Hinglish

Developments Elsewhere in India

Class 7 Social Science · Chapter 4: New Beginnings: Cities and States · NCERT Exploring Society: India and Beyond section 4.5

Learn

Great routes now tied India together, used for trade, pilgrimage and military campaigns. The Uttarāpatha linked the northwest to the Ganga plains and eastern India; the Dakṣhiṇāpatha started at Kauśhāmbī (near Prayagraj) and crossed the Vindhyas to the south. Side roads reached busy ports on both coasts. In the east, Śhiśhupalgarh (Sisupalgarh, now part of Bhubaneswar), capital of Kalinga, had a strict square plan, massive walls and broad streets.

In the south, cities emerged from about 400 BCE, and three kingdoms arose: the Cholas, Cheras and Pāṇḍyas, praised in the most ancient Tamil literature. Rich in gems, gold and spices, the south traded with the rest of India and overseas; at Kodumanal near Erode, workshops made shell and gemstone goods. By 300–200 BCE almost the whole subcontinent, including the Northeast, was one interconnected land where goods and ideas travelled freely, and the mahājanapadas gave way to new powers.

Explore: put events on the timeline.

  1. Janapadas took shape around 1000 BCE. Put the marker there.
  2. Cities rose in the far south around 400 BCE. Put the marker there.

Remember

  • The Uttarāpatha and Dakṣhiṇāpatha connected north, east, west and south.
  • Southern cities and the Chola, Chera and Pāṇḍya kingdoms rose from about 400 BCE, trading far and wide.

Quick check

The Dakṣhiṇāpatha route started from …

  1. Kauśhāmbī, near Prayagraj
  2. Takṣhaśhilā
  3. Madurai
  4. Kanyakumari
Answer

Kauśhāmbī, near Prayagraj. It crossed the Vindhya hills to go south.

Think about it

What kinds of things besides goods might have travelled along the ancient routes?

One answer

Ideas and teachings, languages, stories, art styles, technologies, foods and festivals, carried by traders, monks, pilgrims and soldiers.

Practice

Practise with fresh questions at three levels (easy, medium, hard), some answered hands-on, with hints and worked answers. Get 4 of your last 5 right to finish the topic.