CBSE Class 7 Social Science Chapter 03 Empires And Kingdoms 6th To 10th Centuries MCQs Set 02

Answer: (B) As a just and energetic ruler who kept a large army and campaigned often

Explanation:
Xuanzang, who was honoured at Harsha's Kannauj assembly, portrayed him as an energetic and fair king who maintained a vast army and frequently led military campaigns.

Answer: (C) A situation involving three distinct contending parties

Explanation:
The chapter's glossary explains tripartite as describing a situation with three distinct parties, which fits the three-way rivalry over Kannauj among the Palas, Pratiharas and Rashtrakutas.

Answer: (B) Dantidurga

Explanation:
Dantidurga became the first independent Rashtrakuta ruler in the mid-8th century after defeating the Chalukyas, shifting the Deccan's power centre to Manyakheta.

Answer: (B) It sped up the empire's collapse before its final elimination by the Ghaznavids

Explanation:
• Kannauj was the Pratihara stronghold under King Bhoja's successors.
• Its destruction by Rashtrakuta rulers weakened central authority.
• This hastened the empire's disintegration, which was completed by the Ghaznavids in the 11th century.

Answer: (B) A local chief and his dog who both died fighting cattle thieves

Explanation:
This hero stone praises a local chief who, together with his loyal dog, lost his life battling cattle raiders; the inscription even names the dog, an unusual detail highlighted in the chapter.

Answer: (C) To help a Sinhalese prince regain his lost throne

Explanation:
Narasimhavarman I, also called Mamalla, sent his navy across to Sri Lanka specifically to assist a Sinhalese prince in recovering the throne he had lost, rather than for territorial gain.

Answer: (A) Carved entirely from a single block of stone

Explanation:
The word combines 'mono' (single) and 'lithic' (stone), meaning the towering Bahubali figure was carved out of one continuous rock rather than built up piece by piece.

Answer: (B) Badrinath, Puri, Dwarka and Sringeri

Explanation:
Shankaracharya set up his four monastic centres at Badrinath, Puri, Dwarka and Sringeri, deliberately choosing the far corners of the subcontinent rather than more central towns.

Answer: (B) Through Brahmana and non-Brahmana scribal families merging and increasingly marrying within their own group

Explanation:
Originally an open professional group of scribes, the Kayasthas absorbed both Brahmana and non-Brahmana families over time; as certain surnames became linked to the group and marriages stayed within it, a separate jati took shape.

Answer: (B) Supreme sovereign empress, great queen of the three worlds

Explanation:
Tribhuvana Mahadevi I used this grand title to assert her full sovereign authority as ruler, reflecting the strength and administrative skill with which she governed the Bhauma-Kara kingdom.

Answer: (A) Mawsim, meaning season

Explanation:
Long before Islam spread, Arab and Indian sailors used seasonal winds to cross the Arabian Sea, and the Arabic word for 'season', mawsim, eventually gave English the word monsoon.

Answer: (B) The first Arab naval attack being repulsed at Thana

Explanation:
The naval raid at Thana was beaten back in 637, well before bin Qasim's conquest of Sindh in 712 and the later resistance offered by Nagabhata I and Lalitaditya.

Answer: (B) The Rashtrakutas rose to replace the Chalukyas as the leading Deccan power

Explanation:
• Pulakeshin II lost to the Pallavas of Kanchi despite his earlier successes against Harsha.
• This weakened the Badami Chalukya line over subsequent decades.
• By the mid-8th century, the Rashtrakutas under Dantidurga had taken their place as Deccan overlords.

Answer: (A) Sanskrit carried prestige for a wider audience, while the local language made the grant's practical details understandable to those it affected

Explanation:
Using Sanskrit for royal genealogy gave the grant a formal, pan-Indian prestige, while spelling out the operative details in the local tongue ensured villagers and officials could actually act on what was granted.

Answer: (A) Composing a Sanskrit satirical play

Explanation:
Mahendravarman I was himself a talented poet who wrote a satirical play in Sanskrit, showing that Pallava rulers, much like Harsha in the north, combined kingship with literary pursuits.

Answer: (A) River of Kings

Explanation:
Kalhana named his 12th-century Sanskrit epic Rajatarangini, which literally means 'the River of Kings', reflecting how he traced the flow of Kashmir's rulers from ancient times down to his own era.

Answer: (B) Pulakeshin II

Explanation:
Pulakeshin II of the Chalukya dynasty held firm against Harsha's southward ambitions, keeping the Chalukya kingdom independent of the northern emperor's control.

Answer: (A) People who spoke unclearly or did not follow Vedic culture

Explanation:
The chapter explains that 'Mlechchha' first described those seen as outside Vedic cultural norms or unclear in speech, and only later broadened to denote foreign invaders such as the Arabs.

Answer: (A) Just two small states in Sindh and Punjab

Explanation:
Despite sustained military effort over three hundred years, al-Istakhri observed that Arab dominion had shrunk to only two minor territories, showing how limited their political foothold in India remained.

Answer: (A) Their overall political and religious impact stayed limited, unlike elsewhere, so they adapted policy for practical reasons

Explanation:
Unlike other regions where Islam replaced local institutions and caused mass conversions, the conquest of Sindh had a comparatively narrow effect; rulers there, whether from strategy or necessity, tolerated temple worship and let priests keep a share of revenue.

Answer: (A) Composing the earliest mathematical work independent of astronomy

Explanation:
Most mathematicians of this era refined astronomical calculations, but Mahavira stands out for authoring a text purely on mathematics, separate from astronomy.

Answer: (A) Huns originate in Central Asia; Hunas weaken the Gupta Empire; Aulikara kings defeat the Hunas; Hunas assimilate into Indian society

Explanation:
The Huns first emerged as nomads from Central Asia, a branch of them later strained the Gupta Empire, Aulikara kings at Dashapura finally crushed their leaders in the 6th century, and by the 7th century the surviving Hunas had blended into Indian administration and culture.

Answer: (A) The Hunas copied Gupta-style royal symbols and coin designs to assert legitimacy after settling in India

Explanation:
By using Gupta royal titles, coin styles, and religious imagery, the Hunas signalled their integration into existing Indian political culture rather than replacing it.

Answer: (A) Madurai

Explanation:
Madurai was the Pandyas' vibrant capital; their coins and inscriptions, along with the nearby port of Korkai, point to active seaborne trade with Southeast Asia.

Answer: (A) The Varman dynasty

Explanation:
The Varman rulers of Kamarupa, based at Pragjyotisha close to modern Guwahati, allied with Harsha, though this partnership did not stop his continuing conflicts with other neighbouring kingdoms.