NCERT Solutions For Class 6 History Social Science Chapter 1 Introduction What Where How And When

Questions And Answers

Question 1. Rasheeda sat reading the newspaper. Suddenly, her eyes fell on a small headline: “One Hundred Years Ago.” How, she wondered, could anyone know what had happened so many years ago?
Answer:

One could know what had happened so many years ago by studying old records, books, tools, and artifacts. This study is done by historians and archaeologists. Sources available for study are as follows

Manuscripts These refer to written records on palm leaves and barks of the trees.
Inscriptions These refer to written records on hard surfaces like stone slabs or metal.
Artifacts and Coins They include pottery, tools, weapons, and jewelry which reveal about lives of people of that time.

Question 2. Why do people travel nowadays?
Answer:

People travel nowadays in search of jobs, and higher education. Other reasons include relaxation and adventure, exploring new places, and event

Question 3. Can you think of the advantages of writing on a hard surface? And what could have been the difficulties?
Answer:

The advantages of writing on a hard surface are as follows

The hard surfaces are long-lasting. They overcome all chances of destruction from all objects of nature i.e. wind, rain, Sun, etc.
They are preserved for future generations to know about our rich past and culture.
The insects could not eat such materials as they destroyed the manuscripts of the past.
The difficulties of writing on hard surfaces are as follows
The hard surface is not easily movable.
A hard metal is needed to write on the hard surface.
It requires a lot of time to complete the writing.

Question 4. Do you think cloth is found frequently by archaeologists?
Answer:

No, cloth is not found frequently by archaeologists because it tends to decay over time. Cloth cannot survive for years.

Question 5. Find two dates Which set of letters would you use for them?
Answer:

The two dates, 4700 years ago and 2500 years ago are written as 4700 BC and 2500 BC, where BC stands for Before Christ.

Question 6. You have to interview an archaeologist. Prepare a list of five questions that you would like to ask her/him.
Answer:

I will ask the following questions

How do you decide where to dig artifacts?
Why aren’t we able to read Harappan-age manuscripts?
What people did do for entertainment?
What types of sports they played?
What did the people eat in the past?

History Chapter 1 Introduction What Where How And When Exercises

Question 1. Match the Following.

Codes:

A B C D E

2 1 4 5 3
1 5 3 4 2
3 4 1 2 5
5 3 4 1 2

Answer: 1

Question 2. Match the Following.

Codes:

A B C D E

3 4 2 5 1
1 5 3 4 2
3 4 1 2 5
5 3 4 1 2

Answer: 1. 3 4 2 5 1

Question 2. List one major difference between manuscripts and inscriptions.
Answer:

One major difference between manuscripts and inscriptions is manuscripts were written on palm leaves by hand and specifically on the birch (bark of a tree).
On the other hand, inscriptions were written on hard surfaces such as stone, metals, etc.

Question 3. Return to Rasheeda’s question. Can you think of some answers to it?
Answer:

Rasheeda’s question was how could anybody know about what had happened so many years ago. Yes, I can think of some answers to it. We know about the past by studying historical evidence books, inscriptions, manuscripts, etc.

Question 4. Make a list of all the objects that archaeologists may find. Which of these could be made of stone?
Answer:

The objects that archaeologists may find during excavation are tools, weapons, pots, pans, sculptures, knives, ornaments, and coins.
The objects that could be made of stone are sculptures, weapons, pots, and ornaments.

Question 5. Why do you think ordinary men and women did not keep records of what they did?
Answer:

The ordinary men and women did not keep their records of what they did because
They were not aware of such writing skills in the earlier lime.
They were illiterate and they had no knowledge of scripts.
They lacked the awareness of the importance of documenting daily life.
They only focussed on immediate needs for survival.

Question 6. Describe at least two ways in which you think the lives of kings would have been different from those of farmers.
Answer:

The lives of kings were different from the lives of farmers in the following ways
The kings usually lived luxuriously in urban areas in their palaces, and forts while the farmers lived ordinarily in rural areas in their small houses or huts.
The kings depended on others for the supplies of food while the farmers produced food for themselves and for others.

Question 7. Find the word craftspersons from a textbook. List at least five different crafts that you know about today. Who are the craftspersons

Men
Women
Both men and women?

Answer:

A craftsperson is a person who practices or is highly skilled in a craft.

