia, Afghanistan and Persia. It was from Oman they brought copper.

In the Omani copper and the artefacts made by the Harappans, there is the trace of nickel. It shows their common origin. There are also other evidences for the relations between Oman and Harappa. From Oman, researchers have discovered a jar covered with black clay. Such covering by clay prevents containers from leaking. We don’t know what was taken in these jars to Oman. There was a possibility that the things sent in the jars were exchanged for the copper from Oman.

There are proofs from literature to show there were relations between Harappa and Mesopotamia. Some Mesopotamian books show that Harappa had relations with regions like Dilmun, Magan and Meluha. Dilmun might the Bahrein Island. Magan must be another name for Oman.

Meluha has been recognized as a Sindhu region. Mesopotamian books talk about the calenian, sapphire, copper, gold and different types of timber from Meluha. This is written about Meluha in a Mesopotamian myth: “Let your bird be the ‘haja’ bird. Let its voice be heard in the palace.” Researchers think that the ‘haja’ bird is the peacock.

There are also scientific proofs to show that relations existed between Harappa and Mesopotamia. The Harappan seals, weights, dice used in gambling and beads show that.

The Harappans traded with Oman, Bahrein and Mesopotamia by sea. Mesopotamian books describe Meluha as a land of sea travellers. Moreover, the pictures of ships and boats found on the Harappan seals show that they were doing commerce using sea-routes.

Question 24.
The Harappan seals were excellent art creations. Discuss the special features and importance of those seals.
Answer:
The most important artefact in the Harappan civilization is their seals. From the various Sindhu towns, more than 2000 seals have been found. The seals are made from soft limestone. They are found in different sizes and shapes – around, square rectangular. On most seals, we find the pictures of animals. Some picture scripts (like the hieroglyphics, in Egypt) are also found.

The seals were used to make long-distance commerce easy. They were also * used to indicate ownership of property and also to decorate houses. In the opinion of A.L. Basham, they were also used as talisman for protection and good luck.

Seals were great artistic creations of the Harappan people. It is from these seals that we learn about their agriculture, animals, birds, trees, dress, ornaments, religious faiths, arts and foreign trade.

To make commerce with distant places easy, the containers were sealed. Goods were packed in bags for sending to different places. The mouth of the bag was tied with a string and it was sealed with wet clay. On the clay, they used to put their seals. If the goods reach their destinations without any damage to the seals, it would mean nobody has done anything wrong with the goods. These seals also helped to know who sent the goods.

Question 25.
Historians have different views about the centre of power in Harappa. Explain.
Answer:
There are no exact details about who the rulers were and which was the centre of power in Harappa.

1. Archaeologists found a huge building in Mohenjo Daro. It is considered to be a palace. But nothing about the building or other evidences are available.
2. Some historians argue that Harappan towns were ruled by Priest-Kings. A stone statue that was found in Mohenjo Daro was considered by them to be that of a Priest-King. Researchers were familiar with the history and Priest-Kings of Mesopotamia.
3. The statue in Mohenjo Daro resembled the Priest-King of Mesopotamia and that is why the historians thought Harappa too had Priest-Kings.
4. But we have not been able to understand much about the religions and rituals of the Harappan people. So there is no way to know whether the priests also handled political power.
5. Some people say that Harappan Society had more than one ruler. They say that regions like Mohenjo Daro, Harappa and others had separate rulers.
6.  R. S. Sharma feels that it was a group of traders that ruled Harappa.
7. The resemblance of the goods made, evidences from the planned settlements, similarity in the size and shape of bricks, establishing settlements in areas near raw materials, etc.
8. make some people think that Harappa had a single ruler. This has become more acceptable. It would be difficult to take decisions on such complex things by consulting everybody.

Question 26.
The shortcomings in the excavations in Harappa by John Marshal were remedied by Mortimer Wheeler. Comment.
Answer:
Mortimer Wheeler believed that the Harappan culture was destroyed by Aryan invaders. From the narrow street called Deadman-line, which was only 3 feet to 6 feet wide, in Mohenjo Daro, many scattered skeletons of men, women and children were discovered. Along with some skeletons, there were also weapons like axes and spears. It is based on these that Mortimer Wheeler came out with his theory of the Aryan Invasion. Wheeler maintained that these skeletons were of those killed in the Aryan attack.

Wheeler also tried to connect this evidence to the Rigveda. In Rigveda there is a reference to ‘puram’. Puram means fortress or citadel. The warlord of the Aryans is Lord Indran. indran is also called purandaran, which means one who destroys fortresses. It is based on this that some people argued that the Harappan culture was destroyed by the Aryans.
In the 1960s, George Dales, who is an archaeological researcher from America, questioned the evidences of mass murder in Mohenjo Daro. This is what he said:

1. The skeletons found in the Deadman-line do not belong to the same period.
2. There are no indications of any destructions or burning there. No skeletons of soldiers were found from there. Even in the fortress, which is the safest point in the city, there is no sign of any resistance.

Question 27.
Point out the special features of the Harappan Scripts.
Answer:
The Harappans knew writing. They were the first literate community of India. What we know about the Harrapan Scripts is from their seals. On the seals generally, there is a single-line writing. That is usually the name of the owner of his title or designation. Such scripts are seen on copper utensils, edges of jars, copper and day tablets, ornaments, ancient signboards and so on.

They also must have been j found, on things that get destroyed fast. Harappan Script is often called Mysterious Script. It acquired this j name because nobody has been able to read it. j Harappan Script had many symbols and signs. Most l writings are very small. Long writings were rare. The longest writing has only 26 letters of signs.

Harappan Script does not have any orderly alphabet. It has a number of signs. It is believed that there are J between 375 and 400 signs in it. Therefore people think that the Harappan Script is a kind of Picture Script. Scholars say that the picture script helped even those who were illiterate to get some message from the writing. Harappan writing was read from right to left, like Arabic or Urdu.

Question 28.
Explain the role played by the Aryan Invasion in the ruin of Harappan Culture. Examine the relevance of the theory of Aryan Invasion.
Answer:
Mortimer Wheeler believes that the Aryan Attack destroyed Harappan Culture. From the narrow street called Deadman-line, which was only 3 feet to 6 feet wide, in Mohenjo Daro, many scattered skeletons of men, women and children were discovered. Along with some skeletons, there were also weapons like axes and spears. It is based on these that Mortimer Wheeler came out with his theory of the Aryan Invasion. Wheeler maintained that these skeletons were of those killed in the Aryan attack.

Wheeler also tried to connect this evidence to the Rigveda in Rigveda there is a reference to ‘puranr’. Puram means fortress or citadel. The warlord of the Aryans is Lord  Indran. Indran is also called purandaran, which means one who destroys fortresses. It is based on this that some people, led by Mortimer Wheeler, argued that the Harappan culture was destroyed by the Aryans.

Plus Two History Chapter Wise Questions And Answers Question 29.
Write an essay on the economic system, society and political power centre of the Harappan Culture. Areas to be considered: means of livelihood (agriculture and animal husbandry), production of artefacts, internal and external trade, social differences, palaces and kings.
Answer:
A great culture flourished in the North-Western side of the Indian subcontinent, some 4500 years ago. This culture was first discovered in 1921 at the Harappan site. This was known as the Sindhu River Valley Culture, it was so-called because most of the sites were found on the banks of Sindhu and its tributaries.

Further researches showed that it was not limited to the Sindhu Valley alone, but it had spread even into Afghanistan. Therefore this culture is named the Harappan Culture.

The Harappans made their living by practising agriculture and animal husbandry. They had different crops. They also tamed different animals. From the burnt remains of grain and seeds found in the Harappan sites, archaeologists have been able to conclude the types of food the Harrapanstook.

They took/different types of grains and vegetables. They used wheat, barley, different kinds of pulses and peas and sesame (gingelly). They also used rice and millet. At the sites in Gujarat, remains of millet were found. Rice was seen only rarely.

The Harrapans ate a lot of fish and meat. The bones of cattle, sheep, goat, buffalo and pig were found at the Harappan sites. They tamed these animals. They had tamed even wild pigs, deer and gharial (large fish¬eating crocodile) which are usually wild animals.

Most Harappan sites were located in semi-deserts. Since the land was dry, there was a need for water for agriculture. For irrigation, the people made canals. At the Harappan site of Shortugai in Afghanistan, there are remains of the canals. Well, water was also used for irrigation. There were also huge clay jars to storing water for agricultural purposes.

In the Harappan society, there were economic and social differences among people. From the ways they buried their dead, the luxury they used and the different types of houses they lived in, show these differences.

Burials:
To find out the social differences among the people, a technique (strategy) that researchers use is studying about their burial rituals. The tombs found at the Harappan sites give some ideas about the burial rituals of the people. Generally, the Harappans buried their dead. But there are differences in digging the grave. On the upper sides some graves, along the edges, bricks were laid out. The differences in these graves indicate the differences in the social status. The graves with bricks might have been the graves of the rich.

Things of Luxury:
Another method the researchers use to find out the differences among people is studying the artefacts (things made by people).

They divide these things into two types.

1.  Useful things,
2. Things of luxury.

In the first category, there are things of everyday use. Pounding stone (for grinding grains), clay pots, needles; body-cleaning things etc. come in this category. These were commonly found in the graves of the lower town where common people lived. Things of luxury include uncommon things, things made of expensive materials not locally available, things made with the help of complicated technologies and so on.

Pots of faience (glazed pots) are examples of this. They are made with local or metallic sand mixed with colour and gum and are made firm in the fire. Since they were difficult to make they were considered expensive. Only the rich people had luxury things with them.

Different kinds of Houses:
From a study of the different houses, we can know about the social differences among the Harappan people. The houses ranged from single-room to multi-storied houses. They clearly indicate the social differences among people. The palatial houses belonged to the rich. The poor lived in single-room houses.

The Harappans were experts in bead-making. To make beads they used different kinds of materials. They used different kinds of stones like carnelian, jasper, sapphire, crystal, alabaster or limestone. They also used metals like copper, bronze and gold. They also made use of shells, faience and clay to make beads. They were also great traders. They traded with faraway places like Oman, Mesopotamian, Bahrein and Persia.

There are no exact details about who the rulers were and which was the centre of power in Harappa. Archaeologists found a huge building in Mohenjo Daro. It is considered to be a palace. But nothing about the building or other evidences are available.

Some historians argue that Harappan towns were ruled by Priest-Kings. Some people say that Harappan Society had more than one ruler. They say that regions like Mohenjo, Harappa and others had separate rulers. R. S. Sharma feels that it was a group of traders that ruled Harappa.

Question 30.
Discuss the discovery of the Harappan Culture and the problems connected with it.
Answer:
It was an English Official named Charles Masson, who visited a Harappan village in 1826, that first made an observation about the Harappan Civilization. He happened to see the remains of an old city. The engineers who were building the railway line between Karachi and Lahore in 1856 also found the remains of ancient Harappan towns. These discoveries were quite accidental. The engineers contacted the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). Following this, a team of archaeological researchers under Cunningham started excavations in Harappa.

Harappan culture was completely ruined. Gradually memories of such a Culture also faded away from the minds of people. Centuries later, people who started living in those areas where the Harappan Culture flourished often came across evidence of that Culture by chance.

Through floods or erosion, some of the evidence became very obvious. When ploughing the land or digging the ground for hidden treasures, they discovered remains of the ancient Culture. They did not know what to do with the things and implements they accidentally discovered.

Cunningham was the first Direct General of the Archaeological Survey of India. It was in the middle of the 19^th century that he began his excavations. In those days the archaeological researchers mainly used books and inscriptions for their studies. Cunningham was more interested in studying about the period between the 6^th to the 4^th century BC.

