Chapter 2. Medieval World Textbook Solutions

NIOS Class 10 Social Science Chapter 2 Solutions

INTEXT QUESTIONS 2.1

1. Describe the bond between the feudal lord and his vassal in about 30 words.

Ans: The lord and his vassal shared a personal bond that was established through an elaborate ceremony. The vassal would take a vow to serve the lord while the lord protects the vassal in return.

2. Who were the serfs?

Ans: Serfs were dependent peasants of Medieval Europe, tied to the soil and completely under the authority of the lord.

3. Justify the following statements giving reasons for the same:

(a) The period from the 10th to the 12th century witnessed a revival of trade and growth of town life.

Ans: Yes. Due to increased agricultural yields, people could now sell surplus produce and buy goods from long-distance trade.

(b) From the 13th century onwards there was a reversal in the trend of growth of feudal economy.

Ans: Yes. The reduction in labor services and technological stagnation led to less agricultural produce.

(c) The cultural life before the 10th century was a prosperous time for learning and the arts in Europe.

Ans: No. Education was a privilege of the few, with the masses given no education, and learning was dominated by blind faith.

INTEXT QUESTIONS 2.2

1. Give reasons why Mecca arose into prominence.

Ans: Mecca rose into prominence because it lay on the junction of some major trade routes and it was a place of an important religious shrine, first with the diverse Arabian clans and tribes, and later with the spread of Islam.

2. Enlist at least 5 fields in which we can see the contribution of Arab Civilisation.

Ans: Astrology, Medicine, Natural Sciences, Literature, Mathematics, Architecture.

3. Fill in the blanks:

(a) In the South, it was the ……………….. Dynasty that held its way over most of Peninsular India.

Ans: Chola

(b) The Mughal System was based on the smooth functioning of the ……………….. and ……………….. Systems.

Ans: Mansabdari, Jagirdari

(c) The ……………….. were money changers who issued hundis or Bills of Exchange.

Ans: sarafs or shroffs

(d) The Bhakti Movement stressed on oneness with God though ………………..

Ans: personal devotion

TERMINAL EXERCISES

1. Explain why the Medieval Period is a significant period that needs to be studied to understand the evolution of human society?

Ans: The Medieval Period constitutes an important stage in the evolution of human society that needs to be studied for its own interest.

• For the Islamic world, it was a period when a civilisation flourished and reached the height of its glory. 
• In India, the Medieval Period was an age of synthesis. It saw a fusion of old and new political, economic, and social systems. Out of this fusion emerged a unique cultural pattern of co-existence and acceptance that became the hallmark of the Medieval Period of India. 
• During the later part of the Medieval Period, the Europeans greatly improved their standard of living. They also developed new institutions of learning and new modes of thought and reached very high standards in literature and art. In fact, the new ideas that emerged during this time not only transformed Europe but also had a deep impact on the rest of the world in the times to come.

2. Describe the changes that took place in the political and economic life in Western Europe after the downfall of the Roman Empire.

Ans: As the Roman Empire in the west came to an end, various Germanic tribes like the Goths, Vandals, Visigoths, and Franks established separate successor states. 

• Roman and Germanic societies came into close contact and merged with each other. 
• As a result of this and the prevailing political and economic conditions, a new type of society was born in Europe, with institutions and systems that were quite different from either Roman or Germanic ones. 
• The most important institution of this new society was Feudalism. It completely transformed the existing social, political, and economic organizations.

3. Examine the main features of the Medieval Indian economy.

Ans: Land was measured, and land revenue was fixed according to the exact area of land. Fertility of the land was also taken into account. The cash value of the state’s share of the produce was then calculated according to prevailing market prices, and the revenue was fixed in cash terms accordingly. The state encouraged payment of revenue in cash. This was a period of commercialization of agriculture, and the state encouraged cash crop production. The state also took a lot of interest in the extension of cultivation into zones which were hitherto uncultivated or forest areas. It gave various incentives to pioneer agriculturists. The state also advanced to peasant loans as well as revenue relief in times of crop failure.

Trade and commerce, which had declined greatly following the period of the Guptas, saw a revival during this time. Urban centers flourished after a considerable period of decline.

