Q 1. Which of the following hominins is recognized as the first to migrate out of Africa, leaving behind tools like handaxes and cleavers in Asia and Europe?
(a) Homo habilis
(b) Homo neanderthalensis
(c) Homo erectus
(d) Homo sapiens
(c) Homo erectus
Q 2. In Mesopotamian trade records inscribed by Akkadian King Sargon, the term ‘Meluhha’ is generally identified by historians with which of the following?
(a) The Egyptian Civilisation
(b) Dilmun (Bahrain)
(c) The Sindhu–Sarasvatī Civilisation
(d) Magan (Oman)
(c) The Sindhu–Sarasvatī Civilisation
Q 3. The ancient Egyptians referred to their land as ‘Kemet’. What does this term translate to?
(a) The Golden Desert
(b) The Gift of the River
(c) The Land of the Pharaohs
(d) The Black Soil
(d) The Black Soil
Q 4. The Sumerian civilisation made immense contributions to mathematics and timekeeping. Their number system, which gave us the 60-minute hour and 360-degree circle, was based on the number:
(a) 10
(b) 12
(c) 60
(d) 100
(c) 60
Q 5. The earliest known agricultural village in the Indian subcontinent, dating back to 7000 BCE and known for sun-dried brick houses and early copper use, is located at:
(a) Kalibangan
(b) Attirampakkam
(c) Mehrgarh
(d) Isampur
(c) Mehrgarh
Q 6. Which Chinese dynasty is credited with unifying the country and giving the modern nation of “China” its name?
(a) Shang dynasty
(b) Zhou dynasty
(c) Qin (Ch’in) dynasty
(d) Han dynasty
(c) Qin (Ch’in) dynasty
Q 7. Which of the following is NOT true regarding the Chinese script?
(a) It is logographic.
(b) Characters represent entire words or morphemes.
(c) It was written using wedge-shaped marks on clay tablets.
(d) Some characters visually resemble the objects they represent.
(c) It was written using wedge-shaped marks on clay tablets.
Q 8. The transition phase between hunting-gathering and agriculture, characterized by the use of tiny stone tools (microliths), is called the:
(a) Palaeolithic Age
(b) Mesolithic Age
(c) Neolithic Age
(d) Chalcolithic Age
(b) Mesolithic Age
Q 9. The Babylonian King Hammurabi is best remembered in world history for:
(a) Unifying Upper and Lower Egypt
(b) Building the Step Pyramid at Saqqara
(c) Defeating the Hittites
(d) Compiling a comprehensive code of rules for civil and social conduct
(d) Compiling a comprehensive code of rules for civil and social conduct
Q 10. At 5 that the Early Harappans:
(a) Relied entirely on rainfall without irrigation.
(b) Practised double crop cultivation (like Rabi and Kharif).
(c) Used iron ploughs for farming.
(d) Did not know how to domesticate draft animals.
(b) Practised double crop cultivation (like Rabi and Kharif).
For the following questions, two statements are given—one labelled Assertion (A) and the other labelled Reason (R). Select the correct answer from the codes (a), (b), (c), and (d) as given below:
(a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
(b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.
(c) A is true but R is false.
(d) A is false but R is true.
Q 11. Assertion (A): The history of the Harappan Civilisation is primarily reconstructed through archaeological evidence rather than its written records.
Reason (R): The Harappan pictographic script, also known as Sindhu lipi, has not yet been deciphered.
(a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
Q 12. Assertion (A): The Neolithic period is often referred to as a “revolution” by historians.
Reason (R): It marked a fundamental shift from a nomadic hunting-gathering lifestyle to agriculture, animal domestication, and settled village life.
(a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
Q 13. Assertion (A): The Akkadian Empire was the first to establish a city-state system in Mesopotamia.
Reason (R): The Sumerians were the first to develop the cuneiform script around 3200 BCE.
(d) A is false but R is true.
Q 14. Assertion (A): There is abundant tangible evidence of direct trade and contact between the Egyptian civilisation and the Sindhu-Sarasvati civilisation.
Reason (R): Both civilisations were located in fertile river plains and existed during the Bronze Age.
(d) A is false but R is true.
Q 15. Assertion (A): The Egyptian calendar was incredibly precise for its time, consisting of 365 days.
Reason (R): It was developed by observing the annual floods of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.
(c) A is true but R is false.
Q 16. Assertion (A): Homo sapiens were the first to produce beads of stone, bone, and shell, and decorate cave walls with paintings.
Reason (R): The Late Palaeolithic period saw the development of symbolic communication and complex technologies like the bow and arrow.
(a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
Q 17. Assertion (A): The Chinese civilisation did not have a concept of money until the modern era.
Reason (R): A metal-based medium of exchange appeared during the Zhou dynasty, and China was the first country to introduce paper currency.
(d) A is false but R is true.