To find out the early settlements of the Harappan Culture, Cunningham relied on the descriptions of the Chinese pilgrims who visited India between the 7^th and 4^th century BC. All the inscriptions that were discovered by Cunningham during his researches were collected, codified and translated. He found that some of the artefacts discovered during the excavations had cultural values. He made special efforts to collect such things. But Cunningham’s conclusions had certain shortcomings.

Sites like Harappa were not mentioned in the descriptions by the Chinese pilgrims on whom Cunningham depended for his information. Harappa was not known as a historical city. Although Cunningham found certain Harappan things, he could not understand their importance.

He also failed to know how old they were. An Englishman had given Cunningham a Harappan seal. Although he inspected the seal thoroughly he could not assess its age. He tried to place it within the time-limit with which he was familiar. This mistake happened because like many others he also thought the Sindhu River Valley Civilization started with the growth of the first cities there.

Question 31.
Explain the salient features of the town planning in Mohenjo Daro.
Answer:
Mohenjo Daro is the most important site of the Harappan Culture. This was discovered after Harappa. It was from Mohenjo Daro that details regarding town planning, houses and seals of the Harappan Culture were got. This big city is situated in the Larkana District of Sind, on the shores of Sindhu River. The word Mohenjo Daro means the Mound of the Dead. The excavations made here brought to light the remains of a great city. The city was divided into two: The citadel and the Lower Town.

The Citadel (Fortress) is on a manmade platform. This is built on the western side of the city. This is the highest part of the city. There are two reasons for . its height. Firstly, it is built on higher ground. Secondly, the buildings are put up on a platform made of earthen bricks.

The fortress is protected with walls around it. Therefore it looks different from the Lower Town. In the fortress, there are tall buildings. They are public buildings. They were used for special public activities. The Warehouse and the Great Bath were the main structures in the fortress.

The Warehouse was the biggest building in Mohenjo Daro. The bottom part of the Warehouse is made of bricks. They still remain there. The upper part was built with wood. It got destroyed long ago. The Warehouse was used to store the left-over grain.

The most important structure in the fortress (citadel) of Mohenjo Daro is the Great Bath. It is in a rectangular shape. The pond is in the yard which is surrounded by corridors on all four sides. To get into the pond there are steps on the northern and southern sides. The bottom of the pond is made watertight using bricks and lime paste. This prevents the water from seeping down and making the pond dry.

There are rooms on 3 sides of the pond. There was a big well in one of the rooms. The water for the pond was brought from this well. There were provisions for filling the pond with water and to make the dirty water flow out into drains. Historians think that the Great Bath had a religious importance. They think that this Great Bath was used for ritual baths.

The Great Bath shows the importance the Harappans gave to cleanliness. It also shows their engineering and technical skills. The plight of Harappa was really bad. Although Harappa was the first site to be discovered, thieves took away all the bricks. This sad plight was noticed by Alexander Cunningham. He pointed out that a huge amount of bricks was taken away. Thus most of the ancient buildings were lost. But Mohenjo Daro was better protected.

Most Harappan settlements had two parts – a higher western part and a lower eastern part. The western part is called the citadel or fortress. It was protected by walls. But there are some differences in some places. In Lothal, the citadel had no walls around. But it was built very high.

The Lower Town was just below the citadel. This was also protected by walls. People lived here. Here we can see good examples of domestic architecture. The houses were made of bricks. The houses were ordered in the Grid System. The houses were built along both sides of the road, with adequate space between houses. The doors and windows were opened to face the central yard. It is believed that the yard was used for cooking and also weaving.

The houses did not have doors and windows that faced the street. All the houses had bathrooms. They were paved with bricks. The drainage system was excellent. Houses were different in size. There were single room and double room houses. There were also houses with more than two storeys. To get to the top stories there were staircases. Big houses had wells. It was dug in a room in such a way that even outsiders could draw water from it. Experts estimate that Mohenjo Daro had some 700 wells.

Houses were built on raised platforms. The settlements were well planned. The bricks were made to certain specifications. The same kind of bricks were used in most constructions. The drainage system in the Harappan cities was excellent. The drain of each house was linked to the drainage canal outside. The drainage canals were covered with bricks or sheets of rock. In some places, they covered the drainage canals with limestone slabs.

It was possible to clean the canals by removing the top coverings. There were manholes in the public drainage. It is believed that the drainage was made first and then came the houses. The drainage system shows the engineering skill of the Harappan people. It shows they had a town administration. It also shows how much importance they gave to hygiene and health. The drainage system was not limited to big cities. Even the settlements in places like Lothal had drainages.

You can Download Thinkers, Beliefs and Buildings Questions and Answers, Notes, Plus Two History Chapter Wise Questions and Answers Kerala Chapter 4 help you to revise complete Syllabus and score more marks in your examinations.

Kerala Plus Two History Chapter Wise Questions and Answers Chapter 4 Thinkers, Beliefs and Buildings (Cultural Developments)

Question 1.
From which language does the word Stupa come?
Answer:
Sanskrit

Question 2.
Who got the Sanchi Stupa built?
Answer:
Asoka

Question 3.
Who used to organize the Ashwamedha Yagas?
Answer:
Kings

Question 4.
In which language was the Vedas written?
Answer:
Sanskrit

Question 5.
Where was Buddha born?
Answer:
Lumbini

Question 6.
Where was Mahavira born?
Answer:
Kundagramam

Question 7.
Which was the first venue where Buddha began to teach?
Answer:
Saranath

Question 8.
With which religion are the 4 Arya Satyas connected?
Answer:
Buddhism

Question 9.
Which is the book that contains the laws of Buddha Sangha?
Answer:
Sutta Pitaka

Question 10.
Who was the first woman who was admitted to Buddhism?
Answer:
Mahaprajapati Gomati

Question 11.
The caves that were carved out in rocks for Buddha Bikshustolive?
Answer:
Viharas

Question 12.
In which year was Buddha born?
Answer:
563BC

Question 13.
Match the items in Column A with the items in Column B.

A	B
Iran	Socrates
China	Buddha
Greece	Confucius
India	Zarathurashtra

Answer:

A	B
Iran	Zarathurashtra
China	Confucius
Greece	Socrates
India	Buddha

Question 14.

A	B
The birth place of Buddha	Saranath
The place of Buddha’s Enlightenment	Lumbini
The place where Buddha preached first	Kushinagaram
The place where Buddha achieved Nirvana	Buddhagaya

Answer:

A	B
The birth place of Buddha	Lumbini
The place of Buddha’s enlightenment	Buddhagaya
The place where Buddha preached first	Saranath
The place where Buddha achieved Nirvana	Kushinagaram

Question 15.
Where is Sanchi Stupa located? What are its special features?
Answer:
The Sanchi Stupa is located on a hill in a small village called Sanchi Kanakera. This place is 20 miles north-east of Bhopal, the capital of Madhya Pradesh. Sanchi Stupa has different constructions and on the whole, it looks like a crown. Here we can see a temple built in the 5^th century BC and many other historical monuments and also a huge mound. The Sanchi Stupa was built by Asoka in the 3^rd century BC. During the time of the Sungas (183-72 BC), this was further developed.

Question 16.
Who are the ones who tried to take away the eastern gate of Sanchi? Why?
Answer:
The Sanchi Stupa was discovered in 1818. Europeans of the 19^th century were greatly interested in this – Stupa. The French wanted to exhibit the eastern gate of Sanchi in a museum in France. They tried to get permission from Shajahan Begum, the ruler of Bhopal. But they failed in their attempts. Some English people. also tried such methods. In the end, both the French and the English had to satisfy themselves with the plaster cast of the Stupa.

Question 17.
Who protected the Sanchi Stupa? Write the names of two Patrons.
Answer:
Shajahan Begum and her successor Sultan Jahan Begum protected the Stupa. They spent a lot of money in the maintenance of this ancient monument. Sultan (This is just a name and not a position) Jahan Begum (1901-1926) took great interest in the matters related to Sanchi.

She donated money to build a museum and a guest house there. It was by staying in this guest house, John Marshal wrote volumes about Sanchi. To publish the writings of John Marshal also, Jahan Begum sanctioned money. John marshal dedicated his books to Sultan Jahan Begum.

1. The protection and maintenance of the Sanchi monuments were possible because of the discretion and foresight of the rulers of Bhopal.
2. It was a great fortune that they were made safe from the greedy eyes of railway contractors, builders and the Europeans who wanted to take them away to Europe.
3. Sanchi is one of the most important Buddhist centres in India. The discovery of this completely upset our earlier concepts and understanding of Buddhism, This place is now under the protection of the Archaeological Survey of India.

Question 18.
Make a list of the famous thinkers that lived in the 6^th century BC.
Answer:
The 6^th century BC was a turning point in world history. In many parts of the world there were different philosophers that were contributing to human thought and understanding. In Iran Zaratushtra, In China Confucius, in Greece Socrates, Plato and Aristotle, in India Mahavira and Gautama Buddha -all these people lived in this period.

Question 19.
Kings conducted big Yagas. Explain them.
Answer:
In the beginning, yagas were conducted in large groups for the entire people. But from 1000 to 500 BC, yagas were conducted privately by householders for the prosperity of their family or.clan. But great yagas like Rajasuyam and Ashwamedhom were conducted only by kings and chiefs.

1. The yagas and rituals lost their earlier simplicity and purity. They became more noisy, showy, expensive and even violent. Such yagas were unaffordable by, ordinary people.
2. With the increase in the yagas and rituals, the importance and prestige of Brahmins began to increase. Things like yagas became the monopoly of Brahmins. They misused their position to exploit people.

Question 20.
The travel of Siddhartha outside the palace utterly changed his life. Explain.
Answer:
The real name of Buddha was Siddhartha. He was the son of Suddhodana, the head of the Sakya Tribe. Siddhartha was born in Lumbini near Kapilavastu, in 563 BC. He showed much interest in religious matters even when he was very young.

He married his relative Yasodhara early and they had a son named Rahulan. One day the chariot driver took Siddhartha to the world outside the palace. This changed his life. He saw 4 big ‘sights’ – an old man, a sick person, a dead body and a sanyasi (ascetic).

These sights upset Siddhartha. He became aware of the mortality of man. He realized that the body becomes weaker and weaker and then it dies. The ascetic he met was sick and old but the joy and peace in him surprised Siddhartha. He then decided to follow the path of the ascetic. Soon he left the palace seeking the Ultimate Truth. This incident in the life of Buddha is known as the ‘Great Renunciation’.

To seek the Ultimate Truth, Buddha tried different things. He even tried to torture his body till he«was about to die. Then he abandoned such extreme measures, and sat under a Bodhi tree, immersed in meditation. He then received Enlightenment. From then he was known as Buddha (One who is endowed with Wisdom or Enlightenment) orTathagathan (One who has gained the Truth).

1. Buddha made his first preaching (Dharmopadesam) in Saranath. Here he spoke to five ascetics whom he knew before. This preaching is known as ‘Dharma Chakra Pravarthanam’. These five ascetics became his first disciples.
2. The rest of his life Buddha taught about Dharma or the true way of life. He died in his 80^th year, in 486 BC at Kushinagari. His mortal remains were buried in 8 different places and it is believed that in all those places Stupas were built.

Question 21.
What are the basic principles of Buddhism?
Answer:
The basis of Buddhism is Four Arya (Noble) Truths with Ashtangamarga. The 4 Noble Truths Buddha taught are:

1. The world is a sorrowful place.
2. Desires are the cause of sorrow.
3. If we deny our desires, we can avoid sorrow.
4. By following the Ashtanga Marga, you can overcome sorrow.

The ashtanga margas are: right word, right deed, right life, right efforts, right memory, right view, right decision and right meditation.

Question 22.
Explain the structural working of Buddhism. Do you think that the Buddhist Sangha worked in a democratic manner? Justify.
Answer:
The disciples of Buddha belonged to different social classes. There were kings, rich people, and householders among his disciples. There were also labourers, artisans and even slaves in the group. Inside the Sangha all were equal. Once a person becomes a Bikhshu or Bikshuni, his/her previous position did not matter.

