XII History Important Questions

Book - I

1. How do the archaeologists find socio- economic disparities in the Harappan society?
What disparities do they emphasize?
Ans: The archaeologists find socio-economic disparities in the harappan society in the following
ways:
i) The study of Burials: The archaeologists noticed that the dead were laid in pits.
According to them there were two types of pits. First simple pits were generally
for poor people and second brick made pits were led to the people who were
economically rich. In these burials lot of things were buried with dead because
harappans believed in life after death.
ii) The study of Artefacts : The artifacts or objects have been found by
archaeologists from burials divided into two categories.
a) First utilitarian means things of daily use such as pottery, needles, quern,
stone etc.
b) Second luxurious things, means the objects which were made up of costly
or rare material and complicated technology such as faience pots- which
were made up of a complex and difficult process.
iii) All these things help us to know about the socio-economic disparities among
harappan people.
2. Describe briefly the drainage system of the Harappan cities?
Ans:
i) Harappan cities had the carefully planned drainage system.
ii) Roads and streets were laid out along an approximate “grid” pattern, intersecting at right
angles.
iii) Streets with drains were laid out first and then houses were built along them.
iv) Drainages were made with brunt bricks.
v) The drains were made of mortar, lime and gypsum.
vi) They were covered with big bricks and stones which could be lifted easily to clean the
drains.
3. Discuss a few specialties or special features of Mohenjodaro.
Ans:
Introduction: Mohenjodaro was a very important city of the Harappan Civilisation. Though
discovered after Harappa, Mohenjodaro has been very popular because of its unique features:
i) It was a planned urban centre. It was divided into two sections.
ii) One section was built on higher place and small in size known as Citadel. It had public
buildings.
iii) The second section was at lower place but was large, known as Lower Town. It had
residential buildings. Both were separated from each other with walls.
iv) In lower town, most of the buildings were built on platforms. These platforms served as
foundations.
v) Houses were made of both sun-dried and baked bricks. These bricks were of standard
ratio.
vi) The drainage system was well developed of Mohenjodaro.
vii) All roads and streets were laid out on a grid pattern.
viii) All the buildings in Mohenjodaro had a courtyard, was the centre of different activities.
ix) Most of the house had no windows at ground flour and direct view of inner side from the
entrance gate due to privacy concern.
x) Some house had staircase to reach the roof or the second storey.
xi) Each house had its own well and bathroom.
4. Examine the problems faced by archaeologists in the interpretation of religious practices
of Harappa.
Ans. A) Mother Goddess:
i) A large number of female figures of terracotta have been found from Harappa.
ii) Historians believe them to be Mother Goddess.
iii) They were heavily jeweled and even wore head dresses
B) Priest King:
Rare statues of men in a standardized posture, seated with one hand on the knee were classified as
the Priest King.
C) The Great Bath and fire altars:
The structures associated with ritual significance, including the Great Bath and fire altars have
been found in Kalibangan and Lothal.
D) Proto – Shiva:
In some seals , a figure shown as cross legged in Yogic posture surrounded by animals has been
regarded as Proto Shiva.
E) Attempts have been made to reconstruct religious beliefs and practices by examining seals ,
which depicted ritual scenes.
F) Plant motifs, were thought to indicate nature worship.
G) Depiction of animals
Some animals such as the one-horned animal, often called the Unicorn depicted on seals seem to
be mythical, composite creature.
5. Mention any three evidences that reflected the disappearance of Harappan civilisation by
1800 BCE.
Answer:- Evidences of disappearance of Harappa civilization:-
i) Weights, seals and special beads had disappeared
ii) Writing and long distance trade had disappeared
iii) The craft specialization had disappeared.
iv) There was deterioration in the techniques of house construction.
v) The construction of large public structures had come to an end.
vi) All the settlements had adopted a rural way of life.
vii) All these cultures were called as Late Harappan and Successor cultures.
6. Describe the contribution of John Marshall and REM Weeler in the Indian archaeology.
Ans. John Marshall and his contribution:-
i) John Marshall was the Director – General of ASI from 1902 to 1928.
ii) He was the first professional archaeologist who worked in India.
iii) He brought with himself his experience of Greece and Crete
iv) He was interested in looking for patterns of daily life of harappan people.
v) An archaeologist Dayaram Sahni discovered Harappa in 1921 and another archaeologist
Rakhal Das Benerji discovered in 1922 under his guidline.
vi) In 1924, on the base of these discoveries , he declared in front of world about the
discovery of new civilization in Indus Valley.
vii) S. N. Roy wrote in the “Story of Indian Archaeology” that, “Marshall left India three
thousand years older than he had found her”.
viii) Marshall excavated along regular horizontal units and ignored the stratigraphy of the site.
It was the biggest drawback in his excavation process.
R. E. M. Wheeler and his contribution:-
i) R. E. M. Wheeler was the Director-General of ASI from 1944 to 1948.
ii) He was mainly a British Archaeologist.
iv) He was an ex. Army brigadier. He introduced a military precision to the archaeological
practice.
v) He did a lot for Harappa excavations. His main contribution involves the use of scientific
method in archaeology.
vi) H e solved the problem of stratigraphy which was ignored by John Marshall
7. Who was Cunningham? Mention any one source he collected to understand the
Harappan culture.
Ans.
I) Cunningham was an archaeologist.
II) He was the first Director General of Archaeological Survey of India.
III) He was known as Father of Indian Archaeology.
IV) He began archaeological survey in the Indus valley in the mid- 19th century.
V) Cunningham was mainly interested in the archaeology of early historic and later periods.
VI) He used accounts of Chinese pilgrims who visited India between the 4th and 7th centuries
CE to locate the early settlements.
VII) He tried to recover artefacts, during excavations that he thought had some cultural value.
VIII) A harappan seal was given to Cunningham by a British which put into the timeline with
which he was familiar
IX) He thought that the Indian history started with the first city in Ganga valley
X) Just because of his specific focus, he missed the importance of Harappa.
8. Describe the different arguments given by the archaeologists over the central
authority of Harappa civilization.
OR
‘‘There are indications of complex decisions being taken and implemented in the
Harappan society.’’ In light of this statement, explain whether there may have been
rulers to rule over the Harappan society.
Answer:-
There are indications of complex decisions being taken and implemented in Harappan
society.
i. A large building found at Mohenjodaro was labelled as a palace by archaeologists
but no spectacular finds were associated with it.
ii. A stone statue was labelled and continues to be known as the “priest-king”.
iii. Some archaeologists are of the opinion that Harappan society had no rulers, and
that everybody enjoyed equal status.
iv. Others feel there was no single ruler but several that Mohenjodaro had a
separate ruler ,Harappa another , and so forth.
v. Others argue that there was a single state , given the similarity in artefacts ,
the evidence for planned settlements , the standardized ratio of brick size , and the
establishment of settlements near sources of raw materials. The last theory is the
most plausible, as it is unlikely that entire communities could have collectively
made and implemented such complex decisions.
vi. According to some scholars the last theory seems the most plausible, as it is
unlikely that entire communities could have collectively made and implemented
such complex decisions.
vii. There was extraordinary uniformity of Harappan artefacts.
viii. The bricks, though obviously not produced in any single centre, were of a uniform
ratio throughout the region, from Jammu to Gujarat.
ix. Settlements were strategically set up in specific locations for various
reasons.
x. Labour was mobilised for making bricks and for the construction of massive walls
and platforms. A planned urban centre with well laid out drainage system.

