VI.

Map-based Questions
Do it yourself

8 Devotional Paths to the Divine

Worksheet-1
The Idea of a Supreme God
I. Very Short Answer Type Questions
1. Sangam literature is the example of Tamil literature, composed during the early centuries of the
Common Era.
2. The teachings of the Buddha or the Jainas according to which it was possible to overcome social
differences and break the cycle of rebirth through personal effort.
3. The idea of bhakti first advocated in the Bhagavadgita, grew in popularity in the early centuries of
the Common Era.

II. Short Answer Type Questions

1. The idea that all living things pass through countless cycles of birth and rebirth performing good
deeds and bad came to be widely accepted.
2. Shiva, Vishnu and Durga as supreme deities came to be worshipped through elaborate rituals. At
the same time, gods and goddesses worshipped in different areas came to be identified with Shiva,
Vishnu or Durga.

III. Long Answer Type Question

1. The idea of a Supreme God who could deliver humans from such bondage if approached with devotion
(or bhakti). This idea, advocated in the Bhagavadgita, grew in popularity in the early centuries of the
Common Era.

Worksheet-2
A New Kind of Bhakti in South India – Nayanars and Alvars
I. Very Short Answer Type Questions
1. There were 12 Alvars.
2. There were 63 Nayanars.
3. The hagiography is the writing of the lives of saints.
4. There are two sets of compilations of their songs – Tevaram and Tiruvacakam.

II. Short Answer Type Questions

1. The Nayanars and Alvars were the Tamil poet-saints who played a key role in propagating the Bhakti
Movement in Southern India during the 5th-10th Centuries.

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2. Nayanar movement was started in order to check the development of Buddhism and Jainism in the
southern peninsula. They wanted to protect their religion from the incursion of these new religions.
3. The seventh to ninth centuries saw the emergence of new religious movements, led by
the Nayanars (saints devoted to Shiva) and Alvars (saints devoted to Vishnu) who came from all
castes including those considered “untouchable” like the Pulaiyar and the Panars.

III. Long Answer Type Question

1. Between the tenth and twelfth centuries the Chola and Pandya kings built elaborate temples around
many of the shrines visited by the saint-poets, strengthening the links between the bhakti tradition
and temple worship. This was also the time when their poems were compiled. Besides, hagiographies
or religious biographies of the Alvars and Nayanars were also composed.

Worksheet-3
Philosophy and Bhakti
I. Very Short Answer Type Questions
1. Shankara was one of the most influential philosophers of India.
2. Ramanuja, born in Tamil Nadu in the eleventh century, was deeply influenced by the Alvars.
3. According to Shankara the world around us is an illusion or maya.

II. Short Answer Type Questions

1. According to Ramanuja the best means of attaining salvation was through intense devotion to Vishnu.
Vishnu in His grace helps the devotee to attain the bliss of union with Him. He propounded the
doctrine of Vishishtadvaita or qualified oneness in that the soul even when united with the Supreme
God remained distinct.
2. Shankara was an advocate of Advaita or the doctrine of the oneness of the individual soul and the
Supreme God which is the Ultimate Reality. He taught that Brahman, the only or Ultimate Reality,
was formless and without any attributes. He considered the world around us to be an illusion or maya,
and preached renunciation of the world and adoption of the path of knowledge to understand the true
nature of Brahman and attain salvation.

Worksheet-4
Basavanna’s Virashaivism
I. Very Short Answer Type Questions
1. The Virashaiva movement initiated by Basavanna and his companions like Allama Prabhu and
Akkamahadevi.

II. Short Answer Type Question

1. Virashaiva movement began in Karnataka in the mid-twelfth century.

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III. Long Answer Type Question
1. The Virashaivas argued strongly for the equality of all human beings and against Brahmanical ideas
about caste and the treatment of women. They were also against all forms of ritual and idol worship.

Worksheet-5
The Saints of Maharashtra
I. Very Short Answer Type Questions
1. Narsi Mehta was famous Gujarati saint.
2. The Vitthala temple is located in Pandharpur.

II. Short Answer Type Questions

1. The saints of Maharashtra rejected all forms of ritualism, outward display of piety and social
differences based on birth. In fact, they even rejected the idea of renunciation and preferred to live
with their families, earning their livelihood like any other person, while humbly serving fellow human
beings in need.
2. The Vaishnava poet-saints of Maharashtra such as Jnaneshwar, Namadeva, Eknath and Tukaram
were devotees of lord Vitthala.

III. Long Answer Type Question

1. From the thirteenth to the seventeenth centuries Maharashtra saw a great number of saint-poets,
whose songs in simple Marathi continue to inspire people. The most important among them were
Dnyaneshwar (Gyaneshwar), Namdev, Eknath and Tukaram as well as women like Sakhubai and the
family of Chokhamela, who belonged to the “untouchable” Mahar caste. This regional tradition of
bhakti focused on the Vitthala (a form of Vishnu) temple in Pandharpur, as well as on the notion of a
personal god residing in the hearts of all people.

Worksheet-6
Nathpanthis, Siddhas and Yogis
I. Very Short Answer Type Question
1. Among “low” castes Nathpanthis, Siddhacharas and Yogis become popular.

