Vedanta Integrated Social Studies 7 Final (2078)

Lesson

51..51 Map Work

The concept of drawing map has been originated from the ancient Europe, It
is very important because we can’t cover land on the paper at the same size,
which leads to the development of scale in the map. The map is the proportional
representation of the Earth on paper. It is also defined as the flat picture of
the Earth. We can represent any parts of the Earth on paper by using various
scales. The scale is very useful to find the distance between the places in the
map.
There are various types of maps in practice. Among them, physical, political,
cadastral, wall map, atlas map, thematic and toposheet or topography map are
common. Physical maps show the natural land features of the Earth, whereas
the political maps show the different administrative units, such as village body,
municipality, districts, provinces, and countries. Roadways, railways, ropeways
and cities are also shown in this type of map. Likewise, the cadastral map is
used to show the divisions of the land at the micro-level. In the toposheet map,
both the political and physical features are shown.
There are various signs and symbols used on the map to show details. They are
called conventional signs and symbols. They are the universal languages of the
map. Some of them are mentioned in the table given below:

Conventional Symbols used in the Map

River District boundary
, Zonal/Regional boundary
Lakes , International boundary

Mountain Peaks Roadway/Highway
Mountain range
Mountain chain Railway
Glacier , Ropeway
Waterfall
Dam Grassland
Canal Industry

Temple Cities

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Airport Settlement areas
Desert
Church Sea/Ocean
Highlands
Stupa Rift valley
Mosque
Goldmine
Pass Diamond mine

NP, WLR (Protected
HR, CA Areas)
Bridge

Basic requirements for the map

Drawing map is a special and practical skill, which we can learn from various
sources. The skill of drawing map is called the cartographic skill. Following
things are required to draw a perfect map, which are mentioned in the box.

Process of Drawing Map

We can draw maps by using various methods. Attractive title, Scale,
The survey is the best and accurate method of North line, Index/
drawing a map. Carbon, triangular, tracing, Legend, Boarder line
freehand and graphic methods are the other and Boundary line.
ways of drawing map. We can draw a map of
Nepal in easy and comfortable ways in the
graphic method.

Now, we can practice drawing the map of Nepal by the methods as shown
below:

Step 1:

Take an original map and draw a graph above the original map. Then mark the
extended parts of the map in the graph. Draw a rectangle having 20 cm length and
12 cm width in your exercise book. Mark at the interval of 4 cm horizontally and
vertically to draw a graph as shown below. Mark only a few extended parts of the
map as shown in graph:

Step 2:

Mark some of the extended parts of the map such as; Mt Changla, Mt Mustang,

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Mt Everest, Mt Kanchenjunga, Bhimdattanagar, Dhangadi, Nepalgunj, Chitwan,
Birgunj and Jhapa inside the graph. Again, add some more extended parts like Mt
Ganesh, Mt Langtang and Mt Gaurishankar between Mt Mustang and Mt Everest
and also mark some names like Limpiyadhura, Mt Api, Lumbini, Janakpur, and
Koshi Barrage on the map as shown below:

4cm 4cm 4cm 4cm 4cm

scale: 1cm = 40km

Step 3:

Join all parts to complete drawing map of Nepal as shown in graph:

4cm 4cm 4cm 4cm 4cm

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Step 4:

Mention north line, international boundary line, boarder line, and scale as shown
below to complete the map work of Nepal. Insert some information by using legend.

N

scale: 1cm = 40km

Glossary

cadastral map : a map showing land and house

cartographic skill : the skill of drawing map

conventional signs : traditional signs and symbols used in the map

ACTIVITIES

(1) Draw at least three maps of Nepal by using the methods given above
and insert at least five facts of the following:

(a) Major rivers (b) Protected areas (c) Religious places

(d) Mountain peaks (e) Cities (f) lakes

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EXERCISE

(1) Write very short answers to the following questions:
(a) What is a map?
(b) Name the types of map.
(c) What do you mean by scale?
(d) What is a political map?
(e) What do you mean by a physical map?
(f) Why conventional symbols of the map are maps called the universal
language?

(2) Name the different methods of drawing maps.

(3) Differentiate between a political and a physical map in three points
for each.

(4) Draw the conventional symbols of the following:
Railway line, church, ropeway, bridge, mountain pass, lake, cities and
river.

(5) What are the basic requirements of the map? Prepare a list of them.

(6) Draw an outline map of Nepal by using the methods given above and
insert the following facts in it.
Mt. Kanchenjungha, River Tila, Banke NP, Halesi and Tea producing
area.

COMMUNITY WORK

(1) Draw a thematic map of your school area and present it in
the display board of your classroom and also use some of the
conventional symbols to show some details. (Like river, road,
temple, bridge, trees, settlements and so on)

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Lesson Physical Condition and
Socio-economic Life of Europe
51..61

Location

Europe lies in the northern hemisphere of the Earth. It extends between
35°N to 73°N latitudes. It also extends from 25° W to 65° E longitudes. It is
the sixth-largest continent of the world after Asia, Africa, North America,
South America and Antarctica. Its area is 1,05,25,000 square kilometre.
There is the Atlantic Ocean in its west. The Arctic Ocean lies to the north,
and the Mediterranean Sea separates it from Africa to the south whereas,
the Ural Mountains, the Caspian Sea and the Black sea separate it from
Asia in the east.

This continent is surrounded by sea and oceans from its three sides. There
are many lands surrounded by water bodies from its three sides. That is
why this continent is also called the ‘peninsulas of the peninsula’. North
Sea, Baltic Sea and the Barents Sea lie to the north. This continent has a
long coastal area. The major rivers of Europe are Danube, Vistula, Rhine
and Themes. The Volga is the longest river of the continent, which is about
3500 kilometres long. These rivers are very useful for internal navigation.
Internal parts of the sea and rivers of this continent are much utilised for
navigation.

EUROPE 20 0 20 40

Greenland Jan Mayen Norwegian Sea Hammerfest Barents
(DENMARK) (NORWAY) Tromsø Sea

Denmark Greenland Murmansk
Strait Sea

Kiruna

White Sea Arkhangel'sk
vinrnaaya
Reykjavík Arctic Circle Seve D
ICELAND Dnieper

NORWAY Luleå Oulu

Umeå FINLAND Lake
Onega

60 Trondheim 60

Tórshavn SWEDEN Gulf Tampere Lake
Faroe Islands of Ladoga
(DENMARK)
Bothnia

SHETLAND HelGsuilfnokf Fiinland 40
ISLANDS Tallinn
20 Bergen Gävle Turku Saint Petersburg
Rockall ORKNEY Stockholm
ISLANDS Oslo ALAND RUSSIA
(U.K.) ISLANDS
Rhine
HEBRIDES Stavanger (ESTONIA
Volga
North Skagerrak Moscow
Atlantic
Aberdeen Göteborg Gotland LATVIA
R¯iga
Kattegat
Ocean Glasgow North Baltic Sea LITHUANIA Vitsyebsk Smolensk
Edinburgh Sea Öland
DENMARK Malmö
Belfast UNITED Copenhagen Vilnius Mahilyow
Kaliningrad RUSSIA Minsk
Isle
Dublin Irish of Leeds Bornholm BELARUS
IRELAND Sea Man Manchester Gdan´ sk Hrodna

(U.K.)

Homyel'

Liverpool Hamburg Chernihiv

GERMANYKINGDOMBirmingham Bremen Berlin Poznan´ Warsaw Brest
Oder
Cardiff Amsterdam POLAND Kyiv
London Lódz´
Celtic Rotterdam NETH. Essen Zhytomyr Dnieper
Sea
Leipzig Elbe Wroclaw Vistula UKRAINE

Brussels Cologne L'viv
Vinnytsya
English Channel Lille BEL. Bonn Prague Kraków

Guernsey (U.K.) Frankfurt CZECH REPUBLIC Chernivtsi Mykolayiv
Jersey (U.K.) Luxembourg Chis¸inau
Paris LUX. Brno SLOVAKIA Cluj-
Nantes Loire Napoca
Seine Strasbourg Stuttgart Danube Bratislava Ia¸si Odesa
Munich MOLDOVA
Vienna Budapest
LIECH.

