Maharashtra Board Class 11 History Chapter 1 First Farmers Solutions

1A. Choose the Correct Alternative and Write the Complete Sentences.

 

Question 1. “Yellow River” is the English translation of the Chinese name ____________
(a) Kemet
(b) Mother
(c) Sorrow
(d) Huang He
Answer: (d) Huang He
In simple words: The Yellow River is called "Huang He" in Chinese, where "Huang" means yellow and "He" means river.

🎯 Exam Tip: Remember that "Huang He" is the literal Chinese name for the Yellow River, while "Sorrow" and "Mother" are its popular nicknames.

 

Question 2. The Australian archaeologist ____________ coined the term ‘Neolithic Revolution’.
(a) Gorden Willey
(b) Gordon Childe
(c) Herodotus
(d) Collingwood
Answer: (b) Gordon Childe
In simple words: Gordon Childe was a famous archaeologist from Australia who first used the term 'Neolithic Revolution' to describe how humans started farming and living in settled communities.

🎯 Exam Tip: Associate Gordon Childe directly with the term 'Neolithic Revolution' to easily remember this fact for your exams.

 

Question 3. The neolithic people at Gilgal had systematically planted ____________ trees.
(a) guava
(b) sapodilla
(c) fig
(d) Indian blackberry
Answer: (c) fig
In simple words: Archaeologists found evidence that Stone Age people living in Gilgal planted fig trees on purpose to grow food.

🎯 Exam Tip: Gilgal is famous for early agricultural evidence of fig cultivation, so remember 'Gilgal' and 'fig' as a pair.

 

Question 4. ____________ in the Shirur taluka of Pune district is an important site of the village of Chalcolithic farmers in Maharashtra.
(a) Saradwadi
(b) Ranjangaon
(c) Pabal
(d) Inamgaon
Answer: (d) Inamgaon
In simple words: Inamgaon is a well-known ancient farming village in Pune that belongs to the Copper Age (Chalcolithic period).

🎯 Exam Tip: Inamgaon is one of the most intensively excavated Chalcolithic sites in India, making it a highly important topic for questions on early farming settlements.

 

1B. Find the Incorrect Pair from Set ‘B’ and Write the Correct Ones.

 

Question 1.

Question 1. Find the incorrect pair in the following table and write the correct one:

Set 'A'	Set 'B'
(1) The valley of Tigris and Euphrates	Mesopotamia
(2) The valley of Nile	Iran
(3) The valley of Huang He	China
(4) The valley of Sindhu (Indus) and Saraswati	Indian Subcontinent

Answer: The incorrect pair is: (2) The valley of Nile – Iran.
The correct pair is: (2) The valley of Nile – Egypt. The ancient Egyptian civilization flourished beautifully along the banks of the fertile Nile River.
In simple words: The Nile River valley is located in Egypt, not Iran. All the other pairs in the table correctly match the ancient river valleys with their respective regions.

🎯 Exam Tip: When correcting pairs, always write both the incorrect pair and the corrected version clearly to ensure you get full marks.

 

Complete the Concept Maps

 

Question 1. Complete the concept map showing the bead-making method and stages of production:

• Stage 1: [Blank]
• Stage 2: [Blank]
• Stage 3: [Blank]
• Stage 4: Manufacturing finished beads from the stones of irregular shape and the core of chank shells.

Answer: The completed stages of the bead-making production process are:
• Stage 1: Procuring the raw materials such as semi-precious stones and shells.
• Stage 2: Flaking and rough shaping of the stones into basic bead forms.
• Stage 3: Drilling holes, smoothing, and polishing the beads to give them a shiny finish.
• Stage 4: Manufacturing finished beads from the stones of irregular shape and the core of chank shells.
These systematic steps highlight the advanced craftsmanship of ancient artisans.
In simple words: Making beads in ancient times involved four main steps: gathering the raw stones, shaping them roughly, drilling holes and polishing them, and finally turning them into beautiful finished ornaments.

