Chapter 15 -
Medieval Assamese society
1. 1. Write the answer briefly:
(a) What were the notable kingdoms that ruled Assam in the Middle Ages?
Answer: The notable states that ruled Assam in the Middle Ages were: They are the Kamrup-Kamta, Chutia, Barbhuiya, Kachari and Ahom.
b) Dakhna is worn by women of which caste?
answer- The women of the Boro ethnic group wear dakhna.
c) Who was the owner of land during the reign of the Ahoms?
answer- There were kings who owned land during the reign of the Ahoms.
d) What was the practice of trade in the early Middle Ages?
answer- In the early Middle Ages, trade was conducted through barter.
e) Who set up a toll at Bardowa in Alipukhuri on the banks of the Kapili to practice knowledge?
answer- Mahendra Kandali set up a toll at Bardowa in Alipukhuri on the banks of the Kapili and practiced knowledge.
2) Match the words in part 'A' with the words in part 'B'-
answer-
3) Fill in the blanks-
a) Hoygriva Madhava Temple Naranarayan They were built.
B. Women had a place in the Middle Ages high ।
c) Among the tribal people zoom Agriculture was practiced ǀ
d) Anant Kandali The Bhagavad Gita He translated it into Assamese ǀ
e) Self-reliance It was a major feature of the Middle Ages
4) Mark the correct answer with ✓-
a) Medieval rule was democratic/monarchical ǀ
answer- They are monarchical.
b) The Pike system was introduced by the Ahoms/Kochas ǀ
answer- The Ahoms.
c) Tangali,Hachti Boros /Barbhuiyans contributed ǀ
answer- of the Barbhuiyans.
d) Kacharis/Kochas were pioneers in sewerage construction ǀ
answer- The Kacharis.
e) Ahom architecture from the time of Swargadeo Rudrasingh/Swargadeo Shiv Singh was influenced by Mughal and Persian influences
answer- Rudrasingh.
5) Write the answer (within about 50 words)
a) The Pike system of the Ahoms.
answer- During the reign of the Ahoms, all able-bodied men aged 15 to 50 were called pikes. There were 3 or 4 pikemen in a group. One pike from each group was required to donate labor to the royal household. The duties of the pike who went to the king's house were shared by the other pike of the group. Since there was no permanent army in the Ahom kingdom before Swargadeo Gaurinath Singh, the Pikes had to serve as soldiers during warfare.
b) Why did the Ahoms introduce the practice of rot?
answer- The Ahom made special arrangements with the border hill tribes ǀ this system was called Pacha Prathaǀ the purpose of which was to protect the Ahom subjects on the slopes of the mountains from the attacks of the hill tribes ǀ
c) What was the role of women in Assamese society in the Middle Ages?
answer- The social outlook of the Middle Ages was quite liberal. There are many ethnic groups in the country, including the Ahom, Kachari, Koch and others. The Ahom brought very few women with them when they came to Assam and not only established marriage relations with the local tribes but also established friendly relations with the local people of Assam.
In the Middle Ages, women were treated with respect. In some cases, women worked as dancers in temples, weaving and spying. Medieval women did not confine themselves to household chores, but also took part in warfare from time to time and ruled the kingdom on the throne. The ladies of the time, who wore their own tasteful dress and ornaments, were highly respected in society. From an all-India perspective, women are relatively respected in Assamese society. The tradition of 'high status of women' in Assamese society probably dates back to ancient times.
D. Agricultural systems of the Middle Ages.
answer- Agriculture was the mainstay of the economy of Assam in the Middle Ages. The main occupation of the people was agriculture. Separate crops were grown seasonally. The Assamese people produced essential commodities like paddy, pulses, oilseeds, maize, cotton, cotton, various fruits and vegetables. In the mountainous areas, fruits and vegetables were grown mainly using steep farming methods. Jum cultivation was practiced among the tribal people. There was a system of storing rainwater by tying dongs to irrigate the fields.
e) What were the notable aspects of the architecture of the Kacharis?
answer- The Kacharis were advanced in architecture and sculpture. At a time when the Ahoms did not know the use of bricks, Dimapur, the capital of the Kacharis, was surrounded by brick walls on three sides. The architecture of the Kacharis is influenced by the Muslim housing style of Bengal. They used various carved pillars in the construction of houses. There were many beautiful ponds inside the city of Dimapur, the capital of the Kacharis. The Kacharis were pioneers in the construction of sewers.
