NCERT Solutions For Class 6 History Social Science Chapter 4 What Books And Burials Tell Us

NCERT Solutions For Class 6 History Social Science Chapter 4 What Books And Burials Tell Us

NCERT Question And Answers

Question 1. Do you notice any similarities between Indo-European languages?
Answer:

Yes, there are some similarities between the Indo-European languages. There are words that have similar sounds and the same meaning: Many words are similar among Indo-European languages including Hindi, Sanskrit, and English.

Examples are as follows

1. Sanskrit Vriksha (tree), Hindi Vriksh (tree), English Vegetation (plant life).
2. Sanskrit Surya (Sun), Hindi Suraj (Sun), English Solar (relating to the Sun).
3. Sanskrit Agni (fire), Hindi Aag (fire), English Ignite (to set on fire).

Question 2. List the languages you have heard about, and try to identify the families to which they belong.
Answer:

I have heard about languages used in the sub-continent. They belong to different families.

For instance, the language used in the North-East belongs to the Tibeto-Burman family. South Indian languages like Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam belong to the Dravidian family. The languages spoken in Jharkhand and parts of Central India belong to the Austro-Asiatic family.

Question 3. Do you think chariots were also important? Give
reasons for your answer. Read the verses and find out what are the modes of transport that are mentioned.
Answer:

• Yes, chariots were significant forms of transport in ancient times.
• In the verse, Vishvamitra, the sage, refers to his own arrival using chariots and carts. He requests the rivers not to rise above the axles of his chariots, suggesting that he and his companions trust the chariot for safe passage across the rivers.
• Chariots were not only used in battles but also served as vehicles for travel and transport, especially for individuals of higher social status or for ceremonial purposes.

Question 4. Look at Map 1 and list 5 rivers that are not mentioned in the Rigveda.
Answer:

The five rivers that are not mentioned in the Rigveda are

1. Narmada
2. Tapti
3. Mahanadi
4. Godavari
5. Krishna

Question 5. Read the previous section once more and see whether you can find out what the rajas did.
Answer:

In the Rigvedic period, rajas fought battles for land and water and to capture cattle and people.

The land was important for pasture and for growing crops. Water was needed for irrigation and daily usage. Owning a large number of cattle and dasas (whom they captured in the war) was a sign of the strength of the raja in the Rigvedic period.

Question 6. Do any of the names like Jana or Vish sound familiar?
Answer:

• The words Jana’ or ‘vish’ are familiar, which were used to describe people or the community as a whole. The word vaishya comes from vish.
• The word jana is still used in Hindi and other languages. Reference to Puru jana, Bharata jana, Yadu jana, or Vish jana are found in several texts.

Question 7. There were several things that people did to make megaliths. We have made a list here. Try and arrange them in the correct order.

1. Digging pits in the Earth,
2. Transporting stones
3. Breaking boulders
4. Placing stones in position
5. Finding suitable stone
6. Shaping stones
7. Burying the dead

Answer:

The correct order for making megaliths is as follows

1. Finding suitable stone
2. Breaking boulders
3. Shaping stones
4. Transporting stones
5. Digging pits in the Earth
6. Burying the dead
7. Placing stones in position

Question 8. Was iron used In the Harappan cities?
Answer:

Iron was not used in Harappan cities. Archaeological evidence mainly reveals copper and bronze tools. Iron was used prominently in later periods, during the Iron Age, after the decline of the Harappan Civilisation.

Question 9. Do you think (in the special burial at Inamgaon) this was the body of a chief? Give reasons for your answer.
Answer:

Yes, I think this was the body of a chief because, in Inamgaon, this man had a different type of burial from the rest of the people.

In the courtyard of a five-roomed house which was the centre of the settlement, one man was found buried in a large, four-legged clay jar. This was one of the largest houses in the area which also had a granary and the body was placed in a cross-legged position.

Question 10. Can we make out whether a skeleton was that of a man or a woman?
Answer:

• Yes, we can make out whether a skeleton was that of a man or a woman through modern studies.
• Sometimes people decide on the basis of what is found in the skeleton. For instance, if a skeleton is found with jewelry, it is sometimes thought to be that of a woman.
• However, there are problems with this, as men also wore ornaments like women.
• A better way of deciding the sex of a skeleton is to look at the bone structure. The hip or the pelvic area of women is generally larger to enable childbearing. These modern skeletal studies help us to determine correctly the sex of a skeleton.

