Class 7 Social Science Notes Chapter 1 (Tracing Changes Through A Thousand Years) – Out Pasts - II Book

Alright class, let's begin our study of Chapter 1: 'Tracing Changes Through A Thousand Years'. This chapter sets the stage for understanding the medieval period in Indian history, roughly from 700 CE to 1750 CE. It highlights the major changes – social, political, economic, and cultural – that occurred during this vast expanse of time and introduces us to how historians study this period. Pay close attention, as understanding these foundational concepts is crucial for your exam preparation.

Detailed Notes for Government Exam Preparation: Chapter 1 - Tracing Changes Through A Thousand Years

1. Introduction: The Scope of Study

• This chapter focuses on the period between c. 700 CE and 1750 CE, often referred to as the 'medieval' period in Indian history.
• It emphasizes the scale and variety of developments that occurred over these thousand years, cautioning against viewing this era as static.
• Key theme: Understanding change over time and how historians reconstruct the past using diverse sources.

2. Maps and Cartography: Evolving Perspectives

• Cartography: The science or practice of drawing maps.
• Example 1: Al-Idrisi (1154 CE): An Arab geographer whose map showed South India where North India is expected and Sri Lanka at the top. Place names were marked in Arabic. This reflects the knowledge and perspective of the Arab world at that time.
• Example 2: French Cartographer (1720s CE): This map is more familiar, showing coastal areas in greater detail. European sailors and merchants used such maps for voyages.
• Key Takeaway: Maps reflect the knowledge, perspective, and needs of the time they were made. Cartography evolved significantly over centuries. What is considered 'accurate' depends on the context and purpose. Historical context is crucial for interpreting maps and other documents.

3. New and Old Terminologies: The Fluidity of Language

• Historical language and meanings change over time. Terms used in the past may have different meanings today.
• Example: 'Hindustan'
  • 13th Century: Minhaj-i-Siraj (a chronicler) used the term for areas of Punjab, Haryana, and the lands between Ganga and Yamuna, corresponding to the political extent of the Delhi Sultanate.
  • 16th Century: Babur used 'Hindustan' to describe the geography, fauna, and culture of the inhabitants of the subcontinent.
  • Today: We understand 'Hindustan' as the modern nation-state of India.
  • Point: The term's meaning changed with the political and geographical context. It never carried the political and national meaning we associate with 'India' today during the medieval period.
• Example: 'Foreigner' (pardesi / ajnabi)
  • Medieval Period: Referred to anyone who was not part of a particular society or culture, a stranger appearing in a given village. A city-dweller might regard a forest-dweller as a 'foreigner'. Peasants living in the same village were not foreigners to each other, even if they had different religious or caste backgrounds.
  • Today: Refers to someone who is not an Indian citizen.
• Key Takeaway: Historians must be careful about the meanings of terms used in the past and understand them within their specific historical context.

4. Historians and Their Sources: Unearthing the Past

• Historians use different types of sources depending on the period of study. For c. 700-1750, they rely on:
  • Archaeological: Coins, inscriptions, architecture (buildings, monuments).
  • Textual/Literary: Written records (increased significantly during this period as paper became cheaper and more available).
• Manuscripts:
  • Handwritten documents, collected by wealthy people, rulers, monasteries, and temples.
  • Contain valuable information but pose challenges:
    • Scribal Errors: Scribes copied manuscripts by hand. Small changes (a word here, a sentence there) crept in with each copying. Over centuries, these differences grew, making original texts hard to find.
    • Authorial Revisions: Chroniclers sometimes revised their own work (e.g., Ziauddin Barani revised his chronicle in 1358, two years after the first version). Historians may be unaware of earlier versions.
• Archives: Places where documents and manuscripts are stored. Today, national and state governments have archives.

5. New Social and Political Groups: A Period of Transformation

• This era witnessed significant economic, political, social, and cultural changes.
• Technological Innovations:
  • Persian wheel in irrigation.
  • Spinning wheel in weaving.
  • Firearms in combat.
• New Foods and Beverages: Potatoes, corn, chillies, tea, coffee arrived in the subcontinent.
• Mobility: Groups of people travelled long distances seeking opportunity.
• Emergence of Groups:
  • Rajputs: (Derived from 'Rajaputra' - son of a ruler). Became a prominent warrior group between the 8th and 14th centuries. Included not just rulers and chieftains but also soldiers and commanders. They emphasized chivalry and loyalty. Other groups like Marathas, Sikhs, Jats, Ahoms, and Kayasthas (scribes/secretaries) also became important.
• Social Changes:
  • Clearing of forests, extension of agriculture.
  • Emergence of Jatis (sub-castes): As society became more complex, people were grouped into jatis based on their occupations and backgrounds.
  • Jati Panchayats: Jatis framed their own rules and regulations, enforced by an assembly of elders (jati panchayat). They also had to follow village rules governed by a chieftain.

6. Region and Empire: Shifting Political Landscapes

• Large states like those of the Cholas, Khaljis, Tughluqs, and Mughals encompassed many regions.
• Pan-regional Empire: An empire spanning diverse regions. The Delhi Sultanate and the Mughal Empire are examples. Not all were equally stable or successful.
• Prashastis: Sanskrit inscriptions detailing the achievements of rulers (e.g., the prashasti praising Delhi Sultan Ghiyasuddin Balban). These often contain exaggerated claims.
• Regional Character: By 700 CE, many regions possessed distinct geographical dimensions and their own language and cultural characteristics. They were associated with specific ruling dynasties.
• Integration and Distinction: Pan-regional rule altered the character of regions, but many retained their distinctiveness. The decline of the Mughal Empire in the 18th century led to the re-emergence of regional states. However, the legacy of pan-regional rule was evident in shared traditions across realms.

