Class 7 Social Science Part 1 Chapter 4, New Beginnings: Cities and States, explores India’s Second Urbanisation in the 1st millennium BCE—the rise of janapadas and the sixteen mahajanapadas, early republican sanghas, iron metallurgy, punch-marked coins and social organisation.
What Class 7 Social Science Chapter 4 Covers
Janapadas, Mahajanapadas & Early Democratic Traditions traces the growth of fortified cities across the Ganga valley, the 16 mahajanapadas (Magadha, Kosala, Vatsa, Avanti, Vajji, Malla), and assembly-based governance in the ganas and sanghas.
Innovations, Trade Routes & the Varna-Jati System examines iron tools and weapons, Northern Black Polished Ware, punch-marked silver and copper coins, the Uttarapatha and Dakshinapatha highways, and the evolution and rigidification of varna and jati.
Developments Elsewhere in India connects northern urbanisation with Megalithic cultures, Kodumanal and Keeladi in South India, and Kalinga and Sisupalgarh in the east.
Exercises in Chapter 4
- Before we move on… chapter takeaways and Questions and activities for revision and map work.
Read Class 7 Social Science Chapter 4 Online
More Chapters
- Previous: Chapter 3: Climates of India
- Next: Chapter 5: The Rise of Empires
- Hindi medium: Class 7 Social Science Part 1 Chapter 4 PDF in Hindi (Samaj ka Adhyayan)
- All Social Science chapters and the other Class 7 books: Class 7 NCERT books 2026-27
- All Class 1 to 12 NCERT Textbooks: NCERT Books PDF (Class 1–12)
FAQ
What is meant by the ‘Second Urbanisation’ of India?
Following the decline of the Harappan (First) urbanisation around 1900 BCE, the Second Urbanisation refers to the emergence of new towns, fortified cities and states across the Ganga plains and beyond from around the 7th–6th centuries BCE.
How did ganas or sanghas differ from monarchies in the mahajanapadas?
While most mahajanapadas were ruled by hereditary kings (rajas), ganas and sanghas like Vajji and Malla were early oligarchic republics where decisions were debated and taken collectively by an assembly of elders.