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Introduction: Tracing Changes Through A Thousand Years Class 7 Notes: CBSE History Chapter 1

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Class 7 History Chapter 1 Notes on Tracing Changes Through A Thousand Years

Vedantu offers CBSE Class 7 History Chapter 1 Notes on Introduction: Tracing Changes Through a Thousand Years, which explores into the evolution of societies, cultures, and empires over time. These notes simplify complex historical concepts, making it easier for students to follow the changes that occurred across centuries, helping them to connect with the past and understand its relevance to the present.

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Table of Content
1. Class 7 History Chapter 1 Notes on Tracing Changes Through A Thousand Years
2. Access Introduction: Tracing Changes Through A Thousand Years Class 7 History Chapter 1 Notes
    2.1New and Old Terminologies
    2.2Historians and their Sources
    2.3New Social and Political Groups
    2.4Region and Empire
    2.5Old and New Religions
    2.6Thinking About Time and Historical Periods
3. Changes in The Old and New Socio-Political Groups
4. Formation of Regions and Religions
5. 5 Important Topics of Class 7 History Chapter 1 Introduction: Tracing Changes Through A Thousand Years Notes 
6. Importance of Class 7 History Chapter 1 Notes
7. Tips for Learning the History Class 7 Chapter 1 Introduction: Tracing Changes Through A Thousand Years
8. Related Study Materials for Class 7 History Chapter 1 Introduction: Tracing Changes Through A Thousand Years
9. Chapter-wise Revision Notes Links for Class 7 History
10. Important Study Materials for Class 7 Social Science - History
FAQs


Aligned with the CBSE Class 7 History Syllabus, these notes provide a structured overview of key topics, ensuring that students cover all essential points for their exams. Also refer to Class 7 History Revision Notes for better understanding of concepts.

Access Introduction: Tracing Changes Through A Thousand Years Class 7 History Chapter 1 Notes

New and Old Terminologies

The terms and meaning of words change over time. For example, “Hindustan” today means “India”, a country, whereas in the thirteenth century, Minhaj-i-Siraj, a chronicler who wrote in Persian, used it to refer to the areas of Punjab, Haryana, and the lands between the Ganga and Yamuna.


Historians and their Sources

  • Coins, inscriptions, architecture, and textual records are used to gather information about the past.

  • People gradually started writing holy texts, chronicles of rulers, letters and teachings of saints, petitions and judicial records, and registers of accounts and taxes.

  • Manuscripts were written and collected by wealthy people, rulers, monasteries, and temples. They were also placed in temples in monasteries. These contained a lot of detailed information. Since these were handwritten, they were difficult to comprehend.

  • There were no printing presses and the texts were copied by hand which led to slight changes in them over time. Since the authentic writer couldn’t be found, the disparities continued. As a result, historians have to read different manuscript versions of the same text to guess what the author had originally written.

  • A fourteenth-century chronicler, Ziauddin Barani, wrote his chronicle first in 1356 and another two years later. The two differ from each other but historians did not know about the existence of the first version until the 1960s. It remained lost in large library collections.


New Social and Political Groups

  • There were various changes that happened between 700 and 1750 at different moments in this period. New technologies made their appearances like the Persian wheel in irrigation, the spinning wheel in weaving, and firearms in combat.

  • The Nastaliq style (on the left) is cursive and easy to read, the Shikaste (on the right) is denser and more difficult. 

  • Potatoes, corn, chillies, tea, and coffee were new food items that arrived in the subcontinent. New people brought new ideas with them and brought a lot of economic, political, social, and cultural changes.

  • Rajputra or Rajputs were Kshatriyas who claimed ruler status. They had a chivalric code of conduct, extreme valour, and a great sense of loyalty.

  • Marathas, Sikhs, Jats, Ahoms, and Kayasthas (a caste of scribes and secretaries) also used the opportunities of the age to become politically important.

  • Ranks were not fixed permanently and varied according to the power, influence, and resources and from area to area. 

  • Jatis framed their own rules and regulations to manage the conduct of their members. These regulations were enforced by an assembly of elders, described in some areas as the jati panchayat. But jatis were also required to follow the rules of their villages. Several villages were governed by a chieftain. 


Region and Empire

  • Around 700 many regions already possessed distinct geographical dimensions and their own language and cultural characteristics.

  • There was considerable conflict between these states and occasionally dynasties like the Cholas, Khaljis, Tughlaqs, and Mughals were able to build an empire that was pan-regional but not all these empires were equally stable or successful.