9. Describe the salient features of Mahajanapadas.

Ans:-
i) Most of the Mahajanapadas were ruled by a King.
ii) Some of the Mahajanapadas were ruled by a group of people known as Republics. Every
person of this group was called a King.
iii) Lord Mahavira and Lord Buddha had relation with such type of Republics.
iv) Every Mahajanapada had its own capital and it was surrounded by a fort .
v) The Dharamshastras were composed during this time periods.
vi) The main job of the rulers was to collect tax from the farmers, merchants and craftsmen.
vii) It was legal to attack on the neighbouring countries to raise money from them.
viii) Some states started keeping regular armed forces and other officials.
ix) The soldiers were often recruited from the farmers.
10. Give any two limitations of inscriptional evidences in understanding political and
economic history of India.
Ans. :-
i) Sometimes the words are engraved in very light colours. It is very hard to read them.
ii) Sometimes the inscriptions are damaged. Many words are lost due to this damage.
iii) It is not easy to find the real meaning of the inscription.
iv) Thousands of inscriptions have been found, but not all of them translated or understood.
v) There is another basic problem. What is important today both politically and
economically that may not have been mentioned in the inscriptions.
vi) The inscriptions reflect the views of those who write them.
vii) So we must critically analyze all the inscriptions to find out the ultimate truth.
11. Explain the main features of the Mauryan administration.
Ans. :-
Introduction: The Mauryan Empire had an efficient administration system. The Ashokan
inscriptions mention all the main features of the Mauryan administration like relationship
between the King and his subjects, important political centres etc..
Features of Mauryan Administration:-
i) For better administration, the Kingdom was divided into provinces.
ii) Five major political centres in the empire were Pataliputra, Taxila, Ujjayini, Tosali and
Suvarnagiri.
iii) Pataliputra was the capital of the empire and hub of the political administration.
iv) These provincial centres were selected very carefully . Both Taxila and Ujjayini were
located on significant trade route.
v) Suvarnagiri was important due to the location of gold mines of Karnataka.
vi) Communication through both land and river were important for the survival of the
empire.
vii) According to the accounts of Megasthenes, there was one committee with six sub
committees for coordinating military activity in the empire .
a) First sub-committee was in charge of the navy
b) Second Sub-committee looked after transport and provisions.
c) Third took care of foot soldiers
d) Fourth was in charge of horses
e) Fifth was responsible for chariots
f) Sixth was responsible for elephants.
viii) Ashoka’s Dhamma
a) Ashoka tried to maintain unity in his empire. For this, he spread the message of
Dhamma.
b) The principles of Dhamma were simple and almost applicable universally.
c) Special officers known as Dhamma mahamattas were appointed to propagate the
principles of Dhamma
12. Discuss the notion of kingship that developed in post Mauryan period.
Ans. :-
i) Many kings tried to raise their status by identifying with a variety of deities. This was
done especially by the Kushanas.
ii) The notions of kingship which they wished to project can be seen by the coins and
sculptures of the times.
iii) Huge statue of Kushana rulers have been found in a shrine at Mat near Mathura and in
shrines in Afghanistan as well.
iv) This indicates that they cibsudered themselves divine.
v) Many Kushana rulers adopted the title ‘devputra” or “son of God”.
vi) They were inspired by the Chinese rulers who called themselves sons of heaven.
13. How did Magdha become powerful mahajanpada?
Ans. :-
i) From 6th to 4th century BCE, Magadha emerged as the most powerful Mahajanapada.
ii) Agriculture was advanced and productive in the Magadha region.
iii) Due to good amount of rain, good production of crops was there.
iv) Magadha had storage of iron which was used to make strong weapons and ornaments.
v) Elephants were available in the forest region of Magadha. Elephants were the important
component of their army.
vi) The Ganga and its tributaries provided cheap and easy transportation.
vii) Magadha had two capitals namely Rajgir and Patliputra. It was difficult for enemy to win
both the capitals.
viii) Magadha had some ambitious rulers such as Bimbisara, Ajatasatru and Mahapadam
Nanda. Their policies made Magadha more powerful.
ix) Magadha had strongest army at that time. At the time of Chandra Gupta Maurya 600000
foot-soldiers, 30,000 cavalry and 9000 elephants.
14. Describe sources used to construct the history of Mauryas?
Ans : -
i) Indica: -
It was written by Megasthenis a Greek ambassador in the court of Chandar Gupt
Maurya. It tell us about the society and administrative system.
ii) Arthshastra:-
It was written by Kautilaya or Chanakya. It tell us about the financial and political
conditions during Mauryan empire.
iii) Mudrarakshasa:-
It is a historical play written by the famous writer Vishakhadutta of Gupta age. It tells us
how Nanda dynesty was destroyed by Chandragupt Maurya.
iv) Ashokan inscription tell us about a policy called Ashoka Dhamma which was issued by
a Mauryan king Ashoka is a good source to understand the political policies.
v) Jain literature also give us enough information about Mauran age. Jain text tells us that
Chandragupt Maurya became the follower of Jainism in the last age of his rule.
vi) Buddhist literature informs us that Ashoka was very cruel during his early age but
become kind when he adopted Buddhism.
vii) Puranas inform us that Nanda rulers were Shudras. Chanaka destroyed them and made
Chandragupta as the new king.
viii) The manuscripts written in Pali, Prakrit, Sanskrit, Tamil etc. give wide information
about the Mauryan Empire.
15. What do Ashokan inscriptions tell about the Mauryas?
Ans. :-
i) All the inscriptions of Ashoka were writings engraved on hard surfaces like stone, metal
or pottery.
ii) They recorded his ideas, activities and achievements and serve as a record of his times.
iii) Most of the inscriptions of Ashoka are in the border areas. So we can identify the borders
of Ashoka’s reign.
iv) The inscriptions of Ashoka tell a lot about his own religion and high moral character.
v) These inscriptions tell us that Ashoka had friendly relations with Egypt, Syria, Burma
and Sri Lanka.
vi) These inscriptions tell us about the method, Ashoka adopted to preach Buddhism.
vii) These inscriptions throw a light on the welfare works done by Ashoka.
16. Explain why patriliny may have been particularly important among elite families?
Answer:-
i) Patriliny is a system where descent from father to son, grandson and so on.
ii) It specially followed by the elite families including the royal families and the rich
families.
iii) Though it was existed before the composition of Mahabharata, it importance reflected
from the central story of this epic.
iv) Under patriliny sons were considered more important than daughters because they carry
forward the dynasty.
v) It allowed sons to claim the wealth and property of their fathers when they died.
vi) Daughters could not claim the father’s property. They were given gifts at the time of
marriage as their part.
vii) If there was no son, the brother of the king sat on the throne.
viii) Sometime the relatives put forward their claim to sit on the royal throne.
ix) In some special situations, the women like Prabhavati Gupta enjoyed the authority.
17. Who composed the original story of Mahabharata? Describe the various stages through
which Mahabharata was completed between the fifth century BCE and 100 CE.
Answer:-
i) The Mahabharata is the longest epic to be written consisting of 100,000 verses.
ii) It is traditionally said to have been written by the sage Vyasa.
iii) But originally the story was composed by the bards who accompanied the warriors into
battlefield and composed poems celebrating their victories and other achievements.
iv) From the 5th century BCE, the Brahmanas took over the story and began to write it in the
form of an epic.
v) The story moved around the Kurus. As the Kurus and Panchlalas had attained kingdom
from chiefdom.
vi) This was probably done because the new kings wanted their history to be written in a
more systematic way.
vii) During 200 BCE and 200 CE Krishna began to be identified with the God Vishnu who
had become popular during this time.
viii) Therefore between 200 and 400 CE many didactic sections were added in the main story.
Like the Bhagvat Gita in which Krishna played a control role were added.
ix) As a result, the Mahabharata became a vast epic with 100,000 verses now. It cannot be
the work of a single author.
18. State whether gender differences were really important in the early societies from C. 600
BCE to 600 CE.
Answer:-
i) Earlier societies were male dominated and were run according to the patrilineal system.
ii) That is why male child was desired in every type of family as sons were important for the
continuity of the patrilineage.
iii) Daughters had no right over ancestral resources. They were expected to marry out of their
gotras.
iv) This gave rise to the belief that Kanyadana was an important religious duty of the father.
v) Women however had control over their stridhana. This could be inherited by their
children.
vi) Some evidences indicate that women of upper class had resources. Like the Vakataka
queen Prabhavati Gupta had access to resources.
19. Describe the rules of marriage during the period C. 600 BCE to 600 CE.
Answer:-
i) The sons were considered important to continue the patrilineage .
ii) So the daughters had no claims to the resources of the household.
iii) They were married into families outside the kin. This system was called exogamy.
iv) The women of high status families were married to the right persons at the right time.
v) Kanayadana or the gift of a daughter in marriage was an important religious duty of the
father.
20. “The Mahabharata is a story of kinship, marriage and patriliny.” Examine the
statement.
Ans:-
i) The Mahabharata is a story of changing human relations.
ii) It depicts a struggle and clash for land and authority between two parties of cousins
namely the Kauravas and Pandavas.
iii) Both the sides were related to the Kuru clan which ruled over the Kuru region.
iv) Their conflict resulted in a full- fledged war. The Pandavas won this war.
v) After that an announcement was made about patriliny inheritance.
vi) Though the tradition of patriliny was existed before the composition of this epic, the
central story of it strengthened the ideal of patriliny.
vii) According to the principle of patriliny, the sons after the death of their father could claim
their right on resources.
viii) In case of the kings, this claim included even the throne.
21. What according to the Dharmshastras, were the ideal occupations for the four Varnas?
Give one way in which the Brahmanas tried to enforce these norms.
Answer:-
Relation between Varna system and Occupations:-
i) Brahmanas:
They werestudy and teach the Vedas perform sacrifices and get sacrifices performed as
well as give and receive gifts.
ii) Kshatriyas:
iii) The Kshatriyas were engaged in warfare, protect people and administer justice, study the
Vedas , get sacrifices performed and give gifts.
iv) Vaishyas:
v) The Vaishyas were expected to engage in agriculture, trading, pastoralism and trade
activities.
vi) Shudras:
vii) The Shudras were supposed to serve the three upper castes.
Strategies to enforced these norms by Barhmanas:-
i) They said that the Varna order was of divine origin.
ii) They advised kings to ensure that these norms were followed by their subjects.
iii) They tried to persuade people that their status was determined by birth.
22. Describe the Mahabharata as a dynamic text.
Answer:-
i) The growth of the Mahabharata has not stopped with the Sanskrit version.
ii) Over the years, different versions have been written in a variety of languages.
iii) Several stories that circulated among certain region were included in the epic.
iv) Many episodes of the Mahabharata were depicted in sculpture and painting.
v) The central story of the epic has been retold in different ways.
vi) The epic has also provided themes for a wide range of performing arts such as plays,
dance and storytelling.
vii) This epic tells us about the social and religious life of that time.
viii) It also tells us about the family relations of that time and respect to the women of the
family.
23. Describe the elements considered by historians to analyse Mahabharata. State the efforts
of V.S Sukthankar and his team for the preparation of the critical edition of
Mahabharata.
Answer:-
i) The historians consider several elements when they analyze the Mahabharata.
ii) One of the elements is the language. The Sanskrit used in the Mahabharata is far simpler
than Vedic Sanskrit and thus was probably widely understood.
iii) The second element considered was who wrote the text. Authors often keep the interest
of their audience in mind while composing their work.
iv) Historians also try to discover the possible date the Mahabharata was compiled ae well as
the place where it may have been composed.
v) After that historians focus on the content of the text to come to a conclusion regarding its
historical significance.
vi) A team of historians led by V.S. Sukthankar prepared a critical edition of Mahabharata.
vii) They collected manuscripts of the text written in different scripts from different part of
the country.
viii) They compared verses from each manuscript and selected common verses.
ix) These verses published in several volumes running into over 13,000 pages. This project
took 47 years to complete.
x) There were many regional variations in the text that had been written over the centuries.
These variations were documented in footnotes and appendices to the main text.
24. Summarize the central teachings of Jainism.
Answer:-
i) Mahavira did not recognize God as the Supreme Being or Creator of the universe.
ii) Jainism rejected the authority of the Vedas and did not believe in the Supremacy of the
Brahmins.
iii) Jainism gave importance to equality of all human beings and allowed both men and
women to be follower.
iv) Jainism believed in Karma, so it did not critise the caste system believing that a person is
born into a particular caste according to his karmas in the previous birth.
v) According to Jainism, everything has life –even rocks, stones and water.
vi) Jainism believed in Ahimsa and non –injury to living things.
vii) According to Mahavira, Salvation or freedom from the cycle of birth and death is the
main goal of life.
viii) A true Jaina had to take five vows such as-
 To abstain from killing.
 To abstain from stealing
 To abstain from lying
 To observe celibacy
 To abstain from possessing property
25. Describe the magnificent features of the sculpture of Sanchi Stupa.
Answer:-
i) The Sanchi Stupa consisted of a semi-circular mound of the earth called Anda.
ii) Above the anda was the harmika, a balcony like structure which represented the abode of
the gods.
iii) Arising from the harmika was a mast called the yashti, surmounted by a chhatri.
iv) Around the mound was a railing separating the sacred space from the secular world.
v) The stone railing at Sanchi resembled a bamboo or wooden fence.
vi) The main feature of this stupa was its gateways which were installed at the four cardinal
points.
vii) Scenes from Vessantara Jataka have been depicted on the sculptures at Sanchi.
viii) Art historians compare these sculptures with textual evidence and try to know its
meaning.
ix) Buddha was not shown in human form by many early sculptors. Like an empty seat,
wheel , tree etc. were used to show the presence of Buddha in Sanchi Stupa.
x) For example, wheel stood for the first sermon the Buddha delivered at Sarnath.
xi) Some sculptures at Sanchi are not directly inspired by Buddhist ideas, Such as beautiful
women swinging from the edge of the gateway holding on a tree.
xii) According to art historians, this could be Shalabhajika, a women whose touch caused
trees to flower and bear fruit.
xiii) Some depictions of animals like elephants, horses, monkeys and cattle are also found at
Sanchi Stupa.
xiv) Animals were used as symbols of human traits, for example, elephants signified wisdom
and strength.
26. Describe the teachings of Buddha.
Answer:-
i) Buddha stressed on the Four Noble Truths and the eight fold path.
ii) According to Buddha, desire was the cause of all suffering. If desire was conquered one
could attain Nirvana.
iii) To conquer desire, one must follow the eight fold path such as right speech, right means
of livelihood, right observation, right action, right determination, right exertion, right
memory and right meditation.
iv) He believed in the following the middle path and rejected the path of extreme luxury and
extreme ascetism.
v) According to Buddha, the world is temporary and constantly changing, it is soulless as
there is nothing lasting.
vi) He regarded the social world as the creation of humans rather than god.
vii) He advised kings and ghapattis to be humane and ethical.
viii) He also rejected the authority of the Vedas and the Brahmanas.
ix) Like Mahavira, he stressed on non-violence laid down a following code of conduct for
his followers.
27. Why is the mid first millennium BCE is regarded as the turning point in the
World’s history?
Answer:-
i) The mid-first millennium BCE is regarded as a turning point in the world’s history.
ii) It saw the emergence of many thinkers in different parts of the world.
iii) Thinkers like Zarathustra in Iran, Kong Zi in China, Socrates, Plato and Aristotle in
Greece and Mahavira and Buddha in India emerged in this age.
iv) They tried to understand the mysteries of existence and the relation between human
beings and cosmic order.
v) This was the time when new kingdoms were emerging in Ganga valley.
vi) During this time social and economic life was changing.
vii) All these thinkers were trying to understand these developments as well.
28. Why is the sixth century BCE often regarded as a major turning point in the early
Indian history?
Answer:-
i) The Vedic tradition lost its grip in the sixth century BCE.
ii) There was an importance of meditation because of the increasing significance of
Upanishads.
iii) Many new philosophical ideas were emerged during this age.
iv) Due to the emergence of new philosophical ideas, many new religious communities took
birth. They were about 62 in number.
v) Jainism and Buddhism influenced the people the most. As a result, there was a change in
the nature of the Indian society.
vi) Jainism and Buddhism gave importance to meditation and self control.
vii) Their views were influenced by the views expressed in the Upanishads.
viii) So, the philosophy of the Upanishads became very popular during this age.

