Class 7 Social Science Notes Chapter 6 (Towns; Traders And Craftspersons) – Out Pasts - II Book

Out Pasts - II
Alright class, let's focus on Chapter 6, 'Towns, Traders, and Craftspersons' from our 'Our Pasts - II' textbook. This chapter is crucial for understanding the economic and social fabric of medieval India, and you'll often find questions based on these concepts in government exams. Pay close attention to the types of towns, the trading networks, and the skilled artisans of the period.

Chapter 6: Towns, Traders, and Craftspersons - Detailed Notes

1. Introduction: The Rise of Towns (Medieval Period: c. 8th - 18th Century)

  • The medieval period witnessed significant growth in the number and size of towns across the Indian subcontinent.
  • These towns arose from various origins: some grew around temples, others were administrative centres, some developed as commercial hubs, and many combined multiple functions.
  • Urbanisation indicated economic prosperity, administrative consolidation, and flourishing trade networks.

2. Sources of Information:

  • Inscriptions: Temple inscriptions often record donations, details about merchants, guilds, and artisans.
  • Travellers' Accounts: Accounts by foreign travellers (like Ibn Battuta, Marco Polo, Niccolò de' Conti, Abdur Razzaq Samarqandi, Domingo Paes) provide valuable insights into town life, trade, and crafts.
  • Literature & Chronicles: Contemporary texts and court chronicles mention administrative centres and trade activities.
  • Archaeological Evidence: Remains of buildings, ports, artefacts help reconstruct urban life.

3. Types of Towns:

  • A. Administrative Centres/Capital Towns:

    • These were the headquarters of rulers and kingdoms.
    • Characterised by palaces, forts, administrative buildings, residences of nobles and officials.
    • Often attracted merchants and craftspersons to cater to the needs of the court and the army.
    • Example: Thanjavur (Tanjore)
      • Capital of the Cholas.
      • Famous for the magnificent Rajarajeshvara Temple built by King Rajaraja Chola. Architect: Kunjaramallan Rajaraja Perunthachchan.
      • Besides the temple, there were palaces with mandapas (pavilions) where the king held court.
      • Barracks for the army were present.
      • Markets bustled, selling grain, spices, cloth, and jewellery.
      • Water supply came from wells and tanks.
      • The Saliyar weavers of Thanjavur and nearby Uraiyur produced fine cotton cloth for the king, nobility, and temples (e.g., flag cloths for temple festivals).
      • Sthapatis (sculptors) made exquisite bronze idols (using the 'lost-wax' technique) and tall, ornamental bell metal lamps.
      • Key Takeaway: Thanjavur functioned as BOTH a temple town and an administrative centre.
  • B. Temple Towns:

    • Towns that grew around prominent temples.
    • Temples were not just places of worship but also major economic and social institutions.
    • Temple authorities received land grants and donations, used wealth for rituals, feeding pilgrims, celebrating festivals, and even engaged in banking and trade.
    • Pilgrims flocked to these towns, creating demand for goods and services.
    • Priests, workers, artisans, traders settled around temples to cater to their needs and those of pilgrims.
    • Examples: Bhillasvamin (Bhelsa/Vidisha in Madhya Pradesh), Somnath (Gujarat), Kanchipuram & Madurai (Tamil Nadu), Tirupati (Andhra Pradesh).
    • Note: Many administrative centres like Thanjavur also had major temples, making them temple towns too.
  • C. Commercial Towns & Port Towns:

    • Developed primarily due to trade and commerce.

    • Located on important land or sea trade routes.

    • Port towns facilitated overseas trade.

    • Attracted merchants, bankers, brokers, and transport workers.

