Class 7 Social Science Part 1 Chapter 4 New Beginnings: Cities and States covers the rise of the first states. These class 7 social science handwritten notes chapter 4 New Beginnings: Cities and States follow the 2026-27 NCERT and cover janapadas, mahajanapadas and the Second Urbanisation.
- Timeline boxed: from janapadas to the sixteen mahajanapadas and their end by about 300 BCE
- What the notes cover: janapadas, the sixteen mahajanapadas, the Second Urbanisation and the road network
- Best for: the timeline question and the map of the mahajanapadas
Everything described here is in the class 7 social science handwritten notes PDF for New Beginnings: Cities and States, linked below.
These handwritten notes are written by Social Science teachers, mapped to the 2026-27 NCERT Exploring Society book, and checked against Class 7 school question papers.
Section-by-Section Map of the New Beginnings: Cities and States Notes
Around the end of the 2nd millennium BCE, small states called janapadas grew in north and central India. They became the sixteen mahajanapadas, and cities grew with them.
- Janapadas and how they were governed
- The raja and the assembly of elders
- The sixteen mahajanapadas
- Where the mahajanapadas were located
- The Second Urbanisation of India
- How cities spread from the Ganga region
- The road network across the Subcontinent
- Trade, goods and ideas travelling the roads
- The end of the mahajanapadas by about 300 BCE
How Collegedunia Wrote These New Beginnings: Cities and States Notes
One timeline runs across a full page, with the janapadas at one end and 300 BCE at the other. Collegedunia checks every page of these class 7 social science handwritten notes against the textbook.
- Full-page timeline: janapadas to mahajanapadas to 300 BCE on one line
- Mahajanapada map: the sixteen states marked on an outline of north India
- Governance sketch: the raja and the assembly of elders drawn
- Colour-coded sub-headings: sub-topics in red so each stage is easy to find
How CBSE Class 7 Social Science Splits Marks Across New Beginnings: Cities and States
Timeline and map questions carry the most marks. The governance of janapadas is a shorter answer.
| Sub-topic | Weightage | How often asked |
|---|---|---|
| The sixteen mahajanapadas | High | asked often |
| The Second Urbanisation | High | asked often |
| Janapadas and their governance | Medium | asked sometimes |
| The road network and trade | Medium | asked sometimes |
| Timeline from janapadas to 300 BCE | Medium | asked sometimes |
| Life in early cities | Low | asked rarely |
The New Beginnings: Cities and States Vocabulary CBSE Class 7 Social Science Expects
History answers need the term and its period together.
| Term / Idea | What it means |
|---|---|
| Janapada | an early small state in north and central India |
| Mahajanapada | one of sixteen larger organised states of the 1st millennium BCE |
| Raja | the head of a janapada, who took counsel from an assembly |
| Assembly of elders | the group that advised the raja |
| Urbanisation | the growth of towns and cities |
| Second Urbanisation | the growth of cities in India in the 1st millennium BCE |
| BCE | before the Common Era, used for dates before year one |
New Beginnings: Cities and States Practice Questions with Answers
Five history questions. Tap each to see the answer.
How many mahajanapadas were there?
(a) 8 (b) 12 (c) 16 (d) 20
Answer: (c) 16
The head of a janapada was called the
(a) samrat (b) raja (c) chakravartin (d) mahamatra
Answer: (b) raja
The mahajanapadas had ceased to exist by about
(a) 1000 BCE (b) 600 BCE (c) 300 BCE (d) 100 CE
Answer: (c) 300 BCE
The Second Urbanisation spread outward from the
(a) Indus region (b) Ganga region (c) Deccan plateau (d) Thar desert
Answer: (b) Ganga region
A raja took counsel from
(a) foreign kings (b) an assembly of elders (c) merchants only (d) no one
Answer: (b) an assembly of elders
Why New Beginnings: Cities and States Matters Beyond Class 7
This chapter starts the history strand of Class 7, and every later chapter on empires assumes you know it.
- The number of mahajanapadas is a certain one-mark question
- A map of the mahajanapadas is a common map-work question
- The Second Urbanisation is a standard two-mark answer
- Chapter 5 on empires begins where this chapter ends
One-Page Recall Card for New Beginnings: Cities and States
The card for the history section.
- Janapadas were small early states led by a raja with an assembly
- Sixteen mahajanapadas were the first organised states
- They ended by about 300 BCE
- The Second Urbanisation spread out from the Ganga region
- Roads carried goods, people and ideas across the Subcontinent
What the New Beginnings: Cities and States Notes Draw Out for You
History in Class 7 is examined through timelines and maps.
| Figure drawn by hand | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Full-page timeline | janapadas, mahajanapadas and 300 BCE marked in order |
| Mahajanapada map | the sixteen states on an outline of north India |
| Assembly sketch | the raja seated with the assembly of elders |
| Road network map | the routes linking north, south, east and west |
| Early city plan | a simple plan of a city of the Second Urbanisation |
Fitting the New Beginnings: Cities and States Notes Into Your Revision Week
Fix the timeline first. Names are much easier to hold once the order is clear. Treat the class 7 social science handwritten notes as a revision tool, not as a first-time textbook.
- Draw the timeline from janapadas to 300 BCE
- Mark eight mahajanapadas on an outline map
- Write three sentences on the Second Urbanisation
- Before the test, revise the timeline and the map
Pair the New Beginnings: Cities and States Notes With These
Read the notes with the solved questions and the Exploring Society chapter itself.
- Class 7 Social Science NCERT Solutions
- Class 7 Social Science Revision Notes
- Class 7 Exploring Society Book PDF
Class 7 Social Science Handwritten Notes Chapter List
The class 7 social science handwritten notes for all chapters are listed below. Exploring Society Part 1 has twelve chapters and Part 2 has eight.
New Beginnings: Cities and States Class 7 Social Science Handwritten Notes FAQs
Ques. Where can I download the New Beginnings Cities and States Class 7 Handwritten Notes PDF?
Ans. The PDF is on this page, free, in both the normal and the HD version.
Ques. What were the mahajanapadas?
Ans. Sixteen larger organised states that emerged in the 1st millennium BCE. They were the first organised states of India and had ceased to exist by around 300 BCE.
Ques. How many pages is the Part 1 Chapter 4 handwritten notes PDF?
Ans. It runs 20 pages, with a full-page timeline, the mahajanapada map and a quiz.
Ques. What is the Second Urbanisation?
Ans. The growth of cities across India in the 1st millennium BCE, spreading outward from the Ganga region in all directions and reaching as far as south India.
Ques. How were janapadas governed?
Ans. Each janapada had a raja at its head, who took counsel from an assembly of elders rather than ruling entirely alone.
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