Very Short Answer Type Questions
CBSE Class 12 – History
Part II: Themes in Indian History – Part II
Chapter 3: Kinship, Caste and Class – Early Societies
Board: CBSE Board Examinations
I. Social Structure and Kinship
Q1. What is meant by kinship?
Kinship refers to relationships based on blood, marriage, or adoption.
Q2. Which type of family system was common in early India?
Patriarchal family system.
Q3. How was descent generally traced?
Through the male line.
Q4. What role did kinship play in society?
It determined inheritance, social identity, and power.
Q5. What is lineage?
A group of people tracing descent from a common ancestor.
II. Marriage and Inheritance
Q6. What is endogamy?
Marriage within the same caste or social group.
Q7. Why was marriage important in early societies?
It maintained social order and lineage.
Q8. Who generally inherited property?
Sons.
Q9. What was stridhana?
Property given to women at marriage.
Q10. Why were inheritance rules important?
They ensured continuity of family property.
III. Varna System and Caste
Q11. How many varnas are mentioned in texts?
Four.
Q12. Name the four varnas.
Brahmanas, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and Shudras.
Q13. Which varna was associated with learning?
Brahmanas.
Q14. Who were Kshatriyas?
Rulers and warriors.
Q15. What was the role of Vaishyas?
Agriculture, trade, and pastoralism.
Q16. Who served the other varnas?
Shudras.
Q17. What is caste also known as?
Jati.
Q18. Was varna system rigid in practice?
No, actual practices were more complex.
IV. Gender Roles and Patriarchy
Q19. What does patriarchy mean?
Male dominance in family and society.
Q20. Who controlled property in patriarchal society?
Men.
Q21. What roles were idealised for women?
Domestic duties and obedience.
Q22. Could elite women exercise influence?
Yes, especially in royal households.
Q23. Why was women’s sexuality controlled?
To ensure lineage purity.
V. Slavery and Social Inequality
Q24. Did slavery exist in early India?
Yes.
Q25. Who could become slaves?
War captives, debtors, and the poor.
Q26. What work did slaves perform?
Domestic and agricultural labour.
Q27. Was slavery permanent?
Not always; freedom was sometimes possible.
Q28. What caused social inequality?
Caste, class, and gender differences.
VI. The Mahabharata as a Source
Q29. What is the Mahabharata?
An epic describing social and political life.
Q30. Was the Mahabharata written by a single author?
No, it was composed over several centuries.
Q31. How was the Mahabharata transmitted?
Orally before being written down.
Q32. What does the Mahabharata reveal about kinship?
Conflicts over succession and lineage.
Q33. Does the epic show social conflicts?
Yes.
VII. Historians and Interpretation
Q34. Do texts describe ideal or real society?
Mostly ideal social norms.
Q35. Why must texts be read critically?
They reflect values, not uniform practices.
Q36. What other sources support texts?
Inscriptions and archaeology.
VIII. Additional Revision Questions
Q37. What defined social status?
Birth and occupation.
Q38. Who controlled political power?
Elite male groups.
Q39. What regulated marriage rules?
Social and caste norms.
Q40. What ensured family continuity?
Inheritance rules.
Q41. What limited social mobility?
Caste system.
Q42. Who had limited rights?
Women and Shudras.
Q43. What shaped social duties?
Varna system.
Q44. What reflected lived reality?
Jati system.
Q45. What maintained social order?
Kinship and caste norms.
Q46. What justified hierarchy?
Religious texts.
Q47. What controlled women’s roles?
Patriarchal values.
Q48. What created inequalities?
Unequal access to resources.
Q49. What helps historians reconstruct society?
Texts and material evidence.
Q50. What shaped early societies?
Kinship, caste, and class.
Q51. What influenced social identity?
Family and caste.
Q52. What restricted women’s freedom?
Social norms.
Q53. What regulated occupations?
Caste system.
Q54. What shows social debates?
The Mahabharata.
Q55. What helps in board revision?
Very short questions.