HISTORY

CHAPTER – 1 WHAT WHERE HOW AND WHEN

PREVIOUS KNOWLEDGE QUESTIONS

Q1. What is History?

Ans History is a record of the events which have happened in the past.

Q2. What are the main sources to know history?

Ans. There are several sources from which the historians gather the information
to reconstruct the past. Sources can be grouped in two main catagories:-
i. archaeological
ii. literary

NCERT SOLUTIONS

1. Match the following

i. Narmada Valley The first big kingdom

ii. Magadha Hunting and gathering
iii. Garo hills Cities about 2500 years ago
iv. Indus and its tributaries Early agriculture
v. Ganga Valley The First cities
Ans.
i. Narmada Valley Hunting and gathering
ii. Magadha The first big kingdom
iii. Garo hills Early agriculture
iv. Indus and its tributaries The First cities
v. Ganga Valley Cities about 2500 years ago

SHORT QUESTION ANSWERS

1. List one major difference between manuscripts and inscriptions.

Sardhna: KalandChungi, Sardhana Meerut-250342

Meerapur: Padaw Chock, Meerapur, Muzaffarnagar- 251315
  Solution: Manuscripts, were written by hand
(this comes from the Latin word ‘manu’, meaning hand). These were usually written on
palm leaf, or on the specially prepared bark of a tree known as the birch, which grows in
the Himalayas. Inscriptions are writings on relatively hard surfaces such as stone or
metal.

2. Return to Rasheeda’s question. Can you think of some answers to it?

 Solution:
It is amazing to find out about how the world was one hundred years ago. This can be
found by way of searching old manuscripts from Libraries etc. and read about the ancient
times. Even inscriptions on stones in temples etc. would help.

3. Make a list of all the objects that archaeologists may find. Which of these could be made of
stone?
 Solution:
The remains of buildings made of stone and brick, paintings and sculpture. Tools,
weapons, pots, pans, ornaments and coins. Some of these objects may be made of stone,
others of bone, baked clay or metal.

4. Why do you think ordinary men and women did not generally keep records of what they did?
 Solution:
Ordinary men and women did not generally keep records of what they did because they
were not significant personalities but people who lived a normal day to day life.

5. Describe at least two ways in which you think the lives of kings would have been different
from those of farmers.
 Solution:
Kings and the battles fought because they kept records of their victories. Ordinary people
such as hunters, fishing folk, gatherers, farmers or herders did not keep records of what
they did.

6. Find the word crafts persons on page 1. List at least five different crafts that you know about
today. Are the crafts persons — (a) men (b) women (c) both men and women?
 Solution:
1. Pottery – Men and women.

2. Stitching – Men and women.

3. Weaving – Men and women.
4. Spinning – Men and women.
5. Origami – Men and women.

7. What were the subjects on which books were written in the past? Which of these would you
like to read?
Solution:
In the past, books were written based on various kinds of subjects: religious beliefs and practices,
the lives of kings, medicine and science. Besides, there were epics, poems, plays.

Sardhna: KalandChungi, Sardhana Meerut-250342

Meerapur: Padaw Chock, Meerapur, Muzaffarnagar- 251315
HOTS QUESTION ANSWERS

Ques.1 History is not merely a story of kings and queens, it is more than that.
How?
Ans. History is ‘HIS STORY’: the STORY OF MAN. It deals with events that have
happened in the past. It tells us how men lived from age to age, what problems
men and women faced and how they tried to solve those problems.
History tells us how people lived in the past, how they grew the plants
which gave them food, what kind of pots they used for cooking and what tools
and weapons they used. In short, it is the study of the past. The scholars who
study the past are called historians. They take the help of various sources such as
manuscripts, inscriptions and remains of buildings to reconstruct the history of
the past.

VALUE BASED QUESTIONS

Ques.1 When you visit a historical monument, what are the things you will not
do?
1. Scribble on the walls of the monument. ( )
2. Spit here and there. ( )
3. Litter the place around it with packets of eatables. ()
4. Note down important information you gather about the monument. ( )
5. Take photographs of the monument. ( )
Ans. 1. Scribble on the walls of the monument. (N)
2. Spit here and there. (N)
3. Litter the place around it with packets of eatables. (N)
4. Note down important information you gather about the monument. (Y)
5. Take photographs of the monument. (Y)