Different crafts that exist today are listed below

Carpentry It is the craft of cutting, working, and joining wood. It is done by men.
Pottery is the art of making clay objects by hand. It is done by both men and women.
Basket Weaving It means baskets from materials like straw, reeds or vines. It is mostly done by women.
Jewellery Making It is done by both men and women.

Question 8. What were the subjects on which books were written in the past? Which of these would you like to read?
Answer:

In the past, books were written on subjects like mythology, religious beliefs and practices, medicine and science, luxurious lives of kings and queens.
I would like to read about the lives of kings and queens. I am curious to know about their lifestyle.

History Chapter 1 Introduction What Where How And When Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)

Question 1. The earliest people who lived along the bank of the Narmada river were called

Farmers
Merchants
Hunters
Skilled gatherers

Answer: 4. Skilled gatherers

Question 2. Where is Sulaiman Hills located?

India
China
Pakistan
Afghanistan

Answer: 3. Pakistan

Question 3. Which crops began to grow by men and women in the region of Sulaiman and Kirthar hills?

Rice and wheat
Wheat and pulses
Pulses and barley
Wheat and barley

Answer: 4. Wheat and barley

Question 4. Where was rice grown for the first time?

North of the Himalayas
North of the Vindhyas
On the bank ol Narmada
The Garo hills

Answer: 2. North of the Vindhyas

Question 5. Which one is the tributary of the Ganga River?

Son
Gandak
Tapti
Narmada

Answer: 1. Son

Question 6. The Magadha Mahajanapada is located in which present-day state?

Uttar Pradesh
Bihar
Maharashtra
Jharkhand

Answer: 2. Bihar

Question 7. What were the books written long ago called?

Inscriptions
Epics
Manuscripts
Holy books

Answer: 3. Manuscripts

Question 8. Thousand years ago, the pages of manuscripts were made of

Peepal leaf
Neem leaf
Palm leaf
Papaya leaf

Answer: 3. Palm leaf

Question 9. Name the language that was not used in manuscripts.

Hindi
Tamil
Prakrit
Sanskrit

Answer: 1. Hindi

Question 10. Who kept the record of their victories?

Ordinary people
Kings
Religious people
Adventure people

Answer: 2. Kings

Question 11. The experts who study the findings of excavation at a site are called

Manuscripts
Hunters
Archaeologists
Gathers

Answer: 3. Archaeologists

Question 12. Read the following statements and choose the correct option.

The past life of hunters, gatherers, farmers, etc can be known through historical sources
Kandahar inscription was inscribed on the orders of a ruler named Ashoka.

Codes

Only 1
Only 2
Both 1 and 2
None of these

Answer: 3. Both 1 and 2

Question 13. Read the following statements and choose the correct option.

History is not a chronological account of events as they took place in the past.
The process of digging under the surface of the Earth is done by archaeologists.
Inscriptions are writings on very hard surfaces.

Codes

Only 1
1 and 2
2 and 3
1, 2 and 3

Answer: 3. 2 and 3

Question 14. Arrange the following terms in chronological order.

Birth of Jesus Christ
BC
AD

Codes

3, 2, 1
1, 2, 3
2, 1, 3
1, 3, 2

Answer: 3. 2, 1, 3

Question 15. Arrange the following in the North to South sequence and choose the correct option.

Jhelum
Ravi
Chenab
Sutlej

Codes

1, 3, 2, 4
4, 2, 3, 1
3, 1, 2, 4
1, 3, 4, 2

Answer: 1. 1, 3, 2, 4

History Chapter 1 Introduction What Where How And When Assertion Reason Question And Answers

Question 1. Assertion (A) People living close to river Narmada were skilled gatherers.

Reason (R) River Narmada flows in Bihar.

Codes

Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A
Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of A
A is true, but R is false
A is false, but R is true

Answer: 3. A is true, but R is false

Question 2. Assertion (A) Caravans or ships were the means of transportation of food materials for the merchants.

Reasons (R) Religious teachers moved from one place to another place to deliver their religious understanding of the people.