🎯 Exam Tip: Memorize the chronological order of the production stages, as examiners look for the correct sequence from raw material to finished product.

 

Explain the Following Statements with Reasons

 

Question 1. The camps of Mesolithic people developed into the first settled villages of neolithic people in Mesopotamia.
Answer:
• Mesopotamia is between the two rivers, Tigris and Euphrates.
• The Mesolithic people began to settle in the region (Mesopotamia) for a longer time, due to the availability of ample water.
• As both the rivers flooded annually, fertile soil was deposited on their banks.
• Ample water and fertile soil resulted in camps of Mesolithic people, who developed into the first settled neolithic villages, which grew wheat and barley. This agricultural transition marked a major turning point in human history.
In simple words: Mesopotamia had plenty of water and fertile soil from two rivers. This allowed people to stop moving around, settle down in one place, and start farming.

🎯 Exam Tip: When explaining the rise of settled villages, always highlight the role of rivers in providing water and fertile soil for farming.

 

Question 2. “Huang He’ river is considered to be the mother of the Chinese culture.
Answer:
• The yellow silt brought by the “Huang He’ river, earns her the name of “Yellow River” in English.
• The other names ‘River’ and ‘Mother’, indicate her extraordinary place in the Chinese culture.
• The name ‘River’ indicates her importance as a river.
• The Chinese culture evolved here, with wheat, foxtail millet, and rice being grown by neolithic farmers in the villages. These crops provided a stable food supply that supported a growing population.
In simple words: The Huang He river brought fertile yellow soil that helped early farmers grow crops easily. Because it supported the birth and growth of their civilization, the Chinese people respect it like a mother.

🎯 Exam Tip: Remember to mention the specific crops like wheat, millet, and rice to show a complete understanding of early Chinese agriculture.

 

Question 3. In the latter half of the neolithic age, Pottery-making had become an art that required special skills.
Answer:
• The neolithic pottery, in the beginning, was in monochrome, i.e., single colour with a burnished surface. Pots were polished by rubbing with a wooden or stone tool.
• Some pots had carved designs, using techniques of stamping and applique work. These beautiful designs showed the artistic creativity of the early craftsmen.
In simple words: In the later Neolithic period, making pots became a highly skilled craft. People did not just make plain pots; they polished them and decorated them with beautiful carved designs.

🎯 Exam Tip: Use terms like 'monochrome', 'burnished', and 'applique work' to secure full marks when describing Neolithic pottery techniques.

4. State Your Opinion

 

Question 1. There were radical changes in the way of human life during the neolithic age.
Answer:
• In the neolithic age, people lived settled lives with permanently occupied dwellings. This transition from a nomadic lifestyle to a settled one marked the beginning of modern human civilization.
• The common storage places of food grains indicated that transactions related to food production were centrally controlled.
• Hierarchical social and family structure and concept of inheritance have their roots in Neolithic times.
• Pottery making along with polished stone tools is an essential characteristic of neolithic culture.
• Beads of various types of siliceous stones and chank shells were made, indicating craft specialization and various classes of skilled artisans.
In simple words: During the Neolithic age, humans stopped moving around and started living in permanent homes. They began farming, storing food, making pottery, and developing organized social structures.

🎯 Exam Tip: Highlight key terms like 'settled lives', 'centralized control', and 'craft specialization' to show a comprehensive understanding of Neolithic advancements.

 

Question 2. The Neolithic people invented the wheel and the technology they had developed so far, underwent a revolution.
Answer:
• Neolithic people produced wheel-made pottery.
• Wheel technology made it possible to produce pottery on a large scale.
• The invention of the wheel made it possible to obtain raw material from distant places in lesser time. This technological leap significantly boosted their overall productivity and connectivity.
• It became easier to send the finished goods to distant markets, where it was in more demand.
• It helped to develop trade and commerce and transport on a greater scale.
In simple words: The invention of the wheel completely changed how people lived. It allowed them to make pottery much faster, transport heavy materials over long distances easily, and trade with far-away places.

