Timelines and Sources of History – Case-based Questions with Answers
Class 6
Social Science
Theme B — Tapestry of the Past — Chapter 4: Timelines and Sources of History
Jump to Cases
Exam-ready • Classroom use
CBSE — Assessment Overview
- Case-based questions test application of knowledge to short source-extracts or scenarios.
- Expect interpretation, use of evidence and short reasoning in answers.
- These cases are compact and designed to develop source-based answers.
Content Bank — Focus Areas
Timelines, BCE/CE, primary & secondary sources, manuscripts, coins, inscriptions, oral traditions, artefacts, dating, corroboration, bias and classroom strategies.
Case 1
A teacher shows a coin bearing the name of a ruler and a symbol of a ship. Students are asked what this suggests.
Q: What two pieces of information can historians infer from this coin?
A: (1) The ruler's identity and approximate period (from the name). (2) Evidence of trade or maritime contacts (from the ship symbol), indicating economic links with other regions.
Case 2
An inscription on a temple pillar records a land grant made 'in the third year of King X'.
Q: How would this inscription help build a timeline?
A: The regnal year gives a relative date for the grant. If King X’s reign is known from other sources, historians can place the event in a timeline; combining with other dated inscriptions provides a clearer chronology.
Case 3
A manuscript describing farming techniques is copied many times over centuries, showing slight changes in language.
Q: What challenges and values does this manuscript present to historians?
A: Value: It reveals agricultural knowledge and continuity. Challenge: Copying introduces changes—historians must use palaeography and compare versions to reconstruct the original content and date the copies.
Case 4
Villagers recall a story about a seasonal flood that destroyed fields, passed down over generations.
Q: How should historians treat this oral tradition?
A: As valuable local memory that can indicate past floods. But it must be corroborated with physical evidence (flood deposits, river changes) or written records to confirm details and avoid myth-based conclusions.
Case 5
Archaeologists find pottery fragments in deeper layers than coins found nearby.
Q: What does stratigraphy suggest here and how does it help dating?
A: Deeper pottery layers are relatively older than shallower coin layers. Stratigraphy helps establish sequence (relative dating); if coins have known dates, they can anchor the chronology of the pottery layers.
Case 6
A temple inscription praises a king’s victories but omits a rebellion recorded in a neighbouring region’s chronicle.
Q: Why might accounts differ and how should students answer questions about such contradictions?
A: Inscriptions often promote rulers' prestige and may omit defeats (bias). Students should note bias, compare sources (inscriptions vs. chronicles), and seek corroborating evidence before concluding.
Case 7
A coin with bilingual inscriptions is found in an inland site.
Q: What can bilingual coins indicate about cultural or trade links?
A: They suggest contact between different language communities—trade, administration or diplomacy—and help date cross-cultural interactions when matched with other finds.
Case 8
A handwritten chronicle mentions a comet in a certain king’s reign.
Q: How could astronomic events help historians date events?
A: Astronomic events like comets or eclipses can often be precisely dated astronomically; matching such mentions to known events gives an absolute anchor for the chronicle’s date.
Case 9
A student finds two different manuscripts of a poem with different spellings and a missing stanza in one copy.
Q: What steps would a historian take to use these manuscripts as evidence?
A: Compare variants, study handwriting (palaeography) to date copies, note omissions/additions, and consider which version may be closer to the original—use external evidence where possible.
Case 10
A coastal town’s records mention goods like spices and textiles sent to distant ports.
Q: Which sources would you consult to confirm these trade links and why?
A: Consult port records, merchants’ accounts, coins showing foreign metals, foreign travellers’ accounts, and archaeological finds (foreign pottery) to corroborate trade evidence from multiple angles.
Case 11
A newly discovered inscription has a date expressed in regnal years of a local king unfamiliar to historians.
Q: How can historians convert regnal years to a common date system?
A: By finding other sources mentioning the same king with synchronisms (e.g., overlaps with known rulers, astronomical events or coins) and then converting regnal years to BCE/CE using those anchors.
Case 12
An old map shows a river course different from today’s river path.
Q: What might explain this change and how would students relate it to human activity?
A: Rivers change course naturally (meandering) or due to human intervention (canals, dams). Students should link map evidence with geological studies and historical records of irrigation works to explain shifts.
Case 13
A stone inscription uses lofty language praising a ruler; a farmer's letter from same time mentions heavy taxes.
Q: How do these two sources offer different perspectives?
A: Inscriptions reflect official/political views (glorification), while personal letters provide everyday experiences (tax burden). Together they give balanced insight—official claim vs. popular reality.
Case 14
A classroom activity shows a timeline with uneven spacing where very long periods are compressed.
Q: Why might a timeline use unequal scales and what caution should students take?
A: Unequal scales are used for clarity when covering both long and short periods; students must read the scale carefully to avoid misinterpreting durations.
Case 15
Remains of a building with inscriptions are found alongside imported pottery from another region.
Q: What combined conclusions can be drawn from inscriptions and imported pottery?
A: Inscriptions may identify builders or dates; imported pottery indicates trade links. Together they show both local administration and external contacts—strengthening historical interpretation.
Case 16
A local elder describes a festival linked to a historical event, but there is no written record.
Q: How might historians use such oral evidence cautiously?
A: Use it as a clue to search for material evidence (temple foundation, inscriptions) and compare with regional records; treat details cautiously and seek corroboration due to possible alterations over time.
Case 17
Two sources disagree about the date of a king’s accession—one lists regnal year 101, another 102.
Q: What approach should a student present in answer to resolve the conflict?
A: Explain possible reasons (different calendars, copying errors), seek additional sources (coins, inscriptions), and suggest the most supported date with reasons, noting remaining uncertainty.
Case 18
A British travel writer’s 19th-century account describes customs of a local community.
Q: What are the strengths and weaknesses of using such an account?
A: Strengths: Contemporary outsider observations can record customs now changed or lost. Weaknesses: Writer's bias, misunderstanding local context, or colonial viewpoint—thus must be cross-checked with local sources.
Case 19
A stone inscription is partly damaged so the ruler's name is unclear.
Q: How can historians attempt to recover or verify the missing information?
A: Use context (titles, dates, script style), compare with other inscriptions, consult coins and literary references, and use imaging techniques or expert palaeography to reconstruct letters.
Case 20
Students are asked to prepare a short answer: "How do we know about the past?" using examples.
Q: Provide a concise model answer combining sources and methods.
A: We know about the past through primary sources (inscriptions, coins, manuscripts, artefacts) and secondary sources (books, articles). Historians analyse, date and corroborate sources—e.g., an inscription naming a king plus a coin of the same ruler helps date events; archaeology and oral traditions add further evidence.
© NCERT-aligned case-based content for CBSE Class 6 Social Science. Adapt as needed for classroom and exam practice.