Book- II

29. Explain the structure adopted by Al- Biruni in each chapter of his works./ State the
features of ‘Kitab-ul-Hind’.
Answer:-
i) Kitab-ul-Hind is a work of Al-Biruni written in Arabic.
ii) Its language is simple, lucid and easy to understand.
iii) It has 80 chapters which included subjects like religion and philosophy, astronomy,
festivals, manners and customs, weights and measures, social life etc.
iv) A distinctive structure was adopted for most chapters beginning with a question
followed by a description based on Sanskritik traditions.
v) In the end it has the comparison with other cultures.
vi) Some scholars felt that he was more inclined towards mathematics due to it has
geometric structure.
vii) Al-Biruni said that his book should be read by those who lived along the boundaries of
the sub-continent.
viii) He was familiar with Sanskrit, Pali and Prakrit texts which had been translated into
Arabic.
30. Explain Ibn – Battuta’s description about the slaves in India.
Answer:-
i) Slaves were openly sold in markets like any other commodity and were regularly
exchanged as gifts.
ii) When Ibn-Battuta reached Sindh, he purchased horses, camels and slaves. He wanted
to give them as gifts to Sultan Muhammad bin Tughlaq.
iii) When he reached Multan, he presented a slave, a horse and other things.
iv) There were many female slaves in the service of the Sultan. They were experts in music
and dance.
v) Ibn-Battuta enjoyed their performance at the wedding of the sister of Sultan.
vi) The Sultan also employed female slaves to keep a watch on his nobles.
vii) The slaves were also engaged for domestic work. They carried men and women on
palanquins.
viii) As female slaves were inexpensive to buy, most families could afford to keep at least a
few.
31. Discuss Al – Biruni’s understanding of caste system.
Answer:-
i) Al-Biruni’s description of the caste system was influenced by his study of the Sanskrit
texts.
ii) These text written by the Brahmanas and followed the four divisions of varna. Al-
Biruni accepted this division.
iii) According to him, the Brahmana was created from the head of God Brahma and
regarded as the highest caste of society.
iv) The next caste was Kashatriyas, who were created from the shoulders and hands of
Brahma.
v) The next caste was the Vaishyas, who were created from the thigh of Brahma.
vi) The Shudras were created from the feet of Brahma.
vii) The concept of social pollution is the base of this caste system. Thus the caste system
was, according to him against the laws of nature.
viii) However, as these classes differed from each other, they lived together in the same
town and villages.
ix) According to him, the caste system was not too much rigid.
x) For example, the untouchables were expected to provide their labour to peasants and
zamindars. Thus they played an important role in economic network.
32. “Ibn – Battuta found Delhi as a city full of exciting opportunities.” Support your answer
with evidences given by him.
Answer: -
Ibn Batuta was a Moroccan traveler. He wrote a book named Rihla.
Ibn batuta’s book-RIHLA
(i) Ibn Battuta enjoyed the cosmopolitan culture of urban centers where people
Spoke different languages, shared ideas, information and anecdotes. His account
‘Rehla’ enables historians to reconstruct the urban life of the fourteenth century.
(ii) Ibn Battuta found cities in the subcontinent full of exciting opportunities for those
who had the necessary drive, resources and skills.
(iii) Most cities had crowded streets and bright and colourful markets that were
stacked with a wide variety of goods.
(iv) Ibn Battuta described Delhi as a vast city, with a great population , the largest in
India.
(v) Daulatabad (in Maharashtra) was no less and easily rivaled Delhi in size.
(vi) The bazaars were not only places of economic transactions, but also the hub
of social and cultural activities.
(vii) Most bazaars had a mosque and a temple and in some of them at least, spaces were
marked for public performances by dancers, musicians and singers.
(viii) While Ibn Battuta was not particularly concerned with explaining the
prosperity of towns, historians have used his account to suggest that towns derived a
significant portion of their wealth through the appropriation of surplus from villages.
(ix) Ibn Battuta informs us that certain varieties of fine muslin were so expensive
that they could be worn only by the nobles and the very rich.
(x) The state evidently took special measure to encourage merchants.
(xi) Almost all trade routes were well supplied with inns and guest houses.
(xii) Ibn Battuta was also amazed by the efficiency of the postal system which
Allowed merchants to not only send information and remit credit across long
distances, but also to dispatch goods required at short notice.
(xiii) The news reports of spies would reach the Sultan through the postal system in just
five days.