The bhikhus and bikhshunis were required to follow the Sangha rules. All these rules are explained in ‘Viriaya Pitaka’. The rules were made in such a way that they would help people to come away from their luxurious lifestyles and live in a simple way. The Sangha followed’ a democratic way.

The internal, working of the Sangha was based on the traditions of the Ganas and Sanghas in the Mahajanapadas. Problems were solved through discussions. If there were differing views, things were settled by vote.

Question 23.
What are Chaitanyas?
Answer:
From the very early times, people used to consider some places as very holy. These places had some special features. There were some rare trees or rocks there. The places were also extremely beautiful. In them there were small kovils or shrines. These places were called Chaitanya’s. Chaitanya came from the word ‘chitha’. In fact, Chaitanya is a prayer hall.

Question 24.
Explain hagiography. What is its role in recreating history?
Answer:
Hagiography is the life history of a religious leader or a saint. To understand the Buddha statues, art historians must be familiar with Buddha’s hagiography. Usually, in a hagiography, the achievements of the saint or leader are praised. They may not be fully true. But they are important, as they give us valuable information regarding the traditions followed by disciples of certain faiths.

Biographical records show that Buddha got his Enlightenment as he was meditating under the Bodhi Tree. In many statues, Buddha is not shown at all. Sometimes he is represented as an empty seat, Stupa, wheel and such symbols.

1. The empty seat is symbolic of Buddha’s meditation.
2. The Stupas symbolize his final days, or death (Mahaparinirvana).
3. The wheel is symbolic of Buddha’s first preaching at Saranath.

Question 25.
In the background of the Sanchi Stupa, describe the making style and structure of the stupas. How do stupas help in the recreation of history?
Answer:
Stupas are found in Chaitanya’s. These are mounds where part of the mortal remains of Buddha or some things he used is buried. They have been made with bricks or stones. They have a lot of story value.

1. Even before the coming of Buddhism, the practice of making stupas was in existence. Later it became attached to Buddhism.
2. Since they are built over the remains of Buddha or the things he used, they are worshipped as a sign of Buddha and Buddhism.

Followers of Buddha built many stupas in different. parts of India. The Buddhist Book “Asokavadana Sishta” says that Emperor Asoka sent the mortal remains of Buddha to all the important towns of his empire and ordered stupas to be built over them. By the 2^nd century BC, many stupas were built. The most famous stupas are in Bharhut, Sanchi, and Saranath. Stupa is a Sanskrit word meaning a heap or mound. In the early times, stupas were in semi-circles.

Later they were known as ‘anda’. Gradually, the structure of the stupas became complex. They now acquired circular and rectangular shapes. Over the andas, they built some kind of balcony. It was called harmika which means ‘sreekovil’. It represents the abode of god. From harmika rose a flag-post, called ‘yashti’. Around this, there were chhatris (umbrellas). Around the mound, a stone wall was constructed separating it from the material world around.

The early stupas in Sanchi and Bharhut were simple. The gates and the fences were looking as if they were made of bamboos or wood. There were four entrance arches to the stupas. These arches were decorated with sculptures. The worshippers entered the stupa from the eastern archway and went round the mound, Later these stupas were adorned with various sculptures and inscriptions. Such decorated stupas can be seen in Amaravati and Shahji-ki-dheri in Peshawar in Pakistan.

Question 26.
Explain the principles of Jainism.
Answer:

• All things in the world have life. Even stones, rocks, and water have life and soul.
• Non-violence is the central principle of Jainism. It taught not to trouble humans, animals, insects and plants.
• The ultimate aim of human life is nirvana or getting moksha.
• Nirvana is the release from birth and rebirth.
• Karma causes birth and rebirth. If one wants to get moksha, his karma should be right. Only through the Triratnas – good knowledge, good action, and good faith-one can acquire moksha.
• To come out of the karma circle, asceticism and meditation are essential. For that worldly life should be given up. The Jain ascetics, both men and women, should take five pledges.
  1. Don’t kill
  2. Don’t steal
  3. Don’t lie
  4. Don’t own property
  5. Practise chastity

Question 27.
Bring out the basic differences between Mahayana and Hinayana.
Answer:
Buddhism was divided into two Mahayarta and Hinayana.

1. Hinayana means lesser vehicle or lesser wheel. Hinayana followed the basic tenets of Buddhism. They followed the old tradition. They continued using Pali to propagate their faith.

2. Mahayana means Great vehicle. They followed new principles and code of conduct. Worshipping the idols of Buddha and the Bodhisatwas became an important part of this group.

3. Mahayana followers looked at Buddha as a savior and worshipped him as a god. They prayed to him for moksha and guidance. Thus piety became the main feature of Mahayana Buddhism.

4. Mahayana followers believed in the concept of Bodhisatwa. Each follower here should try to become a Bodhisatwan. By serving others and performing Doble deeds anybody can become a Bodhisatwan.

5. Mahayana followers worshipped even some famous Bodhisatwans.To propagate Buddhism, Mahayana followers used Sanskrit.

Question 28.
The Stupa in Amaravati was neglected but the one in Sanchi was protected. Why?
Answer:
Amaravati Stupa was discovered before the discovery at Sanchi. But the scholars were not then aware of the importance of preserving the historical monuments. Sanchi was discovered in 1818. Of the 4 doors, three were still intact. The 4^th was lying down. The mound did not have any damage. The Europeans tried take away the doors to London or Paris, but because of the timely interference of the rulers in Bhopal, they were protected. But the ‘Mahachaitanya’ of Amaravati still remains as a small mound. It has lost all its past glory.

Question 29.
Were women allowed into the Buddhist Sangha? Clarify.
Answer:
In the beginning, only men could be members. But later women were also included. It was because of the persuasion by Ananda, who was one of the dearest disciples of Buddha, that Buddha allowed women into the Sangha. They were known as ‘bikhshunis’. The first bikhshuni was the foster mother of Buddha. Her name was Mahaprajapati Gomathy. All bikhshunis were propagators of the religion. They tried hard to become ‘theri’ – respectable women who were entitled to moksha.

Question 30.
Why were the stupas built? What is their importance?
Answer:
Stupas are holy places. These are mounds where part of the mortal remains of Buddha or some things he used is buried. They have been made with bricks or stones. They have a lot of story value.

1. Even before the coming of Buddhism, the practice of making stupas was in existence. Later it became attached to Buddhism.
2. Since they are built over the remains of Buddha or the things he used, they are worshipped as a sign of Buddha and Buddhism.

Followers of Buddha built many stupas in different parts of India. The Buddhist Book “Asokavadana Sishta” says that Emperor Asoka sent the mortal remains of Buddha in all the important towns of his empire and ordered stupas to be built over them. By the 2^nd century BC, many stupas were built. The most famous stupas are in Bharhut, Sanchi and Saranath.

Question 31.
Do you think the stupas were built from the donations received from people? Justify.
Answer:
On the pillars and bars of the stupas, there are many inscriptions. These inscriptions record that the stupas were built with the donations from people. From a different sections of the society, funds came.

1. Some donations came from kings like Satavahanan.
2. Guilds also gave donations. It was the artisans who made sculptures with ivory that gave the money to make a door in Sanchi.
3. Ordinary men and women also gave donations, their names, profession, birthplace, and names of their relatives are inscribed on the stones.
4. Bhikshus and Bikshunis also gave their contributions to building the stupas.

Question 32.
Describe the structure and style of making of the stupas.
Answer:
Stupa is a Sanskrit word meaning a heap or mound. In the early times, stupas were in semi-circles. Later they were known as ‘anda’. Gradually, the structure of the stupas became complex. They now acquired circular and rectangular shapes. Over the andas, they built some kind of balcony.

It was called harmika which means ‘sreekovil’. It represents the abode of god. From harmika rose a flag-post, called ‘yashti’. Around this, there were chhatris (umbrellas). Around the mound, a stone wall was constructed separating it from the material world around.

The early stupas in Sanchi and Bharhut were simple. The gates and the fences were looking as if they were made of bamboos or wood. There were four entrance arches to the stupas. These arches. were decorated with sculptures. The worshippers entered the stupa from the eastern archway arid went round the mound, Later these stupas were adorned with various sculptures and inscriptions. Such decorated stupas can be seen in Amaravati and Shahji-ki-dheri in Peshawar in Pakistan.

Question 33.
Why did Buddhism become popular? To which all countries did it spread?
Answer:
Even during Buddha’s lifetime and also after his death Buddhism began to grow popular. It spread into China, Japan, Burma, Sri Lanka, Mangolia and Tibet. The quickly changing social environment and the dissatisfaction of people with the existing religious practices attracted them to Buddhism. The following were the additional reasons:

1. Buddhism gave preference to values and conduct more than to birth. It rejected the caste system.
2. It stressed compassion, especially to the children and the destitute.
3. Its principles were easily understandable.
4. Buddha used Pali, the language of the common people, to propagate his religion. It increased its popularity.
5. It got the support of kings like Asoka, Kanishka, and Harsha.
6. The working of the Buddhist Sanghas also helped in increasing its popularity.

Question 34.
In ancient Hindu Religion there are two Traditions. What are they? What are their salient features?
Answer:
The two traditions are Vaishnava religion and Saiva religion.

1. Vaishnavas worshipped Vishnu as the main god. Saivas worshipped Siva. In their worship piety was the main factor. Piety is the love and dedication the worshipper shows his god.

2.  In Vaishnava religion, the followers accepted the ten avatars of Vishnu. The Vaishnavites believed that whenever the world was threatened by immoral powers with violence and destruction, Vishnu appeared as a new avatar to save the believers.

3. Different avatars became popular in different parts of the country. Local deities were also viewed as Vishnu’s avatar. It was a way to make a unified religious tradition. In different sculptures, Vishnu appeared in different forms.

Question 35.
Find out the relation between the items in A and complete the blank in B accordingly.

1.a) Mahayanam – Big wheel
b) Hinayanam – …………

2.a) Jainism-Triratnas
b) Buddhism – ………..

3.a) Mahavira – Kuntagramam
b) Buddha – ……….
Answer:
1. small wheel
2. Ashtangamangas
3. Lumbini

Question 36.
The 6^th century BC was a period of social revolutions in India. On the basis of this statement, explain the origin of Buddhism and Jainism.
Answer:
Areas to be considered:

1. Yaga tradition
2. Brahmin authority
3. New Economic system
4. Fresh questions
5. Discussions and Talks
6. Sacrifices and Debates

The 6^th century BC was a turning point in world history. Many philosophers were found in different parts of the world. In Iran Zaratushtra, In China Confucius, in Greece Socrates, Plato and Aristotle, in India Mahavira and Gautama Buddha -all these people lived in this period.

1. They tried to find out the mysteries of existence.
2. They tried to find the relations between man and the universe.
3. They tried to analyze the social and economic happenings of the time.

In India, the 6^th century BC was a period of social revolution. In the Ganges valley, new Empires and cities came up. Social and economic life of the people was changing in various ways. These changes caused many religions to come up. The most important of them were Jainism and Buddhism. Let’s see the causes for their rise.

Sacrificial Tradition: Even before the coming of Jainism and Buddhism, different philosophical concepts and religious traditions were in existence. One of them was the Veda tradition. We know things about that period from Rigveda, which was collected between 1500 and 1000 BC.

Rigveda is a collection of hymns praising gods like Fire, Indra, and Soman. These hymns were recited during the sacrifices (Yagas) which were performed by the people to have health, children, cattle wealth and long life.

In the beginning, yagas were conducted in large groups for the entire people. But from 1000 to 500 BC, yagas were conducted privately by householders for the prosperity of their family or clan. But great yagas like Rajasuyam and Ashwamedhom were conducted only by kings and chiefs.

