Every CBSE Class 12 History board exam question from 2022-2025 that we have on file, sorted by NCERT chapter and then by type: MCQs and assertion-reason, very short, short and long answers, and case studies. Each question is tagged with its year and marks. A question repeated across paper sets appears once. Questions that depend on a figure from the original paper are left out. Questions only, no answers.
Practise each chapter with free notes, mind maps and graded MCQs.
Practise Class 12 History →Which of the following is correct regarding Harappan script?
In which of the following sites of Harappan civilization, the terracotta models of plough have been discovered?
Two statements are given below as Assertion (A) and Reason (R). Read them carefully and choose correct option. Assertion (A): Harappa was a well-planned city. Reason (R): It had a well-planned drainage system.
Which one of the following was a distinctive feature of Harappan architecture?
Which of the following statement best explains the uniformity in urban planning across Harappa?
Which of the following statements accurately describe Harappan seals?
Which of the following is the primary method archaeologists used to study social differences within the Harappan society?
Assume you visit a museum and find a Harappan seal depicting a bull. What might this suggest about Harappan beliefs and practices?
Who among the following was an ex-army Brigadier and Director General of the Archaeological Survey of India in 1944?
Which of the following was the best source of lapis lazuli in the Harappan sites?
Who among the following is the author of the book 'The Story of Indian Archaeology'?
Which of the following statements is not correct about the subsistence strategy of Harappa?
Fill in the blank with the appropriate word from the given options: The Harappan site of ________ is located in present day Rajasthan.
Match Column-I with Column-II and choose the correct option from the following:
Column-I (Harappan Sites) | Column-II (Present region) I. Manda | a. Gujarat II. Rakhigarhi | b. Rajasthan III. Nageshwar | c. Haryana IV. Kalibangan | d. Jammu
Which one of the following is the correct statement regarding Harappan Culture?
Who among the following was an ex-army official and worked as Director General of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)?
Which one of the following is not a true statement regarding Harappan Script?
Read the following statements regarding Cunningham and choose the correct option: I. Cunningham was the first Director-General of ASI. II. He began archaeological excavations in mid 19th century. III. He brought a military precision to the practice of archaeology. IV. He used the accounts left by Chinese Buddhist pilgrims.
In which of the modern Indian states is Rakhigarhi, an ancient site of Harappan culture, located ?
The Story of Indian Archaeology
In which state of modern India is Dholavira, an ancient site of Harappan culture located ?
In which of the following modern states of India is Kalibangan, an ancient site of Harappan culture, located ?
Read the following statements about the Indus Valley Civilization: (i) Early and mature Harappan culture shared subsistence strategies. (ii) Millets have been found from one of the Indus Valley Civilization sites. (iii) Archaeologists have found evidences of a ploughed field at Kalibangan. (iv) Archaeo-zoologists reconstructed dietary practices from charred grains. Choose the correct option:
Two statements as Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are given below. Read them carefully and select the correct option: Assertion (A): Harappan Civilization had developed a precise system of weights and measures. Reason (R): Metal scale-pans have been found.
Banawali, an ancient site of Harappan culture, is located in which of the following modern Indian state?
Who among the following was the first Director General of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI)?
Why were the seals and sealings used by the Harappans to facilitate long distance communication? Explain with examples.
Explain the views of archaeologists on the religious beliefs of the Harappans.
Explain the views of historians on Harappan agriculture.
Why is the Harappan script called an enigmatic script? Explain.
Explain the methods of irrigation used by the Harappans at different sites.
Explain how did archaeologists identify the centres of craft production of the Harappan age.
Explain the strategies adopted by Harappans to procure raw material for their craft production.
Explain how the drainage system of Harappan cities indicate town planning.
Describe the distinct views of archaeologists on the Central authority of Harappa.
Describe the major strategies of Harappans to procure raw materials for craft production.
How have historians explained the social differences among Harappans? Explain.
In what ways do the challenges of inscriptional evidences restrict our ability to understand the past? Explain with examples.
(a) "The most unique feature of the Harappan civilization was the development of urban centres." Explain.
Case study · CBSE 2025
The most ancient system yet discovered About the drains, Mackay noted: "It is certainly the most complete ancient system as yet discovered." Every house was connected to the street drains. The main channels were made of bricks set in mortar and were covered with loose bricks that could be removed for cleaning. In some cases, limestone was used for the covers. House drains first emptied into a sump or cesspit into which solid matter settled while wastewater flowed out into the street drains. Very long drainage channels were provided at intervals with sumps for cleaning. It is a wonder of archaeology that "little heaps of material, mostly sand, have frequently been found lying alongside drainage channels, which shows...that the debris was not always carted away when the drain was cleared". From Ernest Mackay, Early Indus Civilisation, 1948 Drainage systems were not unique to the larger cities, but were found in smaller settlements as well. At Lothal for example, while houses were built of mud bricks, drains were made of burnt bricks.
31.1 Analyse the possible reason behind the uniformity in the drainage systems across the Harappan cities.
33.1 Analyse the possible reason behind the uniformity in the drainage systems across the Harappan cities.
32.1 Analyse the possible reason behind the uniformity in the drainage systems across the Harappan cities.
Case study · CBSE 2025
Archaeogenetic Research As you can see, a careful re-examination of the data can sometimes lead to a reversal of earlier interpretations. In this respect, it is necessary to mention the recent archaeogenetic research carried out at the site of Rakhigarhi. The site, located in Hisar district of Haryana, is the biggest Harappan city, spread over an area of 550 Hectare. In order to study the genetic history of the Harappans, DNA was extracted from the skeletal remains excavated at Rakhigarhi. This research was carried out by The Deccan College Deemed University, Pune in collaboration with Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad and The Harvard Medical College. The analysis of the data indicates that the Harappans are the indigenous people of this region. The genetic roots of the Harappans go back to 10,000 BCE. The DNA of the Harappans has continued till today and a majority of the South Asian population appears to be their descendants. Due to trade and cultural contacts of the Harappans with distant regions there is a mixture of genes in small quantity. The continuity without any break in genetic history as well as cultural history rules out large scale immigration of the so-called Aryans. This research also indicates that the people coming from bordering areas and distant regions were absorbed in the Indian society. At no stage, the genetic history of the Indians was either discontinued or broken. As the Harappans started moving towards Iran and Central Asia, their genes also gradually spread in these regions. The same team of researchers reconstructed 3D features of the Harappan people. The reconstructed facial features of the Harappans, male and female, show remarkable similarity with the modern population of Haryana. Thus, this study has indicated unbroken continuity for 5000 years in this region.
How does the research at Rakhigarhi contribute to understanding of ancient civilizations?
Case study · CBSE 2025
As you can see, a careful re-examination of the data can sometimes lead to a reversal of earlier interpretations. In this respect, it is necessary to mention the recent archaeogenetic research carried out at the site of Rakhigarhi. The site, located in Hisar district of Haryana, is the biggest Harappan city, spread over an area of 550 Hectare. In order to study the genetic history of the Harappans, DNA was extracted from the skeletal remains excavated at Rakhigarhi. This research was carried out by The Deccan College Deemed University, Pune in collaboration with Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad and The Harvard Medical College. The analysis of the data indicates that the Harappans are the indigenous people of this region. The genetic roots of the Harappans go back to 10,000 BCE. The DNA of the Harappans has continued till today and a majority of the South Asian population appears to be their descendants. Due to trade and cultural contacts of the Harappans with distant regions there is a mixture of genes in small quantity. The continuity without any break in genetic history as well as cultural history rules out large scale immigration of the so-called Aryans. This research also indicates that the people coming from bordering areas and distant regions were absorbed in the Indian society. At no stage, the genetic history of the Indians was either discontinued or broken. As the Harappans started moving towards Iran and Central Asia, their genes also gradually spread in these regions. The same team of researchers reconstructed 3D features of the Harappan people. The reconstructed facial features of the Harappans, male and female, show remarkable similarity with the modern population of Haryana. Thus, this study has indicated unbroken continuity for 5000 years in this region.
How does the research at Rakhigarhi contribute to understanding of ancient civilizations?
Case study · CBSE 2025
Harappan Settlements. So far, more than 2000 Harappan archaeological sites have been discovered in the Indian sub-continent. Most of the sites are found located between the Indus and the Saraswati River basins. Nearly two-thirds of these settlements are in the Saraswati basin, suggesting its immense importance for the Harappan Civilisation. Among these, five major cities have been identified. These are Rakhigarhi, Mohenjodaro, Harappa, Dholavira and Ganweriwala. The remaining sites come under different categories such as Regional Centres, agricultural villages, ports and manufacturing centres.
Examine the significance of the concentration of Harappan settlements in the Saraswati Basin.
Case study · CBSE 2025
So far, more than 2000 Harappan archaeological sites have been discovered in the Indian sub-continent. Most of the sites are found located between the Indus and the Saraswati River basins. Nearly two-thirds of these settlements are in the Saraswati basin, suggesting its immense importance for the Harappan Civilisation. Among these, five major cities have been identified. These are Rakhigarhi, Mohenjodaro, Harappa, Dholavira and Ganweriwala. The remaining sites come under different categories such as Regional Centres, agricultural villages, ports and manufacturing centres.
Examine the significance of the concentration of Harappan settlements in the Saraswati Basin.
Case study · CBSE 2023
How artefacts are identified. Processing of food required grinding equipment as well as vessels for mixing, blending and cooking. These were made of stone, metal and terracotta. This is an excerpt from one of the earliest reports on excavations at Mohenjodaro, the best-known Harappan site: Saddle querns ... are found in considerable numbers ... and they seem to have been the only means in use for grinding cereals. As a rule, they were roughly made of hard, gritty, igneous rock or sandstone and mostly show signs of hard usage. As their bases are usually convex, they must have been set in the earth or in mud to prevent their rocking. Two main types have been found: those on which another smaller stone was pushed or rolled to and fro, and others with which a second stone was used as a pounder, eventually making a large cavity in the nether stone. Querns of the former type were probably used solely for grain; the second type possibly only for pounding herbs and spices for making curries. In fact our cook asked for the loan of one from the museum for use in the kitchen. (From Ernest Mackay, Further Excavations at Mohenjodaro)
(31.1) How do archaeologists classify their finds?
How do archaeologists classify their finds?
Two statements labelled as Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are given below. Read them carefully and select the correct option: Assertion (A): James Prinsep's work was crucial for understanding the political history of ancient India. Reason (R): Deciphering inscriptions provided insights into political events and rulers.
Match Column-I with Column-II and choose the correct option from the following: Column-I (Ancient Mahajanpadas) - Column-II (Present Region) a. Magadha - I. Qandhar (Eastern Afghanistan) b. Avanti - II. Ayodhya (Uttar Pradesh) c. Gandhara - III. Patna (Bihar) d. Kosala - IV. Ujjain (Madhya Pradesh)
Match Column-I with Column-II and choose the correct option from the following: Column-I (Ancient Mahajanpadas) - Column-II (Present Region) a. Magadh - I. Qandhar (Eastern Afghanistan) b. Avanti - II. Ayodhya (Uttar Pradesh) c. Gandhara - III. Patna (Bihar) d. Koshala - IV. Ujjain (Madhya Pradesh)
Which one of the following dynasties did Queen Prabhavati belong to?
Identify the ancient rulers of India from the given options using the provided information.
Which one of the following correctly associates a city with its primary route of communication during the sixth century BCE?
Identify the ruler of ancient India with the help of following information: He was the most powerful of the Gupta rulers. He was a patron of art and Sanskrit literature. He was considered equal to the Gods by his people.
How did Ashoka spread the principle of dhamma across his empire? Choose the correct option from the following.
Identify the ruler of ancient India with the help of the given information and choose the correct option: • He got the title of Devanampiya. • He distributed a portion of Buddha's relics for stupas. • He was the first ruler who inscribed messages on rocks and pillars.
Consider the following statements about Prabhavati Gupta and choose the correct option: (i) She was the daughter of Chandragupta Maurya. (ii) She was married to a Vakataka ruler. (iii) She had independent access to resources. (iv) She gave land grants to people.
Read the following statements about the Mauryan Empire: I. The growth of Magadha culminated in the emergence of the Mauryan Empire. II. Chandragupta Maurya founded the Mauryan Empire. III. Kautilya was the successor of Chandragupta Maurya. IV. Asoka was the son of Chandragupta Maurya. Which of the above statements are correct?
Identify the ancient dynasty with the help of the following information: They issued spectacular gold coins. Their history can be reconstructed through Prashastis. Harisena was the court poet of one of its rulers.
Which of the following options are correct regarding Magadha? I. Magadha was the most powerful Mahajanapada. II. Rajgaha was the capital of Magadha. III. Magadha was in a semi-arid area. IV. Magadha was rich in natural resources.
Arrange the following in chronological order and choose the correct option: I. Rule of Asoka II. Rule of Mahapadma Nanda III. Rule of Harshavardha IV. Rule of Samudragupta
Which of the following options are correct regarding Magadha?
Arrange the following in chronological order and choose the correct option: I. Rule of Asoka II. Rule of Mahapadma Nanda III. Rule of Harshavardhan IV. Rule of Samudragupta
Arrange the following events in a chronological order and choose the correct option:
I. Beginning of Gupta rule II. End of Mauryan Empire III. Rise of Pallavas in Tamil Nadu IV. Rise of Harshavardhana as a king of Kannauj
Arrange the following in chronological order and choose the correct option from the following: I. Rule of Ashoka II. Invasion of Alexander III. Rule of Gupta dynasty IV. Rise of Chalukyas in Karnataka
Arrange the following events in a chronological order and choose the correct option: I. Beginning of Gupta rule II. End of Mauryan Empire III. Rise of Pallavas in Tamil Nadu IV. Rise of Harshavardhana as a king of Kannauj
Who among the following was able to decipher the script of the Brahmi?
Who among the following rulers re-constructed Sudarshan Lake ?
Who among the following was the first ruler to inscribe messages to his subjects and officials ?
Which ruler restored Sudarshana Lake?
Which one of the following is the oldest dynasty?
Which of the following is the correct chronology of the rulers of ancient India? (i) Chandragupta Maurya (ii) Ajatashatru (iii) Mahapadma Nanda (iv) Ashoka. Choose the correct option:
Which of the following is the correct chronology of the rulers of ancient India? (i) Chandragupta Maurya (ii) Ajatashatru (iii) Mahapadma Nanda (iv) Ashoka Choose the correct option:
Which of the following statements is correct about Prabhavati Gupta?
Who among the following founded the Mauryan Empire?
Which among the following dynasties issued the first gold coins in the first century CE ?
Name any important town of ancient India. (For Visually Impaired candidates only)
Between the sixth and the fourth centuries BCE, Magadha became the most powerful Mahajanapada. Explain the statement with examples.
"Ashokan inscriptions are the most significant sources to understand the administration of Ashoka." Explain the statement.
Explain any three sources to know about Maurya Empire.
Explain any three sources to know about Gupta Empire.
Explain any three features of ancient Indian coinage.
"Coinage played a significant role in the expansion of early Indian empires." Explain the statement with examples.
"Magadha became a prominent political centre in the ancient India." Explain the statement with examples.
Analyse any three limitations of inscriptional evidences.
Explain any three sources to know about the Mauryan empire.
"The emergence of the Mauryan empire was regarded as a major landmark in the Indian history." Explain the statement.
How did the coinage in ancient India contribute to trade and development? Explain with examples.
"Historians have used a variety of sources to reconstruct the history of the Mauryan empire." Explain the statement with examples.
Analyse the various sources to know about the Mauryan Empire.