🎯 Exam Tip: Explain how the wheel impacted both production (pottery) and distribution (trade and transport) to secure full marks.

Observe the Map on Page 2 of Your Textbook and Answer the Following Questions Based on It

Map Details:

• Continents: Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia
• Oceans: Arctic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Indian Ocean, Atlantic Ocean
• Seas: Mediterranean Sea
• Rivers: Nile, Tigris, Euphrates, Indus, Ganga, Brahmaputra, Huang He, Yangtze
• Ancient Civilisations: Egypt, Mesopotamia, Harappan Civilisation, China

 

Question 1. What is the name of the sea on the African continent?
Answer: The name of the sea on the African continent is the Mediterranean Sea. It lies to the north of Africa, separating it from Europe.
In simple words: The Mediterranean Sea is the large body of water located right at the northern border of Africa.

🎯 Exam Tip: Always capitalize proper nouns like 'Mediterranean Sea' and 'Africa' to ensure you get full marks for grammar.

 

Question 2. In which continent did Harappan civilization originate?
Answer: The Harappan civilization originated in the Continent of Asia. This ancient civilization flourished mainly in the northwestern regions of South Asia.
In simple words: The Harappan civilization started in Asia, specifically in the area where India and Pakistan are located today.

🎯 Exam Tip: Remember that the Indus Valley Civilization is another name for the Harappan civilization, which is located in Asia.

 

Question 3. What is the name of the ocean in the south of India?
Answer: The Indian Ocean is the name of the ocean in the south of India. It is the only ocean in the world named after a country.
In simple words: The ocean located directly below India is called the Indian Ocean.

🎯 Exam Tip: Clearly state 'Indian Ocean' as the key term in your answer, as this is the main keyword the examiner looks for.

6. Write Short Notes

 

Question 1. Neolithic ‘Jericho’
Answer:
• The Palestinian city of Jericho, on the banks of the River Jordan, is the first neolithic permanent settle’ in 9000 B.C.E.
• It started getting organized into a well-knit society by about 8000 B.C.E.
• The village had a protective wall around it, with a watchtower, giving evidence of an organized society.
• It is proved that cultivation began in Jericho, as discovered at Gilgal a site near Jericho.
• Laboratory analysis has proved that neolithic people had systematically planted fig cuttings.
• This stands to be the first attempt at planned cultivation. This early agricultural development laid the foundation for future civilizations in the region.
In simple words: Jericho is one of the oldest permanent human settlements where people built walls for safety and started farming. They even planted fig trees systematically, making it the earliest known organized farming community.

🎯 Exam Tip: Mention the geographical location (River Jordan) and the key archaeological evidence like the protective wall and watchtower to score full marks.

 

Question 2. ‘Holocene’ epoch
Answer:
• The last glacial period in the history of our planet came to an end about 12000-11000 years ago.
• This was the beginning of a new epoch, known as ‘Holocene’.
• With the beginning of the Holocene, glaciers began to melt, increasing the volume of water in rivers and oceans.
• As a result, the availability of animals and vegetation for food increased.
• The period witnessed the extinction of gigantic mammoth.
• A variety of fishes, small animals like goats, sheep, deer were available for food. This climatic shift allowed human populations to transition from nomadic hunting to settled agricultural lifestyles.
In simple words: The Holocene epoch started when the last Ice Age ended and glaciers melted. This warmer climate brought more water, plants, and small animals, making it easier for humans to find food and settle down.

🎯 Exam Tip: Remember to highlight the transition from the last glacial period to a warmer climate and the extinction of the mammoth as key features of this epoch.

