What, Where, How and When? quiz

Hunter-gatherers lived for several hundred thousand years along the banks of the:

Farming of wheat and barley began about 8000 years ago in the:

The earliest cities grew about 4700 years ago along the:

Magadha was located along the rivers:

Writings on hard surfaces like stone or metal are called:

The word "India" comes from the river:

The name Bharata was used for a group of people in the:

CE stands for:

Manuscripts were often written on:

People who study objects from the past such as tools, pots and buildings are:

Why did people in the past travel from one place to another? Give two reasons. (2 marks)

What is the difference between a manuscript and an inscription? (2 marks)

Why were manuscripts difficult to preserve? (2 marks)

What does BCE mean? Give an example of a date in BCE. (2 marks)

Why did the earliest farmers settle near rivers? (2 marks)

Name two things archaeologists study to learn about the past. (2 marks)

Why is the past studied? Give two reasons. (2 marks)

How did the Iranians and Greeks refer to the Indus? (2 marks)

What languages were many manuscripts written in? (2 marks)

Why do historians sometimes use the term "subcontinent" for this region? (2 marks)

The cities on the Indus grew about 4700 years ago. Taking the present as 2000 CE, in which year BCE did they grow? (3 marks)

An inscription is dated 500 BCE. How many years ago was it made from 2025 CE, counting simply by adding? (3 marks)

Arrange these dates from earliest to latest: 300 CE, 1500 BCE, 100 BCE, 1200 CE, 2700 BCE. (3 marks)

Magadha became powerful about 2500 years ago and farming began about 8000 years ago. How many years apart are these events? Which happened earlier? (3 marks)

A museum has 600 objects from the past: 150 manuscripts, 90 inscriptions and the rest archaeological finds. How many are archaeological finds? What percentage are inscriptions? (3 marks)

Read the passage and answer the questions. Rasheeda was reading a newspaper when she asked her brother, "How do we know what happened so long ago?" Her brother explained that historians use different sources, including manuscripts, inscriptions and objects found by archaeologists. (i) Name the three types of sources mentioned. (ii) Which source would tell us about a king's victory carved on a pillar? (iii) Which source would include pots and tools? (5 marks)

Read the passage and answer the questions. Archaeologists dig under the surface of the earth to find remains of buildings made of stone and brick, paintings and sculptures. They also find tools, weapons, pots, pans, ornaments and coins. Bones of animals, birds and fish help find out what people ate. (i) What do archaeologists look for? (ii) How do bones help in knowing the past? (iii) Why is digging done carefully? (5 marks)

Read the passage and answer the questions. Manuscripts were usually written on palm leaf or on the specially prepared bark of a tree known as the birch, which grows in the Himalayas. Over the years, many manuscripts were eaten away by insects, some were destroyed, but many have survived in temples and monasteries. (i) Name two materials used for manuscripts. (ii) Why have many manuscripts been lost? (iii) Where have many survived? (5 marks)

Read the passage and answer the questions. The kingdom of Magadha grew strong about 2500 years ago along the Ganga and its tributary, the Son, in present-day Bihar. Its rulers were very powerful and set up a large kingdom. (i) Along which rivers was Magadha located? (ii) In which present-day state was it located? (iii) Why were rivers important for kingdoms? (5 marks)

Read the passage and answer the questions. Dates are counted from the birth of Jesus Christ, which is taken as the starting point. Dates before this are written as BCE and are counted backwards, while dates after it are written as CE. (i) Which is earlier, 200 BCE or 100 BCE? (ii) How are BCE dates counted? (iii) Why is a common system of dates useful? (5 marks)

On an outline map of the subcontinent, mark the places where early people lived, farmed and built cities. Describe what happened at each place and when. (6 marks)

Explain the different sources used to study the past: manuscripts, inscriptions and archaeological remains. Draw a chart with two examples of each and the information they provide. (6 marks)

Draw a timeline showing 8000 years ago, 4700 years ago, 2500 years ago and the present. Mark the important developments and explain how BCE and CE dates are counted. (6 marks)

Explain how the names India and Bharata came to be used for our country. Draw a sketch map showing the Indus river and the north-west region. (6 marks)

Explain why people travelled in the past and how this helped in the exchange of ideas. Draw a flowchart showing reasons for travel and its effects. (6 marks)