7. Old and New Religions: Evolving Beliefs

• Religion is often closely linked with the social and economic organisation of local communities.
• Hinduism:
  • Worship of new deities.
  • Construction of temples by royalty.
  • Growing importance of Brahmanas (priests) due to their knowledge of Sanskrit texts. Patrons (new rulers seeking prestige) supported them.
  • Emergence of Bhakti: The idea of a loving, personal deity reachable without priests or elaborate rituals.
• Islam:
  • Merchants and migrants first brought the teachings of the Holy Quran to India in the 7th century.
  • Many rulers were patrons of Islam and the ulama (learned theologians and jurists).
  • Shia Muslims: Believed Prophet Muhammad's son-in-law, Ali, was the legitimate leader.
  • Sunni Muslims: Accepted the authority of the early leaders (Khalifas) of the community.
  • Other differences existed based on schools of law (e.g., Hanafi, Shafi'i in India) and mystical traditions (Sufism).

8. Thinking about Time and Historical Periods: Periodisation

• Time reflects changes in social, economic organisation, and beliefs. Studying time involves dividing the past into periods with shared characteristics.
• British Periodisation (19th Century): Divided Indian history into 'Hindu', 'Muslim', and 'British' periods.
  • Basis: Religion of the rulers was the main characteristic.
  • Problems: Ignored the rich diversity of the subcontinent; religion is not the only significant change; implied that periods before British rule were backward ('dark ages').
• Modern Historians' Periodisation:
  • Focus on economic and social factors to characterise periods.
  • History is often divided into 'ancient', 'medieval', and 'modern'.
  • 'Medieval' Period (c. 700-1750): Characterised by the spread of peasant societies, rise of regional states, development of Hinduism and Islam, arrival of European trading companies.
• Complexity: These thousand years saw considerable change. The 'medieval' period itself is not uniform and contrasts with the 'modern' period associated with material progress and intellectual development (though 'modernity' itself is complex).

Key Takeaway: Periodisation is a tool to make studying the past manageable, but it has limitations. The boundaries are often arbitrary, and the 'medieval' period was dynamic and diverse, laying the foundation for later developments.

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)

1. The Arab geographer Al-Idrisi made a world map in which century?
   a) 10th Century CE
   b) 11th Century CE
   c) 12th Century CE
   d) 13th Century CE

2. According to the text, what did the term 'foreigner' (ajnabi) mean in the medieval period?
   a) Someone who was not an Indian citizen.
   b) Someone who belonged to a different religion.
   c) Any stranger who was not part of a particular village society or culture.
   d) A person who spoke a different language.

3. Which of the following was NOT a new technology or crop introduced in the subcontinent during the period 700-1750 CE?
   a) Persian wheel
   b) Firearms
   c) Writing on paper
   d) Potatoes and Chillies

4. What is an 'archive'?
   a) A place where weapons are stored.
   b) A place where manuscripts and documents are stored.
   c) A type of medieval court.
   d) A residence for monks.

5. The term 'Rajput' became associated with which group during the medieval period?
   a) Priests and scholars
   b) Merchants and traders
   c) A warrior group claiming Kshatriya status
   d) Scribes and secretaries

6. What challenge do historians face when using manuscripts?
   a) They are always written in unknown languages.
   b) Scribes made changes while copying, leading to differences from the original.
   c) Manuscripts were only written by rulers.
   d) Paper was too expensive to use.

7. The emergence of the idea of 'bhakti' was a significant development within which religion?
   a) Islam
   b) Buddhism
   c) Jainism
   d) Hinduism

8. Who are the 'ulama' in the context of Islam?
   a) Rulers and kings
   b) Mystics (Sufis)
   c) Learned theologians and jurists
   d) Merchants who first brought Islam

9. The British historians divided Indian history into which three periods?
   a) Ancient, Medieval, Modern
   b) Pre-historic, Historic, Post-historic
   c) Hindu, Muslim, British
   d) Golden, Dark, Colonial

10. What does the term 'pan-regional empire' signify?
    a) An empire limited to a single distinct region.
    b) An empire spanning several diverse regions.
    c) An empire ruled jointly by multiple kings.
    d) An empire focused solely on maritime trade.

Answer Key for MCQs:

1. c) 12th Century CE
2. c) Any stranger who was not part of a particular village society or culture.
3. c) Writing on paper (Paper usage increased significantly and became cheaper, but the invention of paper and writing predates this period)
4. b) A place where manuscripts and documents are stored.
5. c) A warrior group claiming Kshatriya status
6. b) Scribes made changes while copying, leading to differences from the original.
7. d) Hinduism
8. c) Learned theologians and jurists
9. c) Hindu, Muslim, British
10. b) An empire spanning several diverse regions.

Remember to thoroughly read the NCERT chapter alongside these notes. Understanding the context and the examples given in the book is vital. Keep revising these key points and concepts. Good luck with your preparation!