Medieval India for May 2, 2005

Set as suggested in the class:
________________
Write on the wars of Ittutmish.

___________
What was the economic policy of Alauddin Khilji?
What do you understand from the market policy of Aluddin Khilji? What were it main features? Why did it fail?
Write about the wars of Aluddin Khiliji?
Write about the administration of Aluddin Khilji.
__________
Write about the administration of Firozeshah Tughlaq.
______________
Write about the religious policy of Akbar.
Write about the Rajput Policy of Akbar.
__________
Write about the civil and military administration of Shivaji.
Write about the about the wars of Shivaji.

The following questions are strongly recommended in addition to the above question. It is based on the judgement on the questions which had appeared in the compartment paper which was held on March 30, 2005 just before the commencement of the present exams.

Balban: (V. V. IMP)
What was the blood and Iron policy of Balban?
Write about the achievements of Balban.
In case of Akabr:
You must Add:
The land revenue administration of Akbar.


What was the role of Nur Jahan in the Mughal Administration? (V. V. IMP)


** The very very short question bank will come up with in next 24 hours.**

** In case of any specific demand or query leave the message in comment or email by going into "My Profile" section.**

B. A. I Annual Paper Solutions

B. A. I, History of India upto 1200 A. D.
Annual Examination,
Held on April 15, 2005, in Morning Session
Conducted by Punjab University, Chandigarh

Solutions to Question X
******
Attempt any ten of the following question in one or two lines:

1. Give the names of four passes in the North-Western Himalayas.
Ans. The important passes in the Western ranges of Himalayas are Khyber, Khurram, Tochi and Gomal.
_________
2. How did the word Hindu originate?
Ans. The word "Hindu" is a corrupted form of the word "Sindh". The Iranians pronounced the syllable "S" as "H". Therefore, they pronounced Sindhu as Hindu.
_______
3. Write the names of any two scholars associated with the excavation of Indus Valley Civilization.
Ans. Dayaram Sahini, R. D. Banerjee, Sir John Marshal and M. S. Vats were the four scientists who had contributed to the archeological excavation on the sites of Mohan-jo-Daro and Harappa.
_______
4. Write the names of four Vedas. Which of them is the oldest.
Ans. The four Vedas are Rig Veda, Yajur Veda, Sama Veda and Atharva Veda. The oldest Veda is the Rig Veda.
_______
5. Write the names of the women scholars of the Later Vedic Age.
Ans. Gargi and Matrai were two most popular women scholars of Vedic period of Later Vedic Age.
_______
6. Give the names of any two rulers of North-West on the eve of Alexander’s Invasion.
Ans. Ambhi of Taxila and Porus of Chajja Doab (region between Jhelum and Chenab.
________
7. Write any two causes of the defeat of Porus.
Ans. Porus suffered due to surprise attack of Alexander at the battle of Kari which proved that Alexander was a better commander and strategist than Porus.
Porus army suffered due to rain at battle Kari whereas Alexander’s archer succeeded in breaking the vanguard of Porus.
________
8. Write the names of the son and daughter of Asoka, who went to Sri Lanka for the propagation of Buddhism.
Ans. Ashoka sent his son Mahendra and daughter Sanghamitra to Lanka to spread the message of Buddhism.
________
9. Of the Mauryan rulers, who won the Battle of Kalinga and when?
Ans. Ashoka won the Battle of Kalinga. He won it in ninth year of his reign in year 261-62 B.C.
_________
10. Who reported to have been the court physician of Kanishka?
Ans. Charaka, the famous of Ayurvedic literature titled Charak Sahimta was the court physician of Kanishka.
____________

11. Give the names of the parents of Samudragupta.
Ans. Chandragupta I was the father of Samudragupta. Kumar Devi (from Lichchavi clan) was the mother of Samudragupta.
____________

12. Who was Fa-Hien? Name the king about whose reign he has written.
Ans. Fa-Hien was the Chinese traveller. He wrote about the reign of Chandragupta II Vikramaditya. However, he had not mentioned the name of the Gupta ruler.
________

13. Who was the author of Panchtantra?
Ans. Vaishnusarman was the author of Panchtantra. It was written during Gupta period.
__________

14. With which matrimonial alliance Chandra Gupta II increased his power?
Ans. Chandra Gupta II married himself in Nagas. He married his daughter to Vakatakas. Both these matrimonial allainces helped to increase his power.
_________

15. Who was Aryabhatta?
Ans. Aryabhatta was mathematician and astronomer of Gupta period. He wrote Aryabhatiyam in 499 A. D.
__________