7. Answer the Following Questions in Detail

 

Question 1. Write in detail about the ‘first farmers’ and the beginning of agriculture in India.
Answer: Archaeological evidence suggests that agriculture in India began during the Neolithic period, around 7000 B.C.E. Mehrgarh (now in Pakistan) is one of the earliest sites showing evidence of farming, where people cultivated barley and wheat and domesticated sheep and cattle. In the Indian subcontinent, early farming communities also developed in the Indus Valley, the Ganges basin, and Southern India, cultivating crops like rice and millets. This transition to farming marked the beginning of settled village life in India. These early agricultural practices laid the groundwork for the subsequent rise of the urban Harappan Civilization.
In simple words: Agriculture in India started thousands of years ago, with Mehrgarh being one of the earliest farming sites. People began growing crops like wheat, barley, and rice, and started living in permanent villages instead of moving around.

🎯 Exam Tip: Always mention Mehrgarh as the earliest agricultural site in the Indian subcontinent and list the primary crops grown like wheat, barley, and rice.

Important Points on Neolithic Villages

• Archaeological sites of Neolithic villages, which have been discovered prove that there were well-settled villages in the Indian subcontinent, as early, as 8000 B.C.E.
• Historian scholars generally agree that the Harappan cities evolved from these early villages.
• Barley was the main crop grown by the farmers in these villages, where wheat was grown on a smaller scale.
• The farmers in these villages were the ‘first farmers’ of the Indian Subcontinent. They lived in mud houses and domesticated cattle and goat-sheep.
• The transition from hunter-gatherer’s life to the beginning of cultivation spans through 10000–8700 B.C.E.
• The beginning of cultivation is also the beginning of the Neolithic age. The period also marked the domestication of animals along with cultivation.
• While wheat and flaxseeds were grown, barley was the main crop in this period.
• Modified composite tools like fishing harpoons, spears, and arrows were made. Blades known as microliths and tools like sickle and scythe were used for harvesting cereals and fruits.

 

Question 2. What knowledge was essential for the Neolithic people to make pottery?
Answer: The neolithic pottery, in the beginning, was in monochrome (single colour) with a burnished i.e., polished by running with a wooden or stone tool, surface. Some pots had carved designs. The techniques of stamping and applique work i.e., pasting wet clay ribbons and making patterns on them were also used. Painted designs on pots in the latter half of the neolithic age, made pottery art that required special skills. To master the art of pottery-making one needs to possess knowledge of the following things:
• To know the source of clay of excellent quality.
• To manage to obtain clay.
• To knead and prepare the clay for pottery production.
• To be able to turn the pot to the desired shape.
• To have artistic skills for decorating the pottery. These skills were passed down through generations, establishing a rich tradition of craftsmanship.
In simple words: To make pottery, Neolithic people needed to know where to find good clay, how to prepare it, and how to shape and decorate the pots. This required both physical labor and artistic skill.

🎯 Exam Tip: When answering this question, list the specific steps of pottery-making, such as sourcing, kneading, shaping, and decorating, to show a complete understanding of the craft.

 

Question 3. Write about the trade and transport in the Neolithic age.
Answer:
• In the latter half of the Neolithic age, people had started using beasts of burden for transporting goods.
• Tools like axes, scrapers, and chisels enabled neolithic people to cut trees and work on wood.
• Probably the round-shaped pieces of wooden logs were used as wheels, as they could easily gain momentum.
• The neolithic people invented the wheel and the technology they had developed so far underwent a revolution.
• The Neolithic people began to produce wheel-made pottery. The wheel technology made it possible to obtain the raw material from distant places in much lesser time.
• It became easier to send the finished goods to distant markets where it was more in demand.
• It helped to develop trade and transport on a greater scale. This expansion of trade networks laid the foundation for cultural exchange across different regions.
In simple words: In the Neolithic age, people started using animals and invented the wheel to carry goods. This made it much easier to transport materials and trade with faraway places.

🎯 Exam Tip: Highlight the invention of the wheel and the use of beasts of burden as key factors that revolutionized trade and transport.

