Class 7 History
Chapter 1 – Tracing Changes through a 1000 Years
Study Notes
Introduction
One of the major tools to study history of any country or region is Map.
The persons who study the regional and demographic phenomena and prepare a map, are known as Cartographers.
From historical perspective, two major maps of Indian subcontinent are available.
First Map was made in 1154 CE by the Arab geographer Al-Idrisi. The section shown below is the Indian subcontinent from his larger map of the world.
Second Map was made in the 1720s by a French cartographer.
New and Old Terminologies
The term 'Hindustan' was used by Minhaj-i-Siraj, a chronicler who wrote in Persian, in the 13th century which meant the areas of Punjab, Haryana and the lands between the Ganga and Yamuna. It was used in a political sense for lands forming the parts of the area of Delhi Sultan.
In the early 16th century, Babur used the term 'Hindustan' to describe the geography, the fauna and the culture of the inhabitants of the subcontinent.
Amir Khusrau also used the term 'Hind' in 'the 14th century.
The idea of a geographical and cultural entity like India did exist but the term 'Hindustan' did not carry the political and national meanings, like what we use now for 'India'.
The word 'Foreigner' is used to mean someone who is not an Indian. But in the medieval period, it was used for a person who was not a part of a particular society or culture. Synonymous words used for a foreigner are 'Pardesi' and 'Ajnabi' respectively.
Historians and Their Sources
Among the many sources available to study and analyse the past events, the common sources are coins, inscriptions, architectures and textual records.
There was dramatic increase in the variety of textual records during the period between 700 and 1750.
Paper became widely available and cheaper. It was used in the writing of the holy texts, chronicles of rulers, letters and teachings of saints, petitions and judicial records and for registers of accounts and taxes.
Manuscripts
Manuscripts are the handwritten accounts of contemporary events and happenings. Manuscripts were collected from wealthy people, rulers, monasteries and temples. They were placed in libraries and archives. Historians use these for detailed information. There was no printing press at that time, so scribes used to copy down manuscripts by hand. Very often, scribes introduced small changes and over the years the manuscripts of the same text became substantially different from the another. Ziyauddin Barani, a 14th century chronicler wrote for the first time in 1356 and by another version two years later.
Historians study time by dividing it into segments - that is periods that show shared or contiguous characteristics.
In manuscripts, different kinds of handwritings made the reading of Persian and Arabic difficult. The Nastaliq style (on the left in the figure shown above) is cursive and easy to read, the Shikaste (on the right) is denser and more difficult.
Technological advancement
The period between 700 to 1750 witnessed the emergence of new technologies; important among them were:
Persian wheel in irrigation
Spinning wheel in weaving
Firearms used in battlefield
New food and beverages were introduced in the sub-continent like potatoes, corn, chillies, tea and coffee.
These new technologies, new foods and beverages came along with people who migrated here.
It brought a remarkable change in political, social and cultural aspects of the region. These years noted great mobility of people.
New Social and Political Groups
Between the 8th and 14th centuries the term Rajputs (derived from Rajaputra means the son of a ruler) was applied to warrior class who claimed Kshatriya class status. Rajput not only included ruler, chieftains, but also soldiers and commanders of army. The Rajputs were attributed with a chivalric code of conduct - extreme valour and a great sense of loyalty by the poets and bards.
Marathas, Sikhs, Jats, Ahoms and Kayasthas (a caste of scribes and secretaries) were the other prominent classes of people who became politically important.
This period showed a gradual clearing of forests and extension of agriculture.
It led to changes in people's habitat, which forced many of the forest-dwellers to migrate.
Sub-division of Social Groups
During 8th to 14th centuries, significant economic and social differences emerged among the peasants. Some did only agricultural activity and had made productive land, others combined artisanal work with agriculture to satisfy their needs.
As society became more divided, people were grouped into Jatis or sub-castes according to their backgrounds and occupations.
Ranks kept on changing as per the power, influence and resources controlled by members of a particular Jati. Jati of one place differed from the same Jati at another place.
Jatis framed their own rules and regulations in order to manage their own people.
An assembly of elders called Jati Panchayat was responsible for enforcing the regulations.
Region and Empire
The sub-continent was divided into several regions which were ruled by empires of different dynasties like Cholas, Tughluqs and Mughals, etc.
