(a) Harishena composed a prashasti in praise of Gautamiputra Shri Satakarni.
► False
(b) The rulers of Aryavarta brought tribute for Samudragupta.
► False
(c) There were twelve rulers in Dakshinapatha.
► True
(d) Taxila and Madurai were important centres under the control of the Gupta rulers.
► False
(e) Aihole was the capital of the Pallavas.
► False
(f) Local assemblies functioned for several centuries in south India.
► True
2. Mention three authors who wrote about Harshavardhana.
Answer
Three authors who wrote about Harshavardhanan were Banabhatta, Xuan Zang and Ravikirti.
3. What changes do you find in the army at this time?
Answer
The changes which we find in the army at this time are the introduction of military leaders called samantas. who provided the king with troops whenever he needed them. They were not paid regular salaries. Instead, some of them received grants of land. They collected revenue from the land and used this to maintain soldiers and horses, and provide equipment for warfare.
4. What were the new administrative arrangements during this period?
Answer
The new administrative arrangements during this period were:
• Some important administrative posts were now hereditary means that sons succeeded fathers to these posts.
• Sometimes, one person held many offices. For instance, besides being a maha-danda-nayaka, Harishena was a kumar-amatya, meaning an important minister, and a sandhi-vigrahika, meaning a minister of war and peace.
• Important men had a say in the local administration. These included the nagara-shreshthi or chief banker/merchant of the city, the sarthavaha or leader of the merchant caravans, the parathama-kulika or the chief craftsman and the head of the Kayasthas or scribes.
5. Do you think ordinary people would have read and understood the prashastis? Give reasons for your answer.
Answer
No. The ordinary people would not have understood the Prashastis because these were written in Sanskrit language, the language of the learned.