NCERT Solutions for Class 7 History Chapter 8 Eighteenth Century Political Formations contains answers to the exercise questions given in the “Our Pasts-II”. All the answers provided here are accurate and simple that will help you understand the concepts easily and continue your studies without a doubt. These solutions will also help you to score higher marks with the help of well-illustrated answers. All the questions and answers are provided here in PDF format.
Class 7 History Eighteenth Century Political Formations Questions and Answers
Question 1: Match the following.
| subadar | a revenue farmer |
| faujdar | a high noble |
| ijaradar | provincial governor |
| misl | Maratha peasant warrior |
| chauth | a Mughal military commander |
| kunbis | a band of Sikh warriors |
| umara | tax levied by the Marathas |
Answer:
| subadar | provincial governor |
| faujdar | a Mughal military commander |
| ijaradar | a revenue farmer |
| misl | a band of Sikh warriors |
| chauth | tax levied by the Marathas |
| kunbis | Maratha peasant warrior |
| umara | a high noble |
Question 2: Fill in the blanks:
(a) Aurangzeb fought a protracted war in the___________
(b) Umara and jagirdars constituted powerful sections of the Mughal ___________
(c) Asaf Jah founded the Hyderabad state in ___________.
(d) The founder of the Awadh state was ___________.
Answer:
(a) Aurangzeb fought a protracted war in the Deccan.
(b) Umara and jagirdars constituted powerful sections of the Mughal administration.
(c) Asaf Jah founded the Hyderabad state in 1724.
(d) The founder of the Awadh state was Burhan-ul-Mulk Sa’adat Khan.
Question 3: State whether true or false:
(a) Nadir Shah invaded Bengal.
(b) Sawai Raja Jai Singh was the ruler of Indore.
(c) Guru Gobind Singh was the tenth Guru of the Sikhs.
(d) Poona became the capital of the Marathas in the eighteenth century.
Answer:
(a) False
(b) False
(c) True
(d) True
Question 4: What were the offices held by Sa’adat Khan?
Answer: The offices held by Sa’adat Khan included subadari, diwani and faujdari.
Question 5: Why did the Nawabs of Awadh and Bengal try to do away with the jagirdari system?
Answer: The Nawabs of Awadh and Bengal tried to do away with the jagirdari system because they wanted to put a curb on cheating as well as the Mughal influence in their kingdoms. The jagirdars appointed by Mughals were corrupt, so the Nawabs reduced the size of jagirs and appointed loyal servants to complete the tasks. They checked the jagirdar’s accounts and the districts’ revenues were reassessed by officials appointed by the Nawab’s court.
Question 6: How were the Sikhs organized in the eighteenth century?
Answer: In the eighteenth century, the Sikhs were organised into bands called ‘jathas’, which later came to be known as ‘misls’. Their combined forces were called the ‘dal Khalsa’ or the grand army. The entire body assembled at Amritsar during Baisakhi and Diwali to arrive at collective decisions known as ‘gurumatas’ or the ‘resolutions of the guru’. A system called ‘rakhi’ was also developed in order to protect cultivators in return for a payment of tax, which was 20% of the total agricultural produce.
Question 7: Why did the Marathas want to expand beyond the Deccan?
Answer: The Marathas wanted to expand beyond the Deccan to receive tribute and control trade and agriculture. They had built a rich and effective administrative system, so they could think of expanding beyond the Deccan for more power and resources.
Question 8: What were the policies adopted by Asaf Jah to strengthen his position?
Answer: n order to strengthen his position, Asaf Jah brought skilled soldiers and administrators from northern India who welcomed the new opportunities in the south. He appointed mansabdars and granted jagirs. Although he was still a servant of the Mughal emperor, he ruled quite independently without seeking any direction from Delhi or facing any interference.
Question 9: Do you think merchants and bankers today have the kind of influence they had in the eighteenth century?
Answer: During the eighteenth-century merchants were more influential than the bankers. They used to provide more loan opportunities at higher interest rates. But now, with the spread of education, people prefer banks which provide loans and other financial assistance at cheaper rates. Bankers also provide subsidy on the interest rate. They have different scopes of loans for different purposes. So they are more influential today than the merchants.
Question 10: Did any of the Kingdoms mentioned in this chapter develop in your state? If so, in what ways do you think life in the state would have been different in the eighteenth century from what, it is in the twenty-first century?
Answer: I live in Delhi. None of the Kingdoms mentioned in the chapter developed in this region. If any of the students live in any of the regions where the kingdoms mentioned in the chapter developed they should consult their history teacher and prepare their answer.