Easy, detailed NCERT Class 7 History Chapter 1 notes with tables, bullets and key facts to revise in minutes.
Ever wondered how India transformed between 700–1750 CE—from mystical maps to mighty empires?
This guide uncovers every secret historians revealed—don’t scroll away until you see the surprises inside!
🗺 Maps and Knowledge – Tracing Changes Through a Thousand Years
| Map | Date | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| Map 1 – Al-Idrisi | 1154 CE | South India on top, names in Arabic |
| Map 2 – Guillaume de l’Isle | 1720s | Modern look, coasts well-mapped for sailors, rough river interiors |
Reasons for Difference
- 600 years of improved cartography
- Europeans explored and traded mainly by sea, mapping coasts carefully
🗣 Changing Words and Meanings – Tracing Changes Through a Thousand Years
| Word | 13th Century | 16th Century | Today |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hindustan | Punjab, Haryana, Ganga–Yamuna plain | Entire subcontinent | Modern nation of India |
| Foreigner | Outsider to a village/culture | — | Someone from another country |
📜 Sources for Historians (700–1750 CE) – Tracing Changes Through a Thousand Years Class 7 Notes
- Coins, inscriptions, architecture, texts
- Paper Revolution
- 13th c.: costly—scholars reused manuscripts
- 14th c.: cheap enough to wrap food
- People wrote holy books, royal chronicles, letters, saints’ teachings, petitions, tax records
✍️ Manuscripts
- No printing press → hand-copied manuscripts
- Each copy added small changes → versions slowly differed
- Historians compare many copies to guess the original text
- Archives stored key documents
- Texts often included miniature paintings
⚙️ Technology, Crops & Movement – Tracing Changes Through a Thousand Years
- Inventions: Persian wheel (irrigation), spinning wheel (weaving)
- New Crops: potatoes, corn, chillies, tea, coffee
- Many groups travelled far for wealth and opportunity
🌿 Society and Economy
| Group | Role |
|---|---|
| Rajputs | Rulers, chieftains, soldiers—famed for bravery & loyalty |
| Kayasthas | Caste of scribes/secretaries, politically important |
- Forests cleared → more farming land
- Some forest people migrated, others became peasants
- Peasants paid taxes, kept cattle, did craft work in lean season
👥 Social Structure
- People grouped into jatis (sub-castes) by job or background
- Each jati had rules and a jati panchayat (elders’ council)
- Rank of a jati could vary by region
- Jatis also obeyed village rules, forming part of the larger state
🏰 Regions and Empires
- Rulers claimed vast empires (e.g., Bengal to Afghanistan) – often exaggerated
- Great empires: Cholas, Khaljis, Tughluqs, Mughals
- After Mughal decline (18th c.), smaller regional states re-emerged
- Regions developed distinct government, economy, culture, language
🗣 Languages – Tracing Changes Through a Thousand Years Class 7 Summary
- Poet Amir Khusrau’s list (1318): Sindhi, Lahori, Kashmiri, Dvarsamudri (Karnataka), Telangani (Andhra), Gujari (Gujarat), Ma‘bari (Tamil Nadu), Gauri (Bengal), Awadhi (eastern UP), Hindawi (Delhi)
- Sanskrit: sacred language known mainly to Brahmanas
- Names of many languages have changed over time
🕉️ Religion and Culture – Tracing Changes Through a Thousand Years
- Hinduism: worship of new deities, temple building, stronger Brahmanas
- Bhakti Movement: personal devotion to God, no priests needed
- Islam: arrived via merchants (7th c.), belief in one God (Allah), diverse Sufi traditions
⏳ Understanding Time – Tracing Changes Through a Thousand Years
- 19th-c. British historians divided Indian history into “Hindu–Muslim–British” periods—modern historians reject this
- Now focus on economic, social, cultural changes
- The “medieval” period (700–1750) was dynamic, not stagnant
🌟 Key Idea – Tracing Changes Through a Thousand Years Class 7 Notes
Between 700–1750 CE, India saw major transformations—new technologies, crops, languages, religions, and the rise and fall of empires.
Historians rely on coins, inscriptions, architecture, and careful manuscript comparison to understand these changes.
🔗 Internal & External Links
- 👉 Internal: Explore more fascinating history at Curious Cornor
- 👉 External: National Museum of India | UNESCO World Heritage Sites – India
❓ FAQs – Tracing Changes Through a Thousand Years
Q1. Why were medieval Indian maps different from modern ones?
Because cartography improved and Europeans mapped coasts for trade.
Q2. What was the Bhakti movement?
A spiritual path stressing personal devotion to God without priests.
Q3. How did cheaper paper help historians?
It allowed people to write more chronicles, petitions, and letters.
Q4. Who were the Kayasthas?
A caste of skilled scribes and secretaries who gained political importance.
You’ve just travelled through a thousand years of India’s history—maps, empires, faith, and words that shaped a civilisation.
Keep exploring at Curious Cornor and keep your historical adventure alive!