NCERT Solutions for Class 7 Social Science (Exploring Society) Chapter 16: Turning Tides – 11th and 12th Centuries (NCERT 2026–27)
These Class 7 Social Science Exploring Society Chapter 16 solutions cover Turning Tides: 11th and 12th Centuries from Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Part 2), the new NCF-2023 textbook for the 2026–27 session. The chapter belongs to the theme Tapestry of the Past and explains why these two centuries are seen as a major turning point in Indian history — the deeper invasions by Turkic powers (Mahmūd of Ghazni and Muhammad Ghūrī), the rise of new Indian powers (Cholas, Kākatīyas, Hoysalas, Paramāras, Sena, Eastern Gangas, Chāhamānas) and the flowering of art, architecture, literature and science despite the disturbances. Below you get step-by-step answers to all Questions and activities, a clear timeline, key terms, extra practice, MCQs, Assertion–Reason and FAQs.
Class: 7Subject: Social ScienceBook: Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Part 2)Chapter: 16Theme: Tapestry of the PastSession: 2026–27
Class 7 Social Science Exploring Society Chapter 16 – Overview
Chapter 16, Turning Tides: 11th and 12th Centuries, shows why this period was a transition in Indian history. Unlike the earlier Arab incursions, the new Turkic invasions penetrated much deeper into north India. In the 11th century Mahmūd of Ghazni, after defeating the Hindu Shāhis, conducted 17 raids, plundering and destroying temples (Mathura, Kannauj, Somnath) but never settling in India. In the 12th century Muhammad Ghūrī defeated P&rdotbelow;ithvīrāja III at the Second Battle of Tarain (1192), captured Delhi and sought territorial conquest; his generals (Qutb-ud-din Aibak, Bakhtiyār Khiljī) extended Ghūrid rule and destroyed centres of learning like Nālandā and Vikramaśhilā. Yet large parts of north India and all of south India stayed free of the invaders: the Cholas ruled the seas, the Kākatīyas and Hoysalas rose in the Deccan, and scholars (Bhāskarāchārya, Bhoja) and thinker-saints (Rāmānujāchārya, Basaveśhvara) enriched culture. The lesson of the period is resilience and the enduring power of knowledge and creativity.
Timeline of Key Events
Reproduced from the chapter’s timeline (Fig. 4.2) so you can revise the sequence quickly.
Date
Event
985–1014
Reign of Rājarāja Chola I
1000–08
Mahmūd of Ghazni’s campaigns against the Hindu Shāhis
1010–55
Reign of Paramāra king Bhoja
1014–44
Reign of Rājendra Chola I
1025
Rājendra Chola’s naval expedition to Southeast Asia
1026
Mahmūd destroys and plunders the Somnath temple
1150
Bhāskarāchārya composes Līlāvatī
12th century
Rise of the Kākatīyas; Angkor Wat temple constructed in Cambodia (first half)
1192
Second Battle of Tarain: Muhammad Ghūrī defeats P&rdotbelow;ithvīrāja III
1205–06
Bakhtiyār Khiljī defeated in Kāmarūpa
1206
Deaths of Muhammad Ghūrī and Bakhtiyār Khiljī
Key Terms & Concepts
Turkic: refers to peoples, languages and cultures historically associated with a vast region stretching across Central Asia, all the way to Turkey and Siberia. The Ghaznavids and Ghūrids were Turkic powers.
Hindu Shāhis: a powerful dynasty ruling present-day Afghanistan, northern Pakistan and up to Punjab; they controlled the Khyber Pass and long resisted invaders before being overrun by the Ghaznavids.
Sultan: a word of Arabic origin meaning ‘authority’ or ‘power’; in the Muslim world it came to mean a sovereign ruler or king. Mahmūd was the first to assume this title in this story.
Khyber Pass: one of the main mountain passes through the Hindu Kush range; for at least 2,500 years a major route for invaders, traders, and Buddhist scholars and monks.
Ghaznavids: a Turkic power with capital at Ghazna (Ghazni, Afghanistan); their ruler Mahmūd raided India 17 times.
Ghūrids: rulers of Ghūr (Ghor) in Afghanistan, once vassals of the Ghaznavids; under Muhammad Ghūrī they sought territorial conquest in India.
Delhi Sultanate: the kingdom founded later by Muhammad Ghūrī’s general Qutb-ud-din Aibak (studied in detail in Grade 8).
