Timeline and Sources of History Class 6 Question Answer Social Science Chapter 4
NCERT Class 6 Social Science SST Chapter 4 Timeline and Sources of History Questions and Answers Solutions
Timeline and Sources of History Class 6 Questions and Answers (In-Text)
The Big Questions (Page – 59)
Question 1.
How do we measure historical time?
Answer:
We measure historical time using calendars and timelines. Both of these things tell us about the exact date or year for a particular event of the past.
Question 2.
How can various sources help us understand history?
Answer:
Various sources, like old buildings, written records, stories, old coins, etc., help us learn about the past. These sources tell us about the lives of the people and the social structure of that particular time; not only this, these sources also tell us about their culture, the type of material that was used and many other things are revealed by studying these sources carefully.
Question 3.
How did early humans live?
Answer:
Early humans lived in groups and moved around to find food. They hunted animals and gathered plants to eat. They made tools from stones and used fire to cook and stay warm. Over time, they started farming, settled near rivers and built communities. This helped them to grow food, raise animals, and create villages.
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Think About It
Question 4.
What is the earliest memory you can recollect? Do you remember how old you were at that time? Those memories together are a part of your past, maybe going five or six years back.
Answer:
Do it yourself.
Question 5.
How do you think understanding the past will help us understand the present world? (Medium)
Answer:
Understanding the past helps us make sense of the present. It answers questions like why things are the way they are today and why we do things the way we do, and by understanding the past, we can also learn how things changed over time.
Page – 63
Let’s Explore
Question 6.
Such calculations are simple, but there is a catch. In the Gregorian calendar, there is no ‘year zero’. The year 1 CE follows immediately the year 1 BCE. Draw a simple timeline marking every year from 2 BCE to 2 CE ; you will see that because of the absence of a year zero, only 3 years have passed between those two dates.
Answer:
2 BCE → 1 BCE → 1 CE → 2 → CE
Question 7.
Practice a few examples with your classmates. For example, to return to the question about the Buddha, suppose, we are now in the year 2024 CE , then the Buddha was born 560+2024-1=2,583 years ago.
Answer:
(i) Years between 300 BCE from the current year 2024 CE?
300 + 2024 – 1 = 2,323
(ii) Years between 50 BCE and 150 CE ?
50+150-1=199
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Question 8.
Create a timeline stretching from 1900 CE to the current year and place the dates of birth of your grandparents, parents, siblings and yourself. Also, mark the years that the 20th century CE begins with and ends with.
Answer:
Question 9.
Do you know how calendars have been traditionally made in India? Many Indian calendars rely on the positions of the Sun and the Moon to define the months of the year. A Panchangas is a book of tables which lists the days of each month along with related astronomical data; for instance, it precisely predicts events like solar and lunar eclipses, times for sunrise and sunset, etc. Panchangas, still widely used in India, often also give weather predictions for the year, dates and timings of festivals, and more.
Answer:
In India we follow four types of calendars, which are:
- Vikram Samvat or the Hindu lunar calendar.
- Saka Samvat or the Hindu Solar calendar.
- Hijri Calendar or the Islamic lunar calendar.
- Gregorian Calendar or the Scientific solar calendar.
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Let’s Explore
Question 10.
Can you collect information about at least three generations of your family on your mother’s and father’s sides? Create a family tree with your parents, grandparents and great-grandparents. Find out their names, what they did for a living and where they were born. Also, write the sources from where you got this information.
Answer:
Do it yourself.
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Think About It
Question 11.
Have you ever seen old coins, books, clothes, jewellery or utensils in and around your house? What type of information can we gain from such objects? Or from old houses or buildings?
Answer:
(i) Coins: They tell us what kind of currency was used in the past and what material was used to make it. Coins even provide information about the rulers or governments of that time.
(ii) Books: Through books, we can get information about what people read and wrote about in the past. They can show us the language, knowledge, and ideas that were important during that time. Books might also tell about important historical events and personalities.
(iii) Clothes: We can know about the fashion, fabric, and materials used in the past by analysing old clothes. They can also tell us about the climate, traditions, and social status of the people who wore them.
(iv) Jewellery: Jewellery can reveal the craftsmanship, skills and materials that were valued in the past. Sometimes, it even tells about the cultural or religious symbols that were important to people of that particular time.
(v) Utensils: Old utensils can highlight the daily life and eating habits of people in the past. They can also tell us about the material that was prevalent back then.
(vi) Old Houses or Buildings: Old houses or buildings can provide information about the architecture, construction methods, and materials used in the past. They can also tell us about the way people lived and what structures were important to people.
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Let’s Explore
Question 12.
There are a few images of different sources of history on the next page. Who and what do you think the objects show? Write down in the boxes next to the images any information that you get from these objects.
Answer:
- Coin: This is a coin, probably made of gold, featuring ¿in image. This image is likely of the ruler under whose reign the coin was issued.
- Inscriptions: These are inscriptions engraved on a wall. They depict the culture and attire of the people from that particular era.
- Emblem: This is an emblem, which is also the national symbol of India. It is considered a sculpture and portrays the artistic skills of the people from the past.
Page 70.
Let’s Explore
Question 13.
In the above picture, look at some activities of early humans in a rock shelter. Which ones can you recognise? Give a brief description for each.
Answer:
In the picture, many activities of early humans in a rock shelter can be recognised, a few of which are:
- Some early humans are seen drawing some figures on the walls of the cave. These drawings likely represent their daily lives, beliefs, culture, or surroundings, serving as an early form of communication and expression.
- Others are burning a fire, possibly to keep themselves warm or to cook their food. Fire was essential for survival, providing warmth, light, and a means to prepare food.
- Another group is engaged in making tools using stones. These tools were used for hunting and gathering food.
- One group is even collecting beads, using which they are making ornaments for themselves.
(Based on your observation, you can add other points also.)
Page 71.
Question 14.
Observe the scene on the next page. It depicts an agricultural community from a few millenniums ago. List the main activities you can identify.
- Key activities can be identified as foLlows: Some people are actively engaged in harvesting and gathering the produce of agricultural land.
- Domesticated animals, including livestock grazing on grass. AdditionaUy, a dog is seen, likely kept to help protect the animals and monitor the surroundings.
- A woman is seen cooking food.
- Children are playing nearby.
- A man is cutting wood. (Based on your observation, you can add other points also.)
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Think About It
Question 15.
Both in this earlier picture of a rock shelter and in this one, men and women are given certain roles. While they may appear to be ‘natural’, they are not necessarily correct and do not cover all situations. For instance, in a rock shelter, women may have helped prepare colours for painting the rock or may have done some of the painting. In both scenes, men may have done some of the cooking helped take care of children. Keeping in mind that we have only limited information, think about such roles and situations, and discuss in class.
Answer:
Class activity.
(Points to remember – It’s important to remember that our understanding of the past is limited, and we should consider that both men and women could have shared various tasks. There might have been no division of labour, and it’s possible that they worked together in many ways that we don’t fully understand.)
Class 6 SST Timeline and Sources of History Question Answer (Exercise)
Question 1.
As a project, write the history of your family (or village if you live in one), using sources of history at your disposal. Ask your teacher to guide you.
Answer:
Do it yourself.
(Hints – Sources like old photographs, diaries, birth artificates, educational degrees and other important documents can be used. You can even interview people to collect information.)
Question 2.
Can we compare historians to detectives? Give reasons for your answers.
Answer:
Yes, we can compare historians to detectives. Just like detectives, historians also look for clues to solve mysteries. Detectives use evidence to figure out what happened in a crime, whereas historians use sources like old books, artefacts, and inscriptions to understand what happened in the past. Both detectives and historians ask questions, investigate, and piece together information to find the truth and the hidden truth.
Question 3.
A few exercises with dates:
(i) Place these dates chronologically on the timeline: 323 CE 323 BCE, 100 CE, 100 BCE, 1900 BCE, 1090 CE, 2024 CE .
(ii) If King Chandragupta was born in 320 CE , which century did he belong to? And how many years was that after the Buddha’s birth?
(iii) Rani of Jhansi was born in 1828. Which century did she belong to? How many years was that before India’s Independence?
(iv) Turn ‘12,000 years ago’ into a date.
Answer:
(ii) King Chandragupta was born in the 4 th century CE.
Buddha is believed to have been born around 560 BCE.
320+560-1=879
So, King Chandragupta ( 320 CE ) was born approximately 879 years after Buddha’s birth.
(iii) Rani of Jhansi was born in the 19th century. India gained independence in 1947.
1947-1828=119
So, Rani of Jhansi was born 119 years before India’s Independence.
(iv) Taking the current year as 2024 CE, 12,000 years from the present year would be 2024-12,000=9976 BCE.
Question 4.
Plan a visit to a nearby museum: the visit should be prepared with some prior research on the kind of exhibits the museum holds. Keep notes during the visit. Write a brief report afterwards, highlighting what was unexpected / interesting / fun about the visit and the exhibits.
Ansswer:
Do it yourself.
Question 5.
Invite to your school an archaeologist or a historian and ask them to speak on the history of your region and why it’s important to know it.
Answer:
Do it yourself.