Chapter 6: Towns, Traders and Craftspersons
नगर, व्यापारी और शिल्पी (तंजावूर, हंपी, सूरत की हुंडी, मसूलीपट्टनम, लुप्त मोम तकनीक)
Don't Let a 20-Minute Bubbling Delay Cost You CTET Qualification
In offline CTET exams, bubbling 150 bubbles takes 18 to 22 minutes of mechanical time. A single misaligned row can trigger an 8-question domino error. Practice bubble-filling this chapter's solved MCQs inside Mentora's official OMR simulator.
- Typology of Medieval Towns: Administrative centers (Thanjavur), Temple towns / pilgrimage centers (Varanasi, Somnath, Tirupati, Ajmer), and Commercial / Port towns (Surat, Masulipatnam, Hampi).
- Thanjavur (Chola Capital): Built along Perennial Kaveri river. Famous for Rajarajeshvara Temple built by King Rajaraja Chola. Architect Kunjaramallan Rajaraja Perunthachchan carved his name on the temple wall. Bronze statues of Chola dynasty made using LOST-WAX TECHNIQUE (लुप्त मोम तकनीक / Cire perdue).
- Hampi (Vijayanagara Empire Capital): Located in the Krishna-Tungabhadra basin (founded 1336). Distinctive architectural feature: Fortification walls built WITHOUT MORTAR OR CEMENT; stone slabs interlocked using wedging geometry. Celebrated Mahanavami festival on Mahanavami dibba. Vitthala temple with musical pillars.
- Surat (Gateway to the West): Located on Tapi river in Gujarat; emporium of maritime trade with West Asia via Gulf of Hormuz; termed 'Gateway to Mecca' because pilgrim ships departed from here. Renowned for ZARI (ज़री - gold lace borders) textiles. Surat HUNDIS (हुंडी - financial bills of exchange) were honored in distant world markets of Cairo (Egypt), Basra (Iraq), and Antwerp (Belgium)!
- Masulipatnam (Machilipatnam): Located on Krishna river delta in Andhra Pradesh; center of Kalamkari textiles; fought over by Dutch and British East India Companies.
- Trap: How were the defensive walls of Hampi constructed? Correct: NO mortar or cementing agent was used; stones were INTERLOCKED together by wedging.
- Trap: What was a 'Hundi' in medieval Surat? Correct: A financial note or bill of exchange acknowledging a deposit, honored in foreign markets.
- Trap: Chola bronze icons were cast using which metallurgical method? Correct: LOST-WAX TECHNIQUE (लुप्त मोम तकनीक).
NCERT Core Facts: Medieval Urban Hubs & Commercial Guilds
Temple architecture, the lost-wax technique, and transcontinental trade hubs in CTET Paper 2:
1. Medieval Urban Centers Comparison
| Urban Center | Geographic River Basin | Distinctive Architectural / Commercial Specialty |
|---|---|---|
| Thanjavur | Kaveri River Basin | Rajarajeshvara temple; Lost-Wax bronze casting |
| Hampi | Krishna-Tungabhadra | Mortarless interlocking dry-stone walls; Mahanavami dibba |
| Surat | Tapi River Basin | Zari gold lace textiles; Hundis honored in Antwerp/Cairo |
| Masulipatnam | Krishna Delta | Port fort; Dutch-English rivalry; Kalamkari fabrics |
2. Lost-Wax Technique (लुप्त मोम तकनीक) Steps
- 1.An image was sculpted out of solid beeswax.
- 2.Covered entirely with clay and allowed to bake in the sun.
- 3.Heated over a furnace; wax melted and poured out through a tiny drainage hole.
- 4.Molten bronze (alloy of copper and tin) poured through the hole into the hollow clay mold.
- 5.Once cooled and solidified, clay was peeled off and the bronze icon polished to a golden lustre.
Test Your Mastery: Towns, Traders and Craftspersons
Authentic CBSE exam questions tested directly from this NCERT chapter.
Which of the following architectural methods was used to construct the massive defensive fortification walls of the Vijayanagara capital at Hampi?
हम्पी में विजयनगर की राजधानी की विशाल रक्षात्मक प्राचीर दीवारों के निर्माण के लिए निम्नलिखित में से किस स्थापत्य पद्धति का उपयोग किया गया था?
In the context of medieval Indian commerce, what was a 'Hundi'?
मध्यकालीन भारतीय वाणिज्य के संदर्भ में 'हुंडी' क्या थी?
What made Surat Hundis famous across world financial markets in the 17th century?
Surat Hundis were bills of exchange backed by prosperous merchant banking houses, honored and encashed in distant commercial centers such as Cairo, Basra, and Antwerp.
What is unique about the masonry of Hampi's fortifications?
The walls were built without any mortar or cementing paste; stone blocks were cut with interlocking wedges that held together by tension and gravity.