New Empires and Kingdoms - Worksheets

 CBSE Worksheet 01

Ch-10 New Empires and Kingdoms

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1. Harshavardhana was the king of ________ and ________.
   1. Bengal, Thanesar
   2. Bengal, Ujjain
   3. Kanauj, Thanesar
   4. Kanauj, Taxila
2. Banabhatta wrote the biography of ________.
   1. Chandragupta
   2. Samudragupta
   3. Harshavardhan
   4. Kushanas
3. Who was the first ruler of the Gupta dynasty?
   1. Ramagupta
   2. Chandragupta
   3. Samudragupta
   4. Harshagupta
4. The Chinese pilgrim ________ noticed the plight of those who were treated as untouchables by the high and mighty.
   1. Xian Zang
   2. I-Quang
   3. Yen Zang
   4. Fa Xian
5. ________ were the pastoral tribes depending mainly on hardy animals like camels that could survive in the desert.
   1. Bakarwal
   2. Brokpa
   3. Ahoms
   4. Bedouins
6. Match the following:

   Column A	Column B
   (i) Sandhi Vigrahika	(a) The Chief craftsman.
   (ii) Naga Shreshthi	(b) Leader of the merchant caravans.
   (iii) Sarthavaha	(c) Chief banker or merchant of the city.
   (iv) Pratham Kulika	(d) Minister of war and peace.

7. Fill in the blanks:
   1. Chandragupta I was also known as ________.
   2. Harshavardhana’s success was checked by ________, a Chalukya ruler.
   3. The ________ and ________ were the new dynasties which took place of the Pallavas and the Chalukyas.
   4. Abhijnana Shakuntalam is the story of the love between ________ and ________.
8. State true or false:
   1. Aihole was the capital of the Pallavas.
   2. Hinduism was state religion under Guptas.
   3. Harshavardhana became the king of Thanesar after both his father and elder brother died.
   4. Chandragupta II was called Vikramaditya.
9.  Who led an expedition to western India against Shakas?
10. Write important historical happenings or events against the following important dates:
    1. About 1400 years ago
    2. About 1700 years ago
11. How did the army system change during Harshavardhana reign?
12. What was the condition of untouchables during the reign of Harshavardhana?
13. What was the reason behind frequent conflicts between the Pallavas and the Chalukyas?
14. Mention about the Pallavas, Chalukyas and Pulakeshin’s Prashasti.

CBSE Worksheet 01
Ch-10 New Empires and Kingdoms

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Solution

1. (c) Kanauj, Thanesar
   Explanation:
   1. Harsha took over the kingdom of Kanauj and then led an army against the ruler of Bengal.
   2. Harsha was not the eldest son of his father but became king of Thanesar after both his father and elder brother died.
2. (c) Harshavardhan
   Explanation: Harshavardhana, who ruled nearly 1400 years ago, was one such ruler. His court poet, Banabhatta, wrote his biography, the Harshacharita, in Sanskrit.
3. (b) Chandragupta
   Explanation: Chandragupta, was the first ruler of the Gupta dynasty to adopt the grand title of Maharaj-Adhiraja.
4. (d) Fa Xian
   Explanation: The Chinese pilgrim Fa Xian noticed the plight of those who were treated as untouchables by the high and mighty. They were expected to live on the outskirts of the city.
5. (d) Bedouins
   Explanation: The Bedouins pastoral tribes of Arabia were dependent mainly on like hardy animals camels, that could survive in the desert.
6. (i) - (d), (ii) - (c), (iii) - (b), (iv) - (a).
7. 1. Maharaj-adhiraja
   2. Pulakeshin II
   3. Rashtrakuta, Chola
   4. Dushyanta, Shakuntala
8. 1. False (Aihole was the capital of the Chalukyas)
   2. True
   3. True
   4. True
9. Chandragupta II led an expedition to western India against Shakas.

10. Dates	Events
    About 1400 years ago	The rule of Harshavardhana.His biography was written by his court poet Banabhatta. Prophet Muhammed introduced a new religion of Islam in Arabia.
    About 1700 years ago	Beginning of the Gupta dynasty. Samudragupta was a famous ruler of this dynasty.

11. Some of the kings continued to maintain a well-organized army. A new trend also emerged during this period. Some military leaders maintained an army and provided the army to the king when required. Such military leaders did not get a salary. But they got grants in the form of land. They also got the right to collect land revenue. The revenue was utilized to maintain the soldiers, horses and battle equipment. Such military leaders were known as Samanthas. When a ruler became weak, Samantha tried to become independent.
12. The condition of untouchables was very bad during the reign of Harshavardhana. An untouchable person was not allowed to live in a village or city. They lived on the outskirts. Whenever an untouchable entered a village, he had to warn the others about his presence. His usually beat a stick to create noise to alert others. This ensured that others could avoid coming anywhere close to him.
13. The region ruled by the Chalukyas was fertile and had ports on both the west and the east coast which promoted foreign trade with Persia, Arabia and South-East Asia.
    The Pallavas, who ruled over modern Tamil Nadu and parts of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh from their capital Kanchipuram, fought for control over the region. This resulted in frequent conflicts.
14. The Pallavas and Chalukyas: The Pallavas and Chalukyas were the most important ruling dynasties in south India during this period (i.e. the Harash’s reign in north India). The Kingdom of the Pallavas spread from the region around their capital, Kanchipuram to the Kaveri delta, while that of the Chalukyas was centred around the Raichur Doab, between the rivers Krishna and Tungabhadra. The Pallavas and Chalukyas frequently attacked one another’s areas, particularly they attacked the capital cities, which were prosperous towns. Aihole, the capital of the Chalukyas, was an important trading and commercial centre. Initially, this town developed as a religious centre, with a number of temples. During the days of Pulkashin II, the Chalukyas defeated Harsha of Kanauj and Thaneswar. But this victory was short lived. Ultimately, both the Pallavas and the Chalukyas gave way to new rulers belonging to Rashtrakuta and Chola dynasties.
    The best known Chalukya ruler was Pulakeshin II. We know about him from a Prashasti, composed by his court poet Ravikirti. This tells us about his ancestors who are traced back through four generations from father to son. Pulakeshin evidently got the kingdom from his uncle. According to the poet, he led expeditions along both the west and the east coasts. He checked the advance of Harsha. Pulakeshin also attacked the Pallava king who took shelter behind the walls of Kanchipuram. The Chalukyas victory was short-lived. Both the Pallavas and the Chalukyas gave way to new rulers belonging to the Rashtrakuta and Chola dynasties.