India, That is Bharat – Short Answer Type Questions
Class 6
Social Science
Theme B — Tapestry of the Past — Chapter 5: India, That is Bharat
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Exam-ready • Classroom use
CBSE — Assessment Overview
- Short answer questions (2–4 marks) test understanding and concise explanation.
- Prepared strictly according to the NCERT Class 6 syllabus.
- Each answer is brief, clear and exam-focused.
Content Bank — Chapter Highlights
Geography of India, major political developments, evolution of boundaries, cultural heritage, sources of history, trade and cultural exchange, colonial impact and modern reorganisation.
A. Geography & Natural Features (Q1–10)
Q1. Define 'subcontinent'.
Answer: A large landmass that is part of a continent but distinct due to physical features; India is a subcontinent of Asia.
Q2. What role did the Himalayas play in India’s history?
Answer: They acted as a natural barrier, influencing climate, protecting regions and affecting migrations and invasions.
Q3. Why are the Indo-Gangetic plains important?
Answer: They have fertile soil and supported early agriculture, large populations and urban growth.
Q4. Name one feature of the Deccan Plateau.
Answer: It is an elevated region with rich mineral resources and distinct regional cultures.
Q5. How did coasts influence ancient India?
Answer: Coasts enabled maritime trade, cultural exchange and the growth of ports and coastal cities.
Q6. What is a river basin? Give an example.
Answer: Land drained by a river and its tributaries; example: the Ganga basin.
Q7. How does geography affect cultural diversity?
Answer: Varied landscapes led to isolated communities and different languages, customs and traditions.
Q8. Why were rivers important for early settlements?
Answer: Rivers provided water for farming, transport and supported trade and cities.
Q9. What are island groups of India used for historically?
Answer: They served as strategic ports, trade stopovers and habitats with unique cultures.
Q10. Give one reason mountains influence political boundaries.
Answer: Mountains create difficult terrain, acting as natural borders that are hard to cross and easy to defend.
B. Early Political Units & Empires (Q11–20)
Q11. What is a kingdom?
Answer: A territory ruled by a monarch such as a king or queen.
Q12. Name one major ancient empire in India.
Answer: The Maurya Empire.
Q13. How did empires impact culture?
Answer: Empires promoted cultural exchange, spread languages, religions and administrative systems across regions.
Q14. What is a regional kingdom? Give an example.
Answer: A smaller state ruling a specific area after empire decline; example: Cholas in South India.
Q15. What was a princely state under the British?
Answer: A region ruled by local royalty under British suzerainty with internal autonomy but external matters controlled by the British.
Q16. How did forts help rulers?
Answer: Forts provided defence, administrative centres and control over surrounding lands.
Q17. Why did large empires form? Give one reason.
Answer: Through conquest and alliances, rulers united territories to control trade routes and resources.
Q18. What is annexation?
Answer: Adding territory to a state by conquest or treaty.
Q19. Name one administrative achievement of ancient empires.
Answer: Development of road networks and systems of taxation (e.g., Mauryan administration).
Q20. How did trade strengthen kingdoms?
Answer: Trade brought wealth that funded armies, public works and patronage of arts.
C. Changing Boundaries & Modern Reorganisation (Q21–30)
Q21. What caused boundary changes in ancient times?
Answer: Conquests, migrations, treaties and changing political power led to boundary shifts.
Q22. What was the Partition of 1947?
Answer: Division of British India into the independent nations of India and Pakistan.
Q23. What does 'state reorganisation' mean?
Answer: Redrawing internal state boundaries, often to reflect linguistic or administrative needs.
Q24. When was India reorganised on linguistic lines?
Answer: Major reorganisation started with the States Reorganisation Act of 1956.
Q25. Name a state formed recently (after 2000).
Answer: Telangana (formed in 2014).
Q26. How can treaties affect boundaries?
Answer: Treaties formally set or change borders between states and settle disputes.
Q27. What is an international boundary? Give an example.
Answer: A border between countries; e.g., India–Pakistan border.
Q28. Why are some boundaries disputed?
Answer: Due to unclear mapping, historical claims or competition for resources.
Q29. What is migration and how did it affect boundaries?
Answer: Movement of people; mass migrations (like in 1947) changed population patterns and political claims.
Q30. Give one effect of boundary changes on communities.
Answer: They can cause displacement, cultural mixing or tensions between groups.
D. Cultural Heritage & Exchange (Q31–40)
Q31. Define 'cultural heritage'.
Answer: The legacy of monuments, traditions, arts and practices passed through generations.
Q32. Name one famous monument of India.
Answer: The Taj Mahal.
Q33. What is intangible cultural heritage? Give an example.
Answer: Non-physical traditions like music or oral stories; example: folk songs.
Q34. How did trade influence Indian culture?
Answer: Trade brought foreign goods, ideas and artistic styles that influenced local art and customs.
Q35. What are local crafts? Give an example.
Answer: Handmade regional products like pottery, weaving or metalwork; example: Kanjeevaram weaving.
Q36. How do festivals show cultural diversity?
Answer: Different regions celebrate varied festivals reflecting religious and cultural traditions.
Q37. Why conserve monuments?
Answer: To protect history, promote tourism and educate future generations.
Q38. What role did ports play in cultural exchange?
Answer: Ports connected India to foreign traders, introducing new ideas, goods and religions.
Q39. What is an archaeological site? Give an example.
Answer: A place where remains of past human activity are found; example: Harappa.
Q40. How do languages contribute to heritage?
Answer: Languages carry literature, traditions and identity of communities.
E. Sources & Methods for Studying History (Q41–50)
Q41. Name two main types of historical sources.
Answer: Primary sources (e.g., inscriptions) and secondary sources (e.g., textbooks).
Q42. What is an inscription?
Answer: Writing carved on durable materials like stone or metal recording events or grants.
Q43. How do coins help historians?
Answer: They show rulers' names, dates and trade links useful for dating events.
Q44. Define archaeology in one line.
Answer: The study of past human life through material remains found by excavation.
Q45. Why compare different sources?
Answer: To corroborate facts, reduce bias and build reliable historical accounts.
Q46. What is palaeography (simple)?
Answer: The study of ancient handwriting to read and date manuscripts.
Q47. Give one limitation of oral traditions.
Answer: They may change over time and include myths, requiring corroboration.
Q48. What is stratigraphy used for?
Answer: To study soil layers at archaeological sites and establish relative dates of finds.
Q49. How can historians check the reliability of a source?
Answer: Ask who made it, when and why; compare with other independent sources.
Q50. What is one exam tip for answering 'How do we know?' questions?
Answer: Mention a specific source (e.g., inscription) and add a line on its reliability or limitation.
These 50 short answer questions and answers follow NCERT Class 6 Chapter 'India, That is Bharat' and are suitable for CBSE-style revision and classroom practice.
© NCERT-aligned study content for CBSE Class 6 Social Science. Adapt as needed for classroom use.