Codes

Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A
Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of A
A is true, but R is false
A is false, but R is true

Answer: 2. Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of A

History Chapter 1 Introduction What Where How And When Fill In The Blanks

Question 1. The earliest people who lived on the banks of the Narmada River were _______
Answer: skilled gatherers

Question 2. About 8000 years ago, people began _______ like sheep, goats and cattle lived in ________
Answer: rearing animals, village

Question 3. The ______ are located in Central India.
Answer: Vindhyas

Question 4. ______ is the earliest composition in the Sanskrit language.
Answer: The Rigveda

Question 5. Years after the birth of Jesus Christ are written as _______
Answer: AD

Question 6. The ______ are located in the North-East India.
Answer: Garo Hills

Question 7. ______ was the most powerful kingdom.
Answer: Magadha

Question 8. _______ is handwritten historical evidence.
Answer: Manuscripts

Question 9. Kandahar inscriptions of Ashoka were found in _______
Answer: Afghanistan

History Chapter 1 Introduction What Where How And When True Or False

Question 1. The hills and high mountains including deserts, rivers, and seas made the journey dangerous at times, but never impossible.
Answer: True

Question 2. In ancient times, the area along river Son to the South of Ganga was known as India.
Answer: False

Question 3. Objects that are made of hard imperishable substances usually survive for a long time.
Answer: True

Question 4. The word ‘India’ comes from the Indus, called Sindhu in Sanskrit.
Answer: True

Question 5. The movements of people restrict the enrichment of our cultural traditions.
Answer: False

Question 6. Archaeologists look for bones of animals, birds, and fish to find out what animals they ate in the past.
Answer: True

Question 7. ‘Manu’, in manuscripts means ‘hand’.
Answer: True

History Chapter 1 Introduction What Where How And When Picture-Based Question And Answers

Question 1. Pots like those given below were found in an old city during the Harappan period. This city existed about how many years ago?

1000 BC
2700 BC
3700 BC
4700 BC

Answer: 4. 4700 BC

Question 2. The picture given below is of ______ coins used in earlier days.

Gold
Silver
Bronze
Copper

Answer: 2. Silver

Question 3. Answer the questions based on the picture given below

Question. How old is the above inscription?
Answer:

This inscription is about 2250 years old.

Question. Write the name of the place where it was found.
Answer:

It was found at Kandahar (Present-day Afghanistan).

Question. Which ruler had given the order to write the above inscription?
Answer:

The ruler Ashoka had given the order to write the above inscription.

Question 4. Answer the questions based on the picture given below

Question. How many years ago this manuscript was written?
Answer:

This manuscript was written about a thousand years ago.

Question. What type of manuscripts is shown in the picture?
Answer:

A palm-leaf manuscript is shown in the picture.

Question. How were books made from palm leaves?
Answer:

The palm leaves were cut into pages and tied together to make books.

History Chapter 1 Introduction What Where How And When Case Based Question And Answers

1. Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow.

“In ancient times, the area along these rivers to the South of the Ganga was known as Magadha now lying in the state of Bihar. Its rulers were very powerful and set up a large kingdom. Kingdoms were set up in other parts of the country as well. Throughout, people traveled from one part of the sub-continent to another. The hills and high mountains including the Himalayas, deserts, rivers, and seas made journeys dangerous at times, but never impossible. So, men and women moved in search of livelihood, as well as to escape from natural disasters like floods or droughts. Sometimes men marched in armies, conquering others’ lands. Besides, merchants traveled with caravans or ships, carrying valuable goods from place to place and religious teachers walked from village to village.”

Question 1. In what ways did the rulers of Magadha contribute to the subcontinent’s history?

By writing epic poems
Through trade alliances
Constructing religious monuments
By establishing a powerful kingdom

Answer: 4. By establishing a powerful kingdom

Question 2. Why did people travel across the sub-continent in ancient times?

To march in armies
To escape from natural disasters
To conquer others’ lands
Both (2) and (3)

Answer: 4. Both (2) and (3)

Question 3. How did merchants transport goods during ancient travels?

By airships
On horseback
With camel caravans
With ships or caravans

Answer: 4. With ships or caravans

Question 4. What geographical feature is mentioned as a potential obstacle to journeys?

