NCERT Class 7 History Chapter 1 Notes Tracing Changes Through A Thousand Years

On this page, you will find NCERT Class 7 History Chapter 1 Notes Pdf free download. CBSE Class 7 Social Science Notes History Chapter 1 SST Tracing Changes Through A Thousand Years will seemingly help them to revise the important concepts in less time.

Tracing Changes Through A Thousand Years Class 7 Notes Social Science History Chapter 1

CBSE Class 7 History Chapter 1 Notes Understanding The Lesson

1. Cartographer is a person who makes maps.

2. Arab geographer Al-Idrisi made a detail of the Indian subcontinent from his large map of the world in 1154 CE. In 1720, an another map developed by a French cartographer. The second map is more familiar.

3. First of all, the term Hindustan was used by Minhaj-i-Siraj in 13th century, a Persian chronicler. He meant the areas of Punjab, Haryana and the lands between the Ganga and Yamuna. He used the term in a political sense for lands that were a part of the dominions of the Delhi Sultan but term never included south India.

4. Babur used Hindustan to describe the geography, the fauna and the culture of the inhabitants of the subcontinent.

5. In the 14th century poet Amir Khusrau used the word “Hind”.

6. Hindustan did not carry the political and national meanings which we associate with it today.

7. We trace out many changes in the use of words with the change of time. For example, the word ‘foreigner’ is used in Hindi and Persian are ‘pardesi’ and ‘ajnabi’ respectively.

8. Historians use different types of sources to learn about the past depending upon the period of their study and the nature of their investigation such as on coins, inscriptions, architecture and textual records for information.

9. Gradually, paper became cheaper and more widely available and hence people used it to write texts, chronicles of rulers, letters and teachings of saints, petitions and judicial records, and for registers of accounts and taxes.

10. In the absence of printing press, scribes copied manuscripts by hand. They also introduced small changes- a word, a sentence. These small differences grew over centuries of copying until manuscripts of the same texts became substantially different from one another.

11. The study of the thousand years between 700 and 1750 is a huge challenge to historians largely because of the scale and variety of developments that occurred over the period. New technology like Persian wheel in irrigation, the spinning wheel in weaving and firearms in combat, new foods and beverages arrived in the subcontinent-potatoes, corn, chillies, tea and coffee. All these innovations-new technologies and crops came along with people, who brought other ideas with them as well.

12. This was a period of economic, political, social and cultural changes. This was also a period of great ‘ mobility. Groups of people travelled long distances in search of opportunity.

13. One group of people who became important in this period were the Rajputs, a name derived for “Raj aputra”, the son of a ruler.

14. The term Rajput was applied more generally to a group of warriors who claimed Kshatriya caste status. The term included not just rulers and chieftains but also soldiers and commanders who served in the armies of different monarchs all over the subcontinent.

15. Other groups of people such as the Marathas, Sikhs, Jats, Ahoms and Kayasthas also used the opportunities of the age to become politically important.

16. Throughout this period, there was a gradual clearing of forests and the extension of agriculture. This forced many forest-dwellers to migrate. Others started tilling the land and became peasants.

17. These new groups of peasant gradually began to be influenced by regional markets, chieftains, priests, monasteries and temples. They became part of large complex societies and were required to pay taxes and offer goods and services to local lords.

18. As a result, significant economic and social differences emerged amongst peasants. Some possessed more productive land, others also kept cattle, and some combined artisanal work with agricultural activity during the lean season.

19. As society became more differentiated, people were grouped into jatis or sub-castes and ranked on the basis of their backgrounds and their occupations.

20. Ranks of jatis were not fixed permanently, and varied according to the power, influence and resources controlled by members of the jati. The status of the same jati could vary from area to area.

