Maharashtra Board Class 11 History Chapter 4 Vedic Period Solutions

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

 

Question 1. The importance of agriculture is clearly emphasised in the ______________ mandala of the Rigveda.
(a) 4th
(b) 10th
Answer: (a) 4th
In simple words: The fourth book or mandala of the Rigveda contains hymns that specifically highlight the importance of farming and agricultural activities.

🎯 Exam Tip: Remember that the 4th mandala of the Rigveda is dedicated to agriculture, which shows how important farming was to the early Vedic people.

 

Question 2. A potter is mentioned as an artisan in the ______________ for the first time.
(a) Rigveda
(b) Yajurveda
(c) Samaveda
(d) Atharvaveda
Answer: (b) Yajurveda
In simple words: The Yajurveda is the ancient Indian text that first mentions potters as skilled craftsmen or artisans.

🎯 Exam Tip: Remember that Yajurveda contains details about various occupations and crafts of the Vedic period, making it a key source for early social history.

 

Question 3. The god who protected the animals was known as ______________
(a) Indra
(b) Pushan
(c) Ashwin
(d) Varun
Answer: (b) Pushan
In simple words: Pushan was the Vedic deity responsible for the safety and protection of cattle and other domestic animals.

🎯 Exam Tip: Associate Pushan directly with pastoral life and animal protection to easily recall this answer in exams.

 

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

 

Question 1.

Set ‘A’	Set ‘B’
(a) Nishka	Gold ornament
(b) Barley	Maincrop of the Vedic people
(c) Krishtya	The apparatus of drawing water from the well
(d) Navya	River transport

Answer: Incorrect pair: (c) Krishtya - The apparatus of drawing water from the well.
Correct pair: Krishtya - Cultivators/Ploughmen (The apparatus for drawing water from a well was called 'Asmachakra').
In simple words: The word 'Krishtya' refers to the people who cultivate the land, not the tool used to pull water from a well.

🎯 Exam Tip: Carefully match each Vedic term with its exact meaning; 'Krishtya' comes from the root 'Krish' which means to till or cultivate the soil.

1C. Write the Names

 

Question 1. A branch of linguistics.
Answer: Philology. This scientific study of language history helps us trace how modern languages developed from ancient roots.
In simple words: Philology is the study of how languages grow and change over time by looking at old written records.

🎯 Exam Tip: Remember that philology specifically deals with the history of languages and literary texts.

 

Question 2. A battle was fought among the ten tribal chiefs.
Answer: Dasharajnya Yuddha. This historic conflict is famously described in the Rigveda as the Battle of Ten Kings.
In simple words: Dasharajnya Yuddha was a famous ancient battle fought between ten tribal kings.

🎯 Exam Tip: Mentioning that this battle is recorded in the Rigveda will help you secure full marks.

 

Question 3. Cultivable land prepared by ploughing.
Answer: Urvara. This term refers to fertile agricultural land that has been tilled and made ready for sowing crops.
In simple words: Urvara is the ancient term used for fertile land that is ploughed and ready for farming.

🎯 Exam Tip: Be sure to spell 'Urvara' correctly as historical terms are crucial for scoring well.

 

2. Complete the Concept Map Given Below:

 

Question 1. Complete the concept map of Early Vedic Culture:
Answer:
Early Vedic Culture:

• Tribes: Jana
• Dashradnya Yuddha: Battle of Ten Kings
• Means of Livelihood: Agriculture and Animal Husbandry
• Deities: Indra, Agni, Varuna

This completed map highlights the key aspects of life during the Early Vedic period.
In simple words: This map shows the main parts of Early Vedic life, including their tribes, battles, jobs, and gods.

🎯 Exam Tip: When completing concept maps, ensure each category is filled with accurate historical terms from your textbook.

Question. Complete the concept map for Early Vedic Culture.
Answer:
Early Vedic Culture:

• Tribes: Puru, Anu, Yodu, Druhya, Turvash etc.
• Means of livelihood: Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, Chariot makers, Carpenters etc.
• Darsharaynya Yuddha: Battle of ten tribal chiefs
• Deities: Ashwins, Indra, Varuna, Pushan

This structured classification helps us understand the social, economic, and religious aspects of the early Vedic civilization.
In simple words: The early Vedic culture is defined by its tribes, livelihoods like farming, battles like the war of ten kings, and gods like Indra and Varuna.

🎯 Exam Tip: Memorize the four main branches of the Vedic culture concept map to easily score full marks in diagram-based questions.