  • Across the subcontinent, there were small and big states that ruled over them and these led to the emergence of distinct and shared traditions: in the realms of governance, the management of the economy, elite cultures, and language.

  • These regions felt the impact of larger pan-regional forces of integration without ever quite losing their distinctiveness.


Old and New Religions

  • People’s trust in spirituality was personal but the ideas were also communal. The belief in religion changed over time as the social and economic organisations of local communities changed over time.

  • During this period, Hinduism saw a change in the way the religion operated. These included the worship of new deities, the construction of temples by royalty, and the growing importance of Brahmanas, the priests, as dominant groups in society.

  • Their knowledge of Sanskrit texts earned the Brahmanas a lot of respect in society and they were provided with a lot of support from the rulers too. These led to the development of the bhakti movement. 

  • New religions appeared in the subcontinent. The merchants and migrants first brought the teachings of the Holy Quran to India in the seventh century. Muslims regard the Quran as their holy book and accept the sovereignty of the one God, Allah, whose love, mercy, and bounty embrace all those who believe in Him, without regard to social background.

  • And like Hinduism, Islam was interpreted in a variety of ways by its followers. There were other important differences between the various schools of law (Hanafi and Shafi’i mainly in India), and in theology and mystic traditions.


Thinking About Time and Historical Periods

  • In the middle of the nineteenth-century British historians divided the history of India into three periods: 

  1. Hindu

  2. Muslim 

  3. British

  • The division was vaguely based on the religion of the major rulers and there was no other significant basis taken for this categorization and also ignored the rich diversity of the subcontinent.

  • The mediaeval period talks about hunter-gatherers, early farmers, people living in towns and villages, and early empires and kingdoms. 

  • The “mediaeval” period contrasts with the “modern” period. “Modernity” carries with it a sense of material progress and intellectual advancement.


Changes in The Old and New Socio-Political Groups

The study revolving around 1000 years would be a little difficult for sure. There were a lot of changes and developments during the time. The creation of new technologies came along. For example, the creation of the Persian wheel became a pivotal part of irrigation. Not to mention that the spinning wheel was created to lend a hand in weaving. Also, there were firearms created in order to aid in combat. Along with that, there were some changes made to the food as well as the beverage system with the addition of new foods from the subcontinent. Production of potatoes, coffee, chillies, corn, and tea came into existence.


This was a period of proper mobility as well. Since most people began travelling for opportunities in cultivation and production. This resulted in a change of habitat too. Forests were cleared for agriculture and more purposes. People began sorting themselves into groups such as priests, chieftains, and so much more. Monasteries, markets, and temples came into existence. This also led to a socio-political divide between the people.


Formation of Regions and Religions

There were some larger states belonging to Tuglugs, Cholas, and the Mughals consisting of different regions. Hence, these regions had their very own culture and language which were comparatively specific to the dynasties that ruled them. With time, there were also some changes in religious traditions too. There was a collective faith in a particular supernatural agency which came to be known as religion. This would connect most social as well as economical organisations to form communities in the local areas in the best way. 


With the alterations in the social groups, there were some changes made in the beliefs as well which included changes in Hinduism and their worship of different deities. Hence, such changes can be seen quite frequently over the years. With time, there were many changes occurring in every part of the world and these changes will continue to happen.


5 Important Topics of Class 7 History Chapter 1 Introduction: Tracing Changes Through A Thousand Years Notes 

S. No

Important Topics

1

The Study of History and Sources

2

New and Old Terminologies

3

Historians and their Sources

4

Historical Periodization

5

Changes in Region and Empire


Importance of Class 7 History Chapter 1 Notes

  • Revision notes help us quickly understand and remember key concepts before exams.

  • They save time by focusing on essential information and skipping unnecessary details.

  • These notes simplify complex topics, making them easier to understand and use.

  • They provide practical examples that show how theoretical knowledge is used in real-life situations.

  • Revision notes ensure thorough preparation by covering all important topics in a structured manner.

  • They increase confidence by clearly understanding what to expect in exams.

  • Accessible formats like PDFs allow for easy studying anytime and anywhere.


Tips for Learning the History Class 7 Chapter 1 Introduction: Tracing Changes Through A Thousand Years

  • Focus on the main concepts like "historians," "sources," and "periodization" to grasp the chapter's concepts better.

  • Understand the timelines mentioned in the chapter to understand the sequence of historical events and changes over the centuries.

  • Create or refer to maps and charts that illustrate the changes in regions, empires, and cultures over time to visualise the information.

