VITAL VILLAGES, THRIVING TOWNS

Question 1

WHEN DID THE USE OF IRON BEGAN?

Answer 1

AROUND 3000 YEARS AGO.
SOME OF THE LARGEST COLLECTIONS OR IRON TOOLS AND WEAPONS WERE FOUND IN THE MEGALITHIC BURIALS.

Question 2

WHAT IS VELLALAR?

Answer 2

IN TAMIL LARGE LANDOWNERS WERE KNOWN AS VELLALAR.

Question 3

WHAT IS UZHAVAR?

Answer 3

IN TAMIL ORDINARY PLOUGHMEN WERE KNOWN AS UZHAVAR.

Question 4

WHAT IS KADAISIYAR AND ADIMAI?

Answer 4

IN TAMIL LANDLESS LABOURERS INCLUDING SLAVES WERE KNOWN AS KADAISIYAR AND ADIMAI.
DO NOT CONFUSE IT WITH KADAMAI WHICH IS A FORM OF TAX IN THE FORM OF LAND REVENUE.

Question 5

WHAT IS KADAMAI?

Answer 5

IT IS A TAX IN THE FORM OF LAND REVENUE.

Question 6

IN THE NORTHERN PART OF THE COUNTRY THE VILLAGE HEADMAN WAS KNOWN AS ?

Answer 6

GRAMA BHOJAKA.
IT WAS A HEREDITARY POST.

Question 7

FUNCTIONS OF GRAMA BHOJAKA?

Answer 7

1 HE WAS OFTEN THE LARGEST LANDOWNER.
2 HE HAD SLAVES AND HIRED WORKERS TO CULTIVATE LAND.
3 KING USED HIM TO COLLECT TAXES.
4 HE FUNCTIONED AS A JUDGE.
5 FUNCTIONED AS A POLICEMAN SOMETIMES.

Question 8

WHO WERE GRIHAPATIS?

Answer 8

INDEPENDENT FARMERS FROM NORTH INDIA.
THEY WERE SMALL LANDOWNERS.

Question 9

WHO WERE DASA KARMAKARA?

Answer 9

MEN AND WOMEN WHO DID NOT OWN LAND AND EARNED LIVING BY WORKING ON THE FIELDS OF OTHERS.
IN NORTHERN INDIA.

Question 10

WHEN WAS SANGAM LITERATURE COMPOSED AND WHY THEY ARE CALLED SANGAM?

Answer 10

COMPOSED AROUND 2300 YEARS AGO.
THESE TEXTS ARE CALLED SANGAMS BECAUSE THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO HAVE BEEN COMPOSED AND COMPILED IN ASSEMBLIES KNOWN AS SANGAMS OF THE POETS THAT WERE HELD IN THE CITY OF MADURAI.

Question 11

WHAT WERE JATAKAS?

Answer 11

THEY ARE STORIES THAT WERE PROBABLY
● COMPOSED BY ORDINARY PEOPLE.
● WRITTEN DOWN AND PRESERVED BY BUDDHIST MONKS.
THEY WERE OFTEN SHOWN ON THE RAILINGS OF STUPAS AND IN PAINTINGS IN PLACES SUCH AS AJANTA.

Question 12

WHAT WERE RING WELLS IN ANCIENT INDIA?

Answer 12

ROWS OF POTS OR CERAMIC RINGS ARRANGED ONE ON TOP OF OTHER ARE KNOWN AS RING WELLS.
USED AS TOILETS IN SOME CASES AND AS DRAINS AND GARBAGE DUMPS.

Question 13

WHAT IS BARYGAZA IN ANCIENT INDIA?

Answer 13

ALSO KNOWN AS BHARUCH IS PORT IN GUJARAT ON THE GULF OF KHAMBAT.

Question 14

PUNCH MARKED COINS WERE MADE OF?

Answer 14

EARLIEST COINS WHICH WERE IN USE FOR ABOUT 500 YEARS WERE PUNCH MARKED COINS.
DESIGNS WERE PUNCHED ON TO THE METAL-SILVER OR COPPER.

Question 15

WAS BARTER SYSTEM PRESENT DURING SANGAM TIME?

Answer 15

YES.