16. Who was the author of Ashtang-Sangrah?
Ans. Ashtang-Sangrah was written by Vagbhata I during the Gupta period. It was a commentatry on the works of Charaka and Susruta.
_________

17. Mention any two theories regarding the origin of Rajputs?
Ans. Surya Vanshi origin and Chandra Vanshi origin theory as supported by Ved , Vyas and Ojha are more popular. However, the most accepted theory is V. A. Smith according to which they originated from mixing of Indian and foreign tribes.
_________

18.Who was the founder of the temple of Rajrajeshwar at Tanjore?
Ans. Raj Raj Chola 985-1014 was the builder of Rajrajeshwar temple at Tanjore.
___________

19. Give the period of reign of Rajendra Chola I.
Ans. The period of reign of Rajendra Chola I was from 1014 A. D. to 1044 A. D.
_______

20. Give names of any two prominent rulers of Pallava?
Ans: Mahendravarman I and Narshimhavarman I were the two prominent rulers of Pallava.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Recommended Sources:
Ancient India by R. K. Khanna, A. K. Bhardwaj and Sumir Sharma.
Ancient Indian History and Civilization by S. N. Sen.

Analysis of B. A. I Ancient History Annual Paper of PU Chandigarh

An Analysis and Some Observations


An analysis and some observations on
B. A. I, History of India upto 1200 A. D.
Annual Examination,
Held on April 15, 2005, in Morning Session
Conducted by Punjab University, Chandigarh

Time allowed: Three Hours
Maximum Marks: 100
Note: (i) Attempt any five questions.
(ii) All questions carry equal marks.
(iii) An outline map of India is enclosed.
(iv) Before the start of the paper, detach the map from the question paper and stitch it inside the answer book before the last sheet.

I. Describe briefly the impact of physical features of India on its history. 20
II. Discuss the main sources of Ancient Indian History. 20
III. Give an account of the social and religious life of Rigvedic civilization. 20
IV. What do you know about the teachings of Gautam Buddha? 20
V. Write a note on civil and military administration of Chandragupta Maurya. 20
VI. Briefly describe the main features of society and cultural developments during the Gupta Age.
20
VII. Explain the main features of the Chola administration. 20
VIII. On the accompanying outline map of India, indicate the geographical location of Harappan sites. Also add an explanatory note. 12,8

Or

On the accompanying outline map of India, indicate the following places and also write a brief note on the historical importance of each place.
(i) Kurukshetra (ii) Kanauj (iii) Tanjore (iv) Bodhgaya

IX. Attempt any four of the following questions. Each answer should be of about 100 words.
i.Legacy of Indus Valley civilization.
ii. Position of women during Later Vedic Age.
iii. Parshavnath.
iv. Law of Piety.
v. Gandhara School of Art.
vi. Chandragupta – I
vii. Kalidas.
viii. The Feudal order under the Rajput civilization.
X. Attempt any ten of the following question in one or two lines:

1.Give the names of four passes in the North-Western Himalayas.
2. How did the word Hindu originate?
3. Write the names of any two scholars associated with the excavation of Indus Valley Civilization.
4. Write the names of four Vedas. Which of them is the oldest.
5. Write the names of the women scholars of the Later Vedic Age.
6. Give the names of any two rulers of North-West on the eve of Alexander’s Invasion.
7. Write any two causes of the defeat of Porus.
8. Write the names of the son and daughter of Asoka, who went to Sri Lanka for the propagation of Buddhism.
9. Of the Mauryan rulers, who won the Battle of Kalinga and when?
10. Who reported to have been the court physician of Kanishka?
11. Give the names of the parents of Samudragupta.
12. Who was Fa-Hien? Name the king about whose reign he has written.
13. Who was the author of Panchtantra?
14. With which matrimonial alliance Chandra Gupta II increased his power?
15. Who was Aryabhatta?
16. Who was the author of Ashtang-Sangrah?
17. Mention any two theories regarding the origin of Rajputs?
18. Who was the founder of the temple of Rajrajeshwar at Tanjore?
19. Give the period of reign of Rajendra Chola I.
20. Give names of any two prominent rulers of Pallava? 10x2=20

The above question paper fits into the Syllabus of Punjab University Chandigarh as follows:

Syllabus of B. A. I Session 2004-2005

Paper A: History of India up to 1200 A. D.