21. Jatis framed their own rules and regulations to manage the conduct of their members.

22. The Cholas, Tughluqs and Mughals encompassed many regions.

23. A Sanskrit prashasti praising the Delhi Sultan Ghiyasuddin Balban explained that he was the ruler of a vast empire that stretched from Bengal in the east to Ghazni in Afghanistan in the west and included all of south India. People of different regions-Gauda, Andhra, Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Gujarat apparently fled before his armies. Historians regard these as exaggerated claims.

24. Amir Khusrau noted (1318) that there was different language in every region of this land. In southern Karnataka, Sindhi, Lahori, Kashmiri, Dvarsamudri; In Andhra Pradesh, Telangani; In Gujarat, Gujari; in Tamil Nadu, Ma’bari; in Bengal-Gauri; in eastern UP, Awadhi; around Delhi, Hindawi.

25. In contrast to these languages, there was Sanskrit which did not belong to any region. It was an old language and ‘common people do not know it, only the Brahmanas do’.

26. During this period important changes occurred in what we call Hinduism today. These included the worship of new deities, the construction of temples by royalty and the growing importance of Brahmansas, the priests, as dominant groups in society.

27. The knowledge of Sanskrit texts earned the Brahmanas a lot of respect in society.

28. One of the major developments of this period was the emergence of the idea of bhakti.

29. This was also the time when new religions appeared in the subcontinent.

30. In 7th century merchants brought teaching of Islam as well as Quran. Muslims regard the Quran as holy book and accept the sovereignty of the God.

31. Many rulers were patrons of Islam.

32. Islam was interpreted in variety of ways by its followers. There were the Shia Muslims and Sunni Muslims. Shia who believed that the Prophet Muhammad’s son-in-law, Ali was the legitimate leader of the Muslim community while Sunni accepted the authority of the four Khalifas which also includes Ali as an one and last Khalifa.

33. Historians do not see time just as a passing of hours, days or years. Time also reflects changes in social and economic organization in the persistence and transformation of ideas and beliefs.

34. In the middle of the 19th century, British historians divided the history of India into three periods-Hindu, Muslim and British.

Notes of Geography Class 7 Chapter 1 Important Terms

Manuscript: The script written by one’s handwriting.

Jati: The sub-caste.

Region: The particular area occupied by a certain group or empire.

Periodization: Division of time into different segments in view of study of history.

pan-regional: Covering diverse regions.

Cartographer: A person who makes maps.

Habitat: Refers to the environment of a region and the social and economic lifestyle of its residents.

Notes of History Class 7 Chapter 1 Time Period

7th century: The teaching of holy Quran brought in India.

1154: Map of Indian Subcontinent made by Al-Idrisi.

1266-1287: Reign of Sultan Ghiyasuddin Balban.

NCERT Class 7 Geography Chapter 10 Notes Life in the Deserts

On this page, you will find NCERT Class 7 Geography Chapter 10 Notes Pdf free download. CBSE Class 7 Social Science Notes Geography Chapter 10 SST Life in the Deserts will seemingly help them to revise the important concepts in less time.

Life in the Deserts Class 7 Notes Social Science Geography Chapter 10

CBSE Class 7 Geography Chapter 10 Notes Understanding The Lesson

1. It is very difficult to live on the places where there is no water.

2. Some places are very hot as fire while some are very cold as ice. These are the desert areas of the world.

3. Depending on the temperatures there can be hot desert or cold deserts.

4. The people inhabit these lands wherever little water is available to practice agriculture.

5. Sahara is the world’s largest desert. Sahara desert covers a large part of North Africa. It has an area of around 8.54 millions km.

6. The Sahara desert touches 11 countries. These are Algeria, Chad, Egypt, Libya, Mali, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Sudan, Tunisia and Western Sahara.

7. Besides the vast stretches of sands, there are also gravel plains and elevated plateaus with bare rocky surface. These rocky surfaces may be more than 2500m high at some places.