The yagas and rituals lost their earlier simplicity and purity. They became more noisy, showy, expensive and even violent. Such yagas were unaffordable by ordinary people. With the increase in the yagas and rituals, the importance and prestige of Brahmins began to increase. Things like yagas became the monopoly of Brahmins. They misused their position to exploit people.

The Problems of Jati and Language: In the post-Veda period the society was divided into 4 Varnas. It caused a lot of conflicts in the society. Brahmins claimed the highest status. They had special rights. They were exempted from taxes and punishment. The Kshatriyas objected to this. Since Mahavira and Buddha were Kshatriyas, they too were against this Brahmin domination.

Vaisyas and Sudras opposed the authority of the higher Varnas. Although the Vaisyas had money and power, their position was lower than the Brahmins and Kshatriyas. Naturally they welcomed the new religions.

All the Vedic books were written in Sanskrit. So, most of the people did not understand anything. The incantations for yagas and rituals were recited in Sanskrit. People repeated them without knowing what they said. Mahavira and Buddha propagated their religions in Pali and Prakrit. So people accepted them easily.

The New Economic System: The growth of the agricultural economy helped the new religions to develop. The use of iron made it possible to clear forests and make bigger farms. Agricultural technologies also became better. The development of agriculture increased the demand for cattle, as bullocks were used for ploughing the farms.

Brahmins killed a lot of cattle for various sacrifices and therefore there was a reduction in the cattle wealth. Priestly sacrifices of animals became an obstacle for agriculture. Naturally, people welcomed the new religions which advocated non-violence.

New Questions: The philosophical questions in the Upanishads also made people unhappy. The Upanishads say that people were interested in knowing the essence of life, the possibility of life after death, rebirth, etc. Issues like the relation of karma with rebirth caused a lot of heated debates. People were interested in finding out the Ultimate Truth.

Many people even doubted if there is anything called the Ultimate Truth. They also doubted the importance of Veda tradition. Debates and Discussions: We get some idea about the debates and discussions of those times from the Buddhist books. There were some 64 different kinds of ideological streams.

Religious teachers travelled across the country and discussed matters with the common people. They tried to impress upon the people with the importance of their thinking. People also discussed and debated these matters. These discussions were conducted in some special tents with tapering tops called ‘kudagarasala’ or in groves where the bikshus stayed during their journeys. If one philosopher defeated another one in a debate, the followers of the defeated one would follow the winning philosopher. Therefore the support for a particular stream would increase or decrease fast.

People like Mahavira and Buddha questioned the authenticity of the Vedas. They gave importance to personal actions. They asked the people, men and women, to make efforts to be free from the worries and anxieties of this world. Their attitude was quite different from the attitude of the Brahmins who gave importance to one’s birth and not his way of life.

Question 37.
Write an essay defining the principles of Buddhism, Buddha Sangha and the Spread of Buddhism.
Answer:
It is from stories that we learn about the principles of Buddhism, especially from “Suttapitaka”. Some of the stories here describe the miraculous powers of Buddha, There are also stories which speak highly of his wisdom, logic and sense of reality. These stories point out that without showing any miracles, he tried to teach people things logically.

For example there is this story. A mother whose son had died came to Buddha asking him to bring her dead son back to life. He did not perform any miracle of raising the boy from death. But he convinced the mother about the inevitability of death.

All these stories are written in Pali, the language of the common people. So, people could understand them easily. In his first preaching at Saranath we can see the important principles of Buddhism.

The world continuously changes. There is nothing permanent or immortal in it. There is no soul in it. In short the world is without eternity and without soul. The basis of Buddhism is Four Noble Truths (Arya Satyas) with Ashtangamarga. The Noble Truths are:

1. The world is a sorrowful place.
2. Desires are the cause of sorrow.
3. If we deny our desires, we can avoid sorrow.
4. By following the Ashtanga Maiga, you can overcome sorrow.

The ashtanga margas are: right word, right deed, right life, right efforts, right memory, right view, right decision and right meditation.

Followers of Buddha: For his ascetics Buddha made an organization called ‘Sangha’. Their main duty was preaching or dharmopadesa. They lived a simple life keeping only the basic necessities. They had a small bowl for taking alms. Since they lived with the alms they received they were known as ‘bikshus’. Initially there were only men. But because of the influence of Ananda, a favourite disciple of Buddha, women also were enrolled. They were called bikshunis. The first bikshuni was Buddha’s foster mother, Mahaprajapati Gomathy. All bikshunis wanted to be ‘theri’, respectable women who have got moksha.

The disciples of Buddha belonged to different social classes. There were kings, rich people, and householders among his disciples. There were also labourers, artisans and even slaves in the group. Inside the Sangha all were equal. Once a person becomes a Bikhshu or Bikshuni, his/her previous position did not matter.

The bikhshus and bikhshunis were required to follow the Sangha rules. All these rules are explained in ‘Vinaya Pitaka’. The rules were made in such a way that they would help people to come away from their luxurious lifestyles and live in a simple way. The Sangha followed a democratic way. The internal working of the Sangha was based on the traditions of the Ganas and Sanghas in the Mahajanapadas. Problems were solved through discussions. If there were differing views, things were settled by vote.

The Spread of Buddhism: Even during Buddha’s lifetime and also after his death Buddhism began to grow popular. It spread into China, Japan, Burma, Sri Lanka, Mangolia and Tibet. The quickly changing social environment and the dissatisfaction of people with the existing religious practices attracted them to Buddhism. The following were the additional reasons:

1. Buddhism gave preference to values and conduct more than to birth. It rejected the caste system.
2. It stressed compassion, especially to the children and the destitute.
3. Its principles were easily understandable.
4. Buddha used Pali, the language of the common people, to propagate his religion. It increased its popularity.
5. It got the support of kings like Asoka, Kanishka, and Harsha.
6. The working of the Buddhist Sanghas also helped in increasing its popularity.

Question 38.
What are Stupas? Prepare a note on them.
Answer:
Stupas are holy places. These are mounds where part of the mortal remains of Buddha or some things he used is buried. They have been made with bricks or stones. They have a lot of story value.

1. Even before the coming of Buddhism, the practice of making stupas was in existence. Later it became attached to Buddhism.
2. Since they are built over the remains of Buddha or the things he used, they are worshipped as a sign of Buddha and Buddhism.

Followers of Buddha built many stupas in different parts of India. The Buddhist Book “Asokavadana Sishta” says that Emperor Asoka sent the mortal remains of Buddha in all the important towns of his empire and ordered stupas to be built over them. By the 2^nd century BC, many stupas were built. The most famous stupas are in Bharhut, Sanchi and Saranath.

Stupa is a Sanskrit word meaning a heap or mound. In the early times, stupas were in semi-circles. Later they were known as ‘anda’. Gradually, the structure of the stupas became complex. They now acquired circular and rectangular shapes. Over the andas, they built some kind of balcony. It was called harmika which means ‘sreekovil’. It represents the abode of god. From harmika rose a flag-post, called ‘yashti’. Around this there were chhatris (umbrellas). Around the mound, a stone wall was constructed separating it from the material world around. The early stupas in Sanchi and Bharhut were simple.

The gates and the fences were looking as if they were made of bamboos or wood. There were four entrance arches to the stupas. These arches were decorated with sculptures. The worshippers entered the stupa from the eastern archway and went round the mound, Later these stupas were adorned with various sculptures and inscriptions. Such decorated stupas can be seen in Amaravati and Shahji-ki-dheri in Peshawar in Pakistan.

You can Download Kerala: Towards Modernity Questions and Answers, Notes, Plus Two History Chapter Wise Questions and Answers Kerala Chapter 15 help you to revise complete Syllabus and score more marks in your examinations.

Kerala Plus Two History Chapter Wise Questions and Answers Chapter 15 Kerala: Towards Modernity

Question 1.
The region in Kerala which was under the direct rule of the British.
Answer:
Malabar

Question 2.
The first book printed entirely in Malayalam?
Answer:
Samkshepavedantham

Question 3.
The person who prepared the first Malayalam Dictionary (Sabdakosam)?
Answer:
Amos Pathiri

Question 4.
The Founder of Samatwa Samajam?
Answer:
Vaikunta Warrier

Question 5.
The Founder of Sadhu Jana Paripalana Sangham?
Answer:
Ayyankali

Question 6.
The founder of Atmavidya Sangham?
Answer:
Vagbhatanandan

Question 7.
The leader who led the ‘Savarna Jadha’?
Answer:
Mannath Padmanabhan

Question 8.
Explain the growth in plantation crops in Kerala during the colonial period.
Answer:
An important change that happened during the colonial period in the economic system of Kerala is the growth in plantation crops. Europeans took the initiative to start new plantations and invest capital in them. The main plantations crops were tea, coffee, rubber, and cardamom. Plantations crops proved more successful in Travancore than in Malabar. There were some reasons for that. The soil and high land of Travancore were better than those of Malabar. Therefore plantations crops developed fast in Travancore. This helped the British to earn a lot of wealth. The tax collection system in Malabar was not good enough.

Question 9.
Point out the role played by missionaries in the modernization of Kerala and in its education.
Answer:
An important driving force behind the growth of Kerala Was its education. The contributions made by missionaries in this field are highly valuable. They played a big role in expanding education. In the first decade of the 19th century, the London Mission Society (LMS) and Church Mission Society (CMS) started working in Travancore.

Rev. Mead was a missionary of CMS, who devoted his entire life in expanding education here. In 1817 the CMS College and a seminary were founded at Kottayam. To encourage women’s education, the missionaries established a grammar school and other schools.

The first school in Kochi was established in 1818 in Mattanchery. A missionary named Rev. Dowson was its founder.

At the same time, Rev Twinkle Tab, a Spanish Missionary in the Salvation Army founded English schools in the southern parts, including Nagercoil.

It was Basil Evangelical Mission (BEM) that spread education in Malabar. In 1848, they established a primary school in Kallai and in 1856, another school at Thalassery.

The contributions made by the Christian missionaries encouraged the governments of Kerala to take up education more seriously. In 1817, the ruler of Travancore, Gauri Parvati Bai, started free, compulsory primary education. In many areas of Travancore, schools were established. In 1839, during the reign of Swathi Thirunal, the first English school was begun. Another school was started in Thalassery.

Question 10.
Make a list of reforms that were brought about in the three regions of Kerala.
Answer:
Malabar

• District and Provincial courts were established.
• A chain of roads was made.
• In Ancharakandi, a spice garden was established.
• Many cloth and tile factories were founded.
• Kozhikode, Thalassery, Kannur Municipalities came into existence.
• Railway link was established with other areas of the country.
• In Nilambur a teak grove was established.
• To bring timber, a canal was made (e.g. Kanoli Canal).
• Timber business was encouraged.

Kochi

• Lower Courts and Huzur Courts were founded.
• All important Devaswoms were brought under the government.
• In 1845, slavery was banned.
• The survey of the land was made and taxes were fixed.
• Railway lines were made.
• Established Health, Agriculture and Fisheries departments.
• Kochi Tenant (Leasing) Law was passed.
• A Staff Selection Board was established.

Travancore

• Owners of land were given ‘pattayams’ showing details of the land.
• Slavery was banned in 1812.
• Renewed judiciary by founding 5 district courts and 1 Appeal Court.
• In 1811, the administration of Dewaswoms was taken over by the Government.
• Improved coinage, communication, agriculture and trade.
• Banned feudal conventions like “talavari” and “Uzhiyam”.
• In 1888, a Law-Making Council with 8 members was formed.
• Founded, many factories, electrification schemes, canals and post office?

Question 11.
The British brought some changes in the laws of Kerala. Find them out.
Answer:
In the system of law that the British brought, there were Western legal thoughts and concepts. They founded a chain of civil and criminal courts. They made sure that principles like the Rule of Law and Equality before Law were enforced. They also made a united legal code that included the laws of the land.