1. Geography and History: The physical features and their influence on the course of Indian History.

April 2005

Describe briefly the impact of physical features of India on its history. 20

Attempt any ten of the following question in one or two lines:
Give the names of four passes in the North-Western Himalayas. 2
How did the word Hindu originate? 2

One Long Question
Two very very short question.
Total marks = 20+2+2= 24

2. Major Sources of Ancient Indian History: Literary sources, Archaeological findings; inscriptions; coins; travel accounts.

April 2005

Discuss the main sources of Ancient Indian History. 20

One Long Question
Total Marks= 20

(There are many references to literature of ancient period which have relevance for the chapters in which they have appeared. They may also be included. However, they are not included here. Kindly refer to arguments made at the end of this analysis.)

3. Harappan Civilization: Extent; town planning; Political organization, economy and Religion.

April 2005

Attempt any four of the following questions. Each answer should be of about 100 words.
Legacy of Indus Valley civilization. 5

Attempt any ten of the following question in one or two lines:
Write the names of any two scholars associated with the excavation of Indus Valley Civilization. 2

On the accompanying outline map of India, indicate the geographical location of Harappan sites. Also add an explanatory note. 12,8=20

One short question.
One very very short question.
One map question
Total marks: 5+2+20=27


4. Vedic Period: Early Vedic Polity, Aspects of Society, Economy and Religion in Early Vedic period, Developments in the Later Vedic period.

April 2005

Give an account of the social and religious life of Rigvedic civilization. 20

Attempt any ten of the following question in one or two lines:
Write the names of four Vedas. Which of them is the oldest. 2
Write the names of the women scholars of the Later Vedic Age. 2

Attempt any four of the following questions. Each answer should be of about 100 words.
Position of women during Later Vedic Age. 5

One long question
Two very very short questions
One short question
Total marks: 20+2+2+5= 29

5. Beginning of Early Historic Period: Kingdoms and Ganga-Sanghas in the 6th century B. C. The rise of Jainism and Buddhism and teachings of the new religions, Alexander’s invasions.

April 2005

What do you know about the teachings of Gautam Buddha? 20

Attempt any four of the following questions. Each answer should be of about 100 words.
Parshavnath. 5

Attempt any ten of the following question in one or two lines:
Give the names of any two rulers of North-West on the eve of Alexander’s Invasion. 2
Write any two causes of the defeat of Porus. 2

One long question
One short question
One very very short question
Total marks: 20+5+2= 27

6. The Mauryan Empire: Conquests of Chandragupta Maurya; Ashoka’s Dhamma, administration and society under the Mauryans.

April 2005

Write a note on civil and military administration of Chandragupta Maurya. 20

Attempt any four of the following questions. Each answer should be of about 100 words.
Law of Piety. 5

Attempt any ten of the following question in one or two lines:
Write the names of the son and daughter of Asoka, who went to Sri Lanka for the propagation of Buddhism. 2
Of the Mauryan rulers, who won the Battle of Kalinga and when? 2

One long question
One short question
Two very very short questions
Total marks: 20+5+2+2= 29

7. Post-Mauryan Period: Polity and Trade under the Kushans and the Satavahanas.

April 2005

Attempt any four of the following questions. Each answer should be of about 100 words.
Gandhara School of Art. 5

Attempt any ten of the following question in one or two lines:
Who reported to have been the court physician of Kanishka? 2

One short question
One very very short question
Total marks: 5+2= 7

8. The Gupta Empire: Expansion under Samudragupta and Chandragupta II, agrarian economy and the beginning of feudal society. Scientific and cultural developments.

April 2005

Briefly describe the main features of society and cultural developments during the Gupta Age. 20

Attempt any four of the following questions. Each answer should be of about 100 words.
Chandragupta – I. 5
Kalidas. 5

Attempt any ten of the following question in one or two lines:
Give the names of the parents of Samudragupta. 2
Who was Fa-Hien? Name the king about whose reign he has written. 2
Who was the author of Panchtantra? 2
With which matrimonial alliance Chandra Gupta II increased his power? 2
Who was Aryabhatta? 2
Who was the author of Ashtang-Sangrah? 2

One long question
Two short questions
Six very very short questions
Total marks: 20+5+5+2+2+2+2+2= 40


9. Early Medieval Period in North India: Polity, Society and Economy of the Rajputs of North India.

April 2005

Attempt any four of the following questions. Each answer should be of about 100 words.
The Feudal order under the Rajput civilization. 5

Attempt any ten of the following question in one or two lines:
Mention any two theories regarding the origin of Rajputs? 2

One short question
One very very short question
Total marks: 5+2=7

10. Early Medieval Period in South India: Society, economy and administration under the Pallavas and Cholas.

April 2005

Explain the main features of the Chola administration. 20

Attempt any ten of the following question in one or two lines:
Who was the founder of the temple of Rajrajeshwar at Tanjore? 2
Give the period of reign of Rajendra Chola I. 2
Give names of any two prominent rulers of Pallava? 2

One long answer
Three very very short answers
Total Marks: 20+2+2+2= 24

Map Work:
a. Important Historical Places: Taxila, Indraprashtha, Kurukshetra, Kannauj, Pataliputra, Ujjain, Bodh Gaya, Varanasi, Sopara, Eloora, Ajanta, Sanchi, Tanjore, Kanchi.


