Class 6 History Chapter 11 Notes: Best & Complete New Empires and Kingdoms Guide

📚 Class 6 History Chapter 11

NEW EMPIRES AND KINGDOMS

🎯 Chapter ka main idea

Is chapter mein hum dekhenge ki Gupta rulers, Harshavardhana, Pallavas aur Chalukyas ne kaise kingdoms ko expand aur administer kiya.

Saath hi hum samjhenge:

Prashasti → Samudragupta → Gupta rulers → Harshavardhana → Pallavas & Chalukyas → Administration → Samantas → Local Assemblies → Ordinary People

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1. 👑 Arvind Plays a King

Chapter Arvind naam ke ek student se start hota hai.

Arvind school play mein Samudragupta ka role kar raha tha.

Usne socha tha ki king ka role matlab:

• royal clothes
• sword
• moustache
• serious walk

Lekin usse kaha gaya ki use:

• veena bajani hogi
• poetry recite (कविता सुनाना) karni hogi.

Arvind surprised tha:

A musician-king?

Yahi hume Samudragupta ke personality ka interesting aspect batata hai.

Samudragupta sirf warrior nahi tha; uske baare mein inscriptions aur coins uski learning and poetry se bhi related information dete hain. (Class 6 History Chapter 11 Notes)

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2. 📜 What is a Prashasti?

Samudragupta ke baare mein hume ek important inscription se information milti hai.

Ye inscription Ashokan pillar at Allahabad (Prayaga) par likha gaya tha.

Isse ek poet aur minister:

Harishena

ne compose kiya tha.

Ye ek special type ka inscription tha:

Prashasti

Meaning:

Prashasti = an inscription written in praise of a ruler.

Hindi mein:
राजा की प्रशंसा में लिखा गया अभिलेख। (Class 6 History Chapter 11 Notes)

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⭐ Important

Prashasti word Sanskrit se aaya hai aur iska meaning hai:

“in praise of”

Prashastis rulers ko:

• powerful
• brave
• victorious
• learned
• great

jaise qualities ke saath describe karti thi.

⚠️ Isliye prashasti ko padhte waqt hume samajhna chahiye ki iska purpose ruler ki praise karna bhi tha.

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3. ⚔️ Samudragupta – The Warrior

Samudragupta ki prashasti usse ek great warrior ke roop mein describe karti hai.

Uske body par battle wounds (युद्ध के घाव) ke marks ka description diya gaya hai.

Weapons mentioned include:

• battle-axes
• arrows
• spears
• swords
• iron clubs
• javelins etc.

Isse kya pata chalta hai?

Samudragupta ne many battles fight ki thi.

Aur ancient wars mein different types ke weapons use hote the. (Class 6 History Chapter 11 Notes)

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4. 🗺️ Samudragupta’s Policies Towards Different Rulers

Harishena ki prashasti ne rulers ko four categories mein describe kiya.

Ye chapter ka very important part hai.

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① Rulers of Aryavarta

Aryavarta ke rulers mein:

9 rulers

the.

Samudragupta ne inhe:

uprooted (जड़ से हटा दिया)

aur unke kingdoms ko apne empire mein include kar liya.

Simple:

Aryavarta → defeated → kingdoms directly added to empire

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② Rulers of Dakshinapatha

Dakshinapatha mein:

12 rulers

the.

Samudragupta ne unhe defeat kiya.

Lekin unhe directly remove nahi kiya.

Instead:

Defeat → surrender → allowed to rule again

Yaani unhone Samudragupta ki authority accept kar li aur phir apne kingdoms rule karte rahe.

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③ Neighbouring States

Samudragupta ke empire ke aas-paas kuch states the, including:

• Assam
• Coastal Bengal
• Nepal
• Some gana sanghas in the north-west

Ye rulers:

• tribute (कर/भेंट) dete the
• Samudragupta ke orders follow karte the
• uske court mein attend karte the. (Class 6 History Chapter 11 Notes)

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④ Outlying Areas

Outlying rulers mein:

• Kushana descendants
• Shaka descendants
• ruler of Sri Lanka

jaise rulers included the.