33. Examine why Bernier was against the idea of crown ownership of land in Mughal India.
Answer:-
i) According to Bernier, the Mughal India did not have private ownership of land.
ii) He believed that private property had many virtues. But he regarded the crown
ownership of land as harmful to both the state and its people.
iii) In Mughal Empire, the emperor owned all the land. He distributed this land among his
nobles.
iv) Bernier felt that this principle is dangerous for economy and society.
v) Because of the crown ownership of land, the land holders could not pass their land to
their children.
vi) The crown ownership of land prevented the emergence of an improved class of
landlords as in the Western Europe.
vii) It had ruined the agriculture and increased oppression of the peasantry.
viii) It brought a continuous decline in the living standard of all sections of the society.
ix) That is why, Bernier considered crown ownership of land as disastrous.
34. Bernier’s description of imperial land ownership influenced Western theorists like
French philosopher Montesquieu and German Karl Marx." Justify it with suitable
arguments.
Answer:-
i) Bernier's description about imperial land ownership influenced Western theorists.
ii) These Western theorists like Montesquieu and Karl Marx have developed new
theories based on this.
iii) Montesquieu developed the idea of oriental despotism.
iv) Which means the rulers in Asia enjoyed absolute authority over their subjects, and
owned all lands.
v) There was no private property. All people except King and nobles struggled for
survival.
vi) Karl Marx further developed the idea of Oriental despotism as Asiatic mode of
production.
v) Marx observes that before colonialism, surplus production was appropriated by the
state.
vi) This led to the emergence of a society that was composed of a large number of
autonomous and egalitarian village communities.
vii) The imperial court respected these villages as long as the flow of surplus was
continued.
viii) Marx regarded this as a stagnant system
35. Describe the major teachings of Kabir and Guru Nanak and the ways in which these
have been transmitted.
Answer:-
Teachings of Kabir:
(i) Kabir is regarded as the greatest Bhakti poet saint of medieval India .
(ii) Kabir was much influenced by the teachings of the great saint Ramanand and
became his disciple .
(iii) Kabir uses the language of common man('sant bhasha')
iv) Kabir expressed his ideas through poetry and bhajans
(v) Kabir advocated the unity of one God.
(vi) According to him Allah, Ram, Rahim, etc. are the different names of the same God .
viii) God is formless and immortal and present everywhere in the universe.
ix) He also used some yogic traditional terms such as shabda(sound) or
shunya(emptiness)
ix) Some poems attacked Hindu polytheism and idol worship .
x) Some poems use sufi concept of zikr and ishq(love) to express the Hindu practice of
namsimaran (remembrance of God’s name).
xi) His mission was to emphasise fundamental unity of man.
Teaching of Guru Nanak:

i) According to Guru Nanak, the Absolute or ‘rab’ had no gender or form.

ii) He proposed a simple way to connect to the Divine by remembering the Divine
Name.
iv) He expressed his ideas through hymns called “shabad” in Punjabi, and sang with
different ragas. He organized his followers into a community.
v) He set up rules for congregational worship (sangat).
vi) He appointed one of his disciples, Angad, to succeed him as the preceptor (guru).
vii) Guru Nanak did not want to establish a new religion.
viii) After his death, his followers consolidated their own practices to form a distinct
community. The fifth guru, Guru Arjun compiled Guru Nanak”s hymns
ix) These hymns called “gurbani” are composed in various languages.
x) The tenth Guru, Guru Gobind Singh, included the compositions of the ninth guru;
Guru Tegh Bahadur.
xi) This scripture was called the Guru Grantha Sahib.
36. Who were Lingayats/ Virashaivas? Explain their contribution in the social and religious
fields with special reference to caste system.
Answer:-
(i) They worship Shiva in the form of linga.
(ii) They wear a small linga in a silver case over the left shoulder.
(iii) They believed that after death, devotee would be united with Shiva and there was no
rebirth.
(iv) They did not practice funeral but bury the dead person.
(v) They challenged the idea of caste and the 'pollution' attributed to certain groups by
Brahmans.
(vi) They encouraged the practices like post-puberty marriage and remarriage of widows.
37. Explain the features of Islamic religion which contributed to its spread through the sub –
continent.
Answer:-
i) There is one God, that is, Allah.
ii) Prophet Mohammad is the messenger of Allah. Quran is the order of Allah.
iii) A true follower of Islam should offer prayers five times a day. It is called as Namaz.
iv) He should give alms (Zakat) to the poor.
v) He should keep the fast during the month of Ramazan (Sawn)
vi) He should go on a pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in his life.
38. Who were Alvars and Nayanars? In which language did they sing?
Answer:-

(i) Alvars-devotees of Vishnu;

(ii) Nayanars devotes of Shiva
iii) Chola rulers supported Brahmanical and Bhakti traditions.
(iv) Royal patronage granted to Nayanars.
vi) Chola rulers made land grants and constructed temples for Vishnu and Shiva.
vii) Spectacular bronze produced which shows that the visions of the Nayanars inspired
artist.
(vii) Kings introduced the singing of Tamil Shiva hymns in the temples under Royal
Patronage initiatives were taken to collect and organize hymns into text (Tevaram)
(ix) Chola ruler Prantaka I constructed metal images of saints of Shaivism ie-
Appar,Sambandar and Sundarar.
(x) The chola rulers claim divine support and proclaim their own power and status
(xi) By building splendid temples and metal sculpture to recreate the visions of these
popular saints.
39. Explain how the biography of the saint poetess Mirabai has been reconstructed. How did
she defy the norms of society?
Answer:-

i)According to tradition, Mirabai was a Rajput princess from Marwar .

ii)She was married against her wishes to a Sisodia prince of Mewar.
iii)She became widow in young age .
iv) Mirabai is best known woman poet within the saguna bhakti tradition.
v)She did not submit to the traditional role of wife and mother .
vi)Instead she became a wandering saint/singer.
vii) Her songs/bhajans were expression of devotion to lord Krishna .
viii)Her preceptor/guru was Raidas (Ravidas), a leather worker.
ix)This indicates she defied the norms of caste based society.
40. “Sufism evolved as a reaction to the growing materialism of the caliphate as a religious
and political institution.” Elucidate.
Answer:-
(i) One of the major feature of the Sufis was austerity including maintaining distance
from worldly power.
(ii) However, they did not maintain the complete isolation from political power.
(iii) The Sufis accepted unsolicited grants and donations from political elites.
(iv) The sultans in turn set up charitable trusts (auqaf) as endowments for hospices and
tax free land (imam).
(v) The Chishtis accepted donations in cash and kind.
(vi) They preferred to use donations fully on immediate requirements such as food,
clothes,and ritual necessities (such as sama).
(vii) Their piety , scholarship, and miraculous powers made sufis popular among the
masses, kings wished to secure their support
(viii) Akbar visited Ajmer Dargah of Khawaja Muinuddin Chisti fourteen times to seek
blessings. Each of his visits was celebrated by generous gifts.
(ix) Kings did not simply need to demonstrate their association with sufis.
41. How and when were the ruins of Hampi brought to light? Explain briefly.
Answer:-
i) The ruins at Hampi were brought to light in1800 by an engineer and
antiquarian named Colonel Colin Mackenzie.
ii) He prepared the first survey map of the site.
iii) This information was based on the memories of priests of the Virupaksha
temple and the shrine of Pampadevi.
iv) From1856, photographers began to record the monuments which
enabled scholars to study them.
v) In 1836 epigraphists began collecting several dozen inscriptions found at this
site and other temples at Hampi.
vi) historians also collected information from the sources with accounts of
foreign travelers’ and other literature written inTelugu, Kannada, Tamil and
Sanskrit
42. Explain how the people of Vijayanagara obtained water for their needs.
Answer:-

