Revision Notes for Chapter 5 The Rise of Empires Class 7 Social Science

Chapter 5 The Rise of Empires Revision Notes Class 6 Social Science NCERT

NCERT Notes of The Rise of Empires for Class 7 SST is available on this page of studyrankers website. This chapter is from NCERT Textbook for Class 7 Science named Exploring Society: India and Beyond Part I. This textbook is published by NCERT (National Council of Educational Research and Training). Class 7 Social Science Textbook published by NCERT is prescribed for CBSE students. Chapter 5 The Rise of Empires Revision Notes is very helpful in understanding the chapter clearly and in easy manner. Students can also find NCERT Solutions for The Rise of Empires on this website for their reference. It is very helpful for class 7 students in preparing for the examination. We have covered all the important points and topics of the The Rise of Empires chapter of class 7 SST ncert textbook. Students can also find all the questions answers of The Rise of Empires chapter which is in the textbook updated to latest pattern of cbse and ncert.

NCERT Notes for Chapter 5 The Rise of Empires Class 7 Social Science

The Rise of Empires marks an important phase in ancient India when powerful kingdoms grew larger and stronger.

• Cities like Pāṭaliputra became thriving centers of trade, culture, and politics. 
• These cities were well-fortified with walls, moats, and drawbridges to protect their people from enemies.
• Life in these cities was lively, with markets full of goods from faraway places and entertainers like acrobats and musicians bringing joy to the streets. 

• The kings who ruled these empires controlled vast territories, stretching far beyond the city limits, covering many villages, towns, and smaller kingdoms.
• This chapter explores how these early empires formed, how their cities were protected and organized, and how they shaped the history of India.

What is an Empire?

An empire is a large area where a powerful ruler, called an emperor, controls many smaller kingdoms or territories. The word “empire” comes from the Latin word imperium, meaning “supreme power.”

• Smaller kingdoms kept their own rulers but were tributaries, paying tribute (money, gold, grain, or goods) to the emperor as a sign of loyalty.
• The emperor ruled from a capital, a major city for administration and economy.
• In Sanskrit, emperors were called samraj (lord of all), adhiraja (overlord), or rajadhiraja (king of kings).

Features of an Empire

• Empires were large, covering many regions with diverse people, languages, and customs.
• Emperors used warfare to conquer smaller kingdoms and expand their empire.
• They built fortified cities with moats and drawbridges for defence, especially at borders.
• Emperors controlled rivers and trade routes to gain resources and tax money.
• Trained armies with elephants, horses, and iron weapons were used to conquer, defend, and maintain control.
• Emperors allowed local rulers to govern their areas in return for tribute and loyalty.
• Emperors ensured harmony by managing diverse groups, possibly through fair laws, local governance, or cultural exchanges.

Reasons for expanding into empires

• Desire for fame and to be remembered by future generations (posterity).
• Access to resources for economic and military strength.
• Wealth for the emperor and the empire.

Trade, Trade Routes, and Guilds

Trade was key to an empire’s wealth and people’s well-being. Maintaining an army was costly (food, weapons, horses, roads, ships), requiring strong economic power.

Trade Routes

• Controlling trade routes increased the variety and amount of goods traded, boosting income and taxes.
• Traded goods included textiles, spices, gems, handicrafts, agricultural produce, and animals, sent to distant countries by land or sea.
• Guilds (shrenis) were groups of traders, craftsmen, moneylenders, or farmers who worked together.
• Guilds had a leader (often elected) and officers with good qualities, making rules for their members.
• Important trade routes were Uttarapatha (northwest to east) and Dakṣhiṇapatha (central to south India).
• Guilds spread across India and influenced trade for centuries, showing how Indian society organized itself.

Guilds were special because:

• They encouraged collaboration, not competition, by sharing resources and market information.
• They had autonomy to make their own rules, and kings did not interfere if trade grew.

The Rise of Magadha

From the 6th to 4th century BCE, Magadha (modern south Bihar) became a powerful kingdom in north India. Magadha was one of the 16 mahajanapadas, large kingdoms with assemblies.

Kings like Ajataśhatru made Magadha a strong center of power.

Magadha’s advantages:

• Fertile land in the Ganga plains for farming.
• Forests for timber and elephants for the army.
• Iron ore from nearby hills for tools and weapons.
• Ganga and Son rivers for trade and transport.

Iron ploughs increased food production, and iron weapons strengthened the army.

