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Ch.2: India before the times of Shivaji Maharaj

India before the times of Shivaji Maharaj | Class 7 | History | Chapter 2 | Maharashtra State Board

Sources of History | Class 7 | History | Chapter 1 | Maharashtra State Board

Step back in time and immerse yourself in the rich and diverse history of Pre-Shivaji Era India! This video takes you on a captivating journey through the centuries, from the eighth century to the rise of Shivaji Maharaj, highlighting significant dynasties, invasions, and remarkable figures that shaped this historical period.

Discover the power and influence of the ‘Pal’ dynasty in Bengal, the Gurjar-Pratihar rulers in Central India, and the prominence of Rajput dynasties like Gahadwal, Parmar, and Chauhan in North India. Learn about the mighty Chola dynasty and their expansion in Tamil Nadu, as well as King Vishnuvardhan’s conquest of Karnataka.

Explore the Rashtrakuta dynasty’s rule under Govind III and Krishna III, which extended its dominion in Maharashtra and beyond. Delve into the governance of the Shilahar dynasties in Western Maharashtra and the emergence of religious movements like the Mahanubhav Panth and Varkari movement.

Witness the invasions from the North-West, including Arab General Muhammad-bin-Qasim’s conquest of Sindh and Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni’s raids into India, with the plundering of temples and the acquisition of wealth. Follow the rise of the Sultanate in the North under rulers like Qutubuddin Aibak and the various Sultans who governed India.

Experience the splendor of the Vijaynagar Kingdom, founded by Harihar and Bukka in the South during the reign of Sultan Muhammad-bin-Tughluq. Marvel at the expansion of the kingdom under Krishnadevaraya and its eventual decline after his reign, culminating in the Battle of Talikot in 1565 CE.

Learn about the Bahamani Kingdom’s emergence and the significant administrative reforms implemented by Mahmud Gawan, followed by its disintegration into smaller powers. Explore the Mughal dynasty’s rise to power with Babur’s invasion in 1526 CE, leading to the rule of notable Mughal emperors like Akbar, Jahangir, Shahajahan, and Aurangzeb, each leaving their mark on India’s history.

Meet remarkable figures who resisted Mughal rule, including Maharana Pratap of Mewad, Chandbibi of Ahmadnagar, and Rani Durgavati of Gondvana. Discover how Guru Gobind Singh organized the Sikhs and created the Khalsa Dal, and how Durgadas Rathod fought against the Mughals in Marwad.

Finally, explore the enduring legacy of Shivaji Maharaj, who established Swaraj and valiantly resisted Aurangzeb’s attempts to conquer South India.

Join us on this educational and visually stunning journey through India’s past, as we unravel the complexities and triumphs of the Pre-Shivaji Era, a period that laid the foundation for the diverse tapestry of Indian history.


Questions & Answers

1. Name the following.

1. The Queen of Gondvana – Ans. Rani Durgavati

2. The son of Udaysingh – Ans. Maharana Pratap

3. The founder of Mughal dynasty – Ans. Babur

4. The first Sultan of the Bahamani kingdom – Ans. Hasan Gangu

5. The fighting force established by Guru Gobindsingh – Ans. Khalsa Dal


2. Find the odd one out.

1. Sultan Mahmud, Qutubuddin Aibak, Muhammad Ghuri, Babur Ans. Babur (The odd one out is Babur. The other three names are all rulers of the Delhi Sultanate, while Babur was the founder of the Mughal dynasty.)


2. Adilshahi, Nizamshahi, Sultanate, Baridshahi Ans. Sultanate (The odd one out is Sultanate. The other three terms refer to the Deccan sultanates that emerged after the disintegration of the Bahmani Sultanate in the 16th century.)


3. Akbar, Humayun, Shershah, Aurangzeb Ans. Shershah (The odd one out in the list is Shershah. The other three are all Mughal emperors of India)


3. Answer briefly.

1. How did the kingdoms of Vijaynagar and Bahamani emerge? Ans. The kingdoms of Vijayanagara and Bahmani emerged in the 14th century in the Deccan region of India as a result of the decline of the Delhi Sultanate. Powerful military leaders, Harihara and Bukka Raya, and Muhammad Shah, respectively, declared their independence and established their own kingdoms, exploiting the power vacuum created by the weakening of the Delhi Sultanate.


2. What reforms did Mahmud Gawan make? Ans. Mahmud Gawan, a prime minister of the Bahmani dynasty, made several reforms in the 15th century, including:

  • Establishing a centralized administrative system.

  • Reorganizing the army and increasing its size.

  • Improving the revenue collection system.

  • Encouraging trade and commerce.