i) As the Vijayanagara was one of the most arid zones of the peninsula, that’s why
elaborate arrangements had to be made to store rain water.
ii) Embankments were built along the streams to create reservoirs of varying sizes.
iii) The most important such tank was built in the early years is now called
Kamalapuram tank.
iv) Water from this tank was not only used to irrigate fields but was also to supply
through a channel to the “royal centre”.
v) One of the most prominent water works to be seen among the ruins is the Hiriya
canal.
vi) This canal drew water from a dam across the Tungabhadra and irrigated the cultivated
valley that separated the “sacred centre” from the “urban core”. This was apparently
built by kings of the Sangama dynasty.
43. “Mahanavami Dibba of Vijayanagara was the centre of elaborate rituals” Explain the
statement with suitable examples.
Answer:-
i) Probably the Mahanavami dibba was King’s palace in Vijayanagara, though
there is no definite evidence.
ii) From the available source, we can guess that it had very beautiful wooden
structure with base of the platform was covered with relief carvings.
iii) The Mahanavami dibba had a very impressive platform known as “the
audience hall”. It was surrounded by high double walls. A street is running
between them.
iv) Many rituals were associated with the Mahanavami dibba.
v) Here the Hindu Festival Mahanavami or Navaratri was celebrated with a great
show in the months of September-October.
vi) This festival continued for 9 days. The rulers of Vijayanagara Empire
displayed their power, prestige and suzerainty.
vii) Worship of Goddesses and the state horse.
viii) They also performed sacrifice of buffaloes and other animals.
ix) One of the main attractions on this occasion was the performance of several
ceremonies included: Worship of the different, dances and Wrestling
matches.
x) Processions of horses, elephants, chariots and soldiers were also carried.
xi) All these ceremonies presented before the king and his guests on the last day
of the festival, the king inspected his army as well as the nayakas of the army.
xii) He also accepted gift from the nayakas.
44. Explain the importance of the Royal centre in Vijayanagara with a special focus on its
important structures.
Answer:-
i) It was located in south west part of the city
ii) 60 temples and 30 palaces were found there
iii) Temples were made of masonry materials while secular buildings were made
of perishable materials
iv) There were two main platform found namely- Audience Hall and
Mahanavmidibba
v) Among the other building is lotus mahal, here kings used to meet his advisors
vi) Yet another Temple is found namely Hazara Ram Temple meant only for
royal family.
45. Comment on the Lotus Mahal and Hazara Ram Temple of Vijayanagara.
Answer:-
Lotus Mahal:-
i) The Lotus Mahal was a very beautiful building of the Royal Centre.
ii) It was named as the Lotus Mahal by a British traveler in the 19 th century.
iii) The purpose of building was not clear to many historians.
iv) Mackenzie considered it to be a council chamber, a place where the king used to meet
his advisers.
Hazara Rama Temple:-
i) This temple had a spectacular architecture.
ii) It was used by only by the king and his family.
iii) No image has been found in this temple. But it had sculpted panels on the walls.
iv) These included the scenes from the Ramayana on the inner walls.
46. “Amar Nayakas system was a major political innovation of Vijayanagara Empire,”
Justify the statement.
Answer;-
i) The Amara-nayakas were military commanders who were given territories
to govern by the raya.
ii) The Amara-nayakas collected taxes and other dues from peasants,
craft persons and traders in the area.
iii) They retained part of the revenue for personal use and for maintaining a
stipulated contingent of horses and elephants.
iv) These contingents provided the Rayas an effective fighting force, with the
help of which they controlled the Southern Peninsula.
v) The Amara-Nayakas sent tribute to the king annually and gave gifts
to the king. Kings occasionally transferred them from one place to
another to show their supremacy.
vi) Many of these Nayakas established independent kingdoms which led to the
collapse of the central imperial structure.
47. “ Domingo Paes and AbdurRazzaq were highly impressed with the fortification of
Vijayanagara Empire.” Justify the statement.
Answer:-
i) Domingo Paes and Abdur Razzaq were impressed with the fortification of
Vijayanagar Empire.
ii) Fortifications surrounded not only the city but also the agricultural tracts and forests.
iii) Between the first, second and the third the third walls there are cultivated fields,
gardens and houses.
iv) A second line of fortification went around the inner core of the urban complex.
v) A third line of fortification surrounded the royal centre, within which each set of
major buildings was surrounded by walls.
vi) Mortar or cementing agent was nowhere used in the used the construction.
vii) The stone blocks were wedge-shaped, which held them in place.
viii) The inner portion of the walls was made of earth packed with rubble.
ix) Square or rectangular bastions projected outwards.
48. Why the Krishan Dev Raya considered as the greatest rulers of the Vijayanagara
Empire? Explain.
Answer:--Krishnadeva Raya (1509-1529 A.D.)
i) Krishnadeva Raya of the Tuluva dynasty was the most famous king of the
Vijayanagara Empire.
ii) According to Domingo Paes, a Portuguese traveller “Krishnadeva Raya was
the most powerful and perfect king.
iii) The land between the Tungabhadra and Krishna rivers (the Raichur Doab)
was acquired by Krishnadeva Raya in 1512.
iv) In 1514, rulers of Odisha were subdued and Sultan of Bijapur was defeated in
1520.
iv) He made his kingdom so extensive that many smaller kingdoms allied with it
and showed their respect to Raja Krishnadeva Raya.
v) His kingdom remained in a constant state of military preparedness.
vi) It flourished under the conditions of unparalleled peace and prosperity at the
time of Krishnadeva Raya.
vii) He built large tanks and canals for irrigation.
ix) He developed the naval power understanding the vital role of overseas trade.
x) He patronized art and architecture. Krishnadeva Raya was a great scholar.
xi) Ashtadiggajas: A group of eight scholars adorned his court.
49. Why was Vitthala temple of the Vijayanagaraconsidered unique and interesting?
Explain with example.
Answer:-
i) The Vitthala temple is well-known ‘ for its exceptional architecture and
unmatched craftsmanship.
ii) The iconic temple has amazing stone structures such as musical
pillars.
iii) It has 56 musical pillars. The cluster of musical pillars was carved out
of huge single pieces of resonant stone.
iv) A characteristic feature of these temple complexes is the chariot
streets that extended from the temple gopuram in a straight line.
v) These streets were paved with stone slabs and lined with pillared
pavilions in which merchants set up their shops.
vi) This temple has several halls and a unique shrine designed as a
chariot.
vii) The principle deity of this temple was Vitthala, a form of Vishnu,
which is generally worshipped in Maharashtra.
50. Describe the role played by women in agrarian society in the 16th -17th centuries.
Answer:- Women played an important role in Indian agrarian society during the medieval
period.
(i) Women belonging to peasant families participated actively in agricultural
production.
(ii) The work of tilling and ploughing the fields was performed by men.
ii) The women particularly did the work of sowing, weeding, and
harvesting.
iii) They also extended their cooperation in threshing and winnowing the
harvest.
iv) Some aspects of production especially, artisanal tasks like spinning yarn,
sifting, and kneading clay for pottery and embroidery, etc. were thoroughly
dependent on female labour.
v) The peasant and artisan women worked in the fields, went to the house of
their employers or to the markets, if necessary.
vi) It is worth mentioning that as the women were child bearers in a society
dependent on labour, they were regarded as an important resource in agrarian
society.
vii) Because of frequent pregnancies, malnutrition, and death during child birth,
the mortality rate among women was very high.
viii) Thus, the number of the married women or wives in the society became
less. Thus,marriages in many rural communities required the payment of
bride price rather than dowry.
51. Describe the life of forest dwellers in the Mughal Era.
Answer:-Transformation in the lives of forest-dwellers (sixteenth and seventeenth
centuries) are as following:
(i) Huge areas were covered with forests in the various parts of India till the
16th and 17th country.
ii) Forest-dwellers were called Jangli. Here ‘Jangli’ was used to describe those
whose occupations included activities such as hunting, gathering of forest
produce, and shifting cultivation.
iii) These activities were performed to a specific season in the various regions.
Consider the example of the Bhils who fished in summer and collected forest
produce in spring.
iv) Such activities enabled the forest tribes to be mobile which was a
characteristic feature of their life.
v) As the state required elephants for the consolidation of mighty army, the
peskash levied on the forest people to supply of elephants.
vi) The lives of the forest-dwellers led to the spread of commercial
agriculture. Forest products like honey, beeswax, gum and lac were in
huge demand.
(vii) Tribes like the Lohanis of Punjab engaged in overland trade with
Afghanistan and internal trade in Punjab as well.
(viii) Many tribal chiefs became zamindars, some of them even became kings. They
recruit people from their own tribes in their army For example in Assam, the Ahom
Kings depended on people who rendered military services in exchange of land.