Gangaiko&ndotbelow;&dotbelow;achola: the title taken by Rājendra Chola I, meaning “the Chola who seized (or brought) Gangā”, marking his northern campaigns.
Viśhi&sdotbelow;&tdotbelow;ādvaita vedānta: the philosophical school developed by Rāmānujāchārya, which sees the world and souls as real and stresses bhakti (devotion) and surrender to the divine.
Lingāyat movement: founded by Basaveśhvara (Basava&ndotbelow;&ndotbelow;a); it rejected caste distinctions and ritualism and taught personal devotion, dedicated work, and the equal spiritual potential of all men and women.
Other key terms:Tora&ndotbelow;a (an ornamental gateway, as at the Warangal fort), vihāra/bihār (a Buddhist monastery or college), and vachanas (Basava&ndotbelow;&ndotbelow;a’s short devotional poems in Kannada).
“The Big Questions” – Answers
The chapter opens with three “Big Questions”. Here are concise, exam-ready answers drawn from the chapter.
1. Why are the 11th and 12th centuries seen as a period of transition in Indian history?
ANSWERThese centuries are a transition because they brought both deep change and continuity. The biggest change was that Turkic invasions (the Ghaznavids and then the Ghūrids) penetrated far deeper into north India than the earlier Arab incursions, leading to the start of foreign rule in parts of the north, much plunder, the destruction of temples and centres of learning, and the spread of Islam as a new creed in India’s religious landscape.At the same time there was continuity: large parts of northern India and all of south India remained free of the invaders; powerful Indian kingdoms (Cholas, Kākatīyas, Hoysalas, Paramāras and others) flourished; trade, art, literature and monumental architecture continued; and Indian culture even spread abroad. So the period ‘turned the tide’ without erasing India’s older traditions.
2. Which new powers emerged during this period? What were the essential features of their economic, military and administrative systems?
ANSWERNew or rising powers included the Cholas (Tamil Nadu, masters of the seas), the Kākatīyas (Telangana/Andhra, capital Orugallu), the Hoysalas (Karnataka), the Sena dynasty (Bengal), the Eastern Gangas (Kalinga), the Paramāras (Malwa), the Chāhamānas/Chauhāns (Rajasthan–Delhi), and the Chaulukyas/Solankis (Gujarat); on the invading side, the Ghaznavids and Ghūrids.Economic: agriculture was the mainstay, supported by irrigation works (Chola tanks, wells, canals and lakes; Kākatīya irrigation; Bhoja’s great lake), while brisk internal and overseas trade with China and Southeast Asia was helped by powerful merchant guilds.Military: every powerful king kept a sizable army with cavalry, elephants (and camels in the north), and the Cholas maintained a strong navy for overseas expeditions. Administrative: efficient systems collected tributes from vassals and taxes from traders; the Kākatīyas relied on village self-governance and a good revenue system, while Muhammad Ghūrī’s system was more centralised, granting temporary land assignments to officers in return for revenue and military service.
3. What high accomplishments in art, architecture, literature, science, etc., do we come across during this period?
ANSWERArchitecture: the Cholas built the B&rdotbelow;ihadīśhvara temple at Thanjavur and the temple at Gangaiko&ndotbelow;&dotbelow;acholapuram; the Hoysalas built the famous Belur and Halebidu temples (UNESCO World Heritage); the Kākatīyas built the Warangal fort and Thousand Pillar temple; the Chandellas built the Kandariya Mahādeva and Lak&sdotbelow;hma&ndotbelow;a temples at Khajuraho; the Eastern Gangas began the Jagannātha temple at Puri.Science: Bhāskarāchārya wrote Līlāvatī, Bījaga&ndotbelow;ita and Siddhāntaśhiroma&ndotbelow;i; al-Bīrūnī produced an encyclopaedic survey of Indian sciences.Literature & thought: Jayadeva’s Gītagovindam; Bhoja’s many Sanskrit works (e.g. Samarā&ndotbelow;ga&ndotbelow;a Sūtradhāra); Someśhvara III’s Mānasollāsa; and the thinker-saints Rāmānujāchārya (viśhi&sdotbelow;&tdotbelow;ādvaita) and Basaveśhvara (Lingāyat movement, Kannada vachanas).
“Questions and activities” — Full Solutions
All questions below are reproduced verbatim from the NCERT textbook’s end-of-chapter Questions and activities section. Answers are original, written in exam-ready style.