Hence the contribution in terms of number from I to X topic is as follows:
24-20-27-29-27-29-07-40-07-24

Maximum contributing topic:
It shows that the topic no 8 that is "The Gupta Empire: Expansion under Samudragupta and Chandragupta II, agrarian economy and the beginning of feudal society. Scientific and cultural developments" contributed maximum to the question paper.

Minimum contributing topic :
The topic numbers 7 and 9, which are "Post-Mauryan Period: Polity and Trade under the Kushans and the Satavahanas" and "Early Medieval Period in North India: Polity, Society and Economy of the Rajputs of North India" contributed the least to the question paper.

If we take total that is 234 equal to 100 then weightage will be as follows:
10.25 - 8.54 – 11.53 – 12.39 – 11.53 – 12.39 – 2.99 – 17.09 – 2.99 – 10.25
However, if we take total of all marks allocated which will be 254, then we get the following figure:
9.44 – 7.87 – 10.62 – 11.41 – 10.62 – 11.41 – 2.75 – 15.74 – 2.75 – 9.44


A View:
The Maximum Marks are 100 and there is 50% choice. It is just a view that the paper can be structured in such a manner, that it should be of 200 in total allocation in place of 254 marks. No doubt, that could be achieved by reducing choice or breaking down the long questions as it is done by other two universities of Punjab.

On the whole all the topics have been touched as desired in the syllabus. Only one topic stands out for its higher contribution to the question paper. It happens every year. If it is Gupta period which has contributed more then other topics this year then next year it may be topic number 6 on Mauryan period. Next year, it may be topic number 3 on Vedic period.

Even then, it can be said that the paper was well balanced.

If there is any objection, then only complaint can be that there is no long question on Harappan period. But there is Map question on Harappan period. If there is such a complaint, then it is merely there because it was regular feature and this year the question has not appeared from this chapter.


An Observation and Criticism:

However, the topic on Sources, that is topic no 2, fascinates. After the latest changes in the structure of syllabus this year, this topic has maintained its existence in the syllabus. The syllabus has been rationalized by filling in the gap by introducing the Kushan period. Thus a wide gap, which had remained for so many years, has been filled by bring in this topic. Otherwise, for teachers, it was very difficult to give a chronological continuity in their lectures because after ending Mauryan period, they did not tell any thing about period spanned over 500 years. Earlier, after Mauryan period which ends at 189 B. C. they started with Guptan period which begins from 320 A. D. But this topic on Sources remains there. It is fascinating because there is no separate topic in case of paper B nor there is any such insistence in case of B. A. II and B. A. III syllabus. Sources are inseparable part of history writing and understanding of history. Without understanding the importance of sources, you can not speak about history. The only contention is that why it is specifically sought in case of Ancient History. Why is it not in case of other papers?


On the other hand, it should be part of every topic in every paper. It seems that the pre-independence hangover and British and Cambridge history influence are not shed by the India history intellectual world as yet.

Similarly, the complaint of South Indian universities teachers still remains. The south Indian history is not fully represented in Ancient History period. The syllabus has brought in Pallavas this time but that is not enough. There should be topics on Pandyas and Cheras and their cultural achievements under Sungam age.

Very Short Answers for B. A. I. Paper A. Ancient India. Session 2005

SET TWO


Question Bank of Two Marks questions (Q 10) of the final Paper of B. A. I, Ancient India, to be conducted by Punjab University Chandigarh in April 2005 (April 15)