Ye Samudragupta ko:

• submit karte the
• gifts dete the
• marriage relations establish karte the. (Class 6 History Chapter 11 Notes)

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🧠 Samudragupta’s Four Categories – Easy Table

Rulers	What happened?
Aryavarta – 9 rulers	Defeated and kingdoms included in empire
Dakshinapatha – 12 rulers	Defeated, then allowed to rule again
Neighbouring states	Paid tribute and followed orders
Outlying rulers	Submitted and offered gifts/marriage relations

🔥 Memory Trick:

Aryavarta = Absorbed
Dakshinapatha = Defeated but Allowed
Neighbours = Tribute
Outlying = Submit + Gifts

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5. 🌳 Genealogies

Genealogy (वंशावली) means:

A list showing ancestors and family relationships.

Prashastis often mention the ancestors of rulers.

Samudragupta ki genealogy mein mention kiya gaya:

• Great-grandfather
• Grandfather
• Father
• Mother

His mother was:

Kumaradevi

She belonged to the Lichchhavi gana.

His father was:

Chandragupta

Chandragupta was the first Gupta ruler to use the grand title:

Maharaj-adhiraja

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6. 👑 Gupta Titles

Chapter mein three titles important hain:

Raja

= king

Maharaja

= great king

Maharajadhiraja

= great king of kings

So generally hierarchy:

Raja → Maharaja → Maharajadhiraja

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7. 👑 Chandragupta II

Samudragupta ke baad Gupta dynasty mein:

Chandragupta II

important ruler tha.

Usne western India mein expedition kiya aur:

Shakas ko defeat kiya.

Later traditions ke according, uske court mein learned people the, including:

• Kalidasa – poet
• Aryabhata – astronomer

Aryabhata ke baare mein hum Chapter 12 mein aur padhenge. (Class 6 History Chapter 11 Notes)

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8. 🎭 Harshavardhana and Harshacharita

Ab hum Gupta rulers se move karte hain:

Harshavardhana

Harsha ruled about 1400 years ago.

Uske court poet:

Banabhatta

ne Harsha ki biography likhi:

Harshacharita

It was written in Sanskrit.

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📖 Harshacharita kya batati hai?

It gives information about:

• Harsha’s genealogy
• His family
• His rise to power
• His becoming king

Another important source is:

Xuan Zang

Jiske baare mein hum Chapter 10 mein padh chuke hain.

Xuan Zang Harsha ke court mein kaafi time raha aur usne detailed account diya.

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9. 👑 How Did Harsha Become King?

Harsha apne father ka eldest son nahi tha.

His father and elder brother died.

Iske baad Harsha became ruler of:

Thanesar

Uske brother-in-law ka kingdom tha:

Kanauj

Brother-in-law ko Bengal ke ruler ne kill kar diya.

Harsha ne Kanauj ko bhi take over kar liya.

Then he led an army against Bengal. (Class 6 History Chapter 11 Notes)

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10. ⚔️ Harsha’s Expansion

Harsha:

East mein successful raha.

He conquered:

• Magadha
• Bengal

Lekin jab usne Deccan ki taraf expand karne ki koshish ki aur:

Narmada cross karna chaha,

to usse rok diya:

Pulakeshin II

who belonged to the Chalukya dynasty.

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11. 🏛️ Pallavas and Chalukyas

Is period mein South India mein do important ruling dynasties thi:

Pallavas

Chalukyas

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12. 🏯 Pallavas

Pallava kingdom ka centre tha:

Kanchipuram

Unka kingdom Kanchipuram ke surrounding region se:

Kaveri delta

tak spread tha.

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13. 🏰 Chalukyas

Chalukya kingdom ka centre tha:

Raichur Doab

Doab kya hota hai?

Doab = land between two rivers.

