Fully solved as per NIOS Secondary curriculum. Covers ancient civilization, religion, reform movements, performing arts, tribal issues, Sanskrit influence and cultural spread abroad.
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Bhakti Movement, Sufism, British economic impact, Social reforms, Performing arts, Education systems, Tribal culture, Sanskrit influence, Indian culture abroad, Medicine, Ghatikas, J.C. Bose etc. Fully aligned to NIOS 223 textbook.
Guru Nanak was born in which of the following families?
Ans. (A) Guru Nanak Dev (1469-1539), founder of Sikhism, was born in a Khatri family at Talwandi (Nankana Sahib), father Mehta Kalu, mother Tripta. Khatri is a Punjabi merchant caste.
Who of the following was the disciple of Ramanuja?
Ans. (D) Ramananda (14th century) was disciple in the lineage of Ramanuja (Vishishtadvaita). Ramanuja (1017-1137) → Raghavananda → Ramananda, who started his own sect and had disciples like Kabir and Ravidas.
By which of the following years India became a good consumer of British goods?
Ans. (C) After Charter Act 1813, East India Company's monopoly ended, free trade allowed, India became market for British manufactured goods, leading to deindustrialization of Indian handicrafts. By 1813 India became good consumer.
In which of the following years Dalhousie opened first telegraph line?
Ans. (C) Lord Dalhousie (Governor-General 1848-56) introduced modern infrastructure - first telegraph line from Calcutta to Agra 1853-54 (4000 miles), first railway 1853 Bombay-Thane, postal reforms.
Why the condition of women was pathetic at the end of 18th Century in India?
Ans. (D) Condition pathetic due to all factors: birth considered burden, early child marriage (8-10 years), polygamy, Sati, female infanticide, no education, purdah, widowhood miserable. So All of them.
Why the widows were not permitted to attend the marriages in India?
Ans. (C) Widows considered inauspicious (abshagun), due to patriarchal superstition, their presence at auspicious functions like marriage believed to bring bad luck. Hence excluded, forced to live secluded, shave head.
How did Tulsidas visualize Ram in Ramcharitmanas?
Ans. (B) Goswami Tulsidas (16th century) in Ramcharitmanas visualized Ram as incarnation of Supreme God Vishnu, not just human prince or ideal king (Maryada Purushottam). His bhakti was Sagun bhakti - God with attributes.
Why did Raja Ram Mohan Roy found Brahmo Samaj?
Ans. (B) Raja Ram Mohan Roy (1772-1833) founded Brahmo Samaj in 1828 to carry out religious and social reforms - monotheism, oppose idol worship, Sati, caste, promote rationalism, modern education.
How Brahmo Samaj sought to bring the changes in Hindu Society?
Ans. (D) Brahmo Samaj used all methods: emphasized human dignity and equality, opposed idol worship and polytheism, condemned social evils like Sati, child marriage, caste, promoted women's education, monotheism based on Upanishads.
Why do we find features of Persian court culture in courts of medieval India?
Ans. (C) Turks, Afghans, Mughals who came from Central Asia brought Persian culture with them - language, etiquette, dress, architecture, administration. Persian was court language of Delhi Sultanate and Mughals.
Why was Ghulam Ali Khan famous?
Ans. (A) Ghulam Ali Khan (late 18th-19th century) was famous Delhi miniature painter, court painter of Mughal emperor Akbar II and later Bahadur Shah Zafar, known for portraits - naturalistic, Company School style, capturing character.
Who wrote Yagaratbajra a book on medicine? (Yogaratnakara?)
Ans. (D) Nagarjuna (not Buddhist philosopher, but Ayurveda scholar) and Sarangadhara wrote important Ayurveda texts. Yogaratnakara / Yogaratnabajra is attributed to Nagarjuna school. Sarangadhara wrote Sarangadhara Samhita, Bhava Mishra wrote Bhavaprakasha. For NIOS answer: Nagarjun is credited with Rasashastra and medicinal works including Yagaratbajra / Yogaratnakara.
Select the cause for making appropriate provisions for an integrated system of education for the people of India.
Ans. (D) India's diversity - varied regional development (some backward), many languages (22 official, 1600 dialects), varied socio-cultural attributes (caste, tribe, religion) - requires integrated, inclusive education system to promote unity and equity, hence All of them.
Why regional imbalance and social injustice exists in a society?
Ans. (B) Regional imbalance and injustice exist due to lack of adequate measures for spread of education, especially in backward, tribal, rural areas. Education is tool for empowerment, without it inequalities persist. Not due to excess institutions.
Why the Constitutional Amendment of 1976 included education in concurrent list?
Ans. (C) By 42nd Constitutional Amendment 1976, education transferred from State List to Concurrent List, making both Centre and States responsible - Centre for policy, standards, funding (NCERT, UGC), States for implementation. Promotes national integration and quality.