52. Analyse the role of zamindars during the Mughal period.

Answer:-
i) During the Mughal period, zamindars did not directly participate in the process of
agricultural production.
ii) They enjoyed high status in the society.
iii) They performed various services for the state known as khidmat.
iv) They had extensive personal lands known as milkiyat, which they could sell or
mortgage.
v) The zamindars cultivated theses lands with the help of hired labour.
vi) They had control over the military resources in Mughal India.
vii) Many zamindars lived in fortresses and had armed contingent comprising of cavalry,
artillery and infantry.
viii) Zamindars regularly collected revenue on behalf of the state.
ix) They helped the cultivators by providing them with cash loans.
x) They established markets where peasants sold their produce.
53. Assess the role played by Panchayats in the villages during Mughal period.
Answer;-
(i) The village panchayat consisted of an assembly of elders representing
different castes and communities except the menial class.
ii) In the mixed caste village, the panchayat was usually a heterogeneous
body. The panchayat represented different castes and communities in the
village.
iii) The village panchayat was headed by Muqaddam also known as mandal. He
was elected with consensus of the village elders
iv) His function was to prepare village account with the help of patwari.
iv) The main function of panchayat was to ensure that caste boundaries among
the various communities could be ensured.
(vi) It had also the authority to levy fines and taxes.
(vii) It can also give punishment like expulsion from the community.
(ix) Each Jati in the village had its own Jati panchayat. Jati Panchayat had
Considerable power in the society.
(x) The panchayats were also regarded as the court of appeal that would
ensure that the state carried out its moral responsibilities.
(xi) For justice petitions were often made to the panchayat collectively by a group of
caste or a community.
(xii) In cases of excessive revenue demands, the panchayat often suggested a
compromise.
54. Explain the technology used by the peasants for the cultivation during the Mughal
period.
Answer:-
i) There was a constant expansion of agriculture during the Mughal Period.
ii) It depended mainly on the monsoons. But artificial systems of irrigation were also
devised.
iii) The state took the responsible to dig of new canals.
iv) The state also took the repair the old canals like the Shah-nahar in Punjab.
v) The farmers used those technologies which harnessed animal power.
vi) There was use of a wooden plough which was light. It had an iron tip.
vii) There was the use of a drill. It was pulled by a pair of oxen used to plant seeds.
viii) A narrow iron blade with a small wooden handle was used to hoe and weed.
55. Examine the evidence that suggests that land revenue was important for the
Mughal fiscal system.
Answer:- The following evidence suggests that land revenue was important for the
Mughal fiscalsystem:
(i) Land revenue was the economic mainstay of the Mughal Empire.
ii) There was an administrative apparatus to ensure control over agricultural
production, and to fix and collect revenue in the empire.
iii) A diwan was appointed who was responsible for the supervision of the fiscal
system of the empire.
(iv) Survey of agricultural lands and their estimate production was collected,
before fixing the amount of taxes on people.
(iv) The land revenue arrangements consisted of two stages – assessment and the
collection.
(v) Amil-guzar or revenue collector was directed to give choice to cultivators to pay in
cash or kind. The payment in cash was preferred.
(vi) While making assessment of land revenue, the state officials tried to maximise its
claims.
(vii) The Ain-i- Akbari compiled the data of cultivated and cultivable lands.
ix) The classification of lands was made under Akbar and different land revenue
to be paid by each was fixed.
BOOK – III

56. Why was the power of Jotedars within the village more effective than that of Zamindars?
Explain.
Answer:-
1. The jotedars were powerful because they had vast acres of land.
2. They controlled local trade and moneylending.
3. They lived in villages therefore they had great influence on many villagers.
4. They opposed the efforts of the Zamindars to increase the revenue of the village.
5. They mobilized ryots to deliberately delay payments of revenue to the Zamindars.
6. When the Zamindar’s estates were auctioned, the jotedars often purchased them.
57. Explain two strategies devised by the Zamindars of Bengal to survive the pressure of
high revenue demand auction of their lands./ How did the Zamindars manage to retain
control over their Zamindaris?
Answer:-
1. They adopted the strategy of fictitious sale of land. When a part of their estate was auctioned,
their men bought the property by giving higher bids than others.
2. Later on, they refused to pay the purchase money due to which the estate was again auction.
3. The same process of purchase was repeated. At last the government felt exhausted and sold
the estate at a low price again to the Zamindar.
4. They created problems in the possession of the land if anyone from outside the Zamindari
bought an estate at an auction.
5. They transferred some of the estate in the name of women as the property of women could
not be taken over.
6. The Lathyals of the former Zamindars sometimes attacked the new buyers.