Question 11. How do you think Charaka found out about the human body in such great detail?
Answer:

• Charaka would have learned about the human body through keen observation and practical experience. He studied patients, nature, and treatments over many years, and wrote his findings in the Charaka Samhita.
• Through careful examination, he understood the body’s functions, illnesses, and remedies, laying the foundation for Ayurveda. He stated that the human body has 360 bones. He arrived at this figure by counting the teeth, joints, and cartilage.

Question 12. Archaeologists have found seeds of wheat, barley, rice, pulses, millets, peas, and sesame. Bones of a number of animals, many bearing cut marks that show they may have been used as food, have also been found. These include cattle, buffalo, goat, sheep, dog, horse, ass, pig, sambhar, spotted deer, blackbuck, antelope, hare, and mongoose, besides birds, crocodile, turtle, crab and fish. There is evidence that fruits such as ber, amla, jamun, dates, and a variety of berries were collected.

Use this evidence to list the possible occupations of the people at Inamgaon.

Answer:

From this evidence, some possible occupations of the people at Inamgaon can be inferred as follows

• Farming
• Herding
• Hunting
• Fishing

Question 13. You live in Inamgaon, 3000 years ago, and the chief has died last night. Today, your parents are preparing for the burial. Describe the scene, including how food is being prepared for the funeral. What do you think would be offered?

Answer:

1. In Inamgaon, our chief passed away. Today, my parents are getting things ready for the burial. They’re preparing food to give to the chief for his journey after life. They’re cooking grains like wheat, rice, and barley, and also meat from animals like goats, sheep, and dogs.
2. They’re picking fruits like ber and dates too, putting water in pots to give to the chief. Everyone in the village is sad, and we’re all gathering to say goodbye to the chief. We’re doing special things to honor him and help him in his journey to the next life.

History Chapter 4 What Books And Burials Tell Us Exercises

Question 1. Match The Columns

Codes

• A  B  C  D  E

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

Answer: 1. 3 4 2 5 1

Question 2. Complete the sentences.

1. Slaves were used for
2. Megaliths are found in
3. Stone circles or boulders on the surface were used to
4. Port-holes were used for
5. People at Inamgaon ate

Answer:

1. doing work for their owners, who could make them do whatever work they wanted.
2. Deccan, North-East, South India and Kashmir.
3. indicate that there were burials beneath.
4. indication that the people belonging to the same family were buried in the same place.
5. barley, wheat, peas, pulses, rice, millets, sesame, fish and meat, ber, amla, jamun, dates, variety of berries, etc.

Question 3. In what ways are the books we read today different from the Rigveda?

Answer:

Books that we read today are different from Rigveda in the following ways

1. The books we use today are written and printed. But the Rigveda was memorized and recited by the students and passed on to later generations. The Rigveda was printed less than 200 years ago.
2. The Rigveda was composed in old or Vedic Sanskrit. This is different from the Sanskrit language which is learned by students today.

Question 4. What kind of evidence from burials do archaeologists use to find out whether there were social differences amongst those who were buried?

Answer:

• Archaeologists study things buried with skeletons to understand social differences. For example, some burials have many valuable items like gold beads, bangles, or shells, while others have only a few pots. This suggests that some were rich, maybe chiefs, while others were poor or followers.
• When more precious things are found in a skeleton, it shows that the person might have been of higher status. By looking at what’s buried with people, archaeologists learn about the different positions or importance people had in their society long ago.

Question 5. In what ways do you think that the life of a raja was different from that of a dasa or dasi?

Answer:

• I think the life of a raja was different from that of a dasa or dasi. In Rigvedic society, raja enjoyed the highest position among the priests. They fought a war to capture man and cattle, land and water.
• On the other hand, the dasa or dasi were in the lowest position in the society, they could not perform sacrifices and spoke different languages. They were captured in wars. They were treated as the property of their owner and had to do any kind of work their owner wanted.

Question 6. Find out whether your school library has a collection of books on religion, and list the names of five books from this collection.

Answer:

Yes, my school has a library and it also has a collection of books on religion.

The names of the books are

1. The Gita
2. The Quran
3. The Vishnu Purana
4. The Ramayana
5. The Mahabharata

Solution:

Question 7. Write down a short poem or song that you have memorized. Did you hear or read the poem or song? How did you learn it by heart?