  • Relate the concepts to real-life examples or current events to make them easy and more understandable.


Conclusion

Vedantu's revision notes for Class 7 History Chapter 1, "Introduction: Tracing Changes Through a Thousand Years," provide a clear and simple understanding of the major historical changes over a millennium. These notes help students grasp the evolution of societies, cultures, and empires with ease, making it simpler to connect past events to the present. With these notes, students can confidently prepare for exams and deepen their understanding of history in a straightforward manner.


Related Study Materials for Class 7 History Chapter 1 Introduction: Tracing Changes Through A Thousand Years


Chapter-wise Revision Notes Links for Class 7 History


Important Study Materials for Class 7 Social Science - History

FAQs on Introduction: Tracing Changes Through A Thousand Years Class 7 Notes: CBSE History Chapter 1

1. What Precautions were Followed by the Historians While they Read the Maps in Class 7 History?

Historians needed to be sensitive about certain contents while reading the maps. They needed to keep the various historical backgrounds in mind.

2. Is There a Change in the Information Provided by Certain Historical Records with Time according to Introduction: Tracing Changes Through A Thousand Years?

There are so many different historical records written in different languages. For example, there is a certain difference between Mediaeval Persian and Modern Persian which can alter the historical records.

3. What Sources did the Historians Use for Studying the Past?

Many sources were used by the historians for the study of the past such as textual records. Most of these sources would depend on nature and the period of study.

4. In class 7 History Chapter 1 what was the result when the Mughal Empire declined in the 18th century?

Following were results when Mughal Empire declined in the 18th century:

  • There was the reemergence of the regional states due to the decline of the Mughal Empire in the 18th century.

  • The character of the regions got altered during the years of imperial and pan-regional rule.

  • The small and bid states ruled over the regions with their legacies.

  • The culture, economy, management, language, etc of the regions were changed.

  • There was no growth in the development of the regions between the years 700 and 1750 A.D.

5. What was the new religion that came to India between the period of 7000 and 1750 A.D. in Class 7 History Chapter Introduction: Tracing Changes Through A Thousand Years?

New religions were introduced during the time between 700 and 1750 A.D. The teachings of the holy book Quran were brought to India by migrants and merchants in the 17th century as most of the rulers were patrons of Jurists, Islam and theologians.

  • The Quran is considered the holy book of Muslims.

  • According to Shia Muslims, the leader of the Muslim community was the prophet's son-in-law, Ali.

  • The authority of the Khalifa community was accepted by the Sunni Muslims.

  • Shafi and Hanafi were the law schools in India.

6. List some of the changes that occurred between the years of 700 and 1750 A.D?

The changes that took place between the years of 700 and 1750 A.D. are:

  • There was a gradual increase in deforestation and agriculture was extended throughout the years between 700 and 1750 A.D.

  • As the habitat changed, many forest-dwellers migrated from one place to another.

  • Temples, priests, markets, monasteries, etc were told to offer services and pay tax to local lords.

These were part of large societies. Due to this, there was a great difference in social and economical status between the peasants. To know more about this chapter, visit the page NCERT notes For Class 7 Social Science and download the revision notes free of cost.

7. In what ways did historians divide Indian History into three periods in History Class 7?

As time passed, changes were seen in economic and social organisations and also in the beliefs and ideas of the people. People can easily study these changes as they divide the past into periods.


British historians divided Indian history into three periods in the middle of the 19th century.

  • These periods were British, Hindu and Muslim.

  • The division was done based on the religion of the rulers and the developments done in the field of culture, economy or society.

8. Name the topics that are covered in History Chapter 1 of Class 7 Social Science?

Following are the topics included in History Chapter 1 of Class 7 Social Science: 

  • Introduction

  • Old and New Terminologies

  • Historians and their Sources

  • New Political and Social Groups

  • Empire and Region

  • New and Old Religions

  • Thinking About Historical Periods and Time

The above-mentioned topics are well explained in the NCERT book of Class 7 Social Science. Students can refer to this book to understand this chapter. By solving the NCERT questions they can comprehend the topics in a better way. To get notes and important questions from this chapter, students can download the vedantu app.

9. How does Class 7 History Chapter 1 help students understand historical changes?

This chapter helps students understand how societies and empires evolved over a thousand years, providing a foundation for understanding the broader context of history.

10. Why is periodization important in Class 7 History Chapter 1?

Periodization helps in dividing history into different periods, making it easier to study and understand the changes that occurred over time, as explained in Chapter 1.