A Sanskrit Prashasti (writings) praised the Delhi Sultan Ghiyasuddin Balban (1266-1287) who ruled over a vast empire stretching from Bengal (Gauda) in the East to Ghazni (Gajjana) in Afghanistan in the West including all of South India (Dravida).
People of Gauda, Andhra, Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Gujarat apparently fled before the army of Ghiyasuddin Balban. However, many historians consider it to be an exaggeration.
Language and region
In 1318 the poet Amir Khusrau noted that there was a different language in every region of this land: Sindhi, Lahori, Kashmiri, Dvarsamudri (in southern Karnataka), Telangani (in Andhra Pradesh), Gujari (in Gujarat), Ma‘bari (in Tamil Nadu), Gauri, (in Bengal). Awadhi (in eastern Uttar Pradesh) and Hindawi (in the area around Delhi).
Amir Khusrau went on to explain that in contrast to these languages there was Sanskrit which did not belong to any region. It was an old language and “common people did not know it, only the Brahmanas did”.
Pan-regional Rule
Dynasties like the Cholas, Tughluqs and Mughals were able to build a pan-regional empire that spanned diverse regions.
When the Mughal empire declined, it led to re-emergence of regional states. But years of pan-regional rule altered the overall character of the region in the realms of governance, the management of the economy, elite cultures and language.
Through the thousand years between 700 and 1750, the character of the different regions felt the impact of larger pan-regional forces of integration without losing their own distinctiveness.
Medieval Period and Modernity
Early societies included groups of hunter-gatherers, early farmers, people living in towns and villages and early empires and kingdoms. Medieval period shows the development of Hinduism and Islam and the arrival of European trading companies.
Modernity, however shows a sense of material progress and intellectual advancement.
During these thousand years (700 to 1750), economies in several regions reached a level of prosperity that attracted the interest of European trading companies.
Old and New Religions
During the period of 700 to 1750, significant developments occurred in religious traditions.
With the changes in social and economic field, people's belief was also changed. Hinduism saw many changes which included the worship of new deities, the construction of temples by royalty and the growing importance of Brahmans and priest in our society. For their knowledge of Sanskrit texts, Brahmanas earned great respect in society. New rulers became their patrons.
The remarkable development of the period was the rise of the idea of bhakti which paved the way for the rise of many new religions in the Indian sub-continent.
This was also the period when new religions appeared in the subcontinent. Merchants and migrants first brought the teachings of the holy Quran to India in the 7th century.
Quran, the holy book of Islam delineates the idea of one God, Allah, whose love, mercy and bounty embrace all those who believe in Him, without regard to social background.
Many rulers were patrons of Islam and Ulama.
Islam got divided into two sects, Shias and Sunnis.
Shia Muslims believed that Prophet Muhammad's son-in-law, Ali, was the legitimate leader of the Muslim community. Sunni Muslims accepted the authority of early leaders (Khalifas) of the community and the succeeding Khalifas.
There were other important differences between two schools of law (Hanafi and Shafi'i) and in theology and mystic tradition of Islam.
Thinking about Time and Historical Periods
For historians, time does not mean just a passing of hours, days or years - as a clock or a calendar. In history, time reflects changes in social and economic organisation in transformation of ideas and beliefs.
In the middle of the 19th century, British historians divided the history of India into three periods: 'Hindu', 'Muslim' and 'British'. This division completely ignored the rich diversity of the subcontinent.
Important Terms
Archive: A place where documents and manuscripts are stored for future generations.
Cartographer: A person who makes maps.
Chieftain: Head or a chief who governs a village or group of villages.
Chronicles: Record of historical events, happenings as they have taken place during the ages or periods.
Habitat: The environment of a region, the social and economic lifestyle of the residents.
Inscriptions: Messages, sketches carved on the stone slabs or wooden slabs.
Jati: A divided group of people ranked on the basis of the backgrounds and occupations.
Jati Panchayat: A group of elder people to enforce rules and regulations in a village.
Manuscript: Handwritten accounts of contemporary events and happenings.
Medieval period: The age from second half of the 8th century up to first half of the 18th century.
Patron: An influential wealthy individual who supports artists, craftsmen, learned or noble people.
Region: The particular area designated or occupied by a certain group or empire.
Segments: Periods that show shared or contiguous characteristics.
Scribe: A person who is a copier or writer of manuscript.
Ulama: Learned theologians and jurists of Islam.
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