Explain any three sources on which the histories of Gupta rulers have been reconstructed.
"The epigraphy alone does not provide a full understanding of political and economic history." Explain the statement with examples.
(a) Between the sixth and fourth centuries BCE, Mahajanapadas became the most powerful political units. Explain this statement with examples.
Between the sixth and fourth centuries BCE, Magadha became the most powerful Mahajanpada. Explain this statement with examples.
(a) Between the sixth and fourth century BCE, Magadha became the most powerful mahajanapada. Explain this statement with examples.
Examine the nature and characteristics of the land grants in ancient Indian society.
In what ways do the challenges of inscriptional evidences restrict our ability to understand the past? Explain with examples.
'The Mauryan empire had a strong administration.' Examine the statement.
How do historical sources help us to understand the Mauryan empire? Analyse the role of Ashoka in shaping its legacy.
"Although inscriptions provide strong evidence for reconstructing history yet there are few limitations to these evidences." Justify the statement.
"The sixth century BCE was a period of emergence of early states, empires and diverse thoughts in the early Indian history." Justify the statement.
"Magadha became the most powerful Mahajanpada between 6th and 4th centuries BCE." Justify the statement.
Explain how the Mauryan ruler used both force and diplomacy to expand his territory.
Case study · CBSE 2025
The Anguish of the King. When the king Devanampiya Piyadassi had been ruling for eight years, the (country of the) Kalingas (present-day coastal Orissa) was conquered by (him). One hundred and fifty thousand men were deported, a hundred thousand were killed, and many more died. After that, now that (the country of) the Kalingas has been taken, Devanampiya (is devoted) to an intense study of Dhamma, to the love of Dhamma, and to instructing (the people) in Dhamma. This is the repentance of Devanampiya on account of his conquest of the (country of the) Kalingas. For this is considered very painful and deplorable by Devanampiya that, while one is conquering an unconquered (country) slaughter, death and deportation of people (take place) there…
How did king Devanampiya Piyadassi's conquest of Kalinga influence his approach to governance?
Case study · CBSE 2025
When the king Devanampiya Piyadassi had been ruling for eight years, the (country of the) Kalingas (present-day coastal Orissa) was conquered by (him). One hundred and fifty thousand men were deported, a hundred thousand were killed, and many more died. After that, now that (the country of) the Kalingas has been taken, Devanampiya (is devoted) to an intense study of Dhamma, to the love of Dhamma, and to instructing (the people) in Dhamma. This is the repentance of Devanampiya on account of his conquest of the (country of the) Kalingas. For this is considered very painful and deplorable by Devanampiya that, while one is conquering an unconquered (country) slaughter, death and deportation of people (take place) there…
How did king Devanampiya Piyadassi's conquest of Kalinga influence his approach to governance?
Case study · CBSE 2024
The orders of the king. Thus speaks king Devanampiya Piyadassi: In the past, there were no arrangements for disposing affairs, nor for receiving regular reports. But I have made the following (arrangement). Pativedakas should report to me about the affairs of the people at all times, anywhere, whether I am eating, in the inner apartment, in the bedroom, in the cow pen, being carried (possibly in a palanquin), or in the garden. And I will dispose of the affairs of the people everywhere.
Who was referred to as Devanampiya Piyadassi?
Case study · CBSE 2023
Capturing elephants for the army The Arthashastra lays down minute details of administrative and military organisation. This is what it says about how to capture elephants: Guards of elephant forests, assisted by those who rear elephants, those who enchain the legs of elephants, those who guard the boundaries, those who live in forests, as well as by those who nurse elephants, shall, with the help of five or seven female elephants to help in tethering wild ones, trace the whereabouts of herds of elephants by following the course of urine and dung left by elephants. According to Greek sources, the Mauryan ruler had a standing army of 600,000 foot-soldiers, 30,000 cavalry and 9,000 elephants. Some historians consider these accounts to be exaggerated.
Who is the author of Arthashastra ?
Case study · CBSE 2023
Here is an excerpt from the account of Megasthenes: Of the great officers of state, some . . . superintend the rivers, measure the land, as is done in Egypt, and inspect the sluices by which water is let out from the main canals into their branches, so that every one may have an equal supply of it. The same persons have charge also of the huntsmen, and are entrusted with the powers of rewarding or punishing them according to their deserts. They collect the taxes, and superintend the occupations connected with land; as those of the woodcutters, the carpenters, the blacksmiths, and the miners.
Who was Megasthenes?
Case study · CBSE 2023
Of the great officers of state, some . . . superintend the rivers, measure the land, as is done in Egypt, and inspect the sluices by which water is let out from the main canals into their branches, so that every one may have an equal supply of it. The same persons have charge also of the huntsmen, and are entrusted with the powers of rewarding or punishing them according to their deserts. They collect the taxes, and superintend the occupations connected with land; as those of the woodcutters, the carpenters, the blacksmiths, and the miners.
Who was Megasthenes ?
Identify the ancient rulers of India from the given options using the provided information. • They belonged to important ruling lineage. • They were the immediate successors of the Mauryas. • They were Brahmanas.
Which one of the following is a correct statement regarding the codes of social behaviour as laid down in Dharamasutras and Dharmashastras during the period of Mahabharata?
Which one of the following dynasties did Queen Prabhavati belong to?
Which one of the following is a correct statement regarding the codes of social behaviour as laid down in Dharmasutras and Dharmashastras during the period of Mahabharata?
Why is Mahabharata called a dynamic text? Choose the most suitable option from the following.
Identify the ancient Indian text with the help of the following information: • Sanskrit text compiled between c. 200 BCE and 200 CE. • Provided a comprehensive code of laws. • Offered guidelines on various aspects of social life.
Which of the following is a characteristic of the narrative sections of the Mahabharata ?
Two statements labelled as Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are given below. Read them carefully and select the correct option: Assertion (A): In ancient India, Gotra system was a way to trace lineage. Reason (R): Gotra was an exogamous unit, marriage within the same Gotra was not allowed.
Match Column I with Column II and choose the correct option with reference to Mahabharata. Column I (Character): a. Yudhisthira, b. Dhritarashtra, c. Kunti, d. Gandhari. Column II (Role): i. Mother of the Pandavas, ii. Mother of the Kauravas, iii. Eldest of the Pandavas, iv. Father of Duryodhana.
Prabhavati Gupta is best known for which of the following roles?
Consider the following statements about Prabhavati Gupta and choose the correct option: (i) She was the daughter of Chandragupta Maurya. (ii) She was married to a Vakataka ruler. (iii) She had independent access to resources. (iv) She gave land grants to people.
Which of the following pairs is correctly matched?
Which of the following clans did Buddha belong to?
Panini's book 'Ashtadhyayi' is based on which of the following themes?
Match Column I with Column II and choose the correct option: Column I (Characters of Mahabharata): 1. Duryodhana (i) Son of Hidimba 2. Gandhari (ii) Eldest son of Dhritarashtra 3. Kunti (iii) Mother of Pandavas 4. Ghatotkacha (iv) Mother of Duryodhana
Who among the following initiated the task of preparing the critical edition of Mahabharata?
Match Column I with Column II and choose the correct option: Column I (Characters of Mahabharata) 1. Duryodhana 2. Gandhari 3. Kunti 4. Ghatotkacha Column II (Role) (i) Son of Hidimba (ii) Eldest son of Dhritarashtra (iii) Mother of Pandavas (iv) Mother of Duryodhana
Identify the character of Mahabharata with the help of following information: He was the son of Bheema. He belonged to Rakshasa clan from maternal side.
The practice of ____________ means a man having several wives.
Sushruta's book 'Sushruta Samhita' is based on which of the following theme?
Match Column I with Column II and choose the correct option: Column I (Characters of Mahabharata): 1. Duryodhana 2. Gandhari 3. Kunti 4. Ghatotkacha | Column II (Role): (i) Son of Hidimba (ii) Eldest son of Dhritrashtra (iii) Mother of Pandavas (iv) Mother of Duryodhana
Identify the character of Mahabharata with the help of following information: She belonged to Rakshasa clan. She was married to Bheema. She was the mother of Ghatotkatcha.
Identify the character of the Mahabharata for the following information: Was a nishad; Considered Dronacharya as his Guru; Gave his right thumb to Dronacharya as Guru dakshina
Which of the following statements is correct about Prabhavati Gupta?
"Ashoka's inscriptions are the most significant sources to understand the administration of Ashoka." Explain the statement.
"Historians consider several elements when they analyse the Mahabharata." Substantiate the statement with suitable examples.
"Many communities during the Mahabharata period had different social practices from Brahmanical ideas." Substantiate the statement with examples.
In what ways do the Jain teachings influence the ethical and spiritual practices of the believers? Explain with examples.
Describe different patterns of marriages that influenced familial relations during the Mahabharata period.
Describe the processes adopted by V.S. Sukthankar and his team in preparing the critical edition of the Mahabharata.
Examine the duties to be performed by Kshatriyas as codified in Dharmasutras and Dharmashastras in the ancient India.
Mahabharata explores a variety of themes. Examine the statement.
(a) "Mahabharata is a dynamic text." Justify the statement.
How was patriliny system important among the elite families from sixth century BCE onwards. Explain with examples.
Why do historians analyse familial values and kinship of Mahabharata? Explain.
"Mahabharat is a dynamic text." Explain the statement.
How is Mahabharata a dynamic text ? Explain with examples.
How did Mahabharata reinforce the idea of patrilineality ? Explain.
Explain how Brahmins evolved different strategies to enforce social norms of varna order.
Why is Mahabharata considered as a dynamic text? Explain.
Explain the elements historians have analyzed to understand Mahabharata as a text.
Explain the familial values during Mahabharata.
"There were specific features of the familial relationship during the Mahabharata period." Explain the statement with examples.
Historians have studied many rules and varied practices of familial ties during the Mahabharata period. Explain the statement with examples.
"In the ancient India, the Kingship was not only with Kshatriyas but also with Non-Kshatriyas." Explain the statement with examples.
There are evidences that suggest that the Brahmnical prescription about occupation and rules of marriage were not universally followed in the ancient India. Explain this statement with examples.
According to the Brahmanical theory, only Kshatriyas could be kings in the early states, however several other ruling lineages probably had different origins. Explain the statement with examples from ancient India.
According to Shastras (Brahmanical theory), only Kshatriyas could be kings in the early states, however several other ruling lineages probably had different origins. Explain this statement with examples from ancient India.
According to Brahmanical theory, only Kshatriyas could be kings in the early states, however several other ruling lineages probably had different origins. Explain the statement with examples from ancient India.
Despite the subcontinent being diverse, there have been populations in early states, whose social practices were not influenced by the Brahmanical ideas. Explain this statement.
Case study · CBSE 2024
What the silk weavers did. Here is an excerpt from the inscription, which is in Sanskrit: Some are intensely attached to music (so) pleasing to the ear; others, being proud of (the authorship of) a hundred excellent biographies, are conversant with wonderful tales; (others), filled with humility, are absorbed in excellent religious discourses; ... some excel in their own religious rites; likewise by others, who were self-possessed, the science of (Vedic) astronomy was mastered.
How was love for music expressed in the inscription?
What the silk weavers did Here is an excerpt from the inscription, which is in Sanskrit: Some are intensely attached to music (so) pleasing to the ear; others, being proud of (the authorship of) a hundred excellent biographies, are conversant with wonderful tales; (others), filled with humility, are absorbed in excellent religious discourses; ... some excel in their own religious rites; likewise by others, who were self-possessed, the science of (Vedic) astronomy was mastered. Question (32.1): How was love for music expressed in the inscription?
Match Column I with Column II regarding the Buddhist texts and choose the correct option from the following: Column I (Buddhist Text): a. Vinaya Pitaka, b. Abhidhamma Pitaka, c. Dipavamsa, d. Mahavamsa. Column II (Description): i. Rules and regulations for monastic order, ii. Chronicle of the island, iii. Regional histories of Buddha, iv. Dealt with philosophical matters.
Fill in the blank with the appropriate word from the given options: In Jainism, the practice of severe asceticism and non-attachment is intended to achieve ____________, which is liberation from the cycle of birth and death.
Two statements have been given below as Assertion (A) and Reason (R). Read the statements and choose the appropriate answer: Assertion (A): Buddhism grew rapidly both during the lifetime and after the death of Buddha. Reason (R): Many people were dissatisfied with existing religious practices and confused by the rapid social changes taking place around them.
Consider the following statements regarding Jainism and choose the correct option: I. The cycle of birth and rebirth is shaped through Karma. II. There is a need to renounce the world. III. Worldly existence is a necessary condition for attaining salvation. IV. Principle of Ahimsa is important.
Throughout his extensive travels, Ibn Batuta was able to explore unfamiliar cultures and societies. Which of the following competencies did he most likely develop?
Match Column-I with Column-II and choose the correct option: Column-I (Sculpture of Sanchi) with Column-II (Symbolic Importance): a) Empty seat - i) Indicator of Mahaparinibbana, b) Gajlakshmi - ii) Indicator of good fortune, c) Wheel - iii) Indicator of auspicious, d) Shalbhanjika - iv) Indicator of first sermon of Buddha
Identify the ruler from Indian history with following information: Ruler of Bhopal, Ruled from 1868 to 1901 CE, Helped in preserving the Sanchi Stupa
Match Column-I with Column-II and choose the correct option: Column-I (Sculpture of Sanchi): a) Empty seat, b) Gajlakshmi, c) Wheel, d) Shalbhanjika. Column-II (Symbolic Importance): i) Indicator of Mahaparinibbana, ii) Indicator of good fortune, iii) Indicator of auspicious, iv) Indicator of first sermon of Buddha
Two statements labelled as Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are given below. Read them carefully and select the correct option: Assertion (A): The Tripitaka written in Pali is one of the primary collections of Buddhist scriptures. Reason (R): The Tripitaka consists of three collections, which include the Vinaya Pitaka, the Sutta Pitaka and the Abhidhamma Pitaka.
Why is Mahabharata called a dynamic text? Choose the most suitable option from the following.
Find the odd one out from the following regarding the Buddhist texts:
Identify the ruler of ancient India with the help of following information: He was the most powerful of the Gupta rulers. He was a patron of art and Sanskrit literature. He was considered equal to the Gods by his people.
Identify the ruler of ancient India with the help of the given information and choose the correct option: He got the title of Devanampiya. He distributed a portion of Buddha's relics for stupas. He was the first ruler who inscribed messages on rocks and pillars.
Match Column I with Column II and choose the correct option: Column I (Sculpture of Sanchi): 1. Empty Seat (i) Symbol of good fortune 2. Wheel (ii) Auspicious symbol 3. Shalabhanjika (iii) First sermon of Buddha 4. Gajalakshmi (iv) Mahaparinibbana
Match Column I with Column II and choose the correct option: Column I (Sculpture of Sanchi): 1. Empty Seat, 2. Wheel, 3. Shalabhanjika, 4. Gajalakshmi. Column II (Symbolism): (i) Symbol of good fortune, (ii) Auspicious symbol, (iii) First sermon of Buddha, (iv) Mahaparinibbana.
Match Column I with Column II and choose the correct option: Column I (Ancient Temples): 1. Deogarh, 2. Mahabalipuram, 3. Kailashnatha, 4. Barabar. Column II (Locations): (i) Tamil Nadu, (ii) Maharashtra, (iii) Bihar, (iv) Uttar Pradesh.
Arrange the following in chronological order and choose the correct option: I. Rule of Asoka II. Rule of Mahapadma Nanda III. Rule of Harshavardhan IV. Rule of Samudragupta
The first Sermon of the Buddha was delivered at ______.