 

Choose the Correct Reason and Complete the Sentence

 

Question 1. Panis were looked upon as enemies by the Vedic people because-
(a) they belonged to a different tribe.
(b) their language was impure.
(c) Panis used to steal the cattle of the Vedic people.
(d) Panis did not obey the orders of the Vedic people.
Answer: (c) Panis used to steal the cattle of the Vedic people.
In simple words: The Vedic people disliked the Panis because the Panis would steal their valuable cows and cattle.

🎯 Exam Tip: Cattle were highly valued as wealth in Vedic times, which is why cattle-stealing was considered a major offense.

 

State Your Opinion

 

Question 1. There is a debate about the original home of the Aryans.
Answer:

• The debate began in the 16th Century. Till then the concept of the ‘Aryans’ was not known.
• The European academics became aware of the similarities between Sanskrit and Latin-Greek languages.
• This resulted in the notion of the Indo-European language family which gave momentum to the search for a Mother language from which developed the Indo-European languages.

This linguistic connection led researchers to propose various geographical regions as the homeland of the ancestral speakers.
In simple words: Scholars noticed that Sanskrit and European languages like Greek and Latin are very similar. This made them wonder where the original language and its speakers came from, starting a big debate.

🎯 Exam Tip: Mention the 16th-century timeline and the connection between Sanskrit and Latin-Greek languages to secure maximum marks.

Question 2. The Rigvedic people subsisted on agriculture.
Answer:
• The Rigvedic tribal settlements have been mentioned as ‘Krishtya’ in the Rigveda. ‘Krish’ means ploughing.
• Hence the people who ploughed and also their settlements were mentioned as ‘Krishtya’.
• The importance of agriculture is clearly emphasised in the 10th mandala of Rigveda.
• It states that for the farmer his ploughshare is the means of obtaining food and livelihood. This highlights how deeply their daily survival was tied to farming.
In simple words: The Rigvedic people relied heavily on farming for their living, and their ancient texts contain many terms and hymns that show how important ploughing and agriculture were to them.

🎯 Exam Tip: Mention the specific Rigvedic terms like 'Krishtya' and 'Krish' to show a precise understanding of the text and score full marks.

 

5. Explain the Following Concepts

 

Question 1. Origin of Aryan people.
Answer:
• There are multiple unanswered questions, such as, who were the Aryans, did they arrive in India from a distant place or were they natives of India, which are the archaeological sites where the remains of their culture are found, how to identify those remains, etc.
• Most of the information about their culture is derived from Vedic literature. There are various v opinions about the chronology of the Vedic culture.
• However, there is a general agreement that the Vedic people composed Rigveda in India around 1500 B.C.E.
• However, Lokmanya Tilak calculated this date as 6000 B.C.E. on the basis of astronomical events.
• He was also of the opinion that the original home of the Aryans was in the Arctic region.
• This debate began in the 16th century. Till then the concept of the ‘Aryans’ was not known. Modern genetic and archaeological studies continue to provide new perspectives on this historical puzzle.
In simple words: There is a lot of debate about where the Aryan people originally came from and when they lived, with different scholars proposing different theories based on ancient texts and astronomy.

🎯 Exam Tip: Clearly state the different dates proposed by scholars, especially Lokmanya Tilak's calculation of 6000 B.C.E., to write a comprehensive answer.

 

Question 2. Indo-European family of languages.
Answer: The Indo-European family of languages is a major language family that includes most of the languages of Europe, the Iranian plateau, and the northern Indian subcontinent. Languages like Sanskrit, Greek, Latin, Persian, German, and English belong to this family. Scholars believe these languages share a common ancestral origin. This linguistic connection helps us understand ancient migration patterns across continents.
In simple words: This is a large group of related languages that includes Sanskrit, English, Spanish, and Hindi, which all share a common ancestral language.

🎯 Exam Tip: List at least three languages belonging to this family, such as Sanskrit, Latin, and English, to secure maximum marks.

Filippo Sassetti

• In the year 1583, an Italian merchant by the name of Filippo Sassetti came to Kochi (Cochin) the port city in Kerala.
• He never returned to his motherland. He stayed in Kerala and Goa. During his stay, he wrote detailed letters to his family members about Indian life, language and culture. He happens to be the first European who wrote about his observations of Indian society.
• He also studied Sanskrit. He was the first one who observed the similarities between Sanskrit and Latin.
• His observations could be said to be the first, to give impetus to the notion of a family of Indo-European languages.