Class 6 Social Science Chapter 5 India, That Is Bharat Practice Paper 1

Class: VI Subject: Social Science Session: 2025-26 Chapter: 05 - India, That Is Bharat Time: 1½ Hours Max. Marks: 40

General Instructions:

1. All questions are compulsory.

2. This question paper contains 20 questions divided into five sections A, B, C, D and E.

3. Section A contains 10 MCQs of 1 mark each.

4. Section B contains 4 questions of 2 marks each.

5. Section C contains 3 questions of 3 marks each.

6. Section D contains 1 question of 5 marks.

7. Section E contains 2 Case Study Based questions of 4 marks each.

SECTION A - Multiple Choice Questions (1 mark each)

Q1. What is the meaning of 'Sapta Sindhava'?
(a) Land of seven seas
(b) Land of seven rivers
(c) Land of seven mountains
(d) Land of seven kingdoms

Q2. Which ancient Indian text is considered India's most ancient text?
(a) Mahābhārata
(b) Viṣhṇu Purāṇa
(c) Ṛig Veda
(d) Arthaśāstra

Q3. The word 'Jambudvīpa' means:
(a) Island of pearls
(b) Island of the fruit of the jamun tree
(c) Island of gold
(d) Island of spices

Q4. Emperor Aśhoka lived around:
(a) 500 BCE
(b) 250 BCE
(c) 100 CE
(d) 500 CE

Q5. The Indian Constitution uses which phrase at its beginning?
(a) India, that is Hindustan
(b) India, that is Bharat
(c) India, that is Jambudvīpa
(d) India, that is Sindhu

Q6. The first foreigners to mention India were:
(a) Greeks
(b) Chinese
(c) Persians
(d) Romans

Q7. The ancient Greeks named India as:
(a) Sindhu
(b) Hindu
(c) Indoi or Indike
(d) Yindu

Q8. Xuanzang was a traveller from:
(a) Persia
(b) Greece
(c) China
(d) Arabia

Q9. The term 'Bhāratavarṣha' means:
(a) Land of rivers
(b) Land of mountains
(c) The country of the Bharatas
(d) Land of the south

Q10. Which region was called Prāgjyotiṣha in ancient times?
(a) Kashmir
(b) Assam
(c) Bengal
(d) Kerala

SECTION B - Short Answer Questions (2 marks each)

Q11. Name two ancient texts that mention the term 'Bhāratavarṣha'.

Q12. Explain how the name 'India' originated from 'Sindhu'.

Q13. What were the natural boundaries of the Indian Subcontinent as described in the Viṣhṇu Purāṇa?

Q14. Why did the Chinese use the term 'Tianzhu' for India?

SECTION C - Short Answer Questions (3 marks each)

Q15. Describe how different civilizations gave different names to India based on the word 'Sindhu'.

Q16. What regions of India are mentioned in the Mahābhārata? Name any five with their modern equivalents.

Q17. Explain the significance of Xuanzang's visit to India in the 7th century CE.

SECTION D - Long Answer Question (5 marks)

Q18. Discuss the various names given to India by its ancient inhabitants. Explain the meaning and significance of at least three such names.

SECTION E - Case Study Based Questions (4 marks each)

Q19. Read the following passage and answer the questions: "The Ṛig Veda is India's most ancient text; as we will see in Chapter 7, it is several thousand years old. It gives the northwest region of the Subcontinent the name 'Sapta Sindhava', that is, the 'land of the seven rivers'. The word 'Sindhava' comes from 'Sindhu', which refers to the Indus River, or at times to a river in general."
(a) What is the significance of the Ṛig Veda in Indian history? (1 mark)
(b) What does 'Sapta Sindhava' mean? (1 mark)
(c) Explain the connection between 'Sindhu' and 'Sindhava'. (2 marks)

Q20. Read the following passage and answer the questions: "The first foreigners to mention India were the Persians, the ancient inhabitants of Iran. In the 6th century BCE, a Persian emperor launched a military campaign and gained control of the region of the Indus River, which, as we saw, was earlier called 'Sindhu'. So, it is no surprise that in their earliest records and stone inscriptions, the Persians referred to India as 'Hind', 'Hidu' or 'Hindu'."
(a) Who were the first foreigners to mention India? (1 mark)
(b) What did the Persians call India? (1 mark)
(c) Why did the Persian emperor gain control of the Indus region? (2 marks) DETAILED ANSWER KEY - PAPER 01

