II. Short Answer Type Questions
1. Write a note on the Sapta Sindhava.
Answer: Sapta Sindhava means "Land of the Seven Rivers." It is mentioned in the Rigveda and refers to the north-western region of the Indian subcontinent. The seven rivers include the Sindhu (Indus) and its tributaries. This region was the early home of the Vedic people and the centre of the Vedic civilisation.
2. What does the Mahabharata tell us about "Bharata"?
Answer: The Mahabharata tells us that the country was named Bharata after King Bharata, a great and powerful ruler. It also uses the name Bharatavarsha, meaning "the land of Bharata."
3. Write in short about the origin of the term "Jambudvipa".
Answer: The word Jambudvipa comes from the Jambu (Jamun) tree. Ancient Indian texts believed that a large Jamun tree grew in this land, so the Indian subcontinent was called Jambudvipa, meaning "the island (or land) of the Jambu tree."
4. Name the different foreign powers that came to India.
Answer: The important foreign powers that came to India were:
Persians
Greeks
Chinese
Arabs
Turks
Mughals
Europeans (Portuguese, Dutch, French, and British)
III. Long Answer Type Questions
1. Describe the information we get about ancient India from the Mahabharata.
Answer: The Mahabharata is one of the greatest epics of ancient India. It provides valuable information about the history, society, culture, and traditions of ancient India.
It tells us that:
The country was called Bharata after King Bharata.
The name Bharatavarsha was used for the Indian subcontinent.
Ancient India had many kingdoms ruled by kings.
People followed different customs, traditions, and religious practices.
The epic describes the famous Kurukshetra War between the Kauravas and the Pandavas.
It teaches important values such as truth, courage, honesty, duty (dharma), and justice.
2. Discuss the different names that the Chinese gave to India.
Answer: Chinese travellers and Buddhist monks gave India different names over time.
Tianzhu – An ancient Chinese name for India, used by early Chinese travellers.
Shendu – Another old Chinese name derived from the word Sindhu.
Yindu – The modern Chinese name for India.
Chinese pilgrims such as Faxian (Fa-Hien) and Xuanzang (Hiuen Tsang) visited India to study Buddhism and wrote detailed accounts of Indian society, religion, and culture.