 

Question 4. Write about the beginning of urbanization in the Neolithic age.
Answer:
• After settling down at one place for a long time, a feeling of ownership arose among neolithic people.
• This feeling was focused on their individual dwellings and the piece of land cultivated by them.
• With social organization and administration, the villages expanded. This gradual expansion and structured lifestyle eventually paved the way for the rise of early cities.
In simple words: As people stayed in one place, they began to own land and houses. Over time, organized rules and growing populations turned these small settlements into larger, organized villages.

🎯 Exam Tip: Explain how the concept of land ownership and social organization led to the growth of villages into early urban centers.

• Along with it, awareness of collective landholdings and the village boundaries became prominent.
• It was thus felt that the village community had a natural right over the immediate territory around the village periphery.
• This kind of awareness of natural rights over a particular region is known as ‘territoriality’.
• Rules and norms were created to manage the collective resources, water sources, crafts dependent on it, trade and community life, etc. Consequently, rituals and their details gained importance.
• The need of managing and keeping records of trade, rituals, writing, systems, and administrative machinery developed.
• It gave rise to administrative centers. Such administrative centers attract a large population that includes officials, people from various occupations.
• As a result, the periphery of the original settlement kept expanding and cities came into being.
• Thus, began the process of urbanization in the Neolithic age.

Activity (Textbook Page No. 9)

 

Question. Write in detail about any of the ancient civilizations.
Answer: Among the ten oldest civilizations in the world, Mesopotamian, Indus Valley, Egyptian and Chinese are well known. These ancient societies laid the foundational groundwork for modern human culture and governance.
1. The Mesopotamian Civilization:
Mesopotamia is the Greek name of the region between two rivers, Tigris and Euphrates. Meso means the ’middle one’ and Potamos means ’river’. The region between the two rivers is ’Mesopotamia’.
• Name of the Civilization: Mesopotamian civilization
• Period: 3500BC-500BC
• Original Location: Northeast by the Zagros mountains, Southeast by the Arabian Plateau
• Current Location: Iraq, Syria, and Turkey
• Meaning: Land between rivers (ancient Greek)
• Major Highlights:
    • The first civilization in the world.
    • People developed the idea of agriculture and started domesticating animals for both food and farming.
In simple words: Mesopotamia is one of the oldest civilizations in history, located between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. It is famous for being the place where people first started farming, building cities, and keeping written records.

🎯 Exam Tip: When describing ancient civilizations, always mention their geographical location, the rivers they were based around, and their major historical contributions to score full marks.

2. The Indus Valley Civilization:

• Name of the Civilization: Indus Valley civilization
• Period: 3300 BC-1900 BC
• Original Location: Around the basin of the Indus river
• Current Location: Northeast Afghanistan to Pakistan and northwest India
• Major Highlights:
  • One of the oldest civilizations in the world.
  • One of the three earliest civilizations along with Ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt.
  • Most widespread covering an area of 1.25 million kilometers. Also known as Harappan and Mohenjo-Daro civilization named after the excavation sites where the remains were originally found.
  • A sophisticated and technologically advanced urban culture. This culture was rich in arts and crafts.

 

3. The Ancient Egyptian Civilization:

• Name of the Civilization: Egyptian civilization
• Period: 3150 BC-30 BC
• Original Location: Banks of the Nile
• Current Location: Egypt
• Major Highlights:
  • Construction of Pyramids
  • One of the oldest and culturally rich civilizations and a majestic civilization on the banks of the River Nile is known for its Pharaohs, Pyramids, and the Sphinx.

 

4. The Chinese Civilization:

• Name of the Civilization: The Chinese civilization
• Period: 1600 BC -1046 BC
• Original Location: Yellow River and Yangtze region
• Current Location: Country of China

Major Highlights

• Agriculture in the Neolithic villages of China began around 7000 B.C.E.
• Wheat, foxtail millet, and rice were grown by farmers in these villages.
• The invention of paper and silk.