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.