P.P.Publication NCERT WORKSHEETS
Exploring Society: India and Beyond
Textbook of Social Science Class 8
A. Multiple Choice Questions
For questions 1-10, select the correct alternative.
1. What lasting impact did Aurangzeb’s long wars in the Deccan have on the Mughal Empire?
(A) They led to a cultural renaissance and the construction of many monuments.
(B) They created a lasting peace and alliance with the southern kingdoms.
(C) They depleted the empire’s treasury and put a great strain on the administration.
(D) They resulted in the permanent shift of the Mughal capital to the Deccan.
Answer: (C) They depleted the empire’s treasury and put a great strain on the administration.
2. Aurangzeb crowned himself emperor in 1658 and named himself:
(A) Jizya
(B) Alamgir
(C) Himu
(D) Ashwapati
Answer: (B) Alamgir
3. The Hoysalas ruled primarily in:
(A) Bengal
(B) Karnataka
(C) Punjab
(D) Rajasthan
Answer: (B) Karnataka
4. Which dynasty was defeated at the Battle of Talikota (1565)?
(A) Bahmani
(B) Vijayanagara
(C) Mughals
(D) Khiljis
Answer: (B) Vijayanagara
5. Babur established the Mughal Empire after which battle?
(A) Battle of Khanwa
(B) First Battle of Panipat (1526)
(C) Second Battle of Panipat (1556)
(D) Battle of Haldighati
Answer: (B) First Battle of Panipat (1526)
6. The Battle of Saraighat (1671) was fought between the Mughals and:
(A) Marathas
(B) Rajputs
(C) Ahoms
(D) Sikhs
Answer: (C) Ahoms
7. The Khalsa was formed in:
(A) 1526
(B) 1565
(C) 1699
(D) 1707
Answer: (C) 1699
8. Which ruler of Mewar refused to accept Mughal suzerainty and became the face of Rajput resistance?
(A) Amar Singh
(B) Karan Singh
(C) Jagat Singh
(D) Maharana Pratap
Answer: (D) Maharana Pratap
9. Todar Mal was known for reforms in:
(A) Art
(B) Literature
(C) Revenue system
(D) Military tactics
Answer: (C) Revenue system
10. The Vitthala Temple is located at:
(A) Konark
(B) Hampi
(C) Delhi
(D) Agra
Answer: (B) Hampi
B. Assertion-Reason Questions
In the questions given below, there are two statements marked as Assertion (A) and Reason (R). Read the statements and choose the correct option.
- Assertion (A): Aurangzeb reimposed jizya tax.
Reason (R): He aimed to promote religious equality.
(A) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A
(B) A is correct but R is incorrect
(C) A is incorrect but R is correct
(D) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A
Answer: (B) A is correct but R is incorrect
- Assertion (A): Babur used artillery and gunpowder in the First Battle of Panipat.
Reason (R): This gave him an advantage over the Lodis.
(A) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A
(B) A is correct but R is incorrect
(C) A is incorrect but R is correct
(D) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A
Answer: (A) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A
C. State True/False:
- Aurangzeb, who belonged to Islam’s Sunni sect, was deeply religious.
Answer: True
- Ala-ud-din Khilji introduced market reforms and controlled prices.
Answer: True
- The Ahoms belonged to present-day Gujarat.
Answer: False
- Muhammad bin Tughlaq’s token currency plan was a huge success.
Answer: False
- When Akbar finally broke into the Chittorgarh Fort, hundreds of Rajput women committed Jauhar.
Answer: True
D. Very Short Answer Type Questions
Answer to each question should not exceed 40 words.
- Name the foreign traveller who left a detailed record of his stay in Vijayanagara capital comparing the place to Rome. Why were these travellers very well treated in Vijayanagara?
Answer:
1) Domingo Paes was a foreign traveller who left a detailed record of his stay in the Vijayanagara capital, comparing the place to Rome.
2) Foreign travellers visited Vijayanagara for trade. Portuguese travellers, in particular, were very well treated as they came to sell horses, and the king did not want them to go and sell those precious horses to enemy kingdoms.
2. Why did Rajput women commit jauhar?
Answer: Rajput women committed Jauhar to avoid being captured and enslaved.
3. What was the jizya tax, and how did it impact non-Muslims?
Answer: Some of the sultans imposed the jizya, a tax on non-Muslim subjects, to grant them protection and exemption from military service. In practice, depending on the ruler, this discriminatory tax could be a source of economic burden and public humiliation, and it formed a financial and social incentive for subjects to convert to Islam.
4. Why is introduction of token currency by Muhammad bin Tughlaq considered to be poorly executed?
Answer: Because this created confusion in trade and encouraged people to counterfeit copper coins, which caused the economy to decline.
E. Short Answer Type Questions
Answer to each question should not exceed 60 words.
- How did Aurangzeb come to the throne after Shah Jahan’s reign?
Answer: Aurangzeb defeated Dara Shikoh in a series of battles and eventually executed him, presenting his severed head to their father. Aurangzeb also removed his two other brothers—he had one arrested and executed, and drove the second into exile. To prevent further challenges to his rule, Aurangzeb imprisoned his father until his death. Aurangzeb crowned himself emperor in 1658 and named himself ‘Alamgir’, or Conqueror of the World.
2. ‘Aiming at greater control and efficiency, Akbar reorganised his administrative machinery.’ Elaborate.
Answer: Aiming at greater control and efficiency, Akbar reorganised his administrative machinery. The Diwan took care of the finances, while the Mir Bakhshi looked after military matters, and the Khan-i-Saman was in charge of public works, trade, industry, and agriculture, besides the royal household. The Sadr was responsible for justice, religious, and educational matters. Such ministers were assigned to each of the empire’s twelve provinces (subahs), which were further subdivided with effective checks and balances enforced between the government officials and the traditional structures at the village level.
3. What does Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib in Chandni Chowk, Delhi, signify?
Answer: The Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib in Chandni Chowk—a famous shopping area in Delhi—is a place of worship in Sikhism. This particular site marks where Guru Tegh Bahadur, the ninth Sikh Guru, was beheaded by Aurangzeb in 1675. This historic Gurudwara is uniquely honoured by the Sikh Regiment, which has saluted it before the President in the Republic Day parade each year since 1979. It stands as a powerful symbol of faith and sacrifice in Indian history.
F. Long Answer Type Questions
Answer to each question should not exceed 120 words.
1. ‘Despite shifting political powers between the 13th and 17th centuries, India witnessed vibrant economic activity, thanks to its agrarian foundations, thriving artisanal industries, community-based and temple-based economies, and extensive trade networks.’ Elaborate. Answer:
- Building on decentralized economic and social systems such as shrenis (guilds), jatis (professionally defined communities), and systems for credit, the subcontinent remained one of the wealthiest regions in the world.
- The Sultanate period saw some progress in infrastructural work, especially roads in North India, bridges, a few canals, and other irrigation works. Apart from the creation of new cities, all of these expanded considerably during the Mughal period.
- Coins in several metals and denominations were introduced as currency. The Mughals used a different system, with a rupaya of silver and dam of copper.
- Agriculture was the mainstay of the Indian economy.
2. Describe the administration under the Delhi Sultanate. Answer: (Note: The student’s written answer describes economic activities rather than administration, but here is the corrected transcription of what was written):
- The expansion in irrigation systems increased agricultural productivity, allowing for the production of multiple crops.
- Apart from textiles, craftspeople made a wide range of products from weapons to utensils to ornaments and jewellery items. Ship-building, essential to rulers and overseas trade, developed considerably in those centuries.
G. Case-Based Question
Read the source given below and answer the questions that follow:
Because of their location in northwest India and the proud traditions they inherited from earlier dynasties (such as the Pratiharas, who had resisted the Arab invasions of Sindh a few centuries earlier), the Rajputs were often battling the invading forces from beyond the Subcontinent They had rebuilt their kingdoms after the Khiljis’ conquest, two major clans emerged in this process, in the Mewar and Marwar regions Inspirational stories of their heroic deeds are still told today, in particular through popular ballads. Among the valorous rulers those clans produced, Rana Kumbha was one. Rana Sanga (early 16th century) unified several Rajput clans, won many battles against sultans, ultimately meeting defeat against Babur at the Battle of Khanwa.) Although he inherited a wounded kingdom from his predecessors, Mewar’s ruler Maharana Pratap refused to accept Mughal suzerainty and became the face of Rajput resistance. A confrontation took place at the Haldighati pass in the Aravallis in 1576, and although the Mughal army had the upper hand, Maharana Pratap escaped and pursued for years guerrilla warfare against the Mughals from the Aravalli hills, living in harsh conditions but firm on his independence. It is noteworthy that Maharana Pratap received strong support from the Bhils, who not only joined his troops as archers but also contributed their knowledge of the terrain; their service (on other occasions too) earned them a respected place in Mewar’s military tradition, as the Mewar emblem shows.
- Why were the Rajputs often in conflict with invading forces from beyond the subcontinent?
Answer: Because of their location in northwest India and the proud traditions they inherited from earlier dynasties, such as the Pratiharas (who had resisted the Arab invasions of Sindh a few centuries earlier), the Rajputs were often battling invading forces.
2. Which two clans emerged after the Rajputs rebuilt their kingdoms after Khilji’s conquest?
Answer: They rebuilt their kingdoms after Khilji’s conquest, and two major clans emerged in this process in the Mewar and Marwar regions.
3. What kind of support did Maharana Pratap receive from the Bhils?
Answer: Maharana Pratap received strong support from the Bhils, who not only joined his troops as archers but also contributed their knowledge of the terrain. Their service earned them a respected place in the military tradition, as the Mewar emblem shows.
4. Who was Rana Sanga, and what were his contributions to the Rajput resistance in the early 16th century?
Answer: Rana Sanga (early 16th century) unified several Rajput clans and won many battles against sultans, ultimately meeting defeat against Babur at the Battle of Khanwa.