Answer:

• I have memorized the “Vaishnav Jana to” poem. It was Mahatma Gandhi’s favorite devotional song.
• I heard this song in my school assembly. I could learn it by heart because it was sung every day and I was inspired by the meaning of the song.

Question 8. In the Rigveda, people were described in terms of the work they did and the languages they spoke.

In a table, fill in the names of six people you know, choosing three men and three women. For each of them, mention the work they do and the language they speak. Would you like to add anything else to the description?

Answer:

History Chapter 4 What Books And Burials Tell Us Multiple Choice Question And Answers (MCQs)

Question 1. Which of the following is not a Veda?

1. Rigveda
2. Ayurveda
3. Samaveda
4. Yajurveda

Answer: 2. Ayurveda

Question 2. The Rigveda is composed in the form of

1. poetry
2. dialogues
3. hymns
4. stories

Answer: 2. dialogues

Question 3. There is a dialogue in the Rigveda between rivers Beas and Sutlej, and

1. Vaish
2. Vashist
3. Vyas
4. Vishvamitra

Answer: 4. Vishvamitra

Question 4. Which of the following was not an offering of sacrifice?

1. Plants
2. Animals
3. Humans
4. None of these

Answer: 4. None of these

Question 5. What is the feminine of dasa?

1. Dasi
2. Dasay
3. Dasasi
4. Dasyu

Answer: 1. Dasi

Question 6. were used for various kinds of work.

1. Carpenters
2. Farmers
3. Slaves
4. Labor

Answer: 3. Slaves

Question 7. The word means big stone.

1. chalcolithic
2. neolith
3. microlith
4. megalith

Answer: 4. megalith

Question 8. Horse equipment, axes, and a dagger were found from

1. Paleolithic age
2. Mesolithic age
3. Neolithic age
4. Megalithic burials

Answer: 4. Megalithic burials

Question 9. At which site did the archaeologists find 33 golden beads, 2 stone beads, and 4 copper bangles?

1. Hunsgi
2. Brahmagiri
3. Mehrgarh
4. Inamgaon

Answer: 2. Brahmagiri

Question 10. What were used for entering the burial places?

1. Surface-holes
2. Burial-holes
3. Port-holes
4. Stone-holes

Answer: 3. Port-holes

Question 11. Name the fruit not mentioned in the findings of Inamgaon.

1. Mango
2. Ber
3. Amla
4. Jamun

Answer: 1. Mango

Question 12. Sanskrit is a part of a family of languages which is known as

1. Indo-Dravidian
2. Indo-European
3. Indo-Russian
4. Indo-China

Answer: 2. Indo-European

Question 13. The language spoken in Jharkhand and parts of Central India belongs to which among the following families?

1. Austro-Asiatic family
2. Indo-European family
3. Tibeto-Burman family
4. Indo-Asiatic family

Answer: 1. Austro-Asiatic family

Question 14. The Vedic people are generally referred to as the

1. Brahmans
2. Aryas
3. Dasyu
4. Vaishyas

Answer: 2. Aryas

Question 15. Read the following statements and choose the correct option.

1. The Atharvaveda is the oldest Veda.
2. Hymns were composed by sages.

Codes

1. Only 1
2. Only 2
3. Both 1 and 2
4. None of these

Answer: 2. Only 2

Question 16. Read the following statements and choose the correct option.

1. Megaliths are found in the northeast only.
2. People at Inamgaon ate only fruits.

Codes

1. Only 1
2. Only 2
3. Both 1 and 2
4. None of these

Answer: 4. None of these

Question 17. Arrange the following in chronological order.

1. The practice of erecting megaliths.
2. Manuscript of Rigveda found in Kashmir.
3. Composition of Rigveda.

Codes

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

Answer: 4. 1, 3, 2

Question 18. Arrange the following In chronological order.

1. Inamgaon
2. Charaka Samhita
3. The first evidence of writing in China

Codes

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

Answer: 3. 3, 1, 2

History Chapter 4 What Books And Burials Tell Us Match the Following

Question 1.

Codes:

• A B C D

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

Answer: 1. 4 3 1 2

Question 2.

Codes

• A B C D

1. 3 4 2 1
2. 4 I 2 3
3. 1 3 4 2
4. 1 4 2 3

Answer: 1. 3 4 2 1

History Chapter 4 What Books And Burials Tell Us Assertion Reason Question And Answers

Question 1. Assertion (A) Battles were fought for water, land, and people.
Reason (R) The wealth was kept by leaders, priests, and people.

