Class XII – History Sample Paper – 2

Ans. b) Terracotta structure depicting a scene from Mahabharata

Ans. a) Four

Ans. b) Kheda Satyagraha

Ans. (b) Kunwar Singh

Ans. (d) Subsidiary alliance

Ans. (b) Only II

Ans. (c) (iv), (iii), (ii), (i)

Ans. (b) Both assertion and reason are true and reason is the correct explanation of assertion.

Ans. (b) William Hodges

Ans. (d) A-1, B-2, C-3, D-4

Ans. (d) A local community of horse traders.

Ans. (c) Maktubat

Ans. (a) Anatta

Ans. (d) Seals were recovered from Oman and Rome

Ans. (b) Razmnama

Ans. (d) Alexander Cunningham

Ans. (d) Ten avatars are recognised within this tradition.

Ans. (d) Jawaharlal Nehru

Ans. (d) Brihadeshwara Temple – Thanjavur

Ans. (d) Assertion is true, but reason is false.

Ans. The arguments made in the Constituent Assembly in favour of strong centre are:

(i) Jawaharlal Nehru, argued that weak central authority would be incapable of ensuring peace, of coordinating vital matters of common concern and of speaking effectively for the whole country in the international sphere.

(ii) BR Ambedkar, reminded the history of communal riots in the country and argued for the strong centre for long lasting peace and prosperity in the country.

(iii) Balakrishna Sharma, reasoned that only a strong centre could plan for the well-being of the country, mobilise the available economic resources, establish a proper administration and defend the country against foreign aggression.

Ans. The main principles of Buddhism are as follows (i) World is Full of Sufferings Buddha taught that the world is full of sufferings and this is due to the desires for worldly things. By giving up desires, one can overcome their sufferings.

(ii) Eight-fold Path Buddha emphasised that a man should free himself from desires by following the eight-fold path. It included right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right meditation and right contemplation. This path included eight kinds of actions and thoughts which would lead to virtuous living and balanced life without wanting too much of anything.

(iii) Ahimsa or Non-violence Buddha also emphasised the importance of Ahimsa or non-violence. He forbade the killing of animals as part of religious sacrifices. This unnecessary killing of animals was seen as an inhumane activity.

Ans. The Salt Satyagraha which was a part of Civil Disobedience Movement was started by Mahatma Gandhi on 12th March, 1930.

Following are the rationale behind selection of salt as a mode of protest by ‘Mahatma Gandhi’:

(i) Salt tax was very high, it was fourteen times of its value. It symbolised the unfair trade and economic policies of Britishers towards Indians.

(ii) It was used by rich as well as common person hence everybody could easily be associated with it.

(iii) Further, salt was a natural property and monopolisation of Britishers over salt manufacture and trade deprived the people from valuable and simple village industry.

Ans. REM Wheeler was an archaeologist who was the Director General of the Archaeological Survey of India in 1944.

His contributions in the field of archaeology was that he rectified the excavations done by John Marshall, so as to follow stratigraphy of the mound of excavate. He classified objects according to the layer of soil where it was found. He brought military precision to the practice of archaeology. Driven by a sense of adventure, he relentlessly excavated Harappa in spite of the hot and humid weather. He also tried to correlate archaeological findings of the Harappan Civilisation with the Rig Veda.

Ans. John Marshall was a famous archaeologist who was the Director General of the Archaeological Survey of India in 1924 when the site of Harappa was excavated. He marked a change in Indian archaeology by announcing the discovery of the Indus Valley Civilisation. Thus, he brought forth 3000-year- old discoveries of civilisations. He was the first professional archaeologist to work in India. He brought his experience of work in Greece and Crete to Indian field.

Ans. The Amara-nayakas were military commanders who were given territories to govern by the raya. The main features of Amara-nayakas system of administration were

(i) They helped the kings in collecting taxes and other dues from peasants, craft persons and traders in the area.