Zürich Vaduz AUSTRIA HUNGARY
Bern
Bay of FRANCE SWITZ. ROMANIA
Biscay Geneva
Ljubljana Bucharest Constan¸ta
Danube
SLOVENIA Zagreb

Lyon Turin Milan Venice BOSNIA AND Black
Po HERZEGOVINA
A Coruña Bordeaux Belgrade Varna Sea
SERBIA
Porto Genoa CROATIA
40 SAN
Toulouse Sarajevo BULGARIA
Bilbao MONACO MARINO

Andorra Ligurian Florence MONT. Pristina Sofia Istanbul
la Vella Marseille Sea KOS. Bursa 40
ANDORRA ITALY Adriatic Podgorica
Zaragoza Corsica Sea Tirana Skopje
Rome
MACE.

PORTUGAL Madrid Barcelona VATICAN Thessaloníki
Lisbon Balearic CITY
Tagus ALB. TURKEY
Sea Naples
SPAIN Valencia
BALEARIC Sardinia Tyrrhenian GREECE Aegean I.zmir
Sea
Sea
Càgliari Athens

Sevilla ISLANDS Ionian

Mediterranean Sea Palermo Sea
Sicily
Gibraltar Málaga Rhodes
(U.K.)

Strait of Gibraltar Ceuta Alborán
(SPAIN) Sea
Algiers Tunis Scale 1:19,300,000 Crete
Melilla Oran TUNISIA
(SPAIN) ALGERIA Lambert Conformal Conic Projection,
standard parallels 40ºN and 68ºN
Rabat Valletta
MALTA
Casablanca
0 300 Kilometers

MOROCCO 0 0 20 300 Miles

803539AI (G00772) 6-12

Map of Europe

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Land Features

Europe is divided into three main physical features. They are Northern
Highland, Central Plain and Southern Mountains. There is a highland in the
northern parts of the continent, which is known as Scandinavian Highland.
Norway, Finland and Sweden lie in this highland. This highland is covered
with large coniferous forests. Alps, Pyrenees and Caucasus mountains lie
to the south. Mt. Elbrus (5642 m) is the highest summit of this continent.
Central lowlands lie between them, which has high fertility. It is ideal for
the production of wheat and animal husbandry. The longest river of Europe;
the Volga flows through this lowlands.

Climate

Most of the parts of Europe has moderate climate because it lies in the
temperate zone. Southern Europe experience Mediterranean types of climate.
It is suitable for the production of fruits. Eastern parts have temperate
grassland climate, whereas western parts have an oceanic climate that
receives rainfall throughout the year-round. Due to its pleasant climate,
people are hardworking and laborious. But, the northern parts experience
cold Tundra type of climate.

Natural Vegetation and Wildlife

Natural vegetation is highly influenced by the climatic conditions of the
place. Some shrubs and bushes are found in the southern parts of the
continent. This part is suitable for the production of citrus types of fruits
such as lemon, lime, orange and graphs. The central and eastern parts are
covered by the large grassland, which is known as Steppes. The northern
part is covered with the coniferous forest, which is known as Taiga. Western
parts of the continent have deciduous type of plants, which are colourful in
nature. The Alps and Pyrenees mountainous region have coniferous types
of vegetation.

Socio-economic Life

This continent is one of the most developed continents in the world. All the
social indicators like HDI, GDI and PCI of this continent are very high.
Different kinds of infrastructures like transportation, communication,
health, education, industry, trade, tourism, science and technologies are
highly developed. People are using modern tools and equipment in agriculture.
They also use developed seeds, chemical fertilisers and insecticides to

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increase productivity. There are peace and prosperity in society. Law and
order are highly maintained in the society of Europe.

Glossary

peninsula : the landforms surrounded by the sea or ocean from its
three sides
navigation
pleasant : water transportation

: mild or moderate

ACTIVITIES

(1) Draw a map of Europe in a chart paper and insert the following facts
in it and pest it in the display board of your classroom.
(a) Any three rivers
(b) Any five sea
(c) Any six countries
(d) Any two mountain peaks
(e) Any six cities

EXERCISE

(1) Write very short answers to the following questions:
(a) What is Taiga?
(a) Name the temperate grassland of Europe and Asia.
(a) Where does Scandinavia lie?
(a) Which is the longest river in Europe?
(a) Name the highest mountain peak in Europe.
(a) Which region of Europe receives rainfall during winter?

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(2) Name the different geographical regions of Europe, and explain them
in short.

(3) What types of climate is found in Europe? Explain in short.

(4) Draw a map of Europe and insert the following facts in it:
River Volga, Mediterranean Sea, Barents Sea, Alps Mountain, Scandinavia,
Ural Mountains, London and Vatican City.

(5) Explain the lifestyle of the people of Europe in short.

COMMUNITY WORK

Meet one of the persons from your locality who has visited Europe,
and ask with her or him about the physical and socio-economic
conditions European countries and share it with your friends in the
class.

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Lesson Physical Condition and
Socio-economic Life of Australia
51..71

Location

Australia is the smallest continent in the world by its area. It lies in the
southeast of Asia. It lies entirely in the southern hemisphere. It is located to
the 10°S to the 40° South latitudes and 114°E to the 154° East longitudes.
There is only one country on its mainland. Another country on this continent
is New Zealand which is lies about 1800 km away from the mainland of
this country. The mainland is Australia. This is the sixth-largest country
in the world which is divided into eight states. They are Western Territory,
Northern Territory, Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia,
Victoria, Capital Territory and Tasmania. Canberra is the capital city of
this continent.

Map of Australia

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Physical Divisions

The mainland of Australia is divided into three main geographical regions.

The Eastern Mountain

The Eastern Mountain lies in the eastern parts of the continent. It is also
known as The Great Dividing Range. It stretches from the north to south.
Mt. Kosciusko (2228 m) is the highest summit of this continent. It lies in the
southeast of the continent.

The Central Lowlands

The central lowlands of Australia lie on the bank of Murry-Darling and
Flinders River. The Murry-Darling is the longest river on the continent,
which flows towards the south. However, the Flinders river flows towards
the north and end at the Gulf of Carpentaria. This lowland is also extended
around the Lake Eyre area. The land of this region is fertile, which is ideal
for the production of foodstuff for the people of Australia.

Western Deserts

This region lies in the western parts of the continent. This region is almost
dry because it is covered with tropical deserts, which is also known as The
Great Australian desert. This region is too occupied by the plateaus and
remain almost hot and dry throughout the year. The largest rockin the
world, Ayres rock, also lies in this region. However, this region is rich in
minerals.

Climate and Vegetation

This continent experiences various climate. The south and south-west of the
continent experience Mediterranean types of climate. This region experience
rainfall in the winter, and summer remain hot and dry. The northern parts
experience a monsoon type of climate. Mostly, the areas around the Gulf of
Carpentaria experience monsoon types of climate. The east and southeast
coast of the continent has a moderate climate.

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Socio-economic Life

This continent is full of European Caucasians whose ancestors migrated
from the United Kingdom. Some indigenous people also live in very few
number. They are the aborigines. But this continent is emerging as the
new destination for the people of the world. Many Nepali and Indians also
live on this continent permanently. This continent is also highly developed.
The social indicators like Human Development Index, Gender-related
Development Index and Per Capita Income are very high. Different kinds
of infrastructures like transportation, communication, health, education,
industry, trade and tourism are developed. Science and technologies are
highly developed. People use modern tools and equipment in agriculture.
There is peace and prosperity in society. Law and order are highly
maintained by providing good governance to the people. This continent is
rich in minerals like gold, coal, iron, platinum and so on.

Glossary

Mediterranean type of climate : a climate that experience rainfall in
Monsoon type of climate winter

: a climate that experience rainfall in
summer

ACTIVITIES

(1) Draw a map of Australia in a chart paper and insert the following facts
in it and pest it in the display board of your classroom.
(a) Two rivers
(b) Mountains/highlands
(c) Gulf/Sea/Bay/ lakes/Ocean
(d) Mt. Kosciusko
(e) Cities

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EXERCISE

(1) Write very short answers to the following questions:
(a) Which is the highest peak in Australia?
(b) Name the largest rock in the world.
(c) Which parts of Australia experience a Mediterranean type of
climate?
(d) Which is the lowest point in Australia?
(e) Name the three physical regions of Australia.
(f) Which parts of Australia experience Monsoon types of climate?