ACTIVITY

1. Case study on the topic The “Lucy”Fossil.

Ans. The “Lucy” Fossil

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Meerapur: Padaw Chock, Meerapur, Muzaffarnagar- 251315
The lucy fossil was discovered in 1974 by Paleoanthropologist,
Donald Johanson and a graduate student, Tom Gray at the site of Hadar in
Ethiopia. Surveying the area, they spotted a small part of an elbow bone. After
two weeks of excavation of the site, several hundred fragments of bone had been
recovered, representing 40 per cent of a single hominid skeleton. Johanson and
Gray named this fossil skeleton, Lucy, after the Beatles song ‘Lucy in the sky
with Diamonds’.
When compared with modern human’s skeleton Lucy’s bones are common with
evidence clearly pointing to bipedality or ability to walk on foot. She belonged to
a new species called Australopithecus afarenesis and was one of the most
important fossils ever discovered.

Sardhna: KalandChungi, Sardhana Meerut-250342

Meerapur: Padaw Chock, Meerapur, Muzaffarnagar- 251315
CHAPTER – 2 ON THE TRAILS OF THE EARLIEST PEOPLE

PREVIOUS KNOWLEDGE QUESTIONS

Q1. Which was the major discovery in the life of Early man?
Ans Fire was the major discovery of the early man.

Q2. What did early man do for his living?

Ans Early man moved from place to place in search of food for his living.

Q3. How did early man make his tools?

Ans Early man made his tools with stones.

NCERT SOLUTIONS

1. Compare the sentences:

a. Hunter- gathers chose to live in caves and rock shelters because
______________________.
b. Grasslands developed around _______ years ago.
c. Early people painted on the _____ of caves.
d. In Hunsgi, tools were made of __________.
Ans. a. they provided shelter from the rain heat and wind.
b. 12000
c. walls
d. limestone.

VERY SHORT QUESTION ANSWERS

1. What tools would you use today for cutting fruit? What would they be made of?
 Solution:

We use knife for cutting fruit. They would be made or iron or steel.

SHORT QUESTION ANSWERS

1. Look at the present-day political map of the subcontinent on page 136. Find out the states
where Bhimbetka, Hunsgi and Kurnool are located. Would Tushar’s train have passed near any
of these sites?

Sardhna: KalandChungi, Sardhana Meerut-250342

Meerapur: Padaw Chock, Meerapur, Muzaffarnagar- 251315
  Solution:
Bhimbetka is located in Madhya Pradesh.
Hunsgi is located in Maharashtra.
Kurnool is located in Andhra Pradesh.
Yes, Tushar’s train would have passed near these states
2. List three ways in which hunter-gatherers used fire (see page16). Would you use fire for any
of these purposes today?
 Solution:

Fire could have been used for many things: as a source of light, to cook meat, and to
scare away animals.

Yes, we use fire today to cook our food and sometimes as source of light, when
electricity fails.

3. If you had a natural pebble like the ones shown on page 13, what would you use it for?
 Solution:

The natural pebbles can be used to play games like (girls play the game gittas). The boys
also play games (e.g. a group of boys keep dropping pebbles at different places and
another group of boys try to find them. This is specially played in SCOUT games). The
natural pebbles can be used to decorate the flower pots and flower beds.

4. List two tasks that are performed by both men and women at present. List another two are
performed only by women, and two that are performed only by men. Compare your list with that
os any two of your classmates. Do you notice any similarities / differences in your lists?
Ans. (a). Both men and women work in the offices as clerks, managers.
(b). Both men and women work in the police department.
(c). They work as pilots, doctors, engineers.
(d). newsreadesr on television & radios and anchoring other programmes.
Men: (a). Water transport. Mostly men row the boats or captain of the ship.
(b). Under water divers, who explore the sunk ships.
Women
(a). nursing

LONGQUESTION ANSWERS

1. Why did the hunter-gatherers travel from place to place? In what ways are these similar
to/different from the reasons for which we travel today?
 Solution:

Hunter gatherers moved from place to in search of food. Since animals move from place
to place either in search of smaller prey, or, in the case of deer and wild cattle, in search
of grass and leaves, those who hunted them had to follow their movements. Plants and
trees bear fruit in different seasons. So, people may have moved from season to season in
search of different kinds of plants. Also, people, plants and animals need water to

Sardhna: KalandChungi, Sardhana Meerut-250342

Meerapur: Padaw Chock, Meerapur, Muzaffarnagar- 251315
 survive. Water is found in lakes, streams and rivers. While many rivers
and lakes are perennial (with water throughout the year) others are seasonal. People
living on their banks would have had to go in search of water during the dry seasons
(winter and summer). We travel today to meet friends and relatives, to our work place to
earn our living.

2. Make two columns in your notebook. In the left hand column, list the foods hunter-gatherers
ate (see page 11). In the right hand column, list some of the foods you eat. Do you notice any
similarities/differences?
 Solution:
Hunter-gatherers food Present day food
Hunted wild animals Rice
Fish and Birds Bread
Fruits Fruits
Roots Nuts
Nuts Vegetables
Seeds Meat
Leaves Fish
Stalks
Eggs
 There are some differences as well as similarities. Fruits and nuts can be eaten raw. Bread
is a baked food which hunter gatherers never would have tasted.

HOTS QUESTIONS

Ques.1 The invention of wheel was a gradual process. How did sledge convert
into a cart?
Ans. One of the greatest inventions of the Neolithic people was the wheel with
an axle. An axle is shaft on which the wheel rotates. The invention of the axle
allowed the wheel to turn freely. It had various uses:
 The potter’s wheel was used to work clay to make better pots.
 Heavy objects could be transported on wheels.

Sardhna: KalandChungi, Sardhana Meerut-250342

Meerapur: Padaw Chock, Meerapur, Muzaffarnagar- 251315
  It improved transport and quickened the pace of development.
 Possibly, the wheel was used to spin cotton thread which could then be
woven into cloth.

VALUE BASED QUESTIONS

Ques.1 Early men made many inventions despite various hardships. We learnt
from their lives that?
Ans. Revolutionized the entire world, there have been several important
inventions during the last three centuries. These inventions had a major impact
on our lifestyles and the changes that they brought in our society were truly
commendable.

Sardhna: KalandChungi, Sardhana Meerut-250342

Meerapur: Padaw Chock, Meerapur, Muzaffarnagar- 251315
ACTIVITY

1. Solve the crossword puzzle with the help of clues given below.

Clues
Across
1 .Wandering People
2. It was used to scare away wild animals
3. Early man used, made of stone
4. It is a unique planet, 4.5 billion years old.
5. The biggest discovery of New Stone Age.
6. New metal made by mixing two metals.
7…… valleys were very fertile.
Down
A. during…. Period man lived like a nomad
B. A type of stone used to make tools.
C…..was the first metal to be discovered.

Sardhna: KalandChungi, Sardhana Meerut-250342

Meerapur: Padaw Chock, Meerapur, Muzaffarnagar- 251315
 CHAPTER – 3 FROM GATHERING TO GROWING

PREVIOUS KNOWLEDGE QUESTIONS

Q1. What is farming?

Ans To grow crops in the field are called farming

Q2. What is gathering?

Ans To collect things for future use are called gathering.

Ques.3 Write three uses of wheel.

Ans. i. To carryheavy objects.
ii. To transport
iii. The potter’s wheel used to work clay to make better pots.

VERY SHORT QUESTION ANSWERS

1. Look at the table on page 25. If Neinuo wanted to eat rice, which are the places she should
have visited?
Ans. Koldihwa (U.P.) Mahagara (U.P.)

SHORT QUESTION ANSWERS

1. Why do archaeologist think that many people who lived in Mehrgarh were hunters to start
with, and herding became more important later?
 Solution:
Archaeologists who excavated the sites in Mehrgarh found evidence of animal bones
from the earliest stages. In n the earliest stages the bones included the bones of wild
animals such as deer and pigs, however in later stages, they found bones of sheep and
goats, and in still later stages, cattle bones were more common. From all this they
concluded that the people were hunters to start with and slowly took to herding.
2. List the cereals that you eat.
Ans. List of the cereals –
(i) wheat
(ii) rice
(iii) barley
(iv) black gram
(v) white gram
(vi) maize

Sardhna: KalandChungi, Sardhana Meerut-250342

Meerapur: Padaw Chock, Meerapur, Muzaffarnagar- 251315
 (vii) lentil
(viii) peas
(ix) pulses.

LONG QUESTION ANSWERS

1. Why do people who grow crops have to stay in the same place for the long time?
 Solution:
We all know that early man was a hunter, he used to hunt animals for his survival and
used to live alone. However slowly he began to live with people and hence a family came
into existence. They discovered a few things necessary for their survival and one of them
was the art of rearing crops and plants. They learnt how to grow crops and use them as
food. In order to bear fruits of their grown crop it was necessary to nurture them hence
these people who had started growing crops had to live in one place to take care of the
crop, protect them from birds and animals and to water them regularly.