Raichur Doab:

Krishna River + Tungabhadra River

ke beech ka region tha. (Class 6 History Chapter 11 Notes)

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14. 🏛️ Aihole

Chalukyas ki capital:

Aihole

thi.

Aihole:

• important trading centre tha
• religious centre bana
• many temples developed there

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15. ⚔️ Pallavas vs Chalukyas

Pallavas aur Chalukyas frequently:

ek-doosre ke territories par raids karte the.

Especially unka target hota tha:

Capital cities

because capital cities were:

• prosperous
• politically important
• economically important

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16. 👑 Pulakeshin II

Most famous Chalukya ruler:

Pulakeshin II

Uske baare mein hume information milti hai:

Prashasti by Ravikirti

Ravikirti was his court poet.

Prashasti mein:

• Pulakeshin ke ancestors
• his victories
• his expeditions

ka description hai. (Class 6 History Chapter 11 Notes)

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17. ⚔️ Pulakeshin II vs Harsha

Pulakeshin II ne:

• western coast ki taraf expedition ki
• eastern coast ki taraf expedition ki

Aur sabse important:

He checked the advance of Harsha.

Harsha Deccan ki taraf advance nahi kar saka.

Why?

Because Pulakeshin II stopped him near the Narmada.

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18. 🌊 Why Were Coasts Important?

Pallavas aur Chalukyas ke period mein coasts strategically important the.

Coastal regions provided access to:

• ports
• trade
• merchants
• wealth

Isliye rulers coast ko control karna chahte the. (Class 6 History Chapter 11 Notes)

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19. 🏛️ How Were These Kingdoms Administered?

Ab chapter ka important administration section.

Earlier kingdoms ki tarah:

Land revenue remained important.

Aur:

Village was the basic unit of administration.

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20. 👨‍💼 Hereditary Officers

Ek new development tha:

Some administrative posts became hereditary.

Hereditary means:

Father ka post → son ko milna

Example:

Harishena ke father bhi maha-danda-nayaka the.

Harishena bhi maha-danda-nayaka bana. (Class 6 History Chapter 11 Notes)

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21. 👨‍⚖️ Important Administrative Officers

Maha-danda-nayaka

= chief judicial officer

Kumar-amatya

= important minister

Sandhi-vigrahika

= minister of war and peace

Interesting point:

Harishena held multiple offices.

He was:

• Maha-danda-nayaka
• Kumar-amatya
• Sandhi-vigrahika

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22. 🏙️ Powerful Local People

Important local people also had a role in administration.

These included:

Nagarashreshthi

Chief banker or merchant of the city

Sarthavaha

Leader of merchant caravans

Prathama-kulika

Chief craftsman

Head of Kayasthas

Head of scribes

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23. ⚠️ Problem with Powerful Officers

Kings gave powerful people important positions to gain their support.

But there was a risk.

Over time:

Powerful officials → became stronger → could establish independent kingdoms

So this system had both advantages and disadvantages. (Class 6 History Chapter 11 Notes)

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24. 🐘 A New Kind of Army

Kings still maintained armies containing:

• Elephants
• Chariots
• Cavalry
• Foot soldiers

But there was an important change.

Some military leaders provided troops whenever the king needed them.

They did not receive regular salaries.

Instead, they received:

Land grants

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25. ⚔️ Who Were the Samantas?

These military leaders were called:

Samantas

They received land.

Then they:

collected revenue from land → maintained soldiers and horses → provided military equipment

Important:

If the ruler became weak:

Samantas could try to become independent. (Class 6 History Chapter 11 Notes)

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🧠 Samanta System

Remember this chain:

King gives land
⬇️
Samanta collects revenue
⬇️
Maintains soldiers
⬇️
Provides troops to king
⬇️
If king becomes weak
⬇️
Samanta may become independent

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26. 🏘️ Assemblies in Southern Kingdoms

Pallava inscriptions mention several local assemblies.

Three important ones:

Sabha

Ur

Nagaram

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27. 🏛️ Sabha

Sabha was an assembly of:

Brahmin landowners

It worked through sub-committees.