Which of the following feature came in Indian caste system during modern time?
Ans. (D) Varna and caste formation ancient, guilds ancient Mauryan period, but adding surnames, using caste surnames as identity marker became more prominent in modern time with census, records, and mobility. Also modern feature is caste associations, political mobilization.
Evolution of Brahmsamaj is like a caste took place because of which of following activity?
Ans. (A) Brahmo Samaj started as reform movement but evolved like a caste because members started marrying within Samaj (endogamy) due to Caste and Anti-caste movement dynamics - both practicing and opposing caste led to new caste-like identity.
In Syrian Christians of Kerala...
Ans. (B) Syrian Christians of Kerala (St. Thomas Christians) though Christians, have caste-like divisions which were sections erstwhile - Northists and Southists, or caste hierarchy among themselves due to Hindu influence. Caste psyche persists even after conversion.
India had been in contact with outside world since which of the following period?
Ans. (A) India in contact with outside world since middle of fourth millennium BC - Harappan civilization (2600 BC) had trade with Mesopotamia, Egypt via sea routes, evidenced by seals, lapis lazuli, cotton. So 4th millennium BC.
Why was the spread of Indian culture abroad remarkable?
Ans. (B) Spread of Indian culture to SE Asia (Indonesia, Cambodia, Thailand), Central Asia, Sri Lanka was remarkable because done by voluntary acceptance, peaceful - traders, monks, not military conquest. Indianization through cultural diffusion, Sanskrit, Buddhism, Hindu temples like Angkor Wat.
Ans. 12 (or many/different) orders or silsilahs. These silsilahs/orders are named after their founders.
Sufis organized into 12 main silsilahs - Chishti (Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti Ajmer), Suhrawardi, Qadiri, Naqshbandi etc. Each silsilah named after founder, had khanqah, pir-murid system.
Two facts:
Reasons:
(a) Chandrabhan Brahman: Famous as Munshi and writer during Shah Jahan - was official letter writer (Munshi), wrote Char Chaman and Munshat-i-Brahman - important historical source, Hindu in Mughal court, secretary to Dara Shikoh.
(b) Abdul Qadir Badayuni: Famous historian during Akbar's court, wrote Muntakhab-ut-Tawarikh - critical of Akbar's liberal religious policies, orthodox Sunni, his work is valuable source for Akbar's reign but biased.
(a) ✓ True - Singh Sabha movement started late 19th century (1873, 1879) but major religious reforms among Sikhs (SGPC, Akali movement) were in 1920s - 20th century - to free Gurudwaras from mahants.
(b) ✓ True - Khalsa College Amritsar founded in 1892 by Singh Sabha movement for Sikh education, blending modern and Sikh values.
(a) 1829 - Bengal Sati Regulation by Lord William Bentinck, due to Raja Ram Mohan Roy.
(b) 1929 / 1930 - Child Marriage Restraint Act (Sharda Act) passed 1929, came into force 1930 - fixed marriage age 14 for girls, 18 for boys, named after Har Bilas Sarda.
Ans. 20th Century and especially after 1919 the Indian national movement
After 1919 (Gandhian era), Indian national movement led by Gandhi, Congress became main propagator of social reforms - removal of untouchability, Hindu-Muslim unity, women's upliftment, khadi.
(a) To reach common masses who didn't know English - using vernacular languages (Hindi, Bengali, Marathi) to spread reform ideas among people, create public opinion.
(b) Because literature is powerful medium to influence emotions, create awareness, depict social evils realistically, appeal to heart, easy to understand, used by Bharatendu Harishchandra, Bankim etc. for social awakening.
Ans. education among women, to prevent early marriage / child marriage of young children
Reformers worked to spread education among women, prevent early/child marriage, bring women out of purdah, enforce monogamy, widow remarriage.
Ans. Karnataka / Kerala (Mysore region), Krishna and his Leela
Yakshagana is form of Kathakali-like theatre in Karnataka/Kerala (coastal Karnataka) telling Ramayana, Mahabharata. Kathak (North India) and Manipuri are related with Krishna and his Leela (Raas Leela).
Rasachikitsa (Rasa Shastra) - Mercurial medicine:
Correct Matches:
Distractors: Upanayana (sacred thread ceremony, initiation into education) and Maurya (dynasty), Architecture, Education are distractors in this pairing - though Upanayana related to Education and Maurya to Architecture, but as per instruction match only two.
Ghatikas: Ancient South Indian higher learning centres (like universities).
(a) × False - Not all members related by blood; tribe is based on kinship but also includes common territory, language, culture, belief of common ancestor - not necessarily real blood relation, but fictive kinship.
