1. Why do we say that the Harappans were concerned about the privacy of their homes ?
(Chapter 1: Bricks, Beads and Bones - The Harappan Civilisation)

Ans: Because

• there are no windows in the walls along the ground level.
• The main entrance does not give a direct view of the interior or the courtyard.

2.What were the duties of the samantas in the Gupta empire ?
(Chapter 2: Kings, Farmers and Towns - Early States and Economies)

Ans: Samantas are men who maintained themselves through local resources including control over land.They offered homage and provided military support to rulers

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3.What were "Camp towns" according to Bernier ?
(Chapter 5 : Through the Eyes of Travellers - Perceptions of Society)

Ans:
Bernier described Mughal cities as "camp towns", by which he meant towns that owed their existence, and depended for their survival, on the imperial camp. He believed that these came into existence when the imperial court moved in and rapidly declined when it moved out.

4. How did the Mughals maintain good relationship with the Jesuits ?
(Chapter 9 : Kings and Chronicles - The Mughal Courts)

Ans:Akbar was curious about Christianity and dispatched an embassy to Goa to invite Jesuit priests. The first Jesuit mission reached the Mughal court at Fatehpur Sikri in 1580 and stayed for about two years. The Jesuits spoke to Akbar about Christianity and debated its virtues with the ulama. Two more missions were sent to the Mughal court at Lahore, in 1591 and 1595.

5.What attempts were made by the British to repress the revolt of 1857 ? (any two points)
(Chapter 11: Rebels and the Raj - The Revolt of 1857 and Its Representations)

Ans:

• In May and June 1857, North India was put under martial law and military officers and even ordinary Britons were given the power to try and punish Indians suspected of rebellion.
• With the new laws in action , the British thus mounted a two-pronged attack. One force moved from Calcutta into North India and the other from the Punjab – which was largely peaceful – to reconquer Delhi.
• The British used military power on a gigantic scale. In large parts of present-day Uttar Pradesh, where big landholders and peasants had offered united resistance, the British tried to break up the unity by promising to give back to the big landholders their estates.

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6.Why was Gandhiji regarded as a "people's leader" ? (any two points)
(Chapter 13 - Mahatma Gandhi and the Nationalist Movement - Civil Disobedience and Beyond)

Ans:

• Most of the people referred Gandhiji, as their "Mahatma". They appreciated the fact that he dressed like them, lived like them, and spoke their language.
• He spent part of each day working on the charkha (spinning wheel), and encouraged other nationalists to do likewise.
• Gandhiji appeared to the Indian peasant as a saviour, who would rescue them from high taxes and oppressive officials and restore dignity and autonomy to their lives.

7.What was the nature of the Drainage System in the Harappan Civilization?
(Chapter 1: Bricks, Beads and Bones - The Harappan Civilisation)

Ans:
One of the most distinctive features of Harappan cities was the carefully planned drainage system. If you look at the plan of the Lower Town you will notice that roads and streets were laid out along an approximate “grid” pattern, intersecting at right angles. It seems that streets with drains were laid out first and then houses built along them.
Every house had its own bathroom paved with bricks, with drains connected through the wall to the street drains. House drains first emptied into a sump or cesspit into which solid matter settled while waste water flowed out into the street drains.

8.Why did Magadha emerge as a powerful Mahajanapada in the 6th Century?
(Chapter 2: Kings, Farmers and Towns - Early States and Economies)

Ans:
Between the sixth and the fourth centuries BCE, Magadha (in present-day Bihar) became the most powerful mahajanapada because:

• Magadha was a region where agriculture was especially productive.
• Iron mines were accessible and provided resources for tools and weapons. Elephants, an important component of the army, were found in forests in that region.
• The Ganga and its tributaries provided a means of cheap and convenient communication.

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9."John Marshall's stint as Director General of the Archaeological Survey of India marked a major change in Indian Archaeology." Explain the statement.
(Chapter 1: Bricks, Beads and Bones - The Harappan Civilisation)

Ans:

• He was the first professional archaeologist to work in India, and brought his experience of working in Greece and Crete to the field.
• More importantly, though like Cunningham he too was interested in spectacular finds, he was equally keen to look for patterns of everyday life.

10.State the role played by women in agrarian society during 16th and 17th centuries.
(Chapter 8: Peasants, Zamindars and the State - Agrarian Society and the Mughal Empire)

Ans:

• In agrarian society tasks such as spinning yarn, sifting and kneading clay for pottery, and embroidery were among the many aspects of production dependent on female labour. The more commercialised the product, the greater the demand on women’s labour to produce it.
• In fact, peasant and artisan women worked not only in the fields, but even went to the houses of their employers or to the markets if necessary.
• Women were considered an important resource in agrarian society also because they were child bearers in a society dependent on labour.

