1.Explain the Great Bath as a notable structure in the Indus Valley civilization.
(Chapter 1: Bricks, Beads and Bones - The Harappan Civilisation)

Ans:

• The Great Bath was a large rectangular tank in a courtyard surrounded by a corridor on all four sides.
• There were two flights of steps on the north and south leading into the tank, which was made watertight by setting bricks on edge and using a mortar of gypsum.
• There were rooms on three sides, in one of which was a large well.
• Water from the tank flowed into a huge drain. Across a lane to the north lay a smaller building with eight bathrooms, four on each side of a corridor, with drains from each bathroom connecting to a drain that ran along the corridor.
• The uniqueness of the structure, as well as the context in which it was found has led scholars to suggest that it was meant for some kind of a special ritual bath.

2.Explain the different coins in circulation in the sixth century BCE.
(Chapter 2: Kings, Farmers and Towns - Early States and Economies)

Ans:

• In the sixth century BCE exchanges were facilitated by the introduction of coinage.
• Punch-marked coins made of silver and copper were amongst the earliest to be minted and used.
• The first coins to bear the names and images of rulers were issued by the Indo-Greeks, who established control over the north-western part of the subcontinent c. second century BCE.
• The first gold coins were issued c. first century CE by the Kushanas.
• Hoards of Roman coins have been found from archaeological sites in south India.
• Coins were also issued by tribal republics such as that of the Yaudheyas of Punjab and Haryana.
• Archaeologists have unearthed several thousand copper coins issued by the Yaudheyas, pointing to the latter’s interest and participation in economic exchanges.
• Some of the most spectacular gold coins were issued by the Gupta rulers.

................................ Advertisement ................................

3.What were the view points of Al-Biruni on Indian caste system ?
(Chapter 5: Through the Eyes of Travellers : Perceptions of Society)

Ans:

• Al-Biruni tried to explain the caste system by looking for parallels in other societies.
• In ancient Persia, four social categories were recognised: those of knights and princes; monks, fire-priests and lawyers; physicians, astronomers and other scientists; and finally, peasants and artisans. His suggestion was that social divisions were not unique to India.
• At the same time he pointed out that within Islam all men were considered equal, differing only in their observance of piety.
• Al-Biruni's description of the caste system was deeply influenced by his study of normative Sanskrit texts which laid down the rules governing the system from the point of view of the Brahmanas.

4.What were the views of foreign travellers on women and slaves in medieval India ?
(Chapter 5: Through the Eyes of Travellers : Perceptions of Society)

Ans:
Slaves

• Slaves were openly sold in markets, like any other commodity, and were regularly exchanged as gifts.
• Some female slaves in the service of the Sultan were experts in music and dance.
• Female slaves were also employed by the Sultan to keep a watch on his nobles.
• Slaves were generally used for domestic labour.

• In India the practice of sati say women embracing death cheerfully while others were forced to die.
• Women labour was crucial in both agricultural and non-agricultural production.
• Women from merchant families participated in commercial activities, sometimes even taking mercantile disputes to the court of law. It therefore seems unlikely that women were confined to the private spaces of their homes.

................................ Advertisement ................................

5.What were the achievements of Krishnadevaraya ?
(Chapter 7:An Imperial Capital - Vijayanagara)

Ans:

• Krishnadeva Raya belonged to the Tuluva dynasty.
• Krishnadeva Raya’s rule was characterised by expansion and consolidation.
• Under Krishnadeva Raya the kingdom remained in a constant state of military preparedness, but flourished under conditions of unparalleled peace and prosperity.
• Krishnadeva Raya is credited with building some fine temples and adding impressive gopurams to many important south Indian temples.
• He also founded a suburban township near Vijayanagara called Nagalapuram after his mother.
• Krishnadeva Raya (ruled 1509-29), the most famous ruler of Vijayanagara, composed a work on statecraft in Telugu known as the Amuktamalyada.

6.Write a note on Mahanavami dibba.
(Chapter 7:An Imperial Capital - Vijayanagara)

Ans:

• "Mahanavami dibba" is a massive platform rising from a base of about 11,000 sq. ft to a height of 40 ft.
• There is evidence that it supported a wooden structure. The base of the platform is covered with relief carvings.
• Rituals associated with the structure probably coincided with Mahanavami (literally, the great ninth day) of the ten-day Hindu festival during the autumn months of September and October, known variously as Dusehra (northern India), Durga Puja (in Bengal)and Navaratri or Mahanavami (in peninsular India).
• The Vijayanagara kings displayed their prestige, power and suzerainty on this occasion.
• The ceremonies performed on the occasion included worship of the image, worship of the state horse, and the sacrifice of buffaloes and other animals.