1. Why is the period under consideration in this chapter regarded as a major transition in Indian history? Give two examples each of change and continuity from this period.
ANSWERThe 11th and 12th centuries are regarded as a major transition because, unlike the earlier Arab incursions, the new Turkic invasions penetrated deep into north India, beginning foreign rule in some regions and altering the power equations profoundly — yet much of India’s older life continued. The period therefore mixed sharp change with strong continuity.Two examples of change: (i) Military campaigns by Turkic invaders (Mahmūd of Ghazni, then Muhammad Ghūrī) and the start of foreign rule in parts of north India, with plunder and destruction of temples, cities and centres of learning such as Nālandā. (ii) The spread of Islam as a new creed in India’s religious landscape.Two examples of continuity: (i) Large parts of northern India and all of south India remained outside the invaders’ hold, with powerful kingdoms (Cholas, Kākatīyas, Hoysalas) flourishing. (ii) Internal and external trade, art, literature, science and monumental temple-building continued to thrive, and Indian culture spread abroad, especially to Southeast Asia and China.
2. Observe Fig. 3.27 in the previous chapter and draw a similar ‘star of dynasties’ gathering all or most of the dynasties that appear in this chapter.
ANSWERThis is a drawing activity. Make a central node labelled “11th–12th century dynasties” and draw points/rays outward, writing one dynasty on each ray. Include the main dynasties named in this chapter so your ‘star’ is complete:Invaders/foreign powers: Ghaznavids, Ghūrids.North & central India: Hindu Shāhis, Paramāras, Chandellas, Chāhamānas (Chauhāns), Chaulukyas (Solankis of Gujarat).Eastern India: Senas, Eastern Gangas (and the declining Pālas).South India & Deccan: Cholas, Western Chālukyas, Eastern Chālukyas, Kākatīyas, Hoysalas, Pā&ndotbelow;&dotbelow;yas. You may use a different colour for invaders and Indian dynasties so the ‘star’ is easy to read.(This depends on Fig. 3.27 of the previous chapter; the answer above lists the dynasties to place on the star.)
3. Taking a map of the Subcontinent, draw a geographical tour that covers all or most dynasties in this chapter (you may draw inspiration from some of the ‘travels’ the chapter’s narration follows).
ANSWERThis is a map activity; follow the same path the chapter uses. On an outline map of the Subcontinent, mark a route in this order and label each dynasty/place:(1) Northwest: Khyber Pass → Hindu Shāhis (Punjab/Afghanistan) → Ghazna (Ghaznavids). (2) North plains: Mathura, Kannauj, Somnath (Gujarat) for Mahmūd’s raids; Dhillikā/Delhi and Ajayameru/Ajmer (Chāhamānas); A&ndotbelow;ahilavā&dotbelow;a/Patan (Chaulukyas); Dhārā/Dhar (Paramāras); Khajuraho (Chandellas).(3) East: Nādīya/Nadia (Senas) and Kalinga/Odisha (Eastern Gangas, Puri Jagannātha temple). (4) Deccan & South: Kalyā&ndotbelow;ī (Western Chālukyas), Orugallu/Warangal (Kākatīyas), Belur/Halebidu (Hoysalas), Tanjāvūr and Gangaiko&ndotbelow;&dotbelow;acholapuram (Cholas) and Madurai (Pā&ndotbelow;&dotbelow;yas). Join the marks with arrows to show the ‘tour’.(This is map-based; the answer lists the capitals/places to plot rather than reproducing the figure.)
4. With the help of a map of India and Southeast Asia, can you calculate the approximate distance that Rājendra I’s fleet of ships had to navigate to reach their objective?
ANSWERRājendra I’s navy sailed against the Śhrīvijaya Empire, whose lands lay across the Bay of Bengal in parts of present-day Malaysia and Indonesia, near the Strait of Malacca. Using the scale on a map, measure from a Chola port on the Coromandel/Tamil Nadu coast (such as Nāgapa&tdotbelow;&tdotbelow;inam) across the Bay of Bengal to the Strait of Malacca/Sumatra.By sea this distance is roughly 2,000–3,000 km (about 2,500 km is a reasonable estimate across the open Bay of Bengal). Accept any answer close to this range that is measured correctly using the map’s scale bar.(This is a map-measurement activity; the exact figure depends on the map used, so an estimate of a few thousand kilometres is expected.)