  • Promoting the use of Persian as the official language.

  • Supporting the arts and literature.

These reforms helped strengthen the Bahmani kingdom and establish it as a major power in the Deccan region.


3. Why did it become impossible for the Mughals to strengthen their base in Assam? Ans. The Mughals were unable to conquer Assam due to the following reasons:

  • The Ahoms were a powerful and well-organized kingdom.

  • The terrain of Assam was difficult to conquer.

  • The Ahoms were skilled in guerrilla warfare.

  • The Mughals were distracted by other wars.

  • The Mughals were not willing to commit the necessary resources.

In short, the Mughals were not able to conquer Assam because the Ahoms were too strong and the Mughals were too busy with other wars.


4. Write about them briefly in your own words.

1. Krishnadevaraya. Ans. (a) Krishnadevaraya ascended the throne of Vijayanagar in 1509 CE. He conquered Vijayawada, Rajmahendri, and annexed these regions to his kingdom.

(b) He successfully faced the armies of the Sultans who had united under the leadership of the Bahamani Sultan Mahmud Shah.

(c) During his reign, the Vijayanagar kingdom extended far and wide.

(d) He built the Hazar Ram temple and Vitthal temple in Vijayanagar.

(e) As a scholar, he wrote ‘Amuktamalyada,’ a Telugu compendium on polity.

(f) The decline of the Vijayanagar kingdom began with his death in the year 1530 CE.


2. Chandbibi was murdered. Ans. (a) Chandbibi, the capable daughter of Husain Nizamshah of Ahmadnagar, displayed immense courage and valor while bravely defending the fort.

(b) Unfortunately, during this period, internal strife and conflict among the factions of the Sardars in Nizamshahi’s kingdom led to the tragic murder of Chandbibi.


3. Rani Durgavati Ans. (a) Rani Durgavati, born in the Chandel Rajput dynasty, became the queen of Gondwana after her marriage.

(b) She was an excellent administrator, and her struggle against the Mughals is an important event in medieval history.

(c) After her husband’s death, Durgavati laid down her life but refused to surrender while fighting against Akbar.


5. Give reasons.

1. The Bahamani Kingdom disintegrated into five fragments. Ans. (a) After the death of Mahmud Gawan, factionalism increased among the Bahmani Sardars.

(b) The conflict with the Vijayanagara kingdom had adverse effects on the Bahmani kingdom.

(c) The provincial Governors began to act more independently, leading to the disintegration of the Bahmani kingdom into five small powers: Imadshahi of Berar, Baridshahi of Bidar, Adilshahi of Bijapur, Nizamshahi of Ahmadnagar, and Qutubshahi of Golconda.


2. Rana Sanga’s army was defeated. Ans. (a) After the Battle of Panipat, Rana Sanga of Mewar united all the Rajput kings.

(b) A decisive battle took place between Babur and Rana Sanga at Khanua.

(c) Babur’s artillery and reserve forces played a pivotal role in this battle, leading to the defeat of Rana Sanga’s army.


3. Rana Pratap has become immortal in history. Ans. (a) Following the death of Udaysingh, Maharana Pratap ascended the throne of Mewar.

(b) He continued his relentless struggle for the preservation of Mewar’s independence.

(c) Till the very end, he valiantly resisted Akbar’s efforts to subdue him.

(d) Maharana Pratap is immortalized in history due to his exceptional qualities of valor, courage, self-respect, and sacrifice.


4. Aurangzeb imprisoned Guru Tegh Bahadur. Ans. (a) Guru Tegh Bahadur strongly protested against Aurangzeb’s policy of religious intolerance.

(b) As a result, Aurangzeb imprisoned and later beheaded him in 1675.


5. The Rajputs fought against the Mughals. Ans. (a) Akbar secured the cooperation of the Rajputs through his policy of amicable relations. (b) However, Aurangzeb could not maintain the same cooperation with the Rajputs. After the death of Rana Jaswant Singh of Marwar, Aurangzeb annexed his kingdom into the Mughal empire. (c) Durgadas Rathod then crowned Jaswant Singh’s minor son, Ajitsingh of Marwar. (d) Durgadas Rathod waged a relentless struggle against the Mughals, fighting fiercely for the existence of Marwar.