II. Short Answer Type Question

1. Nathpanthis and Siddhacharas advocated renunciation of the world.

III. Long Answer Type Question

1. The Nathpanthis, Siddhas and Yogis criticised the ritual and other aspects of conventional
religion and the social order. They advocated renunciation of the world. To them the path to
salvation lay in meditation on the formless Ultimate Reality and the realization of oneness
with it. To achieve this, they advocated intense training of the mind and body through practices
like Yogasanas, breathing exercises and meditation.  

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 Worksheet-7
Islam and Sufism
I. Very Short Answer Type Questions
1. Sufis were Muslim mystics.
2. Ghazzali and Rumi were the two great Sufis of Central Asia.
3. Shariat the holy law developed by the Muslim scholars.
4. Khanqah were rest houses for travellers.
5. Jalaluddin Rumi was a great thirteenth-century Sufi poet from Iran who wrote in Persian.

II. Short Answer Type Questions

1. Khanqahs were hospices where Sufi Masters held their assemblies. They served the purpose of being
a common ground for all royality and ordinary people to meet and discuss on matters of spirituality.
2. Dargah is usually a grave (qabr) or tomb of a person considered to be saint by the people.

III. Long Answer Type Question

1. The sants had much in common with the Sufis, so much so that it is believed that they adopted many
ideas of each other. Sufis were Muslim mystics. They rejected outward religiosity and emphasised
love and devotion to God and compassion towards all fellow human beings.

Worksheet-8
New Religious Developments in North India
I. Very Short Answer Type Questions
1. Tulsidas composed the Ramcharitmanas.
2. Namghars are houses of recitation and prayer.
3. Ramcharitmanas is written in Awadhi language.

II. Short Answer Type Questions

1. Surdas’s compositions compiled in the Sursagara, Surasaravali and Sahitya Lahari express his
devotion.
2. Shankaradeva of Assam (late fifteenth century) who emphasised devotion to Vishnu, and composed
poems and plays in Assamese. He began the practice of setting up namghars or houses of recitation
and prayer, a practice that continues to date.

III. Long Answer Type Question

1. Mirabai was a Rajput princess married into the royal family of Mewar. But she never liked the life
of a palace. Hence, she left it and became a disciple of Ravidas, a saint from a caste considered
“untouchable”. She, devoted her life to Lord Krishna and composed innumerable bhajans expressing
her intense devotion. Her songs also openly challenged the norms of the ‘upper’ castes and became
popular with the ordinary people. Once, Mirabai drunk the poison sent by her husband. Still she did
not die. The incident became very popular. People thought that she was saved by Lord Krishna. Thus,
she was proved to a true devotee.

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 Worksheet-9
A Closer Look: Kabir
I. Very Short Answer Type Questions
1. Kabir Das was a 15th-century Indian mystic poet and saint.
2. Saint Kabir was brought up in a family of Muslim julahas or weavers settled in or near the city of
Benares (Varanasi).

II. Short Answer Type Question

1. Kabir Das (was a 15th-century Indian mystic poet and saint, whose writings influenced
Hinduism’s Bhakti movement and his verses are found in Sikhism’s scripture Guru Granth Sahib.
His early life was in a Muslim family, but he was strongly influenced by his teacher, the Hindu bhakti
leader Ramananda. Kabir was born in the Indian city of Varanasi.

III. Long Answer Type Question

1. The major ideas expressed by Kabir include:
Rejection of major religious traditions.
Criticism of all forms of external worship of both Brahmanical Hinduism and Islam.
Criticism of priestly classes and the caste system.
Belief in a formless Supreme God.
Emphasis on Bhakti or devotion to achieve salvation.
Kabir expressed his ideas in a vast collection of verses known as sakhis and pads. These are said to
have been composed by him and sung by wandering bhajan singers.

Worksheet-10
A Closer Look: Baba Guru Nanak
I. Very Short Answer Type Questions
1. Martin Luther translated the Bible into German.
2. Langar is the term used in the Sikh religion or in Punjab for common kitchen where food is served in
a Gurdwara to all the visitors for free.
3. Guru Granth Sahib is the holy scripture of the Sikhs.

II. Short Answer Type Questions

1. Guru Angad compiled the compositions of Baba Guru Nanak, to which he added his own in a new
script known as Gurmukhi.
2. The Mughal emperor Jahangir looked upon the Sikh community as a potential threat and therefore he
ordered the execution of Guru Arjan in 1606.

III. Long Answer Type Questions

1. On Baisakhi in 1699, the tenth Guru of Sikhs, Guru Gobind Singh Ji established the Khalsa Panth.

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 It was established in order to teach the followers that no ritual or superstition is above Almighty and
one should not fall for any superstition. Khalsa Panth also states that believe in one God who is the
Master and the Protector of all, the only Creator and Destroyer.
2. Martin Luther was a German professor of theology, composer, priest, Augustinian monk, and a
seminal figure in the Reformation. He was one of the most important leaders of the changes that
took place within Christianity was Martin Luther. Luther felt that several practices in the Roman
Catholic Church went against the teachings of the Bible. He encouraged the use of the language
of ordinary people and translated the Bible into German. His writings were widely disseminated
with the growing use of the printing press. Many Protestant Christian sects trace their origins to the
teachings of Luther.