Question 12.
What made Pazhassiraja fight against the British? Write about the various stages of the Pazhassi Revolt.
Answer:
The Pazhassi Revolt was one of the most significant revolts in South India against the British. The British had established their authority over Malabar. Their wrong attitude to justice caused the Revolt. Keralavarma Pazhassiraja was a member of the Kottayam Dynasty of Malabar. In the beginning, he was in friendly terms with the British. In the Mysore wars, he even helped them. As a reward for his help, the British granted him the right to collect taxes from people.

But when Malabar came under their authority, the British forgot this promise. The right to collect taxes was given to an uncle of Pazhassi, the King of Kurumbanad. This King charged the people heavy taxes and used very cruel methods to get the money from them. It was in this context that Pazhassi rebelled against the British.

There were two stages in the Pazhassi Revolt. The 1st stage is from 1793 to 1797. Pazhassi started his revolt by preventing the tax collection for the British. Pazhasi’s army consisted of Muslim and Nair farmers and members of Kurichi tribe. It strongly withstood the attacks by the Company’s army. Pazhassi ‘ requested the help of Mysore to drive away the British from Wayanad. The British army was continuously defeated and in 1797, it withdrew from Wayanad, making an agreement with Pazhassi. With this, the first stage ended. The 2^nd stage of the Revolt started in 1800.

The reason was the move of the British to take over Wayanad. With the help of the Kurichis and Kurumbars in his army, Pazhassi withstood the attacks. Finally, Wellesley defeated Pazhassi in a bitter battle. Pazhassi still continued his resistance. But an army under Thomas Harvey Bebar, a sub-collector of Thalassery, defeated Pazhassi on 30 November 1805, In the battle, Pazhassi lost his life.

Question 13.
There were strong uprisings against the British in Travancore and Kochi. In the context of this statement, describe the anti-colonial activities of Veluthampi Dalava and Paliathacchan.
Answer:
After occupying Malabar, the attention of the British turned to Kochi and Travancore. They tried to establish their political and commercial interests in these places. In 1800, the Company appointed Col. Macaulay as the Resident of Travancore and Kochi. Macaulay started controlling the internal affairs of these native states. By this, the rulers lost their sovereignty.

Veluthampi was the chief minister (Dalawa) of Travancore. In 1805, the British signed a friendship treaty with Travancore. Through this, the Resident got the power to interfere in the internal affairs of the state, which lost its political freedom. He insisted that the tribute which the state owed to the Company should be paid within a certain time, without giving any consideration to the financial difficulties facing the state. One man named Mathu Tharakan owed a lot of money to the state as tax arrears. Velu Thampi Dalawa ordered to confiscate his property. But Macaulay interfered and canceled the order of the Dalawa. All these incidents prompted the Dalawa to embark on an armed conflict against the Company.

Paliathacchan was the Prime Minister of Kochi. He had enmity with Macaulay. Veluthampi Dalawa made a secret agreement with Paliathacchan. They also secretly contacted the French in Mauritius and the Zamorin of Kozhikode and requested them to give their support in their fight against the Company. In 1808 the combined armies of Travancore and Kochi attacked the residence of Macaulay in Kochi. The Resident escaped in a British ship.

As the revolt was in progress the Dalawa reached Kundara. He issued a proclamation on 11 January 1809 asking the people to join him against the British. This is called ‘Kundara Proclamation’ (Kundara Vilambaram). It is considered as an important document showing the fight of South India against colonization.

The British hit back. They attacked Kochi. Paliathacchan withdrew from the revolt by signing a treaty with the British. The British persuaded the Travancore King to remove Velu Thampi from his post. Unnini Thampi became the new Dalawa. The new Dalawa asked the police, to arrest Velu Thampi. A reward was declared for catching him. Velu Thampi took refuge in a house at Mannadi. When the combined forces of the British and Travancore surrounded the house, Velu Thampi committed suicide. He did not want to be caught alive and insulted. With this, the heroic resistance against the British ended in Travancore.

Question 14.
Kerala witnessed a silent but comprehensive social revolution in the 19th and 20th centuries. Evaluate the Social Reformation Movements in Kerala in the context of this statement.
Answer:
In the 19^th century, in Kerala, there were many religious superstitions, rituals, and conventions. There were also social injustices and economic injustices.
The Feudal lords suppressed the farmers. The Upper Castes ill-treated the lower castes. This made the life of poor people miserable. There were so many illogical and even foolish practices related to menstruation, marriage, pregnancy, and death. Slavery also existed here.

• The Kerala Brahmins received a lot of privileges.
• The lower caste people did not have a good position
  in society. The Upper Caste people controlled their modes of dress, freedom to travel and entry into temples.
• There were untouchability and pollution rules. In Travancore and Kochi, government jobs were not given to people of lower classes.

It is in this social background that the Social Reformers started their fight against the ills of society. Although all-India Movements like Arya Samajam and Theosophical Society had their branches in Kerala, their influence was very little here. Here the social revolution was the result of local Movements. Here are some Social Reformists that worked in Kerala in the 19^th and 20^th centuries.

Vaikunda Swamikal: He was bom in 1808, in the . village called Sastamkotta Vila near Kanyakumari. He started Samatwa Samajam’.

He published: ‘AkilattirattuAmmanai’and ‘Arul Nool’.

Reforms:

• For the first time, he started ‘Kannadi Prathishta’ in South India.
• His faith was called the way of the father (“Ayyavazhi”).
• He objected to all kinds of discrimination and stood for social equality.
• He objected to priesthood, idol worship, and animal sacrifice. He worked for the freedom of the lower castes and the welfare of women.

Sri Narayana Guru: Hewas born in the village of Chempazhanthi in Thiruvananthapuram district, in 1854. He founded the Sri Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam.

He published: “Atmopadesa Sathakam”, “Daiva Sathakam”. “Darsanamala”, “ Siva Sathakam” and “Navamanjari”.

Reforms:
Worked for the ending of superstitions and caste discriminations. He encouraged people to take up Western education, trade, and business enterprises.
He made the famous slogan “One Jati, One Religion, One God, for Man”.
He raised his voice against the control by Upper Castes. Shocking the conservatives, he did ‘Siva Pratishta’andAruvipuram.

Chattambi Swamikal: He was born in 1853 at the village of Kollur in Trivandum district. He published ‘Prachina Malayalam’, ‘Adibhasha’ and ‘Vedadikara Nirupanam’.

Reforms:

• He objected Jati and other illogical social rituals.
• He challenged the monopoly of Brahmins to study Vedas.
• Objected to the animal sacrifices in temples.
• He contributed a lot to Malayalam Literature and language.

Ayyankali : He was bdrn in 1863 at Venganur in Trivandum. His Organization was Sadhu Jana Paripalana Sangham. ‘

Reforms:

• He fought for freedom to travel and education for the lower classes.
• He opposed the Jati System. He organized labour protests and agriculture boycotts to get lower-class students admission in public schools.
• Against the restrictions placed on the mode of dress by lower-class people, he organized the ‘Kallumala Protest’. He asked people to break and throw away the. Kallumala’.

Vakkom Abulkhader Moulavi: He was born in 1873, at Vakkom in Chirayinkeezhu.taluk. He made the Travancore Muslim Mahajana Sabha.

He published: Swadesabhimani (edited by K. Ramakrishna Pillai), Al-Islam (An Arabic-Malayalam Magazine).

Reforms:

• He is the architect of the modernization of Kerala Muslims. He asked the Muslims to give up all anti- Islamic rituals.
• He asked the Muslims to get a Western education and to take part in Movements for development.
• He was the founder and owner of Swadeshabhimani Newspaper.

Vagbhatanandan: Hewas born at Patyam in 1885. He founded ‘Atmavidya Sangham’. He published Abhinava Keralam (Magazine), Atmavidya Kahalam (Journal), Sivayogavilasam (Magazine).

Reforms:

• Acknowledged the right of the lower classes to enter temples.
• Showed interest in the economic progress of the lower classes,
• He took active interest in Agricultural Movements.
• He opposed Jati and idol worship. He encouraged Yuktichintha and critical thinking. He was interested in prohibition (of alcohol).

Mar Kuriakose Elias Chavara : He was born in 1805, in the village Kainakari in Kuttanad.

He published: ‘Atmanuthapam’, “Idayariatakangal’, ‘Dhyanasallapangal’ and ‘Nalagamangal’.

Reforms:

• He founded many schools in Central Kerala. He encouraged Sanskrit education. He opened a Sanskrit school at Mannanam, in 1846.
• The founded orphanages for the poor and old people.
• He encouraged the education of dalits. He funded two schools for them.
• He started St. Joseph’s Printing press at Mannanam.
  It was the first indigenous printing press in Kerala.

V.T. Bhattathirippad: He was born in 1896 at Mezhathur.

He published: “Adukkalayil Ninnum Arangathekku” and “Kannirum Kinavum”.

Reforms:

• He fought against the discrimination against the Namboodiri women and widows who had to suffer a lot because of insults and ostracism.
• He opposed dowry and the marrying of young girls to old men.

Question 15.
Women also made a lot of contributions to the Social Reformation Movements of Kerala. Explain with examples.
Answer:
Women have given priceless contributions to the Social Reformation Movements of Kerala. Parvati Nenminimangalam, Arya Pallam, Sarada Amrnal, K.C. Narayani Amma Kalikkutty Asatty etc. did a lot to awaken women and raise their social status. They also worked hard for the removal of social evils that plagued the Kerala society. They helped in the removal of the Jati system, increased women’s education, did a lot for women empowerment and social justice, the prosperity of labourers and farmers, thinking with reason, use of public space and the uplifting of the Dalit community.

Question 16.
Describe the fight for a democratic society in Kerala and how the Shanar Agitation (Channar Lahala), Vaikom Satyagraha and Guruvayur Satyagraha helped in that fight.
Answer:
There were many social evils in Kerala. There was control based on taste. Even basic human rights were denied to some castes. Human dignity did not mean anything to the Upper Classes. Against such injustice, some popular movements worked hard. Here are some of the most important movements.

Shanar Agitation: This was one of the early fights against social injustice. This took place in Southern Travancore. This is also called ‘Melmundu samara’. Women of the Channar Community were not allowed to cover the upper part of their bodies with any doth or dress. Then, when Col. Monroe was the Diwan, he issued an order allowing the Channar women (Nadar) to wear a dress if they became Christians.
The Channar women were not satisfied with this. They started appearing in the public wearing shawls like women of the Upper Classes. The Upper-Class Hindus did not like it. They attacked the Channar women, who retaliated. Finally on 26 July 1859, the government issued a royal edict removing restrictions on the dressing.

Vaikom Satyagraha: This is the first famous public protest against untouchability. This protest was organized forgetting the right to use the paths near the. Vaikom Temple by lower caste Hindus. The leaders of this Satyagraha were T.K. Madhavan, Mannath Padmanabhan, C.V. Kunjuraman, K. Kelappan, and K.P. Kesava Menon.

An important event connected with the Vaikom Satyagraha is a procession of High Caste Hindus organized by Mannath Padmanabhan. The Procession wenttoTrivandum and met Maharani Sethulaxmi Bai and presented their request to her.

The Vaikom Satyagraha and the Savama Procession (Jatha) helped in forming positive public opinion regarding Temple Entry to all Castes. Finally, Gandhi interfered and the protest was successfully concluded. All the paths, except two, around the Vaikom Temple, were opened for use by all kinds of people.

Guruvayur Satyagraha: This was a milestone in the social reform movement of Kerala. It was a great event against untouchability. This protest was begun with the demand that all Hindus should be allowed to worship in the temple. The Guruvayur temple was under the control of the Kozhikode Zamorin and only Upper Caste Hindus could worship there.

The Satyagraha started on 1 November 1931. K. Kelappan and Mannath Padmanabhan led the protest. Kelappan started a fast unto death in front of the temple.

Some fanatic Upper-Class Hindus attacked volunteers like A.K. Gopalan and P. Krishna Pillai. On 2 October 1932, on the advice of Gandhi, the Satyagraha was ended. An opinion poll was conducted in Ponnani Taluk to find out public opinion about the issue. Most of the people supported temple entry by lower caste Hindus also. Although results did not come immediately, the Satyagraha helped in forming public opinion in favour of Temple Entry by all manners of Hindus.

Question 17.
Agitation against untouchability continued in Kerala even after independence. Explain with examples.
Answer:
Agitation against untouchability had to continue in ‘ Kerala even after independence. Paliyam Satyagraha ‘ was one such agitation:
In Kochi, there were many temples in front of the houses of the Upper Caste Hindus. Lower Caste Hindus were denied entry there. Paliathacchan was the Prime Minister of Kochi. His, house was in Chennamangalam. Lower Caste Hindus tried to walk on the road in front of his house and this; brought about big clashes. It was in these circumstances the Paliam Satyagraha was started. This was done jointly by the organizations like State Praja Mandalam, Communist Party, and S.N.D.P. Yogam.

They started to agitate in front of the Paliam Family to get the street open for all. On 4 December 1947, C. Kesavan inaugurated the Satyagraha. The government used force to suppress the agitation. One of the leaders of the agitation, A.G. Velayudhan, was killed and the Satyagraha was suspended for some time, in March 1948. In April 1948, the government issued orders regarding Temple Entry for all. With this, all could use the public streets.

Question 18.
Discuss the formation of Malayali Being and the United (Aikya) Kerala Movement.
Answer:
The Malayalam language played a big role in the cultural unity of people from Travancore, Kochi, and Malabar. The roots of the Malayan Being based on language and region could be traced to “Leelathilakam”, a grammar book of the 14th century. It talks about a community that speaks Malayalam.

In fact, the concept of ‘Malayali Being’ (Individuality or Personality) was formed at the end of the 19th ‘ century. The spread of modern education was the reason for that. It gave the idea of a region where people spoke the same language.

The Printing technology and the founding of local language newspapers also helped in this concept. There was a practice of appointing outsiders to do the work in Government offices of Kerala. In 1891, a mass petition (memorandum) signed by 10,028 persons was submitted against this practice. It was called the Malayali Memorial. This was a sign of new awareness.

The National Movement gained momentum at the beginning of the 20ttl century. The concept of Malayali Being also grew with this. This concept spread beyond the boundaries of native states of Travancore, Kochi and Malabar and the need for a unified region was felt, In 1921, Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) was formed on the basis of language. It represented people from Travancore, Kochi, and Malabar.

The all-Kerala political meeting under Congress was summoned at Ottappalam in 1921. It was the first meeting in which representatives from Travancore, Kochi, and Malabar jointly participated. The desire for the Malayali Being was expressed in the book titled “Onnekal Kodi Malayalikal” by EMS Namboodiripad.

In April 1947, there was a United Kerala Meeting at Thrissur under the chairmanship of K. Kelappan. It passed a resolution demanding a United Kerala. On 1 July 1949, the State called “Thiru-Kochi” was formed combining Travancore and Kochi. It was an important step for the formation of United Kerala. The dream of a State of Kerala was fulfilled by the State Re-Organizing Committee under Sayed Fasal Ali. It recommended the formation of Kerala State uniting Travancore, Kochi, and Malabar. On 1 November 1956, Kerala State officially came into being.

Kerala State Board New Syllabus Plus Two English Textbook Answers Unit 2 Chapter 2 Amigo Brothers Text Book Questions and Answers, Summary, Notes.

Kerala Plus Two English Textbook Answers Unit 2 Chapter 2 Amigo Brothers (Story)

Read And Respond

Question 1.
What is special about the friendship between Antonio and Felix?
Answer:
Antonio Cruz and Felix Vargas were both 17. They were so together in friendship that they felt like brothers. They had known each other from childhood. They grew up in the same building on the Lower East Side of Manhattan.

Question 2.
How did they work to achieve their dream?
Answer:
They both had a dream – becoming a light-weight champion of the world. Whenever they got a chance they exercised, sometimes at the Boy’s Club and sometimes at the gym. They would run every day morning, wearing sweat shirts and short towels around their necks. They had a collection of Fight magazines. They also kept the torn tickets of all the boxing matches they had gone to see. They also had some clippings of their own.

Question 3.
What was the wall rising between them?
Answer:
They both had a dream – becoming a light-weight champion of the world. They both practised hard. They were told that they were to meet each other in the division finals scheduled for the 7th of August. That was 2 weeks away. The winner would represent the Boy’s Club in the Golden Gloves Championship Tournament. Th&’flieaftS’ ofriy on* of -them would go to the Tournament. This was the wall rising between them.

Question 4.
Felix decides to go to Aunt Lucy. Why?
Answer:
Both Felix and Antonio have come to know that they have to fight an elimination bout and only the winner would go to take part in the Golden Gloves Championship Tournament. So farthey have been running together and working out together. Now they have to have a plan of their own to defeat his rival in the bout. So they thought it was better that they separated. That is why Felix decides to go to Aunt Lucy.

Question 5.
Compare the thoughts and feelings of amigo brothers on the eve of their fight
Answer:
The evening before the big fight, Antonio made his way to the roof of his building. He tried not to think of Felix. He thought he had made up his mind. He would knock out Felix early and quickly so that he does not get hurt by a long fight. Felix decided to watch a movie in an effort to keep Antonio’s face away from his mind and fists. The film was The Champion’, acted by Kirk Douglas. The champion was getting beaten. Felix got a shock. He imagined himself in the ring, blasting Antonio against the ropes.

Question 6.
Both Antonio and Felix wanted to win in the first round. What might be the reason?
Answer:
Both Antonio and Felix wanted to win in the first round because they both wanted to win, and, at the same time they did not want to hurt each other by extending the fight into three full rounds.

Question 7.
The amigo brothers were popular as boxers. How do you know?
Answer:
They were popular as boxers. We know that from the fact that large posters about the fight were plastered all over the walls. The fight created great interest in the neighbourhood. Both the boys were liked and respected and each had his own loyal fans.

Question 8.
Do you think that the amigo brothers fought Fiercely in the first and second rounds? What makes you think so?
Answer:
Yes, I do. The amigo brothers fought fiercely in the first and second rounds. In the first round we see Antonio countering the attack of Felix with three lefts that snapped Felix’s head back, sending a mild shock coursing through him. Again we see Antonio crashing two lefts to Felix’s head which made his right ear ring. In the second round we see neither fighter giving an inch. We see Antonio getting a short right on his chin, turning his legs to jelly. We see Felix grunting like a bull throwing wild punches at Antonio from every direction. So both were trying to win by hitting the other as hard as they could.

Question 9.
Who, do you think, will win in the end?
Answer:
Both will win. Neither of them fell to the canvas and the referee and the two trainers had to pry Felix and Antonio apart. In fact their friendship won.

Question 10.
The amigo brothers rushed at each other after the final bout. Why? What does this tell us about their relationship?
Answer:
The amigo brothers rushed at each other afterthe final bout because they were proud of each other. They knew they would always be champions to each other. This tells us that their friendship is very strong and indestructible.

Think And Write

Question 1.
There are lots of similarities and differences between Antonio and Felix. List them.
Answer:
Similarities: They both are young boys of 17. They both are Puerto Ricans. They both want to become a light weight champion of the world. They both work out hard. They both run in the mornings. They both live in the same building on the Lower East side of Manhattan. They love each other very much. Neither of them wants the other to be hurt, although they both want to win.

Differences: Antonio was fair, lean and lanky. Felix was dark, short and husky. Antonio’s hair was always falling over his eyes, while Felix wore his black hair in an Afro style. Felix weigtiecfl 34 pounds, but Antonio weighed 133 pounds.

Question 2.
Antonio and Felix are intimate friends. Do you keep such intimacy with yourfriends? Describe your best friend.
Answer:
I have some intimate friends. Raj is my best friend. Raj is 18. He is fair, lean and tall. He comes from a rich family, but he is very humble. In the class he is very quiet, but outside he becomes very talkative. He is intelligent and works very hard. He wants to become an engineer, specializing in Computer Science. He likes chicken biriyani very much. He loves cricket and Hindi films. His hero in cricket is Dhoni and Virat Kohli. In films he likes Salman Khan. Among the heroines he likes Karina Kapoor and Deepik Padukone.

Question 3.
What is the main conflict in the story?
Answer:
The main conflict in the story is that of ambition. Both Antonio and Felix want to be champions. But only one of them can be a champion. So they decide to fight it out. In the end they realize that both are equally determined and equally strong.

Question 4.
The crowd was enthusiastic in the beginning. Why did people get worried in the end?
Answer:
The crowd was enthusiastic in the beginning. Large posters about the fight were plastered all overthe walls. The fight created great interest in the neighbourhood. Both the boys were liked and respected and each had his own loyal fans. As they gave each other punches the crowd was enthusiastic and loudly cheered them. But in the 3rd round the fight almost became a life and death affair. Both were punching each other so hard that even the referee got worried. They did not stop the fight even when the bell rang repeatedly and this made the people worried.

Question 5.
Nodreams can be realized without effort How far is this true in the case of Antonio and Felix?
Answer:
No dreams can be realized without effort. This is true in the case of Antonio and Felix. They both continued working hard till the last day of the fight. They even decided to go their separate ways till the fight was over. In the fight also they did not spare the opponent because he was his friend. They tried their best to win. No pain, no gain. There is a saying in English: The finest pearls are found in the deepest part of the ocean. Only those who make genuine efforts can get these pearls.

Activity I: (Write-up)

Question 1.
The box given below contains information about Antonio and Felix. Add more points to it
Answer:

• Felt themselves to be brothers
• Slept, ate, rapped and dreamt positive
• Both were young boys of 17
• Both were Puerto Ricans
• Both wanted to become a light weight champion of the world
• Both worked out hard
• Both ran in the mornings
• They lived in the same building on the Lower East side of Manhattan.
• They love each other very much.
• They did not want the other to be hurt
• Both were strong, one weighing 134 pounds and other 133.

Activity II (Making Announcements)

Question 2.
The following announcement was made by the announcer before the competition began: “Ladies and Gentlemen, now is the moment we have all been waiting for-the main event between two fine young Puerto Rican fighters… ”

Imagine yourself to be the announcer of the sports day in your school. Write the script of the announcement that you would make for any one event
Answer:
“Respected teachers, parents, boys and girls, now is the moment we all have been waiting for- the 400 Metres Relay Race. The fourteams are ready at their various spots. Look at their colours-orange, green, yellow and white. The batons are also of the same colour as their dresses. Soon the whistle will go and you will see the fastest runners of the school competing for the prize. Be ready for a breathtaking finish. I can see the referee ready to whistle. Okay… May the best team win!”

Activity III (Newspaper report)

Question 3.
Imagine that you are a newspaper reporter and you witness the contest between the amigo brothers ad note down the points which you would like to include in your report.
Answer:

• Venue – Tompkins Square Park
• Time-Afternoon
• Contestants – Antonio Cruz & Felix Vargas
• Park begins to fill up even earlier
• Fighters enter
• Crowd explodes with a roar
• Antonio & Felix bow gracefully and raise their arms in acknowledgment
• The announcement with the respective weights of the contestants
• Referee giving instructions
• Ground
• 2nd round
• 3rd round
• Final bell. Fighting does not stop. People get worried.
• The referee and the trainers separate the contestants
• The contestant embrace
• The announcement but the contestants had left, arm in arm, declaring their strong bond of friendship -amigo brothers!

Question 4.
Now prepare a newspaper report to be mailed to your editor.
Answer:
The fight between Antonio Cruz & Felix Vargas was scheduled to take place in Tompkins Square Park. The time was afternoon. Even before the scheduled fight, the Park begins to fill up because the fighters were much liked by the people around! There was expectation in all the faces to see a very good fight. The fighters enter and the crowd explodes with a roar. Antonio & Felix bow gracefully and raise their arms in acknowledgement to welcome they received from the crowd.

The announcer makes the announcement telling that the contest is between Antonio Cruz and Felix Vargas, two fine Puerto Ricans. Felix Vargas weighs 134 pounds and his rival Antonio Cruz weighs 133 pounds. The winner will represent the Boy’s Club in the tournament of champions, the Golden Gloves. There will be no draw. The Referee now gives instructions telling them it should be a clean fight. In the first round both the contestants do their best to outwit the other. But both are equally strong. In the second round also the same things happen. Punches fly back and forth, but none is floored. Each punch is applauded thunderously by the crowd.

Now comes the third round. Each contestant wants to win. They punch each other very hard. Nobody falls to the canvas. The final bell rings. But the fight continues. The bell rings again and again. But there is no stopping to the fighting. People started getting worried. It looked as if they are witnessing a do or die fight and not a contest. There is utter silence. Then the referee and the trainers separate the contestants.

Now the contestants embrace. They have forgotten they were fighting like bulls up to a moment ago. The announcer makes an announcement. He is trying to name the winner and he looks around. But both Felix and Antonio had left like good old friends, arm in arm, declaring their strong bond of friendship. They proved themselves to be real amigo brothers! May their tribes increase!

Activity IV (Debate)

Question 5.
“The announcer turned to point to the winner and found himself alone. Arm in arm, the champions had already left the ring.”
The winner in the boxing competition left without receiving the prize. This is against the rules and regulations of a game. Do you agree to this opinion?

Now use these points to conduct a debate and assess your performance in the format.
My performance:
My fluency:
Relevance of points presented:
Could I establish my points?:
My body language:
The best performer (in my opinion):
His/her merits:
Answer:
If vou agree. Why? Write down your points below:

• Going away without receiving the prize is against the rules and regulations.
• Every competition has rules and regulations. The participants should obey them.
• If you break the rules, the competitions can’t be done properly.
• The competitors came to the competition knowing fully well only one could win as it was an elimination contest. Then why go away without taking the prize?
• If Felix and Antonio loved each other so much they should not have agreed to take part in the competition in public.
• They both had tried hard to defeat the other. So why doesn’t the winner collect his prize?

If you disagree, write down the reasons:

• Actually, nobody had won in the contest. The referee and the two trainers had to separate the contestants.
• Anybody has a right to refuse a prize.
• By taking the prize before the large crowd the winner must have made the other person sad.
• They both considered themselves as champions.
• Taking part in a contest does not force anyone to accept the prize.
• Their friendship was more valuable to them than the prize.
• They did their best and that is their prize.

Activity V (Book review)

Question 6.
Read the book review
Now, list the features of the review.

• Author
• Impression about the book

Answer:
Now, list the features of the review:

• Author – Arthur Conan Doyle
• Book – The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
• Number of Investigations -12
• The hero and his assistant – Sherlock Holmes and Watson
• The narrator of the incidents – Watson
• The ways Watson and Holmes solve mysteries and catch the culprits
• The suspense and mystery in the stories
• How little details which people often ignore prove useful in criminal investigations.
• Involvement of the reader in solving the mysteries
• Highly readable stories
• World-wide acceptance

Question 7.
Read the memoir ‘My greatest Olympic Prize’ by Jesse Owens and prepare a review of it.
Answer:

A Review Of My Greatest Olympic Prize By Jesse Owens

It is 1936. American Jesse Owens seems sure to win the long jump competition in the Olympic Games. The previous year he had jumped 26 feet, 8 1/4 inches, a record that would stand for 25 years.

As he walks to the long-jump pit, however, Owens sees a tall, blue eyed, blond German taking practice jumps in the 26-foot range. Owens feels nervous. He is acutely aware of the Nazis desire to prove ‘Aryan superiority.’And as a black son of a share cropper, he knows what it is like to feel inferior.

Oh his first jump, Owens inadvertently leaps from several inches beyond the takeoff board. Rattled, he fouls on his second attempt, too. One more foul and he will be eliminated.

At this point, the tall German introduces himself as Luz Long. “You should be able to qualify with your eyes closed!” he says to Owens, referring to his upcoming two jumps.

For the next few moments, the African American and the white model of Nazi manhood chat together. Then Long makes a suggestion. Since the qualifying distance is only 23 feet, 51/2inches, why not make a mark several inches before the takeoff board and jump from there, just to play it safe? Owens does and qualifies easily.

In the finals, Owens sets an Olympic record and earns the second of four gold medals. But who is the first person to congratulate him? Luz Long in full view of Adolf Hitler. Owens never again sees Long, who is later killed in World Warll.

“You could meltdown all the medals and cups I have,’ Owens later wrote, and they wouldn’t be a plating on the 24-carat friendship I felt for Luz Long.’ That congratulations from Luz Long was the greatest Olympic Prize for Jesse Owens.

The story is full of thrills. It is written in simple language. It has suspense of the highest kind. We feel proud that Jesse Owens blasted the myth of Aryan superiority propounded by Hitler and his cohorts.,

Activity VI (Homonyms)

Question 8.
Homonyms are multiple meaning words. They have the same spelling and the same pronunciation but have different meanings.

The word ‘trunks’ has different meanings. See the various sentences given below:
light, duck, pound, hunch, fair, gear
Answer:
Trunks =
i) shorts worn for sports
ii) The main part of a tree (tree-trunk)
iii) The space in the back of the car where we keep things
iv) The body of the elephant with which it lifts things box

Question 9.
Look at the following words. Find out at least two different meanings for these words and use them in sentences to make the meanings clear.
Answer:
a) Light:
i) the thing that makes things visible: There is no light in this room; I can’t see anything properly,
ii) not heavy – This table is very light; it may break easily.

b) Duck:
i) a water bird-There are some ducks in this pond.
ii) to avoid: He tried to punch me on my nose; but I ducked and so I was not hit.

C) Pound:
i) a measurement of weight : Felix weighed 134 pounds.
ii) To beat hard, to make into powder form: Many people like pounded yam very much.

d) Hunch:
i) feeling: I have a hunch that he will come today.
ii) A camel has a hunch on its back.

e) Fair:
i) not dark: Mariamma is a fair girt.
ii) good — Ne has a fair amount of money in the bank.

f) Gear:
i) A toothed wheel for adjusting speed: My car has 6 gears.
ii) Equipment or apparatus : A teacher’s gear consists of books and chalk.

Question 10.
The story ‘Amigo Brothers’ has many words related to boxing. Now look at the following games /sports. Find out as many words related to these games as possible. ‘
Answer:
Cricket: Bat, ball, wicket, run, batsman, bowler, runs, boundary, sixer, all-rounder, fielder, pads, leg before wicket, duck, century, no-ball, free-hit, appeal, umpire, all-out, innings.

Football: Attacker, back-pass, bicycle kick, Confederation, comer-kick, cross, defender, free kick, dribble, FIFA, foul, goal-area, goal line, goal mouth, goal keeper, header, in-swinger, kick-off, offside, out-swinger, penalty, pitch, shot, striker, yellow card, referee.

Chess: bishop, capture, castle, check, checkmate, chessboard, chessman, gambit, grandmaster, king, knight, man, mate, pawn, queen, retreat, rook, square, stalemate.

Swimming: swimming caps, swimming pool, swimming baths, swimming trunks, swimming costume, bikini, diving, backstroke, breaststroke.

Basketball: basket, court, ball, dribble, penalty, score, foul, NBA, offence, defence, speed, between the legs, behind the back, spin.

Hockey: goals, goalpost, net, ball, hockey-stick, shorts, shin-guards, gloves, face-guards, forward, half¬backs, full backs, goal keeper, pass-back, bully, tie.

III. Read And Reflect

Question 1.
In the following play we see a hero who is really true to his self and conscience. He struggles to keep to his truthful ways of life. He proves that truth will prevail in the end.

Amigo Brothers (Story) Edumate Questions and Answers

Question 1.
The conversation given below is part of an interview that Antonio and Felix gave to a reporter. What would be the reported version of the conversation?
Reporter : Has the fight affected your friendship?
Antonio : Never. We never take fighting into our hearts.
Reporter : Who, in your opinion is the winner of the fight?
Felix : That question doesn’t bother us. Both of us are winners.
Answer:
The reporter asked Antonio whether the fight had affected their friendship.
Antonio denied and added that they never took fighting into their hearts.
The reporter then asked who in their opinion the winner of the fight was.
Felix replied that the question did not bother them and both of them were winners.

Question 2.
You have witnessed the fight between the Amigo brothers and have been quite impressed by the way it ended. Prepare a write-up about the climax of the fight.
Answer:
The referee wanted the fight to be clean. In the first round Antonio Cruz and Felix Vargas do their best to outwit the other. But both are equally strong. In the second round also the same thing happens. Punches fly back and forth, but none is floored. Each punch is thunderously applauded by the crowd. Now comes the third round. Each contestant wants to win. They punch each other very hard. Nobody falls to the canvas. The final bell rings. But the fight continues. The bell rings again and again. But there is no stopping to the fighting. People start getting worried. It looks as if they are witnessing a do ordie fight and not a contest. There is utter silence. Then the referee and the trainer separate the two contestants.

Now the contestants embrace. They have forgotten that they were fighting like bulls until a moment ago.

The announcer makes an announcement. He is trying to name the winner and he looks around. But both Antonio and Felix had left like good old friends, arm in arm, declaring their strong bond of friendship. They proved themselves to be tfuly amigo bothers!

Question 3.
You might have got sincere friends whom you treasure more than anything else. Write a paragraph about your intimate friend.
Answer:
The sincerest friend I have is Joe. My parents are poor but Joe comes from a rich family. He helped me in all possible ways. He used to buy more note books than he needed and give me a few. He shared his texts with me. The same he did with pens. He brought lunch for two, telling his mother that he felt very hungry after the morning lessons. Like that we reached Class XII. Fortunately I had a good memory and I remembered whatever was taught in the class. I helped Joe explaining difficult things to him. Occasionally he took me to his house and allowed me to use all the amenities he had at home. He played games with me and always told me to have big dreams and work hard for realizing my dreams. He gave me biographies of Abdul Kalam and Abraham Lincoln and asked me to make them my role models. He was sure that I would make it in my life. I am following his advice and I am working hard.

I pray God to help my friend and me to fulfil our dreams. I will never forget Joe all my life.

Question 4.
Two days afterthe fight between Antonio and Felix, they receive a letter from the secretary of the Golden Gloves Championship informing that both have been selected for the tournament. Prepare the letter.
Answer:
Golden Gloves Championship
Lower East Side
New York City
Ref. No. GGC/l/13
August 9, 2016
Antonio Cruz & Felix Vargas Boxers’ Gymnasium New York City

Dear Mr. Cruz and Mr. Vargas,
Sub: Selection for the Golden Gloves Tournament We got a report from the referee of Division Finals Bout of August 7. He wrote about your friendship how hard you fought to win, but at the same time you did not want the other to lose. Such a thing is unheard of in the history of the Golden Gloves Championship Tournament.

Giving due respect to your close friendship, we are making an exception this year and we are selecting both of you for the Golden Gloves Championship. This is a tribute to your friendship. Keep it up and Best wishes.

Yours sincerely,
Sd/-

Mubarak Musa
Secretary

Question 5.
Moved by the Amigo Brother’s story of intimacy read from the newspaper you write a letter to Felix and Antonio congratulating them. Prepare the letter.
Answer:
Asha Sridhar
Standard XII
Crescent Public School
Chalakudy
8 August 2016

Dear Felix and Antonio,
Congrats Amigo Brothers! You really deserve that name! You have proved that friendship is greater than winning any competition.