(2) Find the names of the provinces of Australia and write in your exercise
book.

(3) Explain the physical features of Australia.
(4) Write a short description of the climatic features of Australia.
(5) Describe the socio-economic conditions of the people living in

Australia.

COMMUNITY WORK

Many Nepali youths are attracted to Australia. Meet a person of your
locality who is returned from Australia and ask about it. Write a paragraph
about Australia and share it with your friends in your class.

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Lesson

51..81 Climate Change

The climatic situation of the Earth is getting worse day by day. There
was consistent rainfall in the past at suitable season. But nowadays the
environment is not as well as past due to human activities. Sometimes, high
and early rainfall occur before the season, and sometimes low and delay
rainfall occurs. It creates problems for the plantation of the crops. There
is less snowfall in the mountains of the Himalayan region in comparison
to the past, which caused decrement in water level in the perennial rivers.
Jomsom of our country received very less or scanty rainfall in the past, but
many houses of the Mustang district were damaged due to the heavy rainfall
a few years before. This type of contrary effects on the environment is called
climate change.

Mountains without snow because of climate change

Climate change is caused by human activities. Various activities such
as the use of diverse sources of energy, industrialisation, urbanisation,
deforestation and pollution are the major causes of climate change. Over
exploitation of natural resources is another cause of climate change. Human
activities produce different gases like carbon dioxide, methane and carbon
monoxide. Such harmful gases cause increment in the global temperature.
They support for the climate change. There are no more trees to absorb

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the harmful gases of the atmosphere due to deforestation. These harmful
gases cause global warming. Global warming means an increment of the
temperature on the troposphere of the Earth.

Land changed into barren dry land because of climate change

The snow-capped mountains are the sources of the chief perennial rivers of
Nepal. They are seen bare, which are the sources of the rivers. Sometimes
there is no rainfall during the time of paddy plantation. Somewhere heavy
rainfall occurs at the time of reaping crops, which affects the agricultural
production. Birds hatch eggs earlier; flowers are flowering before the time.
When they hatch earlier, they can not get the insects to feed their babies
at that season. Lastly, it creates misbalance in bio-diversity. We all should
take this problem seriously. We should work together to eradicate this type
of problems. At first, we should prepare the list of problems and then we can
tackle it.
We should obtain some procedures to overcome the problem. We should
create public awareness and teach all the children about the effects of
climate change from the school level. People should use green energy and
be encouraged for the afforestation. We should use solar energy, wind
power, biogas plants, hydroelectricity, and discourage to use petroleum, gas,
firewood and coal. They are not environment friendly and harmful to the
atmosphere. If we are aware, then we can minimise the effects of climate
change and save our Earth and its creatures.

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ACTIVITIES

(1) Collect some newspaper articles from a newspaper showing the
effects of climate change and present them in your classroom.

EXERCISE

(1) Write very short answers to the following questions:
(a) What do you mean by climate change?
(b) Name the harmful gases produced in the atmosphere.
(c) What causes the increment in the global temperature?
(d) Which country of SAARC is facing the problem created by the
increment of the sea level?
(e) Write any two sources of green energy.

(2) What are the causes of climate change? Write in short.
(3) Mention the effects of climate change in our country.
(4) What measures should we take to overcome the problems created

by climate change? Mention any four of them.

COMMUNITY WORK

Identify the measures to overcome the problems of your locality created by
climate change.

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Lesson

51..91 Effects of Climate Change

“Effects of Climate Change”

(Pema is talking with her uncle about
climate change, who works as an expert of
environment science in an international
organisation)

Pema : Uncle, I know that you
have participated in various
programmes related to
environmental science. You
might have participated in Pema and her uncle

the different programmes
related to climate change. Could you please tell me what
climate change is?

Uncle : Yes, Pema! I have participated in different seminars and
meetings. I am very pleased with your quarries. Now, Listen!
Many unusual activities are going on the Earth these days,
like rainfall before the season, sometimes low and delay
rainfall, deluge and drought, no snowfall in the mountains
and an increment of the sea level. These types of unwanted
changes in the environment are called climate change.

Pema : Uncle! Then, what are the other effects of climate change?

Uncle : Listen, Pema! Increment in global temperature is another
effect of climate change. The global temperature has
increased by 0.60 C from 1917 to 2000 AD. Climate change
causes a rise in temperature, drought, deluge, and loss in
natural beauty of the Earth.

Pema : Uncle! Are there any other effects of climate change?

Uncle : Good query! Listen please, Human beings are involved in
different industrial activities. They produce the largest
amount of methane, sulphur dioxide, carbon dioxide and

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Pema : carbon monoxide. The plants need to absorb such harmful
Uncle : gases. But due to deforestation, there are no more trees to
absorb these types of harmful gases from the atmosphere. It
Pema : has caused global warming on the Earth surface. It means
Uncle : the rise of the temperature in the atmosphere of the globe.
Uncle, could you please tell me some more effects of climate
Pema : change?
Uncle : The snow-capped mountains are seen bare. They are the
sources of the major perennial rivers of Nepal. Sometimes,
there is no rainfall or early or late rainfall at the time of
paddy plantation. Sometimes there is heavy rainfall at
the time of harvesting. It reduces the production of crops.
Flowers grow, and birds hatch their eggs before the season.
Finally, the effects of climate change create an imbalance
in the bio-diversity. Such effects may create dangerous
situation among rare animals, birds and other living beings,
including human beings.
Oh! Is it such a challenging situation? Then, how could we
reduce its impacts, uncle?
Listen! It is not a problematic state if we take it seriously,
Pema. We can work together for the solution to the problem.
Public awareness should be created among the people to
overcome the problem. We should use green energy like solar
power, hydropower, biogas and so on. The use of firewood,
petroleum, coal and atomic power should be minimised.
Uncle! I had heard about the meeting which was held at
Kalapaththar of Nepal to reduce the effects of climate
change. Is it true?
You are right, Pema! It was the meeting of the cabinet of
the government Nepal which was held at Kalapaththar, the
base camp of Mt. Everest in 2009 AD. This type of meeting
was held under the ocean water in the Maldives in 2009 AD.
Likewise, the UN meeting was held in Mexico in 2010 AD to
minimise the effects of climate change. Recently, a national
conference regarding climate change was conducted in
Sindhupalchok on 16th and 17th Poush, 2075 BS (31st Dec to
1st Jan 2018/19 AD). All the meetings were held to minimise
the effects of climate change. If we are aware of saving our

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motherland, we can increase the life of both the Earth and
human civilisation.
(Both of them depart after brief discussion about climate change.)

ACTIVITY

(1) Collect a piece of news story from the newspaper showing the effects
of climate change and paste it on your classroom wall.

EXERCISE

(1) Rewrite the given statements after making appropriate correction.
(a) There is very less snow in the mountains than in the Hilly region.
(b) Nitrogen and oxygen are harmful gases caused by global warming.
(c) Chure range is the sources of the perennial river of Nepal.
(d) The cabinet meeting of our government held in Kalapaththar, the
base camp of Mt. Everest in 2006 AD.
(e) The average global temperature has increased by 1.6°C from 1917
AD to 2000 AD.

(2) Name the harmful gases produced by human activities.

(3) Write different sources of green energy.

(4) Write some of the consequences of climate change.

COMMUNITY WORK

Go for the field visit and collect some information showing the effects
of climate change and write a short paragraph about it.

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Lesson

51.1.10 Disaster Management

Disasters occur all of a sudden, some of Flood
them are natural, and some of them are
caused by the people and their activities.
Such activities and disasters create lots of
problems in the different parts of the globe.
It is the sudden arrival of the earthquake,
floods, landslides, drought, accidents and
diseases. They may bring lots of damages
and loss in human life and properties.

