Date:_____________________

1. Reconstructing History

1.Fill in the blanks(R)

a) The state of society and economy during the age of Mauryas was depicted in
the book Arthashastra.
b) The word ‘history’ has its origins in the Greek word historia which means
Learning/knowing by inquiry.
c) Dionysius Exiguus invented the AD/BC concept.
d) A timeline tells us the sequence in which events happen.

2. Name the following: (R/U)

a) The writings engraved on a coin, medal or a monument.
Inscription
b) Manmade objects that have historical or cultural significance.
Artefacts
c) The stories or legends based on common people’s life.
Folk tales
d) A written collection of one’s memories.
Memoirs

3.Choose the appropriate option.(U/AP)

a) Which category of books would the Panchatantra, Hitopdesha, jatakas fall under?
i) Memoirs
ii) Biographies
iii) Folk tales
iv) Autobiographies

b) What do coins give us information about?

i) The territorial extent of the ruler
ii) The religious and cultural state of various ages.
iii) The advancement made in metallurgy during the period.
iv) All of the above.

c) Which of these periods is an example of Proto History?

i) Chalcolithic age
ii) Neolithic age
iii) The Mauryan Age
iv) The Sangam Age
d) Who were the two groups of people who entered India from the Northwestern
regions?
i) Iranians and Greeks
ii) Afghans and Iranians
iii) Turks and Afghans
iv) Chinese and Arabs

4. Answer the following in one sentence.(R)

a)What are the two forms of literary sources that help us to reconstruct history of
India?
Manuscripts or as textual literature

b) Name the language used to write the Sangam literature.

Tamil.

c) Why do the works written by foreign travellers have to be read with some
caution?
As some of the travellers made certain observations about India which are not
correct.

e) What kind of information do religious scriptures provide us with?

Information about the social, political, cultural and religious life of people is
known through the study of scriptures.

5. Answer the following questions in detail.(AP/EV)

a. Describe the influence of geography in shaping the history of India.

The geography of a country plays a significant role in shaping its history. The
Southern, peninsular part of the Indian sub-continent is surrounded by seas,
while the Himalayas in the North and mountain ranges of the East and West
separate North India from the rest of Asia. Nevertheless, the Bolan, Gomal and
Khyber passes in the Northwest, allowed the early migration of various races
from Central and West Asia to invade India. Passes along the Northern
Mountains linked with Central Asia and Tibet, assisted in the spread of
Buddhism into these regions. In the northeast mountains, there are fewer
passes, which effectively kept China separated from India. However, the
importance of the Himalayas and mountain ranges has more to do with the fact
that the two great perennial river systems, the Indus and the Ganga, arise from
them. Both these systems gave rise to the fertile northern plains on which arose
the ancient civilisation.The navigability of the northern rivers helped internal
trade and commerce; Ancient river ports such as Kanauj, Banaras (present-day
Varanasi), Pataliputra (present-day Patna) and Prayag (present-day Prayagraj)
became centres of trade. This, along with the productivity of the fertile plains,
helped the growth of large kingdoms. To the south of the Gangetic plain are
the Vindhya Ranges. They cut across the middle of the subcontinent, thus,
acting as a barrier between the northern and the southern parts of the
subcontinent. This led to the creation of two distinct cultures – the Vedic
culture of the North and the Dravidian culture of the South.

b. How does the religious literature helps us to reconstruct the Indian history?
Information about the social, political, cultural and religious life of people is
known through the study of scriptures. They provide us with information about
the social conditions and religious beliefs during Vedic and later Vedic period.
The four Vedas – the Rig Veda , the Yajur Veda , the Sama Veda , and the
Atharva Veda belong to the ancient religious texts. Other ancient texts
comprise of the Brahmanas, the Aranyakas, the Upanishads, the Epics –
Ramayana and Mahabharata , and the Puranas . The Jain texts composed in 6th
century CE impart with the information on political history of present-day
eastern Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. The religious books of the Buddhists provide
information about the historical personalities and incidents. They throw light
on the life of the Gautam Buddha and some of his contemporaries.

c. Evaluate the importance of studying history.

The study of history helps us understand how the present world evolved over
long centuries of development. It tells us about the history of the present. We
all live in a society, but it was not the way we see it. History makes us aware
about these pasts. It takes us to another age, another world in which people
lived their lives differently. Their food, clothes, buildings, society, economy,
faiths, beliefs, arts and crafts were completely different. History equips us with
the knowledge and understanding of the past, which is necessary for coping
with the present. Subsequently, it helps us to plan for a better future. People
who lived before us made several discoveries and inventions which eventually
transformed many societies. The study of history explicates how such changes
have taken place over a period of time. These changes were apparently so small
and often so gradual that their impact was not even noticedby the people
atthat point in time. It is only when we study about the past; we observe such
changes and its impact. It is not merely about the kings, queens, great men or
their conquests and policies. It is also about the lives and activities of ordinary
people. One can develop important qualities and skills by studying history.
Therefore it becomes essential to study history to understand how our pasts
have shaped the present.

6.Classify the following archaeological sources.(AN/AP)

TajMahal, Rig Veda, Buttons,Aranyakas,Konark Sun Temple,Ramayana, pots ,Red fort,

Upanishads, jewellery, SanchiStupa, Puranas

Literature Artefacts Monuments

Rig Veda Buttons TajMahal
Aranyakas Pots Konark Sun Temple
Ramayana jewellery Red fort
Upanishads SanchiStupa
Puranas
7) ‘Coins give us information that no other source does.’ Justify the statement.
(AN/EV)
The metal used in the coins indicates the advancement made in metallurgy
during the period. They also throw light on the economic history of the era.
Coins tell us about the territorial extent of the ruler as well as the chronology of
a ruling dynasty. The images on the coins help us in interpreting the religious
and cultural state of various ages. For example, the coins of Chandragupta II
bear the figure of Goddess Lakshmi, whereas gold coins of his successor
Kumargupta I show him as a devotee of God Kartikeya.

8. Why do historians break history into periods or phases? (EV/CR)

Refer Textbook chapter for answer