Reference Chapter: The Indus Valley Civilization

Add to your knowledge in free time at Indus Valley Civilization


Highly Important: V. V. Imp


Q: Write the name of four scientists who had contributed to the archeological excavation on the sites of Mohan-jo-Daro and Harappa.
Answer: Dayaram Sahini, R. D. Banerjee, Sir John Marshal and M. S. Vats were the four scientists who had contributed to the archeological excavation on the sites of Mohan-jo-Daro and Harappa.
____________________
Q: Where do we find the four main centers of Indus Valley Civilization at four different places in India.
Answer: We find at Lothal, Rangpur, Alamgirpur and Sanghol the main centers of Indus Valley Civilization at four different places in India.
_________________
Q: Write the name of those states of Modern India where we find the remains of Indus Valley Civilization.
Answer: We find the modern Punjab, Haryana, Rajesthan and Gujrat in the present India which are the four main centers of Indus Valley Civilization at four different places in India.
____________
Q: Write the name of any four centers of Indus Valley Civilization which are now situated in Pakistan.
Answer: Mohan-jo-Daro, Harappa, Kot Diji and Sutkangandor are the four centers of Indus Valley Civilization which are now situated in Pakistan.
_______________
Q: Write the length and breath of the mound (citadel) of Harappa.
Answer: The Citadel of Harappa is 410 meters long and 195 meters broad.
__________
Q: Where do we find the Great Bath? Write the dimensions (length, breath and depth) of the Great Bath.
Answer: We find the Great Bath at Mohan-jo-Daro. The dimensions of the inner pool of the Great bath are 39 feet length, 23 feet breadth and 8 feet depth.
____________
Q: Which metal was used more by the people of Indus Valley Civilization? What is the name of the Indus Valley Civilization on the basis of the metal which they used extensively?
Answer: The people of Indus Valley Civilization used Bronze metal extensively. Their civilization was also called the Bronze Civilization because of the extensive use of Bronze.
__________
Q: Write the four main crops of the Indus Valley Civilization.
Answer: The main crops of the Indus Valley Civilization were wheat, Barley, cotton and according to recent researches rice also at the later stage of its development.
_____________
Q: What was the other important agricultural produce of the Indus Valley Civilization apart from the food crops?
Answer: The cotton was the most important agricultural produce of the Indus Valley Civilization apart from other food crops. (A highly important question which has not appeared in the university papers for a long time. This question has appeared repeatedly in Civil Services Preliminary examination, NDA and CDS examination.)
_____________
Q: How many seals have been found at Mohan-jo-Daro? For what purpose were they used?
Answer: 1200 seals have been found at Mohan-jo-Daro. The seals were used by the traders on their goods so that they could be secured.
________________

Q: Which four animals are shown on the seals of Indus Valley Civilization?
Answer: The icons of rhinoceros, tiger, elephant and antelope are shown on the seals of Indus Valley Civilization.
____________

Q: What was the style of Indus script? How many figures of Indus script have been found?
Answer: The Indus script was in form of Pictographs. We have found 396 figures of Pictographic Indus script.
____________
Q: On what material do we find the Indus script written?
Answer: We have the Indus script written on their utensils, walls, seals and weights.
____________
Q: For which two things, was Lothal popular?
Answer: Lothal was popular for its harbour and industry of beads.
__________
Q: From where have we found the dancing girl made of metal? What is the metal of which the dancing girl is made of?
Answer: The dancing girl was made of Bronze and it was found at Mohan-jo-Daro.
__________
Q: Write the names of two main god and goddesses of the Indus Valley Civilization.
Answer: Pashupati Nath and Mother goddesses were the two main god goddesses of the people of Indus Valley Civilization.
_________
Q: Write the four such main features of the religion of Indus Valley Civilization which had continued even afterwards.
Answer: The feature of worship of Mother Goddess, worship of Lord Shiva, worship of Linga, the idol worship and ritual bathing were the main religious features of Indus Valley Civilization which had continued even afterwards.
__________
Q: What do you know about the features of the roads found in Indus Valley Civilization?
Answer: The roads of the cities of the Indus Valley Civilization were 13 to 33 feet wide. They meet each other at the angle of 90°.
_______
Q: What is the material of the seals found from Harappa and Mohan-jo-Daro? From where have we found the maximum number of seals out of those two places?
Answer: The seals found at Harappa and Mohan-jo-Daro were made of stiatite which is a form of clay. The maximum number of seals were found at Mohan-jo-Daro which are 1200 in numbers.
_____________
Q: What do you know about the Indus script?
Answer: The script of Indus Valley Civilization was pictographic. We have found 396 pictographs, which symbolises either some sounds or meanings. This script is written from left to right. At some places, it was found written from right to left also.
_________
Q: Which four animals are shown on the seals of the people of Indus Valley Civilization?
Answer: The icons of rhinoceros, tiger, elephant, bull, unicorn and antelope are shown on the seals of Indus Valley Civilization.
__________
Q: Which period is considered as the period of the progress of Indus Valley Civilization?
Answer: The period between 2250 B. C. to 1750 B. C. is considered as the period of the progress of Indus Valley Civilization.