58. Why did the Santhals rebel against Zamindars and the colonial power? Give any two
reasons.
Answer:-
i) When the British failed to control the Paharias, they turned to the Santhals who were
ideal settlers.
ii) The British demarcated a separated land for the Santhals and called it as Damin-i-Koh.
iii) All the Santhals lived within it and practised plough agriculture.
iv) They became settled peasants which resulted in the expansion of cultivation area and
increase in the revenue.
v) By the 1850s, the Santhals rebelled against the Zamindars, moneylenders and the colonial
state.
vi) The colonial government imposed heavy taxes on them and the moneylenders charged
high rate of interest on loans, if they failed to pay their debt, their land was snatched.
vii) Zamindars also tried to control their lands.
viii) The santhals rose in rebellion against the British rule.
ix) They wanted to create an ideal world where they can rule themselves
x) After the Santhal revolt (1855-56), the Santhal Pargana was created to pacify the Santhal.
xi) It was created taking 5500 sq. miles of land from the districts Bhagalpur and Birbhum.
59. Examine the circumstances that led the deccan ryots to revolt against the money lenders.
Answer:-
i) Moneylenders refused to extend loans to ryots. Ryots felts that moneylenders were
insensitive for their miserable conditions.
ii) Moneylenders were breaking the traditional customary norms of rural areas.
iii) For example, the amount of interest could not exceed the principal amount. But in one
case, the moneylender had charged more than 2000 rupees as interest on the principal
amount of 100 rupees
iv) Unpaid amount of interest was added in new loan so that moneylender could escape from
the law.
v) No receipt was given to peasant in case of the repayment of loan.
vi) Moneylenders manipulated the laws and made false accounts.
60. Analyse the impact of cotton boom in India during the American civil war.
Answer:-
i) Before 1860s Britain imported ¾ of its cotton from America.
ii) As the civil war broke out in America in 1861, this import was restricted.
iii) The raw cotton imports from America fell from 2000000 bails in 1861 to 5500 bails in
1862.
iv) Cultivation of cotton was promoted in India to reduce dependence on America.
v) Export merchants gave advances to urban sahukars who in turn gave credit to rural
moneylenders to secure the produce.
vi) Now the ryots in the Deccan village had access to limitless credit.
vii) Cotton production in Bombay expanded and by 1862 more than 90 percent of cotton
imports into Britain were from India.
viii) Some rich peasants did prosper but for small peasants it led to heavier debt.
61. Explain any three reasons for the default of payments by the Zamindars.
Answer:-
i) Various reasons were responsible for the non -payment of revenue by the zamindars .
ii) The revenue demand was very high.
iii) The revenue was imposed at a time when the price of agriculture produce was very low.
iv) The ryots could not pay their rent to the zamindars and zamindars to the British East
India Company.
v) The revenue was fixed regardless of the harvest, and had to be paid punctually.
vi) According to the Sunset Law, if payment did not come in by sunset of the specified date,
the zamindari was put to be auctioned.
vii) The Permanent Settlement initially limited the power of the zamindar to collect revenue
from ryots and manage his zmindari.
62. Critically examine “The Fifth Report of late Eighteenth century.
Answer: -
Fifth Report:
i) A report on the early administration and activities of the East India Company was
submitted to the British Parliament in 1813.
ii) It was called the Fifth Reports as it was the fifth in a series of report.
iii) This report had 1002 pages. Around 800 pages were in the form of appendices.
iv) These included the petition of zamindars and ryots, report of collectors, statistical tables
on revenue return and judicial administration of Bengal and Madra.
v) The report highlighted the plight of zamindars and their inability to pay revenue.
vi) Many political groups in Britain were not happy with the working of East India
Company.
vii) They argued that the Bengal conquest benefitted only the East India Company.
viii) Issues like misrule and maladministration were the topics of high debate in the British
Parliament.
ix) Incidents of company’s corruption in India were publicized in the press.
x) To regulate and control the company’s rule in India, the British parliament passed a series
of Acts in the late 18th century.
xi) The British Parliament forced the company to present regular reports on the
administration of India.
xii) The Fifth Report was one such report prepared by a Select Committee.
63. What was Damine-i-koh? How it came into being?
Answer:-
i) Damin-i-koh was the land of Santhals situated in the Rajmahal hills.
ii) The British motivated them to live in the foothills of Rajmahal by giving them land to
them.
iii) By 1832, a large part of land was demarcated as Damin-i-Koh and was declared as the
land of Santhals.
iv) They used to live this region and practiced plough agriculture.
v) There was a condition in the certificate of the land grants that at least 1/10 of the total
area had to be cleared and had to be cultivated within 10 years.
vi) Whole of this region was surveyed and mapped.
vii) This region was enclosed by the boundary pillars.
viii) In this way this region was separated from settled agriculturists and Paharias of hills.
64. Who and when was the Permanent Settlement introduced in Bengal? Explain it.
Answer:-
Permanent Settlement:
i) It was introduced in Bengal by Lord Charles Cornwallis in 1793.
ii) Under this system the East India Company had fixed the revenue.
iii) This revenue was paid by Zamindar.
iv) If any zamindar failed to make the payment in time, his estates were auctioned to recover
the due revenue.
Features of Permanent Settlement:
i) The Zamindars were not the owner of land in the village.
ii) The Zamindars were the collectors of the revenue of the East India Company.
iii) The Zamindars had many villages under their control.
iv) The villages coming under one Zamindar formed one revenue estate.
v) The Zamindars collected the revenue from the villages and paid to the officials of East
India Company.
vi) The Zamindars were responsible for the regular payment of revenue to the Company.
65. What was the Limitation Law? Why was this considered as a symbol of oppression
against the ryots of the 19th century? Give three reasons.
Answer:-
i) The Limitation Law was passed by the British in 1859.
ii) It stated that the loan bonds signed between moneylenders and ryots would be valid for
three years.
iii) It was considered as a symbol of oppression.
iv) It made the life of the ryots miserable. Moneylenders forced the ryots to sign a new bond
every three years to escape from the hands of law.
v) When new bond was signed, unpaid amount was added as principal on which new set of
interest charges were calculated.
vi) When the loans were repaid, the moneylenders refused to give the receipts.
vii) They entered wrong figures in bonds, acquired the harvest at low price and took over the
property of the peasant.
66. Highlight the measures taken to ensure unity among the rebels of 1857.
Answer:-
1. The rebels wanted to acquire the support of all sections of society without any discrimination
on the base of creed and religion.
2. Proclamations were issued by Muslim Princes took care of Hindu sentiments.
3. Rebellion was seen as a war in which both communities stood equally to gain and lose.
4. The ishtahars reminded the pre British Hindu-Muslim past.
5. The relation of Hindu and Muslim under Mughal rule was emphasized.
6. The religious differences were not visible between the two communities in 1857.
67. Examine the repressive measures adopted by the British to subdue the rebel of 1857.
Answer:-
i) The British passed a series of law to quell the rebellion and the whole of Northern India was
put under martial law.
ii) The ordinary Englishmen also were given the power to punish the rebels.
iii) The British used military power on a large scale.
iv) The British launched two sided attack on Delhi.
v) One force moved from Calcutta into Northern India and another force marched from Punjab
to reconquer Delhi.
vi) The city was captured in September 1857 after heavy fighting.
vii) The British used Divide and Rule policy to break the unity of rebels.
viii) The British promised big landholders to give back their estates, if they became loyal to them.
68. A chain of grievances in Awadh linked the prince, Taluqdar, peasants and sepoys to join
hands in the revolt of 1857 against the British. Examine the statement.
Answer:-
i) The British annexed Awadh on the ground of mal-administration.
ii) The British wrongly assumed that the Nawab Wajid Ali Shah was unpopular ruler, but he was
greatly loved by his subjects and his departure from Lucknow was marked by widespread
grief and sorrow.
iii) Awadhi’s annexation led to the dissolution of the court and its culture.
iv) A whole range of people- musicians, dancers, poets and artisans lost their livelihood.
v) The annexation of Awadh dispossessed the taluqdars. They lost their jagirs and forts.
vi) Their armies were disarmed and also lost their power of justice.
vii) Due to the Summary Settlement, taluqdars lost large part of their revenue from land.
viii) The British over-assessed the taxes of peasants. No any relaxation was given during crop
failure due to famine or natural calamities.
ix) The peasant’s grievances related to sepoys. Most of the sepoys recruited from peasant
families of Awadh.
x) The sepoys were also ill treated by the British. They were abused by the British officers
xi) Low wages were given to sepoys in comparison of British soldiers and no provision of
promotion for Indian sepoys.
xii) Thus a chain of grievances in Awadh resulted intensive revolt in 1857 and Awadh became
main centre of revolt.
69. Critically examine Lord Dalhousie’s policy of annexation in Awadh.
Ans:-
i) Lord Dalhousie had referred Awadh as a “Cherry that is to drop in our mouth” in 1851.
ii) British had used a 2 tier policy in order to annex Awadh
Imposition of Subsidiary Alliance
The first step towards to annex Awadh was the imposition of Subsidiary Alliance in 1801. It
imposed the following conditions on the Nawab:-
i) The army of Nawab would be disbanded and replaced by the British army.
ii) He would be acted according to the British Resident who stationed in his court.
iii) He would be entered into agreements or warfare with other rulers with the permission of
Britishers.
In other words Nawab had lost all his powers and dependent on the Britishers for law and order.
The British interest in Awadh:-
The Britishers were interested in Awadh because of:-
i) The soil of Awadh was good for the production of cotton and indigo.
ii) It was ideally located to become the principal market of North India.
70. Explain how rumours and prophecies played an important part in moving people to
action during the Revolt of 1857.
Ans:-
i) The rumour was there that the new cartridges of Enfield rifles were given to use to the
sepoys, coated with the fat of cows and pigs.
ii) This rumour originated by a low caste Khalasi taunting a Brahmin sepoy that he would
soon lose his caste when he used the greased cartridges.
iii) The rumour was spreading like a fire forest among sepoys but British did nothing, was
doubtful.
iv) The rumour was there that the British had mixed bone dust of cows and pigs to destroy
the caste and religion of Hindus and Muslims.
v) The rumour that the British wanted to convert Indians to Christianity led to widespread
panic.
vi) The prophecy that British rule would come to an end on the centenary of the Battle of
Plassey.
vii) Rumours were not the only things circulating at this time. Reports came from different
parts of North India that chapattis were being distributed from village to village.
viii) The meaning and purpose of the distribution of the chapattis is not clear even today.
71. “ Visual images and literature as much as the writing of history have helped in keeping
alive the memory of the revolt of 1857.” Assess this statement. Or Examine the
visual representation of the Revolt of 1857 that provoked a range of different emotions
and reactions.
Ans. :-
Pictures prepared by the British:-
i) In some of the pictures made by the British, the British heroes were remembered who
saved the English and repressed the rebels. One of the paintings “Relief of Lucknow”
was painted by Thomas Jones Barker in 1859, is an example of this type.
ii) Joseph Noel Paton painted a picture “In Memorium” two years after the mutiny. In this
picture, English women and children huddled in a circle and looking helpless and
innocent. It seems that they are waiting for the inevitable violence, dishonor and death.
This painting represents the rebels as violent and brutish.
iii) In some paintings and sketches, women are shown in a different light. In these pictures,
they appear heroic, defending themselves against the attack of rebels. The picture of Miss
Wheeler is the painting of this type.
iv) After defeated by rebellion, the British wanted to show their power. In one image a
female figure of justice with a sword in one hand and a shield in the other is shown. Her
posture is aggressive and her face expresses anger and desire for revenge. She is
trampling sepoys under her feet.
Indian pictures:-
i) Indian artists presented the rebels leaders as those heroes who were leading the revolt.
ii) These leaders were encouraging the people to fight against the Britishers.
iii) In a painting, Rani Lakshmi Bai of Jhansi was represented as a female figure chasing the
enemy, killing the soldiers and fighting till her last.
iv) At present you are reading the lines of Subhadra Kumari Chauhan, “ Khoob Lari Mardani
Woh to Jhansi Wali Rani Thi.”
v) She is shown in battle armour with sword in one hand and riding horse with the other.
vi) She is a symbol of the determination to resist injustice and foreign rule.
72. Descrie the how Gandhiji knitted non cooperation movement as a popular movement.
Ans. :-
i) The Non – Cooperation Movement was started in 1920 under the leadership of Mahatma
Gandhi.
ii) It was a campaign of non-cooperation with the British rule.
iii) It was a mass movement in which lakhs of people from every section of society
participated.
iv) A detailed programme was prepared to run this movement against the British rule.
v) The boycott of foreign goods and the use of goods and things manufactured in the
country
vi) To return Titles and Honours given by the British Government.
vii) Resignations by Indian members nominated in the local institutions
viii) Students stopped to go to schools and colleges
ix) Lawyers refused to attend the courts.
x) The soldiers, clerks and workers refused to give their service abroad
xi) For the first time in the history of India, the people whole heartedly participated in this
movement.
xii) During this movement, the word ‘Swadeshi’ became popular. As a result , the Indian
industry flourished
xiii) This movement gave a new direction to the freedom struggle of India.