ANSWERThe correct matches are:(a) Eastern Gangas → (iii) Konark Sun temple (the Eastern Gangas built the grand Sun temple at Konark).(b) Chandellas → (iv) Kandāriyā Mahādeva temple (built by the Chandellas at Khajuraho).(c) Paramāras → (v) Bhojeshwar temple (built by King Bhoja Paramāra).(d) Hoysalas → (i) Belur (the Hoysalas’ famous temple town).(e) Cholas → (ii) B&rdotbelow;ihadīśhvara temple (built by Rājarāja Chola at Thanjavur).
6. Working in groups, compare the dynasties in this chapter and in the preceding one; create a table to list the dynasties present in both, those that disappear from the preceding period, and those that appear in this chapter’s period.
ANSWERThis is a group activity. Compare Chapter 15 (6th–10th centuries) with this chapter and arrange the dynasties in a three-column table. A model answer:
Present in both periods
Disappear from the earlier period
Newly prominent in this chapter
Cholas, Pā&ndotbelow;&dotbelow;yas, Western Chālukyas, Eastern Chālukyas, Chandellas, Paramāras, Pālas (declining)
Pratihāras (Rā&sdotbelow;h&tdotbelow;rakū&tdotbelow;as fading), Harsha’s line and other earlier powers
(Exact lists may vary slightly with how the previous chapter is read; the key idea is to classify dynasties as continuing, vanishing or newly emerging.)
7. Using the chapter and any additional reading, prepare a short note explaining (1) why centres of learning like Nālandā were important; (2) how their destruction may have affected education and culture in India.
ANSWER(1) Why they were important: Nālandā Mahāvihāra was a great Buddhist university and centre of learning. Its famous library, spread over three multi-storey buildings, held lakhs of manuscripts. Scholars and pilgrims from across Asia — including the Chinese travellers Yijing and Xuanzang and Tibetan scholars — came to study and to carry knowledge back to their homelands. Such centres preserved and transmitted advanced learning in philosophy, religion, sciences and literature.(2) How their destruction affected India: When Bakhtiyār Khiljī destroyed large monasteries and universities such as Nālandā and Vikramaśhilā, killing many monks and burning the library (said to have burned for months), an irreplaceable store of manuscripts and a living tradition of teaching were lost. Tibetan scholars fled with whatever they could carry. Historians agree this destruction of its great centres of learning precipitated the decline of Buddhism in India and badly disrupted higher education and the transmission of knowledge in the region.
8. Why do you think Mahmūd of Ghazni carry out repeated raids from Afghanistan into India, while Muhammad Ghūrī sought territorial expansion into India and long-term control? Write a short note on how their motives shaped the outcomes of their campaigns.
ANSWERMahmūd’s motive: Mahmūd of Ghazni raided India mainly for plunder — the large temples held immense wealth from centuries of offerings, so they were prime targets — and also to spread his version of Islam, destroying temples and building mosques. He did not try to establish a permanent base beyond Punjab; after each of his 17 campaigns he returned to Ghazni with huge booty.Muhammad Ghūrī’s motive: Muhammad Ghūrī aimed at territorial conquest and long-term control. After defeating P&rdotbelow;ithvīrāja III at the Second Battle of Tarain (1192) he captured Delhi and, though he returned to Ghazni, left behind trusted commanders such as Qutb-ud-din Aibak to consolidate his gains.How motives shaped outcomes: Because Mahmūd sought only plunder, his raids caused great destruction but left no lasting state in India. Because Muhammad Ghūrī sought conquest, his campaigns led to the founding of the Delhi Sultanate by his generals — the beginning of long-term foreign rule in parts of north India. Thus their different aims produced very different long-term results.
Extra Practice Questions
Short Answer Type Questions
Q1. Who were the Hindu Shāhis, and why was their resistance important?
ANSWERThe Hindu Shāhis were a powerful dynasty ruling present-day Afghanistan, northern Pakistan and up to Punjab. Their resistance mattered because they controlled the Khyber Pass, a main mountain route into the Subcontinent; with the help of other Indian rulers they resisted several invasions before the Ghaznavids finally overran them.
Q2. What does the word ‘sultan’ mean, and who first assumed this title in the chapter?
ANSWER‘Sultan’ is a word of Arabic origin meaning ‘authority’ or ‘power’; in the Muslim world it came to mean a sovereign ruler or king. In this chapter, Mahmūd of Ghazni was the ruler who assumed the title of ‘sultan’.
