Class 7 Social Science Part 2 Chapter 5, India, a Home to Many, illustrates the Indian civilisational ethos of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (‘the whole world is family’) through the real historical stories of persecuted and migrant communities who found safety, dignity and a home in India.
What Class 7 Social Science Chapter 5 Covers
Ancient & Medieval Communities: Jews, Syriac Christians, Parsis, Arabs & Siddis tells the stories of Cochin and Bene Israel Jews, St. Thomas and Syriac Christians in Kerala, Zoroastrian Parsis welcomed in Gujarat (the milk-and-sugar legend), peaceful Arab coastal traders in Malabar, and the African Siddi community.
Armenians, Baha’is, Polish Children & Tibetan Refugees covers Armenian merchants and churches, the Baha’i community and the Lotus Temple, Maharaja Digvijaysinhji of Nawanagar sheltering 1,000 Polish orphans during World War II (‘Good Maharaja’), and the Dalai Lama and Tibetan refugees in India since 1959.
‘The Whole World is Family’ & Indian Values explores why Indian philosophical pluralism (ekam sat vipra bahudha vadanti, sarve bhavantu sukhinah) enabled diverse communities to live and flourish without persecution.
Exercises in Chapter 5
- Before we move on… chapter takeaways and Questions and activities for revision and project work.
Read Class 7 Social Science Chapter 5 Online
More Chapters
- Previous: Chapter 4: Turning Tides: 11th and 12th Centuries
- Next: Chapter 6: The State, the Government, and You
- 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 the meaning of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’?
Drawn from the Maha Upanishad and Hitopadesha, ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ means ‘the whole world is one family’, expressing India’s tradition of welcoming and respecting all people.
How did the ‘Good Maharaja’ of Nawanagar help Polish children during World War II?
During World War II, Maharaja Jam Saheb Digvijaysinhji Jadeja of Nawanagar (Gujarat) built a special camp at Balachadi and adopted around 1,000 orphaned Polish refugee children, giving them shelter, schooling and care as his own family.