NCERT Solutions for Class 7th Social Science Chapter 9 From the Rulers to the Ruled: Types of Governments
Updated on 2026-09-19
About this chapter
Government does three things, and every type of government does them somehow. Making the rules is the legislative function, carrying them out and administering the country is the executive function, and making sure the rules are followed is the judicial function. What changes from country to country is who performs them and who gave them the authority . Four questions tell one government apart from another. Who gets to decide that ‘this is the government'? How is the government formed? What are its different parts and what do they do? What is the government working for? Answer those four and you have described a form of government. Democracy is ‘rule of the people'. Its fundamental principles are equality , freedom , representative participation , universal adult franchise , fundamental ri
- Chapter opening
- What is Government? What are its Functions?
- The school example
- The three options before the students
- Table 9.1, Different forms of democratic government
- Monarchy
- Story of Shane (page 203)
- Why Democracy Matters
- Role play
- The chapter in five points
Quick revision
| Term | What it means | Where it appears in the chapter | Worth remembering |
|---|---|---|---|
| Representative | A person who is chosen to act or make decisions on behalf of another person or group of people | Margin note, page 188 | The school story turns on this word — one student speaks for a whole grade |
| Legislative function | The making of rules that serve as the framework for running the country | Page 189 | Done by the legislature — Parliament in India, Congress in the USA |
| Executive function | Implementing the rules and administering the country according to them | Page 189 | In India the prime minister and the council of ministers |
| Judicial function | Ensuring that the rules are followed, and judging when they are not | Page 189 | Done by an independent judiciary in every democracy |
| Universal adult franchise | The right to vote given to every citizen above a certain age | Page 191 | India had it from 1950; Switzerland gave it to women only in 1971 |
| Accountability | The government being answerable to the people who have elected them | Margin note, page 193 | The reason elections are held at regular, fixed intervals |
| Separation of power | Legislature, executive and judiciary working independently, without interfering in each other's functions | Page 196 | The last column of Table 9.1 — true of all four countries listed |
| Republic | A form of government in which the head of state is elected and is not a hereditary monarch | Page 197 | The Vajji mahājanapada and the Chola village sabhā are Indian examples |
| Rājadharma | Ruling according to dharma and ensuring the welfare of all people — the limit within which a raja was expected to decide | Pages 198–199 | Bhīṣhma teaches it to Yudhiṣṭhira in the Shānti Parva |
| Sovereign | That the source of power of a country is independent from external influence | Margin note, page 200 | Monarchs are said to exercise sovereign power |
| Absolute monarchy | A monarchy in which the monarch makes the laws, enforces them and judges those who break them | Pages 200–201 | Saudi Arabia; the king appoints an advisory council but is not bound by it |
| Constitutional monarchy | A monarchy in which the king or queen has only nominal power and the real power lies with an elected parliament and the prime minister | Page 201 | The United Kingdom — a monarchy in form, a parliamentary democracy in fact |
| Theocracy | A form of government where the country is ruled by the rules of religion and religious leaders | Page 202 | Iran (which also has an elected president and parliament), Afghanistan, Vatican City |
| Dictatorship | A government in which one person or a small group has absolute power, with no limits from a constitution or law | Pages 202–203 | Adolf Hitler in Germany, Idi Amin in Uganda |
| Oligarchy | Rule by a small, powerful group — usually wealthy families or influential people | Page 204 | From Greek olígos ‘few' + árkhō ‘to rule' |
Exercises
- Chapter opening — The Big Questions Page 185
- What is Government? What are its Functions? — LET'S EXPLORE Page 186
- The school example — THINK ABOUT IT Page 187
- The three options before the students — LET'S EXPLORE Page 188
- Table 9.1, Different forms of democratic government — LET'S EXPLORE Page 196
- Core principles of democracy, and a Student Committee activity — LET'S EXPLORE Page 196
- Monarchy — THINK ABOUT IT Page 199
- Story of Shane (page 203) — LET'S EXPLORE Page 204
- Fig. 9.13 (page 204), a cartoon from 1889 depicting an oligarchic situation — LET'S EXPLORE Page 205
- Why Democracy Matters — In-text Questions Page 205
- Role play — LET'S EXPLORE Page 206
- Why Democracy Matters — In-text Questions Page 207
- The chapter in five points — Before we move on ... Page 207
- End-of-chapter exercise — Questions and activities Page 207–208