+++++++++++++++
Most of the time, the questions are such that they can be answered in one word. However, in between, a trend had started that the paper setter had asked such questions which required two or three specific lines. This is a feature of the question papers of Punjabi Unniversity Patiala and Guru Nanak University Amritsar. In those universities there are specific sections which ask answer in two or three lines and there is no single word answer. Such questions have also appeared in Punjab University Chandigarh question papers. The following questions are of that category.
++++++++++++++++
Q: Write any four features of the inner architecture of the houses of the people of Indus Valley Civilization.
Answer: The main features of the inner construction of the houses were that each house had one kitchen, one bath room and one well. Fourthly, there were adequate arrangement for ventilation by making required doors and ventilators.
+++++++++++++
Q: Write the four possible causes of the decline of the Indus Valley Civilization.
Answer: The four main causes of the decline of the Indus Valley Civilization were – (i). flooding of River Indus, (ii). Changing of the course by the river, (iii). Earthquakes and (iv). Attacks of the Aryans.
+++++++++++++

***************
Read Only Type Questions:
Q: How was the Indus Valley Civilization named?
Answer: The main remains of Indus Valley Civilization was excavated on the banks of Indus and its tributaries. Therefore it was named Indus Valley Civilization.
**************
Q: What is the other name of Indus Valley Civilization? What is the basis of another name of Indus Valley
Civilization?
Answer: The other name of the Indus Valley Civilization is Harappan Culture. It was named so because the remains of this civilization were discovered at Harappa for the first time.
*************
Q: Which are the three types of inhabitation found in Indus Valley Civilization?
Answer: The three types of inhabitation found in Indus Valley Civilization are village, towns and cities.
**************
Q: Write the name of the any four weapons used by the people of Indus Valley Civilization.
Answer: The people of Indus Valley Civilization used arrows, knives, axes and daggers as their main weapons.
*************
Q: What type of beads did the people of Indus Valley Civilization used in the strings of the necklaces. Write the name of any four materials which were used by them to make beads.
Answer: The people of Indus Valley Civilization of used the beads made of gold, silver, copper and precious stones in their necklaces.
************
Q: What were the two main procedures adopted by the people of Indus Valley Civilization to produce their pottery?
Answer: The people of Indus Valley Civilization used the procedure of potter wheel and hand fabricated pottery to produce their pottery.
************
Q: Which are the four patterns found painted on the earthen-wares of the people of Indus Valley Civilization?
Answer: The patterns of flowers, leaves, birds and animals were found painted on the earthen-wares of the people of Indus Valley Civilization.
*************
Q: Write the name of the races which formed the people of Indus Valley Civilization.
Answer: Mediterraneans, Alpnoids, Mongoloids and Proto-Austroloids were the four races which formed the people of Indus Valley Civilization.
*************
Q: Write the name of two regions each with which the people of Indus Valley Civilization had trading relations in India and Asia.
Answer: The people of Indus Valley Civilization had trading relation with Rajesthan and Mysore in India and with Afghanistan and Sumer in Asia.
************
Q: Which four items were exported by the people of Indus Valley Civilization?
Answer: The cotton cloth, pearls, ivory and ivory products and monkey were exported by the people of Indus Valley Civilization.
*************
Q: Which four metals were known to the people of Indus Valley Civilization?
Answer: Gold, silver, Bronze and copper were the four metals known to the people of Indus Valley Civilization.
************
Q: Write two main crops and two other food items of the Indus Valley Civilization.
Answer: The main good crops were wheat and Barley. The other two food items were milk and cereal products which were taken by the people of Indus Valley Civilization.
************
Q: Write the name of such four items which were exported by the people of Indus Valley Civilization.
Answer: The people of Indus Valley Civilization exported the cotton clothes, pearls, ivory and monkeys.
************
Q: Write the two main features of the towns of the Indus Valley Civilization.
Answer: The towns of the Indus Valley Civilization were laid as in a planned manner. There were adequate sanitary arrangements in form of bricked drains to polluted water.
************
Q: Which tress were worshiped by the people of Indus Valley Civilization?
Answer: The people of Indus Valley Civilization worshiped the trees of Pipal and neem.
*************
Q: Write the name of two means of transportation used by the people of Indus Valley Civilization.
Answer: The people of Indus Valley Civilization used the bullock cart and boats as the means of transportation.
************
Q: What was the material used for making jewelry by the people of Indus Valley Civilization
Answer: The people of Indus Valley Civilization used precious stones, gold, silver, ivory etc for making jewelry.
*************
Q: Write the name four main items of jewelry used by the people of Indus Valley Civilization.
Answer: The Bangles, necklace, ear rings and finger rings were the four main jewelry items used by the people of Indus Valley Civilization.
**************
Q: Which four animals were domesticated by the people of Indus Valley Civilization? About which animal did the people of Indus Valley Civilization have no knowledge?
Answer: The people of Indus Valley Civilization domesticated Bull, goat, buffalo, dog etc. It seems that they did not know any thing about domesticating horse.
**************
Q: With which four foreign countries did the Indus Valley Civilization have trade relations?
Answer: The Indus Valley Civilization had trade relations with Afghanistan, Iran Egypt and Sumer.
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Q: What were the death rituals of the people of Indus Valley Civilization?
Answer: The main death rituals of the people of Indus Valley Civilization were cremation, by burying the dead, or by leaving the dead body in open to become the food of beasts and natural force etc.
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Q: What were the four means of amusement of the people of Indus Valley Civilization?
Answer: The four main means of amusement of the people of Indus Valley Civilization were dance, hunting, bird fight and gambling.
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Q: What was the material of jewelry of the people of Indus Valley Civilization?
Answer: The people of Indus Valley Civilization used precious stones, gold, silver, ivory, mud, copper, bones etc for making jewelry.
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Q: Write the name of the items of jewelry of the men and women of the Indus Valley Civilization.
Answer: The ornaments of men were necklace, arm bands and rings. The ornaments of women were earrings, ankle bands, hair bands, arm bands, bangles, nose pins, rings etc.
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Very Short Answers for B. A. I. Paper A. Ancient India. Session 2005