There are two main components of the
disaster; they are vulnerability and hazards.
A disaster occurs when the vulnerability and
hazards meet. Vulnerability refers to the
damage of the physical and human-made
structures. Such structures are damaged
by hazards, or it is the source of danger
like earthquake, flood, landslides, storm
and so on. Disasters damage the different
structures and displace people from place to
Landslide

place. It causes injuries, physical disability
and deaths of people. It is not only caused by natural factors; sometimes, it
is caused by accident and epidemic. Accidents are either caused by human
errors or negligence, but the epidemic is health-related disaster. Their
causes are mentioned below:

Causes of Epidemic

Lack of public awareness
Lack of health facilities
Consumption of contaminated food
Environment pollution and lack of sanitation
Superstitious beliefs and blind faiths
Unplanned urbanisation, industrialisation and so on.

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Causes of Accident

Carelessness;
Poor infrastructures;
Using and playing with weapons;
Plane crash, road accidents and railway accidents;
Falling from the tree;
Mishandling the machinery tools; and
Bush fire, electric shocks and so on.

Finally, we come to know that such kinds of disasters may occur in any
place or time. So, we should be aware of the disasters and their effects and
try to obtain the measures to overcome the problems caused by them.

Precaution and Importance of Disaster Management

We cannot avoid our society and country from the effects of the disaster. So,
we should prepare a quick plan and preparedness to minimise the effects of
the disaster. There are three cycles for disaster management; they are pre-
disaster, during disaster and post-disaster. The period before a disaster is
known as the pre-disaster. In this stage, we should not let human-created
disaster occur. During disaster represents the period of disaster occurrence.
We should try to minimise the effects of the disasters and try to save us in
this stage. Post-disaster is the stage after a disaster. Following measures
should be adopted to minimise the effects of human-made disasters:

We should not pollute the environment.
Public awareness should be organised.
We should keep ourselves away from the contaminated food.
We should do regular health check-up.
We should not believe in witchdoctors and superstitions.
We should construct quality buildings.
We should prioritise providing medical facilities like doctors, medical
centres and hospitals.
Proper immunisation should be provided to prevent from the dangerous
diseases.

Likewise, other disasters are created by natural activities. They are
earthquake, flood, landslides and droughts. We should obtain the following
measures to overcome the problems created by natural factors.

We should make earthquake-resistant house.

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We should give the training and conduct awareness programmes.
Prepare an emergency bag for the period of disaster.
Keep a siren to give the alarm before the flood.
Give pre-information before storm, cyclones and tsunami.

If we obtain the above-mentioned precaution before the disasters come,
there would be very little loss in life and property. That’s why we should
take the responsibility of obtaining precaution rather than rescue after the
hazards.

ACTIVITY

(1) Collect a piece of news related to anyone accident or any other
disaster and present it in your classroom.

EXERCISE

(1) Write very short answers to the following questions:
(a) What do you mean by a disaster?
(b) What is disaster cycle?
(c) Name any three disasters caused by natural hazards.
(d) Write any two effects of the disaster.

(e) Name any three disasters caused by human activities.

(2) Mention the causes of the disaster and explain any one of them.

(3) What were the causes of the epidemic? Write any three measures to
minimise them.

(4) What measures should we take to overcome the problems created
by human-made and natural disasters? Prepare two different lists of
them.

COMMUNITY WORK

(1) Write an account related to any kind of disaster that occurred in
your community, and also mention its casualties and loss.

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UNIT

6 OUR PAST

Learning On the completion of this unit, the students will be able to:
Outcomes • introduce medieval Nepal;
• say the political, social, economic condition of medieval Nepal;
• tell about the art and culture of the medieval period;
• say about human civilisations;
• introduce the Hwang Ho and Mesopotamian civilisations;
• say about the effects of Hwang Ho and Mesopotamian civilisations

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Lesson Introduction to Medieval
Nepal
61..11

Ramesh is a diligent student of Janata Kathmandu Valley
Secondary school. He studies in grade
seven. One day, his social studies teacher
has given homework to collect information
about Medieval Nepal from different
sources. Ramesh studied various books in
the school’s library and public library near
his house. He prepared a short introduction
to Medieval Nepal. Read the following
note prepared by Ramesh, and learn about
Medieval Nepal.

Duration of Medieval Period

The history of Nepal has been divided into three periods. They are the ancient,
medieval and modern period. The medieval period roughly began from 936
BS. It ended in 1825 BS This is the duration from the commencement of
the Nepal Sambat to the year when Prithvi Narayan Shah shifted to the
Kathmandu Valley.

Geographical Divisions

Nepal was in the fragmented condition during the medieval period. It was
divided into the following states.
1. Kathmandu Valley
2. Simauragadh (Mithila) kingdom
3. Sen Kingdom
4. Baisi and Chaubisi Kingdoms

1. Kathmandu Valley

Kathmandu Valley had three main kingdoms during the medieval
period. They were Kantipur, Patan (Lalitpur) and Bhadgaun (Bhaktapur).
Malla kings ruled them during the medieval period. They were annexed

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to Gorkha during the unification. The first kings, last kings and date of
annexation of them are as follows.

Kingdoms First kings Last kings Date of annexation
1. Kantipur
2. Patan Ratna Malla Jay Prakash Malla 13th Ashwin 1825 BS

3. Bhadgoun Siddhi Tej Narsingh 24th Ashwin 1825 BS
Narsingh Malla Malla

Ray Malla Ranajit Malla 1st Mangsir 1826 BS

2. Simauragadh (Mithila) Kingdom

Nanya Dev of Karnatak dynasty founded Simauragadh in 1154 BS. This
kingdom was also called Tirhut, Doya, or Mithila kingdom. Its capital was
Simauragadh. Now, Simauragadh lies in Bara district of Nepal. It extended
up to the places that lie in Bara, Rautahat, Sarlahi, Mahottari, Saptari and
Morang districts of present Nepal. It was also extended up to Mujafurpur,
Champaran, Madhuwani and Purniya of India during the medieval period.
However, there is no clear evidence regarding its boundaries.

Facts to know

The ancient name of Simauragadh was ‘Simarawan’.
After the establishment of the fort(Gadh) in this
area, it was named as Simauragadh.

3. Sen Kingdoms

The rule of Sen dynasty was established in the middle of the sixteenth
century in the eastern and central part of Nepal. Rudra Sen is considered
to be the first authentic king of Sen dynasty. There were three main Sen
kingdoms in the eastern part of Nepal. They were:
(a) Makawanpur(Lower or Wallo Kirant),
(b) Chaudandi (Central or Majh Kirant)and
(c) Vijaypur (Upper or Pallo Kirant )

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Besides, the Chaubisi kingdoms such as Palpa, Butwal, Rising and Tanahun
were also ruled by Sen kings before they were annexed to Nepal.

Facts to know

States in Baisi Rajya
1. Juma, 2.Achham, 3. Gajur, 4.Thalara, 5. Rukum, 6. Salyan, 7. Jehari, 8. Chhilli,
9. Rolpa, 10. Gotam, 11. Dan, 12. Maja, 13. Dami, 14. Dullu, 15. Dailekh,
16. Doti, 17. Darna, 18. Bajura, 19. Jajarkot, 20. Bajhang, 21. Musikot and
22. Galkot.

States in Chubisi Rajya
1. Gorkha, 2. Lamjung, 3. Tanahun, 4. Kaski, 5. Nuwakot, 6. Dhor, 7. Satahun,
8. Garahun, 9. Rishing, 10. Chhiiring, 11. Paiyun, 12. Parvat, 13.Palpa,
14. Gulmi, 15. Argha, 16. Khanchi, 17. Musikot, 18. Ishma, 19. Dhurkot,
20. Bhirkot, 21. Pyuthan, 22. Mustang, 23. Tarki and 24. Butwal

4. Baisi and Chaubisi Kingdoms

There was a big Khas kingdom in the western part of Nepal. This
kingdom was founded by Nagraj from Tibet in 1206 BS. He made Sinja as
its capital. The Khas kingdom was extended up to the Mansarobar in the
north, Bodhgaya in the south, Kumaun and Gadhwal in the west and the
Tirshuli River in the east.
The Khas kingdom was very powerful in ancient time. Later, this kingdom
was dissolved as the rulers were weak. Then, the tiny states emerged around
the Karnali region and Gandaki region by 1506 BS. The Karnali region
often had 22 states. They were called Baise Rajyas (Baisi Kingdoms). The
Gandaki region had 24 states. They were called Chaubisi Rajyas (Chaubisi
Kingdoms). They were called Baisi and Chaubisi kingdoms because of the
number of states within them. However, their number often fluctuated due
to frequent annexation and independence.