Codes

1. Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A
2. Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of A
3. A is true, but R is false
4. A is false, but R is true

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

Question 2. Assertion (A) There are two groups, the priest and the rajas, in Rigveda.

Reason (R) They were described on the basis of birth.

Codes

1. Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A
2. Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of A
3. A is true, but R is false
4. 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 4 What Books And Burials Tell Us Fill in the Blanks

Question 1. Inamgaon is situated on the river ……. a tributary of the ……

Answer: Ghod, Bhima

Question 2. In a hymn in the Rigveda, ……. speaks to two rivers, ……. and ……. who were worshipped as Goddesses.

Answer: Vishvamitra, Beas, Sutlej

Question 3. The people who composed the hymns described themselves as ………

Answer: Aryas

Question 4. The manuscript of Rigveda, or birch bark, was found in Kashmir about …….. years ago.

Answer: 150

Question 5. Telugu belongs to

Answer: Dravidian family

History Chapter 4 What Books And Burials Tell Us True or False

Question 1. The dead were buried with distinctive pots, which are called Grey and Pink Ware.

Answer: False

Question 2. In Inamgaon, adults were generally buried in the ground, laid out straight, with the head towards the South.

Answer: False

Question 3. Yajnas were for kings and rulers.

Answer: False

Question 4. The practice of erecting megaliths began about 3000 years ago.

Answer: True

Question 5. Some megaliths contain more than one skeleton.

Answer: True

Question 6. Archaeologists found only a single and large stone boulder near a burial.

Answer: False

History Chapter 4 What Books And Burials Tell Us Picture Based Question And Answers

Question 1. Which type of megalith is shown in the image below?

1. Cist
2. Axes
3. Pot-Holes
4. None of these

Answer: 1. Cist

Question 2. The type of page from the manuscript of Rigveda given below was found in

1. Uttar Pradesh
2. Delhi
3. Kashmir
4. Bihar

Answer: 3. Kashmir

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

(1) Which metal was used for the preparation of the above equipment?

Answer:

Iron metal was used for the preparation of the above equipment.

(2) What kind of equipment were found from burials?

Answer:

Megalithic equipment was found from burials.

History Chapter 4 What Books And Burials Tell Us Case-Based Question And Answers

Question 1. Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow.

• Vishwamitra and Rivers
• Vishvamitra O rivers, come down from the mountains like two swift horses, like two shining cows that lick their calves. You move like chariots to the sea, through the power of Indra. You are full of water and wish to unite with one another.
• The rivers We, who are full of water, move along the path the Gods have made for us. Once we start flowing, we cannot be stopped. Why do you pray to us, o sage?
• Vishvamitra O sisters, please listen to me, the singer who has come from a distance with his chariots, and Let your waters not rise above our axles, so that we can cross safely.
• The rivers We will listen to your prayers so that you can cross safely.
• Historians point out that this hymn was composed in the area where these rivers flow. They also suggest that the sage lived in a society where horses and cows were valued animals. That is why the rivers are compared to horses and cows.
• Other rivers, especially the Indus and its other tributaries, and the Saraswati, are also named in the hymns. The Ganga and Yamuna are named only once.

1. Sage Vishvamitra was talking to which river/rivers?

1. Beas
2. Sutlej
3. Ravi
4. Both (1) and (2)

Answer: 4. Both (1) and (2)

2. In which Veda, the above dialogue was mentioned?

1. Rigveda
2. Samaveda
3. Yajurveda
4. Atharvaveda

Answer: 1. Rigveda

3. Indra, a warrior God is mentioned in which Veda?

1. Yajurveda
2. Samaveda
3. Atharvaveda
4. Rigveda

Answer: 4. Rigveda

4. Saraswati is the tributary of which river?

1. Beas
2. Sutlej
3. Ravi
4. Indus

Answer: 4. Indus

Question 2. Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow

• Archaeologists think that objects found with a skeleton probably belonged to the dead person. Sometimes, more objects are found in one grave than in another.
• In Brahmagiri, one skeleton was buried with 33 gold beads, 2 stone beads, 4 copper bangles, and one conch shell. Other skeletons have only a few pots.
• These finds suggest that there was some difference in status amongst the people who were buried. Some were rich, others poor, some chiefs, others followers.
• Sometimes, megaliths contain more than one skeleton. These indicate that people, perhaps belonging to the same family, were buried in the same place though not at the same time. The bodies of those who died later were brought into the grave through the portholes. Stone circles or boulders placed on the surface probably served as signposts to find the burial site, so that people could return to the same place whenever they wanted to.
• It is a site on the river Ghod, a tributary of the Bhima. It was occupied between 3600 and 2700 years ago. Here, adults were generally buried in the ground, laid out straight, with the head towards the North. Sometimes burials were within the houses. Vessels that probably contained food and water were placed with the dead.

