Assam SCERT Class 8 History and Political Science Chapter 1 Ancient Kamrupa Question Answer Solutions
Assam SCERT Board Class 8 History and Political Science Chapter 1 Ancient Kamrupa all Question’s easy Solutions by expert teachers.
Board |
Assam SCERT |
Class |
8 |
Book |
History and Political Science |
Topic |
Question answer |
EXERCISES:-
1.) Answer briefly:
a.) What is the name of Bhagadutta’s’ daughter?
Ans. The name of Bhagadutta’s daughter was Bhanumoti who was married to Durjyodhan.
b.) During whose reign did Chinese traveller Hieun Tsang visit Kamrupa?
Ans. During the rule of Bhaskara Barman, Chinese traveller Hieun Tsang visited Kamrupa
c.) Which King married Amritprabha, Princess of Kamrupa?
Ans. Meghbahan, the King of Kashmir married Amritprabha, Princess of Kamrupa.
d.) Who was the best king of the Salstambha Dynasty?
Ans. The best king of the Salstambha Dynasty was King Harsha Dev.
e.) Which King did thwart Bakhtiar Khilji’s attack on Kamrupa?
Ans. King Prithu of Kamrupa kingdom thwarted Bakhtiar Khilji’s attack on Kamrupa.
2.) Find out the correct answer.
a.) Pushya Barman/ Bhaskar Barman established the Barman dynasty.
Ans. Pushya Barman established the Barman dynasty
b.) Si-Yu-Ki was Kautilya’s / Hiuen Tsang’s book.
Ans. Si-Yu-Ki was Hiuen Tsang’s book.
c.) The era began from the rule of Kumar Bhaskar Barman was known as Dakabda/ Bhaskarabda.
Ans. The era began from the rule of Kumar Bhaskar Barman was known as Bhaskarabda.
d.) There was a system of monarchism/ democracy in Kamrupa.
Ans. There was a system of monarchismin Kamrupa.
3.) Fill in the blanks:
a.) The main occupation of ancient Kamrupa was agriculture.
b.) Pushya Barman established Barman dynasty.
c.) The best king of Pal dynasty wasBrahma Pal.
d.) The king of Kamrupa received the Param Parameshwar, Maharajadhiraj and Parambhattaraktitles.
e.) The Land revenue was the main source of income for the state of Kamrupa.
4.) Write short notes on:
a.) Bhaskar Barman- Bhaskar Barman were one of the rulers of Kamrupa from Barman dyanasty. He was also known as ‘Kumar Raja’ as he was unmarried. Bhaskar Barman ascended the throne in 594 AD and created a new era known as ‘Bhaskarabda’ or ‘Kamrupi year’. He ruled for a long period which was one of the glorious episodes in the history of ancient Kamrupa. He was a valiant king and had relationship with the king of North India, King Harsha Vardhan. During his reign, the Chinese traveller Hiuen Tsang also visited Kamrupa.
b.) The education system of ancient Kamrupa- In ancient Kamrupa, education was mostly imparted in ‘gurugriha’ Sanskrit tols and village schools. The four Vedas, Ayurveda, Dhanurveda, Tantra, Vedanga, History, Puranas, Astronomy, Veterinary, Music, Dance etc were also given equal importance. Sanskrit was the most important language in ancient Kamrupa which was used both by the common people as well as a language of administration of the royal activities. Another language which was prominently used in ancient Kamrupa are the Tibeto-Burmese and old Assamese languages. The people of ancient Kamrupa were very educated and had a developed high level of language.
c.) Bhagadutta- Bhagadutta was the son of King Naraka. He was a very brave king and fought along the Kauravas in the war of the Mahabharata. It is also said that Guwahati’s ‘Digholi Pukhuri’ was dug by the King Bhagadutta.
d.) Religion in ancient Kamrupa – Nature was very important for the people of Kamrupa and they offered prayers to various elements of nature. They worshipped trees, rocks, hills, rivers etc. The people of ancient Kamrupa considered Earth their mother as earth was their provider of food. Shaivite religion was prevalent religion and there were 15 centres in ancient Kamrupa for the prayers of Shiva. Ancient Kamrupa was one of the main centres of Shakti puja, the temple of goddess Kamakhya is the first such centres. Lord Vishnu was worshipped in ancient Kamrupa. Buddhism also had some followers in ancient Kamrupa.
e.) Devadashi custom- The mention of Devadasi custom is found in the bronze plate of Banamala Barman. The construction of temples of ‘Hetukasolin’ by the king in place of ‘Devadashi’ can also be found. The practice of dance and music among the women of a particular section can be found through the ‘Devadashi’ custom. The statues of various women carved on the walls of old temples dancing and playing various instruments tell about the Devadashi custom in ancient Kamrupa.
5.) Describe the administrative system of ancient Kamrupa.