Question 16

WHAT WAS THE 2ND CAPITAL OF KUSHANAS?

Answer 16

AROUND 2000 YEARS AGO MATHURA BECAME THE SECOND CAPITAL OF THE KUSHANAS.
IT WAS A RELIGIOUS CENTRE- THERE WERE BUDDHIST MONASTERIES, JAINA SHRINES AND IT WAS AN IMPORTANT CENTRE FOR THE WORSHIP OF KRISHNA.

Question 17

POTTERY OF MAURYAN PERIOD?

Answer 17

NORTHERN BLACK POLISHED WARE.
1 EXTREMELY FINE SHEEN, BLACK IN COLOR.
2 GENERALLY FOUND IN THE NORTHERN PART OF THE SUBCONTINENT.
3. REFERRED TO AS THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF POTTERY.

Question 18

WHAT WERE SHRENIS IN ANCIENT INDIA?

Answer 18

MANY CRAFTS PERSONS AND MERCHANTS FORMED ASSOCIATIONS WHICH WERE KNOWN AS SHRENIS.

Question 19

FUNCTION OF SHRENIS IN ANCIENT INDIA?

Answer 19

1 PROVIDES TRAINING.
2 PROCURE RAW MATERIALS.
3 DISTRIBUTED FINISH PRODUCTS.
4 ORGANIZED THE TRADE.
5 ALSO SERVED AS BANKS WHERE RICH MEN AND WOMEN DEPOSITED MONEY. THIS WAS INVESTED AND PART OF THE INTEREST WAS RETURNED OR USED TO SUPPORT RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS SUCH AS MONASTERIES.

Question 20

RULES FOR SPINNING AND WEAVING AS PER ARTHASHASTRA?

Answer 20

1 WIDOWS, YOUNG WOMEN WHO ARE DIFFERENTLY ABLED, NUNS, MOTHERS OF COURTESANS, RETIRED WOMEN SERVANTS OF THE KING, WOMEN WHO HAVE RETIRED FROM SERVICES IN TEMPLE, MAY BE USED FOR PROCESSING WOOL, BARK, COTTON, HEMP AND FLAX.
2 THEY SHOULD BE PAID ACCORDING TO THE QUALITY AND QUANTITY OF WORK.
3 WOMEN WHO ARE NOT PERMITTED TO LEAVE THEIR HOMES CAN SEND MAID SERVANTS TO BRING THE RAW MATERIAL FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT AND TAKE THE FINISHED WORK BACK TO HIM.
4 WOMEN WHO CAN VISIT THE WORKSHOP SHOULD GO AT DAWN TO GIVE THEIR WORK AND RECIEVE THEIR WAGES .
5 THERE SHOULD BE ENOUGH LIGHT TO EXAMINE THE WORK.
6 IN CASE THE SUPERINTENDENT LOOKS AT THE WOMEN OR TALKS ABOUT ANYTHING OTHER THAN THE WORK, HE SHOULD BE PUNISHED.
7 IF A WOMEN DOES NOT COMPLETE HER WORK, SHE WILL HAVE TO PAY A FINE AND HER THUMBS CAN BE CUT OFF.

Question 21

ARIKAMEDU PRESENT DAY LOCATION?

Answer 21

TAMIL NADU.
PODUCA IS ITS ROMAN NAME.
IT WAS A COASTAL SETTLEMENT BETWEEN 2200 AND 1900 YEARS AGO.

Question 22

FINDINGS FROM ARIKAMEDU?

Answer 22

1. A MASSIVE BRICK STRUCTURE- MAY BE WAREHOUSE.
2. AMPHORAE (TALL DOUBLE HANDLED JARS)- IS A POTTERY FROM THE MEDITERRANEAN REGION- IT CONTAINED LIQUIDS SUCH AS WINE OR OIL.
3. ARRETINE WARE- STAMPED RED GLAZED POTTERY NAMED AFTER A CITY IN ITALY. MADE BY PASSING WET CLAY INTO A STAMPED MOULD.
4. ROMAN LAMPS, GLASSWARE AND GEMS.
5. SMALL TANKS- PROBABLY DYEING VATS.
6. BEADS FROM SEMI PRECIOUS STONES AND GLASS.