Page 66 - SST Class 07
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example, the concept of zero and decimal system
            spread to west Asia and Europe through these
            traders.

            Like overland trade, overseas trade was also carried
            on with other countries. The merchandise was
            carried in large ships by enterprising traders. The
            Arabs and the Europeans owned large fleets of              A bronze statue  A bronze statue  Gold Jewellery
                                                                        of Saraswati
                                                                                         of Lord Shiva
            ships to buy and sell their merchandise in different
            countries. Indian traders too had formed guilds to       and royal families to meet their needs. These
            compete with other traders. These guilds pooled          craftsmen prospered when the rulers thrived, and
            resources of many traders and dealt in overseas          suffered when the rulers declined. They formed a
            trade.                                                   large part of the town.

            The chief articles of export from India were             After the arrival of the British, the creativity of the
            textiles, jewellery, spices; and the chief articles of   craftsmen suffered, as they
            import were wines, silk etc.                             had to work on low wages and
                                                                     they    were    required    to
                    Just Think!                                      reproduce the patterns shown
                                                                     to them. This was mostly the
                                                                     case in jewellery, embroidery,
            What are the main commodities imported and
            exported by India at present?                            textiles and pottery.                Silk Sarees

            Craftsmen                                                   Quiz Time
                                                                     Write True or False :
            Indian craftsmen have been famous for their
            products since time immemorial. The Indian cotton        1. Hampi is located in Vijayanagara.  __________
            textiles in different patterns and types have been       2. The village of Hampi was a trade centre with
            popular all over the world. The Indian craftsmen            fertile land.                     __________
            have also been famous for a number of other
            products, such as jewellery, showpieces, gems,           3. Masulipatnam was a small trade town.
            tools and appliances. They have earned a great                                                __________
            name in using different metals, like bronze, gold,       4. Surat is a major trade centre dealing in textiles
            silver and copper.                                          and diamonds.                     __________

            In the beginning, the craftsmen made their               5. Surat was attacked by the Portuguese in 1521.
            products and sold them in the local market.                                                   __________
            However, many of them were hired by the rulers







            v A town develops over a long period of time, but some towns can be founded for various needs, such as
               capital towns, port towns or military towns.
            v A capital town is a town where the court of a ruler is located.
            v A pilgrimage town is important because of the location of a temple or other place of pilgrimage.
            v A trade or a port town can be developed because it is suitable for such needs.
            v A military town is a town where an army can train during peacetime and reach the battle scene quickly.
            v Traders carry their trade; overseas or overland.
            v Craftsmen form an important part of a town and make a place famous.

                     Contemporary Social Science-7
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