Q 18. Assertion (A): The invention of bronze metallurgy required the mixing of copper and tin.
Reason (R): The Chalcolithic Age preceded the Bronze Age and was characterized by the use of copper along with stone tools.
(b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.
Q 19. Assertion (A): The Great Wall of China was constructed rapidly within a single decade by the Han dynasty to protect the Silk Route.
Reason (R): The Silk Route became a major external trade network during the Han dynasty.
(d) A is false but R is true.
Q 20. Assertion (A): Scribes in Mesopotamian society held a very high status, similar to priests.
Reason (R): Cuneiform was a highly complex skill used to record myths, laws, trade, and administrative records.
(a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
Q 21. Fill in the Blanks:
1. The word palaeo means ‘old’, and the word lithic means ‘__________’.
2. The __________ script of ancient Egypt and the cuneiform script of Mesopotamia emerged around the same time as the Harappan civilisation but have been successfully deciphered.
3. Our earliest human-like ancestors, belonging to a group that evolved into modern humans, are biologically classified as __________.
4. In ancient Egypt, paper-like writing material was made by cutting, pressing, and drying the inner trunk of the __________ plant.
5. The process of drying a dead body with natron, wrapping it in linen, and burying it with rituals in Egypt is known as __________.
6. China’s early Neolithic and Bronze Age cultures flourished heavily along two major rivers: the Yangtze and the __________.
7. During the Zhou dynasty in China, rulers were believed to be appointees of __________, but they could be dismissed if their people did not prosper.
8. The period where humans transitioned to using microlithic (tiny stone) tools and saw the first-ever population explosion due to a warmer climate is the __________ Age.
9. The Harappans maintained strict trade efficiesncy by using a __________ multiple system (1, 2, 4, 8, 16) for weighing smaller units.
10. Before the Bronze Age, humans utilized copper alongside stone tools during a transitional phase called the __________ Age.
1. stone
2. hieroglyphic
3. hominins
4. papyrus
5. mummification
6. Huang He (or Yellow River)
7. heaven
8. Mesolithic
9. binary
10. Chalcolithic
Q 22. Distinguish between biological evolution and cultural evolution in the context of early human history.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit
- Biological Evolution: Refers to the slow, physical, and genetic mutations occurring over millions of years, through which early primates (australopithecines) physically transformed into modern human beings (Homo sapiens). Key milestones include walking upright, bipedalism, and changes in skull and brain capacity.
- Cultural Evolution: Refers to how humans cognitively and technologically adapted to changing climatic and environmental conditions during the Quaternary Period. Rather than waiting for biological changes to adapt, humans fabricated tools, developed shelters, mastered fire, and eventually developed farming to survive
Q 23. Explain the significance of the invention of writing. How does the decipherment of a script change our understanding of a civilisation? (Give examples of Harappa vs. Mesopotamia).
- Significance: Writing marks the transition from prehistory to history (~5000 years ago). It allowed early societies to document trade records, administrative accounts, legal codes, religious hymns, and stories, creating a permanent memory.
- How Decipherment Changes Understanding:
- Undeciphered (Harappa): Because we cannot read Sindhu lipi (the Harappan pictographic script), our understanding is limited and approximate. We rely entirely on archaeological objects (seals, pottery, weights), leaving the thoughts, laws, names, and specific events of the Harappans unknown.
- Deciphered (Mesopotamia): Because Sumerian Cuneiform is fully deciphered, we have incredibly precise information. Scribes left clay tablets recording their great myths (Epic of Gilgamesh), daily agricultural yields, treaties, and social laws (Code of Hammurabi), bringing their history to life
Q 24. Describe the geographical factors that contributed to the rise of an Administrative class and local government in ancient Egypt.
- The Nile Floods: Egyptian farming depended entirely on the River Nile’s annual summer floods, which left behind fertile black mud (Kemet).
- Need for Water Management: However, harnessing these floods required digging complex networks of ditches, canals, and reservoirs to store and distribute water, and building dams to protect villages.
- Rise of Local Government: Organizing, coordinating, and managing the collective labor required for these large-scale water projects was impossible without central coordination. This practical necessity led to the creation of rules, resource allocation, and a structured class of supervisors, birthing the earliest forms of local administration and government in Egypt
Q 25. What were the major technological and cultural advancements made by the Sumerians in Mesopotamia?
- Agricultural Engineering: The Sumerians were the first to construct complex systems of dikes, dams, and irrigation canals to farm the plains of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.
- Architectural Mastery: They pioneered the extensive use of mud and burnt brick construction to build durable houses, protective city walls, and massive stepped temple-towers known as Ziggurats.
- Writing and Mathematics: They invented Cuneiform writing on clay tablets around 3200 BCE. They developed a sexagesimal (base-60) numerical system, giving us the 60-second minute, 60-minute hour, and the 360-degree circle.