(b) × False (or True? Context) - Tribal society is generally egalitarian, members are considered equal, no hierarchy. So statement 'All members are not equal' is false. In tribe, equality is characteristic. So both false? But NIOS may say (a) False, (b) False - both incorrect. Alternatively (b) could be True in sense of age, chief has higher status? Traditional answer: (a) False, (b) False.
Two examples of entrenched psyche:
Q36. Describe the meaning of word Kri of Sanskrit. (2 Marks)
Kri: Sanskrit root meaning 'to do, to make, to act'. From Kri comes word Karma (action), Kriya (activity), Krishi (agriculture - doing), Kriti (creation), Sanskriti (culture) - which is 'Samyak Kriti' meaning good/ refined action. So culture is refined doing. Kri implies action, creativity, making.
Q37. How are the paintings helpful in knowing about the past? (2 Marks)
Paintings are visual records of past:
Q38. Explain the main changes which came in education during medieval period OR Explain about proliferation of Islamic institutions in Indian in medieval period (2 Marks)
Main changes in medieval education:
OR Proliferation of Islamic institutions: Sultans and Mughals built many Madrasas - Delhi, Agra, Jaunpur, Bidar became centres. Rulers gave land grants (Madad-i-Maash), famous Madrasa of Ghiyasuddin in Delhi, Mahmud Gawan in Bidar (1460) with library. Education free, state patronized.
Q39. Discuss the changes which came in Indian society during Mauryan and post Mauryan period. OR Why guilds became important during Mauryan and post Mauryan period? (2 Marks)
Changes Mauryan & post-Mauryan: Caste became more rigid, Varna system complex, emergence of many mixed castes, growth of guilds (Shrenis), urbanization (second urbanization), foreign invasions (Greeks, Sakas, Kushans) brought cultural mixing, spread of Buddhism/Jainism challenged Brahmanism, growth of trade.
OR Guilds important because: Growth of trade and commerce, handicrafts, guilds (Shrenis) regulated production, prices, wages, provided banking, social security, had own army, laws, became autonomous, important in economy during Mauryan and post-Mauryan (Gupta) urban growth.
Q40. Examine spirit and content of Muslim education during medieval period Write any two points. OR How curriculum was divided in two categories during medieval period? (2 Marks)
Spirit & content:
OR Curriculum divided into: Two categories: (1) Religious - Manqulat - Quran, Hadis, Fiqh, Tafsir; (2) Rational - Maqulat - logic, philosophy, mathematics, medicine, astronomy, literature. Taught in Maktabs and Madrasas.
Q41. Describe three things which show one's culture. OR Describe three ways of our behaviour which pronounce our culture. (3 Marks)
Three things showing one's culture:
OR Three behaviours pronouncing culture: (1) Greeting - Namaste with folded hands shows Indian culture, (2) Eating with right hand, sitting on floor, (3) Respecting elders - touching feet, offering seat, using polite language.
Q42. Write an account of Batik paint. (3 Marks)
Batik painting:
Q43. Explain briefly about the significance of performing arts. (3 Marks)
Significance of Performing Arts (Music, Dance, Drama):
Q44. Discuss any three major problems of Tribal people living in North Zone India. OR North East Zone of India. (3 Marks)
North Zone Tribes (J&K, Himachal, Punjab, Uttarakhand) - e.g., Gaddi, Bakarwal, Tharu:
OR North-East Zone Tribes (Naga, Khasi, Bodo, Mizo, etc.):
Q45. Explain the place of Sanskrit in ancient Japanese society. OR Explain the place of Sanskrit in today's Japan. (3 Marks)
Sanskrit in Ancient Japanese Society:
OR Today's Japan:
Q46. Explain the aspects of a civilization briefly. (5 Marks)
Aspects of a Civilization: Civilization is advanced stage of human society with complex organization.
All aspects interrelated, show progress from savagery-barbarism to civilization as per Morgan.
Q47. Describe the main features of the Delhi Sultanate under Mamluk Turks. (5 Marks)
Mamluk / Slave Dynasty (1206-1290) - Qutb-ud-din Aibak, Iltutmish, Razia, Balban - First dynasty of Delhi Sultanate.
Q48. Examine the process of evolution of Northern Indian languages. (5 Marks)
Evolution of Northern Indian Languages (Indo-Aryan family):
Thus process: Sanskrit → Prakrit → Apabhramsha → Modern North Indian languages - natural linguistic evolution.
Q49. Examine the early life, education and first employment of Sir J. C. Bose OR Examine the inventions and achievements of Sir J. C. Bose as a scientist (5 Marks)
Early Life, Education, First Employment:
OR Inventions & Achievements:
Q50. Examine the role of traders and explorers in extending Indian outreach to far off countries. OR How Indian culture spread in far flung countries during ancient period (5 Marks)
Role of Traders and Explorers in Indian outreach:
OR How Indian culture spread: