Important Questions for CBSE Class 7 Social Science Our Past 2 Chapter 5 - Rulers And Buildings

Very Short Answer Questions: 1 Mark

1. Fill in the blanks:

1. _____ years ago, buildings were made of bricks and stones.  

Ans: $800$ years ago, buildings were made of bricks and stones. 

2. In _____century rooms doors and windows were added in the buildings. 

Ans: In ${10^{th}}$ century rooms doors and windows were added in the buildings. 

3. ____ was Shah Jahan’s capital. 

Ans: Agra was Shah Jahan’s capital. 

4. ______ constructed the Kandariya Mahadeva temple.

Ans: King Dhangadeva constructed the Kandariya Mahadeva temple.

2. State true and false: 

1. King Dhangadeva belonged to Chandela Dynasty. 

Ans: True

2. Akbar’s capital was Fatehpur Sikri. 

Ans: True

3. Havelis were the large mansions.

Ans: True

4. Marriages were performed in the Mhamandapa.

Ans: False

3. Match the following:

Ans:

4. Choose the correct option:

1. Humayun’s tomb was made between____. 

1. $1562$ and $1571$

2. \[1563\] and \[1587\]

3. \[1458\] and \[1578\] 

4. None of the above

Ans. (a) $1562$ and $1571$

2. Rajarajdeva built the ____ temple.

1. Rajarajeshwara 

2. Kali 

3. Shiv Linga 

4. None of the above

Ans: a) Rajarajeshwara 

5. Define the following 

1. Qutb Minar 

Ans: Qutb Minar is a five-storeyed structure situated in Delhi. It is famous for its brilliant architecture. Its construction was started by Sultan Qutbuddin Aybak and finished by his successor, Sultan Iltutmish. 

2. Taj Mahal

Ans: Taj Mahal is a world-famous historical monument made by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. He constructed it to keep the memory of his dead wife Mumtaz alive. 

Short Answer Questions:  2 Marks

6. Define pietra dura.

Ans: Pietra duras can be defined as follows—

a. These are beautiful hard stones of different colours.

b. Pietra duras are positioned in certain patterns in depressions cut in sandstones and marbles to make them look decorated.

c. Beside the throne of Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, there is a pattern made with these pietra duras. It resembles a Greek God named Orpheus.

7. Give detail of Mughal chahar bagh garden.

Ans: Details of Mughal chahar bagh gardens are as follows:

a. Mughal chahar bagh gardens are large, planned gardens and were put together as per the supervision of Mughal emperors 

b. Each of the chahar bagh gardens used to consist of four quarters or four smaller gardens, lying within rectangular walled enclosures. 

c. Akbar, Shah Jahan and Jahangir built many chahar bagh gardens in many places of Agra, Delhi, Kashmir.

8. Describe the special features of Humayun’s Tomb.

Ans: Built under the patronage of emperor Akbar, Humayun’s tomb has some special features which are as follows:

a. Humayun’s tomb consists of a towering dome in the centre.

b. It also consists of a tall gateway known as ‘pishtaq’. 

c. The tomb’s actual location was in the centre of a Mughal chahar bagh garden.

d. It is located in the central hall and the hall is enclosed by eight rooms from all sides. Such architectural custom was known as ‘eight paradises’. 

9. Define Mahamandapa.

Ans: A ‘mahamandapa’ can be defined as a gateway and an entrance, there lies the main hall is known as ‘mahamandapa’. Dance performances used to take place in the halls of ‘Mahamadapas’ inside the temple.

10. How did the kings praise their subjects and win?

Ans: To win the praise of their subjects, the kings would build structures to be used for public activities for their comfort. Some of those structures include:

a. Temples

b. Mosques

c. Tanks

d. Wells

e. Bazars

f. Caravanserais

Short Answer Questions:                                                                               3 Marks

11. What kind of structures were made during the eighth and eighteenth centuries?

Ans: During the eighth and eighteenth centuries, mainly two types of structures were made:

a. The safe and guarded architectures like forts, palaces, tombs, and garden residences.

b. Structures such as religious buildings (temples and mosques), market places, wells, tanks were meant to be used for public activities

12. Give some details of Kandariya Mahadeva temple.

Ans: Some details of the Kandariya Mahadeva temple are given in the following points:

a. The Kandariya Mahadeva temple was constructed under the supervision of Dhangadeva, a king of the Chadela dynasty.

b. Its construction took place in the year 999. 

c. Its structure consists of an ornamented gateway, followed by an entrance 

d. Dances were being performed in the main hall or ‘mahamandapa’ of the temple.  

e. The temple was dedicated to the worship of Lord Shiva. 

f. His image was placed in the main shrine known as ‘garbhagriha’ where the monarch, his family, and the priests would come for worship purposes.

13. Who was involved in the making of Qutb Minar?

Ans: Two rulers were involved in the construction of Qutb Minar. They are as follows:

a. Delhi’s first Sultan, Qutbuddin Aybak started the construction of Qutb Minar in 1199. However, he built only the structure’s basement and could not complete its entire construction. 

b. Iltutmish, who became the Sultan after him, completed the construction of Qutb Minar. 

Thus, the two rulers of Delhi Sultanate, Qutbuddin Aybak and Iltutmish, were said to be involved the construction of Qutb Minar. 

14. How can you say that the Mughals used the regional architectural style to construct their buildings?

Ans: The impact of regional architectural styles was very much evident in Mughal architecture. By the following instances, it can be said that the Mughals used the regional architectural style to construct their buildings:

a. In Bengal, a distinguished type of architectural style consisting of a roof looking like a thatched hut was much prevalent. It was called ‘Bangla dome’. The Muslim rulers highly admired the ‘Bangla domes’ and constructed those at many of their structures.

b. Emperor Akbar of the Mughal dynasty had his capital at the Fatehpur Sikri. Many of the structures there resembled the architecture of Gujarat and Malwa.