These looked after:

• irrigation
• agricultural operations
• roads
• local temples

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28. 🏘️ Ur

Ur was a village assembly found in areas where landowners were:

not Brahmins.

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29. 🛍️ Nagaram

Nagaram was an organisation of:

Merchants

So remember:

Sabha → Brahmin landowners
Ur → village assembly of non-Brahmin landowners
Nagaram → merchants

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30. 👥 Ordinary People

Now chapter rulers se ordinary people ki taraf aata hai.

Hume ordinary people ke lives ke baare mein information milti hai from:

• plays
• biographies
• travel accounts
• other records

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31. 🎭 Kalidasa’s Plays

Kalidasa ke plays royal court ki life ko depict karte hain.

Ek interesting feature:

King and most Brahmins → Sanskrit

Women and other men → Prakrit

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32. 💍 Abhijnana Shakuntalam

Kalidasa ka famous play:

Abhijnana Shakuntalam

It tells the love story of:

King Dushyanta

and

Shakuntala

Is play mein ek poor fisherman ki story bhi milti hai.

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33. 🎣 Fisherman Finds a Ring

Story:

Shakuntala ke paas king ka diya hua precious ring tha.

Accidentally ring:

fish ne swallow kar li.

A fisherman ne fish pakdi aur ring mil gayi.

Woh ring king ke palace le gaya.

Lekin palace ke guards ne uspar:

theft ka accusation lagaya.

Later king ne ring dekhi aur fisherman ko reward diya.

Phir police officer aur gatemen ne reward mein share maanga.

Is story se kya pata chalta hai?

It gives us a glimpse into:

• treatment of poor people
• officials
• police
• social inequality
• life at the royal court

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34. 😔 Fa Xian and Untouchables

Chinese pilgrim:

Fa Xian

ne un people ke baare mein bhi likha jinhe society mein untouchables ke roop mein treat kiya jaata tha.

According to his account, they were expected to:

live on the outskirts of cities.

When they entered a town or market, they had to make a sound with a piece of wood so that others could avoid touching them. (Class 6 History Chapter 11 Notes)

⚠️ Ye chapter mein diya gaya historical account hai, jo us period ki social conditions ko describe karta hai.

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35. 🐘 Harsha’s Huge Army

Banabhatta ne Harsha ki army ka detailed description diya.

Army ke saath sirf weapons nahi hote the.

They carried:

Weapons

• swords
• other weapons

Daily-use items

• pots
• pans
• furniture
• golden footstools
• food

Animals

• goats
• deer
• rabbits

Other supplies

• vegetables
• spices

Ye things carry hoti thi:

• carts par
• camels par
• elephants par

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36. 🥁 Army ke Saath Musicians

Harsha ki huge army ke saath:

• drum players
• horn players
• trumpet players

bhi hote the.

Isliye army ka movement bahut large-scale event hota tha.

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37. 🏘️ Villagers Had to Help

Jab king ki army villages se pass karti thi, villagers ko:

• curds
• gur
• flowers
• animal fodder

provide karna padta tha.

Villagers king se:

• milne ki koshish karte
• complaints dete
• petitions present karte.

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38. 😟 Army’s Impact on Villagers

Army ke movement ka negative impact bhi tha.

Large army ki wajah se:

• huts damage ho sakte the
• elephants huts ko trample kar dete
• merchants ke oxen dar kar bhaag jaate
• villages ko difficulty hoti

Banabhatta ne army ke movement ko extremely dusty and destructive describe kiya.

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39. 🌍 Elsewhere – Arabia and Islam

Chapter ke end mein Arabia ke baare mein short section hai.

Arabia desert hone ke bawajood:

communication ka important centre tha.

Arab merchants aur sailors:

India ↔ Europe

ke sea trade mein important role play karte the.

Arabia ke kuch pastoral tribes:

Bedouins

kehlate the.

They depended heavily on:

camels

because camels desert conditions mein survive kar sakte hain.