4. What are the main teachings of Islam? Discuss in about 100 words.

Ans: 

• Islam teaches that there is only one God. 
• In Islam, there are no intermediaries between the individual and God. 
• Steps in the Quran include dedication to a life of morality and compassion, adherence to some set religious observances like prayer and fasting at stipulated times, charity, pilgrimage to Mecca, and frequent recitation from the Quran.
• Instead of priests, there are only religious scholars who have the authority to comment on the religion and religious laws.
• Islam also preaches equality for all.

5. ‘Arab Civilisation in the Medieval Period left behind a legacy of discoveries and achievements’. Justify this statement.

Ans: At a time when the West was lagging far behind, Arab Civilisation was at its peak intellectually and artistically. The establishment of a vast empire brought the Arabs into contact with diverse cultures such as Arab, Persian, Turkish, Indian, and African. With these diverse elements, it created a splendid society leaving behind a legacy of discoveries and achievements.

6. Differentiate between Iqtadars and Mansabs.

Ans: In the Delhi Sultanate, military commanders were assigned territorial units known as iqtas. These territories were transferable. The assignees of these iqtas are known as iqtadars. The mansabs were ranks of position that were fixed according to the position of the officers in Mughal bureaucracy and the military contingents under their command. 

These mansabdars were mostly paid through land assignments called jagirs, which were frequently transferable. These were different from iqtas as iqtas combined administrative charge, jagirs did not.

7. What were the important teachings of the Bhakti Movement and Sufism? How did it act as a bridge between the Hindus and the Muslims?

Ans: 

The Bhakti Movement, which stressed oneness with god through personal devotion, came very close to the everyday lives of ordinary people. It stressed love, purity, and devotion rather than rituals and sacrifices. It questioned the caste system and the authority of Brahmans.

The Sufi saints also stressed devotion and love as the only way to realize the divine. They preached tolerance and compassion. They lived lives of austerity and shared the sorrows and anxieties of the common masses. As a result, their influence over the masses, both Hindus and Muslims, was very strong. 

There was also a lot of interaction between the Sufi and Bhakti saints, and an exchange of philosophical ideas took place. Both traditions, in fact, acted as a bridge between the two communities.

8. Illustrate how Medieval Indian culture represented a harmonious synthesis of traditions in the fields of arts, architecture and music.

Ans: 

Art

• Under the Mughals, painting was organized in the royal karkhanas, and painters were on the government payroll. 
• The Mughal School of painting represented a complete assimilation of the Persian and Indian styles. 
• This, to some extent, was a result of the fact that the artists of this school brought with them elements of the various traditions to which they belonged, like Rajputana, Gujarat, Malwa, etc. 
• The supervision of the Persian masters like Abdul Samad and Sayyid Ali brought in an element of Persian style as well.
• Manuscript Illustration was another hallmark of Mughal painting. 

Architecture

• Another fascinating aspect of cultural life in Medieval India is visible in its Indo-Islamic architecture. 
• It is characterized by the adaptation of Indian resources, expertise, motifs and designs to Persian styles. 
• New features like the arch and the dome were combined with the use of Hindu motifs like bell, lotus, swastika, and kalash/water pot. 
• The Qutub Minar, the Allai Darwaza, and various monuments of the Tulghlaq Period, like the Tomb of Ghiyasuddin Tughlaq, are fine examples of architecture during the Delhi Sultanate period. 
• The monuments of the Mughal Period reflect a deeper sense of fusion and assimilation of Indo-Islamic styles. For example, the monuments in Fatehpur Sikri, like Panch Mahal, Birbal’s Palace, and Ibadat Khana, as well as the Tomb of Humayun in Delhi, Akbar’s famous Tomb at Sikandra, Itmadudaulah’s Tomb in Agra, and, of course, the Taj Mahal, are outstanding examples of Mughal Architecture. 

Music

• Music was also patronized by most medieval rulers in India. 
• Indian system of vocal and instrumental musical interfaced with Arab, Iranian and Central Asian traditions of music. 
• New ragas came to be composed.  
• The Bhakti and Sufi traditions also gave an impetus to new devotional styles of music.

Additional Study Materials

• NIOS Class 10 Social Science Syllabus Bifurcation
• NIOS Class 10 Social Science Sample Paper
• Introduction to Social Science Textbook Solutions
• Chapter 1. Ancient World  Textbook Solutions