Worksheet-11
Based on Complete Chapter
I. Multiple Choice Questions
1. - b; 2. - a; 3. - c; 4. - a; 5. - b; 6. - d

II. Fill in the blanks

1. Alvars; 2. Divya Prabandham; 3. Advaita; 4. Vitthala temple; 5. Vishnu

III. Very Short Answer Type Questions

1. The warrior clan that became popular between 8th and 14th centuries were Rajputs.
2. Kabir expressed his ideas in a vast collection of verses known as sakhis and pads.
3. Some prominent followers of Baba Guru Nanak were Mardana Ji and Bhai Lehna ji.
4. Sant Dnyaneshwar, Namdeo, Eknath, Tukaram and Ramdas are some important Saint poets of
Maharashtra.
5. Guru Granth Sahib, Panch Vani and Bijak are some holy books in which the verses composed by
Kabir were collected and preserved.

IV. Short Answer Type Questions

1. The terms nam, dan and isnan for the essence of teaching, which actually meant right worship,
welfare of others and purity of conduct.
2. Amritsar had developed around the central Gurudwara known as Harmandar Sahib, the Golden
Temple. It was virtually self-governing body of Sikh community as ‘a state within a state’. This made
the Mughal emperor Jahangir hostile to the Sikh community. He looked upon them as a potential
threat.

V. Long Answer Type Questions

1. Mirabai was a Rajput princess married into the royal family of Mewar in the sixteenth century. Mirabai
became a disciple of Ravidas, a saint from a caste considered “untouchable”. She was devoted to
Krishna and composed innumerable bhajans expressing her intense devotion. Her songs also openly
challenged the norms of the “upper” castes and became popular with the masses in Rajasthan and
Gujarat.

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2. The Nayanars and Alvars led religious movements in South India during the seventh to ninth centuries.
The Nayanars were devotees of Shiva while the Alvars were the devotees of Vishnu. They came from
all castes including those considered ‘untouchable like the Pulaiyar and the Panars. They preached
the love of Shiva or Vishnu as the path to salvation. They went from place to place composing
beautiful poems in praise of the deities enshrined in the villages they visited and set them to music.
There were 63 Nayanars who belonged to different caste backgrounds. There were 12 Alvars who
came from equally divergent backgrounds.

VI. Picture-based Questions

1. Baba Guru Nanak was born in Nankana Sahib, Pakistan.
2. Guru Angad was appointed by Guru Nanak as his successor.
3. Guru Nanak died on 22 September 1539 in Kartarpur, at the age of 70.

9
The Making of Regional
Cultures
Worksheet-1
The Cheras and the Development of Malayalam
I. Very Short Answer Type Questions
1. The Chera kingdom was established in the ninth century.
2. In present-day Kerala State was Chera Kingdom established.
3. Lilatilakam was written in fourteenth-century.

II. Short Answer Type Questions

1. Manipravalam refers to the two languages—Sanskrit and the regional language. Lilatilakam was
composed in Manipravalam.
2. The temple theatre of Kerala borrowed stories from the Sanskrit epics. The first literary works
in Malayalam, dated about the 12th century, are directly indebted to Sanskrit. The Lilatilakam, a
fourteenth century text, dealt with grammar and poetics was composed in Manipravalam - literally,
diamonds and corals referring to the two languages namely Sanskrit and the regional language.

III. Long Answer Type Question

1. In the 9th century, south western part of great Indian peninsula witnessed the strong empire of Chera
of Mahodayapuram which is now known as Kerala. From the sources it is witnessed that now a days
Malayalam language was acknowledged by Chera rulers according to their inscriptions and due to
this fact, it is also spoken now a days. Moreover, the most ancient sources have been recovered of the
Malayalam language from official records of south western part of India.

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 Worksheet-2
Rulers and Religious Traditions: The Jagannatha Cult
I. Very Short Answer Type Questions
1. Anantavarman was one of the most important rulers of the Ganga dynasty.
2. Anantavarman built the temple for Purushottama Jagannatha at Puri.
3. Jagannatha temple is located in Orissa.

II. Short Answer Type Questions

1. King Anangabhima III dedicated his kingdom to the deity and proclaimed himself as the “deputy” of
the god.
2. The conquerors try to control the temple of Jagannatha at Puri because they felt that this would make
their rule acceptable to the local people.

III. Long Answer Type Question

1. Jagannatha cult was the best example of regional cultures growing around religious traditions.
Jagannatha, which literally translates to ‘the lord of the world’ is a name for Vishnu. This cult is
found in Puri, Orissa. Till date, the local tribals make the wooden image of the deity, which suggests
that the deity was originally a local god which was later identified with Vishnu.

Worksheet-3
The Rajputs and Traditions of Heroism
I. Very Short Answer Type Questions
1. Present-day Rajasthan, was called Rajputana by the British.
2. Women used to perform Jauhar.
3. Prithviraj was Rajput ruler of Rahasthan.