    • Example: Surat (Gujarat)

      • Major port on the west coast during the Mughal period.
      • Called the "Gateway to the West" – trade with West Asia via the Gulf of Ormuz.
      • Also called the "Gate to Mecca" as many pilgrim ships set sail from here.
      • A cosmopolitan city with merchants and traders from various regions and countries.
      • English, Dutch, and French established factories (warehouses) here in the 17th century.
      • Textiles of Surat (esp. cotton with zari borders) were famous and had markets in West Asia, Africa, and Europe.
      • Banking was prominent; Surat hundis (notes of credit/bills of exchange) were honoured in far-off markets like Cairo (Egypt), Basra (Iraq), and Antwerp (Belgium).
      • Decline: Started declining by the end of the 17th century due to:
        • Loss of markets and productivity due to Mughal decline.
        • Control of sea routes by the Portuguese.
        • Competition from Bombay (Mumbai) where the English East India Company shifted its headquarters in 1668.
    • Example: Masulipatnam / Machilipatnam (Andhra Pradesh)

      • Located on the delta of the Krishna river.
      • Important port on the east coast in the 17th century.
      • Centre of intense activity and competition among European trading companies (Dutch, English, French).
      • Fort built by the Dutch.
      • Qutb Shahi rulers of Golconda tried to control the trade by imposing royal monopolies on textiles, spices, etc.
      • Known for its kalamkari textiles (produced using hand-painting or block-printing techniques with vegetable dyes) and chintz.
      • Decline: Faced challenges from new trade centres developed by European companies (Bombay, Calcutta, Madras) and loss of importance after Mughal annexation (by Aurangzeb) and subsequent European consolidation elsewhere.
    • Example: Hampi (Karnataka)

      • Located in the Krishna-Tungabhadra basin.
      • Nucleus of the Vijayanagara Empire (founded 1336).
      • A magnificent, well-fortified city. No mortar or cementing agent used in the construction of fortification walls; they used the technique of interlocking wedge-shaped stones.
      • Impressive architecture: Palaces, temples with grand mandapas (e.g., Virupaksha temple, Vitthala temple with its stone chariot).
      • Temples were hubs of cultural activities; devadasis performed before deities, royalty, and masses in temple halls.
      • The Mahanavami festival (Navaratri) was a major event, celebrated with grandeur at the king's platform.
      • Bustling markets dealing in spices, textiles, precious stones.
      • Moors (Muslim merchants), Chettis, and agents of European traders (like the Portuguese) frequented its markets.
      • Decline: Ruined after the defeat of Vijayanagara rulers by the Deccan Sultans (Battle of Talikota/Rakshasi-Tangadi) in 1565.

4. Traders: Big and Small

  • Many kinds of traders existed, from small peddlers to wealthy merchants.
  • Banjaras: Nomadic traders who often travelled in large caravans (tanda) with bullocks, carrying grain, salt, etc., over long distances. They were crucial for transporting goods, especially for armies.
  • Horse Traders: Horses (especially from Arabia and Central Asia) were vital for cavalry; traders formed associations, sometimes with headmen who negotiated with warriors buying horses.
  • Guilds:
    • Merchants often formed guilds or associations to protect their interests, regulate trade, and sometimes build temples.
    • Manigramam and Nanadesi: Famous South Indian guilds that traded extensively within the peninsula and with Southeast Asia and China.
  • Trading Communities:
    • Chettiars (South India)
    • Marwari Oswals (Western India) - became major moneylenders later.
    • Hindu Baniyas and Muslim Bohras (Gujarat) - traded extensively with ports of the Red Sea, Persian Gulf, East Africa, Southeast Asia, and China, selling textiles and spices, and bringing gold and ivory from Africa; spices, tin, Chinese blue pottery, and silver from Southeast Asia and China.
  • Towns on West Coast: Home to Arab, Persian, Chinese, Jewish, and Syrian Christian traders.

5. Craftspersons and Their Techniques:

  • Towns were famous for specialized crafts.
  • Bidri Work: Craftspersons of Bidar (Karnataka) were famed for their inlay work in copper and silver, known as Bidri work.
  • Panchalas / Vishwakarma Community: Consisted of goldsmiths, bronzesmiths, blacksmiths, masons, and carpenters. They were essential for building temples, palaces, tanks, and making tools, idols, and ornaments.
  • Weavers: Communities like the Saliyar or Kaikkolar (South India) were prosperous weavers who made substantial donations to temples. Cotton textiles were a major export item.
  • Lost-Wax Technique: Used for making bronze statues (prominently during the Chola period).
    1. An image was first made of wax.
    2. This was covered with clay and allowed to dry.
    3. It was then heated, and a tiny hole was made in the clay cover.
    4. The molten wax drained out through this hole.
    5. Molten metal (bronze) was poured into the empty clay mould.
    6. Once the metal cooled and solidified, the clay cover was carefully removed.
    7. The metal image was cleaned and polished.

