DAV Class 7 SST Chapter 9 Medieval Period Solutions

1. The period from eighth to eighteenth century CE in India is known as:
(a) prehistoric period
(b) ancient period
(c) medieval period
(d) modern period
Answer: (c) medieval period

2. Prithviraj Raso was written by:
(a) Tulsidas
(b) Chand Bardai
(c) Arya Bhatt
(d) Abul Fazl
Answer: (b) Chand Bardai

3. Name the language in which Ain-i-Akbari was written.
(a) Arabic
(b) Persian
(c) Urdu
(d) Hindi
Answer: (b) Persian

4. The significant achievement of the medieval period was the popularity and availability of:
(a) autobiographies
(b) literature
(c) paper
(d) manuscripts
Answer: (c) paper

5. Tahqiq-i-hind is a famous:
(a) document
(b) drama
(c) story
(d) travel account
Answer: (d) travel account

Question 1: Which period is known as the medieval period in Indian history?
Answer: In Indian history, the period spanning roughly from the 8th century CE to the 18th century CE (a span of nearly 1,000 years) is designated as the medieval period. It is broadly divided into the Early Medieval Period (8th to 12th century CE) and the Late Medieval Period (13th to 18th century CE).

Question 2: Which period is known as the medieval period in European history?
Answer: In European history, the medieval period (Middle Ages) extends from the 5th century CE to the 15th century CE, beginning with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and concluding with the advent of the Renaissance.

Question 3: List the well-known literary sources of information of the medieval period.
Answer: The primary literary sources that provide detailed historical information for the medieval period include:

• Court Chronicles and Historical Accounts: Important administrative and historical treatises like Ain-i-Akbari and Akbarnama by Abul Fazl, and works by Ziauddin Barani.
• Biographies and Epics: Heroic narrative poems and biographical ballads like Prithviraj Raso composed by Chand Bardai, and Humayun-nama by Gulbadan Begum.
• Autobiographies of Rulers: Personal royal memoirs such as Baburnama (by Babur) and Tuzuk-i-Jahangiri (by Jahangir).
• Foreign Travelogues: Vivid travel accounts left behind by visitors like Al-Biruni (Tahqiq-i-Hind), Marco Polo, Ibn Battuta, and Francois Bernier.
• Religious Literature and Manuscripts: Puranas, Bhakti hymns, Sufi poetry, and farmans (royal decrees) inscribed on paper.

Question 4: Name the foreign visitors who wrote travel accounts of medieval period of India.
Answer: The notable foreign travellers who documented Indian medieval society and court life include:

1. Al-Biruni: Central Asian scholar who came with Mahmud of Ghazni and authored Tahqiq-i-Hind.
2. Marco Polo: Venetian merchant-explorer who travelled through southern India in the 13th century.
3. Ibn Battuta: Moroccan scholar and globetrotter who visited during Muhammad bin Tughlaq’s reign and wrote Rihla.
4. Francois Bernier: French physician and traveller who stayed at the Mughal court during the reign of Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb.

Question 5: List the technological developments of the medieval period.
Answer: Significant technological innovations introduced and popularized across India during the medieval period include:

• Persian Wheel (Rahat): An efficient water-lifting mechanical device used in agriculture for irrigation.
• Spinning Wheel (Charkha): Revolutionized the textile industry by drastically quickening the spinning of yarn.
• Introduction and Production of Paper: Enabled large-scale recording of administrative orders, copying of religious texts, and production of books.
• Firearms and Gunpowder: Transformed warfare techniques and siege weapons towards the late medieval period.

Question: On a political map of the world, identify and locate the countries visited by Marco Polo.
Answer: Marco Polo, the legendary merchant and traveller of Venice, undertook an epic journey between 1271 and 1295 CE across Eurasia. On a world outline map, the key countries along his route to locate and label are:

1. Italy (Venice): The starting point and final destination of his voyage.
2. Turkey: Through which he travelled eastwards across the Mediterranean and Anatolia.
3. Iran (Persia): Where he travelled through Tabriz and Hormuz.
4. China: Where he lived for 17 years serving at the court of Kublai Khan.
5. Indonesia (Sumatra): Visited on his return sea journey.
6. India: Landed on the Coromandel and Malabar coasts (Tamil Nadu and Kerala).
7. Sri Lanka (Ceylon): Visited along his Indian Ocean return route.