Surplus food allowed people to focus on arts and crafts, traded within and outside Magadha.

In the 5th century BCE, Mahapadma Nanda founded the Nanda dynasty, uniting many kingdoms in eastern and northern India.

The Nandas issued coins and had a large army, showing their wealth and power.

The last Nanda emperor, Dhana Nanda, was unpopular for oppressing people, leading to the Nanda empire’s fall to the Maurya Empire.

The Arrival of the Greeks

In the northwest, small kingdoms existed along an ancient route to the Mediterranean. Alexander, a Greek king, invaded India in 327–325 BCE, aiming to rule the world.

Arrival of Greeks

• He defeated Porus, king of the Pauravas in Punjab, but faced strong resistance from local tribes.
• Greek records note that women fought alongside men in some battles.
• Alexander was wounded, and his tired soldiers refused to march to the Ganga River, so he retreated through harsh southern deserts, losing many troops.
• Alexander left satraps (governors) to manage northwest territories, who had significant power.
• In 323 BCE, Alexander died in Babylon, and his empire split among his generals and satraps.
• Alexander met Gymnosophists (Indian sages called “naked philosophers” by Greeks) and asked them riddles, impressed by their wise answers.
• This meeting showed a blend of Greek and Indian philosophies.

The Mighty Mauryas

Around 321 BCE, Chandragupta Maurya founded the Maurya Empire in Magadha, taking over the Nanda empire. With help from his mentor Kauṭilya, Chandragupta expanded the empire from northern plains to the Deccan plateau.

• He defeated Greek satraps in the northwest, uniting those areas into the empire.
• Chandragupta welcomed Megasthenes, a Greek historian, who wrote about India in his book Indika (now mostly lost).
• The Mauryas built a strong empire with lasting impacts on trade, cities, administration, art, and architecture.

The Story of Kauṭilya

• Kauṭilya (also called Chanakya or Viṣhnugupta) was a teacher at Takṣhaśhila university.

Maurya Empire

• He advised Dhana Nanda to rule better, but was insulted and expelled from the Nanda court.
• Kauṭilya vowed to end the Nanda rule and helped Chandragupta Maurya overthrow the Nandas.
• His knowledge of politics, governance, and economics shaped the Maurya Empire.

The Rise of Chandragupta Maurya

• Chandragupta Maurya overthrew the Nandas and became ruler of Magadha, with Paṭaliputra as his capital.
• Magadha’s fertile land, trade routes, and economic system helped him expand the empire.
• With Kauṭilya’s strategies, Chandragupta defeated Greek satraps and extended his rule across northern and central India.
• He kept friendly ties with Greeks, hosting Megasthenes in his court.

Kauṭilya’s Concept of a Kingdom

• Kauṭilya wrote the Arthashastra, a book on governance, economics, defense, and administration.
• He believed a kingdom should be strong, protected, and prosperous, achieved through warfare or alliances.
• Kauṭilya stressed law and order, with strict laws against corruption and punishments for harming people.
• He said a king’s happiness depends on his people’s welfare, prioritizing their interests over his own.
• Kauṭilya valued the countryside, as it was the source of food and economic activity, encouraging projects like bridges and village protection.

Kauṭilya’s Saptanga

Saptanga means “seven parts” of a kingdom. These seven parts worked together to make a kingdom stable and prosperous. As per Kautilya:

1. King (swami): The ruler who leads the kingdom.
2. Amatya: Group of councillors
3. Territory and people (janapada): The land and its population.
4. Fortified cities (durga): Strong towns for defense.
5. Treasury (koṣha): The kingdom’s wealth.
6. Army and law enforcement (danda): Forces for defense and order.
7. Allies (mitra): Friendly kingdoms for support.

The King who chose Peace

Aśhoka (268–232 BCE), Chandragupta’s grandson, ruled the Maurya Empire. He expanded the empire to cover most of India, except the far south, including Bangladesh, Pakistan, and parts of Afghanistan.

• During the Kalinga war (modern Odisha), Aśhoka saw massive destruction and chose peace and non-violence, inspired by Buddhist teachings.
• Aśhoka shared the Kalinga war in his edicts, showing honesty about his past.
• He sent messengers to Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Central Asia to spread Buddhism.
• Aśhoka’s edicts, written in Prakrit using Brahmi script, were carved on rocks and pillars, urging people to follow dharma (moral duties).