II. Short Answer Type Questions

1. We know more about the cultural practices of rulers than about those of ordinary people because of
the following reasons:
Only rulers could afford minstrels and historians for records and documentation. Ordinary people
did not have resources or wealth to preserve their memories and cultural practices.
2. Minstrels proclaimed the achievements of heroes to preserve their memories and inspire others to
follow their footprints.

III. Long Answer Type Question

1. Sometimes these stories depict women as the cause for conflict, as men fought with one another to either
win or protect them (women). Women are also depicted as following their heroic husbands in both life and
death. We are familiar with the stories about the practice of sati or the immolation of widows on the funeral
pyre of their husbands. so. those who followed the heroic ideal often had to pay for it with their lives.

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 Worksheet-4
Beyond Regional Frontiers: The Story of Kathak
I. Very Short Answer Type Questions
1. The term kathak is derived from katha, a word used in Sanskrit and other languages for story.
2. Kathak developed into two traditions or ‘gharanas’ in the courts of Jaipur and Lucknow; it grew into a
major art form with the support of Nawab Wajid Ali Khan.
3. The major patrons of Kathak were the Mughal emperors, their nobles, the courts of Rajasthan and
Lucknow and the last Nawab of Awadh - Wajid Ali Shah.

II. Short Answer Type Questions

1. The legends of Radha-Krishna were enacted in folk plays called rasa lila, which combined folk
dance with the basic gestures of the kathak story-tellers.
2. Kathak is found in three distinct forms, called “gharanas”, named after the cities where the Kathak
dance tradition evolved – Jaipur, Banaras and Lucknow. While the Jaipur gharana focuses more
on the foot movements, the Banaras and Lucknow gharanas focus more on facial expressions and
graceful hand movements.

III. Long Answer Type Question

1. With the advent of the Mughals, this dance form underwent a radical transformation. Kathak, as we
know it today, is the result of the fusion between the Hindu and Muslim cultures. The Persian and
Muslim influences altered the dance from a temple ritual to a means of royal entertainment. The
emphasis shifted from the religious to the aesthetic. Kathak developed into two traditions called as
gharanas for example Rajasthan gharanas, Lucknow gharanas and Benaras gharanas.

Worksheet-5
Painting for Patrons: The Tradition of Miniatures
I. Very Short Answer Type Questions
1. Miniatures are small-sized paintings, generally done in water colour on cloth or paper.
2. Soft colours including cool blues and greens, and a lyrical treatment of themes distinguished Kangra
paintings from other paintings.
3. Sanskrit poet Bhanudatta was the author of Rasamanjari.

II. Short Answer Type Questions

1. By the late seventeenth century Himachal Pradesh region had developed a bold and intense style of
miniature painting called Basohli.
2. The most popular text to be illustrated in the miniature paintings of Himachal Pradesh was Bhanudatta’s
Rasamanjari.

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III. Long Answer Type Question
1. Kangra painting is the pictorial art of Kangra, named after Kangra, Himachal Pradesh, a former
princely state, which patronized the art. It became prevalent with the fading of Basohli school of
painting in mid-18th century, and soon produced such a magnitude in paintings both in content as
well as volume, that the Pahari painting school, came to be known as Kangra paintings.

Worksheet-6
A Closer Look: Bengal
I. Very Short Answer Type Questions
1. The Naths were ascetics who engaged in a variety of yogic practices.
2. People in Bengal always spoke Bengali.
3. The meaning of the word ‘Mangalkavya’ in Bengali literature is auspicious poem.

II. Short Answer Type Questions

1. The secondb category include includes Nath literature such as the songs of Maynamati and
Gopichandra, stories concerning the worship of Dharma Thakur, and fairy tales, Folk tales and
ballads.
2. The second category circulated orally and cannot be precisely dated. They were particularly popular
in eastern Bengal, where the influence of Brahmanas was relatively weak.

III. Long Answer Type Question

1. Between the fourteenth and sixteenth centuries, Bengal was ruled by Sultans who were independent
of the rulers in Delhi. In 1586, when Akbar conquered Bengal, it formed the nucleus of the Bengal
suba. While Persian was the language of administration, Bengali developed as a regional language.

Worksheet-7
Pirs and Temples
I. Very Short Answer Type Questions
1. Dhaka is the Mughal capital of Bengal.
2. Pirs were spiritual leaders having supernatural powers.

II. Short Answer Type Questions

1. Animism is attribution of living soul to plants, inanimate objects and natural phenomena.
2. The temples of Bengal started copying the dochala (double- roofed) and chauchala (four- roofed)
structures of the thatched huts.

III. Long Answer Type Question

1. Pirs also functioned as teachers and adjudicators. When early settlers in Bengal sought some order
and assurance in the unstable conditions of the new settlements pirs favoured them and gave them

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 full moral support. People viewed them as respectful figures. The cult of pirs became very popular
and their shrines can be found everywhere in Bengal.

Worksheet-8
Fish as Food
I. Very Short Answer Type Questions
1. Terracotta plaques on the walls of temples and viharas depict scenes of fish being dressed and taken
to the market in baskets.
2. The Brihaddharma Purana is a Hindu religious text, which classified itself as the last of the 18
Upapuranas.