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40. ☪️ Islam

Around 1400 years ago, Prophet Muhammad ne Arabia mein:

Islam

introduce kiya.

Islam ne emphasis diya:

• equality
• unity
• belief in one supreme God, Allah

Within about 100 years, Islam spread to:

• North Africa
• Spain
• Iran
• India

Arab sailors, jo already Indian coastal settlements ko jaante the, new religion ko bhi Indian subcontinent tak laaye. (Class 6 History Chapter 11 Notes)

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41. 🗺️ Arab Soldiers and Sind

Arab soldiers conquered:

Sind

about 1300 years ago.

Present-day Sind is in:

Pakistan.

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🧠 COMPLETE CHAPTER FLOW

Ab Chapter 11 ko ek story ki tarah dekho:

Prashastis
⬇️
Samudragupta
⬇️
Gupta Empire
⬇️
Genealogies
⬇️
Chandragupta II
⬇️
Harshavardhana
⬇️
Harshacharita
⬇️
Pallavas & Chalukyas
⬇️
Pulakeshin II
⬇️
Administration
⬇️
Hereditary officers
⬇️
Samantas
⬇️
Sabha, Ur, Nagaram
⬇️
Ordinary people
⬇️
Kalidasa + Fa Xian + Banabhatta
⬇️
Arabia + Islam

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🔥 MOST IMPORTANT DIFFERENCES

Aryavarta vs Dakshinapatha

Aryavarta	Dakshinapatha
9 rulers	12 rulers
Defeated by Samudragupta	Defeated by Samudragupta
Kingdoms were uprooted	Rulers were allowed to rule again
Territories became part of empire	Rulers accepted Samudragupta’s authority

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Sabha vs Ur vs Nagaram

Assembly	Members
Sabha	Brahmin landowners
Ur	Non-Brahmin landowners’ village assembly
Nagaram	Merchants

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Prashasti vs Genealogy

Prashasti	Genealogy
Praise of ruler	Family/ancestors list
Describes achievements	Shows lineage
Often inscriptions	Often included within prashastis

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⭐ 10 EXAM QUESTIONS

Q1. What is a prashasti?

A prashasti is an inscription written in praise of a ruler.

Q2. Who composed Samudragupta’s prashasti?

Harishena, who was a poet and minister at Samudragupta’s court.

Q3. How did Samudragupta treat the rulers of Dakshinapatha?

He defeated them but then allowed them to rule their kingdoms again after they surrendered.

Q4. Who wrote Harshacharita?

Banabhatta.

Q5. Who stopped Harshavardhana from advancing into the Deccan?

Pulakeshin II, the Chalukya ruler.

Q6. What was the role of samantas?

They received land grants, collected revenue and maintained soldiers and horses. They supplied troops to the king when required.

Q7. What was a sabha?

It was an assembly of Brahmin landowners in southern kingdoms.

Q8. What was a nagaram?

It was an organisation of merchants.

Q9. Name the three authors who wrote about Harshavardhana.

The chapter refers to Banabhatta, Xuan Zang and other accounts/records; specifically, Banabhatta wrote Harshacharita and Xuan Zang left a detailed account of Harsha’s court.

Q10. What changes occurred in the army during this period?

Along with regular armies, military leaders called samantas received land grants and maintained troops, horses and equipment for the king.

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📚 MUST-REMEMBER VOCABULARY

Word	Hindi Meaning
Prashasti	प्रशंसा में लिखा अभिलेख
Aryavarta	उत्तरी क्षेत्र का नाम
Dakshinapatha	दक्षिण की ओर जाने वाला मार्ग/दक्षिणी क्षेत्र
Genealogy	वंशावली
Hereditary	वंशानुगत
Samanta	राजा के अधीन सैन्य/भूमि-आधारित शक्तिशाली व्यक्ति
Assembly	सभा
Tribute	कर/भेंट
Expedition	सैन्य अभियान
Dynasty	राजवंश
Administration	प्रशासन
Inscription	अभिलेख
Doab	दो नदियों के बीच की भूमि