CHAPTER 6 : Towns, Traders and Craftspersons (Date : 20-06-2018)

Question 1:

What are the 'mandapas' related to?

  1. Temple

  2. Rajmahal

  3. Dharmshala

  4. Both a and b are correct

Correct Answer : D

Explanation

The mandapas were built in the Rajmahal (palace) itself. Kings hold court in these pavilions or mandapas, issuing orders to their subordinates.

In the Hindu temple the mandapa is a porch-like structure through the (ornate gateway) and leading to the temple. It is used for religious dancing and music and is part of the basic temple compound.

Question 2:

What was manufactured in the Chola era using the “Lost wax” technique?

  1. Household utensils

  2. Bronze statues

  3. Weapons

  4. Toiletries

Correct Answer : B

Explanation

Bronze statues were made by using “lost wax” technique in Chola era. First, an image was made of wax. This was covered with clay and allowed to dry. Next it was heated, and a tiny hole was made in the clay cover. The molten wax was drained out through this hole. Then molten metal was poured into the clay mould through the hole. Once the metal cooled and solidified, the clay cover was carefully removed, and the image was cleaned and polished.

Question 3:

Which of the following statements are true with reference to Ajmer (Rajasthan)?

1. Ajmer was the capital of the Chauhan kings in the twelfth century.

2. It  became the suba headquarters under the Mughals.

3. Sufi saint, Khwaja Muinuddin Chishti settled here in the 12th century.

  1. 1 and 2 both

  2. 2 and 3 both

  3. 1 and 3 both

  4. 1, 2, and 3

Correct Answer : D

Explanation

All the three statements regarding Ajmer (Rajasthan) are true.

Question 4:

What do the words 'Manigramam' and 'Nanadesi' represent?

  1. Trader guilds of North India

  2. Trader guilds of South India

  3. Farmer unions of North India

  4. Brahmin unions of South India

Correct Answer : B

Explanation

Since traders had to pass through many kingdoms and forests, they usually travelled in caravans and formed guilds to protect their interests. There were several such guilds in south India from the eighth century onwards – the most famous being the Manigramam and Nanadesi. These guilds traded extensively both within the peninsula and with Southeast Asia and China.

Question 5:

To which one of the following classes did Muslim Bohra community belong?

  1. Traders

  2. Warriors

  3. Craftspersons

  4. Farmers

Correct Answer : A

Explanation

Among the traders of Gujarat, both the Hindu Baniyas and Muslim Bohra communities were involved. They traded extensively with the ports of the Red Sea, Persian Gulf, East Africa, Southeast Asia and China.

Question 6:

Consider the following statements given in the context of Bidri Crafts:

1. Bidri craft was named after the local rulers.

2. Inlay work is done in silver and copper in the Bidri craft.

Which of the above statements is/are true?

  1. 1 only

  2. 2 only

  3. 1 and 2 both

  4. Neither 1 nor 2

Correct Answer : B

Explanation

Bidri Craft is a unique craft of Bidar, Karnataka. The craftspersons of Bidar were so famed for their inlay work in copper and silver that it came to be called Bidri craft. Hence, the name of the Bidri craft is named after the place of its production.

Question 7:

Which of the following groups was not included in the Panchalas or Vishwakarma community in the Medieval period?

  1. Blacksmith

  2. Carpenter

  3. Goldsmith

  4. Weavers

Correct Answer : D

Explanation

The Panchalas or Vishwakarma community, consisting of goldsmiths, bronze smiths, blacksmiths, masons and carpenters, were essential to the building of temples. They also played an important role in the construction of palaces, big buildings, tanks and reservoirs.

Question 8:

In the context of 16th century, which of the statements given below is/are true?

1. In the 16th century, Kabul and Qandahar were linked to the celebrated Silk Route.

2. Kabul was the main centre for elephants’ trade.

  1. 1 only

  2. 2 only

  3. 1 and 2 both

  4. Neither 1 nor 2

Correct Answer : A

Explanation

With its rugged, mountainous landscape, Kabul became politically and commercially important from the sixteenth century onwards. Kabul and Qandahar were linked to the celebrated Silk Route. Besides, trade in horses was primarily carried on through this route. In the seventeenth century Jean Baptiste Tavernier, a diamond merchant, estimated that the horse trade at Kabul amounted to Rs 30,000 annually, which was a huge sum in those days.

Question 9:

Which City of Vijayanagara Empire is located in the valley of rivers Krishna and Tungabhadra and the ruins of which represent the ancient capital of Vijayanagara?

  1. Hampi

  2. Bijapur

  3. Golkonda

  4. Ahmednagar

Correct Answer : A

Explanation

Hampi is located in the Krishna-Tungabhadra basin, which formed the nucleus of the Vijayanagar Empire, founded in 1336. The magnificent ruins at Hampi reveal a well-fortified city. No mortar or cementing agent was used in the construction of these walls and the technique followed was to wedge them together by interlocking. Hampi (present-day Karnataka) is also included in UNESCO World Heritage Sites list.

Question 10:

For whom the word 'moors' was used  in the markets of Hampi under the Vijayanagara empire?

  1. For Portuguese merchants

  2. For English merchants

  3. For Muslim merchants

  4. For Chinese merchants

Correct Answer : C

Explanation

In its heyday in the fifteenth - sixteenth centuries, Hampi bustled with commercial and cultural activities. Moors (a name used collectively for Muslim merchants), Chettis and agents of European traders such as the Portuguese, thronged the markets of Hampi.