Vital villages and thriving towns

Q.1. Describe the Grambhojaka. Why is he so

powerful?
Ans.a. The Grambhojaka was chosen by heredity i.e. he
is from the same family.
b. He had slaves and hired workers for agriculture work.
c. The king often asked him to collect taxes.
d. He functioned as a judge and as a policeman.
e. He was often the largest land owner of the village.
Q.2. List the crafts persons who were found in both
towns and villages.

Ans. Blacksmiths, goldsmiths, weavers, potters,

carpenters, masons, perfumers and basket weavers.
Q.3. Describe the town of Mathura.
Ans.1. Mathura has been an important settlement for
more than 2500 years.
2. Mathura also is a center where some extremely fine
sculptures were made.
3. Around 2000 years ago, Mathura became the second
capital of the Kushanas.
4. Mathura was also a religious centre. There were
Budhhist monasteries, Jain shrines, temples etc.
5. Several inscriptions on surfaces such as stones,
slabs and statues have been found.

Q.4.Write a short note on Arikamedu.

Ans. Arikamedu was a coastal settlement where ships
unloaded goods from different lands. A massive brick
structure , which may have been a warehouse, was
found at the site. Other finds include pottery from the
Mediterranean region, such as the Amphorae and
tamped red glazed pottery, known as Arrentine ware.
Roman lamps, glassware etc have been found at this
site. There is evidence for the making of beads from
glass and stones.
Q.5. What are ring wells and what were they used for?
Ans. In many cities, archaeologists have found rows of
pots in ceramic rings arranged one on top of another.

These are known as ring wells. These seem to have

been used as toilets in some cases or as drains and
garbage dumps. These ring wells are usually found in
individual houses.
Q.6. How did iron help in the growth of agriculture?
Ans. The use of iron began around 3000 years ago. The
use of iron tools like axes, ploughshares were used to
increase in the agricultural produce.