Ans. The administrative system of ancient Kamrupa was elaborate. Kamrupa was divided into bhukti, mandal, bixoy, pur, gram etc. The north bank of Brahmaputra was known as North-Kuladesh and south bank was known as South Kuladesh. There was monarchical form of government and the kings considered them as the god. The founder of barman kingdom King Pushya Barman was described as the second image of Vishnu and King Narayan Barman as Chakrapani in the stone plates of Dubi of Balaji district. The titles like ‘Parambhattarak’, ‘Maharajadhiraj’,‘Param Parameshwar’ were bestowed on kings by themselves to control the people. The kings of Kamrupa were compared with the Hindu gods Indra, Hara, Vishnu, Agni, Kubera and the queens with goddesses like Aditi, Lakshmi etc. The ministers and court assembly were an integral part of the administrative system of Kamrupa. The ministers and court assembly acted as a core part of the administration system of Kamrupa and were given titles like ‘Sachib’,’Mantri’, ‘Mahapratihar’etc.
6.) Describe how the stone inscriptions help in gathering information and knowledge about ancient Kamrupa.
Ans.The stone inscriptions help in gathering information and knowledge about ancient Kamrupa in diverse ways. We come to know about the administration of ancient Kamrup from the stone inscriptions that the north bank of Brahmaputra was known as North-Kuladesh and south bank was known as South Kuladesh. The stone inscription found in ‘Kanai Borohi Bua’ at the present-day North Guwahati describes the win of King Prithu over Bakhtiar Khilji and King Prithu’s well-planned defence tactics and the bravery of the soldiers of Kamrupa.Many stone inscriptions are found in places like Tezpur, Goalpara’s “Paglatek’,’Ambari’ in Guwahati, ‘Gostol’in Dabaka which provide information about the ancient Kamrup.
EXTRA QUESTIONS:
1.) Who was the last king of Pal dynasty?
Ans. The last king of Pa dynasty was King Joy Pal who died in 1142 A.D.
2.) Where was ancient Kamrupa located?
Ans. Ancient Kamrupa was located in the east of Karatowari river and its length was 100jujon (450miles) and breadth was 30 jujon (135 miles).
3.) Where we can study about the history of Kamrupa?
Ans. We can study about the history of Kamrupa from different historical resources like Puranas, Buddhist literature, tantric scriptures, the Allahabad Prashasti carved during the Gupta period. The stone scriptures, bronze scriptures, pillar inscriptions, the ruins of temples and stone carvings etc also are important source of history of Kamrupa.
4.) Where was Kamrupa located according to the Kalika Purana?
Ans. According to the Kalika Purana, ancient Kamrupa was located in the east of Karatowari river and its length was 100jujon (450miles) and breadth was 30 jujon (135 miles). The state was triangular in shape and the Kamakhya temple was located at the center of ancient Kamrupa.
5.) What do we know about the women of Kamrupa?
Ans.The information on women of Kamrupa can be known from inscriptions found on the bronze plates. We come to know that the queens of Kamrupa were intelligent, religious and beautiful and were highly praised in the writings of the bronze plates. Queen Duttadevi, wife of Samudra Barman, Queen Ratna Devi, wife of Bol Barman, Queen Vijanayawati, wife of Bhuti Barman were amongst the most famous and praised queens of Kamrupa.
6.) Who were known as Mahabhut Barman?
Ans. Mahabhut Barman was one of the important rulers of Barman dynasty. He was also known Bhuti Barman.
7.) What was the system of ‘Banashram’?
Ans. In the ancient Hindu scriptures, people used to decide their profession depending on their nature and ability. This system was known as ‘Banashram’ or caste hierarchy. According to the ‘Banashram’, there were four basic castes- Brahman, Kshatriya, Baishya and Sudra.
8.) Define the terms: Devottar land, Brahmottar Land Dharmottar Land, Agrahaar Land?
Ans. Devottar Land- The land donated in the name of gods by the royal families were known as Devottar Land.
Brahmottar land- The land donated in the name of Brahmins by the royal families were known as Brahmottar land
Dharmottar Land-The land which were donated to the temples by the royal families were known as Dharmottar Land.
Agrahaar Land-The villages which were donated to the Brahmins as their property were known as Agrahaar land.
9.) Discuss about the land revenue system of ancient Kamrupa.
Ans. The knowledge about the land revenue system can be found from all the bronze and stone plates discovered. The complete land area of the state was under the king and the king had the right to donate lands. The king and royal family donated lands to Brahmins, temples etc. The donated lands had many names like ‘Devottar’,’ Brahmottar’,‘Dharmottar’, ‘Agrahaar’.Land revenue was the most important source of the state’s income, taxes were collected in the form of cash or other materials.
10.) What were the social and economic system of ancient Kamrupa?
Ans. The social system of ancient Kamrupa was a mixture of many ethnic and linguistic groups like Austric, Dravid, Tibeto-Burmese, Alpine etc. The caste hierarchy system was not very strict in ancient Kamrupa. The people of Kamrupa were engaged in different occupations like ‘Baro’, ‘Lekhak’, ‘Vaidya’, ‘Doiboigya’, ‘Kumbhokar’,’ Koibortto’ etc. The Brahmins were given the highest position and kings of Kamrupa donated lands to them. The society of Kamrupa was considerate and family was the smallest unit of the society. People lived in joint families and people were calm,composed and educated.