A. Tick the correct option.
1. The capital of Chalukyas was-
Answer: Vatapi
2. In which state are the Ajanta caves situated?
Answer: Maharashtra
3. The powerful ruler of North India who was the contemporary of both King Pulkeshin-II and Mahendravarman was-
Answer: Harshavardhana
4. The most famous Rock-cut Rath temple built by the Pallava ruler can still be seen in-
Answer: Tamil Nadu
5. Which one of the following was a local assembly of the merchants during the Pallava’s rule?
Answer: Nagram
B. Fill in the blanks.
1. ___________ was the most famous Chalukya king.
2. ___________ was a local assembly of the brahmin land owners.
3. Narsimhavarman succeeded ___________.
4. Papanatha temple was built in the year ___________.
5. Pallavas gained power in south after the decline of ___________ kings.
Answer: (1) Pulkeshin II (2) Sabha (3) Mahendravarman (4) 680 CE (5) Satavahana.
C. Match the following:
Answer: (1) e (2) d (3) a (4) c (5) b.
D. Answer the following questions in brief.
1. Who defeated the last Chalukya king, Keertivarman?
Answer: Danti Durg defeated the last Chalukya king, Keertivarman.
2. How were the walls of Chalukya temples decorated?
Answer: The walls of temples were decorated with scenes from Ramayana.
3. Name the famous temples built by the Chalukya rulers.
Answer: The Papanatha temple and Virupaksha Temple are the most famous temples built by the Chalukya rulers.
4. Where are the Shore temple and the Kailashnath temple situated?
Answer: The Shore temple and the Kailashnath temple situated near Chennai in Tamil Nadu.
5. Which was the most important kingdom in Deccan after the Satavahanas?
Answer: Pallavas was the most important kingdom in Deccan after the Satavahanas.
E. Answer the following questions.
1. Describe the administrative system of the Pallavas.
Answer: The king enjoyed all Supreme powers. He was the Chief Justice and the Chief of the Army. The princes, along with others officials helped him in the governance of his kingdom. There were many local assemblies which looked after different functions like construction of roads, irrigation, etc.
2. Explain the contribution of Pallavas in the field of art and architecture.
Answer: Pallavas kings built rock-cut halls (mandaps) with many pillars. Rock-cut Ratha temples of Mahabalipuram, near Chennai, are the most famous temples for their delicate beauty. The other notable Pallava temples here are Kailashnath temple and Shore temple, in Tamil Nadu.
3. What were the religious beliefs of the Pallavas?
Answer: A group of saints from different castes preached the devotion, i.e., bhakti was a personal religious matter and everybody was free to worship any god. Shiva and Vishnu were the main deities of worship. The devotees of Shiva were known as Nayannars and those of Vishnu as Alvars.
4. Justify that, ‘Mahendravarman was the most powerful and famous Pallava king’.
Answer: Mahendravarman was the most powerful and famous Pallava king. He was also the contemporary of Harshvardhana. He was not only a great warrior, but also a very good poet, artist, dramatist and musician.
5. How were the temples of Pallava’s period socially useful?
Answer: The temples of Pallava’s period were very useful. The temples were the important centres of education and community meetings to discuss common problems. The celebrations on festival days and cultural programmes were held in temples.