NCERT Solutions for Class 6 Social Science History Chapter 1 What Where How and When | KalviGavani

We study history because it tells us about the lives of people who lived before us — what they ate, how they dressed, what tools they used, how they travelled, and what they believed in. History helps us understand how societies changed over time, why certain events happened, and how the world we live in today came to be. Without history, we would not know how our ancestors lived, what mistakes they made, or what achievements we can be proud of. It also helps us develop critical thinking because we learn to question sources of information and examine evidence carefully.

There are several ways to find out about the past:

• Written sources — Manuscripts, inscriptions, letters, official records, and books written by people in the past.
• Archaeological sources — Tools, pottery, coins, bones, jewellery, ruins of buildings, and other physical objects that have survived from the past.
• Oral sources — Stories, songs, poems, and traditions passed down from generation to generation by word of mouth.

By combining all these sources, historians and archaeologists build a picture of how people lived, what they thought, and how their societies functioned.

Yes, there are several problems with how historians classify the past. One major problem is that the classification of history into periods — such as Ancient, Medieval, and Modern — is based on the experience of one region (usually Europe) and may not apply to other parts of the world. For example, what was "modern" in Europe may not have been "modern" in India at the same time. Another problem is that such classifications often focus only on major political events and rulers, ignoring the lives of ordinary people, women, farmers, and artisans. Additionally, classifying the past into rigid periods can make it seem as though change happened suddenly, when in reality change was usually gradual and continuous.

I would tell Rasheeda that history is not just about kings and battles. While rulers and wars are one part of the story, we can also learn about ordinary people — what they ate, how they built their houses, what clothes they wore, what games children played, and how people traded goods. Archaeologists find objects like pottery, tools, and jewellery that tell us about daily life. Manuscripts and inscriptions give us information about farming, crafts, festivals, and social customs. So even if most written records focus on kings, archaeology helps us understand the lives of common people.

Men and women in the past may have moved from one place to another for several reasons:

• In search of food and water — When resources in one area were exhausted, people had to move to find new sources.
• Climate changes — If a region became too dry, too cold, or prone to floods, people migrated to better areas.
• Safety — Attacks by wild animals or conflicts with other groups could force people to relocate.
• Trade — People travelled to exchange goods with other communities.
• Natural disasters — Earthquakes, floods, or droughts could destroy settlements and push people to move.

The major difference between manuscripts and inscriptions is the surface on which they are written:

• Manuscripts are written on soft surfaces such as palm leaves, birch bark, or paper. They are usually handwritten and can be easily damaged by water, fire, or insects. Over time, many manuscripts have been lost or destroyed because the materials they were written on were perishable.

• Inscriptions are engraved or carved on hard surfaces such as stone, metal, or pottery. Because the surface is hard and durable, inscriptions have survived for thousands of years and are a very reliable source of information about the past.

Another difference worth noting is that manuscripts were usually written by trained scribes and could be long texts, while inscriptions tend to be shorter because carving on hard surfaces is labour-intensive.

Rasheeda's question is important because the way historians classify the past into periods like "Ancient," "Medieval," and "Modern" has several problems:

1. Eurocentric classification — These period labels were first used in Europe and then applied to the rest of the world. What was considered "Medieval" in Europe does not match what was happening in India or China at the same time.

2. Focus on political events — Periodisation based on the rise and fall of dynasties or empires ignores the social, cultural, and economic changes that were happening at the same time. The lives of ordinary people — farmers, weavers, artisans — are often left out.

3. Oversimplification — Dividing history into neat periods makes it seem like changes happened suddenly at specific dates. In reality, historical change is gradual and continuous, and one period blends into the next.

4. Different criteria lead to different periods — If we classify history based on technology, we get different periods than if we classify it based on religion or political systems. This shows that periodisation is not objective but depends on what the historian considers important.

The past is important for many reasons:

• Identity — Knowing our past helps us understand who we are, where we come from, and what shaped our culture, language, and traditions.
• Learning from mistakes — History teaches us about the mistakes people made in the past so we can try not to repeat them.
• Understanding change — By studying the past, we can understand how and why things changed over time — whether it is technology, social customs, or political systems.
• Appreciation — The past gives us a sense of appreciation for the achievements of earlier civilisations, such as the invention of writing, the building of monuments, and the development of art and science.
• Critical thinking — Studying history teaches us to question sources, examine evidence, and form reasoned arguments rather than accepting things at face value.
• Connection — It connects us to our ancestors and helps us see the thread of human experience that links the past, present, and future.

Writing on a hard surface such as stone or metal has several advantages:

1. Durability — Hard surfaces resist damage from water, fire, insects, and general wear and tear. This is why inscriptions on stone have survived for thousands of years while manuscripts on palm leaves have often been lost. 2. Permanence — Once something is carved on stone or metal, it cannot be easily altered or erased. This means the message remains exactly as the author intended. 3. Public visibility — Inscriptions were often placed in public areas — on temple walls, pillars, or monuments — so that a large number of people could read them. Kings used inscriptions to announce laws, victories, and donations. 4. Authenticity — Because inscriptions are difficult to alter, they are considered more reliable and authentic sources of historical information compared to manuscripts, which could be copied with errors or deliberate changes.

However, the disadvantage is that writing on a hard surface is slow, requires special tools and skills, and the length of the text is limited.

Archaeologists may find a wide variety of objects, including:

1. Tools and weapons (axes, spears, arrowheads) 2. Pottery and pottery fragments (pots, bowls, jars) 3. Coins 4. Jewellery (bangles, necklaces, rings, earrings) 5. Ornaments made of bone, shell, or ivory 6. Remains of buildings (walls, pillars, bricks) 7. Bones of animals and humans 8. Metal objects (swords, shields, utensils) 9. Seals and sealings 10. Inscriptions on stone or metal 11. beads of various materials 12. Spindle whorls and loom weights (used in weaving) 13. Agricultural implements (ploughs, sickles) 14. Musical instruments 15. Objects made of baked clay (figurines, toys)

Objects that could be made of stone: Tools and weapons (stone axes, spearheads, arrowheads), grinding stones, stone beads, stone sculptures, inscriptions carved on stone, building stones and pillars, querns (grinding mills), and flint tools used for cutting and scraping.

Historians divide the past into periods to make it easier to study and understand. The most common system of periodisation used for Indian history divides the past into three broad periods:

1. Ancient (or Early) Period — This covers the time from the earliest human settlements up to roughly the 7th century CE. It includes the Harappan civilisation, the Vedic period, the Mauryan and Gupta empires, and other early kingdoms.

2. Medieval Period — This roughly covers from the 7th century CE to the 18th century CE. It includes the rise of the Delhi Sultanate, the Mughal Empire, and various regional kingdoms like the Cholas, Vijayanagara, and Marathas.

3. Modern Period — This begins from the mid-18th century and covers British colonial rule and the independence movement up to the present.

However, it is important to remember that these divisions are not universally accepted. Different historians may use different dates or criteria. For example, some historians mark the beginning of the modern period with the establishment of British rule, while others link it to the advent of new technologies or ideas. The classification itself is a subject of debate among scholars.

There are three broad categories of ways to find out about the past:

1. Written sources — These include manuscripts, inscriptions, official documents, letters, diaries, and books. Written sources give us direct information about what people thought, what laws were made, and what events took place. For example, Ashoka's inscriptions tell us about his policies and the spread of Buddhism.

2. Material remains (Archaeological sources) — These include physical objects left behind by people in the past: tools, pottery, coins, bones, jewellery, ruins of buildings, and other artefacts. Archaeologists excavate sites and study these remains to learn about how people lived, what they ate, what they traded, and how they organised their societies.

3. Oral traditions — These include stories, songs, poems, folk tales, and legends passed down by word of mouth from generation to generation. Oral traditions are especially important for communities that did not have a written language. They give us insights into the beliefs, customs, and values of people in the past.

No single source gives us the complete picture. Historians use all three types of sources together to build an accurate and detailed understanding of the past.

Ordinary men and women in the past generally did not keep records for several reasons:

• Literacy — Most common people — farmers, artisans, labourers — could not read or write. Writing was a specialised skill known only to scribes, priests, and the educated elite.
• Cost — Materials for writing, such as palm leaves, ink, and metal tools, were expensive. Ordinary people could not afford them.
• Time — Daily life was demanding. People spent most of their time working in fields, at home, or in workshops. They had little leisure time to write about their lives.
• No perceived need — Kings and rulers kept records to celebrate victories, announce laws, and claim territory. For ordinary people, there was no institutional reason to write things down.
• Oral culture — In many communities, knowledge and stories were passed down orally through songs, stories, and traditions, so there was less reliance on written records.

This is why most written records from the past focus on rulers, wars, and official events, while the lives of common people must be reconstructed through archaeological evidence.

(a) Manuscript (b) Inscription ✓ (c) Scroll (d) Diary

Explanation: An inscription is carved or engraved on a hard surface like stone or metal. Manuscripts are written on soft surfaces like palm leaves or paper.

(a) Before Christian Era (b) Before Common Era ✓ (c) Beginning of Common Era (d) Before Current Era

Explanation: BCE stands for Before Common Era. It is used to count years backwards from the year 1 and replaces the older term BC (Before Christ).

(a) Historian (b) Geographer (c) Archaeologist ✓ (d) Epigraphist

Explanation: An archaeologist excavates sites and studies physical remains like tools, bones, pottery, and ruins. A historian mainly studies written records, while an epigraphist specialises in inscriptions.

(a) Manuscripts (b) Inscriptions (c) Archaeological remains (d) Future predictions ✓

Explanation: Future predictions are not sources of history because history deals with the past, not the future. Manuscripts, inscriptions, and archaeological remains are all valid sources.

(a) Stone (b) Metal (c) Palm leaf ✓ (d) Brick

Explanation: Manuscripts were usually written on soft, perishable materials like palm leaves, birch bark, or paper. Stone and metal were used for inscriptions.

(a) 300 years after the birth of Christ (b) 300 years before the Common Era ✓ (c) 300 years of the Common Era (d) 300 years after the Common Era

Explanation: BCE counts backwards from the year 1. So 300 BCE means 300 years before the start of the Common Era.

(a) A poem written on paper (b) A king's inscription on a pillar ✓ (c) A story told by a grandmother (d) A modern newspaper article

Explanation: A king's inscription on a pillar is a physical object from the past that archaeologists can study. A poem on paper may be a manuscript source. A story told by a grandmother is an oral source. A modern newspaper is not a historical source.

(a) A river (b) A piece of evidence that tells us about the past ✓ (c) A type of building (d) A kind of tool

Explanation: In history, a "source" refers to any piece of evidence — written, oral, or material — that provides information about the past.

(a) Ancient period (b) Prehistoric period (c) Modern period ✓ (d) Vedic period

Explanation: The three broad periods of Indian history are: Ancient, Medieval, and Modern. The Modern period comes after the Medieval period.

(a) Because they are longer (b) Because they are written in better language (c) Because they are carved on hard surfaces and cannot be easily changed ✓ (d) Because they are always written by kings

Explanation: Inscriptions are carved on hard surfaces like stone or metal, making them difficult to alter or destroy. Manuscripts on soft surfaces can be easily copied with errors or deliberately changed, making them less reliable as historical sources.