A. Tick the correct option.
1. Thanesar is located in-
Answer: Haryana
2. Rajyavardhana came to throne in-
Answer: 605 CE
3. Which one of the following books was not written by King Harshavardhana himself?
Answer: Harshacharita
4. Nalanda was granted the income received from-
Answer: villages
5. The Chinese traveller who came to India during Harsha’s rule was-
Answer: Hiuen-Tsang
B. Fill in the blanks.
1. Rajshri was the daughter of King ___________.
2. Harshacharita was written by ___________.
3. To assist Harsha in administration there was a ___________.
4. Farmers had to pay ___________ of their produce as tax.
5. The society was divided into ___________ varnas.
Answer: (1) Prabhakarvardhana (2) Banabhatta (3) council of ministers (4) 1/6th (5) four.
C. Write True or False for the following statements.
1. Harshavardhana was crowned in 606 CE.
2. Uparika was the head of the village.
3. Lord Shiva was not commonly worshipped during the reign of Harsha.
4. Harsha never gave alms to the needy and the poor.
5. Harsha was very respectful towards all the religions.
Answer: (1) True (2) False (3) False (4) False (5) True.
D. Answer the following questions in brief.
1. Which were the two main sects of Hinduism during Harsha’s period?
Answer: Vaishnavism and Shaivism were the two main sects of Hinduism during Harsha’s period.
2. What was the main contribution of Prabhakarvardhana as a king?
Answer: Prabhakarvardhna was the first ruler of Vardhman dynasty who ruled from 580 CE to 605 CE. He conquered many places and established a large kingdom.
3. What happened after the Vardhan empire lost its glory?
Answer: After the Vardhan empire lost its glory, there was a quick emergence of many small independent kingdoms. In the south, Chalukyas and Pallavas became more powerful.
4. Name the rivers that meet at Sangam in Prayaga (Allahabad).
Answer: Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati are the rivers that meet at Sangam in Prayaga (Allahabad).
5. Why was Nalanda University famous?
Answer: Nalanda University was an international center of education. It was situated at Patna, the capital of Bihar. It had a very large library. Students from all over the world came to study at Nalanda.
E. Answer the following questions.
1. Describe the administrative system of Harsha.
Answer: Harsha was the head of judicial and civil administration. He was also the Commander-in-Chief of his army and led his forces in war. He had a council of Ministers to assist and advice him. The province was divided into Vishyas and Pradesh. Uparika was the head of the province. His work was supervised by Uparika-maharaja or Kumaramatya, who was normally a prince.
2. Explain the religious policy of Harsha.
Answer: In the beginning, Harsha was a devotee of Shiva and worshipped Shiva and Surya. But after coming in contact with Hiuen-Tsang, there was a greater impact of Buddhism on him. He was very tolerant and respectful towards all the religions. He used to organise a conference at Prayaga, Allahabad, the Sangam of Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati, every five years. At this occasion, he used to give alms to about five lakh needly and poor people of all religions.
3. Mention the public welfare works undertaken by Harsha for his people.
Answer: Harsha was a benevolent ruler. He built temples, chaityas, vihars, dharmashalas, schools, etc. Harsha used to give away his wealth and belongings – clothes, ornaments, etc., collected during the last five years. He would then request his sister, Rajshree, to give him clothes to wear. This was repeated after five years at the time of Megha Mela at Prayaga.
4. State the condition of society during Harsha’s rule.
Answer: During Harsha’s rule, the society was mainly divided into four varnas, i.e., Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and Shudras. The Brahmins were highly respected. They lead a pious life. People lived harmoniously.
The Shudras did not have a good position in the society. They had to live outside the towns.
5. Give any three examples to prove that the economy during Harsha’s reign was well-developed.
Answer: The three examples that prove that economy during Harsha’s reign was well developed were:
- Trade was flourishing and Kapisha was the center of international trade.
- Agriculture was the main occupation of the people.
- They had to pay 1/6th of the produce as tax.