6. Complete the timeline.
A table of year showing the establishment of Vijaynagar, Bahamani, Mughal Power.
 

E X T R A

1. Complete the sentence by choosing the appropriate words from the options given below.

  1. ‘Pal’ in the Eight century was a famous dynasty in Bengal. (seventh century, eight century, ninth century)

  2. Prithviraj Chauhan belonged to the Chauhan dynasty. (Rajput dynasty, Chauhan dynasty, Chola dynasty)

  3. The Yadava period is considered to be the golden period of Marathi language. (Yadava, Rashtrakuta, Chola)

  4. In the eleventh Century CE, the Turks began to invade India and reached the north-western frontier of India. (Afghans, Mughals, Turks)

  5. Ibrahim Lodi was the last Sultan and he was defeated by Babur, bringing the Sultanate to an end. (Muhammad Ghuri, Bulban, Ibrahim Lodi)

  6. Hampi in today’s Karnataka was the capital of the kingdom of Vijaynagar. (Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu)

  7. Krishnadevaraya wrote ‘Amuktamalyada’, a Telugu Compendium on politics. (politics, economics, sociology)

  8. Hasan Gangu was the first Sultan of the Bahamani kingdom. (Muhammad-bin-Tughlaq, Mahmud Gawan, Hasan Gangu)

  9. 1526 CE the Sultanate of Delhi came to an end. (1526 CE, 1556 CE, 1605 CE)

  10. Daulatkhan Lodi was the Governor of Punjab under the Sultanate. (Babur, Ibrahim Lodi, Daulatkhan Lodi)

  11. Akbar was the most powerful king of the Mughal dynasty. (Shahajahan, Akbar, Jahangir)

  12. The struggle of Gondvana queen Durgavati against Mughals is important in medieval history. (modern, medieval, ancient)

  13. Aurangzeb became the emperor in 1658 CE. (Shahajahan, Aurangzeb, Akbar)

  14. In the thirteenth century CE, the people of the Shaan community settled down in the valley of river Brahmaputra. (Ganga, Brahmaputra, Yamuna)

  15. The ninth Guru of the Sikhs was Guru Tegh Bahadur. (Guru Gobind Singh, Guru Tegh Bahadur, Guru Nanak)

  16. Guru Gobind Singh organised the Sikh youths into a fighting force called Khalsa Dal. (Guru Gobind Singh, Guru Tegh Bahadur, Guru Nanak)

  17. Akbar had secured the co-operation of the Rajputs with his policy of amicable relations. (Rajputs, Marathas, Ahoms)

  18. In Maharashtra, the Aurangzeb Marathas offered stiff resistance to and defended their independence. (Babur, Humayun, Aurangzeb)

2. Name the following.

1. Two important dynasties among the Rajput dynasties in North India.

Ans. (a) The Gahadwal dynasty

(b) Parmar dynasty


2. Eminent rulers belonging to the Chola dynasty in Tamil Nadu.

Ans. (a) Rajaraja I

(b) Rajendra I


3. The king belonging to the Hoysala dynasty.

Ans. King Vishnuvardhana


4. The King who conquered the whole of Karnataka.

Ans. King Vishnuvardhana


5. The Varkari movement emerged in.

Ans. The Yadava period


6. During his reign, Rashtrakuta dynasty in Maharashtra, the Rashtrakut power spread from Kanauj up to Rameshwar.

Ans. Govinda III


7. The last prosperous power before the period of Shivaji Maharaj.

Ans. The Yadavas


8. The capital of Bhillam V of the Yadava dynasty, which was near Aurangabad.

Ans. Deogiri


9. The golden period of the Marathi Language.

Ans. The Yadava period


10. The Arab General who attacked the Sindh province in the eighth century.

Ans. Muhammad bin Qasim


11. The power which began to invade India in the eleventh century CE.

Ans. The Turks


12. He invaded India many times and plundered the rich temples at Mathura, Vrindavan, Kanauj, and Somnath and carried away enormous wealth with him.

Ans. Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni


13. In 1175 CE and 1178 CE, the Sultan of Ghur from Afghanistan who invaded India.

Ans. Muhammad Ghuri


14. During his reign, there were many revolts in the South against the central power of Delhi.

Ans. Sultan Muhammad bin Tughluq


15. The brothers from South India who were Sardars in the service of Delhi Sultanate.

Ans. (a) Harihara

(b) Bukka


16. The Hazara Rama temple and Vittala temple were built in Vijayanagara during his reign.

Ans. Krishnadevaraya


17. He defeated the army of the Sultan of Delhi.

Ans. Hasan Gangu


18. The Chief Wazir of the Bahamani kingdom who started paying the soldiers their salaries in cash instead of giving land grants.