6. 6. Prepare a note on the economic activities of Assam in the Middle Ages.
answer- Agriculture was the mainstay of the economy of Assam in the Middle Ages. The main occupation of the people was agriculture. Separate crops were grown seasonally. The Assamese people produced essential commodities like paddy, pulses, oilseeds, maize, cotton, cotton, various fruits and vegetables. In the mountainous areas, fruits and vegetables were grown mainly using steep farming methods. Jum cultivation was practiced among the tribal people.
Farmers had to pay taxes to the king for their farmland. Each pike enjoyed two pieces of rent-free land for working for the kingdom. In the Middle Ages, Assam was well advanced in small and cottage industries. At that time, every family had a weaving mill. In some areas of Kamrup Kumta, both men and women were professional craftsmen. Farmers had to pay taxes to the king for their farmland. Each pike enjoyed two pieces of rent-free land for working for the kingdom.
In the Middle Ages, trade was very limited. Self-reliance was a major characteristic of that era. Bringing things from others or giving things to others was not very common. The Ahom established trade relations with neighboring tribes. Trade flourished during the reign of the Koch kings. The Koch kings took several measures to improve trade. These include road construction, circulation of currency, etc. In the early Middle Ages, trade was conducted by exchange, but currency was introduced later.
7. To give views on the land policy of the Ahoms.
answer- During the Ahom period, the king was the owner of the land. Farmers had to pay taxes to the king for their farmland. Each pike enjoyed two pieces of rent-free land for working for the kingdom. The Ahom kings donated tax-free land to Brahmins, temples, satras, etc. Later, he also donated land for the repair and preservation of mosques and graves. Therefore, it can be seen that land related matters were conducted under the supervision of the Swargadeus in the Ahon kingdom. They formulated a systematic land policy and adopted a liberal attitude towards land donation.
8. Create an album by collecting pictures of medieval monasteries and temples.
answer- For example
9. Prepare a list of various books written in the Middle Ages along with their authors ǀ
answer- For example
10. Explain the meaning of the phrase 'The language, literature and culture of contemporary Assam is the common creation and property of every ethnic group' – ǀ
answer- The map of literature and culture in medieval Assam was made by the indigenous tribal vershic groups, the Kamata kings and the southern Ahoms. The language, literature and culture of contemporary Assam are the common creation and property of every ethnic group. Hem Saraswati, Kabiratna Saraswati and Harihar Bipra wrote poetry in Assamese under the patronage of the kings of Kamrup-Kama. Therefore, it is important to note that the Ramayana was written in Assamese by Madhava Kandali under the patronage of the Kachari king Mahamanikya. In the days of this king, Mahendra Kandali set up a toll at Bardowa in Alipukhuri on the banks of the Kapili and encouraged others to practice knowledge.
The first thing to mention about the literary and cultural contributions of the medieval Ahoms is their historical literature. There is a tradition of writing history first in the Tai-Ahom language and later in the Assamese language. The Mahabharata, Ramayana and Puranas written in Sanskrit were translated into Assamese and many other meaningful books were written during this period. Sukumar Barkaith wrote the book 'Hasti Vidyarnava' on the orders of Shiva Singh and Queen Ambika. Ramanarayana Chakraborty translated Geet Govinda, Brahma Vaivartha Purana, Shakuntala into Assamese under the patronage of Swargadeo Rudrasingh and did not write Shankhachurabadha poems.
There are many different types of characters in the film, but the most important one is the character of the heroine. During the reign of Naranarayana, the greatest king of the Kochas, Rama Saraswati wrote the Mahabharata and Purushottam Vidyabagshi wrote the Ratnamala grammar in Sanskrit. Anant Kandali translated the Bhagavad Gita and several other books into Assamese.
There are many different types of characters in the film, but the most important one is the character of Mahapurusha Srimanta Sankardeva. He has made outstanding contributions to the Assamese language and literature with his works in Bajravali and Assamese.
There are many literary movements in parallel with the Nava Vaishnava movement, such as Bhatradev, Ram Saraswati, Sridhar Kandali, Ramcharan Tagore, Anant Kandali, etc. In the 16th and 17th centuries, several books were published on the lives of the gurus involved in the devotional movement. The Katha-Gurucharit, Katha-Bhagavat, Katha-Gita, etc. were created during this period. Classical music and dance have been practiced in Assam since ancient times. Srimanta Sankardeva was a pioneer in this direction. He was a veteran of the 1980s and 1990s, and was a leading figure in the field of dance and drama.