Question Bank of Two Marks questions (Q 10) of the final Paper of B. A. I, Ancient India, to be conducted by Punjab University Chandigarh in April 2005 (April 15)


Reference Chapter: Importance of Ancient Indian History and Influence of Geography on Indian History

Highly Important: V. V. Imp category

Q: What name did Chinese traveller Hieun Tsang write for India?
Answer: The Chinese traveller Hieun Tsang wrote Tien-Chu and Intu as the names of India.
Q: In which direction of India is the Himalayas Mountains situated? What is the length and breadth of these mountain ranges?
Answer: The Himalaya Mountains are situated in the North side of India. It is 1500 miles long and 150 to 200 miles broad. The height is 8,850 m/29,035 ft. For some interesting information you may log on to http://www.ciolek.com/
Q: What do you mean by the word ‘Himalayas’?
Answer: The word ‘Himalayas’ a house covered with snow.
Q: Name the four most important peaks of Himalayas.
Answer: The four most important peaks of Himalayas are Mount Everest, Mount. Kanchanjunga, Mount Dholgiri and Mount Naga Hills.
Q: What is the name of the highest peak of the Himalayas?
Answer: The highest peak of the Himalayas is Everest or Gory Shankar.
Q: Which place in the world does receive maximum rainfall? Where is it situated?
Answer: The maximum rainfall is received in Chirapunji which falls in mountains of Khasi in the Indian state Assam.
Q: Which are the important passes in the Western ranges of Himalayas?
Answer: The important passes in the Western ranges of Himalayas are Khyber, Khurram, Tochi and Gomal.
Q: Name the famous mountains in eastern ranges of Himalayas?
Answer: The famous mountains of eastern ranges of Himalayas are Patkoi, Lushai, Jaintia and Khasi mountains.
Q: What is the approximate length and breadth of Plain of Ganges and Indus Valleys?
Answer: The Plains of Ganges and Indus Valley are in the range of 1500 miles and 100 to 400 broad.
Q: Name the important rivers flowing through the Plains of Ganges and Indus Valley.
Answer: The main rivers which drains the Plains of Ganges and Indus are Beas, Satluj, Ravi, Beas, Chenab, Ghaggar, Indus, Brahmputra etc.
Q: Name the main passes of the Southern India?
Answer: The main passes of the Southern India are Thal Ghat, Bhor Ghat and Pal Ghat.
Q: Name the four most famous rivers of Southern India.
Answer: The four most famous rivers of Southern India are Mahanadi, Godavari, Krishna and Caveri.
Q: Name the main rivers flowing through the Plains of Indus Valley.
Answer: The main rivers flowing though the Plains of Indus Valley are Satluj, Beas, Ravi, Chenab and Jhelum.
Q: Which are the important rivers those flow through the Plains of Ganga Valley?
Answer: The important rivers those flow through the Plains of Ganga Valley are Ganga, Yammuna, Chambal, Ghaggar and Brahmputra.
Q: Name the four most famous cities situated in the Plains of Ganga Valley.
Answer: The four most famous cities situated in the Plain of Ganga Valley are Benaras, Lucknow, Bhopal and Kalkatta (Calcutta).
Q: How did the word "Hindu" originates?
Answer: The word "Hindu" is a corrupted form of the word "Sindh". The Iranians pronounced the syllable "S" as "H". Therefore, they pronounced Sindhu as Hindu.