Write the appropriate option from the given in your answer sheet. The first Sermon of the Buddha was delivered at ______.
In which of the following states Sanchi Stupis located?
Assertion (A): In the Eighth Century, the Kailashnath Temple was carved out of mountain. Reason (R): King Ashoka had given the directive to create artificial caves by cutting into the mountains to resemble temples. Choose the correct option:
In which of the following states Sanchi Stupa is located?
Which one of the following is not a structural feature of Stupa ?
In which state of India is the fifth century temple, Devgarh situated ?
Who among the following was the first ruler to inscribe messages to his subjects and officials ?
Identify the work on the subject of Sulbasutras from the following options:
Which of the following is not a literature of Buddhism?
Who among the following Chinese Buddhist monks visited India in the fifth century (CE)?
Identify the Sulbasutras from the following options:
Identify the subject of the Sulbasutras from the following options:
Who among the following is believed to have spoken these words? 'unto yourselves as all of you must work out your own'
Which of the following statements are true regarding Buddha? (i) Buddha was the son of a chief of Sakya clan. (ii) He had a sheltered upbringing within the Sangha. (iii) He was informed of the harsh realities of life. (iv) He was deeply anguished when he saw an old man and a sick man.
Identify the character of the Mahabharata for the following information: Was a nishad, Considered Dronacharya as his Guru, Gave his right thumb to Dronacharya as Guru dakshina
Name one Buddhist site in the state of Andhra Pradesh. (For Visually Impaired candidates only)
"The mid-first millennium BCE is considered as a significant turning point in the course of World History." Justify the statement.
"Art historians had to acquire familiarity with Hagiographies of Buddha in order to understand Buddhist sculpture." Explain the statement in context of Sanchi Stupa.
How does the Sanchi Stupa reflect the religious and cultural beliefs of ancient India? Explain with examples.
How did the patronage of rulers of ancient India influence the growth of Buddhism?
'Shahjahan Begum worked extensively for the protection of Sanchi Stupa.' Explain the statement.
"According to Jaina teachings, the birth and rebirth is shaped through Karma." Explain the statement.
Explain how Jainism spread to many parts of India.
"Buddha regarded the social world as the creation of humans rather than of divine origin." Explain the statement.
Why is the mid-first millennium BCE often considered as the turning point in world history? Explain.
Why was Buddha considered as one of the most influential teachers of his time ? Explain.
Examine how the sculptural elements are integrated within the architectural framework of the Sanchi Stupa.
The Buddha was considered as one of the most influential teachers of his times. In the light of this statement, explain his teachings.
Explain the growth of Buddhism during the ancient period. Explain the role of Begums of Bhopal in conserving the Buddhist ancient site of Sanchi.
Examine the main features of the Stupa at Sanchi and the role of the rulers of Bhopal in preserving it.
Examine how the Buddhist Stupa at Amravati fell to ruins and the Sanchi Stupa survived.
(a) Why is the mid-first millennium BCE often regarded as a turning point in world history? Explain with examples.
Explain the growth of Puranic Hinduism.
(b) How have Art historians tried to understand Buddhism through the sculptures of Sanchi Stupa? Explain with examples.
During Buddha's lifetime and after his death, Buddhism developed rapidly. Explain the statement with examples.
(a) The architectural and sculptural style of Sanchi stupa is remarkable. Explain the statement with examples.
Case study · CBSE 2025
Verses from the Upanishads Here are two verses from the Chhandogya Upanishad, a text composed in Sanskrit c. sixth century BCE: The Nature of the Self This self of mine within the heart, is smaller than paddy or barley or mustard or millet or the kernel of a seed of millet. This self of mine within the heart is greater than the earth, greater than the intermediate space, greater than heaven, greater than these worlds. The True Sacrifice This one (the wind) that blows, this is surely a sacrifice … While moving, it sanctifies all this; therefore it is indeed a sacrifice.
31.1 Mention the main theme of the verse.
Mention the main theme of the verse.
32.1 Mention the main theme of the verse.
Case study · CBSE 2024
Fatalists and materialists? Here is an excerpt from the Sutta Pitaka, describing a conversation between King Ajatasattu, the ruler of Magadha, and the Buddha: On one occasion King Ajatasattu visited the Buddha and described what another teacher, named Makkhali Gosala, had told him: "Though the wise should hope, by this virtue … by this penance I will gain karma … and the fool should by the same means hope to gradually rid himself of his karma, neither of them can do it. Pleasure and pain, measured out as it were, cannot be altered in the course of samsara (transmigration). It can neither be lessened or increased … just as a ball of string will when thrown unwind to its full length, so fool and wise alike will take their course and make an end of sorrow." And this is what a philosopher named Ajita Kesakambalin taught: "There is no such thing, O king, as alms or sacrifice, or offerings … there is no such thing as this world or the next… A human being is made up of the four elements. When he dies the earthy in him returns to the earth, the fluid to water, the heat to fire, the windy to air, and his senses pass into space … The talk of gifts is a doctrine of fools, an empty lie … fools and wise alike are cut off and perish. They do not survive after death." The first teacher belonged to the tradition of the Ajivikas. They have often been described as fatalists: those who believe that everything is predetermined. The second teacher belonged to the tradition of the Lokayatas, usually described as materialists. Texts from these traditions have not survived, so we know about them only from the works of other traditions.
(33.1) Analyse the views of Makkhali Gosala on karma.
Analyse the views of Makkhali Gosala on karma.
Case study · CBSE 2024
Buddhism in practice This is an excerpt from the Sutta Pitaka, and contains the advice given by the Buddha to a wealthy householder named Sigala: In five ways should a master look after his servants and employees … by assigning them work according to their strength, by supplying them with food and wages, by tending them in sickness; by sharing delicacies with them and by granting leave at times… In five ways should the clansmen look after the needs of samanas (those who have renounced the world) and Brahmanas : by affection in act and speech and mind, by keeping open house to them and supplying their worldly needs. There are similar instructions to Sigala about how to behave with his parents, teacher and wife.
(31.1) How did Buddha highlight the significance of compassion in social hierarchy?
How did Buddha highlight the significance of compassion in social hierarchy?
(33.1) How did Buddha highlight the significance of compassion in social hierarchy?
Explain the significance of Sutta Pitaka in Buddhism.
Which of the following is a similarity between the works of Ibn Battuta and Al-Biruni ?
Al-Biruni's major work 'Kitab-ul-Hind' is significant for its comprehensive study of India. Which of the following was the primary aim of this work?
Arrange the following in chronological order and choose the correct option: I. Visit of François Bernier in India, II. Visit of Abd al-Razzaq in India, III. Visit of Ibn Battuta in India, IV. Visit of Al-Biruni in India.
Why did Ibn Battuta find Indian agriculture very productive? Identify the most appropriate reason from the following:
According to Montesquieu, how did the rulers in Asia manage their subjects? Choose the most appropriate option from the following.
Bernier compared the Mughal Empire to the French monarchy, and particularly criticized the absence of private property rights in India. How does this comparison reflect Bernier's own socio-political context?
During Ibn Battuta's travels in India, which prominent city did he visit and describe as 'a vast city, with a great population, the largest in India'?
Among the following, whose description of 'degenerated East' inspired Western theorists to develop the idea of 'oriental despotism'?
In which of the following languages has Al-Biruni translated Sanskrit, Pali and Prakrit texts in India?
Identify the medieval globe-trotter with the help of the following information: • Before he set-off for India he made pilgrimage trips to Mecca before 1332-33 C.E. • The Delhi Sultan Muhammad Bin Tughlaq made him Qazi or the judge of Delhi.
To whom among the following did François Bernier dedicate his writing 'Comparing East and West'?
Two statements as Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are given below. Read them carefully and choose the correct option: Assertion (A): Ibn Battuta found Indian agriculture very productive. Reason (R): The soils were fertile which allowed the farmers to produce two crops a year.
Match Column I with Column II and choose the correct option: Column I (Traveller) - Column II (Books authored): 1. Abu'l Fazl (i) Travels in the Mughal Empire 2. Ibn Battuta (ii) Kitab-ul-Hind 3. Al-Biruni (iii) Rihla 4. François Bernier (iv) Ain-i-Akbari
Match Column I with Column II and choose the correct option: Column I (Traveller): 1. Abu'l Fazl 2. Ibn Battuta 3. Al-Biruni 4. François Bernier | Column II (Books authored): (i) Travels in the Mughal Empire (ii) Kitab-ul-Hind (iii) Rihla (iv) Ain-i-Akbari
Which of the following countries did Marco Polo belong to?
Which of the following statement is not true regarding Ibn Battuta ?
Two statements as Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are given below. Read them carefully and answer the questions that follow: Assertion (A): Francois Bernier has called the Mughal king as the king of barbarians. Reason (R): Crown ownership of land was its reason.
Which of the following pairs is correctly matched ?
Read the following statements: (i) Bernier's account influenced Western theorists from the fifteenth century onwards. (ii) Montesquieu used this account to develop the idea of oriental despotism. (iii) Karl Marx. (iv) According to Bernier, the Mughal Imperial Court presided over village communities. Choose the correct options:
Read the following statements: (i) Bernier's description influenced western thinkers from the fifteenth century onwards. (ii) Bernier's account was used by Montesquieu to develop the idea of oriental despotism. (iii) Bernier's ideas were developed by Karl Marx. (iv) According to Bernier, the Mughal Imperial Court presided over village communities. Choose the correct options:
Read the following statements: (i) Bernier's account was of great significance to the understanding of the Mughal state from the fifteenth century onwards. (ii) Montesquieu used this account to develop the idea of oriental despotism. (iii) Karl Marx used Bernier's account to develop his ideas. (iv) According to Bernier, the Mughal Imperial Court presided over village communities. Choose the correct options:
Who among the following travellers belonged to Portugal?
Which of the following statements regarding Francois Bernier are correct? (i) He was a doctor, philosopher and historian. (ii) He came to the Mughal Empire in search of opportunities. (iii) He became physician to Prince Dara Shikoh. (iv) Bernier's writings were published in Spain
Who among the following was appointed Qazi/Judge of Delhi by Sultan Mohammed Bin Tughlaq ?
Who among the following travellers never returned to Europe and settled in India?
Analyse the observations, critical insights and reflections provided by Bernier while he travelled in Mughal India.
Explain how Ibn Battuta described the Indian cities.
Explain the main features of Al-Biruni's travels in India.
Explain what Ibn Battuta had described about the system of communication during the 14th century.
Describe any three experiences of Ibn Battuta in India.
Explain the distinctive features of Al-Kitab-Ul-Hind.
Explain any three features of the Rihla authored by Ibn Battuta.
Explain any three things observed by Ibn Battuta in the Indian subcontinent.
Describe any three experiences of Al-Biruni in India.
Explain the views of Ibn Battuta on Indian cities.
(a) Examine how did Al-Biruni compared the caste system in India with other societies and also write the chief features of his book Kitab-Ul-Hind.
'Francois Bernier contrasted what he saw in India with the situation in Europe.' Explain the statement with examples.
(b) Examine Bernier's opinion on the question of land ownership in Mughal India and how were the western economists influenced by Bernier's description.
Examine Ibn-Battuta's views on Delhi & Daulatabad during his travel.
Examine Bernier's description of Crown ownership of land and lack of private property during Mughal India.
Case study · CBSE 2025
My departure from Tangier, my birthplace, took place on Thursday... I set out alone, having neither fellow-traveller... nor caravan whose party I might join, but swayed by an overmastering impulse within me and a desire long-cherished in my bosom to visit these illustrious sanctuaries. So I braced my resolution to quit all my dear ones, female and male, and forsook my home as birds forsake their nests ... My age at that time was twenty-two years. Ibn Battuta returned home in 1354, about 30 years after he had set out.
Analyse the symbolism of the bird leaving its nest in the context of Ibn Battuta.
Case study · CBSE 2025
A language with an enormous range Al-Biruni described Sanskrit as follows: If you want to conquer this difficulty (i.e. to learn Sanskrit), you will not find it easy, because the language is of an enormous range, both in words and inflections, something like the Arabic, calling one and the same thing by various names, both original and derivative, and using one and the same word for a variety of subjects, which, in order to be properly understood, must be distinguished from each other by various qualifying epithets.
How did Al-Biruni's description of Sanskrit reflect his engagement with Indian culture?
What motivated Al-Biruni to study Sanskrit?
Case study · CBSE 2025
The bird leaves its nest This is an excerpt from the Rihla: My departure from Tangier, my birthplace, took place on Thursday... I set out alone, having neither fellow-traveller... nor caravan whose party I might join, but swayed by an overmastering impulse within me and a desire long-cherished in my bosom to visit these illustrious sanctuaries. So I braced my resolution to quit all my dear ones, female and male, and forsook my home as birds forsake their nests ... My age at that time was twenty-two years. Ibn Battuta returned home in 1354, about 30 years after he had set out.
Analyse the symbolism of the bird leaving its nest in the context of Ibn Battuta.
Case study · CBSE 2025
A warning for Europe Bernier warned that if European kings followed the Mughal model: Their kingdoms would be very far from being well-cultivated and peopled, so well built, so rich, so polite and flourishing as we see them. Our kings are otherwise rich and powerful; and we must avow that they are much better and more royally served. They would soon be kings of deserts and solitudes, of beggars and barbarians, such as those are whom I have been representing. (the Mughals) .... We should find the great Cities and the great Buroughs (boroughs) rendered uninhabitable because of ill air, and to fall to ruine (ruin) with without any bodies (anybody) taking care of repairing them; the hillock abandoned, and the fields overspread with bushes, or fill'd with pestilential marishes (marshes), as hath been already intimated.
32.1 Mention any one prominent contribution of Bernier.
31.1 Mention any one prominent contribution of Bernier.
33.1 Mention any one prominent contribution of Bernier.
Case study · CBSE 2025
Al-Biruni described Sanskrit as follows: If you want to conquer this difficulty (i.e. to learn Sanskrit), you will not find it easy, because the language is of an enormous range, both in words and inflections, something like the Arabic, calling one and the same thing by various names, both original and derivative, and using one and the same word for a variety of subjects, which, in order to be properly understood, must be distinguished from each other by various qualifying epithets.
How did Al-Biruni's description of Sanskrit reflect his engagement with Indian culture?
Case study · CBSE 2024
A strange nation? The travelogue of Abdur Razzaq written in the 1440s is an interesting mixture of emotions and perceptions. On the one hand, he did not appreciate what he saw in the port of Calicut (present-day Kozhikode) in Kerala, which was populated by "a people the likes of whom I had never imagined", describing them as "a strange nation". Later in his visit to India, he arrived in Mangalore, and crossed the Western Ghats. Here he saw a temple that filled him with admiration: Within three leagues (about nine miles) of Mangalore, I saw an idol-house the likes of which is not to be found in all the world. It was a square, approximately ten yards a side, five yards in height, all covered with cast bronze, with four porticos. In the entrance portico was a statue in the likeness of a human being, full stature, made of gold. It had two red rubies for eyes, so cunningly made that you would say it could see. What craft and artisanship!
(32.1) Why did Abdur Razzaq call India a 'strange nation'?
Why did Abdur Razzaq call India a 'strange nation'?
(31.1) Why did Abdur Razzaq call India a 'strange nation'?
Case study · CBSE 2024
The creation and circulation of ideas about India. The writings of European travellers helped produce an image of India for Europeans through the printing and circulation of their books. Later, after 1750, when Indians like Shaikh Itisamuddin and Mirza Abu Talib visited Europe and confronted this image that Europeans had of their society, they tried to influence it by producing their own version of matters and described India as a great nation.
