Class 6 History

What, Where, How and When? NCERT Exercise Solution

Question 1: List one major difference between manuscripts and inscriptions.

Answer: Manuscripts were written on palm leaves and on bark of birch tree, while inscriptions were made on stone slabs and pillars.

Question 2: Return to Rasheeda’s question. Can you think of some answers to it?

Answer: Rasheeda’s question is, How could anyone know what had happened so many years ago?

We know that historians use various sources to know about history. Some important sources are: manuscripts, coins, inscriptions, archaeological sites, etc.

Question 3: Match the following:

Column IColumn II
(a) Narmada Valley1. The first big kingdom
(b) Magadha2. Hunting and gathering
(c) Garo hills3. Cities about 2500 years ago
(d) Indus and its tributaries4. Early agriculture
(e) Ganga Valley5. The first cities

Answer: (a) 2, (b) 1, (c) 4, (d) 5, (e) 3

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

Answer: Archaeologists may find potteries, skeletons, ornaments, tools, statues, toys, clothes, etc. Statues, potteries and toys could be made of stone.

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

Answer: The life of ordinary men and women must have been full of difficulties. Even today, the life of ordinary men and women is too mundane to write anything about it. These are the two possible reasons, why ordinary men and women generally did not keep records of what they did.

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

Answer: A farmer has to work in the field while a ruler does not need to do so. A king’s main responsibility was to protect its subjects, while a farmer’s main responsibility was to produce food grains. A farmer’s life must have been full of hardships. A king’s life may have been more comfortable.

Extra Questions

Question 1: Which were the first crops grown by humans?

Answer: Rice and barley

Question 2: Bark of which tree was used for writing?

Answer: Birch tree

Question 3: Which calendar is now being used in most parts of the world?

Answer: Gregorian calendar

Question 4: What is history?

Answer: The story about humankind’s past is called history.

Question 5: What is a manuscript?

Answer: A handwritten book is called manuscript. Before the invention of print technology, books were written in the form of manuscript. Palm leaves and bark of birch trees were used for writing manuscript.

Question 6: What is an inscription?

Answer: A text inscribed on stone or any other hard surface is called inscription. Most of the inscriptions were written on stone slabs or pillars. Such inscriptions usually contained order or message from the king. Some inscriptions contained details of good deed by important people.

Question 7: What does an archaeologist do?

Answer: A person who is an expert of historical artifacts, buildings, monuments, etc. is called an archaeologist.

Question 8: Explain the importance of history?

Answer: Importance of history is as follows: