Class 6 NCERT Solutions History Chapter 10 - Traders, Kings and Pilgrims

The kings wanted to control the silk route because they believed that they would benefit from taxes, tributes and gifts that were brought by the traders travelling along the route.

To find out about trade and trade routes, historians use evidence present in the literature of the period like sangam poems and Sangam literature. Also, historians use objects like fine pottery, bowls and plates, found from several archaeological sites as evidence about trade and trade routes. Traders may have carried these objects from the places where they were made, to sell them at other places.

Historians using different historical resources have found that spices like pepper, gold and precious stones from South India were carried by ships, across the sea, and by land in caravans to Rome. Many Roman gold coins have been found in south India. This  has proved the trade relations between ancient India and Rome.

The main features of Bhakti were:

1. It laid emphasis on individual's devotion and worship of a deity rather than the performance of elaborate sacrifices.
2. It believed that if a devotee worshipped a deity with a pure heart then the deity would appear in the form he or she desired.
3. It worshipped gods like Shiva, Vishnu and Durga, thus becoming an important feature of Hinduism.

The Chinese pilgrims (Fa Xian, Xuan Zang, I-Qing) came to India to visit places associated with the life and teachings of the Buddha as well as famous monasteries.
Some like Xuan Zang spent time studying in Nalanda the most famous Buddhist monastery of the period.

Ordinary people got attracted to Bhakti because:

1. It was understood as a person’s devotion to his or her chosen deity.
2. It spoke in common language that was understood by all.
3. It did not require the performance of elaborate sacrifices.
4. It allowed anyone to follow its path - whether rich or poor, or whether belonging to high or low class.