Long Answer Questions:  5 Marks

15. Which was the city that Shah Jahan created?

Ans: Shahjahanabad was the city created by Shah Jahan. This new city had an imperial palace located across the river Yamuna. General people didn’t have access to this place. Only some of his special nobles including his son Dara Shukoh were allowed.

16. Give a briefing of Shah Jahan’s audience hall.

Ans: Shah Jahan’s audience halls can be described as follows:

a. The audience halls built under emperor Shah Jahan’s supervision were specially planned and designed.

b. Their architecture used to be designed in ways that resemble a mosque.

c. For the emperor, there used to be a throne in the audience hall. The throne was generally placed on a base called ‘qibla’.

d. In the audience halls, Muslims used to conduct their prayers. During prayers and when the court used to be in session, they faced in the direction of the ‘qibla’.

e. The architectural features of Shah Jahan’s audience halls depicted the idea of the emperor himself being God’s representative. 

17. How did the river Yamuna play an important role in the construction of Shahjahanabad?

Ans: The river Yamuna played an important role in the construction of Shahjahanabad in the following ways:

a. The new city of Shahjahanabad was constructed across the Yamuna River.

b. It was on the Yamuna river’s front that an imperial palace was constructed by Shah Jahan.

c. Shah Jahan favoured the presence of a river-front garden in the layout of the Taj Mahal. He wanted to use the same architectural form as a way to control the access that the nobles had to the river. It means that the presence of the river Yamuna let Shah Jahan decide who could have access to Shahjahanabad and who could not. For instance, only his favoured ones like his son Dara Shukoh were given access to the river to reach Shahjahanabad and others were instructed to build houses far away from the Yamuna. 

18. How did the temples be important for the kings?

Ans: Temples were important for kings in the following ways:

a. Temples were a means for the kings to showcase their devotion to God.

b. Temples also symbolised the amount of wealth possessed by a king. 

c. By building temples, the kings could demonstrate their power and establish their supremacy. For example, the Rajarajeshvara temple was constructed by King Rajarajadeva to show devotion for his deity named Rajarajeshvaram. The similarity in the names of the king and the god was because the king wanted to depict himself as a god in front of the general public.

d. The temples functioned as a smaller representation of the world controlled by the king and his subordinates.

e. By worshipping those temples, the rulers made it seem that they brought god’s rule on earth. 

19. Why the temples were built and destroyed?

Ans: Temples were built and destroyed because of different reasons.

Reasons behind building temples:  Kings used to construct large temples to showcase their wealth, power and supremacy, devotion to a deity. For example, the Rajarajeshvara temple was constructed by King Rajarajadeva to show devotion for his deity named Rajarajeshvaram. By the similarity in the names of the king and the god, he wanted to show himself as a god.

Reasons behind the destruction of temples:

a. First of all, as the temples symbolized the wealth of the kings, they treasured valuable wealthy possessions like gold. So naturally, at the time of invasion of an empire, enemies would attack the temples in the very first place to loot the wealth. 

b. Moreover, the temples were symbols of the monarch’s power and pride. So, by destroying the temples, enemies wanted to end the power of that king. For instance, when the Pandyan king Shrimara Shrivallabha attacked Sri Lanka, he looted valuable possessions like a Buddha’s statue made of gold, other golden images, and idols, etc. 

20. Discuss about the engineering skills of eighth to eighteenth century.

Ans: The engineering skills of the eighth to the eighteenth century can be understood from the following points:

a. Monuments constructed in this period are evidence of the technology or engineering skills used.

b. Around the seventh to tenth centuries, the architectural tradition started focusing on adding more rooms, doors, and windows to structures. This shows an improvement in engineering skills.

c. An architectural style called ‘trabeate’ or ‘corbelled’ was prevalent. It involved the construction of roofs, doors, windows by positioning a horizontal beam across two vertical columns. This style was applied in the building of major structures like temples and mosques between the eighth century and the thirteenth centuries.

d. Arcuate architecture is also a great example of the architectural style used in the twelfth century. It involved designing arches to carry the weight of superstructures.

e. High-quality limestone cement was also increasingly employed for construction purposes to make the process of construction accomplished easily in lesser time. 

Significance of CBSE Class 7 Social Science Our Past 2 Chapter 5 Rulers and Buildings Important Questions

This chapter is quite crucial to study as it explains the important phases of history in terms of rulers. It also explains the buildings developed by them that carry immense significance in history. The students of Class 7 will learn a lot from these architectural and engineering marvels standing the test of time. These buildings are the perfect example of the conglomeration of art and architecture originating in various parts of the world.

To prepare this chapter well, students follow the important notes and solve the exercise questions. Once done, they focus on solving the exercise questions accordingly. When they are done preparing this chapter properly, they will need an evaluation platform to assess their preparation level and knowledge. This is where the important questions set by the experts will come in handy.

These questions will aid students to find out the significant parts of this chapter that need more attention. They can compare their answers to the solutions to these important questions and learn how to answer skilfully to score more in the exams.

Advantages of CBSE Class 7 Social Science Our Past 2 Chapter 5 Rulers And Buildings Important Questions

• The questions have been set following the latest syllabus to cover all the concepts and fundamental principles of this chapter of history. It will help you to focus on the concepts well while compiling answers to practice.

• Resolve doubts related to these questions by using the solutions provided with them. You can do it on your own and take your preparation level to the next step faster.

• Find out how the experts have compiled the answers to grab the style and learn to be precise. This is how you can score more in the exams.

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