1. Where was the special burial found?
Answer:

The special burial was found at Inamgaon.

2. What type of things were kept inside the burial?
Answer:

The things that were kept inside the burial were different pots, tools and weapons, skeletons of horses, equipment, and ornaments.

3. How was the body of one special burial placed at Inamgaon?
Answer:

The body of one special burial at Inamgaon was placed in a cross-legged position.

History Chapter 4 What Books And Burials Tell Us Very Short Answer Type Question And Answers

Question 1. How many Vedas are there?
Answer:

There are four Vedas, namely Rigveda, Samaveda, Yajurveda, and Atharvaveda.

Question 2. When was the Rigveda composed?
Answer:

The oldest Veda is the Rigveda, composed about 3500 years ago.

Question 3. Mention three important Rigvedic Gods.
Answer:

The three important Rigvedic Gods are

1. Agni – The God of fire
2. Indra – A warrior God
3. Soma- A plant from which the special drink is prepared

Question 4. When did the earliest texts of the Rigveda get printed?
Answer:

The earliest texts of the Rigveda were first printed less than 200 years ago.

Question 5. Who were slaves in the Rigvedic period?
Answer:

In the Rigvedic period, slaves were women and men who were often captured in war. They were treated as the property of their owners, who could make them do whatever work they wanted.

Question 6. Name some of the rivers mentioned In the Rlgveda.
Answer:

The rivers mentioned in the Rigveda are Reas, Sutlej, and Indus.

Question 7. Where was the manuscript of Rlgveda found?
Answer:

The manuscript of the Rigveda was found in Kashmir.

Question 8. Write about the importance of horses during the Rlgvedlc period.
Answer:

During the Rigvedic period, horses held immense importance. They were important for transportation, particularly in chariots and carts.

Question 9. Where are the earliest printed texts of the Rigveda preserved?
Answer:

The earliest printed texts of the Rigveda are preserved in a library in Pune, Maharashtra.

Question 10. What do you understand by Yajnas?
Answer:

Yajnas were sacrificed in offerings were made into the fire. These were meant for Gods and Goddesses.

Question 11. Which two groups were described in terms of their Work?
Answer:

Brahmins and rajas were the two groups who were described in terms of their work.

Question 12. Who were dasas?
Answer:

Dasas or Dasyus were people who did not perform sacrifices, probably spoke different languages, and were recognized as slaves.

Question 13. What are megaliths?
Answer:

The big stones or the stone boulders are known as megaliths which were carefully arranged by people and were used to mark burial sites.

Question 14. Describe the Dravidian language family.
Answer:

The languages spoken in the Southern part of India such as Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam belong to the Dravidian family.

History Chapter 4 What Books And Burials Tell Us Short Answer Type Question And Answers

Question 1. Write a short note on the oldest book written.
Answer:

• The Rigveda is the oldest written book, composed about 3500 years ago. It includes more than a thousand hymns called sukta or ‘well-said’. These hymns are in praise of various Gods and Goddesses.
• The Rigveda is in old or Vedic Sanskrit, The Rigveda was recited and heard rather than read. Rigveda was written many centuries after it was composed and printed less than 200 years ago.

Question 2. Who composed hymns of the Rigveda and what are its characteristics?
Answer:

The hymns in Rigveda were composed by sages (rishis). Priests taught students to recite and memorize these carefully.

Most of the hymns were composed, taught, and learned by men and some were composed by women.

• Some of the characteristics of these hymns are the ‘ hymns are sung in praise of various Gods and Goddesses.
• Some of the hymns in the Rigveda are in the form of dialogues. For example, there is a dialogue between a sage named Vishvamitra and two rivers (Beas and Sutlej) that were worshipped as Goddesses.

Question 3. Why were battles fought in the Rigvedic period?
Answer:

Battles were fought in the Rigvedic period for various reasons

• For the land which was important for pasture and for growing hardy crops that ripened quickly, such as barley.
• For water and to capture people and cattle.
• To obtain wealth which was distributed among leaders and ordinary people. Wealth was also used to perform sacrifices.