Swamps
High mountains including mountains
Dense forests
Plateaus

Answer: 2. High mountains including mountains

2. Read the passage given below and answer the questions that follow.

The Promise of Riches

Trace the river Indus and its tributaries (tributaries are smaller rivers that flow into a larger river). About 4700 years ago, some of the earliest cities flourished on the banks of these rivers. Later, about 2500 years ago, cities developed on the banks of the Ganga and its tributaries, and along the sea coasts.
Locate the Ganga and its tributary called the Son. In ancient times, the area along these rivers to the South of the Ganga was known as Magadha now lying in the state of Bihar. Its rulers were very powerful and set up a large kingdom.
Kingdoms were set up in other parts of the country as well. Throughout, people traveled from one part of the sub-continent to another. The hills and high mountains including the Himalayas, deserts, rivers, and seas made journeys dangerous at times, but never impossible. So, men and women moved in search of livelihood, as well as to escape from natural disasters like floods or droughts.
Sometimes men marched in armies, conquering others’ lands. Besides, merchants traveled with caravans or ships, carrying valuable goods from place to place and religious teachers walked from village to village, town to town, stopping to offer instruction and advice on the way. Finally, some people perhaps traveled driven by a spirit of adventure, wanting to discover new and exciting places. All these led to the sharing of ideas between people.

Question 1. Name the rivers on which settlements were located.
Answer:

Settlements were located on the rivers Indus, the Ganga, and the Narmada.

Question 2. Why did religious teachers travel from village to village?
Answer:

Religious teachers traveled from village to village to spread their ideas to different communities.

Question 3. What difficulties do people face during travel?
Answer:

During travel, people face difficulties while crossing natural barriers like the Himalayas, rivers, seas, and deserts.

History Chapter 1 Introduction What Where How And When Very Short Answer Type Question And Answers

Question 1. What do you mean by skilled gatherers?
Answer:

The people who gathered their own food were called skilled gatherers.

Question 2. Name the animals that were reared in the Neolithic and Mesolithic age. Raksha
Answer:

Sheep, goats, and cattle were reared in the Neolithic and Mesolithic age.

Question 3. Name one of the tributaries of the river Indus.
Answer:

One of the tributaries of the river Indus is Jhelum.

Question 4. How did people in Narmada Valley live? Diksha
Answer:

People in Narmada Valley were skilled gatherers who lived by collecting roots, fruits, and other forest produce for their food and hunting animals.

Question 5. The people living in Bharata were mentioned in which text?
Answer:

The people living in Bharata were mentioned in the Rigveda.

Question 6. What do you mean by the term ‘manuscript’?
Answer:

The word ‘Manu’ means hand and ‘script’ means writing. So, manuscript means handwritten.

Question 7. Where was the preservation of manuscripts done?
Answer:

The preservation of manuscripts was done in the temples and monasteries.

Question 8. What do you mean by the archaeologist?
Answer:

The person who studies the objects used in the past is called an archaeologist.

Question 9. What is the purpose of exploration and excavation done by the archaeologists?
Answer:

The purpose of exploration and excavation is to find out tools dug under the surface of the Earth like weapons, pots, pans, ornaments, and coins of the past, and to make conclusions from these findings.

Question 10. Why do archaeologists look for bones of animals, birds, and fish?
Answer:

Archaeologists look for bones of animals, birds, and fish to find out what people ate in the past and which type of animal was domesticated.

Question 11. Why we don’t know much about ordinary people of earlier days?
Answer:

We don’t know much about ordinary people of earlier days because they didn’t maintain records.

History Chapter 1 Introduction What Where How And When Short Answer Type Question And Answers

Question 1. Why it is important to study our pasts?
Answer:

It is important to study our pasts because it helps us to understand the origins of our societies, cultures, and traditions. It informs us about the lives of the people, and what they ate and wore.
Learning about past events and their consequences provides valuable insights into human behavior.
Moreover, studying history encourages a sense of identity and connection to our heritage. Ultimately, history serves as a guide, helping us learn from the past and shape a better future.

Question 2. What is the evidence of the past we can analyze today?
Answer:

Archaeological remains, manuscripts, and inscriptions are valuable evidence from the past. These artifacts help us understand civilizations, lifestyles, and cultural practices. Examining tools pottery, animal bones, and structures allows historians to know about the lives of people in ancient times.

Question 3. Why were the earlier cities mostly developed over the banks of rivers?
Answer:

The earlier cities were mostly developed over the banks of rivers for the following reasons
Along the banks of the rivers, the necessary conditions for the living of human beings exist.
The necessities of living such as water, and forest are easily available which fulfill the basic needs of the people.
The rivers served as the most important means of transportation and communication.