II. Short Answer Type Question

The Brihaddharma Purana, a thirteenth-century Sanskrit text from Bengal, permitted the local
Brahmanas to eat certain varieties of fish.

III. Long Answer Type Question

1. Till the eighteenth century, people in Europe saw themselves as subjects of an empire, such as the
Austro-Hungarian empire, or members of a church, such as the Greek Orthodox church. But, from
the late eighteenth century, people also began to identify themselves as members of a community that
spoke a common language, such as French or German. By the early nineteenth century, in Rumania
school textbooks began to be written in Rumanian rather than in Greek, and in Hungary Hungarian
was adopted as the official language instead of Latin. These and other similar developments created
the consciousness among the people that each linguistic community was a separate nation. This
feeling was strengthened by the movements for Italian and German unification in the late nineteenth
century.

Worksheet-9
Based on Complete Chapter
I. Multiple Choice Questions
1. - a; 2. - d; 3. - d; 4. - d; 5. - c

II. Fill in the blanks

1. Manipravalam; 2. The Chera; 3. auspicious; 4. rice and fish; 5. Pir

III. Very Short Answer Type Questions

1. The regions that attracted miniature paintings are:
• Western India- Some of the most beautiful miniatures are found in western India. These illustrated
Jaina texts.
• Himalayan foothills around the modern-day Himachal Pradesh.

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2. King Anangabhima III dedicated the kingdom to the deity of Jagannatha at Puri in Odisha.
3. Kathak grew into a major art form under the patronage of Wajid Ali Shah, the last Nawab of Awadh.
4. The emperors Akbar, Jahangir and Shah Jahan patronized highly skilled painters.
5. The themes of Miniature paintings are Krishan Lila (sports of Krishna), Raga Raginis (Musical
melodies), Nayika Bheda (different classes of heroines on which Sanskrit and Hindu writers on love,
classified women), Ritu Chitra (seasons), Panchatantra.
6. Nadir Shah’s invasion and the conquest of Delhi in 1739 led to the migration of Mughal artists to
the hills to escape the uncertainties of the plains.

IV. Short Answer Type Questions

1. In several regions, regional cultures developed around religious traditions. The local people made a
wooden image of the deity which, originally a local God, came to be identified with Vishnu. Temple
became the centre of pilgrimage.
2. By the late seventeenth century in Himachal Pradesh had developed a bold and intense style of
miniature painting called Basohli. The most popular text to be painted here was Bhanudatta’s
Rasamanjari.

V. Long Answer Type Questions

1. Important architectural features of the temples of Bengal are:
• Temples of Bengal began to copy the double-roofed structure of the thatched huts.
• In a comparatively more complex four-roofed structure, four triangular roofs were placed on the
four walls to move up to converge on a curved line or a point.
• Temples were usually built on a square platform
• The interior was relatively plain but the outer walls of many temples were decorated with
paintings, ornamental tiles or terracotta tablets.
2. Nadir Shah’s invasion and the conquest of Delhi in 1739 resulted in the migration of Mughal artists
to the hills to escape the uncertainties of the plains. Here they found ready patrons which led to
the founding of the Kangra school of painting. By the mid-eighteenth century the Kangra artists
developed a style which breathed a new spirit into miniature painting. The source of inspiration was
the Vaishnavite traditions. Soft colours including cool blues and greens, and a lyrical treatment of
themes distinguished Kangra painting.

VI. Picture-based Questions

1. Jagannatha literally meaning lord of the world, a name for Vishnu.
2. Ganga dynasty ruler Anantavarman, decided to erect a temple for Purushottama Jagannatha at Puri.
3. All those who conquered Orissa, such as the Mughals, the Marathas and the English East India
Company, attempted to gain control over the temple. They felt that this would make their rule
acceptable to the local people.

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 10
Eighteenth Century Political
Formations
Worksheet-1
The Crisis of the Empire and the Later Mughals
I. Very Short Answer Type Questions
1. In the Mughal Empire the subadar was the governor of a province.
2. Emperor Aurangzeb had depleted the military and financial resources of his empire by fighting a long
war in the Deccan.

II. Short Answer Type Questions

1. In the midst of this economic and political crisis, the ruler of Iran, Nadir Shah, sacked and plundered
the city of Delhi in 1739 and took away immense amounts of wealth.
2. The peasants and zamindars revolt in many parts of northern and western India because of the
pressures of mounting taxes.

II. Long Answer Type Question

1. There were a number of factors that led to the decline of the Mughal Empire.
Emperor Aurangzeb fought a long war in the Deccan. As a result, the military and financial resources
of his empire got depleted.
The successors of Aurangzeb were not at all efficient. The efficiency of the imperial administration
broke down. It became increasingly difficult for later Mughal emperors to keep a check on their
powerful Nobles appointed as governors often controlled the offices of revenue and military
administration as well.
Under the later Mughals, peasant and zamindar rebellions increased in many parts of northern and
western India. These revolts were sometimes caused by the pressures of mounting taxes. The local
chieftains were also becoming powerful by seizing the economic resources of the region.
In the midst of economic and political crisis, the ruler of Iran, Nadir Shah, sacked and plundered
the city of Delhi in 1739 and took away immense amounts of wealth. Again, Ahmad Shah Abdali
invaded north India five times between 1748 and 1761. These invasions further weakened the Mughal
Empire.
The competitions amongst different groups of nobles also proved unfortunate for the Mughal Empire.
The later Mughals were puppets in the hands of either Iranis or Turanis, the two major groups of
nobles.