Q3. Why was Rājendra Chola I given the title ‘Gangaiko&ndotbelow;&dotbelow;achola’?
ANSWERRājendra Chola I took the title ‘Gangaiko&ndotbelow;&dotbelow;achola’, meaning “the Chola who seized (or brought) Gangā”. It commemorated his successful campaigns in the north (into present-day Odisha and Bengal) and the sacredness attached to the river Gangā.
Q4. What is the legend behind the name ‘Hoysala’?
ANSWERAccording to a legend in inscriptions, when the founder Sāla was at a Jain temple a tiger appeared, and the meditating ascetic cried “Poy, Sāla” — “strike, Sāla” in old Kannada. Sāla obeyed and saved the ascetic, who blessed him with kingship; the name ‘Hoysala’ is said to come from this command.
Q5. Name three famous works of Bhāskarāchārya and say what they deal with.
ANSWERBhāskarāchārya (Bhāskara II) wrote Līlāvatī (basic mathematics taught through lively riddles and problems), Bījaga&ndotbelow;ita (more advanced algebra) and Siddhāntaśhiroma&ndotbelow;i (advanced mathematical astronomy). All were in Sanskrit.
Long Answer Type Questions
Q1. Describe the achievements of the Cholas as ‘masters of the seas’.
ANSWERThe Cholas rose to power in present-day Tamil Nadu with capitals at Tanjāvūr, Gangaiko&ndotbelow;&dotbelow;acholapuram and Kānchī. Rājarāja Chola (from 985) conquered parts of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, the ‘islands of the sea’ (usually identified with the Maldives) and northern Sri Lanka, and built the magnificent B&rdotbelow;ihadīśhvara temple at Thanjavur. His son Rājendra Chola I expanded into Odisha and Bengal, took the title Gangaiko&ndotbelow;&dotbelow;achola, and is famous for his naval expedition across the Bay of Bengal against the Śhrīvijaya Empire, conducted with the support of Indian merchant guilds to protect trade through the Strait of Malacca. The Cholas also carried out large public works — roads, tanks, wells, canals and artificial lakes — and traded vigorously with China. However, constant wars with the Western Chālukyas, Pā&ndotbelow;&dotbelow;yas and Sri Lanka drained their treasury, and by the 13th century the empire shrank and was absorbed by the Pā&ndotbelow;&dotbelow;yas.
Q2. Trace the entry of the Ghūrids into India and explain why it was a turning point.
ANSWERAfter the Ghaznavid Empire disintegrated, the chiefs of Ghūr (Ghor) in Afghanistan, once vassals of the Ghaznavids, took control of Ghazni and built up their power. Their leader Muhammad Ghūrī brought parts of Punjab and Sindh under his rule. He failed in Gujarat (defeated in 1178 by the Chaulukyas) and was beaten by P&rdotbelow;ithvīrāja III at Tarain in 1191, but returned with a larger army and defeated and executed P&rdotbelow;ithvīrāja at the Second Battle of Tarain in 1192. He then captured Delhi. Unlike Mahmūd, who only plundered and withdrew, Muhammad sought territorial conquest and left commanders such as Qutb-ud-din Aibak (who later founded the Delhi Sultanate) and Bakhtiyār Khiljī, whose campaigns destroyed Nālandā and Vikramaśhilā. This shift from raids to permanent rule made the Ghūrid arrival a true turning point in Indian history.
Q3. How did governance, trade and cultural life continue to flourish in this period despite the warfare?
ANSWERDespite constant warfare, India showed great resilience. Every powerful king kept a sizable army, so kingdoms needed efficient administrations to collect tributes from vassals and taxes from traders; Muhammad Ghūrī’s system was more centralised, granting temporary land assignments to officers in return for revenue and military service. Agriculture remained the mainstay — rice and barley in the Ganga plains and Bengal, saffron from Kashmir, spices from Kerala, wheat from the northwest and cotton from the west and the Deccan — supported by irrigation works. Internal and external trade with China and Southeast Asia kept growing, helped by powerful merchant guilds and west-coast seaports and shipyards. Culture thrived too: large temples were built (Khajuraho, Belur, Halebidu, Thanjavur), scholars like Bhoja and Someśhvara III wrote major works, and thinker-saints Rāmānujāchārya and Basaveśhvara spread bhakti and social reform. Indian culture even spread abroad, as Cambodia’s Angkor Wat shows. The lesson of the period is resilience and the enduring power of knowledge, learning and creativity.