Question 4. How were the name ‘India’ and ‘Bharata’ originated?
Answer:

The origin of the word ’India’ comes from the name of the Indus River, which is known as Sindhu in Sanskrit.
The Iranians and the Greeks, who came through the North-West about 2500 years ago, called the Indus the Hindos or the Indos. The land to the East of the Indos River was called India.
The name Bharata was used for a group of people who lived in the North-West, and who are mentioned in the Rigveda, which was composed in Sanskrit about 3500 years ago. Later the word ’Bharata’ was used for India.

Question 5. What are the ways available of finding out about the past?
Answer:

Some of the ways of finding out about the past are
Searching for and reading books that were written long ago i.e. manuscripts.
Studying the inscriptions which were inscribed on hard surfaces like metals and stone. Inscriptions are mainly the records of victories in battle and sometimes depict the life of ordinary men.

Question 6. Mention some of the features of manuscripts.
Answer:

Some of the features of manuscripts are

Manuscripts were usually written on palm leaves or on specially prepared bark of a tree known as the birch, which grows in the Himalayas.
Many manuscripts are preserved in temples and monasteries while some were destroyed.
Manuscripts dealt with all kinds of subjects like religious beliefs and practices, the lives of kings, medicine and science, epics, poems, and plays.

Question 7. What do you know about the Kandahar inscription?
Answer:

The Kandahar inscription dates to about 2250 years ago and was found in Kandahar, present-day Afghanistan. It was inscribed on the orders of a ruler named Ashoka.
This inscription was inscribed in two different scripts and languages, Greek and Aramaic, which were used in this area.

Question 8. What types of objects are considered by the archaeologists in their study?
Answer:

The following types of objects are considered by the archaeologists in their study

Generally, archaeologists study (the remains of buildings made of stone and brick, paintings, and sculptures.
They also explore and excavate to find out the different objects such as tools, weapons, pots, pans, ornaments, and coins.
They also look for bones of animals, birds, and fish to find out what people ate in the part.

Question 9. How are the dates counted?
Answer:

The dates are counted in the following ways

The birth year of Jesus Christ is the middle point of the timeline.
The years before Jesus was born are called ‘BC,’ which stands for ‘Before Christ.’ For example, 100 BC means 100 years before Jesus was born.
The years after Jesus was born are called ‘AD,’ which stands for ‘Anno Domini,’ a Latin phrase meaning ‘in the year of our Lord.’ For example, 100 AD means 100 years after Jesus was born.

History Chapter 1 Introduction What Where How And When Long Answer Type Question And Answers

Question 1. The plural word ‘Pasts’ is used in the title of this book, ‘Our Pasts’. Justify the statement in the context of different pasts for different people, competency-based
Answer:

The word ‘Pasts’ plural has been used to draw attention to the fact that the past was different for different groups of people.
For example, the lives of herders or farmers were different from those of kings and queens, the lives of merchants were different from those of craftspersons, and so on.
Even today, people follow different practices and customs in different parts of the country. For example, today most people living in the Andaman Islands get their own food by fishing, hunting, and collecting forest produce.
By contrast, most people living in cities depend on others for supplies of food. Differences such as these existed in the past as well.
Another kind of difference is in information about kings and common people. We have records about kings and the battles they fought because they kept records of their victories.
While, ordinary people such as hunters, fishing folk, gatherers, farmers, or herders did not keep records of what they did.

Question 2. Despite facing difficulties of hills and high mountains including the Himalayas, people traveled from one part of the sub-continent to another. Explain with reasons why people traveled despite such difficulties.
Answer:

People traveled from one part of the sub-continent to another due to the following reasons
People traveled from one place to another in search of their livelihood, to escape from natural calamities (floods or droughts), and to conquer other lands.
The merchants traveled from place to place with caravans or ships, carrying valuable goods.
Religious teachers moved from one place to another to deliver their religious understanding to others.
Some people also traveled with the spirit of adventure to find out new places.

History Chapter 1 Introduction What Where How And When Map Based Question And Answers

Question 1. Locate the following on the outline physical map of India.

Tapi river
Brahmaputra river
Godavari river

Answer: