NCERT Question-Answer Solution for Class 6 Social Science History Chapter 5 – India, That Is Bharat
Class 6 Social Science – Exploring Society: India and Beyond
Theme B: Tapestry of the Past
History Chapter 5: India, That Is Bharat
Complete NCERT Question–Answer Set for Class 6 Social Science (Exploring Society: India and Beyond Textbook)
Class 6 Science NCERT Solution – History Chapter 5: India, That Is Bharat
History – India, That Is Bharat – Full NCERT Question–Answer Solution (CBSE Class 6 Social Science – Exploring Society: India and Beyond Book)
Chapter 5 India, That Is Bharat NCERT Questions and Answers
All questions are based on the NCERT textbook, including in-text questions, “Think About It”, “Let’s Explore”, end-of-chapter questions, and True/False.
I. The Big Questions
Q1. How do we define India?
Answer:
India is defined as an ancient land with a shared geographical, cultural, and historical identity. In ancient times, it did not have fixed political boundaries like today but was recognised as a large region between the Himalayas in the north and the oceans in the south. Over time, this region came to be known as Bharata or India. Natural features like mountains and seas helped define its identity.
Q2. What were the ancient names for India?
Answer:
Ancient India was known by several names. Indians used names such as Sapta Sindhava, Bharatavarsha, and Jambudvipa. Foreigners used names derived from the Indus River, such as Hindu, Indoi, and later India. These names came from ancient texts, inscriptions, and travellers’ accounts.
II. Think About It (In-text Questions)
Q3. What are the natural boundaries of the Indian Subcontinent?
Answer:
The Indian Subcontinent is naturally bounded by the Himalayas in the north. It is surrounded by the Indian Ocean in the south, the Arabian Sea in the west, and the Bay of Bengal in the east. These natural boundaries helped protect the region and shaped its history and culture.
Q4. Do you think the description of Bharata as “north of the ocean and south of the snowy mountains” is correct?
Answer:
Yes, this description is correct. The snowy mountains refer to the Himalayas in the north, and the ocean refers to the Indian Ocean in the south. This description clearly matches the geographical position of India. It shows that ancient Indians had a good understanding of their geography.
III. How Indians Named India
Q5. What does the term ‘Sapta Sindhava’ mean and where is it mentioned?
Answer:
‘Sapta Sindhava’ means the land of seven rivers. It is mentioned in the Rig Veda, India’s most ancient text. The term refers to the north-western region of the Indian Subcontinent. The word ‘Sindhava’ comes from ‘Sindhu’, meaning the Indus River.
Q6. Which regions are mentioned in the Mahabharata?
Answer:
The Mahābhārata mentions many regions of ancient India such as Kashmira, Kurukshetra, Vanga, Pragjyotisha, Kaccha, and Kerala. These regions cover almost the entire Indian Subcontinent. This shows that ancient Indians were aware of India’s wide geography.
Q7. What is Bharatavarsha? How did it get its name?
Answer:
Bharatavarsha means the land of the Bharatas. The name Bharata appears in the Ṛig Veda as a group of people. Later texts mention kings named Bharata. Over time, Bharatavarsha came to refer to the entire Indian Subcontinent.
Q8. What is Jambudvipa? Why was India called by this name?
Answer:
Jambudvipa means the island of the jamun tree. The jamun tree is native to India. Ancient texts used this name to refer to the Indian Subcontinent. Emperor Ashoka also used the name Jambudvipa in his inscriptions to describe India.
Q9. How do we know that Jambudvipa referred to the whole of India?
Answer:
We know this from the inscriptions of Emperor Ashoka, dated around 250 BCE. In one of his inscriptions, he used the name Jambudvipa to describe the entire region under his rule. This included present-day India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and parts of Afghanistan.
IV. Bharata in Ancient Literature
Q10. How does the Vishnu Purana describe Bharata?
Answer:
The Viṣhṇu Puraṇa describes Bharata as the land that lies north of the ocean and south of the snowy mountains. This clearly refers to India’s geographical position. The description matches India’s natural boundaries.
Q11. Is the name Bharata still used today?
Answer:
Yes, the name Bharata is still used today. In north India, it is commonly written as Bharat, while in south India it is written as Bharatam. The Indian Constitution also recognises this name.
V. India in the Constitution
Q12. What does the Indian Constitution say about the name of the country?
Answer:
The Indian Constitution begins with the phrase “India, that is Bharat”. This shows that both names are officially accepted. The Hindi version of the Constitution also uses the phrase “Bharat arthath India”.
VI. How Foreigners Named India
Q13. How did the Persians refer to India and why?
Answer:
The Persians referred to India as Hind, Hidu, or Hindu. These names were derived from the word Sindhu, which was the Persian name for the Indus River. The term was geographical and did not refer to any religion.
Q14. How did the Greeks name India?
Answer:
The ancient Greeks named India Indoi or Indike. They adopted the Persian term ‘Hindu’ but dropped the letter ‘h’ because it did not exist in the Greek language. This later led to the word ‘India’.
Q15. What names did the Chinese use for India?
Answer:
The Chinese referred to India as Yintu, Yindu, and Tianzhu. These names were also derived from the word ‘Sindhu’. The name Tianzhu also meant heavenly land, showing respect for India as the land of Buddha.
Q16. Who was Xuanzang and why is he important?
Answer:
Xuanzang was a Chinese scholar who travelled to India in the 7th century CE. He stayed in India for 17 years, collected Buddhist texts, and met scholars. After returning to China, he translated these texts into Chinese. His accounts provide valuable information about ancient India.
Q17. What is Hindustān and when did the term first appear?
Answer:
Hindustān is a name used to describe the Indian Subcontinent. It first appeared in a Persian inscription about 1,800 years ago. Later, many invaders used this term to refer to India.
VII. True or False (With Answers)
Q18. The Rig Veda describes the entire geography of India.
Answer: False
Q19. The Viṣhṇu Puraṇa describes the entire Subcontinent.
Answer: True
Q20. In Ashoka’s time, Jambudvipa included present-day India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and parts of Afghanistan.
Answer: True
Q21. The Mahabharata lists regions like Kashmir, Kutch, and Kerala.
Answer: True
Q22. The term Hindustan first appeared in a Greek inscription.
Answer: False
Q23. In ancient Persian, the word ‘Hindu’ referred to a religion.
Answer: False
Q24. Bharata is a name given to India by foreign travellers.
Answer: False
VIII. Long Answer Questions
Q25. Why has India been known by many names over time?
Answer:
India has been known by many names because of its long history and cultural diversity. Different communities, rulers, and travellers referred to the land in their own languages. Indians used names like Bhārata and Jambudvīpa, while foreigners used names derived from the Indus River. Over time, these names evolved and reflected India’s geography, culture, and interactions with the outside world.
Q26. Why did people travel to India from different parts of the world in ancient times?
Answer:
People travelled to India for many reasons. Some came for trade, as India was rich in spices, textiles, and precious stones. Others came for education, especially to learn Buddhism and other philosophies. Some travellers visited India for religious purposes, while others came as invaders or administrators. India’s wealth and knowledge attracted people from across the world.