You may not know me. I am a student from Kerala, India. I happened to read the story of your fight in the Division Finals and I was greatly impressed.

I am sure that the Golden Gloves Championship Authorities will take note of your intimacy and select both of you forthe Tournament.

Keep up your spirits, Amigos! I am really inspired by your spirit. I pray God to help you to achieve your dreams. I wish you all the best in life!

Yours sincerely,
Asha

Question 6.
Imagine yourself to be the announcer/commentator of the boxing match between Antonio and Felix. Write the script of the announcement that could be used before the match.
Answer:
Ladies and Gentlemen,
You are welcome to the Tompkins Square Park for the Division Finals. We have fine weather and I assure you that you will have an exciting time here. You have already seen some .earlier bouts. This is going to be the Bout of the Day!

The moment you have been anxiously waiting for has finally come. Two fine young Puerto Ricans fighters are ready to fight and win. On my left is Felix Vargas. He weighs 134 pounds. On my right is his rival in the fight Antonio Cruz. Cruz weighs 133 pounds. The winner will represent the Boys’ Club in the Tournament of Champions, the Golden Gloves. There will be no draw.

Gi ve Felix and Antonio a big round of applause. They | are going to thrill you in the coming moments! Felix, are you ready? Antonio, you too ready? The referee will blow the whistle now, to start the bout.

As in any bout, may the better man win!

Question 7.
After reading the story ‘Amigo Brothers’, certain students opined that boxing is a cruel game. But you have a different view. So your friends decide to conduct a debate on the topic ‘Boxing is a cruel game arousing animal instincts.’ What would be the possible arguments of your friends who support the topic. Write three points.
Answer:
Boxing makes us forget the importance of cooperation, sympathy and love and we are blinded only by one instinct-win anyhow!

Boxing brings physical suffering to both the winner and also loser.

By constantly practising, the boxer develops an unhealthy competitive spirit; he is ready to inflict pain, both mental and physical, even on his family members, because he becomes callous to others’ feelings.

Question 8.
“They remain uncompromising in fight, and in love as well”. This is the title of a news report that appeared in a daily about the Amigo brothers’fight. Prepare a detailed news report.
Answer:
Antonio Cruz and Felix Vargas were both 17. They were so close in their friendship they felt like brothers. They both had a dream – becoming the light weight champion of the world.

They exercised sometimes at the Boys’ Club and sometimes at the gym. After a series of elimination bouts, they were told they were to meet each other in the division finals. The day was fixed for 7 August. They both wanted to win. They talk about it. Then Felix makes a suggestion that they will not see each other until the day of the fight. After the fight they will get together again as if nothing happened. They continue training hard.

The fight is to take place at Tompkins Square Park for the Division Finals.

Felix Vargas and Antonio Cruz are ready. The announcer makes the announcement. There will be no draw. The referee blows the whistle and the fight is on.

In the first and second round Antonio Cruz and Felix Vargas do their best to outwit the other. But both are equally strong. Punches fly back and forth, but none is floored. Each punch is thunderously applauded by the crowd.

Now comes the third round. Each contestant wants to win. They punch each other very hard. Nobody falls to the canvas. The final bell rings. But the fight continues. The bdUfings again and again. But there is no stopping to the fighting. People start getting worried. It looks as if they are witnessing a do or die fight and not a contest. There is utter silence. Then the referee and the trainer separate the two contestants.

Now the contestants embrace. They have forgotten that they were fighting like bulls until a moment ago. The announcer makes an announcement. He is trying to name the winner and he looks around. But both Antonio and Felix had left the scene like good old friends, arm in arm, declaring their strong bond of friendship.

This is the spirit of love! Cooperation in Competition!

Question 9
Imagine that you are the reporter of a local TV channel. After the bout between Antonio and Felix, you were asked to interview them. Prepare a set of five questions to be asked to Antonio and Felix as part of the interview.
(Hints: reason for quitting the scene without waiting forthe result-thoughts during the fight, afterthe fight -theirfriendship- future plans etc.)
Answer:
You wanted to win badly. Then why did you decide to quit the scene before the result was announced? We know you are close friends. What were the thoughts going through your mind during the fight when you were punching each other hard?

What was in your mind after you were separated by the referee and the trainers and you left the scene without waiting to hear the result?

You were fighting like angry bulls at the bout. Will your friendship continue to be as intense as before, after what happened at the bout?

What would be your future plans? Are you going to choose boxing as your profession?

Question 10.
There are a few errors in each line of the excerpt given below. Identify and correct them.
‘Antonio nodded quitely. (a)
“Yeah. We both know that in the ring the better man win. (b)
It’s fair, Tony. When we get to the ring, it’s got to be like we never met. (c)
We got to be like two heavy strangers that wants the same thing and only one can have it. (d)
You understood?” (e)
Answer:
a) quietly,
b) wins,
c) into,
d) want,
e) understand?

Question 11.
The boxing competition between Antonio and Felix is coming to an end. Imagine yourself to be the announcer / commentator of the boxing match between Antonio and Felix. Write the script of the announcement that could be used to conclude the event.
Answer:
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Antonio and Felix are fighting like two ferocious bulls. Antonio is punching hard with his left hand. Felix is ducking avoiding the punch. Now Antonio is punching with his right hand it catches the jaw of Felix. Felix is flinching with pain. Felix throws all his weight behind his right hand and is hitting Antonio hard on his left ear. Antonio is trying to block it, but isn’t successful. The punch misses its aim. It hits the nose of Antonio. Look! His nose is bleeding and the blood is coming to his mouth. Oh my God! Now they are locked in each other’s grip. The referee is separating them. Antonio flies savagely to hit Felix on this right ear. The final whistle is sounding. But O, what am I seeing? The fight is going on! Why don’t they stop? The whistle is sounding again. Boys, stop, stop! O my God. What is happening? The referee is trying to separate them. The trainers come running. They too are trying to separate them. They are separate now. Am I seeing it right? I see the boys in a deep embrace. They are smiling at each other as if nothing happened. Felix takes Antonio’s hand and they are walking. (He consults the referee to see who the winner is.)

Ladies and gentlemen, today’s winner is …………. Hey, where are they? Have they disappeared? The crowd shouts – They both are winners!

Amigo Brothers About The Author

– Piri Thomas

Piri Thomas (1928-2011) was a writer and a poet. His memoir ‘Down These Mean Streets’ became a best-seller. He spent 7years in prison. He realized that no person is bom a criminal. He used his street and prison experience to teach the youth prone to risk, to help them avoid a life of crime. He travelled a lot in the USA, Central America and Europe, and gave lectures and conducted workshops in colleges and universities.

Amigo Brothers Summary in English

Page 40: Antonio Cruz and Felix Vargas were both 17. They were so together in friendship that they felt like brothers. They had known each otherfrom childhood. They grew up in the same building on the Lower East Side of Manhattan.

Antonio was fair, lean and lanky. Felix was dark, short and husky. Antonio’s hair was always falling over his eyes. Felix wore his black hair in an Afro style. They both had a dream – becoming a light-weight champion of the world.

Whenever they got a chance they exercised, sometimes at the Boy’s Club and sometimes at the gym. They would run every day morning, wearing sweat shirts and short towels around their necks. While some youngsters were into street doing wrong things, Antonio and Felix slept and had positive dreams. They had a collection of Fight magazines. They also kept the torn tickets of all the boxing matches they had gone to see. They also had some, cuppings of their own.

After a series of elimination bouts, they were told that they were to meet each other in the division finals scheduled forthe 7th of August. That was 2 weeks away. The winner would represent the koy’s Club in the Golden Gloves Championship Tournament.

They boys continued to run together. But even when joking with each other, they both sensed a wall rising between them.

Page 41: One morning, less than a week before their bout, they met as usual for their workout. Antonio glanced at Felix who kept his eyes straight ahead. He was practising some leg movements and hitting an imaginary jaw. Felix suddenly stopped and told Antonio that they must speak to eaGh other.

Antonio knew it was about their fight. Felix said that since he came to know the fight was between them, he kept awake at night pulling punches on Antonio, trying not to hurt him. Antonio told the same thing. He said that it is natural they thought about the fight. Both are fighters and they both want to win. There are no draws in the eliminations.

Felix tapped Antonio gently and told him he wanted to win. Antonio replied by saying that in the ring the better man wins. When they get into the ring it has to be as if they had never met. They will be like two strangers who want the same thing but only one can have it. Felix agreed. They have to fight it out.

Felix then makes a suggestion. They won’t see each other until the day of the fight. He will stay with his Aunt Lucy, in the Bronx. Antonio agreed and he held out his hand, palm upwards making a deal. Felix sealed the deal by slapping on the open palm. Antonio wanted Felix to run with him a little more. But Felix said he wanted to be free as he wanted to think alone. Antonio asked him if Felix was worried. Felix laughed and said he was not worried. They will fight and afterthat they will get together again as if nothing had happened. The amigo brothers hugged each other tightly.

The evening before the big fight, Antonio made his way to the roof of his building. He tried not to think of Felix. He thought he had made up his mind. He would knock out Felix early and quickly so that he does not get hurt by a long fight.

Page 42: Felix decided towatch a movie in an effort to keep Antonio’s face away from his mind and fists. The film was The Champion’, acted by Kirk Douglas. The champion was getting beaten. Felix got a shock. He imagined himself in the ring, blasting Antonio against the ropes.

He stopped watching the film and began to walk on the street. There he saw only a few boys wearing gang colours. Walking did not relax him. Neitherdid the film. It had stirred him up. He went straight back to bed.

Antonio was passing some heavy time on the rooftop. How will the fight tomorrow affect his relations with Felix? Friendship had nothing to do with the fight. But he soon controlled his negative thoughts. He did some fancy dance steps to drive away his negative thinking. His amigo brother Felix was not going to be Felix in the ring. He was just an opponent. He prayed for victory through a quick clean knockout in the first round the Golden Gloves. There will be no draw. May the best man win.”

The crowd cheered wildly. At the centre of the ring, the referee gave instructions. “Keep your punches up. No low blows. No punching on the back of the head. Let’s have a clean fight. Now shake hands and come out fighting.”

Both the fighters touched the gloves and nodded. Felix and Antonio turned and faced each other squarely in a fighting pose. Felix wasted no time. Now they were fighting like real competitors. The first round came to an end both trying hard to floor the other.

Page 44: The second round began. Felix was off his stool and rushed to Antonio like a bull. Antonio fought back well. Neither fighter was giving an inch. Suddenly Felix hit Antonio on the chin. Antonio’s legs turned jelly and his arms flailed out desperately. Suddenly his head cleared and hit Felix on the bridge of his nose. The crowd was roaring at each punch. Soon the second round came to an end.

The referee asked the ring doctor to check the fighters out. He said OK. The cold water sponges brought clarity to both amigo brothers. They were rubbed until their circulation ran free.

Now was the final round. So far things were even. Everyone knew there could be no draw and this was the final round to decide the winner.

Antonio came out fast. Felix also attacked. Both pounded away. Neither gave an inch and neither fell to the canvas. They fought to win. The sounds of their blows were loud. The crowd had gone completely silent. The referee was stunned by their savagery.

The bell sounded over and over again. Felix and Antonio did not hear the bell. Their blows continued to pound on each other like hailstones. Finally the referee and the two trainers separated them to bring them back to their senses. They looked around and then rushed toward each other.

Page 45: A cry of alarm surged through the crowd. Was this a fight to the death instead of a boxing match? The fear soon ended as the two amigos embraced. No matter what the decision, they knew they would always be champions to each other. The announcer started: “Ladies and Gentlemen. The winner and representative to the Gold Gloves Tournament of Champions is ” The announcer did not see Felix and Antonio. Arm in arm, the champions had already left the ring!

Amigo Brothers Summary in Malayalam

Amigo Brothers Glossary