7. Examine the religious policy of the Mughals.
(Chapter 9:Kings and Chronicles : The Mughal Courts)

Ans:

• Mughal chronicles present the empire as comprising many different ethnic and religious communities – Hindus, Jainas, Zoroastrians and Muslims.
• The emperor stood above all religious and ethnic groups, mediated among them, and ensured that justice and peace prevailed.
• In sulh-i kul all religions and schools of thought had freedom of expression but without interference with the authority of the state or fight among themselves.
• The ideal of sulh-i kul was implemented through state policies among Iranis, Turanis, Afghans, Rajputs, Deccanis – all of whom were given positions and awards purely on the basis of their service and loyalty to the king.
• Akbar abolished the tax on pilgrimage in 1563 and jizya in 1564 as the two were based on religious discrimination.
• Instructions were sent to officers of the empire to follow the precept of sulh-i kul in administration.

................................ Advertisement ................................

8.Explain the features of the "Subsidiary Alliance" devised by Lord Wellesley in 1798.
(Chapter 11 : Rebels and the Raj - The Revolt of 1857 and Its Representations)

Ans:
Subsidiary Alliance was a system devised by Lord Wellesley in 1798. All those who entered into such an alliance with the British had to accept certain terms and conditions:
(a) The British would be responsible for protecting their ally from external and internal threats to their power.
(b) In the territory of the ally, a British armed contingent would be stationed.
(c) The ally would have to provide the resources for maintaining this contingent.
(d) The ally could enter into agreements with other rulers or engage in warfare only with the permission of the British.

9.Discuss the Domestic Architecture of the Harappan Civilization.
(Chapter 1 : Bricks, Beads and Bones - The Harappan Civilisation)

Ans:

• The courtyard was probably the centre of activities such as cooking and weaving, particularly during hot and dry weather.
• The privacy is given more importance as there are no windows in the walls along the ground level. Besides, the main entrance does not give a direct view of the interior or the courtyard.
• Every house had its own bathroom paved with bricks, with drains connected through the wall to the street drains.
• Some houses have remains of staircases to reach a second storey or the roof.
• Many houses had wells, often in a room that could be reached from the outside and perhaps used by passers-by.
• Scholars have estimated that the total number of wells in Mohenjodaro was about 700.

10.Discuss the Religious Practices of the Harappan Civilization.
(Chapter 1 : Bricks, Beads and Bones - The Harappan Civilisation)

Ans:

• The religious beliefs and practices of Harappan Civilization is made by examining seals, some of which seem to depict ritual scenes.
• Seals plant motifs, are thought to indicate nature worship.
• Some animals – such as the one-horned animal, often called the "unicorn" – depicted on seals seem to be mythical, composite creatures.
• In some seals, a figure shown seated cross-legged in a "yogic" posture, sometimes surrounded by animals, has been regarded as a depiction of "proto-Shiva", that is, an early form of one of the major deities of Hinduism.
• Besides, conical stone objects have been classified as lingas.

................................ Advertisement ................................

11.What information does Megasthenes give us about the Mauryan administration?
(Chapter 2 : Kings,Farmers and Towns - Early States and Economies)

Ans:
Megasthenes mentions a committee with six subcommittees for coordinating military activity.

• one looked after the navy.
• the second managed transport and provisions
• the third was responsible for foot-soldiers,
• the fourth for horses,
• the fifth for chariots and the sixth for elephants.

12."The most unique feature of the Harappan civilization was the development of domestic architecture." Substantiate the statement.
(Chapter 1 : Bricks, Beads and Bones - The Harappan Civilisation)

Ans:

• The courtyard was probably the centre of activities such as cooking and weaving, particularly during hot and dry weather.
• The privacy is given more importance as there are no windows in the walls along the ground level. Besides, the main entrance does not give a direct view of the interior or the courtyard.
• Every house had its own bathroom paved with bricks, with drains connected through the wall to the street drains.
• Some houses have remains of staircases to reach a second storey or the roof.
• Many houses had wells, often in a room that could be reached from the outside and perhaps used by passers-by.
• Scholars have estimated that the total number of wells in Mohenjodaro was about 700.

................................ Advertisement ................................