Worksheet-2
Emergence of New States
I. Very Short Answer Type Questions
1. The states of the eighteenth century can be divided into three overlapping groups.

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2. Through the eighteenth century, the Mughal Empire gradually fragmented into a number of
independent, regional states.
3. The three states that carved out of the old Mughal provinces in the 18th century were Awadh, Bengal
and Hyderabad.

II. Long Answer Type Questions

1. The efficiency of the imperial administration broke down under the later Mughal emperors. It became
increasingly difficult for them to keep a check on their powerful Nobles appointed as governors often
controlled the offices of revenue and military administration as well. This gave them extraordinary
political, economic and military powers over vast regions of the Mughal empire. As the governors
consolidated their control over the provinces, the periodic remission of revenue to the capital declined.
2. The states of the eighteenth century can be divided into three overlapping groups:
(i) States that were old Mughal provinces like Awadh, Bengal and Hyderabad. Although extremely
powerful and quite independent, the rulers of these states did not break their formal ties with the
Mughal emperor.
(ii) States that had enjoyed considerable independence under the Mughals as watan jagirs. These
included several Rajput principalities.
(iii) The last group included states under the control of Marathas, Sikhs and others like the Jats.
These were of differing sizes and had seized their independence from the Mughals after a long-
drawn armed struggle.

Worksheet-3
The Old Mughal Provinces
I. Very Short Answer Type Questions
1. Ijaradars were revenue farmers during the Mughal period.
2. The new social groups that developed in Awadh to influence the management of the state’s revenue
system were moneylenders and bankers.
3. Saadat Khan also held the combined offices of subadari, diwani and faujdari.

II. Short Answer Type Questions

1. Awadh was a prosperous region, controlling the rich alluvial Ganga plain and the main trade route
between north India and Bengal. The state depended on local bankers and mahajans for loans. It sold
the right to collect tax to the highest bidders.
2. The Nawabs of Awadh and Bengal tried to do away with the jagirdari system because they wanted to
prevent cheating as well as decrease the Mughal influence in their kingdoms.
3. The state of Hyderabad was founded by Nizam-ul-Mulk Asaf Jah who was a powerful noble under the
Mughals. He gained control over its financial and political administration. He appointed mansabdars
and granted them jagirs without taking permission of the Mughal king. He gave incentives to farmers
and craftsmen to promote agriculture and industry.

III. Long Answer Type Question

1. In an effort to reduce Mughal influence in Bengal Murshid Quli Khan transferred all Mughal jagirdars
to Orissa and ordered a major reassessment of the revenues of Bengal. Revenue was collected in cash

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 with great strictness from all zamindars. As a result, many zamindars had to borrow money from
bankers and moneylenders. Those unable to pay were forced to sell their lands to larger zamindars.

Worksheet-4
The Watan Jagirs of the Rajputs
I. Very Short Answer Type Questions
1. In the Mughal Empire the subadar was the governor of a province.
2. Sawai Raja Jai Singh founded his new capital at Jaipur.

II. Short Answer Type Question

1. Many Rajput kings, particularly those belonging to Amber and Jodhpur, had served under the Mughals
with distinction. In exchange, they were permitted to enjoy considerable autonomy in their watan
jagirs.

III. Long Answer Type Question

1. Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh was the Hindu Rajput ruler. He became ruler of Amber at the age of 11
after his father Maharaja Bishan Singh died on 31 December 1699. He was governor of Malwa. These
offices were renewed by Emperor Jahandar Shah in 1713. They also tried to extend their territories
by seizing portions of imperial territories neighbouring their watans. Nagaur was conquered and
annexed to the house of Jodhpur, while Amber seized large portions of Bundi. Sawai Raja Jai Singh
founded his new capital at Jaipur and was given the subadari of Agra in 1722.

Worksheet-5
Seizing Independence
I. Very Short Answer Type Questions
1. The Bharatpur fort was built in a fairly traditional style, at Dig.
2. Jawahir Shah was Nadir Shah’s son.
3. Khalsa was established in 1699.
4. Banda Bahadur was captured in 1715 and executed in 1716.

II. Short Answer Type Questions

1. After Shivaji’s death, effective power in the Maratha state was wielded by a family of Chitpavan
Brahmanas who served Shivaji’s successors as Peshwa (or principal minister).
2. Chauth was 25 per cent of the land revenue claimed by zamindars. In the Deccan this was collected
by the Marathas.

III. Long Answer Type Question

1. The Jats were prosperous agriculturists, and towns like Panipat and Ballabhgarh became important
trading centres in the areas dominated by them. Like the other states the Jats consolidated their power
during the late seventeenth and eighteenth-centuries. Under their leader, Churaman, they acquired

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 control over territories situated to the west of the city of Delhi, and by the 1680s they had begun
dominating the region between the two imperial cities of Delhi and Agra.