Ashoka Stone Edicts

• He called himself Devanampiya Piyadasi (“Beloved of the Gods, one who is kind”).
• Aśhoka supported all sects (Buddhists, Jains, Brahmins, ajīvikas), provided medical care for people and animals, banned hunting, and planted trees and rest houses along roads.
• His edicts ensured officials were fair, avoided torture, and checked on people’s welfare every five years.

Life in the Mauryan Period

Cities like Pataliputra were centers of governance and trade, with palaces, public buildings, and planned streets. A strong tax system and active trade kept the treasury full, supporting growth.

• Officials, merchants, and artisans were key to city life.
• The Sohagaura copper plate (4th–3rd century BCE) shows the Mauryas built granaries to store grain against famines.

Sohagura Copper Plate Inscription

• Agriculture was vital, with two crops yearly due to summer and winter rains, preventing famines.
• Farmers were protected during wars, ensuring food production.
• City artisans included blacksmiths, potters, carpenters, and jewellers.
• Cities had street signs, couriers for messages, and wooden houses up to two storeys tall.
• Water vessels were kept on streets to fight fires.
• People wore cotton clothes (lower garment to the knees, upper garment over shoulders) and leather shoes with designs.

Some Contributions of the Mauryas

• The Mauryas left a lasting legacy in art, architecture, and governance.
• They strengthened trade routes, used coins widely, and built well-planned cities.
• Their administration system was advanced, with officials ensuring fairness and welfare.

Life and People

Mauryan society included farmers, artisans, merchants, and performers like street acrobats who entertained with plays and dances.

Artefacts show people’s lives:

• Terracotta figurines of dancing girls and deities with elaborate headdresses and jewellery.
• Figurines of the Saptamatrikas (seven mother goddesses), a tradition still followed.
• A terracotta horse head with a designed bridle, showing skilled craftsmanship.

Art and Architecture

• Mauryan art and architecture were highly advanced.
• Sarnath pillar capital: Four lions (symbolizing royal power) and a dharmachakra (wheel of dharma) became India’s national emblem with the motto satyameva jayate (“truth alone triumphs”).
• Sanchi Stūpa: One of India’s oldest stone structures, originally brick, enlarged with stone, built by Aśhoka for worship.
• Dhauli elephant sculpture: A rock carving symbolizing the Buddha’s qualities, near an Aśhoka edict.
• Mauryas built stūpas, chaityas, and viharas for worship, study, and meditation.

The Fragile Nature of Empires

Empires are strong but fragile and often fall apart. Here are the Reasons for decline of Empires:

• Regions wanting independence due to heavy tribute demands.
• Weak rulers after strong ones, leading local kings to stop paying tribute.
• Large empires are hard to control, with far-off areas breaking away first.
• Economic crises from droughts or floods weaken empires.
• Empires bring unity and prosperity by reducing wars but are built through war and force, making them unstable.
• The Maurya Empire lasted 50 years after Aśhoka’s death but broke apart as smaller kingdoms became independent by 185 BCE.

Timeline of Empires

Important Points

• An empire is a large area of smaller kingdoms ruled by an emperor, expanded for fame, power, and resources.
• India’s first empires grew in areas with natural resources, rivers, and trade goods.
• Alexander’s campaign in northwest India had little political impact but started Indo-Greek cultural contacts.
• The Mauryas built a vast empire with lasting impacts on trade, cities, administration, art, and architecture.
• Aśhoka promoted dharma and showed himself as a kind ruler through his edicts.

Difficult Words

• Empire: A large area of smaller kingdoms ruled by an emperor.
• Tributary: A kingdom that pays tribute to an emperor as a sign of loyalty.
• Guild: A group of traders or craftsmen who work together and make their own rules.
• Satrap: A governor of a province in Greek or Persian empires.
• Edict: An official order or announcement by a king.
• Dharma: Moral duties, truth, and living in harmony with the universe.
• Prakrit: A common language in ancient India, used in Aśhoka’s edicts.
• Brahmi: An ancient script, the root of many Indian scripts.
• Saptanga: Kauṭilya’s seven parts of a kingdom (king, territory, cities, treasury, army, allies).
• Arthashastra: Kauṭilya’s book on governance and economics.
• Dharmachakra: Wheel of dharma, symbolizing Buddha’s teachings.
• Stūpa: A dome-shaped structure housing sacred relics, used for worship.