NCERT Solutions for Class 7th Social Science Chapter 6 Fig. 6.14, Kingdoms in the South — THINK ABOUT IT
Book page 129 Updated on2026-09-19
Q1.
In the map given on next page, you may notice different symbols alongside the names of the kingdoms. What do these symbols represent? Think about how they highlight the unique identities of the kingdoms.
Fig. 6.14 (page 130) — Kingdoms in the South (note that borders are approximate and fluctuated in time).
Answer
They are the royal emblems of the three kingdoms, drawn on flags planted on each kingdom's territory. Each emblem is that dynasty's identity mark — its badge on coins, banners, seals and inscriptions.
Kingdom
Symbol on the flag (Fig. 6.14)
Capital shown
What the emblem suggests
Chola
A tiger, leaping, on a red flag
Uraiyūr
Power, courage, the strongest hunter of the forest — a fitting badge for the dynasty that “established his supremacy” over the other two
Chera
A bow (with arrow) on a yellow flag
Vanji (Karur)
Skill and reach — and note that the same bow appears on the Chera coin in Fig. 6.18 on page 133
Pānḍya
A pair of fish on a yellow flag
Madurai
The sea — the Pānḍyas were “an important naval power” and famous for their pearls
How the symbols highlight each kingdom's identity:
They are instantly recognisable — a soldier, a trader or a villager who could not read still knew whose banner was flying.
They fit each kingdom's strength and geography: the fish for a coastal, sea-going power; the tiger for a land power on the fertile Kāveri; the bow for the hill-and-forest west.
They gave the dynasty a continuous identity across centuries, long after individual kings were forgotten — which is exactly why a modern map-maker can still use them.
They mark rivalry: three separate emblems on one small map are a picture of three kingdoms that “often competed with each other for control over the South”.
Did you know? These emblems outlived the kingdoms. A pair of fish and a bow still appear in the emblems and temple art of Tamil Nadu and Kerala, and the tiger became a lasting royal badge of the later Cholas.