Ans. Mahmud Gawan


19. The king of Farghana in Central Asia.

Ans. Babur


20. After the battle of Panipat, he brought all Rajput kings together.

Ans. Rana Sanga of Mewar


21. After ascending the throne of Mewar, he continued the struggle for Mewar’s existence.

Ans. Maharana Pratap


22. The capable daughter of Husain Nizamshah of Ahmadnagar who defended the fort of Ahmadnagar.

Ans. Chand Bibi


23. The Ahoms united under his leadership.

Ans. Gadadharsinha


24. The commander who gave an intense battle against the Mughals.

Ans. Commander Lachit Borphukan


25. The ninth Guru of Sikhs who protested strongly against Aurangzeb’s policy of religious intolerance.

Ans. Guru Tegh Bahadur


26. There was an attempt on the life of Guru Gobind Singh in 1708 CE at this place.

Ans. Nanded


27. After his death, Aurangzeb annexed his kingdom to the Mughal empire.

Ans. Rana Jaswant Singh of Marwar


28. In Maharashtra, Swaraj was established under his leadership.

Ans. Shivaji Maharaj


3. Find out the odd man out.

1. Gadadharsinha, Rana Jaswantsingh, Durgadas Rathod, Ajit Singh. Ans. Gadadharsinha (Gadadharsinha was the king of the Ahom kingdom in Assam, while the other three were Rajput rulers or warriors who fought against the Mughals in Rajasthan)


2. Babur, Humayun, Krishnadevaraya, Jahangir. Ans. Krishnadevaraya (He was the king of the Vijayanagara empire in South India, while the other three were Mughal emperors who ruled over most of North India.)


4. Answer in one sentence.

1. Name the regions upto which the Gurjar- Pratihar power spread. Ans. The Gurjar-Pratihar power spread to regions including Andhra, Kalinga, Vidarbha, West Kathiawad, Kanauj, and Gujarat.


2. Which places did the Cholas conquer using their naval strength? Ans. The Cholas used their naval strength to conquer the Maldives Islands and Sri Lanka.


3. In which period did the Mahanubhav Panth and the Varkari movement emerge? Ans. The Mahanubhav Panth and the Varkari movement emerged during the Yadava period.


4. Why did the Arab rulers turn towards India? Ans. The Arab rulers turned towards India to expand their empire.


5. Write the extent of the kingdom of Vij aynagar during Krishnadevaraya’s reign? Ans. During Krishnadevaraya’s reign, the kingdom of Vijaynagar extended from Cuttack in the east to Goa in the west and from the Raichur Doab in the north to the Indian Ocean in the south.


6. Who opposed Akbar when he tried to bring India under his central authority? Ans. Akbar faced opposition from Maharana Pratap, Chandbibi, and Rani Durgavati when he tried to bring India under his central authority.


7. Which qualities of Maharana Pratap made him immortal in history? Ans. Maharana Pratap became immortal in history due to his qualities of valor, courage, self-respect, and sacrifice.


8. Which regions together formed the Gondvana? Ans. Gondvana can be broadly defined as comprising the eastern part of Vidarbha, part of Madhya Pradesh to its north, the western part of today’s Chhattisgarh, the northern part of Andhra Pradesh, and the western part of Odisha.


9. How did the Marathas defend their independence? Ans. The Marathas defended their independence by offering stiff resistance to Aurangzeb.


5. Give reasons.

1. Babur invaded India. Ans. (a) At that time, the reigning Sultan of Delhi was Ibrahim Lodi.

(b) Daulatkhan Lodi was the governor of Punjab under the Sultanate.

(c) The relationship between Ibrahim Lodi and Daulatkhan Lodi was strained.

(d) Daulatkhan Lodi invited Babur to march into India. Seizing this opportunity, Babur invaded India.


6. Write briefly in your own words.

1. The First Battle of Panipat. Ans. (a) Ibrahim Lodi was the Sultan of Delhi, and Daulat Khan Lodi served as the Governor of Punjab.

(b) The relationship between Ibrahim Lodi and Daulat Khan Lodi became strained.

(c) Daulat Khan Lodi invited Babur to march on India.

(d) Seizing this opportunity, Babur invaded India.

(e) To repel Babur’s invasion, Ibrahim Lodi assembled his army.

(f) On 21st April 1526, a battle took place between Ibrahim Lodi and Babur at Panipat.

(g) In this battle, Babur defeated Ibrahim Lodi’s army. This is known as the First Battle of Panipat.


7. Answer briefly.

1. Write in brief about the conflict of the Mughals with the Marathas. Ans. (i) In Maharashtra, Swaraj was established under the leadership of Shivaji Maharaj.

(ii) In his efforts to establish Swaraj, Shivaji Maharaj had to confront not only regional rivals but also the Mughals.

(iii) After the death of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Aurangzeb descended to the Deccan with the intention of conquering the entire South India.

(iv) However, the Marathas fiercely resisted Aurangzeb’s efforts and defended their independence.


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