SECTION A - Answers to MCQs

Ans 1.
(b) Land of seven rivers The Ṛig Veda gives the northwest region of the Subcontinent the name 'Sapta Sindhava', which means the 'land of the seven rivers'. Ans 2.
(c) Ṛig Veda The Ṛig Veda is India's most ancient text and is several thousand years old. Ans 3.
(b) Island of the fruit of the jamun tree 'Jambudvīpa' means 'the island of the fruit of the jamun tree', which is a common tree native to India. Ans 4.
(b) 250 BCE Emperor Aśhoka lived around 250 BCE and left many inscriptions that provide valuable historical information.

Ans 5.
(b) India, that is Bharat The Indian Constitution uses the phrase 'India, that is Bharat' at the beginning. The Hindi version mentions 'Bhārat arthāth India'. Ans 6.
(c) Persians The first foreigners to mention India were the Persians, the ancient inhabitants of Iran, in the 6th century BCE. Ans 7.
(c) Indoi or Indike The ancient Greeks named the region 'Indoi' or 'Indike'. They dropped the initial letter 'h' of 'Hindu' because this letter did not exist in their Greek language. Ans 8.
(c) China Xuanzang travelled from China to India in the 7th century CE, visited many parts of India, and collected Buddhist texts.

Ans 9.
(c) The country of the Bharatas 'Bhāratavarṣha' means 'the country of the Bharatas'. 'Bharata' is a name that first appears in the Ṛig Veda. Ans 10.
(b) Assam Prāgjyotiṣha roughly corresponds to today's Assam, as mentioned in the Mahābhārata.

SECTION B - Answers to Short Answer Questions

Ans 11. Two ancient texts that mention the term 'Bhāratavarṣha' are: (i) Mahābhārata: This epic uses the terms 'Bhāratavarṣha' and 'Jambudvīpa' to refer to the Indian Subcontinent. (ii) Viṣhṇu Purāṇa: This ancient text describes Bhārata as "the country that lies north of the ocean and south of the snowy mountains." Ans 12. The name 'India' originated from 'Sindhu' through the following transformations: Step 1: The ancient Indians called the Indus River 'Sindhu'. Step 2: The Persians adapted it to 'Hindu' in their language.

Step 3: The Greeks borrowed from Persian sources and named it 'Indoi' or 'Indike', dropping the 'h' as this letter did not exist in Greek. Step 4: The Latin name 'India' developed from the Greek version, which eventually became the English name 'India'. Ans 13. According to the Viṣhṇu Purāṇa, the natural boundaries of the Indian Subcontinent were: Northern boundary: The snowy mountains (Himalayas) Southern boundary: The ocean (Indian Ocean) This description defines Bhārata as "the country that lies north of the ocean and south of the snowy mountains." Ans 14.

The Chinese used the term 'Tianzhu' for India because: Origin: The word was derived from 'Sindhu' (following the pattern: Sindhu → Hindhu → Indu → Yindu). Special meaning: 'Tianzhu' could also be understood as 'heavenly master' in Chinese. Significance: This reflected the respect the ancient Chinese had for India as the land of the Buddha.

SECTION C - Answers to Short Answer Questions

Ans 15. Different civilizations gave different names to India based on the word 'Sindhu': (i) Persian adaptation: The Persians called India 'Hind', 'Hidu' or 'Hindu', adapting the Sanskrit word 'Sindhu' to their language. (ii) Greek adaptation: The Greeks named it 'Indoi' or 'Indike'. They dropped the initial 'h' from the Persian 'Hindu' because this letter did not exist in Greek language. (iii) Chinese adaptation: The Chinese referred to India as 'Yintu' or 'Yindu', following the transformation: Sindhu → Hindhu → Indu → Yindu.

(iv) Later development: The term 'Hindustān' first appeared in a Persian inscription about 1,800 years ago and became widely used by invaders to describe the Indian Subcontinent. Ans 16. The Mahābhārata mentions many regions of India. Five regions with their modern equivalents are: (i) Kāshmīra - More or less today's Kashmir (ii) Kurukṣhetra - Parts of Haryana today (iii) Vanga - Parts of Bengal (iv) Prāgjyotiṣha - Roughly today's Assam (v) Kaccha - Today's Kutch (vi) Kerala - More or less today's Kerala (Any five are acceptable) These regions show that the Mahābhārata covered the entire geography of the Subcontinent.

Ans 17. Xuanzang's visit to India in the 7th century CE was significant for several reasons: (i) Duration and extent: He travelled from China to India and stayed for 17 years, visiting many parts of the country. (ii) Scholarly exchange: He met Indian scholars and learned about Indian philosophy, religion, and culture. (iii) Collection of texts: He collected numerous Buddhist texts and manuscripts from India. (iv) Translation work: After returning to China, he translated the Sanskrit manuscripts into Chinese, helping preserve and spread Buddhist teachings.

(v) Cultural bridge: His journey established a cultural bridge between India and China, and several other Chinese scholars followed his example to visit India over the centuries.

SECTION D - Answer to Long Answer Question

Ans 18. The ancient inhabitants of India gave various names to their land, each with its own meaning and significance: (i) Sapta Sindhava (Land of Seven Rivers): • This is one of the earliest names found in the Ṛig Veda, India's most ancient text. • It refers to the northwest region of the Subcontinent. • The word 'Sindhava' comes from 'Sindhu', which means the Indus River or a river in general. • This name highlights the importance of rivers in ancient Indian civilization. (ii) Jambudvīpa (Island of the Fruit of the Jamun Tree):

• This name appears in the Mahābhārata and other ancient texts. • It means 'the island of the fruit of the jamun tree'. • The jamun (jambul/Malabar plum) is a common tree native to India. • Emperor Aśhoka used this name in his inscriptions around 250 BCE to describe the whole of India. • At that time, it included what is today Bangladesh, Pakistan, and parts of Afghanistan. (iii) Bhāratavarṣha/Bhārata (Country of the Bharatas): • This name appears in the Mahābhārata and later became the most widely used name.

• 'Bhāratavarṣha' means 'the country of the Bharatas'. • 'Bharata' first appears in the Ṛig Veda as one of the main Vedic groups of people. • The Viṣhṇu Purāṇa describes it as "the country that lies north of the ocean and south of the snowy mountains." • This name remains in use today as 'Bharat' in north India and 'Bharatam' in south India. • The Indian Constitution uses the phrase 'India, that is Bharat' at its beginning. Significance: • These names show that ancient Indians had a clear geographical understanding of their land.

• They recognized natural boundaries like the Himalayas in the north and oceans on three sides. • The continuity of the name 'Bhārata' from ancient times to today demonstrates India's unbroken cultural heritage.

SECTION E - Answers to Case Study Based Questions

Ans 19.
(a) Significance of the Ṛig Veda (1 mark): The Ṛig Veda is India's most ancient text, several thousand years old, and provides the earliest written information about ancient Indian civilization, culture, and geography.
(b) Meaning of 'Sapta Sindhava' (1 mark): 'Sapta Sindhava' means 'the land of the seven rivers', referring to the northwest region of the Indian Subcontinent.
(c) Connection between 'Sindhu' and 'Sindhava' (2 marks): • 'Sindhu' refers to the Indus River or, at times, to a river in general.

• 'Sindhava' is derived from 'Sindhu', meaning 'of the Sindhu' or 'of the river'. • The word 'Sapta Sindhava' combines 'Sapta' (seven) with 'Sindhava' to describe the region of seven rivers. • This shows how river names played a crucial role in identifying geographical regions in ancient India. Ans 20.
(a) First foreigners to mention India (1 mark): The first foreigners to mention India were the Persians, the ancient inhabitants of Iran.
(b) Persian names for India (1 mark): In their earliest records and stone inscriptions, the Persians referred to India as 'Hind', 'Hidu' or 'Hindu'.

(c) Reason for Persian control (2 marks): • In the 6th century BCE, a Persian emperor launched a military campaign to expand his empire. • He gained control of the region of the Indus River (called 'Sindhu' by ancient Indians). • This military conquest was part of the Persian Empire's expansionist policy. • The Persians adapted the name 'Sindhu' to their language as 'Hindu', which became the basis for many later names for India used by foreign civilizations.