(ii) These military chiefs who usually controlled forts and had armed supporters, provided the Vijayanagara kings with an effective fighting force.

(iii) These Amara-nayakas sent tribute to the king annually and personally appeared in the royal court with gifts to express their loyalty. King also occasionally transferred them from one place to another.

Ans. The significant contribution of Krishnadeva Raya in the expansion of Vijayanagara Empire was

(i) Krishnadeva Raya is credited for building some. fine temples and adding great looking gopurams to many important South Indian temples.

(ii) Nagalapuram, a suburban township was founded near Vijayanagara by Krishnadeva which was named after his mother.

(iii) He also composed a statecraft in Telugu known as Amuktamalyada.

Ans. The Begums of Bhopal helped in preserving the stupa at Sanchi in the following ways

(iv) Both Sultan Jehan Begum and Shahjahan Begum provided money for the preservation of the ancient site.

(v) Shahjahan Begum funded the museum that was built there as well as the guest house where John Marshall wrote the text on a Stupa. She funded the publication of the volumes.

(vi) They have preserved the stupa from the railway contractors and builders.

Ans. The Harappan society was not based on egalitarian set-up. There existed considerable socio-economic differences.

The following points will give a clear perspective of the issue

(i) Difference in the Construction of Accommodations: In every city related with the Indus valley civilisation, we find buildings of different designs and standard. Some of the buildings are very big, while some are very small. Definitely, the people of different economic status used to live in different homes of bigger and lower sizes.

(ii) Different Occupations as Merchants, Traders and Farmers: In Harappa, people were of different occupations. Some of them were merchants, other were small traders, farmers, artisans and so on. The people doing different types of work and occupations did not have the same income or source of earning.

(iii) Archaeological Evidence of Different Metals and Type of Vessels Archaeological evidences prove that different metals and different types of vessels have been found from different places of the Harappan Civilisation. The people of higher economic positions and status might have used more costly vessels, tools and implements than the people of lower economic position who used less costly vessels, metals or implements.

(iv) Study of Burials The burials are also reliable sources to study social and economic differences among people living within a particular culture. At burials in Harappan sites, the dead were generally laid in pits. There was certainly a variation in these pits which indicate the social differences prevalent among the people. Moreover, jewellery has been found in these burials of both men and women. While, some graves contain pottery and ornaments indicated that these could be used after death. In some burials, copper mirrors are found. It is clear that the Harappan did not believe in burying precious things with the dead. Thus, differences in their dwelling units, occupations, use of utilitarian goods in addition to their study of burials indicates that the Harappan society was not an egalitarian one.

Ans. The archaeologists found many evidences which show that the Harappans had contacts with distant lands. The important evidences are:

(i) Archaeological finds suggest that copper was probably brought from Oman, on the South- Eastern tip of the Arabian Peninsula. Moreover, chemical analysis proved traces of nickel both in Omani copper and Harappan artefacts. This suggests a common origin of both. A large Harappan jar coated with a thick layer of black clay was found at Omani sites. It is possible that the Harappans exchanged the contents of these vessels for Omani copper.

(ii) Mesopotamian texts of third millennium BC referred that copper came from a region called Magan. Historians thought that probably it was another name of Oman. Mesopotamian texts also mentioned contact with regions named Dilmun (probably the island of Bahrain), Magan and Meluhha, possibly the Harappan region. Meluhha was a land of seafarers. Many products of Meluhha were mentioned, these were carnelian, lapis lazuli, copper, gold and varieties of wood.

(iii) Other archaeological finds suggest of long distance contacts which include Harappan scals, weights, dice and beads.

(iv) All these evidences suggest that Harappan civilisation was connected with Oman, Bahrain or Mesopotamia by sea. Depictions of ships and boats on seals indicate the trade relations between different countries.

