Assertions and Reasoning
Instructions
For each question, choose the correct option:
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 1. Assertion: Education in Mesopotamia aimed to produce skilled scribes.
Reason: Literacy was essential for administration and trade.
A. Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A.
Q 2. Assertion: Writing and city life developed independently of each other.
Reason: Urban complexity created the need for record-keeping.
Answer: D. A is false, but R is true.
Q 3. Assertion: Reserves were created to protect indigenous culture.
Reason: Indigenous people were confined to marginal lands.
Answer: B. Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of A.
Q 4. Assertion: The spread of railways accelerated displacement of indigenous communities.
Reason: Railways opened remote areas to settlers and commercial exploitation.
Answer: A. Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A.
Q 5. Assertion: The concept of modernization mentioned in Paths to Modernization rejects a single universal model.
Reason: Different societies followed distinct paths based on historical conditions.
Answer: A. Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A.
Q 6. Assertion: China’s failure to industrialize rapidly was not due to absence of reform attempts.
Reason: Reforms were inconsistent and lacked centralized enforcement.
Answer: A. Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A.
Q 7. Assertion: The Qing state’s reform efforts failed partly because reforms threatened existing power structures.
Reason: Scholar-officials feared loss of status under new institutions.
A. Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A.
Q 8. Assertion: Meiji education reforms aimed at producing obedient subjects rather than critical citizens.
Reason: Moral training and loyalty to the emperor were emphasized alongside modern learning.
A. Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A.
Q 9. Assertion: Fukuzawa Yukichi’s idea of “expelling Asia” referred to geographical separation from the continent.
Reason: He argued that Japan must abandon Asian traditions and adopt Western civilization.
D. A is false, but R is true.
Q 10. Assertion: The Meiji Restoration replaced feudal decentralization with a modern centralized state.
Reason: The abolition of domains and the creation of prefectures transferred power to the imperial government.
A. Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A.
Q 11. Assertion: Missionaries only aimed at religious conversion.
Reason: They also sought to “civilize” indigenous populations.
B. Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct explanation of A.
Q 12. Assertion: The doctrine of terra nullius justified European occupation of Australia.
Reason: Indigenous Australians were not recognized as landowners under colonial law.
A. Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A.
Q 13. Assertion: Changing cultural traditions reflected continuity as well as change.
Reason: New ideas developed while older beliefs and institutions persisted.
A. Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A.
Q 14. Assertion: Indigenous peoples willingly accepted European legal systems.
Reason: Colonial law undermined traditional customs and authority.
D. A is false, but R is true.
Q 15. Assertion: Settler societies considered indigenous practices economically unproductive.
Reason: Nomadic and communal land use did not fit capitalist farming models.
A. Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A.
Q 16. Assertion: Treaties signed with native Americans ensured their long-term security.
Reason: Many treaties were violated or imposed unfairly by colonial authorities.
D. A is false, but R is true.
Q 17. Assertion: Renaissance education aimed to prepare individuals for public life.
Reason: Humanists believed education should produce active and responsible citizens.
A. Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A.
Q 18. Assertion: Renaissance humanism rejected religion completely.
Reason: Humanists focused on classical Greek and Roman texts instead of theology.
D. A is false, but R is true.
Q 19. Assertion: Humanists emphasized education in the humanities.
Reason: They believed training in grammar, rhetoric, history, poetry, and philosophy shaped virtuous citizens.
A. Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A.
Q 20. Assertion: Universities in medieval Europe encouraged unquestioning acceptance of authority.
Reason: Scholasticism relied on logic, debate, and reason.
D. A is false, but R is true.
Q 21. Assertion: The Renaissance led to a new view of the individual.
Reason: Artists and writers began to focus on human emotions, achievements, and potential.
A. Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A.
Q 22. Assertion: Printing led to the decline of handwritten manuscripts.
Reason: Printed books were cheaper and could be produced in large numbers.
A. Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A.
Q 23. Assertion: The spread of printing strengthened the control of the Church over knowledge.
Reason: Printed material increased access to new ideas.
D. A is false, but R is true.
Q 24. Assertion: Patronage played a crucial role in the growth of Renaissance art.
Reason: Wealthy families and rulers funded artists and scholars.
A. Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A.