In what way did Shaikh Itisamuddin and Mirza Abu Talib challenge the version of Europeans towards India?
(31.1) In what way did Shaikh Itisamuddin and Mirza Abu Talib challenge the version of Europeans towards India?
Imagine reading the 'Nalayira Divyaprabandham' a significant text in Tamil. Why is this collection often referred to as the Tamil Veda?
Throughout his extensive travels, Ibn Batuta was able to explore unfamiliar cultures and societies. Which of the following competencies did he most likely develop?
In a modern city, a group of friends discusses the relevance of Kabir's teachings into today's society. Some believe these are outdated, while others see their significance in promoting equality and love. Which of the following scenario best reflects Kabir's relevance today?
In a modern city, a group of friends discusses the relevance of Kabir's teachings in today's society. Some believe these are outdated, while others see their significance in promoting equality and love. Which of the following scenario best reflects Kabir's relevance today?
Which one of the following statements is correct regarding Virashaiav or Lingayat tradition?
Who among the following included the composition of Guru Tegh Bahadur ji in the Guru Granth Sahib?
Which one of the following statements is correct regarding Virashaiva or Lingayat tradition?
Which one of the following pairs is not correctly matched?
If you were to create a documentary on Amir Khusrau, which aspect would best highlight his cultural significance?
Kabir emphasized 'Nirguna Bhakti'. What does this concept imply about Kabir's spiritual beliefs?
Identify the ruler of India from the sixteenth century with the following information and choose the correct option: He went on a pilgrimage to Ajmer fourteen times. He sought blessings for new conquests and the birth of sons from Ajmer Sharif.
Who among the following was the mentor of Amir Khusrau?
Identify the disciple of Shaikh Nizamuddin Auliya with the help of the following information: He was a great poet and musician of medieval period. He gave a unique form to Chishti sama. He introduced qawwali.
Which one of the following pairs is correctly matched? Saints - Their Region
Which one of the following pairs is correctly matched? Saints | Their Region (A) Kabirdas — Karnataka (B) Mirabai — Rajasthan (C) Basavanna — Assam (D) Shankaradeva — Uttar Pradesh
Identify the name of a woman devotee of early Bhakti tradition with the help of information given below: She was a devotee of Lord Shiva. She adopted a path of extreme asceticism to attain her goal.
Which one of the following pairs is correctly matched?
Who among the following Sikh Gurus compiled 'Adi Granth Sahib'?
Choose the correct option regarding Virashaiva tradition from the following:
Read the following information carefully and choose the correct location for this dargah from the given options: It is a dargah of Shaikh Salim Chisti. Akbar visited this dargah many a times.
Two statements as Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are given below. Read them carefully and answer the questions that follow: Assertion (A): Mirabai was the woman poet of Nirguna Bhakti tradition. Reason (R): She has been recognized as a source of inspiration for centuries.
Arrange the following in chronological order and select the correct option from the given options. (i) Guru Gobind Singh (ii) Guru Arjan Dev (iii) Guru Har Kishan Dev (iv) Guru Nanak Dev
Which of the following statements are correct about the Bhakti saint, Karaikkal Ammaiyar? (i) She was a woman devotee from Karnataka. (ii) She was a woman Nayanar. (iii) She was a devotee of Shiva. (iv) She composed Nalayira Divyaprabandham. Choose the correct option:
Match List I with List II: List I (Saints): i. Andal ii. Basavanna iii. Karaikkal Ammaiyar iv. Baba Farid; List II (Traditions): 1. Sufi 2. Lingayat 3. Alvar 4. Nayanar
Match List I with List II: List I (Saints): i. Andal ii. Basavanna iii. Karaikkal Ammaiyar iv. Baba Farid. List II (Traditions): 1. Sufi 2. Lingayat 3. Alvar 4. Nayanar. Options:
Describe the teachings of Guru Nanak Dev.
Describe the teachings and philosophy of Kabir Das.
Describe the teachings and philosophy of Virashaiva tradition.
Describe the teachings and philosophy of Lingayat tradition.
"Baba Guru Nanak Dev ji advocated a form of 'Nirguna Bhakti'". Substantiate the statement.
The most striking feature of early Bhakti traditions was the presence of women. Give examples to prove the statement.
Explain the major features of Virashaiva tradition.
Explain the role of women devotees in the traditions of Alvars and Nayanars.
How did the Chishtis adopt the local languages of India during the Medieval period ? Explain.
Explain the teachings of Kabir Das.
Explain the teachings of Lingayat tradition.
Explain the main beliefs and teachings of Guru Nanak Dev.
Explain the beliefs and teachings of Alvars and Nayanrs during the Medieval India.
Describe the views of Meera Bai on devotionalism.
How has the legacy of Guru Nanak Dev's teachings influenced the principles of Sikhism? Explain with examples.
How did the practices and teachings of Sufi saints in medieval India promote a sense of unity? Explain with examples.
How did the Alvars and Nayanars contribute to the development of the Tamil Bhakti Movement ? Explain with examples.
(a) Describe the contribution of Kabir to the Bhakti Movement and his impact on religious and social harmony.
Explain the main characteristics of the Lingayat tradition during Medieval India.
(a) How did Mirabai's life and works influence the culture and society? Explain.
(a) Describe the features of the Bhakti Movement led by the Alvars and Nayanars in medieval India.
Explain the ideas of Alvars and Nayanars. Elucidate how they established their relations with the states.
Explain the life and teachings of Kabir.
(a) Describe the philosophy and teachings of Kabir.
Describe the philosophy of Alvars and Nayanars.
(a) Describe the philosophy and practices of Sufis during medieval period in India.
Explain the philosophy and teachings of Guru Nanak Dev.
Case study · CBSE 2025
Amir Khusrau and the Qaul Amir Khusrau (1253-1325), the great poet, musician and disciple of Shaikh Nizamuddin Auliya, gave a unique form to the Chishti 'sama' by introducing the qaul (Arabic word meaning "saying"), a hymn sung at the opening or closing of qawwali. This was followed by sufi poetry in Persian, Hindavi or Urdu, and sometimes using words from all of these languages. Qawwals (those who sing these songs) at the shrine of Shaikh Nizamuddin Auliya always start their recital with the qaul. Today qawwali is performed in shrines all over the subcontinent.
32.1 What unique form did Amir Khusrau introduce to the Chishti 'sama'?
Case study · CBSE 2025
Amir Khusrau (1253-1325), the great poet, musician and disciple of Shaikh Nizamuddin Auliya, gave a unique form to the Chishti 'sama' by introducing the qaul (Arabic word meaning "saying"), a hymn sung at the opening or closing of qawwali. This was followed by sufi poetry in Persian, Hindavi or Urdu, and sometimes using words from all of these languages. Qawwals (those who sing these songs) at the shrine of Shaikh Nizamuddin Auliya always start their recital with the qaul. Today qawwali is performed in shrines all over the subcontinent.
What unique form did Amir Khusrau introduce to the Chishti 'sama'?
33.1 What unique form did Amir Khusrau introduce to the Chishti 'sama'?
Case study · CBSE 2025
Declining a royal gift. This excerpt from a sufi text describes the proceedings at Shaikh Nizamuddin Auliya's hospice in 1313: I (the author, Amir Hasan Sijzi) had the good fortune of kissing his (Shaikh Nizamuddin Auliya's) feet … At this time a local ruler had sent him the deed of ownership to two gardens and much land, along with the provisions and tools for their maintenance. The ruler had also made it clear that he was relinquishing all his rights to both the gardens and land. The master … had not accepted that gift. Instead, he had lamented: "What have I to do with gardens and fields and lands? … None of … our spiritual masters had engaged in such activity." Then he told an appropriate story: "… Sultan Ghiyasuddin, who at that time was still known as Ulugh Khan, came to visit Shaikh Fariduddin (and) offered some money and ownership deeds for four villages to the Shaikh, the money being for the benefit of the dervishes (sufis), and the land for his use. Smiling, Shaikh al Islam (Fariduddin) said: 'Give me the money. I will dispense it to the dervishes. But as for those land deeds, keep them. There are many who long for them. Give them away to such persons."
What did the ruler offer Shaikh Nizamuddin Auliya?
Case study · CBSE 2025
This excerpt from a sufi text describes the proceedings at Shaikh Nizamuddin Auliya's hospice in 1313: I (the author, Amir Hasan Sijzi) had the good fortune of kissing his (Shaikh Nizamuddin Auliya's) feet … At this time a local ruler had sent him the deed of ownership to two gardens and much land, along with the provisions and tools for their maintenance. The ruler had also made it clear that he was relinquishing all his rights to both the gardens and land. The master … had not accepted that gift. Instead, he had lamented: "What have I to do with gardens and fields and lands ? … None of … our spiritual masters had engaged in such activity." Then he told an appropriate story: "… Sultan Ghiyasuddin, who at that time was still known as Ulugh Khan, came to visit Shaikh Fariduddin (and) offered some money and ownership deeds for four villages to the Shaikh, the money being for the benefit of the dervishes (sufis), and the land for his use. Smiling, Shaikh al Islam (Fariduddin) said: 'Give me the money. I will dispense it to the dervishes. But as for those land deeds, keep them. There are many who long for them. Give them away to such persons."
What did the ruler offer Shaikh Nizamuddin Auliya?
Case study · CBSE 2024
The One Lord. Here is a composition attributed to Kabir: Tell me, brother, how can there be No one lord of the world but two? Who led you so astray? God is called by many names: Names like Allah, Ram, Karim, Keshav, Hari, and Hazrat. Gold may be shaped into rings and bangles. Isn't it gold all the same? Distinctions are only words we invent...
How did Kabir describe the ultimate reality?
Which of the following statements regarding Colonel Colin Mackenzie are correct? Choose the correct option: I. The ruins of Hampi were brought to light in 1800 by him. II. He was an official of East India Company. III. He prepared the first survey maps of the site. IV. He received information of Vijayanagara empire from the Duarte Barbosa.
Match Column-I with Column-II and choose the correct option from the following: Column-I (Foreign Travellers) - Column-II (Countries) a. Afanasi Nikitin - I. Persia b. Domingo Paes - II. Russia c. Abdur-Razzak - III. Portugal d. Nicolo de Conti - IV. Italy
Match Column-I (Temple) with Column-II (Location) and choose the correct option: a) Brihadeswaara temple - 1) Vijayanagara, b) Chennakeshava temple - 2) Tamil Nadu, c) Hazara Ram temple - 3) Belur, d) Chidambaram temple - 4) Tanjavur
Match Column-I with Column-II and choose the correct option: Column-I (Temple): a) Brihadeswara temple, b) Chennakeshava temple, c) Hazara Ram temple, d) Chidambaram temple. Column-II (Location): 1) Vijayanagara, 2) Tamil Nadu, 3) Belur, 4) Tanjavur
Arrange the following in chronological order and choose the correct option: I. Battle of Talikota, II. Establishment of Nagalpuram, III. Formation of Kamalpuram Tank, IV. Emergence of the Sultanate of Golconda
Which of the following was the main source of initial information about Hampi's ruins for Colonel Colin Mackenzie?
Which one of the following is a famous literary work authored by Raja Krishnadeva Raya?
Fill in the blank with the appropriate option from the following: While historians use the term Vijayanagara Empire, contemporaries described it as the ''Karnataka ___________''.
Which of the following is the correct statement regarding Vijayanagara Empire?
Which of the following is the most important contribution of Krishnadeva Raya?
Identify the person with the help of following information: - He was a famous engineer, surveyor and cartographer. - He was appointed the first Surveyor General of India in 1815.
Match Column I with Column II and choose the correct option: Column I (Temple): 1. Hazara Rama Temple (i) Tamil Nadu 2. Chidambaram Temple (ii) Vijayanagara 3. Brihadishvara Temple (iii) Belur 4. Chennakeshava Temple (iv) Thanjavur
Which one of the following was the main factor that led to the decline of the Vijayanagara empire?
Match Column I with Column II and choose the correct option: Column I (Temple): 1. Hazara Rama Temple, 2. Chidambaram Temple, 3. Brihadishvara Temple, 4. Chennakeshava Temple. Column II (Location): (i) Tamil Nadu, (ii) Vijayanagara, (iii) Belur, (iv) Thanjavur.
Fill in the blank. The most striking feature about the location of Vijayanagara was the natural basin formed by river ___________ which flows in a north-easterly direction.
Which of the following empires was called 'Karnataka Samrajyamu'?
Which one of the following pairs is correctly matched? Column I (Temple) - Column II (Location)
Which one of the following pairs is correctly matched? Column I (Temple) | Column II (Location) (A) Chidambaram Temple — Thanjavu (B) Brihadishvara Temple — Vijayanagar (C) Chennakeshava Temple — Belur (D) Hazara Rama Temple — Tamil Nadu
Which one of the following option is NOT correct regarding the contemporaries of Vijayanagara empire?
Choose the correct statement from the following options with reference to Vijayanagara empire:
Match Column-I with Column-II regarding Vijayanagara empire and choose the correct option:
Column-I (Travellers who visited Vijayanagara Empire) | Column-II (Country they belonged) I. Nicolo de Conti | a. Persia II. Abdur Razzak | b. Portugal III. Duarte Barbosa | c. Italy IV. Afanasi Nikitin | d. Russia
Match column-I with column-II and choose the correct option: Column-I Temple - Column-II Region I. Brihadeswara - A. Vijayanagar II. Channekeshwar - B. Tanjavur III. Hazara Ram - C. Tamil Nadu IV. Chidambaram - D. Belur
Match column-I with column-II and choose the correct option: Column-I Temple: I Brihadeswara II Channekeshwar III Hazara Ram IV Chidambaram. Column-II Region: A Vijayanagar B Tanjavur C Tamil Nadu D Belur
Match column-I with column-II and choose the correct option: Column-I: I Brihadeswara, II Channekeshwar, III Hazara Ram, IV Chidambaram; Column-II: A Vijayanagar, B Tanjavur, C Tamil Nadu, D Belur
In which of the following places is the Brihadishvara temple situated ?
Identify the dynasty of Vijayanagara with the help of the following information: Harihara and Bukka belonged to this dynasty. They built Hiriya canal. It was the first dynasty of Vijayangara empire.
Which of the following options is correct about the water resources of the Vijayanagara Empire? (a) River Kaveri flows in Vijayanagara towards north-easterly direction. (b) Embankments were built by Gajapati rulers in Vijayanagara.
Which of the following options is correct about the water resources of the Vijayanagara Empire?
Rearrange the following in chronological order and select the correct option: (i) The Saluva military commanders were replaced by the Tuluvas. (ii) Rulers of Orissa were subdued by Krishnadeva Raya. (iii) The Battle of Talikota routed out the Vijayanagara Empire. (iv) Harihara and Bukka founded the Vijayanagara Empire.
Rearrange the following in chronological order and select the correct option from the following: (i) The Saluva military commanders were replaced by the Tuluvas. (ii) Rulers of Orissa were subdued by Krishnadeva Raya. (iii) The Battle of Talikota routed out the Vijayanagara Empire. (iv) Harihara and Bukka founded the Vijayanagara Empire. Choose the correct option:
Analyse the causes that led to the ruin of Vijayanagara empire.
Analyse the role of Amara-nayakas in the Vijayanagara empire.
Analyse the role of Krishnadev Rai in the Vijayanagara.
(a) Analyse the causes of decline of Vijayanagara empire.
Imagine studying the water management system of the Vijayanagara empire. How did the empire's water resources support its agriculture and urban development? Explain.
Imagine yourself as a historian reconstructing the events that took place on the Mahanavami Dibba. How would the architecture of the platform help you to understand the royal ceremonies? Explain.
The Vitthala temple of Vijayanagara was known for its unique architecture. Explain the statement with examples.
The Virupaksha Temple of the Vijayanagara empire was known for its unique architecture. Explain the statement with examples.
Explain the water resource management of Vijayanagara empire with examples.
How were the different and unique elements added in the fortification of Vijayanagara empire? Explain with examples.
Explain the distinctive features of the Royal Centre of the Vijayanagara empire.
Analyse the role of Krishnadeva Raya as the ruler of Vijayanagara empire.
Analyse how the ruins of Hampi were brought to light in 1800 by Colin Mackenzie.
Why was 'Amar-Nayakas system' called as Political innovation of Vijayanagara empire? Explain.
Analyse the role of Krishnadeva Raya in the Vijayanagara empire.
(a) The Virupaksha Temple was important in the Vijayanagara Empire. Substantiate the statement.
Virupaksha Temple in Vijayanagara was important. Substantiate the statement.
(a) Vitthala Temple was an important monument in Vijayanagara Empire. Substantiate the statement.
The choice of the site of Vijayanagara was inspired by the presence of the shrines of Virupaksha and Pampadeshvara. Justify the statement.
Describe the relationship between the Sultans of Bijapur and Golconda with the Vijayanagara kings.
Describe the role of Rama Raya to bring about the ruin of Vijayanagara.
Examine the main reasons for the rise and decline of the Vijaynagar empire.
Why was the Mahanavami dibba of Vijayanagara famous? Explain.
Explain the reasons of apogee and fall of the Vijayanagara Empire.
Explain the structural and ritual related features of Mahanavami Dibba.
Case study · CBSE 2024
How tanks were built. About a tank constructed by Krishnadeva Raya, Paes wrote: The king made a tank ... at the mouth of two hills so that all the water which comes from either one side or the other collects there; and, besides this, water comes to it from more than three leagues (approximately 15 kilometres) by pipes which run along the lower parts of the range outside. This water is brought from a lake which itself overflows into a little river. The tank has three large pillars handsomely carved with figures; these connect above with certain pipes by which they get water when they have to irrigate their gardens and rice-fields. In order to make this tank the said king broke down a hill ... In the tank I saw so many people at work that there must have been fifteen or twenty thousand men, looking like ants ...
Why did Krishnadeva Raya construct a tank?
How tanks were built? About a tank constructed by Krishnadeva Raya, Paes wrote: The king made a tank ... at the mouth of two hills so that all the water which comes from either one side or the other collects there; and, besides this, water comes to it from more than three leagues (approximately 15 kilometres) by pipes which run along the lower parts of the range outside. This water is brought from a lake which itself overflows into a little river. The tank has three large pillars handsomely carved with figures; these connect above with certain pipes by which they get water when they have to irrigate their gardens and rice-fields. In order to make this tank the said king broke down a hill ... In the tank I saw so many people at work that there must have been fifteen or twenty thousand men, looking like ants ... Question (31.1): Why did Krishnadeva Raya construct a tank?
Which of the following is a major source to understand agrarian history of 16th and 17th century India?
Which one of the following statements is most appropriate regarding the zamindars of 16th and 17th century India?
Which of the following statements is true regarding the land revenue system of the Mughals?
Identify the correct statement from the following regarding the role of women in agrarian society of the Mughal State.
Which one of the following dynasties did Queen Prabhavati belong to?
Which of the following informations were included in the tables of the sarkars in the Ain-i-Akbari?
If you were researching the economic policies and revenue collection methods of Akbar's reign, which of the following sections of the Ain-i-Akbari would provide the most relevant information?
Which of the following options represents the correct chronological order of Mughal rulers in India? I. Reign of Aurangzeb, II. Reign of Akbar, III. Reign of Shah Jahan, IV. Reign of Jahangir
Match Column I with Column II and choose the correct option. Column I (Community during Mughal Empire): a. Muzarian, b. Patwari, c. Majur, d. Shroff. Column II (Role): i. Accountant, ii. Peasant, iii. Labourer, iv. Banker.
Which of the following statements is correct regarding Ain-i-Akbari?
Choose the correct pair regarding the profile of rural people during the Mughal period: List I (Name): (A) Mallahzadas – Village Headman (B) Muqaddam – Banker (C) Shroff – Boatman (D) Muzarian – Peasant
Choose the correct pair regarding the profile of rural people during the Mughal period: List I (Name) - List II (Profile)
Which of the following tribal kingdoms exerted considerable influence and played a significant role in the Mughal Empire during the 16th and 17th centuries? I. Lohanis in Punjab II. Ahoms in Assam III. Koch in Bengal IV. Kols in Singhbhum
Which of the following pairs is correctly matched regarding the classification of lands under Akbar?
Which of the following tribal kingdoms exerted considerable influence and played a significant role in the Mughal Empire during the 16th and 17th centuries?
Which one of the following tribes was engaged in overland trade between India and Afghanistan and in the villages and towns in Punjab during the Mughal era?
Fill in the blank with the appropriate word from the given options: The land which was annually cultivated for each crop in succession was called __________ in the Mughal Empire.
Which one of the following was not a major factor that accounted for the constant expansion of agriculture in the Mughal state?
With reference to the land revenue system of the Mughals, match Column-I with that of Column-II:
Column-I | Column-II I. Jama | a. The amount actually collected II. Khet Batai | b. After cutting the crops, putting it in heaps and divided equally III. Lang Batai | c. Field is divided when it is sown for levying revenue IV. Hasil | d. The amount of revenue assessed
Which one of the following description of Mughal rural society is correctly matched? Rural people - Profession
Identify the forest tribe during sixteenth and seventeenth century with the help of following information: • In Assam these Tribal Chiefs became kings. • They rendered military service in exchange of land. • They declared their monopoly on catching wild elephants.
Which one of the following description of Mughal rural society is correctly matched?
Identify the forest tribe during sixteenth and seventeenth century with the help of following information: In Assam these Tribal Chiefs became kings. They rendered military service in exchange of land. They declared their monopoly on catching wild animals.
The land was classified into four categories under the rule of Akbar. Which of these four categories was considered the best ?
Which of the following are correct about Mughal Land Revenue Collection? (i) Kankut: Estimation of crops as good, middle and inferior (ii) Batai: Crops were reaped, sacked and divided by agreement (iii) Khet Batai: Division of fields before they were sown (iv) Lang Batai: Division of crops among Kings and Zamindars. Choose the correct option:
Consider the following statements regarding the central purpose of the Ain-i-Akbari: (i) Ain-i-Akbari was written by Abdul Fazal. (ii) Ain-i-Akbari presents a picture of Akbar's empire. (iii) Ain-i-Akbari highlighted the strength of the Mughal Army. (iv) Ain-i-Akbari mentions the Iqta system of Mughals. Choose the correct option:
Ricarda's Theory was related to which of the following aspects?
Consider the following statements regarding the central purpose of the Ain-i-Akbari: (i) Ain-i-Akbari was written by Abu Fazal. (ii) Ain-i-Akbari reflects the administrative system of Akbar. (iii) Ain-i-Akbari highlighted the strength of the Mughal Army. (iv) Ain-i-Akbari mentions the Iqta system of Mughals. Choose the correct option:
Which of the following are correct about Mughal Land Revenue Collection? (i) Kankut: Estimation of crops as good, middle and inferior (ii) Batai: Crops were reaped, sacked and divided by agreement (iii) Khet Batai: Division of fields before they were sown (iv) Lang Batai: Division of crops among Kings and Zamindars Choose the correct option:
Consider the following statements regarding the central purpose of the Ain-i-Akbari: (i) Ain-i-Akbari was written by Abul Fazl. (ii) Ain-i-Akbari presents the structure of Akbar's empire. (iii) Ain-i-Akbari highlighted the strength of the Mughal Army. (iv) Ain-i-Akbari mentions the Iqta system of Mughals. Choose the correct option:
Riskatta's theory was related to which of the following aspects?
Fill in the blank: The Mughal administrative system had an apex, a military cum bureaucratic apparatus _____________ which looked after civil and military affairs.
Two statements as Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are given below. Read them carefully and select the correct option: Assertion (A): Our major source to know agrarian history of 16th and 17th centuries is the chronicle known as Ain-i-Akbari. Reason (R): This text meticulously recorded the arrangements made by the state to ensure cultivation, collect revenue and relations between state and zamindars.
Mention any one territory which was under the control of Mughals in Northern India. (For Visually Impaired candidates only)
Analyse the role of Panchayats in the Mughal rural society.
Examine the role of Panchayat in advocating for the rights of common people during the Mughal era.
Describe the role of Panchayats in the Mughal era.
Describe the role of Zamindars in the Mughal era.
Describe the role of village artisans in the Mughal era.
How did the Mughal rulers classify agricultural land for revenue? Explain with examples.
How did the zamindars contribute to the functioning of Mughal governance? Explain with examples.
Examine how the Mughal Panchayats influenced social and economic policies of the village.
"Revenue from the land was the economic mainstay of the Mughal empire." Support the statement with examples.
"The villages in the Mughal empire were seen as Little Republics." Support the statement with examples.
How did the women lead their life in the Mughal rural society? Explain with examples.
There are some limitations of Ain-i-Akbari. Examine the statement.
Analyse the life of forest dwellers in the Mughal Empire.
How did Mughals organize their land revenue system? Explain.
Explain how the forest dwellers earned their livelihood during the 16th and 17th centuries.
Examine the role played by Zamindars in Mughal India.
Explain why were women considered an important resource in agrarian society during sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.
Analyse the role of village artisans in Mughal India.
Examine the land revenue system of Mughal India.
"Ain-i-Akbari is considered a major source for the agrarian history of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries." Examine the statement.
Examine the various functions of the Panchayats during sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.
Examine the major sources of income of the Panchayats during sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.
Describe any three experiences of Francois Bernier in India.
The Mughals had their own administrative concerns and conflicts with their zamindars. Explain this statement.
The Mughals had political relations and conflicts with their own power centers. Clarify the statement.
Imagine if you were developing an educational programme on forest life during the Mughal era. What key aspects of the life of forest-dwellers during that time would you explain? Substantiate.
The role of women in the Mughal agrarian society was significant. Explain the statement giving examples.
Explain the statement that the Mughals had their own methods.
Case study · CBSE 2023
Cash or Kind ? The Ain on land revenue collection: Let him (the amil-guzar) not make it a practice of taking only in cash but also in kind. The latter is effected in several ways. First, kankut: in the Hindi language kan signifies grain, and kutse, the crops should be cut and estimated in three lots, the good, the middling, and the inferior, and the hesitation removed. Often, too, the land taken by appraisement, gives a sufficiently accurate return. Secondly, batai, also called bhaoli, the crops are reaped and stacked and divided by agreement in the presence of the parties. But in this case several intelligent inspectors are required; otherwise, the evil-minded and false are given to deception. Thirdly, khet-batai, when they divide the fields after they are sown. Fourthly, lang batai, after cutting the grain, they form it in heaps and divide it among themselves, and each takes his share home and turns it to profit.
Explain the meaning of cash.
Case study · CBSE 2023
Cash or Kind? The Ain on land revenue collection: Let him (the amil-guzar) not make it a practice of taking only in cash but also in kind. The latter is effected in several ways. First, kankut: in the Hindi language kan signifies grain, and kutand estimated in three lots, the good, the middling, and the inferior, and the hesitation removed. Often, too, the land taken by appraisement, gives a sufficiently accurate return. Secondly, batai, also called bhaoli, the crops are reaped and stacked and divided by agreement in the presence of the parties. But in this case several intelligent inspectors are required; otherwise, the evil-minded and false are given to deception. Thirdly, khet-batai, when they divide the fields after they are sown. Fourthly, lang batai, after cutting the grain, they form it in heaps and divide it among themselves, and each takes his share home and turns it to profit.
Explain the meaning of cash.
Case study · CBSE 2023
Cash or Kind ? The Ain on land revenue collection : Let him (the amil-guzar) not make it a practice of taking only in cash but also in kind. The latter is effected in several ways. First, kankut: in the Hindi language kan signifies grain, and kutf any doubts arise, the crops should be cut and estimated in three lots, the good, the middling, and the inferior, and the hesitation removed. Often, too, the land taken by appraisement, gives a sufficiently accurate return. Secondly, batai, also called bhaoli, the crops are reaped and stacked and divided by agreement in the presence of the parties. But in this case several intelligent inspectors are required; otherwise, the evil-minded and false are given to deception. Thirdly, khet-batai, when they divide the fields after they are sown. Fourthly, lang batai, after cutting the grain, they form it in heaps and divide it among themselves, and each takes his share home and turns it to profit.
Explain the meaning of cash.
Case study · CBSE 2023
Irrigating trees and fields. This is an excerpt from the Babur Nama that describes the irrigation devices the emperor observed in northern India: The greater part of Hindustan country is situated on level land. Many though its towns and cultivated lands are, it nowhere has running waters ... For ... water is not at all a necessity in cultivating crops and orchards. Autumn crops grow by the downpour of the rains themselves; and strange it is that spring crops grow even when no rains fall. (However) to young trees water is made to flow by means of buckets or wheels ... In Lahore, Dipalpur (both in present-day Pakistan) and those other parts, people water by means of a wheel. They make two circles of rope long enough to suit the depths of the well, fix strips of wood between them, and on these fasten pitchers. The ropes with the wood and attached pitchers are put over the wheel-well. At one end of the wheel-axle a second wheel is fixed, and close to it another on an upright axle. The last wheel the bullock turns; its teeth catch in the teeth of the second (wheel), and thus the wheel with the pitchers is turned. A trough is set where the water empties from the pitchers and from this the water is conveyed everywhere. In Agra, Chandwar, Bayana (all in present-day Uttar Pradesh) and those parts again, people water with a bucket ... At the well-edge they set up a fork of wood, having a roller adjusted between the forks, tie a rope to a large bucket, put the rope over a roller, and tie its other end to the bullock. One person must drive the bullock, another empty the bucket.
(32.1) Examine the factor that accounted for the expansion of agriculture in Mughal Period.
Examine the factor that accounted for the expansion of agriculture in Mughal Period.
Case study · CBSE 2023
Peasants on the move. This was a feature of agrarian society which struck a keen observer like Babur, the first Mughal emperor, forcefully enough for him to write about it in the Babur Nama, his memoirs: In Hindustan hamlets and villages, towns indeed, are depopulated and set up in a moment! If the people of a large town, one inhabited for years even, flee from it, they do it in such a way that not a sign or trace of them remains in a day and a half. On the other hand, if they fix their eyes on a place to settle, they need not dig water courses because their crops are all rain-grown, and as the population of Hindustan is unlimited it swarms in. They make a tank or a well; they need not build houses or set up walls . . . khas-grass abounds, wood is unlimited, huts are made, and straightaway there is a village or a town!
What is Babur Nama?
Case study · CBSE 2023
This was a feature of agrarian society which struck a keen observer like Babur, the first Mughal emperor, forcefully enough for him to write about it in the Babur Nama, his memoirs: In Hindustan hamlets and villages, towns indeed, are depopulated and set up in a moment! If the people of a large town, one inhabited for years even, flee from it, they do it in such a way that not a sign or trace of them remains in a day and a half. On the other hand, if they fix their eyes on a place to settle, they need not dig water courses because their crops are all rain-grown, and as the population of Hindustan is unlimited it swarms in. They make a tank or a well; they need not build houses or set up walls . . . khas-grass abounds, wood is unlimited, huts are made, and straightaway there is a village or a town!
What is Babur Nama ?
Case study · CBSE 2023
In Hindustan hamlets and villages, towns indeed, are depopulated and set up in a moment! If the people of a large town, one inhabited for years even, flee from it, they do it in such a way that not a sign or trace of them remains in a day and a half. On the other hand, if they fix their eyes on a place to settle, they need not dig water courses because their crops are all rain-grown, and as the population of Hindustan is unlimited it swarms in. They make a tank or a well; they need not build houses or set up walls . . . khas-grass abounds, wood is unlimited, huts are made, and straightaway there is a village or a town!
What is Babur Nama?
How did David Ricardo's ideas influence British revenue policies in India?
Find the odd one out regarding the Permanent Settlement of 1793.
Which one of the following was the main cause of the Santhal Rebellion of 1855?
Which of the following statements best describes the effect of the Permanent Settlement on zamindars?
Two statements labelled as Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are given below. Read them carefully and select the correct option: Assertion (A): India was considered a suitable country for cotton cultivation due to its soil, climate and cheap labour, by the Britishers. Reason (R): The American Civil War (1861 – 65) caused a significant drop in raw cotton imports from America, leading Britain to seek alternative sources.
Read the statements about the Deccan Riots Commission. Identify which of the following options is correct. I. The Government of Bombay established an enquiry commission to investigate the causes of the riots. II. The Deccan Riots Report was presented to the British Parliament in 1878. III. The Commission's report included only qualitative data from the eyewitnesses. IV. The enquiry process involved recording statements from ryots and sahukars.
Which of the following was the consequence of not paying the revenue by sunset on the specified date under the British Sunset Law enacted in Bengal?
Fill in the blank with the appropriate option from the following: The __________ was established by the British government in 1875 to investigate the economic distress and role of East India Company in Bombay and the Deccan.
Which of the following was not the provision of the 'Limitation Law' passed by the British in 1859?
Arrange the following in chronological order and choose the correct option: (i) Limitation Law (ii) Sunset Law (iii) Santhal Rebellion (iv) Bombay-Deccan Riots
Which one of the following was a significant criticism of the Permanent Settlement?
Two statements as Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are given below. Read them carefully and choose the correct option: Assertion (A): Zamindars in the Permanent Settlement failed to pay the revenue demand and unpaid balances accumulated. Reason (R): According to the Sunset Law, if payment did not come in by sunset of the specified date, the zamindari was liable to be auctioned.
Which of the following was the primary characteristic of the Ryotwari system implemented by the British in 'Bombay Deccan'?
In which of the following districts did the ryots revolt against sahukaars of the Ryotwari system?
In which of the following districts did the ryots revolt against sahukars of the Ryotwari system?
Who among the following proposed a 'Policy of Pacification' with the Paharias in 1770 in Bhagalpur?
Arrange the following in chronological order and choose the correct option.
I. Limitation Law passed by the British II. Starting of Permanent Settlement in Bengal III. Santhal Rebellion IV. Ryotwari settlement in Bombay Deccan
Arrange the following in chronological order and choose the correct option. I. Limitation Law passed by the British II. Starting of Permanent Settlement in Bengal III. Santhal Rebellion IV. Ryotwari settlement in Bombay Deccan
Identify the primary purpose of Britishers to implement Permanent Settlement in Bengal. Choose the best suitable option from the following:
Who among the following established the Permanent Settlement in Bengal ?
Identify the officer of the English East India Company with the help of following information: He was a physician of Lord Wellesley. He surveyed Bengal. He established zoo in Bengal.
Who implemented the Ryotwari system in Bengal?
Which one of the following revenue systems was implemented by Charles Cornwallis in India?
Match the following events: List I (Event): i. Fifth Report ii. Deccan Riot Commission iii. Damin-i-koh iv. American Civil War; List II (Correlation): 1. Zamindari system 2. Santhal land 3. Cotton boom 4. Ryotwari system
Match the following events: List I (Event): i. Fifth Report ii. Deccan Riot Commission iii. Damin-i-koh iv. American Civil War. List II (Correlation): 1. Zamindari system 2. Ryotwari system 3. Cotton boom 4. Forest land. Choose the correct option:
Analyse the policies adopted by the British towards Paharias of Rajmahal Hills during the eighteenth century.
Analyse the impact of the Ryotwari system on the ryots of Bombay.
Analyse the main objectives of the British government in implementing the Permanent Settlement in Bengal?
Analyse the main causes of conflict between the Paharias and Santhals.
How did the geographical features of the Rajmahal hills impact the lives of the Paharias ? Explain.
Describe any three features of the Ryotwari system.
Why was there a panic in the cotton circles of Britain over the American Civil War? Explain.
Explain the causes that led to the conflict between the Paharias of Rajmahal Hills and the Santhals.
Critically examine the Fifth Report of 1813.
Analyse the causes of Bombay-Deccan Riots.
Analyse how Santhals settled in the periphery of Raj Mahal hills in the beginning of nineteenth century.
Why did Ryots of Deccan India revolt against the moneylenders during the colonial period? Explain.
Why did Santhals rebel against the Zamindars, moneylenders and the Britishers? Explain.
How did the American Civil War of 1861 affect the lives of Ryots of India ? Explain.
Explain why did the Paharias of Rajmahal hills regularly raid the settled agriculturists on the plains during the 18th century.
Explain the policies adopted by the British towards Paharias in the second half of the 18th century.
Analyse the statement: When they introduced Permanent Settlement, British officials had some ideas in their minds.
The jotedars were more effective than that of zamindars in the villages. Examine the statement in the context of Permanent Settlement.
When they introduced Permanent Settlement in Bengal in 1793, the British officials had some ideas in their minds. Analyse the statement.
Analyse the statement: Some thoughts existed in the minds of British officials when they introduced Permanent Settlement in Bengal in 1793.
Imagine you are leading a historical research team. How would you explain the role of Ryotwari System in fostering rural indebtness and its long-term consequences on Bombay-Deccan peasantry? Explain.
Examine various aspects of administration and other activities of East India Company as contained in the fifth report.
Examine the factors that influenced the implementation of the Permanent Settlement in Bengal and its consequences.
Examine the salient features of Permanent Settlement in Bengal. Why did the British expect this revenue system to solve their problems ?
Analyse the causes that led to the Bombay Deccan Riots.
Case study · CBSE 2025
On clearance and settled cultivation Passing through one village in the lower Rajmahal hills, Buchanan wrote: The view of the country is exceedingly fine, the cultivation, especially the narrow valleys of rice winding in all directions, the cleared lands with scattered trees, and the rocky hills are in perfection; all that is wanted is some appearance of progress in the area and a vastly extended and improved cultivation, of which the country is highly susceptible. Plantations of Asan and Palas, for Tessar (Tassar silkworms) and Lac, should occupy the place of woods to as great an extent as the demand will admit; the remainder might be all cleared, and the greater part cultivated, while what is not fit for the purpose, might rear Plamira (palmyra) and Mowa (mahua).
33.1 How did Buchanan describe the view of the lower Rajmahal hills?
32.1 How did Buchanan describe the view of the lower Rajmahal hills?
How did Buchanan describe the view of the lower Rajmahal hills?
Case study · CBSE 2024
A ryot petition This is an example of a petition from a ryot of the village of Mirajgaon, Taluka Karjat, to the Collector, Ahmednagar, Deccan Riots Commission: The sowkars (sahukars).... have of late begun to oppress us. As we cannot earn enough to defray our household expenses, we are actually forced to beg of them to provide us with money, clothes and grain, which we obtain from them not without great difficulty, nor without their compelling us to enter into hard conditions in the bond. Moreover the necessary clothes and grain are not sold to us at cash rates. The prices asked from us are generally twenty-five or fifty per cent more than demanded from customers making ready money payments... The produce of our fields is also taken by the sowkars, who at the time of removing it assure us that it will be credited to our account, but they do not actually make any mention of it in the accounts. They also refuse to pass us any receipts for the produce so removed by them.
In what ways the money-lenders oppressed the ryots?
Case study · CBSE 2023
The jotedars of Dinajpur. Buchanan described the ways in which the jotedars of Dinajpur in North Bengal resisted being disciplined by the zamindar and undermined his power: Landlords do not like this class of men, but it is evident that they are absolutely necessary, unless the landlords themselves would advance money to their necessitous tenantry ... The jotedars who cultivate large portions of lands are very refractory, and know that the zamindars have no power over them. They pay only a few rupees on account of their revenue and then fall in balance almost every kist (instalment), they hold more lands than they are entitled to by their pottahs (deeds of consequence, summon them to the cutcherry, and detain them for one or two hours with a view to reprimand them, they immediately go and complain at the Fouzdarry Thanna (police station) for the lower court) cutcherry for being dishonoured and whilst the causes continue unsettled, they instigate the petty ryots not to pay their revenue consequently ...
(33.1) Why did jotedars resist the Zamindars of Dinajpur?
Why did jotedars resist the Zamindars of Dinajpur?
Two statements labelled as Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are given below. Read them carefully and select the correct option: Assertion (A): The Subsidiary Alliance system introduced by Lord Wellesley, significantly weakened the Indian Princely States. Reason (R): Indian rulers lost their military autonomy under the Subsidiary Alliance.
Which one of the following was a key feature of the 'Subsidiary Alliance' introduced by Lord Wellesley in 1798?
Why were the British keen to annex the territory of Awadh? Choose the correct option from the following:
Which one of the following was the main cause of the Santhal Rebellion of 1855?
Match the Column-I with Column-II and choose the correct option: Column-I (Leadership of the Revolt of 1857) - Column-II (Regions) a. Shah Mal - I. Lucknow b. Kunwar Singh - II. Kanpur c. Birjis Qadr - III. Baraut d. Nana Sahib - IV. Arrah
Match the Column-I with Column-II and choose the correct option: Column-I (Leadership of the Revolt of 1857) - Column-II (Regions) a. Shah Mal - I. Lucknow b. Kunwar Singh - II. Kanpur c. Birjis Qadri - III. Baraut d. Nana Sahib - IV. Arrah
Find the odd one out regarding the revolt of 1857 from the following:
Fill in the blank with the suitable option given below: The Revolt of 1857 marked the end of the _______ dynasty in India.
Choose the correct option from the following to fill in the blank regarding the role of leaders in the Revolt of 1857. Nana Saheb: Kanpur; Kunwar Singh: ____________
Who amongst the following wrote the line "Khoob Ladi Mardani, Woh To Jhansi Wali Rani Thi"?
Which one of the following policies by the British led to discontent among Indian soldiers, contributing to the Revolt of 1857?
From the following identify the local leader of Singhbhum who led the cultivators to join the Revolt of 1857.
Match Column I with Column II and choose the correct option: Column I (Name of the Viceroys): 1. Lord Wellesley, 2. Lord Dalhousie, 3. Lord Bentinck, 4. Lord Hardinge. Column II (Role): (i) Introduced annexation policies, (ii) Introduced Subsidiary Alliance, (iii) Introduced greased cartridges, (iv) Introduced reformative polices.
Identify the name of a British official from the information given below. He adopted policies of reforming Indian society by introducing western education. He established laws to abolish Sati system. He permitted remarriage of Hindu widows
Who among the following described the following line for Kingdom of Awadh? "A cherry that will fall into our mouth one day."
Match Column I with Column II and choose the correct option: Column I (Name of the Viceroys): 1. Lord Wellesley (i) Introduced annexation policies 2. Lord Dalhousie (ii) Introduced Subsidiary Alliance 3. Lord Bentinck (iii) Introduced greased cartridges 4. Lord Hardinge (iv) Introduced reformative polices
Who among the following rebels took over the bungalow of a British official and turned it into a 'hall of justice' to settle disputes during 1857 in Uttar Pradesh?
Arrange the following events regarding the Revolt of 1857 in chronological order and choose the correct option from the following: I. Summary Settlement in Awadh II. Subsidiary Alliance in Awadh III. Reforming policies of William Bentinck IV. Azamgarh Proclamation
Match the Leaders of the Revolt of 1857 (List I) with their Centres (List II) and choose the correct option from the following: List I (Leaders): 1. Nana Sahib, 2. Kunwar Singh, 3. Wajid Ali Shah, 4. Birjis Qadr. List II (Centres): (i) Awadh, (ii) Kanpur, (iii) Bihar, (iv) Lucknow.
Match the Leaders of the Revolt of 1857 (List I) with their Centres (List II) and choose the correct option from the following:
"Khoob ladi mardani, woh to Jhansi wali rani thi." Who among the following has written these lines and portrayed Laxmi Bai as a symbol to resist injustice?
Match Column I with Column II and choose the correct option from the following: Column I (Leaders of the Revolt of 1857) | Column II (Related Region) 1. Kunwar Singh | (i) Singhbhum 2. Shah Mal | (ii) Arrah 3. Birjis Qadr | (iii) Barout 4. Gonoo | (iv) Lucknow
Match Column I with Column II and choose the correct option from the following: Column I (Leaders of the Revolt of 1857): 1. Kunwar Singh 2. Shah Mal 3. Birjis Qadr 4. Gonoo | Column II (Related Region): (i) Singhbhum (ii) Arrah (iii) Barout (iv) Lucknow
Which one of the following pairs is correctly matched?
Who among the following was the leader of the revolt of 1857 from Bihar region?
At which of the following places the mutiny broke out on 10th day of May 1857?
Which of the following statements are correct ? (i) The English introduced western education in India. (ii) They set up English-medium schools and colleges. (iii) They established laws to abolish sati system. (iv) They did not permit widow remarriage.
Which of the following option is correctly matched ?
Identify the leader of the Revolt of 1857 with the help of the following information: Was the ruler of Delhi; Was the last Mughal ruler; Gave legitimacy to the rebels of 1857 against the British
Who led the Revolt of 1857 from Lucknow?
Who among the following was the Emperor at Delhi during the 1857 Revolt?
Who among the following assumed leadership of the Revolt of 1857 from Arrah, Bihar?
Describe the role of rumours and prophecies in the Revolt of 1857.
Mention any three sources to know about the Revolt of 1857.
Mention the relationship between the Indian sepoys and British officials that led to the Revolt of 1857.
Explain the impact of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah's exile in 1856 on the people of Awadh.
Analyse the policies adopted by William Bentinck to reform Indian society.
Analyse the impact of the policy of annexation imposed by the British during 1850's.
Examine the rumours that spread across India during 1850's.
"The rebellion of 1857 was seen as a war in which both Hindus and Muslims had equally to lose or gain." Analyse the statement.
Examine how art and literature have helped in keeping the memories of 1857 alive.
Examine the repressive measures undertaken by the British Govt. to control the rebellion of 1857.
(a) Why was the Revolt of 1857 specially widespread in Awadh? Explain.
Describe any three sources to know about the Revolt of 1857.
Describe the role of art and literature in keeping alive the memory of the Revolt of 1857.
How did the rumours play a role in moving the people to revolt against the British during 1857? Explain.
Explain any three sources to know about the Revolt of 1857.
How did the Britishers exploit Indian Sepoys during 1850s? Explain.
Under what circumstances did Bahadur Shah Zafar bless the rebellion of 1857? Explain.
How did the rebel proclamations of 1857 appeal for unity? Explain.
Why did Awadh become one of the major centres of Revolt of 1857? Explain.
How did the British in the 1850s control the power of Taluqdars? Explain.
Explain any three sources to learn about the Revolt of 1857.
Explain the role of Bahadur Shah Zafar in the Revolt of 1857.
How do the images of the Revolt of 1857 reflect the emotions and feelings of Indians? Explain.
Explain the measures taken up by the rebels of 1857 to ensure unity among themselves.
How did the Britishers suppress the Revolt of 1857? Explain with examples.
Explain the rumours that led to the Revolt of 1857.
Explain the provisions of Subsidiary Alliance System.
Explain why the Britishers were interested in acquiring the region of Awadh under their control.
Explain the main provisions of Subsidiary Alliance as devised by Lord Wellesley in 1798.
Describe any three rumours that played a part in the Revolt of 1857.
Explain why the Revolt of 1857 became an expression of popular resistance in Awadh than any where else to the British rule.
The Revolt of 1857 was seen as a war that glorified the co-existence of different communities. Explain the statement with examples.
The proclamations issued in 1857 appealed to everyone to remain united against British rule. Substantiate the statement with examples.
The rebels of 1857 wanted to restore the pre-British world. Explain this statement with appropriate examples.
To understand the Revolt of 1857, the declarations of rebels, official accounts and visual representations of military men are the major sources. Support the statement with examples.
The British used military power on gigantic scale and passed number of Acts to suppress the Revolt of 1857. Elucidate the statement with suitable examples.
"The link between sepoys and the rural peasant folk had important implications in the course of the Revolt of 1857." Elucidate the statement with suitable examples.
Case study · CBSE 2025
Maulvi Ahmadullah Shah Maulvi Ahmadullah Shah was one of the many maulvis who played an important part in the revolt of 1857. Educated in Hyderabad, he became a preacher when young. In 1856, he was seen moving from village to village preaching jehad (religious war) against the British and urging people to rebel. He moved in a palanquin, with drumbeaters in front and followers at the rear. He was therefore popularly called Danka Shah – the maulvi with the drum (danka). British officials panicked as thousands began following the maulvi and many Muslims began seeing him as an inspired prophet. When he reached Lucknow in 1856, he was stopped by the police from preaching in the city. Subsequently, in 1857, he was jailed in Faizabad. When released, he was elected by the mutinous 22nd Native Infantry as their leader. He fought in the famous Battle of Chinhat in which the British forces under Henry Lawrence were defeated. He came to be known for his courage and power. Many people in fact believed that he was invincible, had magical powers, and could not be killed by the British. It was this belief that partly formed the basis of his authority.
Why was Maulvi Ahmadullah Shah called 'Danka Shah'?
Case study · CBSE 2025
Maulvi Ahmadullah Shah was one of the many maulvis who played an important part in the revolt of 1857. Educated in Hyderabad, he became a preacher when young. In 1856, he was seen moving from village to village preaching jehad (religious war) against the British and urging people to rebel. He moved in a palanquin, with drumbeaters in front and followers at the rear. He was therefore popularly called Danka Shah – the maulvi with the drum (danka). British officials panicked as thousands began following the maulvi and many Muslims began seeing him as an inspired prophet. When he reached Lucknow in 1856, he was stopped by the police from preaching in the city. Subsequently, in 1857, he was jailed in Faizabad. When released, he was elected by the mutinous 22nd Native Infantry as their leader. He fought in the famous Battle of Chinhat in which the British forces under Henry Lawrence were defeated. He came to be known for his courage and power. Many people in fact believed that he was invincible, had magical powers, and could not be killed by the British. It was this belief that partly formed the basis of his authority.
Why was Maulvi Ahmadullah Shah called 'Danka Shah'?
Case study · CBSE 2025
Two rebels of 1857. Shah Mal. Shah Mal lived in a large village in pargana Barout in Uttar Pradesh. He belonged to a clan of Jat cultivators whose kinship ties extended over chaurasee des (eighty-four villages). The lands in the region were irrigated and fertile, with rich dark loam soil. Many of the villagers were prosperous and saw the British land revenue system as oppressive: the revenue demand was high and its collection inflexible. Consequently cultivators were losing land to outsiders, to traders and moneylenders who were coming into the area. Shah Mal mobilised the headmen and cultivators of chaurasee des, moving at night from village to village, urging people to rebel against the British. As in many other places, the revolt against the British turned into a general rebellion against all signs of oppression and injustice. Cultivators left their fields and plundered the houses of moneylenders and traders. Displaced proprietors took possession of the lands they had lost. Shah Mal's men attacked government buildings, destroyed the bridge over the river, and dug up metalled roads – partly to prevent government forces from coming into the area, and partly because bridges and roads were seen as symbols of British rule. They sent supplies to the sepoys who had mutinied in Delhi and stopped all official communication between British headquarters and Meerut. Locally acknowledged as the Raja, Shah Mal took over the bungalow of an English officer, turned it into a "hall of justice", settling disputes and dispensing judgments. He also set up an amazingly effective network of intelligence. For a period the people of the area felt that firangi raj was over, and their raj had come. Shah Mal was killed in battle in July 1857.
How did Shah Mal's leadership contribute to the spread of the rebellion?
Case study · CBSE 2025
Shah Mal lived in a large village in pargana Barout in Uttar Pradesh. He belonged to a clan of Jat cultivators whose kinship ties extended over chaurasee des (eighty-four villages). The lands in the region were irrigated and fertile, with rich dark loam soil. Many of the villagers were prosperous and saw the British land revenue system as oppressive: the revenue demand was high and its collection inflexible. Consequently cultivators were losing land to outsiders, to traders and moneylenders who were coming into the area. Shah Mal mobilised the headmen and cultivators of chaurasee des, moving at night from village to village, urging people to rebel against the British. As in many other places, the revolt against the British turned into a general rebellion against all signs of oppression and injustice. Cultivators left their fields and plundered the houses of moneylenders and traders. Displaced proprietors took possession of the lands they had lost. Shah Mal's men attacked government buildings, destroyed the bridge over the river, and dug up metalled roads – partly to prevent government forces from coming into the area, and partly because bridges and roads were seen as symbols of British rule. They sent supplies to the sepoys who had mutinied in Delhi and stopped all official communication between British headquarters and Meerut. Locally acknowledged as the Raja, Shah Mal took over the bungalow of an English officer, turned it into a "hall of justice", settling disputes and dispensing judgments. He also set up an amazingly effective network of intelligence. For a period the people of the area felt that firangi raj was over, and their raj had come. Shah Mal was killed in battle in July 1857.
How did Shah Mal's leadership contribute to the spread of the rebellion ?
Why did Shah Mal raise his voice against the Britishers?
How did Shah Mal support rebels of the Revolt of 1857?
How did Shah Mal show his network of intelligence?
Case study · CBSE 2025
What taluqdars thought. The attitude of the taluqdars was best expressed by Hanwant Singh, the Raja of Kalakankar, near Rae Bareli. During the mutiny, Hanwant Singh had given shelter to a British officer, and conveyed him to safety. While taking leave of the officer, Hanwant Singh told him: Sahib, your countrymen came into this country and drove out our King. You sent your officers round the districts to examine the titles to the estates. At one blow you took from me lands which from time immemorial had been in my family. I submitted. Suddenly misfortune fell upon you. The people of the land rose against you. You came to me whom you had despoiled. I have saved you. But now – now I march at the head of my retainers to Lucknow to try and drive you from the country.
How did Hanwant Singh express his dissatisfaction towards the British?
Case study · CBSE 2025
The attitude of the taluqdars was best expressed by Hanwant Singh, the Raja of Kalakankar, near Rae Bareli. During the mutiny, Hanwant Singh had given shelter to a British officer, and conveyed him to safety. While taking leave of the officer, Hanwant Singh told him: Sahib, your countrymen came into this country and drove out our King. You sent your officers round the districts to examine the titles to the estates. At one blow you took from me lands which from time immemorial had been in my family. I submitted. Suddenly misfortune fell upon you. The people of the land rose against you. You came to me whom you had despoiled. I have saved you. But now – now I march at the head of my retainers to Lucknow to try and drive you from the country.
How did Hanwant Singh express his dissatisfaction towards the British?
Case study · CBSE 2024
The Nawab has left. Another song mourned the plight of the ruler who had to leave his motherland: Noble and peasant all wept together and all the world wept and wailed Alas! The chief has bidden adieu to his country and gone abroad.
What was the immediate impact of the removal of the Nawab?
Match Column I with Column II and choose the correct option. Column I (International Leaders): a. Ho Chi Minh, b. J.M. Garibaldi, c. George Washington, d. Clement Attlee. Column II (Role): i. American war of independence, ii. British withdrawal from India, iii. The unification of Italy, iv. Struggle to free Vietnam.
Arrange the following historical events in a correct chronological order and choose the correct option: I. Making of the Constituent Assembly II. Jallianwala Bagh Massacre III. Quit India Movement IV. Gandhi-Irwin Pact
Why did Gandhi call for a nationwide campaign against the 'Rowlatt Act'? Choose the appropriate option from the following:
On whose of the following advice Gandhiji spent a year in travelling around British India for getting to know the land and its people before entering into politics?
Arrange the following events in chronological order and choose the correct option: I. Peasant Movement in Kheda II. Gandhi-Irwin Pact III. Champaran Movement IV. Noakhali Visit of Gandhiji
Identify the leader of the Indian National Movement in 1905 with the help of the given information. • This leader was a part of the trio known as Lal-Bal-Pal, signifying their all-India character despite being from different provinces. • He belonged to Maharashtra.
Why was the 1929 Lahore Session of Congress significant? Choose the correct option from the following:
Two statements as Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are given below. Read them carefully and select the correct option: Assertion (A): To broaden the Non-Cooperation Movement, Gandhiji had joined hands with the Khilafat Movement. Reason (R): Gandhiji hoped that coupling Non-Cooperation and Khilafat could collectively bring an end to the Colonial rule.
Who among the following belonged to the group of 'Moderates' of the Indian National Congress?
Who among the following belonged to a Moderate group of Indian National Congress?
Which of the following statements is not correct regarding 'Quit India Movement'?
Which of the following terms is used to describe Gandhiji's philosophy of 'Non-violence'?
On whose advice among the following did Gandhiji attempt to visit British India and learn about the land and its people?
Which of the following movements was broadened by 'Lal-Bal-Pal' and conveyed it as the all-India character of their struggle from 1905-1907?
Two statements as Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are given below. Read them carefully and select the correct option: Assertion (A): The Jallianwala Bagh massacre marked a turning point in India's struggle for freedom. Reason (R): The massacre spoiled the relations with the British and was the beginning of Indian nationalism.
Two statements as Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are given below. Read them carefully and select the correct option: Assertion (A): The Jallianwala Bagh massacre marked a turning point in India's freedom struggle. Reason (R): The massacre spoiled the relations with the British and led to the beginning of Gandhi's opposition to nationalism.
Who among the following was called the Frontier Gandhi ?
Who is known as the 'Frontier Gandhi'?
Who among the following was considered as a political mentor by Gandhiji?
Arrange the following in sequence: (i) Gandhiji's Non-Cooperation (ii) Gandhiji's formation of Indian National Congress (iii) Gandhiji's Satyagraha (iv) Gandhiji's Banaras Hindu University
Arrange the following in sequence: (i) Gandhiji's Non-Cooperation Movement (ii) Gandhiji founded Sabarmati Ashram (iii) Gandhiji's Civil Disobedience Movement (iv) Gandhiji's speech at Banaras Hindu University. Choose the correct option:
How did the role of Lal-Bal-Pal of Congress convey the All-India character of their struggle?
Explain the significance of the Congress session held at Lahore in the end of 1929.
Examine the major activities of Gandhiji in Indian politics from 1924 to 1928.
Gandhiji's Non-Cooperation Movement was positive and highly effective. Examine the statement.
There are various sources to know about Gandhji's role in the Indian freedom struggle. Explain.
Describe the role of Gandhiji as a social reformer.
Explain the early contributions of Mahatma Gandhi in India.
Describe any three sources to know about Gandhiji.
Explain how Gandhiji provided new meaning and content to the idea of Swaraj. Support the statement with suitable examples.
The Salt March was a notable event in the Indian freedom movement. Examine the statement.
Gandhiji broadened the basis of nationalism in the Non-Cooperation Movement. Elaborate.
Explain the role of Gandhiji as a social reformer.
Explain the role of Lal-Bal-Pal in opposition to Colonial rule.
The Salt Satyagraha drew worldwide attention and the nationwide Civil Disobedience with suitable examples.
The Salt Satyagraha attracted the attention of the world, and a nationalist movement for independence was initiated. Clarify the statement with suitable examples.
Why had the historian Chandran Devanesan remarked that South Africa made Gandhiji a Mahatma? Explain.
Explain the role of Moderate leaders of the Indian National Congress in opposition to the colonial rule.
Explain the provisions of Irwin-Gandhi pact. Why was it criticised by the radical nationalists?
How did Gandhiji try to bring peace in various areas after the independence of India ? Explain.
Analyse the impact of national movement in India from 1915 to 1931 on the Indian masses.
"The Salt march was the movement that brought Gandhiji to the world attention." Analyse the statement.
Examine the role of Gandhiji in the Civil Disobedience Movement.
Explain the major events and movements that defined India's political condition between 1919 and 1922.
How did Gandhiji's Non-Cooperation Movement impact British administration and Indian political activism? Explain.
Explain the primary objectives of Gandhiji's 'Salt Satyagraha'. How did this Satyagraha mobilize public opinion against British rule? Explain.
''Gandhiji used the 'Salt Law' to mobilise a wider discontent against British rule.'' Support the statement with suitable arguments.
"Gandhiji's leadership in the 'Quit India Movement' involved organizing mass protests and civil disobedience." Justify the statement with suitable arguments.
"Gandhiji's approach to the 'Quit India Movement' involved fostering a sense of national unity among Indians." Justify the statement with suitable arguments.
(a) "There are many different kinds of sources from which we can reconstruct the political career of Gandhiji and the history of the Indian nationalist movement." Examine the statement.
Examine Gandhiji's political role as a leader and social reformer.
(a) Examine the causes and events of Non-Cooperation Movement.
Mahatma Gandhi's role was significant in the Non-Cooperation Movement. Justify the statement.
(a) "The Salt Satyagraha inspired masses to participate in the Civil Disobedience Movement." Justify the statement.
Explain the reasons behind Gandhiji's decision to initiate the Salt Satyagraha and why did this movement become a significant event?
Examine the reasons and outcomes of the Salt Satyagraha.
(a) Examine Gandhi's contributions to India during 1930-1934.
Analyse the activities of Mahatma Gandhi in India during 1930-34.
(a) Examine the significant role played by Gandhiji during 1930-34 in India.
Describe the tragic incident of Jallianwala Bagh massacre. What was its impact on the Indian National Movement?
Explain with suitable examples the statement that the Salt Satyagraha drew worldwide attention and the nationwide Civil Disobedience Movement was launched.
Describe the circumstances that led to the initiation of Non-Cooperation Movement by Gandhiji. Explain the significance of this movement.
Case study · CBSE 2025
Why the Salt Satyagraha? Why was salt the symbol of protest? This is what Mahatma Gandhi wrote: The volume of information being gained daily shows how wickedly the salt tax has been designed. In order to prevent the use of salt that has not paid the tax which is at times even fourteen times its value, the Government destroys the salt it cannot sell profitably. Thus it taxes the nation's vital necessity; it prevents the public from manufacturing it and destroys what nature manufactures without effort. No adjective is strong enough for characterizing this wicked dog-in-the-manger policy. From various sources, I hear tales of such wanton destruction of the nation's property in all parts of India. Maunds if not tons of salt are said to be destroyed on the Konkan coast. The same tale comes from Dandi. Wherever there is likelihood of natural salt being taken away by the people living in the neighbourhood of such areas for their personal use, salt officers are posted for the sole purpose of carrying on destruction. Thus valuable national property is destroyed at national expense and salt taken out of the mouths of the people. The salt monopoly is thus a fourfold curse. It deprives the people of a valuable easy village industry, involves wanton destruction of property that nature produces in abundance, the destruction itself means more national expenditure and fourthly, to crown this folly, an unheard of tax of more than 1,000 per cent is exacted from a starving people. This tax has remained so long because of the apathy of the general public. Now that it is sufficiently roused, the tax has to go. How soon it will be abolished depends upon the strength the people. The Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi (CWMG), Vol. 49
33.1 Why was salt law disliked by the masses?
31.1 Why was salt law disliked by the masses?
Case study · CBSE 2025
The volume of information being gained daily shows how wickedly the salt tax has been designed. In order to prevent the use of salt that has not paid the tax which is at times even fourteen times its value, the Government destroys the salt it cannot sell profitably. Thus it taxes the nation's vital necessity; it prevents the public from manufacturing it and destroys what nature manufactures without effort. No adjective is strong enough for characterizing this wicked dog-in-the-manger policy. From various sources, I hear tales of such wanton destruction of the nation's property in all parts of India. Maunds if not tons of salt are said to be destroyed on the Konkan coast. The same tale comes from Dandi. Wherever there is likelihood of natural salt being taken away by the people living in the neighbourhood of such areas for their personal use, salt officers are posted for the sole purpose of carrying on destruction. Thus valuable national property is destroyed at national expense and salt taken out of the mouths of the people. The salt monopoly is thus a fourfold curse. It deprives the people of a valuable easy village industry, involves wanton destruction of property that nature produces in abundance, the destruction itself means more national expenditure and fourthly, to crown this folly, an unheard of tax of more than 1,000 per cent is exacted from a starving people. This tax has remained so long because of the apathy of the general public. Now that it is sufficiently roused, the tax has to go. How soon it will be abolished depends upon the strength the people.
Why was salt law disliked by the masses?
Case study · CBSE 2024
Charkha. Mahatma Gandhi was profoundly critical of the modern age in which machines enslaved humans and displaced labour. He saw the charkha as a symbol of a human society that would not glorify machines and technology. The spinning wheel, moreover, could provide the poor with supplementary income and make them self-reliant. What I object to, is the craze for machinery as such. The craze is for what they call labour-saving machinery. Men go on "saving labour", till thousands are without work and thrown on the open streets to die of starvation. I want to save time and labour, not for a fraction of mankind, but for all; I want the concentration of wealth, not in the hands of few, but in the hands of all. YOUNG INDIA, 13 NOVEMBER 1924. Khaddar does not seek to destroy all machinery but it does regulate its use and check its weedy growth. It uses machinery for the service of the poorest in their own cottages. The wheel is itself an exquisite piece of machinery. YOUNG INDIA, 17 MARCH 1927
Why was Gandhiji critical of machines?
Which one of the following pair is correctly matched? List-I (Name of Important Committees of Constituent Assembly) - List-II (Name of President)
Identify the member of the Constituent Assembly with the help of the following information: He was the President of the Constituent Assembly. He was the first President of the Independent India.
Identify the member of the Constituent Assembly with the help of the following information: l He was the President of the Constituent Assembly. l He was the first President of the Independent India.
How was the Constituent Assembly influenced by public opinion? Choose the correct option. I. People aired their views outside the Parliament House. II. People gave their reactions through the press. III. The members of Constituent Assembly used to discuss with the public. IV. Public expressed their views in the Constituent Assembly.
Identify the person from the given information: 1. He was the head of Advisory Committee of the Constituent Assembly. 2. He was against the separate electorate. 3. He was the first home minister of free India.
Which of the following pairs of Committees and their Presidents is correct regarding the Constituent Assembly?
Who amongst the following women was a member of the Constituent Assembly from Bombay?
Who amongst the following was the female member from Orissa (Odisha) in the Constituent Assembly?
Which of the following pairs is correctly matched regarding the Constituent Assembly? Column I (Committees of Constituent Assembly): (A) Rules of Procedure Committee, (B) Union Power Committee, (C) Union Constitution Committee, (D) Provincial Constitution Committee. Column II (Presidents): – Jawaharlal Nehru, – B.N. Rao, – Bal Krishna Sharma, – Vallabhbhai Patel
Which of the following pairs is correctly matched regarding the Constituent Assembly?
Who amongst the following was the leader of the Advisory Committee of the Constituent Assembly?
Who among the following members of the Constituent Assembly made a strong plea for Hindi to be used as the language of constitution-making?
Fill in the blank with the appropriate word from the given options: The legislature elected under the Government of India Act, 1935 operated within the framework of _________.
Match the roles of the members of the Constituent Assembly given in Column II with their names in Column I: Column I (Members): 1. Rajendra Prasad, 2. S.N. Mukherjee, 3. Jawaharlal Nehru, 4. B.N. Rau. Column II (Role in the Constituent Assembly): (i) Chief Draughtsman, (ii) President of the Constituent Assembly, (iii) Constitutional Advisor, (iv) Passed the Objectives Resolution in the Constituent Assembly.
Identify the primary reason behind the formation of the Constituent Assembly from the following options:
Match the roles of the members of the Constituent Assembly given in Column II with their names in Column I:
Who among the following introduced the 'Objectives Resolution' in the Constituent Assembly on 13th December, 1946?
Which of the following were discussed in the Constituent Assembly for making a strong government at the Centre? Choose the correct option from the following. I. Planning for the well-being of the country. II. To establish strong administration at the state level. III. To mobilise available economic resources. IV. To defend the country against foreign aggression.
Select the significance of 26 November, 1949 in relation to the Constituent Assembly from the following options:
Who among the following moved the resolution in the Constituent Assembly that the Indian National Flag be horizontal tricolour of saffron, white and dark green in equal proportions with a wheel in navy blue in the centre?
Identify the member of Constituent Assembly with the help of information given below: (i) He was a member of drafting committee of constitution. (ii) He was a lawyer. (iii) He gave crucial inputs in drafting of constitution. (iv) He belonged to Madras (Chennai).
Fill in the blank: In the __________, the executives were made entirely responsible to the Provincial Legislature.
Which one of the following languages was emphasized by Gandhiji for the status of national language?
Who among the following demanded justice for women in the Constituent Assembly ?
Select the correct pair from the following options:
Who among the following was the President of the Constituent Assembly?
Who among the following served as Chairman of the Drafting Committee of the Indian Constitution?
Who among the following presented the Objectives Resolution in the Constituent Assembly?
The Constituent Assembly expressed the aspirations of the social reformers of the nineteenth century. Explain this statement.
The role of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar in drafting the Constitution of India was a prominent one. Explain the statement.
Describe the views of Gandhiji on the national language of India.
Describe the role of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar in the Constituent Assembly.
Explain the role of G.B. Pant on the united approach of India.
"During the debates in Constituent Assembly, B.R. Ambedkar told that he wanted a strong centre, much stronger than the centre we had created under the Act of 1935." Analyse the statement.
K. Santanam was in favour of giving greater powers to the provinces in the Constituent Assembly. Examine the statement.
Analyse the ideas put forward by Bal Krishan Sharma on federalism in the Constituent Assembly.
Explain the central debates in the Constituent Assembly regarding federalism.
Explain the arguments in favour of granting more power to the Central government in the Constituent Assembly.
Explain how the Constituent Assembly sought to resolve the language issue.
How did the 'Objectives Resolution' of the Constituent Assembly reflect the vision of India as an 'Independent Sovereign Republic'. Explain.
Explain the attributes of a loyal citizen as defined by G.B. Pant.
Explain the three lists of subjects provided by the Draft Constitution.
"The draft constitution provided for three lists of subjects on the issue of federalism." Explain the statement with examples.
How did G.B. Pant show his concern in the Constituent Assembly for making India a unified nation? Explain.
Describe the views of Gandhiji on the question of National Language.
Analyse the different arguments made in favour of the strong Centre in the Constituent Assembly of India.
Explain the statement that the Objective put forward in the Constituent Assembly was a historic proposal.
Examine the different arguments on federalism made in the Constituent Assembly of India.
Describe the aspirations of the nineteenth century social reformers expressed in the Constituent Assembly.
Describe the role of B.R. Ambedkar in highlighting the approach of Constitutional Assembly and United Centre in the Constituent Assembly.
Describe the three lists of Federalism provided by the Drafting Committee in the Constituent Assembly.
Describe the views of the members of the Constituent Assembly on division of powers between the Centre and the States.
Why did some members of Constituent Assembly argue for a strong Centre? Explain.
Explain the views of the members of the Constituent Assembly on federalism.
Analyse the views of B.R. Ambedkar, Gopalaswami Ayyangar and Balakrishna Sharma on the need for a powerful and unified centre for Indian democracy.
Case study · CBSE 2024
"There cannot be any divided loyalty" Govind Ballabh Pant emphasised to become loyal citizens. For the success of democracy one must train himself in the art of self-discipline. In democracies one should care less for himself and more for others. All loyalties must exclusively be centred round the State. If in a democracy, you create rival loyalties, or you create a system in which any individual or group, instead of suppressing his extravagance, cares nought for larger or other interests, then democracy is doomed.
(33.1) How has Pant described the key to the success of democracy?
How has Pant described the key to the success of democracy?
(32.1) How has Pant described the key to the success of democracy?
Case study · CBSE 2024
We say that it is our firm and solemn resolve to have an independent sovereign republic. India is bound to be sovereign, it is bound to be independent and it is bound to be a republic … Now, some friends have raised the question: "Why have you not put in the word 'democratic' here?" Well, I told them that it is conceivable, of course, that a republic may not be democratic but the whole of our past is witness to this fact that we stand for democratic institutions. Obviously we are aiming at democracy and nothing less than a democracy. What form of democracy, what shape it might take is another matter. The democracies of the present day, many of them in Europe and elsewhere, have played a great part in the world's progress. Yet it may be doubtful if those democracies may not have to change their shape somewhat before long if they have to remain completely democratic. We are not going just to copy, I hope, a certain democratic procedure or an institution of a so-called democratic country. We may improve upon it. In any event whatever system of government we may establish here must fit in with the temper of our people and be acceptable to them. We stand for democracy. It will be for this House to determine what shape to give to that democracy, the fullest democracy, I hope. The House will notice that in this Resolution, although we have not used the word "democratic" because we thought it is obvious that the word "republic" contains that word and we did not want to use unnecessary words and redundant words, but we have done something much more than using the word. We have given the content of democracy in this Resolution and not only the content of democracy but the content, if I may say so, of economic democracy in this Resolution. Source: CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY DEBATES (CAD), VOL. I
Mention the 'firm and solemn resolve' expressed in the passage.
(32.1) Mention the 'firm and solemn resolve' expressed in the passage.
Case study · CBSE 2023
Sardar Vallabh Bhai Patel said: It is no use saying that we ask for separate electorates, because it is good for us. We have heard it long enough. We have heard it for years, and as me one free country where there are separate electorates ? If so, I shall be prepared to accept it. But in this unfortunate country if this separate electorate is going to be persisted in, even after the division of the country, woe betide the country; it is not worth living in. Therefore, I say, it is not for my good alone, it is for your own good that I say it, forget the have left the mischief behind. We do not want to perpetuate that mischief. (Hear, hear). When the British introduced this element they had not expected that they will have to go so soon. They wanted it for their easy administration. That is all right. But they have left the legacy behind. Are we to get out of it or not ?
Mention the meaning of separate electorates.
Case study · CBSE 2023
This is what Jawaharlal Nehru said in his famous speech of 13 December, 1946: My mind goes back to the various Constituent Assemblies that have gone before and of what took place at the making of the great American nation when the fathers of that nation met and fashioned out a Constitution which has stood the test of so many years, more than a century and a half, and of the great nation which has resulted, which has been built up on the basis of that Constitution. My mind goes back to that mighty revolution which took place also over 150 years ago and to that Constituent Assembly that met in that gracious and lovely city of Paris which has fought so many battles for freedom, to the difficulties that the Constituent Assembly had and to how the King and other authorities came in its way, and still it continued. The House will remember that when these difficulties came and even the room for a meeting was denied to the then Constituent Assembly, they betook themselves to an open tennis court and met there and took the oath, which is called the Oath of the Tennis Court, that they continued meeting in spite of Kings, in spite of the others, and did not disperse till they had finished the task they had undertaken. Well, I trust that it is in the solemn spirit that we too are meeting here and that we, too, whether we meet in this chamber or other chambers, or in the fields or in the market-place, will go on meeting and continue our work till we have finished it.
Which was the revolution discussed by Nehru in the passage?
Case study · CBSE 2023
My mind goes back to the various Constituent Assemblies that have gone before and of what took place at the making of the great American nation when the fathers of that nation met and fashioned out a Constitution which has stood the test of so many years, more than a century and a half, and of the great nation which has resulted, which has been built up on the basis of that Constitution. My mind goes back to that mighty revolution which took place also over 150 years ago and to that Constituent Assembly that met in that gracious and lovely city of Paris which has fought so many battles for freedom, to the difficulties that the Constituent Assembly had and to how the King and other authorities came in its way, and still it continued. The House will remember that when these difficulties came and even the room for a meeting was denied to the then Constituent Assembly, they betook themselves to an open tennis court and met there and took the oath, which is called the Oath of the Tennis Court, that they continued meeting in spite of Kings, in spite of the others, and did not disperse till they had finished the task they had undertaken. Well, I trust that it is in the solemn spirit that we too are meeting here and that we, too, whether we meet in this chamber or other chambers, or in the fields or in the market-place, will go on meeting and continue our work till we have finished it.
Which was the revolution discussed by Nehru in the passage?
Case study · CBSE 2022
We have never asked for privileges. What we have asked for is social justice, economic justice, and political justice. We have asked for that equality which alone can be the basis of mutual respect and understanding, without which real cooperation is not possible between man and woman.
How can women be empowered economically?
Case study · CBSE 2022
We have never asked for privileges Hansa Mehta of Bombay demanded justice for women, not reserved seats, or separate electorates. We have never asked for privileges. What we have asked for is social justice, economic justice, and political justice. We have asked for that equality which alone can be the basis of mutual respect and understanding, without which real cooperation is not possible between man and woman.
How can women be empowered economically?
Case study · CBSE 2022
We are not going just to copy This is what Jawahar Lal Nehru said in his famous speech of 13 December, 1946: We say that it is our firm and solemn resolve to have an independent sovereign republic. India is bound to be sovereign, it is bound to be independent and it is bound to be a republic... Now, some friends have raised the question: "Why have you not put in the word 'democratic' here?" Well, I told them that it is conceivable, of course, that a republic may not be democratic but the whole of our past is witness to this fact that we stand for democratic institutions. Obviously we are aiming at democracy and nothing less than a democracy. What form of democracy, what shape it might take is another matter. The democracies of the present day, many of them in Europe and elsewhere, have played a great part in the world's progress. Yet it may be doubtful if those democracies may not have to change their shape somewhat before long if they have to remain completely democratic. We are not going just to copy, I hope, a certain democratic procedure or an institution of a so-called democratic country. We may improve upon it. In any event whatever system of government we may establish here must fit in with the temper of our people and be acceptable to them. We stand for democracy. It will be for this House to determine what shape to give to that democracy, the fullest democracy.
Define the term sovereignty.
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