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11.Why did Jaipal Singh plead for the protection of tribes in the Constituent Assembly ? Explain any two reasons.
(Chapter 15 - Framing the Constitution - The Beginning of a New Era)

Ans:
Because:

• They had been dispossessed of the land they had settled, deprived of their forests and pastures, and forced to move in search of new homes.
• Perceiving them as primitive and backward, the rest of society had turned away from them, spurned them.
• He made a moving plea for breaking the emotional and physical distance that separated the tribals from the rest of society: "Our point is that you have got to mix with us. We are willing to mix with you … ".
• Singh was not asking for separate electorates, but he felt that reservation of seats in the legislature was essential to allow tribals to represent themselves. It would be a way, he said, of compelling others to hear the voice of tribals, and come near them.

12.Explain the ideals expressed in "Objectives Resolution" introduced by Jawaharlal Nehru.
(Chapter 15: Framing the Constitution - The Beginning of a New Era)

Ans:

• It proclaimed India to be an "Independent Sovereign Republic".
• It guaranteed its citizens justice, equality and freedom, and assured that "adequate safeguards shall be provided for minorities, backward and tribal areas, and Depressed and Other Backward Classes … "

13.Explain any two strategies evolved by the Brahmins to enforce Varna order during the Mahabharata period.
(Chapter 3 : Kinship, Caste and Class - Early Societies)

Ans:
The strategies were as follows:

• One, was to assert that the varna order was of divine origin.
• They advised kings to ensure that these norms were followed within their kingdoms.
• They attempted to persuade people that their status was determined by birth.

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14.Analyse the role of Abul Fazl in the empire of Akbar.
(Chapter 9: Kings and Chronicles - The Mughal Courts)

Ans:

• Abu'l Fazl worked on the Akbar Nama for thirteen years, repeatedly revising the draft.
• Abu'l Fazl wrote in a language that was ornate and which attached importance to diction and rhythm, as texts were often read aloud.

15.State any two outcomes of the Cabinet Mission Plan.
(Chapter 14 : Understanding Partition - Politics, Memories, Experiences)

Ans:

• The Cabinet Mission recommended a loose three-tier confederation.
• It was to have a weak central government controlling only foreign affairs, defence and communications.
• The provincial assemblies were grouped into three sections while electing the constituent assembly: Section A for the Hindumajority provinces, and Sections B and C for the Muslim-majority provinces of the north-west and the north-east (including Assam) respectively.

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16.State any two outcomes of the Provincial elections held in 1946.
(Chapter 14 : Understanding Partition - Politics, Memories, Experiences)

Ans:

• The Congress swept the general constituencies, capturing 91.3 per cent of the non-Muslim vote.
• The League's success in the seats reserved for Muslims was equally spectacular: it won all 30 reserved constituencies in the Centre with 86.6 per cent of the Muslim vote and 442 out of 509 seats in the provinces.

17.Examine how archaeologists have used burials to find out the social and economic differences amongst Harappan people.
(Chapter 1: Bricks, Beads and Bones - The Harappan Civilisation)

Ans:

• At burials in Harappan sites the dead were generally laid in pits.
• Sometimes, there were differences in the way the burial pit was made – in some instances, the hollowed-out spaces were lined with bricks just giving an indication of social differences.
• Some graves contain pottery ,ornaments, jewellery for both men and women perhaps indicating a belief that these could be used in the afterlife.

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18.Analyse the areas of Cunningham’s confusion in understanding the significance of Harappa.
(Chapter 1: Bricks, Beads and Bones - The Harappan Civilisation)

Ans:

• A site like Harappa, which was not part of the itinerary of the Chinese pilgrims and was not known as an Early Historic city, did not fit very neatly within his framework of investigation.
• Harappan artefacts were found fairly often during the nineteenth century and some of these reached Cunningham, but he did not realise how old they were.
• A Harappan seal was given to Cunningham by an Englishman. He noted the object, but unsuccessfully tried to place it within the time-frame with which he was familiar as he thought Indian history began with the first cities in the Ganga valley.

19.Why is "Objectives Resolution" of Jawaharlal Nehru considered as a momentous resolution ? Give any two reasons.
(Chapter 15 :Framing the Constitution - The Beginning of a New Era)

• It was a momentous resolution that outlined the defining ideals of the Constitution of Independent India, and provided the framework within which the work of constitution-making was to proceed.
• It proclaimed India to be an "Independent Sovereign Republic".
• It guaranteed its citizens justice, equality and freedom, and assured that adequate safeguards shall be provided for minorities, backward and tribal areas, and Depressed and Other Backward Classes.

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20.How did Kushana rulers exemplify themselves with the high status ?
(Chapter 2 : Kings, Farmers and Towns : Early States and Economies)

Ans:
The high status is mostly exemplified with variety of deities and the best example is Kushanas.

• Colossal statues of Kushana rulers have been found installed in a shrine at Mat near Mathura (Uttar Pradesh) and also in a shrine in Afghanistan as well.
• Some historians feel indicates that the Kushanas considered themselves godlike.
• Many Kushana rulers also adopted the title devaputra, or "son of god", possibly inspired by Chinese rulers who called themselves sons of heaven.