MCQs & Assertion–Reason
1. Which mountain pass, controlled by the Hindu Shāhis, was a major route into the Subcontinent?
(a) Bolan Pass (b) Khyber Pass (c) Nathu La (d) Shipki La
2. How many campaigns did Mahmūd of Ghazni conduct in India?
(a) 7 (b) 12 (c) 17 (d) 27
3. The Persian scholar who accompanied Mahmūd and wrote an encyclopaedic survey of India was:
For each Assertion–Reason question, choose: (A) Both true and the Reason correctly explains the Assertion; (B) Both true but the Reason is not the correct explanation; (C) Assertion true, Reason false; (D) Assertion false, Reason true.
A-R 1. Assertion: Mahmūd of Ghazni did not establish a permanent base in India beyond Punjab.
Reason: His campaigns were aimed mainly at plunder, after which he returned to Ghazni with booty.
A-R 2. Assertion: The arrival of the Ghūrids marked a turning point in Indian history.
Reason: Unlike Mahmūd, Muhammad Ghūrī sought territorial conquest, and his generals founded the Delhi Sultanate.
A-R 3. Assertion: All of India came under Turkic rule in the 11th and 12th centuries.
Reason: Large parts of northern India and all of south India remained outside the invaders’ hold.
A-R 4. Assertion: The destruction of Nālandā is linked to the decline of Buddhism in India.
Reason: Nālandā was a great centre of Buddhist learning whose library and teachers were destroyed by Bakhtiyār Khiljī.
A-R 5. Assertion: Indian culture spread abroad during this period.
Reason: The Angkor Wat temple, built in 12th-century Cambodia, shares many features with south Indian temples.
Answer key: 1-(A), 2-(A), 3-(D), 4-(A), 5-(A).
Exam Tips & Common Mistakes
How to score full marks in this chapter
Memorise the key dates from the timeline (Mahmūd’s campaigns 1000–08, Somnath 1026, Second Battle of Tarain 1192, deaths in 1206) and match each dynasty to its region and signature monument (Cholas–B&rdotbelow;ihadīśhvara, Chandellas–Kandāriyā Mahādeva, Hoysalas–Belur/Halebidu, Kākatīyas–Warangal, Eastern Gangas–Konark/Puri, Paramāras–Bhojeshwar). For the central question, always frame the period as both change (Turkic conquest, spread of Islam) and continuity (free south India, thriving trade and culture). Use precise names — Mahmūd of Ghazni vs Muhammad Ghūrī, Bhoja Paramāra vs Bhoja Gurjara-Pratīhāra, Chaulukya vs Chālukya — to show you have read carefully.
Common mistakes to avoid
Confusing Mahmūd of Ghazni (11th century, raids and plunder) with Muhammad Ghūrī (12th century, territorial conquest).
Mixing up the Chaulukyas (Solankis) of Gujarat with the Chālukyas of the Deccan.
Confusing Bhoja Paramāra (11th-century scholar-king of Malwa) with Bhoja of the Gurjara-Pratīhāras (9th century).
Writing that all of India fell to the invaders — most of the north and all of the south stayed free.
Forgetting that the period also saw great continuity — thriving trade, art, science and temple-building.
Leaving map/drawing/group activities (Q2–Q4, Q6) blank — list the dynasties, places or distances instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Chapter 16 of Class 7 Social Science Exploring Society about?
Chapter 16, Turning Tides: 11th and 12th Centuries, explains why this period was a turning point in Indian history — the deeper Turkic invasions of Mahmūd of Ghazni and Muhammad Ghūrī, the rise of Indian powers like the Cholas, Kākatīyas and Hoysalas, and the flowering of art, architecture, literature and science despite the warfare.
What is the difference between Mahmūd of Ghazni and Muhammad Ghūrī?
Mahmūd of Ghazni raided India 17 times in the 11th century mainly for plunder and withdrew each time without establishing rule. Muhammad Ghūrī, in the 12th century, sought territorial conquest: after defeating P&rdotbelow;ithvīrāja III at the Second Battle of Tarain (1192) he captured Delhi, and his generals founded the Delhi Sultanate.
What is the exercise heading for Chapter 16 of Exploring Society?
The end-of-chapter exercise in Exploring Society: India and Beyond (Part 2) Chapter 16 is headed Questions and activities and contains 8 questions, all answered step by step on this page along with the chapter’s opening “Big Questions”.
