CBSE Class 6 Social Science Advanced What, Where, How and When Short Answer Questions Set 01

Short Answer Questions

Question 1. Write down the importance of Himalayas for us ?
Answer:
The Great Himalayas guard India in the north, like a huge wall. Armies from the north found it very hard to cross them, so very few invasions came from that side.
The high mountains thus helped India to stay safe and to develop its own culture in peace.
The mountains also give rise to great rivers such as the Indus, the Ganga and the Brahmaputra which water the plains.
In simple words: The Himalayas protect India from the north and feed its rivers.

Teacher's Note:
1. The book stresses the Himalayas as a natural barrier.
2. Compare it with the north-west, where low passes allowed invaders in.

Question 2. Discuss why it is important to study our past?
Answer:
What we are today is the result of the past. To understand any country we must go back to its roots.
Many of our beliefs and traditions began long ago, and we have inherited many good things from the past.
Ancient history shows how different groups mixed to form the Indian people, teaches religious tolerance as Hindus, Buddhists and Jains lived in harmony, and shows the value of unity under the name Bharata.
It also warns us against the caste system, which often weakened social unity.
In simple words: The past explains the present and teaches us lessons.

Teacher's Note:
1. Give two or three points with examples in the exam.
2. Link tolerance, unity and the warning about the caste system.

Question 3. How did India get its name?
Answer:
The name India comes from the river Indus, called Sindhu in Sanskrit.
About 2500 years ago the Iranians and the Greeks, who entered from the north-west, knew the river as Hindos or Indos. The land to the east of the Indus came to be called India.
The other well-known name, Bharat, is found in the Rigveda.
In simple words: India is named after the river Indus (Sindhu).

Teacher's Note:
1. Write the chain: Sindhu, then Hindos/Indos, then India.
2. Mention both names, Bharat and India.

Question 4. What are the sources of History ?
Answer:
Historians use two main kinds of sources.
1. Archaeological sources: material remains, inscriptions, monuments (and artefacts) and coins.
2. Literary sources: religious literature, secular literature and the accounts of foreign travellers.
In simple words: Sources are either archaeological (objects) or literary (writings).

Teacher's Note:
1. The flow chart of sources in the chapter is a quick way to remember this.
2. Add one example under each head.

Question 5. State the importance of historical sources.
Answer:
Sources let us form an idea of our ancient culture and of the people who lived here.
They show that ordinary people such as herders, farmers, merchants and craftsmen lived very differently from rulers. Kings lived in palaces and recorded their battles and pleasures, but farmers, who struggled to earn a living, kept no records.
Because of this difference, some historians say that we have not one past but many pasts.
In simple words: Sources show how different groups lived, so we learn many pasts.

Teacher's Note:
1. The idea of 'many pasts' is the key point.
2. Contrast the life of kings with that of farmers.