(i) Rulers built temples to exhibit their devotion to deities.
(ii) These temples became central to the economy and society.
(iii) Rulers endowed these temples with grants of land, money to carry out rituals, feed pilgrims, celebrate festivals.
(iv) Temple authorities got donations from pilgrims also. This wealth was used to finance trade and banking.

Traders Big and Small
(i) There were many kinds of traders.
(ii) They included the Banjaras.
(ill) Several traders, especially horse traders, formed associations, with headmen who negotiated on their behalf with warriors who bought horses.

In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, European countries were searching for spices and textiles, which had become popular both in Europe and West Asia.
The East India Companies were formed by English, Dutch and French in order to expand their commercial activities in the East. Indian traders like Mullah Abdul Ghaffur and Virji Vora who were the owner of large number of ships competed with them but by using the naval power, European Companies gain control on the sea trade and forced Indian traders to work as their agents. In the end, the English emerged as the most successful commercialand political power in the subcontinent.

(i) Hampi was a well-fortified city. There was no use of mortar nor cementing done in the construction of walls and the technique followed was to wedge them together by interlocking.
(ii) The buildings in the royal complex had splendid arches, domes and pillared halls with niches for holding sculptures.
(iii) They also had well-planned orchards and pleasure gardens with sculptural motifs such as the lotus and corbels.

(i) In this technique, first an image was made of wax which was covered with clay and allowed to dry.
(ii) Then it was heated, and a tiny hole was made in the clay cover. The molten wax was drained out through this hole and molten metal was poured into the clay mould through the hole.
(iii) When the metal cooled and solidified, the clay cover was removed and the image was cleaned and polished.

Thanjavur : Thanjavur is regarded as a great town. It was the capital of the Chola dynasty. This city has lots of temples, mandapas and tall bronze idols. The mandapas show rock cut architecture. The temples show structural architecture.
A mandapas is an open pavilion, a hall with cells in the back wall. It is cut out of a single piece of rock. The exterior presents a facade formed by a row of pillars. It is decorated with fine reliefs. They are remarkable for their design and execution.
(Note: Students have to make a scrap book in which they have to paste the pictures of temples, mandapas and bronze idols of Thanjavur.)

Present day taxes on markets are collected as licence fees for each shop.
It is the duty of the Municipal Corporation in big cities and Municipal Committee in small towns to collect the taxes. The agencies work with the help of different agencies to collect these taxes. These taxes collected are used for the welfare of the public, roads, sewage, infrastructure development.

i) From the 8th century onwards several small towns emerged from larger villages. People come to mandapika (rnandi) and market streets (hatta) to buy and sell products. Besides, there were streets for different kinds of artisans like potters, oil pressers, sugar makers, smiths, toddy makers, stonemasons, etc. Some traders lived in the town, others travelled from town to town. People bought local articles and sold horses, salt, camphor, saffron, betel nut and spices.
ii) There were several guilds in South India, of them Manigramam and Nanadesi were very famous. There were business communities like Chettiars, Marwari Oswal, Gujarati traders including Hindu Baniyas and Muslim Bohras. They traded extensively with the ports of the Red Sea, Persian Gulf, East Africa, South East Asia and China.
iii) European traders came to India for spices and cotton cloth which were highly demanded by the Europeans. The towns on the West coast were home to Arab, Persian, Chinese, Jewish and Syrian Christian traders. This had great impact on the lives of people in towns and villages both economically and politically.

Thanjavur is marked as a temple town. This temple town represents a very important pattern of urbanisation. In a temple town, temples were central to the economy and society. Rulers built temples to demonstrate their devotion to various deities. Pilgrims who flocked to the temples also made donations. Temple authorities used their wealth to finance trade and banking. A large number of priests, workers, artisans, traders, ere settled near the temple to cater to its needs and those of the pilgrims. Shops, markets grew near the temple. Thus, it was regarded as a great town.

i) Between 15th to 16th centuries, Hampi was in its heyday. It emerged an important commercial and cultural activities. A collective Muslim merchants group called Moors, Chettis and Agents of European traders such as the Portuguese visited the markets of Hampi. Temples in Hampi were the hub of cultural activities.
ii) Temple dancers performed before the deities, royalty and masses in the many-pillared halls in Visupaksha temple. Mahanavami was important festival. Hampi fell into ruins after the defeat of Vijayanagara in 1565 by the Deccani Sultans.

Present day pilgrimage centre 
Haridwar
i) People go to Haridwar to take bath in the holy Ganga.
ii) They take bath in the Ganga river and worship it.
iii) Yes, several shops are there.
iv) Offerings are sold at these shops.
v) Prasad is the main article that people buy there.

The problems encountered by merchants were
i) Merchants had to pass many kingdoms and forests.
ii) They travelled in caravans.
iii) They had to carry goods on the back of camels, donkeys and horses.
iv) Their goods were frequently looted.
v) They competed with European traders.
vi) Harsh climate and routes killed several merchants on the way or in the middle of their travel.
vii) Most of these problems do not exist today. Mode of transport had been improved along with law and order in every nook and corner of the country.

People from distant lands visited Surat because of various reasons
i) Surat was the gateway for trade with West Asia via the Gulf of Ormuz.
ii) Surat has also been called the gate to Mecca because many pilgrim ships set sail from here.
iii) There was a big market for cotton textiles. One could find several retail and wholesale shops selling cotton textiles.
iv) The textiles of Surat were famous for their gold, lace borders i.e. zari and had a market in West Asia, Africa and Europe.
v) There were ample rest houses for the visitors. Magnificent buildings and innumerable pleasure parks attracted people of far-off places.

Craftspersons played an important role in the building and maintenance of temples in the following ways
i) The Panchalas or Vishwakarma community, consisting of goldsmiths, bronzesmiths, blacksmiths, masons and carpenters, were essential to the building of temples.
ii) The sthapatis or sculptors made exquisite bronze idols and tall ornamental bell metal lamps.
iii) Weavers such as Saliyar or Kaikkolars emerged as prosperous communities who produced cloth for flags used in temple festivals and they also made donations to temples.

Merchants, anisans (such as weavers), native traders and craftspersons lived in the Black Towns established by the European companies within the new cities of Bombay, Calcutta and Madras. It was a part of the larger town. The 'blacks' or native traders and craftspersons were confined here while the 'white' rulers stayed in other areas.