Q 25. Assertion: Scientific ideas in Renaissance Europe developed independently of classical knowledge.
Reason: Scholars studied ancient Greek and Roman scientific texts.
D. A is false, but R is true.
Q 26. Assertion: Vernacular languages gained importance during the Renaissance.
Reason: Writers wanted to reach a wider audience beyond the educated elite.
A. Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A.
Q 27. Assertion: The Renaissance marked a complete break from medieval traditions.
Reason: Medieval learning continued to influence Renaissance thought.
D. A is false, but R is true.
Q 28. Assertion: Chivalry shaped the behaviour of knights.
Reason: It emphasized loyalty, bravery, and protection of the weak.
A. Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A.
Q 29. Assertion: Peasants bore the heaviest economic burden in the feudal system.
Reason: They paid rents, performed labour services, and paid church taxes.
A. Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A.
Q 30. Assertion: Serfs were legally free to leave the manor at will.
Reason: They were bound to the land and subject to the lord’s authority.
D. A is false, but R is true.
Q 31. Assertion: Bishops and abbots lived lives similar to ordinary peasants.
Reason: They were often drawn from noble families and controlled vast estates.
D. A is false, but R is true.
Q 32. Assertion: Medieval European society was rigidly divided into three social orders.
Reason: Each order was believed to perform a divinely ordained function.
A. Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A.
Q 33. Assertion: Yasa was a written law code publicly accessible to all Mongol subjects.
Reason: It existed largely as an oral tradition remembered by elites.
D. A is false, but R is true.
Q 34. Assertion: The Mongol Empire emerged from fragmented pastoral tribes.
Reason: Genghis Khan united tribes through military skill and political alliances.
A. Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A.
Q 35. Assertion: Mongol rulers showed religious intolerance.
Reason: They persecuted conquered peoples to impose their beliefs.
D. A is false, but R is true.
Q 36. Assertion: Mongol women enjoyed higher social status than women in many sedentary societies.
Reason: They managed households and participated in economic activities.
A. Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A.
Q 37. Assertion: Slavery was an essential feature of the Roman social and economic system.
Reason: Slaves were employed in agriculture, households, and mining.
A. Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A.
Q 38. Assertion: The Roman Empire achieved political unity across three continents.
Reason: Roman law and administration created uniform systems of governance.
A. Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A.
Q 39. Assertion: Cuneiform script evolved from pictographic signs.
Reason: Early symbols represented objects and quantities.
A. Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A.
Q 40. Assertion: Nomadic empires declined mainly due to military defeat by settled states.
Reason: Internal divisions and administrative challenges contributed to decline.
D. A is false, but R is true.
Q 41. Assertion: The decline of the Roman Empire was caused by a single factor.
Reason: Multiple social, economic, and political causes contributed.
D. A is false, but R is true.
Q 42. Assertion: Trade networks connected distant regions of the Roman Empire.
Reason: Roads and sea routes facilitated movement of goods and people.
A. Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A.
Q 43. Assertion: Christianity was immediately accepted as the state religion of Rome.
Reason: Early Christians faced persecution before official recognition.
D. A is false, but R is true.
Q 44. Assertion: The Roman state maintained a strong centralized bureaucracy throughout its history.
Reason: Administrative control weakened in the later empire.
D. A is false, but R is true.
Q 45. Assertion: The Roman army played a significant role in maintaining internal stability.
Reason: Military presence deterred rebellions and protected trade routes.
A. Both A and R are true, and R is the correct explanation of A.
Q 46. Assertion: Mesopotamian cities depended only on agriculture.
Reason: Long-distance trade supplied raw materials like copper and tin.
D. A is false, but R is true.
Q 47. Assertion: Mesopotamian writing was easy to learn and widely accessible.
Reason: Training as a scribe required long and rigorous education.
D. A is false, but R is true.
Q 48. Assertion: The Mesopotamian economy functioned without legal regulation.
Reason: Laws like the Code of Hammurabi governed social and economic life.
D. A is false, but R is true.
Q 49. Assertion: Women had equal access to humanist education.
Reason: Education for women was mostly restricted to elite families.
D. A is false, but R is true.
Q 50. Assertion: Renaissance artists relied solely on religious themes.
Reason: Secular subjects such as portraits and everyday life became popular.
D. A is false, but R is true.