NCERT Solutions for Class 7 History Chapter 1 Tracing Changes through a Thousand Years

Class 7 History Chapter 1 Questions and Answers

Tracing Changes Through a Thousand Years question answers help students revise the chapter and check their responses to the NCERT exercise.

Exercise Questions

1. Who was considered a “foreigner” in the past?

Answer: In the past, a “foreigner” was a person who was not a part of a particular society or culture. For example, a person who did not belong to a village or society could be considered a foreigner by its residents.

2. State whether the following statements are True or False.

(a) We do not find inscriptions for the period after 700.
Answer: False.

(b) The Marathas asserted their political importance during this period.
Answer: True.

(c) Forest-dwellers were sometimes pushed out of their lands with the spread of agricultural settlements.
Answer: True.

(d) Sultan Ghiyasuddin Balban controlled Assam, Manipur and Kashmir.
Answer: False.

3. Fill in the blanks.

(a) Archives are places where ______ are kept.
Answer: Manuscripts and documents.

(b) ______ was a fourteenth-century chronicler.
Answer: Ziyauddin Barani.

(c) ______, ______, ______, ______ and ______ were some of the new crops introduced into the subcontinent during this period.
Answer: Potatoes, corn, chillies, tea, and coffee.

4. List some of the technological changes associated with this period.

Answer: Important technological changes included:

• The Persian wheel for irrigation

• The spinning wheel for weaving

• Firearms used in combat

5. What were some of the major religious developments during this period?

Answer: Some important religious developments were:

• The worship of new deities

• Construction of temples by rulers

• Increasing importance of Brahmanas

• Growth of bhakti, which emphasised devotion to a personal deity

• The spread of Islam in the subcontinent and the development of different traditions among its followers

6. In what ways has the meaning of the term “Hindustan” changed over the centuries?

For Curious Jr. students, the meaning of “Hindustan” changed over time. In medieval sources, the term was used in different ways to describe particular regions or territories. Minhaj-i-Siraj used it in relation to areas associated with the Delhi Sultanate, while Babur used the term more broadly for the geography, culture, and inhabitants of the subcontinent. Thus, its meaning depended on the period and the person using it.

7. How were the affairs of jatis regulated?

Answer: The affairs of jatis were regulated by an assembly of elders known as the jati panchayat. Jatis also followed the rules and customs of their respective villages.

8. What does the term pan-regional empire mean?

Answer: A pan-regional empire is an empire that extends across several regions. Such an empire brings different territories under a larger political authority.

9. What are the difficulties historians face in using manuscripts?

Answer: Historians face several difficulties when studying manuscripts:

• Manuscripts were copied by hand.

• Different copies could contain changes.

• Scribes sometimes introduced errors or modifications.

• Handwritten texts could be difficult to read.

• Historians may need to compare several copies to understand what the original text contained.

10. How do historians divide the past into periods? Do they face any problems in doing so?

Answer: Historians divide the past into periods by considering important changes in political, social, economic, and cultural life. However, these changes do not happen suddenly or at the same time everywhere. Therefore, drawing clear boundaries between historical periods can be difficult.

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Tracing Changes Through a Thousand Years: Important Topics

Changing Historical Sources

Historians study the past using different sources, including manuscripts, inscriptions, coins, buildings, maps, and other records. Each source provides information about the people, places, and events of its time.

Manuscripts were written and copied by hand. Since scribes could make changes while copying, historians compare different versions of a text to understand its contents.

Read More: NCERT Solutions for Class 7 History Chapter 2 New Kings and Kingdoms

Maps and Changing Ideas of Geography

Maps from different periods show how people's understanding of geography changed. The maps made by Al-Idrisi and later European cartographers differed in their representation of regions and places.

These differences remind historians that maps need to be studied in the context of the time in which they were created.

Changing Meaning of Historical Terms

The meaning of words could change over time. “Foreigner” did not always mean a person from another country. In medieval society, the term could refer to someone who did not belong to a particular local society.

Similarly, “Hindustan” was used differently by different writers and in different periods. Understanding the context is important when studying such historical terms.

New Social and Political Groups

Between 700 and 1750, several social and political groups became important. Rajputs, Marathas, Jatis, forest-dwellers, peasants, and other groups had different roles in society.

Jatis were often associated with particular occupations and social communities. Their affairs could be regulated through assemblies of elders known as jati panchayats.

New Technologies and Crops

The period saw the use of technologies such as:

• Persian wheel for irrigation

• Spinning wheel for weaving

• Firearms in warfare

Several new foods and crops were also introduced into the subcontinent during this period, changing agricultural and dietary practices.

Read More: NCERT Solutions for Class 7 History Chapter 4 The Mughal Empire

Religious Developments

This period saw significant developments in religious traditions. New forms of worship emerged, temples became important centres in many regions, and the bhakti tradition emphasised personal devotion.

Islam also spread in the subcontinent through different groups, including merchants, migrants, rulers, and religious figures. Muslim communities developed different traditions and practices.

Tracing Changes Through a Thousand Years Notes

For quick revision, remember these key points:

• The period covered in the chapter is approximately 700 to 1750 CE.

• Historians use manuscripts, inscriptions, coins, buildings, maps, and other sources to study the past.

• Manuscripts were copied by scribes and could contain differences between copies.

• The meaning of terms such as foreigner and Hindustan changed according to time and context.

• Jatis were social groups whose affairs could be regulated by a jati panchayat.

• The Persian wheel and spinning wheel were important technological developments.

• Firearms became part of warfare during this period.

• Religious traditions and practices changed in different parts of the subcontinent.

• Historians face difficulties when dividing history into fixed periods because changes happen gradually.

Read More: NCERT Solutions for Class 7 History Chapter 6 Devotional Paths to the Divine

Class 7 History Chapter 1 Short Questions and Answers

Who was Ziyauddin Barani?

Ziyauddin Barani was a fourteenth-century chronicler who wrote about the Delhi Sultanate.

What is a jati?

A jati was a social group whose members often shared similar occupations or social backgrounds and followed particular rules and customs.

What is a jati panchayat?

A jati panchayat was an assembly of elders that regulated the affairs of a jati.

What is a pan-regional empire?

A pan-regional empire is an empire that extends across several regions.

Why are manuscripts difficult for historians to use?

Manuscripts were copied by hand, and scribes could introduce changes or errors. Historians therefore compare different versions to study the text.