NCERT 7th Class (CBSE) Social Science: Towns, Traders and Craftsmen

Question: Why did people from distant lands visit Surat?

Answer: People from distant lands visit Surat because:

1. It was the emporium of western trade.
2. It was the gateway for trade and also been called the gate to Mecca because many pilgrim ships set sail from here.
3. Portuguese, Dutch and English had their factories and warehouses at Surat.
4. Textiles of Surat were famous for their gold lace borders (zari).
5. There were magnificent buildings and innumerable pleasure parks for the comfort of the people.

Question: How important were crafts persons for the building and maintenance of temples?

Answer: Crafts persons were very important for the building and maintenance of temples:

1. These community consist of goldsmiths, bronze smiths, blacksmiths, masons and carpenters which were essential to the building of temples.
2. They were also helpful in the artwork in copper and silver like making idols, designing the walls and the roofs.
3. The prosperous community of weavers also made donations to temples.

Question: Why do you think towns grew around temples?

Answer: Towns grew around temples because:

1. They were administrative centres.
2. They were also centres of commercial activities and craft production.
3. Temples wealth were used to finance banking and trades by the temple authorities.
4. In order to cater the needs of pilgrims, a large number of priests, artisans, workers and traders settled near the temple and slowly pilgrimage centers developed into townships.