- Transportation: They invented the wheeled cart and the sailboat, which revolutionized transport and long-distance trade.
Q 26. The transition from the Palaeolithic to the Neolithic period is heavily documented as a turning point in human history. Discuss the major changes in tools, habitats, and subsistence methods that justify calling the Neolithic period a “Revolution.”
The transition from the Palaeolithic (Old Stone Age) to the Neolithic (New Stone Age) was a major turning point because humans changed from mainly food gatherers to food producers and began living more settled lives. This transformation is often called the “Neolithic Revolution.”
| Aspect | Palaeolithic | Neolithic |
|---|---|---|
| Tools | Rough, chipped stone tools such as hand-axes and scrapers | Polished and ground stone tools, including axes, adzes and sickles |
| Habitats | Mainly temporary camps, caves and rock shelters; highly mobile | Permanent or semi-permanent settlements with houses and villages |
| Subsistence | Hunting animals, fishing and gathering wild plants | Agriculture, animal domestication, hunting and gathering |
| Food production | No systematic production of food | Cultivation of crops and rearing of animals |
| Lifestyle | Predominantly nomadic | Increasingly sedentary |
| Other developments | Limited storage and material production | Pottery, weaving, food storage and more specialised crafts developed |
Q 27. Trace the development of early settlements in the Indian subcontinent from Palaeolithic sites (like Attirampakkam) to the early agricultural village of Mehrgarh. How did Mehrgarh lay the foundation for the Sindhu-Sarasvatī civilisation?
- Palaeolithic Era (Old Stone Age): The oldest human settlements in India date back about 2 million years. At early lower Palaeolithic sites like Attirampakkam (Tamil Nadu, dated to 1.5–1.7 million years ago) and Isampur (Karnataka, 1.2 million years ago), early humans lived as nomadic hunter-gatherers. They used large cutting quartzite tools like handaxes, cleavers, and scrapers to chop meat, dig tubers, and extract marrow from bones.
- Mesolithic Era (Middle Stone Age): Around 12,000 years ago, as the climate warmed, forests and grasslands expanded. Humans transitioned to using tiny, efficient stone tools called microliths for hunting and fishing. Art activity began to flourish, notably at Bhimbetka (Madhya Pradesh).
- The Neolithic Transition at Mehrgarh (7000 BCE): Located in the Bolan River valley, Mehrgarh became the subcontinent’s oldest settled farming village. The nomadic life ended as people began building permanent sun-dried mud-brick houses and agricultural granaries.
- Agricultural Base: The Mehrgarh people pioneered the cultivation of wheat and barley, and the domestication of humped zebu cattle, sheep, and goats. This farming lifestyle eventually spread across the Indus and Ghaggar-Sarasvatī plains, producing the massive food surpluses required to support urban cities.
- Dawn of Metallurgy: Around 4000 BCE, Mehrgarh became one of the earliest Chalcolithic sites, with its people mastering the extraction of copper. This copper technology directly boosted tools and craft production.
- Socio-Cultural Continuity: Important Harappan cultural practices—including the manufacture of terracotta objects, shell bangles, and precious stone beads (lapis lazuli and carnelian)—began in Mehrgarh and became standard features of the Mature Harappan urban civilisation.
Q 28. Describe the major achievements of the Chinese Civilisation during the Bronz and Iron Ages. In your answer, include their advancements in metallurgy, architecture (The Great Wall), trade (Silk Route), and writing systems.
The Chinese Civilisation made remarkable progress during the Bronze and Iron Ages. Its achievements in metallurgy, architecture, trade and writing laid the foundations for the development of Chinese society and culture.
1. Metallurgy:
- The Chinese developed advanced techniques for bronze casting, especially during the Shang and Zhou periods.
- Bronze was used to make weapons, tools, vessels and ritual objects.
- During the Iron Age, iron tools and weapons became increasingly important and improved agricultural production and warfare.
2. Architecture – The Great Wall:
- Chinese rulers constructed and connected defensive walls to protect northern territories from invading groups.
- These walls were gradually expanded and rebuilt by different dynasties.
- The Great Wall of China became one of the most remarkable achievements of Chinese engineering and defensive architecture.
3. Trade – Silk Route:
- China became famous for producing silk, which was highly valued in distant regions.
- Trade routes connecting China with Central Asia, West Asia and eventually the Mediterranean world became known collectively as the Silk Routes.
- Along these routes, not only goods but also ideas, technologies, religions and cultural practices travelled.
4. Writing System:
- The Chinese developed an early writing system represented by oracle-bone inscriptions, particularly during the Shang period.
- These inscriptions were written on animal bones and turtle shells and provide important evidence about early Chinese society.
- Chinese writing gradually developed into a more sophisticated system of characters that continued to influence Chinese culture.