21.State any two characteristic features of the Vitthala temple of Vijayanagara.
(Chapter 7 : An Imperial Capital - Vijayanagara)

Ans:

• The temple has several halls and a unique shrine designed as a chariot.
• A characteristic feature of the temple complexes is the chariot streets that extended from the temple gopuram in a straight line.
• These streets were paved with stone slabs and lined with pillared pavilions in which merchants set up their shops.

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22.State any two features of the urban core of Vijayanagara.
(Chapter 7 : An Imperial Capital - Vijayanagara)

Ans:

• Archaeologists have found fine Chinese porcelain in some areas of the urban core and that indicates that these areas may have been occupied by rich traders.
• Field surveys indicate that the entire area was dotted with numerous shrines and small temples.
• Tombs and mosques located here have distinctive functions, yet their architecture resembles that of the mandapas found in the temples of Hampi.

23.Analyse the reasons for the Santhal revolt.
(Chapter 10: Colonialism and the Countryside - Exploring Official Archives)

Ans:
The reasons for revolt are:

• The Santhals, found that the land they had brought under cultivation was slipping away from their hands.
• The state was putting heavy taxes on the land that the Santhals had cleared, moneylenders were charging them high rates of interest and taking over the land when debts remain unpaid, and zamindars were asserting control over the Damin area.

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24.State any two reasons for the decline of the Vijayanagara Empire.
(Chapter 7 : An Imperial Capital - Vijayanagara)

Ans:

• The military ambitions of the rulers of Vijayanagara as well as those of the Deccan Sultanates resulted in shifting alignments. Eventually this led to an alliance of the Sultanates against Vijayanagara.
• In 1565 the battle at Talikota, where the forces were routed by the combined armies of Bijapur, Ahmadnagar and Golconda. The victorious armies sacked the city of Vijayanagara.The city was totally abandoned within a few years.

25. Mention two main functions of the Village Panchayats in the 16th and 17th centuries in India.
(Chapter 8:Peasants, Zamindars and the State - Agrarian Society and the Mughal Empire)

Ans:

• One important function of the panchayat was to ensure that caste boundaries among the various communities inhabiting the village were upheld.
• Panchayats also had the authority to levy fines and inflict more serious forms of punishment like expulsion from the community.

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26. Why did the Zamindars default on the payment of revenues under the British government? Give two reasons.
(Chapter 10:Colonialism and the Countryside - Exploring Official Archives)

Ans:
First: the initial demands were very high. This was because it was felt that if the demand was fixed for all time to come, the Company would never be able to claim a share of increased income from land when prices rose and cultivation expanded. To minimise this anticipated loss, the Company pegged the revenue demand high, arguing that the burden on zamindars would gradually decline as agricultural production expanded and prices rose.
Second: this high demand was imposed in the 1790s, a time when the prices of agricultural produce were depressed, making it difficult for the ryots to pay their dues to the zamindar.

27. Why did Akbar show high respect towards the inter-faith debates? Give two reasons.
(Chapter 9 : Kings and Chronicles - The Mughal Courts)

Ans:

• The emperor was very curious for religious knowledge of Hindus, Jainas, Parsis and Christians.
• He started a debate called inter-faith debates so that all members of all religions can participate.

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28.Write any two factors that led to the end of the Harappan civilization.
(Chapter 1: Bricks, Beads and Bones - The Harappan Civilisation)

Ans:
Climatic change, deforestation, excessive floods, the shifting and/or drying up of rivers, and overuse of the landscape are considered some important factors that led to the end of the Harappan civilization.

29.Eventhough the inscriptions are a major source to reconstruct the history of ancient India, they have certain limitations. What are they? (Chapter 2: Kings, Farmers and Towns - Early States and Economies)

• Technical limitations: letters are very faintly engraved, and thus reconstructions are uncertain.
• Inscriptions may be damaged or letters missing.
• It is not always easy to be sure about the exact meaning of the words used in inscriptions, some of which may be specific to a particular place or time.
• The content of inscriptions almost invariably projects the perspective of the person(s) who commissioned them.

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30.Distinguish between Mahayana Buddhism and Hinayana Buddhism.
(Chapter 4: Thinkers, Beliefs and Buildings - Cultural Developments)

Ans:

31.Examine the role of rumours and prophecies in the revolt of 1857.
(Chapter 11:Rebels and the Raj - The Revolt of 1857 and Its Representations)

Ans:

• The rumours spread were that the British government had hatched a gigantic conspiracy to destroy the caste and religion of Hindus and Muslims.
• There was fear and suspicion that the British wanted to convert Indians to Christianity.
• The rumours said, the British had mixed the bone dust of cows and pigs into the flour that was sold in the market. In towns and cantonments, sepoys and the common people refused to touch the atta.
• Rumours of chapattis distribution from village to village.

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32.Mention the peculiarities of the Humayun Nama written by Gulbadan Begam.
(Chapter 9:Kings and Chronicles - The Mughal Courts)

Ans:

• A glimpse into the domestic world of the Mughals.
• No eulogy of the Mughal emperors.
• She described in great detail the conflicts and tensions among the princes and kings and the important mediating role elderly women of the family played in resolving some of these conflicts.