(v) A cylindrical seal found in Measopotamia has humped bull motif which can be derived from the Indus region. The round shaped ‘Persian Gulf’ scals found in Bahrain sometimes carries Harappan motifs, Local ‘dilmun’ weights followed the Harappan standard.

All these evidences show that Harappan Civilisation had good trade relations with other regions.

Ans. Non-cooperation Movement

The Rowlatt Satyagraha made Gandhiji a truly National leader. Encouraged by its success, Gandhiji called for a campaign of Non-cooperation with British rule. The Non-cooperation Movement was the first mass based political movement under Mahatma Gandhi. Indians who wished colonialism to end were asked to stop attending schools, colleges, law courts and pay no taxes. Indians were asked to adhere to a renunciation of all voluntary associations with the British Government. In 1920, at the Congress Session at Nagpur, the Non-cooperation programme was adopted.

The movement started with middle class participation in the cities. Thousands of students left government controlled schools, colleges, teachers resigned and lawyers gave up their legal practices. Foreign goods were boycotted, liquor shops picketed and foreign clothes were burnt. The import of foreign clothes halved between 1921 to 1922.

As the movement-spread, people began rejecting imported clothes and started wearing only Indian clothes.

Contribution of Non-cooperation in Struggle of Freedom

As a consequence of the Non-cooperation Movement, the British Raj was shaken to its foundations for the first time since the Revolt of 1857. By 1922, Gandhiji had transformed Indian Nationalism into a Mass movement which was the greatest contribution of this movement. It was no longer a movement of professionals and intellectuals, now hundreds of thousands of peasants, workers and artisans also participated in it. The common men of India referred Gandhi as “Mahatma’ who dressed like them, lived like them and spoke their language and gradually became united against the British Raj under the leadership of Gandhiji. In this way, the Non-cooperation Movement changed the way of Indian Nationalism.

Coupling of Non-cooperation with Khilafat: The Khilafat Movement (1919-1924) was a pan- Islamic political protest launched by Muhammad Ali and Shaukat Ali. Gandhiji saw this as an opportunity to bring Muslims and Hindus under one roof i.e. the Indian National Movement. Therefore, he coupled Non-Cooperation with Khilafat.

Ans. Mahatma Gandhi announced in January, 1930.that he would lead a march to break one of the most widely disliked laws in British India. The law which gave the state a monopoly in the manufacture and sale of Salt. This march is known as Dandi March.

Starting of the Dandi March

The movement was started with famous Dandi March on 12th March, 1930. Gandhiji along with 78 of his followers began his foot march from Sabarmati Ashram to Dandi, a village on a seashore in Surat district, about 375 km away from Sabarmati Ashram. The violation of Salt law by Gandhiji was a signal of the beginning of Civil Disobedience Movement. Soon, this movement spread like wildfire through the length and breadth of the country.

Significance of Dandi March in the history of the freedom struggle of India

(i) This march made Gandhiji a centre of attraction of the whole of the world. The European press and the American press published detailed accounts of the Salt March conducted by Gandhiji.

(ii) Undoubtedly, it was the first National movement in which women participated in large numbers. Kamala Devi Chattopadhyay, the renowned socialist worker advised Gandhiji not to keep the movement limited to men-folk only.

(iii) A large number of women along with Kamala Devi violated the Salt and Liquor laws and courted arrest collectively.

(iv) As a result of the Salt Movement, the colonial rulers understood it clearly that their authority was not going to remain permanent in India and now they will have to give some participation to the Indians in power.

(v) The Salt March, brought Mahatma Gandhi to world attention. It was widely covered by the European and American press, which brought sympathy for Indian National Movement. The Britishers were pressurised to bring out reform in administration.

Thus, Salt March and subsequent Civil Disobedience Movement created a scenario where Britishers were compelled to bring out political and administrative reform on concurrence of the Indians.

Ans. The royal centre of Vijayanagara empire was located in the South-Western part of the settlement. It had more than 60 temples. The patronage of temples and cults was very important for the rulers. The rulers tried to establish and legitimate their authority through the association with deities in the temple.