6. Interconnections and Changing Fortunes:

  • Towns, trade, and crafts were deeply interconnected. Demand created by temples, administrative centres, and pilgrims fuelled craft production and trade.
  • Prosperity of towns depended on political stability, patronage from rulers, and security of trade routes.
  • The arrival and consolidation of European trading companies (17th-18th centuries) significantly impacted Indian traders and craftspersons.
  • European companies sought control over production and trade, gradually displacing local merchants and influencing craft production (e.g., demanding specific designs, controlling weavers through advance systems).
  • This led to the decline of older ports like Surat and Masulipatnam and the rise of new colonial port cities like Bombay, Madras, and Calcutta, marking a new phase in urbanisation and trade.

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) for Exam Practice:

  1. The Rajarajeshvara temple, a prominent feature of Thanjavur, was built by which dynasty?
    (a) Pallavas
    (b) Pandyas
    (c) Cholas
    (d) Chalukyas

  2. Which of the following towns served as the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire and was known for its impressive fortifications and temples like Virupaksha?
    (a) Surat
    (b) Masulipatnam
    (c) Hampi
    (d) Thanjavur

  3. The 'lost-wax' technique, famous during the Chola period, was primarily used for making:
    (a) Cotton textiles
    (b) Bronze statues
    (c) Inlay work on metal
    (d) Temple murals

  4. Which port city on the west coast of India was known as the "Gateway to Mecca" during the Mughal period?
    (a) Calicut
    (b) Masulipatnam
    (c) Surat
    (d) Cambay

  5. Manigramam and Nanadesi, mentioned in medieval inscriptions, refer to:
    (a) Communities of weavers
    (b) Guilds of merchants
    (c) Associations of craftspersons
    (d) Types of temple architecture

  6. The craft known as 'Bidri' work, involving inlay on metal, originated and flourished primarily in:
    (a) Thanjavur
    (b) Bidar
    (c) Surat
    (d) Hampi

  7. Which group of nomadic traders played a crucial role in transporting grain and other goods using large caravans (tanda)?
    (a) Chettiars
    (b) Bohras
    (c) Banjaras
    (d) Sthapatis

  8. The decline of Surat as a major trading port towards the end of the 17th century was partly due to:
    (a) The rise of Hampi
    (b) Increased control by the Qutb Shahi rulers
    (c) Competition from the port of Bombay (Mumbai) established by the English East India Company
    (d) A major earthquake destroying the port

  9. The Saliyar and Kaikkolar communities were primarily associated with which craft?
    (a) Metalwork
    (b) Sculpture
    (c) Weaving
    (d) Masonry

  10. Masulipatnam, an important port on the east coast, faced intense competition among which groups in the 17th century?
    (a) Cholas, Pandyas, and Cheras
    (b) Mughals and Marathas
    (c) Qutb Shahi rulers and Vijayanagara Empire
    (d) Dutch, English, and French East India Companies


Answer Key:

  1. (c) Cholas
  2. (c) Hampi
  3. (b) Bronze statues
  4. (c) Surat
  5. (b) Guilds of merchants
  6. (b) Bidar
  7. (c) Banjaras
  8. (c) Competition from the port of Bombay (Mumbai) established by the English East India Company
  9. (c) Weaving
  10. (d) Dutch, English, and French East India Companies

Study these notes carefully. Remember the specific examples like Thanjavur, Hampi, Surat, and Masulipatnam, the key terms like hundi, sthapati, Bidri, lost-wax, and the different trading and craft communities. Understanding the reasons for the rise and decline of these towns is also very important. Good luck with your preparation!

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