Worksheet-6
Based on Complete Chapter
I. Multiple Choice Questions
1. - b; 2. - c; 3. - d; 4. - c; 5. – d; 6. - b

II. Fill in the blanks

1. administration; 2. 1719; 3. Jaipur; 4. Deccan; 5. Saadat Khan

III. Very Short Answer Type Questions

1. Kunbis were groups of highly mobile, peasant pastoralists.
2. The two taxes-- chauth and sardeshmukhi were imposed by Shivaji in the Deccan region.
3. Under King Suraj Mal the kingdom of Bharatpur emerged as a strong state.
4. Guru Gobind Singh had inspired the Khalsa with the belief that their destiny was to rule (raj karega
khalsa).

IV. Short Answer Type Questions

1. The system called rakhi was introduced, offering protection to cultivators on the payment of a tax of
20 per cent of the produce.
2. Under the Peshwas, the Marathas developed a very successful military organisation. Between 1720
and 1761, the Maratha empire expanded. It gradually chipped away at the authority of the Mughal
Empire. Malwa and Gujarat were seized from the Mughals by the 1720s. By the 1730s, the Maratha
king was recognised as the overlord of the entire Deccan peninsula. He possessed the right to levy
chauth and sardeshmukhi in the entire region.

V. Long Answer Type Questions

1. The Maratha kingdom was another powerful regional kingdom to arise out of a sustained opposition
to Mughal rule. Shivaji (1627-1680) carved out a stable kingdom with the support of powerful warrior
families (deshmukhs). Groups of highly mobile, peasant-pastoralists (kunbis) provided the backbone
of the Maratha army. Shivaji used these forces to challenge the Mughals in the peninsula.

VI. Picture-based Questions

1. Guru Gobind Singh was the last of the ten Gurus, the one who transformed the Sikh faith. In 1699 he
created the Khalsa (Pure), a community of the faithful who wore visible symbols of their faith and
trained as warriors.
2. Guru Gobind Singh fought most of the battles with Rajput and Mughal rulers.
3. As Guru Gobind Singh was the last Sikh Guru in human form, he passed on the Guruship of Sikhs
to Guru Granth Sahib, the holy text of Sikhs.

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 Our Environment

1 Environment
Worksheet-1
Natural Environment
I. Very Short Answer Type Questions
1. Natural environment refers to both biotic and abiotic conditions existing on the earth.
2. The atmosphere is the thin layer of air that surrounds the earth.
3. The atmosphere is made of gases that are essential for photosynthesis and other life activities.
The atmosphere is a crucial part of the water cycle. It is an important reservoir for water, and the
source of precipitation. The atmosphere moderates Earth’s temperature.
4. The lithosphere includes the brittle upper portion of the mantle and the crust, the outermost layers of
Earth’s structure. It is bounded by the atmosphere above and the asthenosphere (another part of the
upper mantle) below.
5. A hydrosphere is the total amount of water on a planet. The hydrosphere includes water that is on the
surface of the planet, underground, and in the air.

II. Short Answer Type Questions

1. The air in Earth’s atmosphere is made up of approximately 78 percent nitrogen and 21 percent oxygen.
Air also has small amounts of lots of other gases, too, such as carbon dioxide, neon, and hydrogen.
2. Ecosystem is a system formed by the interaction of all living organisms with each other and with the
physical and chemical factors of the environment in which they live, all linked by transfer of energy
and material.
3. The lithosphere provides the solid surface necessary for terrestrial organisms, but it is much more
than just an area on which life can roam. It is also a reservoir of nutrients that are essential for life,
accessible to living things in the form of soil. It holds deposits of fresh water and energy resources.
The hydrosphere is always in motion. The major importance of hydrosphere is that water sustains
various life forms and plays an important role in ecosystems and regulating atmosphere. Hydrosphere
covers all water present on the Earth surface.

III. Long Answer Type Question

1. The earth would be barren without the atmosphere because without atmosphere life on earth is
difficult to survive. There would be no oxygen and breathing would become impossible. Moreover,
the ultraviolet rays of the sun would enter directly because there would be no protective shield that is
the atmosphere.

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 Worksheet-2
Human Environment
I. Very Short Answer Type Questions
1. Human environment refers to the artificial environment that is created by humans. It includes
buildings, roads, cities as well as the society that humans live in.
2. Barter is a system of exchange where goods or services are directly exchanged for other goods or
services without using a medium of exchange, such as money.
3. Human beings interact with the environment and modify it according to their need.
4. Four examples of human-made environments are—buildings, parks, bridges and roads.

II. Short Answer Type Questions

1. Some examples of modification of the environment are growing of crops, domestication of animals
and leading a settled life. Activities like large scale production, agriculture, invention of the wheel,
barter system, trade and commerce have been a part of the evolution of human beings with respect to
their needs.
2. Humans impact the physical environment in many ways: overpopulation, pollution, burning fossil
fuels, and deforestation. Changes like these have triggered climate change, soil erosion, poor air
quality, and undrinkable water.