Two lines answer:
Most of the time, the questions are such that they can be answered in one word. However, in between, a trend had started that the paper setter had asked such questions which required two or three specific lines. This is a feature of the question papers of Punjabi Unniversity Patiala and Guru Nanak University Amritsar. In those universities there are specific sections which ask answer in two or three lines and there is no single word answer. Such questions have also appeared in Punjab University Chandigarh question papers. The following questions are of that category.

Q: Write any two main effects (influence) of the Himalayas on the history of India.
Answer: a). The maximum from invasions on India came from North West Frontiers of situated in Himalayas ranges.
b). Punjab became the Gateway of India.
Q: Write any two effects of the Plains of Ganga and Indus on the history of India.
Answer: The two main effects of the Plains of Ganga and Indus were-
a). Delhi remained the capital of India.
b). Most the Indian Empire emerged in those Plains.
Q: Write any two effects of the rivers of India on the history of India.
Answer: a). The rivers impeded the march of invaders on India.
b). They proved natural boundaries for the smaller Indian kingdoms.
Q: Write any two social influences of geographical features on the history of India.
Answer: The two main social influences of geographical features on the history of India were:
a). The people of India were tolerant by nature.
b). The people of Ganga Valley were intelligent and peace loving.
Q: Write any two economic influences of the geographical features on the history of India.
Answer: The two main economic influences of geographical features on the history of India were:
a). India had grown rich because of its natural wealth.
b). India developed fruitful trading links with the foreign countries due to it geographical location.
Q: Write any two religious influences of the geographical features on the history of India.
Answer: The two main religious influences of geographical features on the history of India were:
a). The Islam religion spread in North India due to its geographical location.
b). Jainism and Buddhism were born in the Plains of Ganga.
Q: Write any two cultural influences of the geographical features on the history of India.
Answer: The two main cultural influences of geographical features on the history of India were:
a). A high standard religious literature was produced.
b). The fine arts developed and progressed due to its geographical features.


Read only type questions:

Q: By which name was India called during Vedic period?
Answer: India was called as ‘Aryavrata’ during the Vedic period.
Q: In which two geographical sections is Southern India divided?
Answer: The Southern Indian is divided into two geographical sections – Deccan Plateau and Eastern and Western Ghats.
Q: In how many and which geographical sections can India be divided?
Answer: From geographical point of view India can be divided into four sections - Himalayas ranges with its Eastern and Western ranges, the Plains of Ganga and Indus Valley, the Deccan Plateau and the Eastern and Western Ghats.

Q: What is Deccan Plateau?
Answer: The triangular high rising table of land made of volcanic material in the south of the Valleys of Ganga and Indus is called Deccan Plateau.
Q: What is the extent of the spread of Deccan Plateau?
Answer: The Deccan Plateau extents from Vindhya and Satpura ranges in north to Kumar Antareep in south.
Q: Name some important rivers of North India situated on the banks of the rivers during the ancient period of Indian history.
Answer: Some of the major cities situated on the banks of the rivers of North India during the ancient period of Indian history were Pataliputra, Varanasi, Prayaga, Ayodhya, Indraprasta etc.
Q: Which personality traits among Marathas were the result of geographical features of Mahrashtra?
Answer: The geographical features of Maharashtra made Marathas sturdy, diligent, courageous, brave and believer in simplicity.
Q: What was the effect of the geographical features of Punjab on the behaviour of the people of Punjab?
Answer: The geographical features of Punjab made the people of Punjab courageous, brave, intrepid and inculcated in them the personality traits of compassion, social service and self sacrifice.
Q: What was the main occupation of the Indians due to geographical features of India.
Answer: The main occupation of the Indians due to the geographical features of India was agriculture.
Q: Why is India called a sub-continent?
Answer: India is called a sub-continent because it is surrounded by seas from three sides.