Question 4. List some of the common features of all the burials.

Answer:

Some of the common features of all the burials

• The dead were buried with distinctive pots, which are called Black and Red Ware.
• Moreover, tools and weapons of iron and sometimes, skeletons of horses, horse equipment, and ornaments of stone and gold are found in these burials.

Question 5. How did the people of Inamgaon bury dead people?

Answer:

The people of Inamgaon buried dead people in the following ways

•  In Inamgaon, adults were generally buried in the ground, laid out straight, with the head towards the North.
•  Some burials were within the houses, and vessels that probably contained food and water were placed with the dead.
• A man was found buried in a large, four-legged clay jar in the courtyard of a five-roomed house on this site. The body was placed in a cross-legged position.

Question 6. What did the people at Inamgaon eat?
Answer:

• The people at Inamgaon ate grains like barley, wheat, rice, pulses, millet, peas, and sesame. Bones of a number of animals, many bearing cut marks that show that animals may have been used as food, have also been found.
• These include cattle, buffalo, goat, sheep, dog, horse, ass, pig, sambhar, spotted deer, blackbuck, antelope, hare, and mongoose, besides birds, crocodile, turtle, crab and fish.
• There is evidence that fruits such as her, amla, jamun, dates, and a variety of berries were collected by the people.

Question 7. Who was Charaka? Discuss his contribution to the respective field.
Answer:

• Charaka was a famous ancient Indian physician.
• He wrote a book on medicine known as the ‘ Charaka Samhita.
• In his book, he stated that the human body has 360 bones. This is a much larger number than the 200 bones that are recognized in modern anatomy.
• He arrived at this figure by counting the teeth, joints, and cartilage. His book is still a reference source for Ayurvedic medicines.

History Chapter 4 What Books And Burials Tell Us Long Answer Type Question And Answers

Question 1. Different criteria like occupation, language, etc. were used to describe people. How are people described in the Rigveda?

Answer:

People are described in the Rigveda in the following ways

• In the Rigveda, there are two groups who are described in terms of their work the priests, sometimes called Brahmins, who performed various rituals, and the rajas. At that time, rajas did not have capital cities, palaces, or armies, nor did they collect taxes. Generally, sons did not automatically succeed fathers as rajas.
• To describe the people or the community as a whole, the words- ‘jana’ and ‘vish’ were used. Several Vish organs are mentioned, for example, the Puru jana or vish, the Bharata Jana or Vish, the Yadu Jana or Vish, etc.
• The people who composed the hymns described themselves as Aryas and called their opponents as Dasas or Dasyus.

Question 2. What does Rigveda tell us about cattle, horses, and chariots? Explain.

Answer:

1. In the Rigveda, there are many prayers for cattle, children (especially sons), and horses. Horses were used to pull chariots in battles that were fought to capture cattle.
2. Battles or wars were also fought for land, water, and to capture people. The land was important for pasture and for growing hardy crops like barley that ripened quickly. Most of the men took part in these wars.
3. They discussed war and peace in assemblies and also chose brave and skillful warriors as their leaders.
4. Some of the wealth captured in the battles was kept by the leaders, some was given to the priests and the rest was distributed amongst the people. Some wealth was used for the performing yajnas or sacrifices in which offerings were made into the fire.

Question 3. There were the silent sentinels behind the story of the megaliths. Explain about megaliths.

Answer:

• The big stones or the stone boulders are known as megaliths, which were used to mark burial sites.
• The practice of building megaliths began about 3000 years ago. It was prevalent throughout the Deccan, South India, in the North-East and Kashmir.
• Some of the megaliths were built on the surface, and some were underground. Sometimes, archaeologists find a circle of stone boulders or a single large stone standing on the ground. They indicate the burials under the ground.
• All the burials have some common features. Generally, the dead were buried in different pots, which are called Black and Red Ware. Sometimes tools and weapons of iron, skeletons of horses, horse equipment, and ornaments of stone and gold are also found in the graves.

Question 4. Were certain burial spots reserved for particular families? Explain.

Answer:

• Yes, certain burial spots were reserved for particular families. It is clearly evident that several megaliths contained more than one skeleton.
• These indicate that people, perhaps belonging to the same family, were buried in the same place though not at the same time.
• The bodies of those who died later were brought into the grave through the portholes. Stone circles or boulders placed on the surface served as signposts to find the burial site, so that people could return to the same place whenever they wanted to.