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Glossary

fragmented : existing in separate parts, pieces or fractions; divided
annexation : the act of annexing, especially territory, or the condition of

authentic being annexed
fluctuate : real, true, original, actual
frequent : change,  vary, alter 
: often

ACTIVITIES

(1) Prepare a list of kingdoms in the different geographical regions like
Kathmandu valley, Eastern Nepal, Southern Nepal and Western Nepal
during the medieval period on a chart paper and display in your class.

(2) Draw an outline map of Nepal with the different political regions of
medieval Nepal.

EXERCISE

(1) Fill in the blanks with suitable words.
(a) The medieval period of Nepal has the duration of .................. years.
(b) Medieval Nepal was ....................... into different small kingdoms.
(c) Patan was annexed to Nepal .................. days after the annexation
of Kantipur.
(d) The founder of Simauragadh was .................................. .
(e) The powerful kingdoms of Baisi and Chaubisi Rajyas were
........................ and ....................... respectively.

(2) Answer the following questions.
(a) Why were the states in Gandaki and Karnali regions called Chaubisi
and Baisi Rajyas?

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(b) What maximum numbers did Baisi and Chaubisi Rajyas have?
(c) What are the reasons for the fluctuation in number of small states in

the medieval period?
(d) What were the geographical divisions of Medieval Nepal?
(e) Name the Sen kingdoms before the unification of Nepal.

(3) Write about the Malla Kingdoms in the Kathmandu Valley.

(4) Give brief introduction to Baisi and Chaubisi Rajyas.

(5) How can we unify the Nepali people spiritually? Write your opinion
in four points.

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Lesson Political Condition of Medieval
Nepal
61..21

The medieval period is divided into pre-medieval, medieval and post
medieval period. There was a monarchical ruling system in this period. The
famous kings used to rule different tiny states both within the Kathmandu
Valley and outside the Kathmandu Valley in this period.
Nepal was divided into three states at the end of the eleventh century.
There were Malla states in the Kathmandu Valley and western Nepal and
Tirhut kingdom in Simauragadh in the south. The kingdoms of western
Nepal in the Karnali region were ruled by the Khas Malla kings of Thakuri
dynasty with Malla or Challa surname. The kings in this region started
to use Malla as their surname after Ashok Malla. Prithivi Malla was the
spirited king among the Malla kings. Nanya Dev established Tirhut state
in the south. According to the record of Pratap Malla, Ganga Dev, Narsingh
Dev, Bhupal Singh Dev and Harisingh Dev ruled Simauragadh after Nanya
Dev. However, there is no clear official document regarding Simauragadh.
Sen dynasty in Palpa was established by Rudra Sen. His son Mukunda Sen-I
was a powerful king of Palpa. He extended Palpa up to eastern Nepal. Later,
the descendants of Mukunda Sen-I founded the Sen kingdoms dividing the
large Palpa kingdom.
The Kathmandu Valley was called Nepal Mandal during the medieval
period. Dev and Malla kings ruled over the Valley. King Gunakam Dev had
established Kantipur state. Besides him, other famous Malla kings were
Ari Malla, Jayasthiti Malla, Yakshya Malla, Jitamitra Malla, Ratna Malla,
Mahendra Malla, Pratap Malla, etc. had contributed to making kingdoms
of Kathmandu valley famous during the Medieval Period. Ram Shah of
Gorkha was one of the reformist kings of mdieval period. He had initiated
new traditions of reforms for the welfare of the people. The reforms made
during the medieval period were as given below.

(1) Efforts to Systematise the Administrative System

Medieval Nepal had monarchical system of government. Kings were very
powerful in the states. The kings used to be the chief of administration,
army and justice. They formed a council of ministers of five members at
the centres to assist them. Chautaria was the main minister among them.

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To carry out local administration, Badahakim’ was appointed. ‘Dware’ was
appointed to look after very small villages. Panchayats were formed to assist
in local administration, construct physical infrastructure such as roads,
religious places, bridges, etc. and preserve religion and culture. Panchayats
were also called ‘Panchakachahari’, ‘Panchali’ or ‘Panchasamuchaya’. The
states were divided into several districts known as Bishayas. Samantas
were appointed to look after the districts. Similarly, every city was divided
into several toles for effective administration. There were twenty-four toles,
including Lalitpur and Bhaktapur. Pradhans were appointed to look after
toles.

(2) Legal Reforms

There was a good system of legal justice during the medieval period.
Justice was given on the basis of religious tradition and social customs. Ram
Shah of Gorkha brought good legal system. He drafted new rules regarding
capital punishment. According to the law, a member of the royal family
found to be guilty of murder was exiled. A Brahmin, a Sanyasi or a Bairagi
who committed a murder was exiled after Mundan. Similarly, a minister
or a Kazi or any other government official was sentenced to death if he was
found guilty of murder. The good legal system brought by Ram Shah made
Gorkha very famous for justices. There was a popular saying, if you are
deprived of justice, then go to Gorkha.

(3) Development of Religion, Culture, Language and
Literature

Hinduism was the main religion in medieval period. Religion, culture, art
and architecture had been developed on the basis of Hinduism. Sanskrit,
Newari, and Nepali were main languages developed in medieval period.
It was possible as the leaders of this period were very interested in the
development of languages. Sanskrit was used for all the religious texts.
Beautiful poems were composed in Sanskrit. Newari was used as the most
common language. The Hindu epic Ramayana was dramatised, and the play
‘Bhairabandanda’ was staged during the period of Jayasthiti Malla. The
magnificent palaces, temples chaityas, Gumbas, etc. were constructed. Arts
and crafts were used in such buildings. There was a great contribution of
women during the Medieval period. Queen Devaldevi (Dev Laxmi Devi) and
Chadrapravawati (the step-mother of Prithvi Narayan Shah) were famous
ones. At the end of the Medieval period, the unification of small states began
with the leadership of Prithivi Narayan Shah

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ACTIVITIES

(1) Discuss in the class on the political condition of Medieval Nepal and
note down the points brought in the discussion.

(2) What should the present generation learn from Medieval Nepal?
Write your opinion and share in the class.

EXERCISE

(1) Fill in the blanks with suitable answers.
(a) There was ………......……….. ruling system in Medieval Nepal.
(b) The kingdoms of western Nepal were ruled by ...................... of
Thakuri dynasty.
(c) The spirited king among the Malla kings was ................................
(d) The districts in Medieval Nepal were called ................................
(e) The ................................ was to impart the religious texts in the
medieval period.

(2) Answer the following questions.
(a) What was the number of the kingdoms in Nepal before the unification
by Prithvi Narayan Shah?
(b) Why were the states not strong during the medieval period?
(c) Name small states in Kathmandu valley during the medieval period.
(d) Write about the saying, “If you are deprived of justice, then go to
Gorkha.”
(e) How was administration conducted during the medieval period in
Nepal?

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(3) Make a list of things that we can learn from the political condition of
Medieval Nepal in the present days.

(4) Write a short note on “Political condition of Medieval Nepal”.

(5) What do you know about the development of language, literature
and religion in medieval period of Nepal? Write in point making a
separate list.

COMMUNITY WORK

How is modern society different from the society of medieval period?
Observe the socio-economic lifestyle of your community and make a
list of at least five differences.

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Lesson Social Condition of
Medieval Nepal
61..31

The existing political condition of any country influences the social structure
of the country. The medieval period was characterised by power politics and
palace intrigues. There was a joint rule in Nepal sharing the administration
between the fathers and sons, uncles and nephew and among brothers.
There was mutual hatred, jealousy and dissension. There was conflict
within a kingdom and also among the tiny kingdoms for power. This created
an insecure situation in society. The medieval society had different features
due to the influence of such a political situation. Caste system, joint family,
writing surnames, naming of the dynasty, Dolajee system, widow marriage,
remarriage and the low status of females are some of the common features
of medieval society.

Joint Family System

The system in which a family consisting members from many generations
such as grandparents, parents, grandchildren, uncles, aunts, niece and
nephew live together sharing the same kitchen, and equal facilities is the
joint family system. The joint family system was preferred in the medieval
society as the joint rule was prevalent in that period. The social, economic,
religious and political conditions of the states compelled the people to live
in the joint family in the medieval period. The joint family system in every
family made the dense settlement in the villages.

Caste (Verna) System

The medieval society was divided into four castes, and thirty-six sub-
castes. Castes were made on the basis of people’s occupations. The Newars
of Kathmandu Valley were also divided into many sub-castes. Tuladhar,
Tamrakar, Kansakar, Rajbhandari were grouped according to their
occupations. Although the caste system started from the Lichhchhavi Period,
it was pevalent even in the medieval period.

Naming of Dynasty

The naming of dynasty began during the medieval period. The kings of

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medieval period wanted to have the supremacy of their clan on their own
states and other states. They felt proud of working for the sake of their
own clan. This paved the way to the existence of many dynasties in this
period. The Malla kings of the Kathmandu Valley and Doti preferred to
say themselves as ‘Suryavansis’ or belonging to the Surya clan or dynasty.
The Shah kings outside the Valley called themselves as ‘Chandravanshi’ or
belonging to the clan of Chandra.

Origin of Surname

There was a trend of keeping a surname on the basis of the work, government
post, place and clan such as Baidya, Khadka, Bhandari, Joshi, etc. in the
Karnali region during the Medieval period. The Malla kings in the Kathmandu
Valley were assisted by the prime minister, ministers and courtiers. They
were called by different names. The prime minister was called ‘Mahath’.
The ministers were called ‘Mulami’, and the courtiers were called ‘Shista’ or
‘Shrestha’. These were changed into their family names later. In this way,
several family names originated during the medieval period.

Marriage System

Various marriage systems such as child marriage, polygamy, unmatched
marriage, widow marriage, inter-caste marriage and remarriage prevailed
during the medieval period in Nepali society. Dolaji system in marriage was
common in the medieval period. According to this system of marriage, the
bridegroom had to go to the bride’s house or the place fixed by the bride’s
family for solemnising the marriage ceremony. The bridegroom had to accept
the surname of his bride in such a marriage system. King Jayasthiti Malla
had acquired the surname Malla when he married princess, Rajalla Devi.
Similarly, Punya Pal, who belonged to Pal dynasty became Punya Malla
after he married princess Sakunmala from Karnali region. Both of them
married under Dolaji system.

Culture and Festivals

The rites such as ‘Aashoch Barne’ and ‘Sutak Barne were practised during
the medieval period. The customs prevailed in the Medieval period were
based on birth, death and other social traditions according to the norms
and values of the ancient Hinduism. People from different castes celebrated
different festivals as a means of recreation during the medieval period.
Dashain, Tihar, Indrajatra, Gaijatra, Gantakarna (Gathemangal) and so on

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were some major festivals of this period.

Status of Women

Women status was one of the dignities in medieval society. The status of
women was very good. They were respected and honoured in the families,
communities and the states. Devala Devi, the queen of Harisingh Dev of
Simouragadh, came to Kathmandu and became successful in establishing
her positive impression. This is one of the good examples of women status
in the medieval period.

Glossary

intrigues : making secret plans to harm or deceive people
dissension : disagreement and argument
solemnising : to celebrate or perform the ceremony of (marriage)
supremacy : The quality or condition of being supreme

ACTIVITIES

(1) Make a list of the common features of your own society and discuss
on the list among your friends in the class.

(2) Compare between status of women in your society and medieval
society and present your points in the class.

EXERCISE

(1) Write True for right statements and False for wrong statements.

(a) People in Medieval society lived in a joint family for security.

.....................................

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(b) Malla kings of Kathmandu Calley belonged to Chandravanshi.

.....................................

(c) Dolaji system of marriage is still practised in our society.

.....................................

(d) Some surnames prevailed in the present society were developed in

the Medieval period. .....................................

(e) Status of women is comparatively high in a patriarchal society like

ours. .....................................

(2) Answer the following questions.

(a) What do you mean by Dolaji system?

(b) Compare the status of the women in the present society with that
of the medieval period.

(c) Name the major festivals celebrated by the people in the medieval
period?

(d) Do people practise the rites such as ‘Aashoch Barne’ and the ‘Sutak
Barne’ in modern society?

(e) How does the political situation influence social structure?

(3) Make a list of the differences and similarities between social and
cultural lifestyles of people in medieval and modern periods of Nepal

(4) Do you know how the surnames of the people in your society
originated? If you don’t know, ask this question to the people
from different castes in your society and write how their surnames
originated.

(5) Write about the systems of marriage prevailed in your community in
brief.

COMMUNITY WORK

Find out the important features of your society asking with the senior
people in your society and write about them in brief.

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Lesson Economic Condition of
Medieval Nepal
61..41

The rulers of Nepal in the Medieval period had great attention in the
development of the national economy. The economic activities such as
agriculture, industry, trade and service had been well developed during this
period.

Agriculture

Agriculture was the main economic activity of people in the medieval
period. The majority of people were engaged in agriculture. The lacustrine
soil found in the Kathmandu Valley was boon for agriculture. The rulers
encouraged people by digging irrigation canals and providing land as ‘Birta’.
However, Ram Shah of Gorkha had issued following directives about ‘Birta’
(a revenue-free land given to the people who please the rulers):

Someone had to get a recommendation from high officials (courtiers)
The area with four directions boundary of land should be specified
with local noblemen and dignitaries in written.
King Jayasthiti Malla played an important role in the management of the
land. He divided the land on the basis of its productivity and fertility into
four categories. They were Abbal, Doyam, Sim and Chaahar. According to
this division, a square unit of Abbal land circle comprised an area of 95
Haats was equal to the Doyam land of the unit of 103 Haats, Sim land of 112
Haats and Chahar of 125 Haats. The scale of hand was fixed to measure the
land. One haat is equal to 24 scales of one thumb.

The landowners are called ‘Talsing’, and tenants are called ‘Mohi’ till these
days since the period of Ram Shah. The farmers also reared animals such as
cows, buffalos, donkeys, yaks, sheep, goats, etc. These animals were reared
for meat, wool, milk and other milk products. Sometimes, animals were also
used as means of transportation.

Industry

There were many small scales and cottage industries in Nepal during the
medieval period. The demands of the people were fulfilled by the productions

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of small scale and cottage industries. The industries for spinning threads,
weaving clothes, making idols, making pots of copper, brass, iron, etc. were
the main industries. Besides, art, crafts and architecture had also developed
well.

Trade

There was tremendous progress in trade and commerce in the medieval
period. Trade relationship between Nepal and neighbouring countries such
as Tibet, China and India had been continued since ancient period. It was
possible as the rulers had paid special attention in this regard. Development
in trade and commerce along with industry brought rapid progress in
economic activities of people.

The Malla rulers in Kathmandu
Valley minted coins to ease the
trade. King Mahendra Malla Facts to know

of Kantipur introduced silver Market Prices during the Malla Period
coin called, ‘Mahendra Malli’
Nepal Sambat 850 (1786 B.S.)
-dlxGbd| NnL_. Similarly, Ratna Malla
Commodities Quantity Price
minted copper coins, and Jaysthiti 1 mohar
Malla minted gold coin. Jaysthiti Rice 17 Pathi 1 mohar
Malla also extended the traditional 1 mohar
trade and reformed internal trade Salt 1 Pathi 1 mohar
as well. He brought uniformity
Oil 1 Pathi

Cotton 5 Pal

in the measuring instruments Source: Dhanbajra Bajracharya, Nepal Parichaya
and scales such as Mana, Pathi,
Daak and Taraju. The Nepali
merchants had earned a lot of foreign currencies selling the goods produced
in the Nepali industries. It is mentioned in a book called ‘Bhojko Yuktikalpa

Taru’ -efh] sf] ol' StsNk t?_ that swords made in Nepal were very popular in

Indian markets. Similarly, another book called ‘ Rasa Ratna Samuchchay’

-/;Tg;dR' oo_ describes the copper exported to India from Nepal.

Ram Shah of Gorkha had a great reform in the field of the economy during
the medieval period. Ram Shah brought policy not to take interest more than
10% in cash loan and 25% in kind. He also introduced a new measurement
system by introducing Mana, Pathi, Muri, Dharni, Bisauli, Dhak (mass)
and Taraju (balance). He had introduced the following scales for uniformity
in measuring the goods.

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Measurement Scales Introduced by Ram Shah.

10 Lals = 1 masha; 10 mashas =1 tola; 18 tolas = 1 Pal;

27 tolas= 1 bodi; 4 bodies=1 bisauli; 2 bisaulis= 1 dharni;

10 muthis= 1 mana; 8 manas=1 pathi 20 pathis = 1 muri

Service

Service was another occupation of the people in the Medieval Period. Most of
the service people were in the army. Jayasthiti Malla had appointed officials
like ‘Kshetrakar’ for land measurement and ‘Takshyakars’ for house survey.
Chautaria(ministers), Pradhans, Samantas, Dwares, etc. were appointed to
assist the kings for effective administration. All the government employees
and soldiers were paid land as their salary but not in cash.

Glossary

haat : unit of measure of length from elbow to fingertips

dignitaries : persons who have important official positions or powers

brass : a bright yellow metal made by mixing copper and zinc

ACTIVITIES

(1) Read the following information about trade during the medieval
period and answer the questions given below it.

Nepal had developed internal and international trade during the
medieval period. The kingdoms advanced in external trade were
Kantipur, Bhaktapur, Lalitpur, Jumla, Palpa, Makawanpur, Parbat
and Tanahun. Nepal exported metal pots, idols, onion, chilly, and so
on to Tibet and imported gold, silvers and other goods from there.
Nepal exported medicinal herbs, wood, wool, musk, copper, khukuri,
blankets, and so on to India and imported salt, spices, and silk clothes
from there. Kuti pass and Kerung pass were the main trade routes
for trade between Nepal and Tibet. The trade between Nepal and
India was made through Makawanpur and Chitwan. China and Tibet
conducted trade with India through Nepal. Nepal could collect more
revenue because of it.

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(a) How was the condition of foreign trade in the medieval period?

(b) What was the main trade route between Nepal and China?

(c) Name the trade route between India and Nepal in recent days.

(d) Make a list of exported and imported goods of Nepal during the
medieval period.

(e) Why does Nepal have trade deficit (loss) at present although it
had trade balance in the medieval period?

(2) Prepare a short speech on ‘Importance of money in our daily life’
and deliver in the class.

EXERCISE

(1) Write ‘True’ for right statements and ‘False’ for wrong statements.

(a) Agriculture was the main occupation of the people in the medieval

period. .....................................

(b) Jayasthiti Malla divided the land into four categories.

.....................................

(c) The land given to the people by the kings after they were pleased

called Birta. .....................................

(d) The landowner is called Mohi, and the tenant is called Talsing.

.....................................

(e) There was a trade deficit in Nepal during the medieval period.

.....................................

(2) Answer the following questions.
(a) What were the officers who measured land and survey the houses
called in medieval period?
(b) What were the major occupations of the people in the Malla period?

(c) What things are mentioned in ‘Bhojko Yuktikalpa Taru’(ef]hsf] ol' StsNk
t?) and ‘Rasa Ratna Samuchchay’ (/;/Tg;dR' oo) ?

(d) Write about the reforms made by Ram Shah in trade and commerce.

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(3) Complete the following table with the similarities and differences
between the coins that we can find these days, and the coins in the
medieval period.

Similarities Differences

1. 1.
2. 2.
3. 3.

(4) Compare the economic condition of the Medieval Period with that of
present Nepal in four points.

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Lesson Art and Culture of
Medieval Nepal
61..51

29 June, 2021

Dear Sanju,
Sweet remembrance,

I was very glad when I got your letter Letter writing
yesterday. I felt that it is good to reply to
your letter immediately to satisfy your
curiosity to know the art and culture
of medieval Nepal. The period between
936 BS to 1825 BS is known as medieval
Period. This period of 889 years remained
very fertile for the development of art and
culture in Nepal. Nepal had developed a lot
in art and culture during this period.

Art and culture are the real identities of human life. They represent human
norms, values, skills and spirit. Nepal is rich in art and culture. Nepali are
the source of original art and culture. The art and culture have played an
important role in the development of Nepali lifestyle. They also reflect the
social lifestyle of the people. Nepali faith, spirit, tradition, norms and values
have been developed in the form of art and culture.

Medieval Nepal is considered to be very famous in the context of art and
culture. Many temples and idols of gods and goddesses were built in this
period. Therefore, there was a popular saying that there were more temples
than houses and more gods than people in the medieval period. More temples,
palaces, Patis, Pauwas, taps, Chautaras and Dabalis were constructed in
artistic designs in the Kathmandu Valley. It was possible as some Malla
kings such as Pratap Malla, Bhupatindra Malla and Siddhinarsingh Malla
were fond of art and architecture.

Pagoda, summit and stupa styles of the building were built during this period.
Krishna Mandir, Nyatapola, Pachapanna Jhyale Durbar, Jaybageshwori,

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Bauddhanath, Swayambhunath, Pashupatinath and Rani Pokhari are
examples of art and architecture built in the Medieval Period. The three
Durbar squares namely Kathmandu Durbar Square, Patan Durbar Square
and Bhaktapur Durbar Square were also built during this period. Most of
these arts and architectures have been damaged by the earthquake that
occurred in 2072 BS.
Sanju, I would like to say little about the development of Nepali culture
during the Medieval Period. Nepal had made wonderful progress in culture
during the medieval period. Different types of fairs such as Kumari Jatra,
Gaijatra and Bhoto Jatra were introduced. A number of musical instruments
and dances were also introduced in this period. The medieval period is also
famous for costumes, ornaments, food varieties and good conducts.
The medieval art and culture still found in the Kathmandu Valley and
other places are the assert of our country. We should protect and promote
them through the joint efforts of individuals, families, communities and
government.
Sanju, it is really challenging to describe the medieval art and culture of
Nepal in a single letter. Please, keep in touch. I will write more about it in
my next letter.

Yours,
Durga

ACTIVITIES

(1) Discuss on the need and importance of art and culture in our daily
life in your class and note down the important point brought in the
discussion.

(2) Conduct a speech contest in the class on the topic “Art and Culture
in medieval Nepal.”

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EXERCISE

(1) Write True for right statements and False for wrong statements.

(a) Art and culture could not develop well in the medieval period.
....................................

(b) Pagoda and Shikhar styles of buildings were built during the

medieval period. ....................................

(c) Art and culture represent our lifestyle. ....................................

(d) The medieval period was rich in art and culture.

..................................

(2) Answer the following questions
(a) How long did the medieval period last in Nepal history?
(b) Define the terms, art and culture in your own words.
(c) Make a list of Nepali architectures built during the medieval period.
(d) How do art and culture reflect the social lifestyle of the people?
(e) Why is it necessary to preserve art and culture?

(3) “Medieval Nepal was a fertile period for Nepali art, architecture and
culture.” Justify the statement in your own words.

(4) Make a list of main features medieval art and culture of Nepal.

(5) Explain the importance of art and culture in our daily life.

COMMUNITY WORK

Visit any one cultural heritage site of your locality and prepare a short
report about it based on the followings.

Date of construction Name of constructor

Features of the heritage site Present condition of the heritage

The efforts of community for its promotion and conservation.

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Lesson

61..61 Hwang Ho Valley Civilisation

Introduction

Hwang Ho Valley civilisation is one of the famous ancient civilisations in
the world. It was developed about 3600 to 1600 years ago on the banks
of Hwang-Ho river in China. The Hwang Ho river is the famous river of
China known as the Yellow River. It is the second-largest river of China
after the Yangtze. It originates in the Bayan Har Mountain in the west and
flows eastward at the estimated length of 5,464 km. This river end into the
Bohai Sea. The Hwang Ho river is awfully flooded and causes great damage.
Therefore, it is also called the 'Sorrow of China' and 'The Wandering River'.
It also often changes its course and destroys settlement areas. However, it
is of great advantage to China. China could be changed into a desert in its
absence. The Hwang Ho Valley was suitable for human settlement as it had
fertile soil and favourable climatic conditions. Finding it ideal for farming,
the Chinese settled there and founded Hwang-Ho Valley civilisation. The
major cities of China, such as Lanzhou, Yinchuan Wuhai, Baotou, Luoyang,
Zhengzhou, Kaifeng, and Jinan are located on the banks of this river.

The Great Wall of China

The Great Wall of China is a series Great Wall of China
of fortifications made of stone, brick,
wood, and other material. It is generally
built along an east-to-west line across
the historical northern borders of China.
It was built to protect the Chinese
civilisation and culture. It is a famous and
unique archaeological object of Hwang Ho
Valley civilisation. The Chinese call it ‘Ten
Thousand Li Wall’ based on its length.
However, it is twelve thousand li or 6000
km long. It stretches up to the Bohai Sea.

The Great Wall was constructed during the reign of Emperor Hangchang
of the Quin or Chin dynasty. The watchtowers have been built at every 100

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meters’ distance on the Great Wall of China. From these towers, view of
the surrounding places can be seen. These towers might have been built to
watch the activities of the enemies in the ancient time. Among the towers,
the Tower at Badaling, which is 84 km away from Beijing, the capital of
China is visited by many tourists. The wall at this place is 8.5 meters high,
5.7 meters wide. The Great Wall of China has been enlisted in the list of
World Heritage Site by the UNESCO. Many people think that it is the only
structure built by humans that can be seen from space, but this is not true.

Political Condition

There was the monarchical system in China during the ancient period.
The kings were selected by the people. Later, the kings started to appoint
their sons as king and made the monarchical system hereditary. Different
dynasties such as Shang, Chous, Chin, Hang, Sui and Ming ruled China over
different periods of time. Shang was the first dynasty to rule in China. They
ruled between 3700 and 3000 years ago. Hangchang is one of the powerful
kings of Chin dynasty. He conquered six states and unified them into a vast
country called China. It is believed that the country, China got its name
after the same dynasty.

Socio-economic Condition

The society in the Hwang Ho civilisation was categorised into four categories.
The kings were in the highest position. They had unlimited powers. The
nobles were in the second position. They helped kings in the battles. The
farmers and businessmen were in the third position. The war prisoners
were enslaved and were at the last position. The kings and nobles were
highly respected by the people in the society. Burying the dead bodies of
people with all the things they used in their lifetime was practised. They did
so as they believed that the dead person needs these things. Polytheism was
practised in society. Many gods and goddess, the earth, rivers, air and forest
were worshipped as gods. Temples were built in their names.
Agriculture was the main occupation of the people in this civilisation. They
grew enough grains such as maize, millet, wheat and paddy to supply
foods to all the people. The agricultural land was irrigated as canals were
constructed. Animals such as sheep, pigs, dogs, horses and elephants were
reared. Hunting and fishing were also practised as the occupations of some
people. They discovered iron and established industries to make agricultural
tools and weapons from it. Hammers, pincers, ploughs, shears, axes, spears,

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daggers, bows and arrows of iron were the main products of their industries.
Besides, the Chinese also weaved clothes of different colours. The Chinese
were the first to produce silk in the world. They were also experts in makeing
clay pots, vessels, bronze pots, and carved vases.

Impacts of Hwang Ho Valley Civilisation

Hwang Ho Valley Civilisation has a great impact on human life. Political,
social and economic development during this civilisation gives idea for
prosperity to the present world. Iron, paper and many things discovered
during this civilisation become more useful for the people in the modern
period. In this way, the Hwang Ho Civilisation of China was really advanced.

Glossary

fortifications : buildings, walls, or ditches that re built to protect a place
and make it more difficult to attack
hereditary
: relating to, or denoting  factors  that can
polytheism be  transmitted  genetically from one  generation  to
Shears another
Dagger
: the worship of or belief in more than one god

: pair of scissors, usually large, as used in gardening

: a dagger is a weapon like a knife with two sharp edges

ACTIVITIES

(1) Discuss in the class and find out the reasons why the ancient civilisations
developed on the river banks.

(2) What impacts does the Hwang Ho Valley civilisation have in the
modern world? Ask this question to any ten friends from your class
and share their ideas in the class.

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EXERCISE

(1) Match the following. twelve thousand
(a) Hwang-Ho Valley civilisation supported kings in the wars
(b) Quin a dynasty
(c) War prisoners 3600 to1600 years ago
(d) Nobles last position in society
(e) The Great Wall of China slaves

(2) Answer the following questions.

(a) What are the divisions of the society in the Hwang-Ho valley
civilisation?

(b) List out the main occupations of people in the Hwang-Ho valley
civilisation.

(c) Write about the Great Wall of China in your own words.

(d) Make a list of things discovered in ancient China that we still use.

(e) How was China named?

(3) Introduce the Hwang Ho Valley Civilisation based on the content
given in the lesson.

(4) Explain the relationship between Hwang Ho River and Chinese
civilisation.

(5) Draw an outline map of China and show the Great Wall of China.

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Lesson

61..71 Mesopotamian Civilisation

Introduction

The word ‘Mesopotamia’ is
derived from two Greek words,
‘Meso’ and ‘Potamas’. Here
‘Meso’ means ‘middle’ and
‘Potamos’ means rivers. Thus,
Mesopotamia means the land
in the middle of two rivers. The
region located between Tigris
and Euphrates rivers in present
Iraq is called Mesopotamia. The
civilisation that developed in
the ancient time in this region Map of Mesopotamia

is known as Mesopotamian
Civilisation. Sumeria, Babylonia, Assyria and Chaldean together formed
the Mesopotamian civilisation.

The Sumerians were the first to develop Mesopotamian civilisation. They
remained from 4000 BC to 2000 BC There were many small city-states during
this period. The states were ruled by the priest-kings. The priest-kings
were powerful and performed religious ceremonies as well as conducted the
administration. With the support of nobles, kings collected revenue, made
arrangement for irrigation facilities, built public buildings like Ziggurats.

A ziggurat is a multi-storeyed rectangular
tower surrounded by temples having
judiciary offices, schools, markets, banks,
industries and food granary inside them.
The actual meaning of Ziggurat based
on its structure is a house of ancient
Mesopotamia with four corners, sub-
divided and surrounded by temples.

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Hanging Garden is another structure built in Mesopotamian civilisation. It
is one of the ancient seven wonders of the world. It was built by Emperor
Nebuchadnezzar of Chaldean dynasty. He built this beautiful garden in the
different sections of the roofs of his palace to please his queen, Amuhio. A
canal was constructed to irrigate the flowers in the garden. It seemed to be
hanging in the sky. However, it does not exist there at present.

Impact of Mesopotamian Civilisation

Mesopotamian Civilisation has a great impact on the various sectors
of human development. Ziggurat, a system of writing, astrology and
astronomy were developed during this civilisation. Ziggurat brought the
concept of urbanisation by constructing multipurpose commercial buildings
like supermarket. The Sumerians and Phoenicians developed a system of
writing. The Sumerians developed a form of writing using the stylus to
make an impression on soft clay bricks or tablets. The Phoenicians used
letters and signs that represented sound to make the alphabet. Phoenicians’
alphabet consisted of 22 consonant symbols.
Later, Greek adopted it by introducing vowel sounds. The present alphabets
have been developed from the combination of these consonant and vowel
sounds. Similarly, the Chaldeans made an intensive study of the Sun, the
Moon and the planets. They also used mathematics to work out the movement
of heavenly bodies and developed astronomy. They also developed astrology.
They named the days of a week after the names of heavenly bodies. These
all are in practice in the modern days.

Glossary

granary : a storehouse for grain
stylus
: a hard-sharp needle that is fitted to a record player
tablet and transmits sound on a record to equipment that
reproduces it

: a flat block of stone with words cut or written on it,
especially one fixed to a wall in memory of an important
person or event

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