• The following points explain about the importance of this location

The royal centres had thirty palaces. These were large structures and were not associated with ritual functions. The main difference between the palaces and temples was that the temples were constructed entirely of masonry, but the super-structure of the palaces was made of perishable materials.

• The king’s palace was the largest complex of the royal centre. But there was no definite evidence to prove that it was a royal residence. The entire complex is surrounded by high double layered walls, with a street running between them. It has two platforms, viz

The Audience Hall It was a high platform with wooden pillars at close and regular intervals. It had a staircase, going up to the second floor, rested on closely spaced pillars. However, it was not clear for what purposes was the hall used.

The Mahanavami Dibba It was located in the highest point of the city. It was a massive platform rising from a base of about 11,000 sq ft to a height of 40 ft. It supported a wooden structure. Main ceremonies being performed in Mahanavami Dibba included worship of the image, worship of the state horse and the sacrifice of buffaloes and other animals, dances, wrestling matches, royal processions, etc. The base of the platform was covered with relief carvings.

• There were several grand places in the royal centre, viz. the Lotus Mahal, the Hazara Rama temple, etc. These were used by the kings for different purposes.

Ans. Abdur Razzaq, an ambassador sent by the ruler of Persia to Calicut in the fifteenth century was impressed after looking at the fortifications due to its following features

a. The fortifications not only surrounded the city but also remote agricultural areas and forests.

b. The hills surrounding the city were linked with the outermost wall. The large construction was slightly reduced in thickness at one end.

c. The mortar or cementing agent was not used in the construction. The stone blocks were wedge shaped, which held them in place.

d. The inner portion of walls was packed with waste parts of Earth like remains of stone, brick, etc and square or rectangular fortification was projected outwards.

e. The most important thing about this fortification. was that it’s surrounded by agricultural lands. Between the first, second and the third walls, there were cultivated fields, gardens and houses.

f. There is an evidence of an agricultural land between the sacred centre and the urban core, and water was supplied to this land from a canal system which drew water from the river Tungabhadra.

g. The inner core of the urban complex was surrounded by second line of fortification and the royal centre was surrounded by a third line. Within this, there were major buildings present which were surrounded by their own high walls.

h. The well-guarded gates which were linked to major roads of the city that were used to entered the fort.

Ans. (i) The Prayaga Prashasti also known as the Allahabad pillar inscription was composed in Sanskrit by Harisena.

Ans. The qualities of the ruler described in the excerpt are

(a) The ruler should be powerful with lot of good qualities.

(b) The ruler should have compassion and should try for the upliftment of the miserable, the poor and the forlorn.

Ans. The values in the above mentioned passage are relevant in the contemporary society to a great extent.

The rulers ought to have positive attitude for the welfare of his countrymen. He should try incessantly to bring prosperity and equality in all walks of life.

Ans. (i) Amuktamalyada’ was written by famous ruler of Vijayanagara, Krishnadeva Raya. It dealt with state craft.

Ans. The responsibilities of king towards traders are as follows

(a) He should improve the harbour and encourage commerce in his territory.

(b) The foreign sailors who land in his territory on account of storm, illness and exhaustion must be looked after in suitable manner.

Ans. The import items for warfare such as good horses, elephants and weapons can be exclusively reserved by making the merchants of distant foreign countries attached to the king by providing them with daily audience, presents and allowing decent profits.

Ans. Mahatma Gandhi argued that the separate electorates would permanently segregate the depressed classes.

Ans. Ambedkar described the conditions as follows

(a) Dalits or the depressed classes were not in a position to sustain themselves.

(b) They were both socially and economically handicapped.

Ans. Dr. BR Ambedkar sought some share in the political power for the depressed classes. It would help them get protection. He asked for reservations in elections for depressed classes and tribes and it was allowed by the Constitution.

Ans.