8. The climate of the Sahara desert is scorching hot and parch dry. It has a short rainy season. Days are unbelievable hot, it may be as high as 50°C while nights may be freezing cold with temperatures nearing 0°C

9. Cactus, date palms and acacia etc., are vegetation found in the Sahara desert. In some places there are oasis-green islands with date palms surrounding them.

10. Camels, hyenas, jackals, foxes, scorpions, many varieties of snakes and lizards are the prominent animal species living there.

11. Despite of harsh climate in the Sahara, it is inhabited by various groups of people who pursue different activities. Some nomadic tribes such as Bedounis and Tuaregs live here and rear goats, sheep, camels and horses.

12. The oasis in the Sahara and the Nile Valley in Egypt suppont the settled population. The people grow date palms, rice, wheat, barley and beans. Egyptian cotton, famous worldwide is grown in Egypt.

13. Besides the oil, other minerals of importance that are found in the area include iron, phosphorus, manganese and uranium.

14. Ladakh is a cold desert lying in the Great Himalayas, on the eastern side of Jammu and Kashmir. The Karakoram Range in the north and the Zanskar mountains in the south enclose it. River Indus and Gangri glacier are found in Ladakh.

15. Ladakh is made up of two words-“La” meaning ‘mountain pass’ and “Dak” meaning ‘country’.

16. The altitude (height) in Ladakh varies from about 3000 m in Kargil to more than 8,000m in the Karakoram. Due to its high altitude, the climate is extremely cold and dry. The day temperatures in summer are just above 0°C and the night temperatures well below-30°C. There is little rainfall, as low as 10 cm every year.

17. Due to high aridity in Ladakh, the vegetation is sparse. There are scanty patches of grasses and shrubs for animals to graze. Groves of Willows and poplars are seen in the valleys. Fruit trees such as apples, apricots and walnuts bloom and are found during the summers.

18. Animals like Robins, redstarts, Tibetan snow-cock, raven and hoopoe are found commonly. The animals of Ladakh are wild goats, wild sheep, yak and special kinds of dogs. Yak’s milk is used to make cheese and butter. The hair of the sheep and goat is used to make wollens.

19. In the summer season the people are busy cultivating barley, potatoes, peas, beans and turnip.

20. Leh, the capital of Ladakh is well-connected both by road and air. The National Highway 1A connects Leh to Kashmir Valley through the Zoji la Pass.

21. Tourism is a major activity with several tourists streaming in from within India and abroad. Visits to the gompas, treks to see the meadows and glaciers, witnessing ceremonies and festivities are important activities.

Notes of Geography Class 7 Chapter 10 Important Terms

Desert: A place of extreme hot or extreme cold.

Glaciers: A glacier is a persistent body of dense ice.

NCERT Class 7 Geography Chapter 9 Notes Life in the Temperate Grasslands

On this page, you will find NCERT Class 7 Geography Chapter 9 Notes Pdf free download. CBSE Class 7 Social Science Notes Geography Chapter 9 SST Life in the Temperate Grasslands will seemingly help them to revise the important concepts in less time.

Life in the Temperate Grasslands Class 7 Notes Social Science Geography Chapter 9

CBSE Class 7 Geography Chapter 9 Notes Understanding The Lesson

1. Forest can be defined as the place where trees are the main type of vegetation. Similarly, grassland can be defined as a region where grasses form the dominant type of plant life.

2. Grasslands make up almost a quarter of the total land surface.

3. The types of plants or grasses are dependent on the climate and soil. ‘

4. The world’s grasslands can be divided into two broad categories-temperate and tropical regions grasslands.

5. The temperate grasslands of North America are known as the Prairies. It is a region of flat, gently sloping or hilly land. Tallgrass, upto two metres high, dominates the landscape. Most part of prairies is treeless.

6. The prairies are bound by the Rocky Mountains in the West and the great lakes in the East. Prairies cover parts of United States of America and parts of Canada. In the USA, the area is drained by the tributaries of Mississippi and the Canadian prairies are drained by the tributaries of Saskatchewan Rivers.

7. The climate is of continental type with extreme temperatures. The summers are warm with temperatures of around 20°C, while in winter -20°C has been recorded in Winnipeg, Canada. In winters a thick blanket of snow covers this region.

8. The annual rainfall is moderate and is ideal for the growth of grass. A local wind “Chinook” blows here.

9. Prairies are practically tree-less. Where water is available, trees such as willows, alders and poplars grow.

10. Places that receive rainfall of over 50 cm, are suitable for farming as the soil is fertile. The major crop of this area is maize, other crops including potatoes, soybean, cotton and alfa-alfa are also grown.

11. Prairies are suitable for cattle rearing. Large cattle farms are called ‘ranches’. Bison or the American buffalo is the most important protected animal of this region. The other animals found in this region are rabbits, coyotes, gophers and prairie dog.

12. The people of the Prairies region are very hard-working. Two of the most developed countries in the world-the USA and Canada are located in this region. Scientific methods of cultivation and use of tractors, harvesters and combines have made North America a surplus food producer.

13. The Prairies are also known as the “Granaries of the world,” due to the huge surplus of wheat production.

14. In the Prairies region dairy farming is another major industry. Dairy farming and extensive agriculture both promote setting up of food processing industries.

15. Large mineral deposits particularly coal and iron are found in this region. A good network of roads, railways and canals in this region has made it the most industrialized region in the world.

16. The temperate grasslands of South Africa are called the velds. Velds are rolling plateaus with varying heights ranging from 600 m to 1100 m. It is bound by the Drakensburg Mountains on the east. To its west lies the Kalahari Desert. On the northeastern part, “height velds’ are located that attain a height of more than 1600m, in some places.

17. The tributaries of rivers Orange and Limpopo drain the region.

18. The velds have a mild climate due to the influence of the Indian Ocean. Winters are cold and dry. Temperatures vary between 5°C and 10°C July is the coldest mouth. Summers are short and warm.

19. The velds receive rainfall mainly in the summer months from November to February.

20. The vegetation cover is sparse. Grasses dominate the landscape. Red grass grows in bush velds. In the high velds acacia and maroola are seen to be growing.

21. The animals of the velds are primarily lions, leopards, cheetah and kudu.

22. In the velds region the main crops are maize, wheat, barley, oats and potato. Cash crops like tobacco, sugar cane and cotton are also grown.

23. In the velds regions, sheep rearing is the most important occupation of the people. Sheep has given rise to the wool industry in the velds. Merino sheep is a popular species and its wool is very warm.

24. Dairy farming is the next important occupation. Cattle are reared in the warmer and wetter regions and the dairy products like butter, cheese are produced for both domestic supply and also for export.

25. The velds have rich reserve of minerals. Iron and steel industry has developed where coal and iron are present. Gold and diamond mining are major occupations of people of this region.

26. Johannesburg is known for being the gold capital of the world. Kimberley is famous for its diamond mines. The mineral rich area has a well-developed network of transport.

Notes of Geography Class 7 Chapter 9 Important Terms

Grasslands: A region where grasses form as a dominant type of plant life.

Veld: The temperate grasslands of South Africa are called the velds.

Prairie: The word originated from Latin word priata which means meadow.

Ranches: Large cattle farms are called ‘ranches’

Cowboys: The men who look the ranches.

Bison: The American buffalo.

Chinook: A type of hot wind that blows in winter.

NCERT Class 7 Geography Chapter 8 Notes Human-Environment Interactions: The Tropical and the Subtropical Region

On this page, you will find NCERT Class 7 Geography Chapter 8 Notes Pdf free download. CBSE Class 7 Social Science Notes Geography Chapter 8 SST Human-Environment Interactions: The Tropical and the Subtropical Region will seemingly help them to revise the important concepts in less time.

Human-Environment Interactions: The Tropical and the Subtropical Region Class 7 Notes Social Science Geography Chapter 8

CBSE Class 7 Geography Chapter 8 Notes Understanding The Lesson

1. All the people living in different parts of the world also look different. Their food habits, wearing and habitation pattern is also different.

2. The river Amazon flows through tropical region which lies very close to the equator; between 10°N and 10°S. So, it is referred to as the equatorial region.

3. Numerous tributaries join the Amazon River to form the Amazon Basin. The river basin drains portions of Brazil, parts of Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Columbia and a small part of Venezuela.

4. The Amazon Basin stretches directly on the equator and is characterized by hot and wet climate through­out the year. Both day and nights are almost equally hot and humid. It rains almost every day. The day temperature is high and in night the temperature goes down. In the day and night humidity remains high.

5. Due to the heavy rainfall, forests are thick and dense leaves create a ‘roof on the upper side of the forests which do not allow the sunlight to reach the ground. Orchids, bromeliads grow as plant parasites.

6. The rainforest is rich in fauna. Birds such as toucans, humming birds etc., are found in the region. Ani­mals like monkeys, sloth and ant-eating tapirs are found here.

7. Various species of reptiles and snakes also thrive in these forests. Crocodiles, snakes, pythons abound, Anaconda and boa constrictor are some of the species. Apart from this, the basin is home to thousands of species of insects, several species of fishes including the flesh eating Piranha fish is also found in the river.

8. People of the Rainforests are mostly depending on the hunting and fishing. They also clear some forest area and grow the crops. They mainly grow tapioca, pineapple and sweet potato. Cash crops like coffee, maize and coca are also grown. The staple food is manioc, also known as cassava that grows under the ground like the potato. They also eat queen ants and egg sacs.

9. The Rainforest are sources of huge wood. Wood is used to make the houses in the region. Some families live in the houses like beehives. Other large houses are called ‘Maloca’ with a steeply slanting roof.

10. The tributaries of rivers Ganga and Brahmaputra together form the Ganga-Brahmaputra basin in the Indian subcontinent. The basin lies in the sub-tropical region that is situated between 10°N to 30°N lati­tudes. The tributaries of the River Ganga like the Ghaghra, the Son, the Chambal, the Gandak, the Kosi and the tributaries of Brahmaputra drain it.

11. The plains of the Ganga and the Brahmaputra, the mountains and the foothills of the Himalayas and the Sundarban delta are the main features of Ganga and Brahmaputra basin.

12. The area is dominated by monsoon climate. The monsoon brings rains from mid-June to mid-September. The summers are hot and the winters cool.

13. In the mountain area of Ganga-Brahmaputra basin lives less number of people; whereas, in the plain area’s density of population is very high.

14. In the plain areas of Ganga and the Brahmaputra basin the main crop is paddy. Since cultivation of paddy requires sufficient water, it is grown in the areas where the amount of rainfall is high. Apart from paddy, wheat, maize, sorghum, gram and millets are the other crops that are grown. Cash crops like sugar cane and jute are also grown. Banana plantations are seen in some areas of the plain.

15. In parts of Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh, coniferous trees like pine, deodar and fir can be seen because the climate is cool and the slopes are steep.

16. In the Ganga and the Brahmaputra basin, there is a variety of wildlife. Elephants, tigers, deers and mon­keys are common. The one-horned rhinoceros is found in the Brahmaputra plain. In the delta area, Bengal tiger, crocodiles and alligators are found. The most popular varieties of the fish are the rohu, catla and hilsa. Fish and rice is the staple diet of the people living in the area.

17. In the fresh waters of River Ganga and River Brahmaputra, a variety of dolphins locally called Susu (also called blind dolphin) is found. The presence of Susu is an indication of the health of the river. The untreated industrial and urban wastes with high amount of chemicals are killing this species.

18. Many cities are located along the various rivers. The rivers are being polluted increasingly by the population of cities and industries.

19. In the Ganga and the Brahmaputra basin all the four ways of transportation are well developed. The roadways, railways, waterways and airways are used for transportation by the people.

20. Tourism is another important activity of the basin. The Taj Mahal on the banks of River Yamuna in Agra, Allahabad on the confluence of the Rivers Ganga and Yamuna, Buddhist stupas in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, Lucknow with its Imambara, Assam with Kaziranga and Manas with wildlife sanctuaries and Arunachal Pradesh with a distinct tribal culture are some of the places worth a visit.

Notes of Geography Class 7 Chapter 8 Important Terms

Tributaries: Small rivers that join the main river.

Manioc: This is the staple food of the people of the Amazon basin.

Maloca: A type of house around the Amazon basin.

Piranha: A fish that eats flesh.

NCERT Class 7 Geography Chapter 7 Notes Human Environment: Settlement, Transport, and Communication

On this page, you will find NCERT Class 7 Geography Chapter 7 Notes Pdf free download. CBSE Class 7 Social Science Notes Geography Chapter 7 SST Human Environment: Settlement, Transport, and Communication will seemingly help them to revise the important concepts in less time.

Human Environment: Settlement, Transport, and Communication Class 7 Notes Social Science Geography Chapter 7

CBSE Class 7 Geography Chapter 7 Notes Understanding The Lesson

1. Settlements are places where people build their homes.

2. Early human beings lived on trees and in caves. When they started to grow crops it became necessary to have a permanent home.

3. Early human grew the settlements near the river valley as water was available and land was fertile.

4. Settlements can be permanent or temporary. However more and more settlements today are permanent settlements.

5. In the permanent settlements people build homes to live in.

6. The settlements may be rural or urban settlements.

7. The villages are rural settlement where people are engaged in activities like agriculture, fishing, forestry, crafts work and trading etc. These may be compact or scattered. In the rural settlements people build house to suit their environment.

8. The towns are comparatively small settlements while cities are larger urban settlements. In urban settle­ments people are engaged in manufacturing, trading, services etc.

9. Transport is the means by which people and goods move. The modes of transport have been changed with the time. In the early age only animals and carts were used.

10. In present, four major means of transport are used i.e., roadways, railways, waterways and airways.

11. The most commonly used means of transport is Roadways. Roadways is used for short distances. Manali-Leh highway in the Himalyan Mountains is one of the highest roadways in the world.

12. The railways carry heavy goods and people over long distance quickly and cheaply. The railway network is well-developed over the plain areas. Indian network is well-developed and it is the largest in Asia.

13. Since early days waterways were used for transportation. Waterways are the cheapest for carrying heavy and bulky goods over long distances. They are mainly of two types— inland waterways and sea routes.

14. Airway is the fastest way of transport developed in the early 20th It is the most expensive due to high cost of fuels. Where there are no roads and railways, airways are being used for transportation. For a long distance we also use airways.

15. Communication is the process of conveying messages to others. With the development of technology new and fast modes of communication have developed.

16. In the early age communication was very difficult for the distant places. With the development of postal departments inland letter was used. For the urgent messages telegrams were used. Letter, radio became a vibrant means of communication.

17. In the modem age, with the development of inset, internet and mobile, communication has become am important means of communication. Through these means, we can communicate even in a few second with the people anywhere in the world. The world has become now a global society.

Notes of Geography Class 7 Chapter 7 Important Terms

Settlement: Place where people live.

Site: Place where a building or settlement develops.

Compact settlement: Places where dwelling areas develop closely.

Scattered settlement: Places where dwelling areas are developed spaced over.

Transport: Means by which people and goods move from one place to another place.

Metalled roads: These are Pucca roads, made up of cement, concrete or charcoal.

Unmetalled Roads: These are Kutcha roads, made up of mainly mud.

Communication: The process through which we convey messages to others.

Mass media: A means by which we can communicate to the large number of people at a same time.