III. Long Answer Type Questions

1. Human beings interact with the environment and modify it according to their need. Early humans
adapted themselves to the natural surroundings. They led a simple life and fulfilled their requirements
from the nature around them. With time needs grew and became more varied. Humans learn new ways
to use and change environment. They learn to grow crops, domesticate animals and lead a settled
life. The wheel was invented, surplus food was produced, barter system emerged, trade started and
commerce developed. Industrial revolution enabled large scale production. Transportation became
faster. Information revolution made communication easier and speedy across the world.
2. There are a number of different things that make humans different from other creatures. Human beings
adapt themselves to the natural environment by making modifications in their food, cloth, and shelter.
They also modify their natural environment to suit their social, biological, cultural and economic needs.
The early human beings slept on trees and caves, they used to roam around in search of food as that
of other creatures but with the passage of time, with the help of their mind, thinking skills, ability,
knowledge, hard work, etc. they have changed themselves drastically. Now, the modern man is far
more organized, skilled, well-mannered and cultured. They live in houses, eat cooked food, travel
from one place to another by various means of transportation, etc.

Worksheet-3
Based on Complete Chapter
I. Multiple Choice Questions
1. - (a); 2. - (b); 3. - (a); 4. - (b); 5. - (c); 6. - (a)

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II. Fill in the blanks
1. natural; 2. Hydrosphere; 3. immediate; 4. natural; 5. communication

III. Very Short Answer Type Questions

1. Plants use carbon dioxide gas to make their food.
2. Argon, carbon dioxide (CO2), and many other gases are also present in much lower amounts; each
makes up less than 1% of the atmosphere’s mixture of gases.
3. Earth’s gravity is strong enough to hold onto its atmosphere and keep it from drifting into space.
4. Two major components of biotic environment are Plants and Animals.
5. The biosphere is made of three components, called the lithosphere, atmosphere and hydrosphere.

IV. Short Answer Type Questions

1. Plants and animals depend upon each other as mutual interdependence is must for their
survival. Plants provide shelter for animals and they make oxygen for the animals to live.
When animals die, they decompose and become natural fertilizer plants. Plants depend on animals for
nutrients, pollination and seed dispersal.
2. Abiotic factors refer to non-living physical and chemical elements in the ecosystem. Abiotic resources
are usually obtained from the lithosphere, atmosphere, and hydrosphere. Examples of abiotic factors
are water, air, soil, sunlight, and minerals.
Biotic factors are living or once-living organisms in the ecosystem. These are obtained from the
biosphere and are capable of reproduction. Examples of biotic factors are animals, birds, plants,
fungi, and other similar organisms.

V. Long Answer Type Questions

1. The lithosphere is Earth’s outermost layer, composed of rocks in the crust and upper mantle that
behave as brittle solids.
The lithosphere includes the brittle upper portion of the mantle and the crust, the outermost layers
of Earth’s structure. Ductility measures a solid material’s ability to deform or stretch under stress.
The lithosphere is far less ductile than the asthenosphere.
2. We rarely think about the role of the planet that keeps us alive and takes the hydrosphere for granted.
The major importance of the hydrosphere is that water sustains various life forms and plays an
important role in ecosystems and regulating the atmosphere. Hydrosphere covers all water present
on the Earth’s surface.
In fact, most of the chemical reactions that occur in life, involve substances that are dissolved in
water. Without water, cells would not be able to carry out their normal functions and life could not
exist.

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 2 Inside our Earth
Worksheet-1
Interior of the Earth
I. Very Short Answer Type Questions
1. The innermost part of the earth is called the inner core.
2. The uppermost layer over the earth’s surface is called the crust.
3. The crust of the Earth is composed of a great variety of igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary
rocks.
4. Although the core and mantle are about equal in thickness, the core actually forms only 15 percent of
the Earth’s volume, whereas the mantle occupies 84 percent. The crust makes up the remaining 1
percent.
5. The main mineral constituents of the continental mass are silica and alumina.

II. Short Answer Type Questions

1. We can we not go to the centre of the earth because to reach to the centre of the earth we will have to
dig a hole 6000 km. deep on the ocean floor.
2. Sial is composed of silicon and aluminium. It is the upper layer which forms a discontinuous cover
over the Earth’s crust and is entirely absent the ocean floor.
Sima is composed of silicon and magnesium. This is the second layer below sial which forms the
ocean base.
3. The deepest mine in the world, is in South Africa. It is about 4 km deep. In search for oil, engineers
have dug a hole about 6 km deep.

III. Long Answer Type Questions

1. Earth’s interior is generally divided into three major layers: the crust, the mantle, and the core. The
solid crust or the hard-top layer of the earth is called Lithosphere. It is made up of rocks and minerals
and covered by a thin layer of soil. It is an irregular surface with various landforms such as mountains,
plateaus, plains, valleys, etc. Just beneath the crust is the mantle which extends up to a depth of 2900
km. below the crust. The innermost layer is the core with a radius of about 3500 km. It is mainly
made up of nickel and iron and is called nife (Ni – nickel and Fe – ferrous i.e., iron). The central core
has very high temperature and pressure.

Worksheet-2
Rocks and Minerals
I. Very Short Answer Type Questions
1. Any natural mass of mineral matter that makes up the earth’s crust is called a rock.

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