73. Explain how Gandhi transformed Indian Nationalism by 1922.

Ans. :-
Before the entry of Mahatma Gandhi into Indian politics, the freedom struggle was just a nominal
movement. But Mahatma Gandhi made it a mass movement through the following efforts:-
i) He adopted the principles of truth and non violence. The truth an insistence on the
righteous conduct and right path. Non violence meant the government actions should be
opposed peacefully.
ii) He used satyagraha as a method of protest in Non – Cooperation Movement in India and
ensure the participation of the people of India from all sections of society.
iii) On his call people of India stopped to cooperate British government and participated
whole heartedly in the movement
iv) On 12 March 1930 Mahatma Gandhi started his famous Dandi March from Sabarmati
Ashram and came to an end at Dandi on the sea shore where he broke the Salt Law.
v) This law was very unpopular among Indian masses. So they joined the movement.
vi) The people in every corner of India started to break the laws and showed their anger
against British Government
vii) He opposed the injustice and kept fasts to favour and protect untouchables
viii) He forced the British government to bow before the might of the common people.
ix) Gandhi encouraged the people of India to adopt swadeshi things and goods in life.
x) Many people burnt the foreign goods which developed national spirit among the people
and they participated enthusiastically in national movement.
74. State the significance of Gandhij’'s speech at Benaras Hindu University.
Ans:-
i) The first public appearance of Gandhiji was at the opening of the Banaras Hindu
University in February 1916.
ii) Before this, Indian National Movement was limited to rich class.
iii) But through his speech Gandhi said to make national movement as a mass movement.
iv) He showed his pleasure on the establishment of Banaras Hindu University.
v) But he showed his worry about the absent of poor Indians.
vi) He told that the freedom of India is not possible without poor people of India.
vii) He said that there is no meaning of self rule if peasants could not be given full profit of
their produce.
viii) He said that our freedom is possible only through the farmers.
75. In what way did Gandhiji’s ‘Quit India Movement’ transform the nature of the national
movement? Explain.
Ans :-
i) When the Cripps Mission had failed, Mahatma Gandhi started Quit India Movement.
ii) It was the third major movement of Gandhi against the British rule.
iii) It started in 1942 under the leadership of Mahatma Gandhi.
iv) The Congress had passed a resolution for this movement on 9 August 1942 and
challenged the British to Quit India.
v) Soon this movement became a mass movement. The People from all sections of the
society participated in the movement.
vi) There were slogans in all over India “Britishers: Quit India.
vii) In many districts like Satara and Medinipur, independent governments were proclaimed.
viii) Most of the leaders of the Indian National Congress were arrested. As a result the People
started looting government offices, post offices and railway stations.
ix) The Government became adamant and put thousands of people behind the bars. The
whole country was turned into a jail.
x) At last, the quit India Movement shook the foundation of the British rule in India.
76. Examine why did Gandhiji start the salt satyagraha. Why was salt satyagraha a notable
event?
Answer:-
i) On 12th March 1930, Gandhi began his Dandi March from Sabarmati Ashram in
Ahmedabad to Dandi a coastal village in Gujarat with his 78 followers.
ii) It was the event that first brought Mahatma Gandhi to world attention.
iii) The march was widely covered by the European and American press.
iv) It was the first nationalist activity in which women participated in large numbers.
v) It was the Salt march which forced upon the British the realization that their Raj would
not last forever.
vi) This was known as Civil disobedience movement in which people from all section of the
society participated.
vii) The foreign cloths were boycotted, brought decline in the revenue of British.
viii) The Salt satyagraha played an important role to make the movement, national movement
or mass movement.
77. Explain the source from which we can reconstruct the political career of Mahatma
Gandhi and history of National Movement of India.
Answer:-
o Autobiographies
i) Autobiographies give us and account of the rich and memorable past.
ii) After reading an Autobiography, we come to know what the author could
recollect and what things were important from his point of view.
iii) Autobiographies also give an insight on the views and perceptions of a witer.
iv) So autobiographies should be carefully read and interpreted.
v) The autobiography of Mahatma Gandhi, “My Experiments with Truth” had
become quite popular because of its straight forwardness.

o Government Records
i) The Government records are also an important source of information.
ii) The reports made by policemen and other officials were confidential.
iii) In 20th century, many fortnightly reports were written. Such reports were
prepared after every two weeks.
iv) They were based on the information received from policemen and other officials.
v) The report of Dandi March tells us that the home ministry was not ready to
acknowledge that Gandhiji enjoyed mass support.
o Public Voice and Personal Writing
i) The writings and speeches of Mahatma Gandhi and his contemporaries are
important source.
ii) The speeches were written with a certain objective in mind.
iii) They allow us to hear the public thoughts of the speaker in his speech.
iv) But private letters tell us writer’s personal and private thoughts.
v) These letters tell us about the anger and suffering, anxiety and dissatisfaction,
hopes and frustration of the writer.
vi) Mahatma Gandhi used to publish the letters that he got from the people in his
newspaper titled ‘Harijan’.
vii) Nehru also published the letters addressed to Mahatma Gandhi under the title ‘A
Bunch of Old Letters’.
78. Explain the ideals introduced by Jawaharal Nehru in the ‘Objectives Resolution’ that
were to be kept in mind while framing the constitution of India.
Ans. :-
1. The Objective Resolution was presented in the Constituent Assembly on 13 December,
1946 by Jawaharlal Nehru.
It outlined the ideals and objectives of the constitution which are as follows:
i) India was declared as an Independent Sovereign Republic.
ii) It assured justice, equality, liberty and fraternity to all its citizens.
iii) It provided adequate safeguards to minorities.
iv) It referred to the well being of the backward and depressed classes.
v) India would combine the liberal ideas of the democracy with the socialist ideas of
economic justice.
vi) India would adopt that form of government which would be acceptable to its
people.
vii) India would be a federation.
viii) India would work for world peace and human welfare.
79. How did the constituent Assembly seek to resolve the language controversy? Explain.
Ans:-
i) In the Constituent Assembly, the language issue is debated over many months and
generated intense arguments.
ii) Mahatma Gandhi was in favour of Hindustani language. It was a blend of Hindi and
Urdu. It was spoken by most of the people of India.
iii) R.V. Dhulekar, a congressman from the United Province wanted that Hindi should be
used as the language of constitution making.
iv) Finally the Language Committee of the Constituent Assembly provided for a compromise
formula to resolve the deadlock between those who advocated Hindi as the official
language and those who opposed it.
v) It was now decided that Hindi in the Devanagari script would be the official language but
the transition to Hindi would be gradual.
vi) For the first fifteen years, English would continue to be used for all official purposes.
vii) Each province was to be allowed to choose one of the regional languages for official
work within the province.
viii) By referring to Hindi as the official rather than the national language, the Language
Committee hoped to arrive at a solution that would be acceptable to all.
80. How did the constituent assembly of India protect the powers of the central government?
Answer:-
i) The issue of relation between the centre and the states was highly debated in the meetings
of the Constituent Assembly.
ii) Jawaharlal Nehru was in favor of strong centre. He said that a weak central government
will harmful to the country.
iii) Dr. B. R. Ambedkar also wanted a strong centre. He said that it should more stronger
than visualized in the Govt. of India Act of 1935.
iv) Gopalaswami Ayyar had said that the centre should be as strong as possible.
v) Bal Krishan Sharma, a member of the United Province threw a lot of light on the need for
a strong centre.
vi) He said that only a strong centre can make plans for the interest of the country, can
provide resources, can establish proper order and can save the country from foreign
invasion.
vii) So as compared to states, the centre has been made strong in India.
81. What were the arguments in favour of greater power to the provinces/States?
Answer :-
i) Many like K. Santhanam felt that giving more and more powers to the centre could not
make it effective.
ii) He said that if the Centre was overburdened with responsibilities, it would not be able to
function effectively.
iii) He stated that by transferring some of its powers to the states, the Centre could in fact be
strengthened.
iv) Moreover, the proposed financial allocation of powers would impoverish the provinces as
most taxes were to be given to the Centre.
v) Many members fought hard for fewer items to be put on the Concurrent and union lists.
vi) A member from Orissa also feared that the Centre would break as powers had been
excessively centralized under the Constitution.
82. Discuss the different arguments made in favour of protection of the oppressed groups.
Answer:-
i) During freedom struggle, Dr. B. R. Ambedkar demanded separate electorates for the
depressed caste.
ii) But Mahatma Gandhi did not like this proposal. He said that this would permanently
separate the depressed castes from mainstream of the society.
iii) Some members suggested protection and safeguards to resolve the problems of
untouchables.
iv) They felt that there must be a change in social norms and moral values of the caste
society.
v) J. Nagappa wanted to end the exploitation of depressed castes. He said that people made
use of their labour and services but kept them away from their social setup .
vi) He stated that people did not eat with them and allow them to enter the temples.
vii) Nagappa told that the depressed caste must be educated and get their share in the
administration.
viii) Because of these arguments, the Constituent Assembly recommended to abolish
untouchablility.
ix) It also recommended to open all the Hindu temples to all castes and reservation of seats
in legislatures and jobs in government offices.