13.Examine any two evidences found by the archaeologist B.B. Lal after excavation at a village named Hastinapur in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh.
(Chapter 3 : Kinship, Caste and Class : Early Societies)

Ans:
The findings were as follows:

• The limited area excavated, no definite plans of houses were obtained, but walls of mud and mud-bricks were duly encountered.
• The discovery of mud-plaster with prominent reed-marks suggested that some of the houses had reed walls plastered over with mud.
• Houses of this period were built of mud-brick as well as burnt bricks.
• Soakage jars and brick drains were used for draining out refuse water, while terracotta ring-wells may have been used both as wells and drainage pits.

14.Describe the main teachings of Baba Guru Nanak.
(Chapter 6 : Bhakti- Sufi Traditions - Changes in Religious Beliefs and Devotional Texts)

Ans:

• The message of Baba Guru Nanak is spelt out in his hymns and teachings. He advocated a form of nirguna bhakti.
• He firmly repudiated the external practices of the religions he saw around him. He rejected sacrifices, ritual baths, image worship, austerities and the scriptures of both Hindus and Muslims.
• For Baba Guru Nanak, the Absolute or "rab" had no gender or form.
• He proposed a simple way to connect to the Divine by remembering and repeating the Divine Name, expressing his ideas through hymns called "shabad" in Punjabi.
• Baba Guru Nanak would sing these compositions in various ragas while his attendant Mardana played the rabab .

................................ Advertisement ................................

15.Analyse the rituals associated with Mahanavami Dibba at the Royal Centre in Vijayanagara.
(Chapter 7 : An Imperial Capital - Vijayanagara)

Ans:

• Mahanavami the ten-day Hindu festival during the autumn months of September and October, known variously as Dusehra in northern India , Durga Puja in Bengal and Navaratri or Mahanavami in peninsular India was celebrated in Mahanavami Dibba.
• The Vijayanagara kings displayed their prestige, power and suzerainty on this occasion.
• The ceremonies performed on the occasion included worship of the image, worship of the state horse, and the sacrifice of buffaloes and other animals.
• Dances, wrestling matches, and processions of caparisoned horses, elephants and chariots and soldiers, as well as ritual presentations before the king and his guests by the chief nayakas and subordinate kings marked the occasion.
• These ceremonies were imbued with deep symbolic meanings. On the last day of the festival the king inspected his army and the armies of the nayakas in a grand ceremony in an open field.
• On this occasion the nayakas brought rich gifts for the king as well as the stipulated tribute.

16.Analyse the main features of Amara-Nayaka System which was introduced in Vijayanagara Empire.
(Chapter 7 : An Imperial Capital - Vijayanagara)

Ans:

• The amara-nayaka system was a major political innovation of the Vijayanagara Empire.
• The amara-nayakas were military commanders who were given territories to govern by the raya.
• They collected taxes and other dues from peasants, craftspersons and traders in the area.
• They retained part of the revenue for personal use and for maintaining a stipulated contingent of horses and elephants.
• The amara-nayakas sent tribute to the king annually and personally appeared in the royal court with gifts to express their loyalty.

17.Why was the Colonial Government keen on carrying out regular surveys and mapping various parts of the country ? Explain.
(Chapter 12 : Colonial Cities - Urbanisation, Planning and Architecture)

Ans:

• To keep track of life in the growing cities, they carried out regular surveys, gathered statistical data, and published various official reports.
• It felt that good maps were necessary to understand the landscape and know the topography and also knowledge of the region.
• When towns began to grow, maps were prepared not only to plan the development of these towns but also to develop commerce and consolidate power.
• The town maps give information regarding the location of hills, rivers and vegetation, all important for planning structures for defence purposes.
• They also show the location of ghats, density and quality of houses and alignment of roads, used to gauge commercial possibilities and plan strategies of taxation.

................................ Advertisement ................................

18.Why did Taluqdars and Sepoys of Awadh join the Revolt of 1857 ? Explain.
(Chapter 11 : Rebels and the Raj - The Revolt of 1857 and Its Representations)

Ans:

• Taluqdars maintained armed retainers, built forts, and enjoyed a degree of autonomy , also the bigger taluqdars had as many as 12,000 footsoldiers and even the smaller ones had about 200.
• The British were unwilling to tolerate the power of the taluqdars. Immediately after the annexation, the taluqdars were disarmed and their forts destroyed.
• The British land revenue policy further undermined the position and authority of the taluqdars.
• A vast majority of the sepoys were recruited from the villages of Awadh and they had complained of low levels of pay and the difficulty of getting leave.
• The British officers developed a sense of superiority and started treating the sepoys as their racial inferiors, riding roughshod over their sensibilities,abuse and physical violence etc.
• The changing relationship of Taluqdars and Sepoys of Awadh with the British made them join the revolt of 1857.

19."The India in which Gandhiji came back to in 1915 was rather different than the one that he had left in 1893." Substantiate the statement.
(Chapter 13 : Mahatma Gandhi and the Nationalist Movement - Civil Disobedience and Beyond)

Ans:

• India had become far more active in a political sense than earlier.
• National Congress now had branches in most major cities and towns.
• The Swadeshi movement of 1905-07 had greatly broadened its appeal among the middle classes.
• The movement had created some powerful leaders like Bal Gangadhar Tilak of Maharashtra, Bipin Chandra Pal of Bengal, and Lala Lajpat Rai of Punjab.
• Gandhiji spent a year travelling around British India, getting to know the land and its peoples.
• His first major public appearance was at the opening of the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) in February 1916.

20.Analyse the problems being faced by the archaeologists to reconstruct the religious practices of Harappans.
(Chapter 1 : Bricks, Beads and Bones - The Harappan Civilisation)

Ans:

• Archaeologists thought that certain objects which seemed unusual or unfamiliar may have had a religious significance for example terracotta figurines of women, heavily jewelled, some with elaborate headdresses.They were considered as mother goddesses.
• Rare stone statuary of men in an almost standardised posture, seated with one hand on the knee – such as the "priest-king" – were classified as male goddesses.
• Structures have been assigned ritual significance for example the Great Bath and fire altars found at Kalibangan and Lothal.
• Attempts have also been made to reconstruct religious beliefs and practices by examining seals, some of which seem to depict ritual scenes.
• Having plant motifs, are thought to indicate nature worship.
• Some animals – such as the one-horned animal, often called the "unicorn" – depicted on seals seem to be mythical, composite creatures.
• In some seals, a figure shown seated cross-legged in a "yogic" posture, sometimes surrounded by animals, has been regarded as a depiction of "proto-Shiva".

................................ Advertisement ................................

21.Explain the reasons why the British took upon themselves the task of town planning from the early years of their rule in Bengal. Mention any two steps taken by them to clean Calcutta.
(Chapter 12 : Colonial Cities - Urbanisation, Planning and Architecture)

Ans:

• The British did not have faith in , Sirajudaula, the Nawab of Bengal as he had attacked the fort, so British themselves took the task of town planning.One main motive of them was defence.
• When Sirajudaula was defeated in the Battle of Plassey, the East India Company decided to build a new fort, one that could not be easily attacked.
• They created open places in the city , as there was crowding, excessive vegetation, the dirty tanks, the smells and poor drainage which was the main concern for diseases in the city.
• Many bazaars, ghats, burial grounds, and tanneries were cleared or removed.
• The notion of "public health" became an idea that was proclaimed in projects of town clearance and town planning.

22.Describe Ibn Battuta's description of Indian system of communication.
(Chapter 5 : Through the Eyes of Travellers - Perceptions of Society)

Ans:
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.
The postal system was so efficient that while it took fifty days to reach Delhi from Sind, the news reports of spies would reach the Sultan through the postal system in just five days.

23."Water resources were well developed in an Imperial Capital – Vijayanagara." Support the statement with examples.
(Chapter 7 : An Imperial Capital - Vijayanagara)

Ans:

• The most striking feature about the location of Vijayanagara is the natural basin formed by the river Tungabhadra.
• The surrounding landscape is characterised by stunning granite hills that seem to form a girdle around the city.
• A number of streams flow down to the river from these rocky outcrops.
• Embankments were built along these streams to create reservoirs of varying sizes.
• The most important tank was built in the early years of the fifteenth century and is now called Kamalapuram tank.
• Water from this tank not only irrigated fields nearby but was also conducted through a channel to the "royal centre".
• The Hiriya canal drew water from a dam across the Tungabhadra and irrigated the cultivated valley that separated the "sacred centre" from the "urban core".

24."Art, literature and imageries have helped in keeping alive the memory of 1857." Justify the statement in the context of Indian nationalism.
(Chapter 11 : Rebels and the Raj - The Revolt of 1857 and Its Representations)

Ans:

• Art and literature, as much as the writing of history, have helped in keeping alive the memory of 1857.The leaders of the revolt were presented as heroic figures leading the country into battle, rousing the people to righteous indignation against oppressive imperial rule.
• Heroic poems were written about the valour of the queen who, with a sword in one hand and the reins of her horse in the other, fought for the freedom of her motherland.
• Rani of Jhansi was represented as a masculine figure chasing the enemy, slaying British soldiers and valiantly fighting till her last.
• In popular prints Rani Lakshmi Bai is usually portrayed in battle armour, with a sword in hand and riding a horse – a symbol of the determination to resist injustice and alien rule.

25.Explain how Magadha became the most powerful Janapada between the sixth and fourth centuries BCE.
(Chapter 2 : Kings, Farmers and Towns - Early States and Economies)

Ans:

• Magadha was a region where agriculture was especially productive.
• Iron mines (in present-day Jharkhand) were accessible and provided resources for tools and weapons.
• Elephants, an important component of the army, were found in forests in the region.
• The Ganga and its tributaries provided a means of cheap and convenient communication.
• Buddhist and Jaina preached Magadha power to the policies of individuals: ruthlessly ambitious kings like Bimbisara, Ajatasattu and Mahapadma Nanda are the best known, and also their ministers who helped them to implement the policies.
• Rajagaha capital of Magadha was a fortified settlement, located amongst hills.

26.Describe the features of coinage in India from sixth century BCE to sixth century CE.
(Chapter 2 : Kings, Farmers and Towns - Early States and Economies)

Ans:

• Punch-marked coins made of silver and copper in the sixth century onwards were amongst the earliest to be minted and used.
• The symbols on punch marked coins of specific ruling dynasties, including the Mauryas, suggest that these were issued by kings.
• They were recovered from excavations at a number of sites throughout the subcontinent.
• The first coins to bear the names and images of rulers were issued by the Indo-Greeks.
• The first gold coins were issued c. first century CE by the Kushanas.
• Coins were also issued by tribal republics such as that of the Yaudheyas of Punjab and Haryana.
• Archaeologists have unearthed several thousand copper coins issued by the Yaudheyas.
• The most spectacular gold coins were issued by the Gupta rulers. These coins facilitated long-distance transactions from which kings also benefited.

27.What were the conditions of Indian society when Gandhi came back to India in 1915 ?
(Chapter 13: Mahatma Gandhi and the Nationalist Movement - Civil Disobedience and Beyond)

28.Describe Al-Biruni's description of the caste system in India.

................................ Advertisement ................................

29."In Awadh, the Revolt of 1857 became an expression of popular resistance to an alien order." Justify the statement in the context of taluqdars and peasants.

30."The domestic architecture of Mohenjodaro was unique." Explain the statement with examples.

................................ Advertisement ................................

31."Kabir is perhaps one of the most outstanding examples of a poet-saint of fourteenth-fifteenth centuries." Substantiate the statement with reference to his description of "Ultimate Reality".

32.Why was the Vitthala temple of Vijayanagara considered unique and interesting ? Explain with example.

33.Explain the significance of enclosing agricultural land within the fortified area of the city of Vijayanagara.

34.Critically examine the Deccan Riots Commission's Report.

35.Critically examine the policies adopted by the British for the annexation of Awadh in 1857.

................................ Advertisement ................................

36.Highlight the significant variations observed in the patterns of urbanisation during nineteenth century in India.

37.Identify the relationship between the Sufis and the State from eleventh to the sixteenth centuries.

38."The architectural style of Bombay reflected the imperial vision." Substantiate the statement with any two examples.

39."François Bernier's description influenced Western theorists from the eighteenth century onwards." Justify the statement.

40.Examine how art and literature presented Rani Laxmibai as a heroic figure of the revolt of 1857.

41.How have historians provided new insight into the subsistence strategies of the Harappan culture ? Explain.

................................ Advertisement ................................

42.Explain the contribution of John Marshall in Indian Archaeology.

43.Why is the sixth century BCE often regarded as a major turning point in early Indian history ? Explain.

44. State the factors that helped Magadha emerge as the most powerful Mahajanpada in the 6th century BCE.

45."The Begums of Bhopal played a significant role in preserving the remains of Stupa at Sanchi." Support this statement with suitable evidence.

46. Describe the trade relations of the Harappans with West Asia.

47."The rules of the Brahmanical text were not universally followed in ancient time". Justify giving five evidence.

48."Bernier's accounts influenced western theorists from the 18th century". Give arguments to support the statement.

................................ Advertisement ................................

49. What are the distinctive features of the Mughal mobility? Give any five.

50.Why do you think that the traditions of Baba Guru Nanak remain significant even in the 21st century?

51."The British Government consciously developed the city of Madras to reflect their racial superiority". Justify the statement giving suitable arguments.

52.Describe the events that led to the Non-Cooperation Movement.

53.Describe any two architectural styles used by the British in the construction of public buildings in Bombay. Give one example from each.

54.Assess the impact of partition of India on Indian women.