Class 6 Social Science History Chapter 5 – India, That Is Bharat Extra Questions and Answers
Class 6 Social Science Chapter 5 Extra Questions and Answers for History “India, That Is Bharat” (based on NCERT textbook Exploring Society: India and Beyond).
EXTRA IMPORTANT QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS – Social Studies 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
This includes All types of Questions normally asked in school exams, tests, and NCERT exercises.
EXTRA IMPORTANT QUESTIONS & ANSWERS Chapter 5: India, That Is Bharat
A. Very Short Answer Questions
Q1. What is meant by the Indian Subcontinent?
Answer:
The Indian Subcontinent refers to a large geographical region of South Asia. It includes present-day India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, and parts of Afghanistan. This region shares common physical features and historical connections.
Q2. Name the most ancient text of India mentioned in the chapter.
Answer:
The Ṛig Veda is the most ancient text of India mentioned in the chapter. It is several thousand years old and provides early references to regions of the Indian Subcontinent.
Q3. What does the word ‘Sindhu’ refer to?
Answer:
The word ‘Sindhu’ refers to the Indus River. In some contexts, it was also used to mean a river in general.
Q4. What was ‘Sapta Sindhava’?
Answer:
‘Sapta Sindhava’ means the land of the seven rivers. It was the name given to the northwestern region of the Indian Subcontinent in the Ṛig Veda.
Q5. What does ‘Bhāratavarṣha’ mean?
Answer:
‘Bhāratavarṣha’ means the land or country of the Bharatas. It refers to the entire Indian Subcontinent as mentioned in ancient texts like the Mahābhārata.
Q6. Which Indian emperor used the term ‘Jambudvīpa’ in his inscriptions?
Answer:
Emperor Aśhoka used the term ‘Jambudvīpa’ in his inscriptions to describe the whole of India during his time.
B. Short Answer Questions
Q7. How did ancient Indian texts describe different regions of India?
Answer:
Ancient Indian texts like the Mahābhārata listed many regions of India. These included Kāshmīra, Kurukṣhetra, Vanga, Prāgjyotiṣha, Kaccha, and Kerala. These descriptions show that ancient Indians had knowledge of India’s vast geography.
Q8. Why is it difficult to date ancient Indian texts accurately?
Answer:
Ancient Indian texts were passed down orally for many generations before being written. Because of this long oral tradition, it is difficult to determine their exact time of composition.
Q9. What is the meaning of ‘Jambudvīpa’?
Answer:
‘Jambudvīpa’ means the island of the jamun tree. Since the jamun tree is native to India, the term came to represent the Indian Subcontinent.
Q10. How is India described in the Viṣhṇu Purāṇa?
Answer:
The Viṣhṇu Purāṇa describes India as the land that lies north of the ocean and south of the snowy mountains. This refers to the Indian Subcontinent between the Indian Ocean and the Himalayas.
C. Long Answer Questions
Q11. Explain how Indians named their land in ancient times.
Answer:
Ancient Indians used several names to describe their land. The Ṛig Veda called the northwestern region ‘Sapta Sindhava’, meaning land of seven rivers. Later texts like the Mahābhārata used the terms ‘Bhāratavarṣha’ and ‘Jambudvīpa’ to refer to the entire Subcontinent. ‘Bhāratavarṣha’ meant the land of the Bharatas, an important group mentioned in early texts. ‘Jambudvīpa’ referred to the land associated with the jamun tree. Over time, ‘Bhārata’ became the most commonly used name and is still used today.
Q12. Describe how foreign visitors named India.
Answer:
Foreign visitors named India based on the Indus River, which was called ‘Sindhu’. The Persians referred to India as ‘Hind’, ‘Hidu’, or ‘Hindu’. The Greeks adopted this name but dropped the letter ‘h’, calling the region ‘Indoi’ or ‘Indike’. The Chinese used names like ‘Yindu’ and ‘Yintu’, also derived from ‘Sindhu’. Later, the term ‘Hindustān’ was used in Persian inscriptions. Over time, these names evolved into the modern word ‘India’.
Q13. Explain the importance of the quotation by Sri Aurobindo at the beginning of the chapter.
Answer:
Sri Aurobindo’s quotation highlights the deep spiritual and cultural unity of India from ancient times. It suggests that India was not just a geographical area but a shared civilization. The unity existed among people living between the Himalayas and the seas. This idea helps us understand India as a land with long-standing cultural continuity. It also explains why India remained connected despite regional differences.
D. True or False with Explanation
Q14. The Ṛig Veda describes the entire geography of India.
Answer: False
Explanation:
The Ṛig Veda mainly describes the northwestern region of the Subcontinent, not the entire geography of India.
Q15. In Aśhoka’s time, ‘Jambudvīpa’ included modern India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and parts of Afghanistan.
Answer: True
Explanation:
Aśhoka’s inscriptions show that ‘Jambudvīpa’ referred to a large area covering these regions.
Q16. ‘Bhārata’ is a name given to India by foreign travellers.
Answer: False
Explanation:
‘Bhārata’ is an indigenous name used in ancient Indian texts, not given by foreigners.
E. Higher Order Thinking Questions
Q17. Why do you think India had many names in ancient times?
Answer:
India had many names because it was known to different people at different times. Each group described the land based on language, geography, and experience. Ancient Indians used cultural and religious references, while foreigners named India after the Indus River. This shows India’s long interaction with the outside world.
Q18. Why did people travel to India in ancient times?
Answer:
People travelled to India for trade, especially for spices, textiles, and precious stones. Scholars and monks came to study philosophy, science, and religion. Some visitors came as pilgrims to religious centres. Others came as invaders seeking wealth and territory.
F. Case-Based Question
Q19. Xuanzang spent many years in India. What does this tell us about India’s importance in ancient times?
Answer:
Xuanzang’s long stay in India shows that India was a centre of learning and spirituality. Scholars from distant lands respected Indian knowledge systems. India attracted visitors because of its universities, texts, and religious teachings. This proves India’s global importance in ancient history.