2. List three ways in which the lives of farmers and herders would have been different from that
of hunters and gatherers.
 Solution:
Three ways in which lives of farmers and herders would have been different from that of
hunter and gatherers are:

(i) Farmers and herders lived in one place for a longer period of time, as they had to look
after their crops. On the other hand the hunters and gatherers use to change places
frequently in search of a new hunt.
(ii) Farmers and herders use to domesticate animals .On the other hand the hunters and
gatherers use to hunt them for food.
(iii) Farmers and herders used things like clay pots, baskets to store their food however,
for hunters and gathers there was no need of such things.

3. Do you grow the cereals you have listed in answer no.7? If yes, draw a chart to
show low these cereals reach you from the farmers who grow them.
Ans.
(i) Yes we live in village and we grow some of the cereals chart showing
the stages in growing
(1) We prepare the ground
(2) We sow the seeds
(3) We look after the growing plant
(4) We water them by tub-well.
(5) We harvest the grain.
(6) We thresh and separate husk.

Sardhna: KalandChungi, Sardhana Meerut-250342

Meerapur: Padaw Chock, Meerapur, Muzaffarnagar- 251315
 (7) We grind some grain such as wheat and barley

(ii) We live in big city. We do not grow grain. We get the grains indirectly
from the formers.
(1) Farmers bring their produce in Market.
(2) The grain traders buy cereals
(3) We go and purchase cereals.

State whether true or false:

(a) Millets have been found at Hallur.
(b) People in Burzahom lived in rectangular houses.
(c) Chirand is a site in Kashmir.
(d) Jadeite, found in Daojali Hading, may have been Brought from China.
 Solution:
(a) True.

(b) False.

(c) False.

(d) True.

HOTS QUESTION ANSWERS

Ques.1 Why is it important to know the history of civilization that existed nearly 5,000
years ago?
Ans. History is ‘HIS STORY’; the STORY OF MAN. It deals with events that have happened in
the past. It tells us how men lived from age to age, what problems men and women faced and
how they tried to solve those problems .
History tells us how people lived in the past, how they grew the plants which gave them
food, what kind of pots they used for cooking and what tools and weapons they used. In short, it
is the study of the past. The scholars who study the past are called historians. They take the help
of various sources such as manuscripts, inscriptions and remains of buildings to reconstruct the
history of the past.

VALUE BASED QUESTIONS

Q1. Visit any old building in your city or near your city. Find out how old it is.
Who had built it? What were the activities that took place in this building?
Ans The building we visited in Delhi was the Redfort. The Red Fort was the residence of
the Mughal emperor for nearly 200 years, until 1857. It is located in the centre

Sardhna: KalandChungi, Sardhana Meerut-250342

Meerapur: Padaw Chock, Meerapur, Muzaffarnagar- 251315
 of Delhi and houses a number of museums. In addition to
accommodating the emperors and their households, it was the ceremonial and political
centre of Mughal government and the setting for events critically impacting the region.

ACTIVITY

Solve the crossword puzzle with the help of clues given below.

CLUES
Across
1. An object used for stamping goods.
2. A fort-like structure.
3. An object to protect oneself from evil.
4. Cord fastened around the waist.
5. Advanced stage of human development.
Down
A. A person who studies ancient sites.
B. Building where grain is stored.
C. A river in Egypt
D. Houses were made of baked………..

Ans. Across:- 1. Seal 2. Citadel 3. Amulet 4. Girdle

5. Civilization

Down:- A. Archaeologist B. Granary C. Nile D. Bricks

Sardhna: KalandChungi, Sardhana Meerut-250342

Meerapur: Padaw Chock, Meerapur, Muzaffarnagar- 251315
 CHAPTER – 4 IN THE EARLIEST UNITS

PREVIOUS KNOWLEDGE QUESTIONS

Q1. What made early man to stay at one place?

Ans Agriculture made early man to stay at one place.

Q2. Where do you stay?

Ans We stay at our home.

Q3. Where is your house?

Ans Our house is situated at Meerut city.

VERY SHORT QUESTION ANSWERS

1. Make a list of all the terracotta toys shown in the lesson which do you think children would
have enjoyed playing with the most?
Ans. Toys, Seal, Bullock Cart toy plough children would have enjoyed bullock cart most.

2. Describe three important buildings in your city or village. Are they located in a special part of
the settlement (e.g. the centre) ? What are the activities that take place in these buildings?
Ans. Children will write the name of buildings in their city?

3. Are there any old building in your locality? Find out how old they are and who looks after
them.
Ans. Answer written by only those students who are having old buildings in their locality.

SHORT QUESTION ANSWERS

1. How do archaeologists know that cloth was used in the Harappan civilisation?
 Solution:
Archaeologists have found spindle whorls, made of terracotta and faience Also they have
found pieces of cotton attached to the lid of silver vase and some copper objects. Viewing
these specimen they concluded that cloth was used in Harapan civilisation.

2. Match the columns

Copper Gujarat
Gold Afghanistan
Tin Rajasthan
Precious stonesKarnataka
 Solution:

Sardhna: KalandChungi, Sardhana Meerut-250342

Meerapur: Padaw Chock, Meerapur, Muzaffarnagar- 251315
 Copper Rajasthan
Gold Karnataka
Tin Gujarat
Precious stones Afghanistan

3. Make a list of what the Harappans ate.

 Solution:
The food consumed by Harrapans mainly consisted of wheat, barley, pulses, peas, rice,
sesame, linseed and mustard. They also collected fruits like the berry, caught fish and
hunted wild animals like the antelope.

LONG QUESTION ANSWERS

1. Why were metals, writing, the wheel, and the plough important for the Harappans?
 Solution:
Harappa functioned like a proper city. People were indulging in activities like farming,
carving, making cloth etc. For all this they needed instruments which were made of
metal. There were rulers who were often sending people to distinct land for metals,
precious stones and other things. They wanted a vehicle to transport these things ,so the
wheel was also a necessity .Also there were seals found and in order to prepare these
seals there was a need to know writing. In order to grow crops and other important raw
materials such as cotton, plough was also an important tool for digging the earth, turning
the soil and planting the seeds.

2. Do you think that the life of farmers and herders who supplied food to the Harappan cities,
was different from that of the farmers and herders you read about in Chapter 3? Give reasons for
your answer.
 Solution:
There is a lot of difference between the life of farmers and herders who supplied food to
Harrapan cities and the farmers who were described in ch. 3.
The farmers described in chapter 3 were the early farmers. They had made the discovery
of the art of rearing crops over the period of time by their observations. Over the period
of time they had learnt by watching the plants grow things necessary for their proper
growth. There were no special tools for farming. Also they only used to grow the crops
which they used to consume. However the farmers during the Harappan period were
much more advanced, they had advanced tools and new methods of farming to enhance
the growth of their crop. During this time they were not only growing crops needed for
their own consumption, but also crops that provided raw material, such as cotton.

Sardhna: KalandChungi, Sardhana Meerut-250342

Meerapur: Padaw Chock, Meerapur, Muzaffarnagar- 251315
HOTS QUESTIONS

Ques. 1 from which Vade has the Gayatri mantra been taken?
Ans. The Gāyatrī Mantra is a highly revered mantra from the Vedas. Like all Vedic mantras, the
Gayatri mantra is considered not to have an author, and like all other Vedic mantras, is believed
to have been revealed to Brahmarshi Vishvamitra. It is a verse from a sukta of
the Rigveda (Mandala 3.62.10). Gāyatrī is the name of the Vedic meter in which the verse is
composed. As the verse can be interpreted to invoke Savitr, it is also called the Sāvitrī
mantra. Its recitation is traditionally preceded by oṃ and the formula bhūr bhuvaḥ svaḥ, known
as the mahāvyāhṛti, or "great (mystical) utterance".

VALUE BASED QUESTIONS

Write down the name of five persons from different field. Mention the names of
their professions and the implements they use while working.
Name Occupation (work) Implements used
1. Ms. Shika Doctor Doctor tools
2. Mr Vishal Teacher Books
3. Ms Reena Engineer Tools
4. Mr Rohit Carpenter Tools
5. Mr John Driver Car

ACTIVITY

Ques. On a outline map of India, mark the area of the Harappan Civilisation.
Ans.

Sardhna: KalandChungi, Sardhana Meerut-250342

Meerapur: Padaw Chock, Meerapur, Muzaffarnagar- 251315
 Sardhna: KalandChungi, Sardhana Meerut-250342
Meerapur: Padaw Chock, Meerapur, Muzaffarnagar- 251315