CBSE Board Question Paper 2009
Class XII (Foreign)
Subject – History
Time allowed : 3 Hours Maximum Marks : 100
General Instructions:
(i) Answer all the questions. Marked are indicated against each question.
(ii) Answers to questions carrying 2 marks (Part A – Questions no. 1 to 5) should not exceed 30 words each.
(iii) Answers to questions carrying 5 marks (Part B – Section I, II, III – Questions no. 6 to 16) should not exceed 100 words each.
(iv) Answers to questions carrying 8 marks (Part C – Questions no. 17 to 18) should not exceed 250 words each.
(v) Part D has questions based on three sources.
(vi) Attach the maps with the answer scripts (Part E).
Part – A
Answer all the questions given below:
1. Mention any two strategies adopted by Brahmanas for enforcing the norms prescribed for different varnas. 2
2. Mention how the successors of Krishnadeva Raya were troubled by the rebellious Nayakas and military chiefs after his death. 2
3. How were the village artisans compensated by the villagers for their specialized services? State two ways. 2
4. State how did the Santhals reach the Rajmahal hills. 2
5. How did the introduction of railways in 1953 mean a change in the fortunes of the towns? Give two example. 2
Part – B
Answer any three of the following questions.
6. Describe the transformation of material culture of the Harappans after 1900 BCE. 5
7. Describe what do we know about Samudragupta from the Allahabad Pillar inscription composed in Sanskrit by Harishena. 5
8. “According to the Shastras only Kshatriyas could be Kings.” Do you agree with this of not? Support your with evidences. 5
9. Explain the reasons for the rapid growth of Buddhism during the lifetime and after the death of Buddha. 5
Section – II
Answer any two of the following questions:
10. Explain how Bernier and other contemporary European travelers and writers described the economic and social condition of Indian woman. 5
11. Describe the qualities of Abu’l Fazl which impressed Akbar to appoint him as his advisor and spokesperson. Mention his most famous book. 5
12. Explain why granting of title to ‘men of merit’ was an important feature of Mughal polity. Give two examples. 5
Part – III
Answer any three of the following questions.
13. Explain why many groups in Britain opposed the monopoly of the East India Compony over trade with India and China. 5
14. “Lord Dalhousie’s annexations created disaffection in all the areas and principalities that were annexed by him.” Justify the statement giving proper evidences with special reference to Awadh. 5
15. Examine the recommendations of the Cabinet Mission, 1946 to examine the legalities of the demands of the Indian National Congress and the demands of the Muslim League. 5
16. Explain the views of N.G. Ranga on ‘Objectives Resolution’ introduced by Jawahar Lal Nehru. 5
Part - C
17. Explain the teachings of Guru Nanak. Did he want to establish a new religion? What happen after he left for his Heavenly abode? 4+1+3=8
OR
Explain the popular practices of Islamic traditions. 8
18. How can we reconstruct the political career of Gandhiji? Explain with the help of public voice and private scripts. 8
OR
Why was salt the symbol of protest according to Gandhiji? Explain.
Part – D (Source Based Questions)
Read the following extract (questions no. 19 to 21) carefully and answer the questions that follow.
19. Life in a small village
The Harshacharita is a biography of Harshavardhana, the rular of Kanauj, composed in Sanskrit by his court poet, Banabhatta (c. seventh century CE). This is an excerpt from the text, an extremely rare representation of life in a settlement on the outskirts of a forest in the Vindhyas.
The outskirts being for the most part forest, many parcels of rice-land, threshing ground and arable land were being apportioned by small farmers … it was mainly spade culture … owing to the difficulty of ploughing the sparsely scattered fields covered with grass, with their few clear spaces, their black soil stiff as black iron …
There were people moving along with bundles of bark … countless sacks of plucked flowers, … loads of flax and hemp bundles, quantities of honey, peacocks’ tail feathers, wreaths of wax, logs, and grass. Village wives hastened en route for neighboring villages, all intent on thoughts of sale and bearing on their heads baskets filled with various gathered forest fruits.
(i) Describe the life of the people on the outskirts of a forest in the Vindhyas. 3
(ii) How did the people of the village earn their living? 2
(iii) Describe the information we get from the inscriptions about land grants. 3
OR
Rules for monks and nuns
These are some of the rules laid down in the Vinaya Pitaka:
When a new felt (blanket/rug) has been made by a bhikkhu, it is to be kept for (at least) six years. If after less than six years he should have another new felt (blanket/rug) mad, regardless of whether or not he has disposed of the first, then – unless he has been authorized by the bhikkhus – it is to be forfeited and confessed.
In case a bhikkhu arriving at a family residence is presented with cakes or cooked grain-meal, he may accept two or three bowlfuls if he so desires. If he should accept more than that, it is to be confessed. Having accepted the two or three’ bowlfuls and having taken them from there, he is to share them among the bhikkhus. This is the proper course here.
Should any bhikkhu, having set out bedding in a lodging belonging to the sangha – or having had it set out – and then on departing neither put it away nor have it put away, or should he go without taking leave, it is to be confessed.
(i) Describe the rules prescribed for a bhikkhu when anew blanket was made by him. Was it justified? 3
(ii) Explain the rules for going to bhiksha at the door of someone. 3
(iii) Explain the rule for punishing the bhikkhu going without leave. 2
20. The Bazaar
Paes gives a vivid description of the bazaar:
Going forward, you have a broad and beautiful street … In this street live many merchants, and there you will find all sorts of rubies, and diamonds, and emeralds, and pearls, and seed-pearls, and cloth and every other sort of thing there is on earth and that you may wish to buy. Then you have there every evening a fair where they sell many common horses and nags, and also many citrons, and limes, and oranges, and every other kind of garden stuff, and wood; you have all in this street.
More generally, he described the city as being “the best-provided city in the world” with the markets “stocked with provided such as rice, wheat, grains, India corn and a certain amount of barley and beans, moong, pulses and horse-gram” all of which were cheaply and abundantly available. According to Fernao Nuniz, the Vijayanagara markets were “overflowing with abundance of fruits grapes and Oranges, limes, pomegranates, jackfruit and mangoes and all very cheap”. Meat too was sold in aboundance in the marketplaces. Nuniz describes “mutton, pork, venison, partridges, hares, doves, quail and all kinds of birds, sparrows, rats and cats and lizards” as being sold in the market of Bisnaga (Vijayanagara).
(i) Describe the bazaar and beautiful street and any other such street you have seen.
(ii) How can you grade a city as the best city? Explain with example.
(iii) Give a brief description of Vijayanagara markets as observed by Fernao Nuniz.
OR
Declining a royal gift
This excerpt from a sufi text describes the proceedings at Shaikh Nizamuddin Auliya’s hospice in 1313:
I (the author, Amir Hasan Sijzi) had the good fortune of kissing his (Shaikh Nizamuddin Auliya’s) feet … At this time a local ruler had sent him the deed of ownership to two gardens and much land, along with the provisions and tools for their maintenance. The ruler had also made it clear that he was relinquishing all his rights to both the gardens and land. The master … had not excepted that gift. Instead, he had lamented: “What have I to do with gardens and fields and lands? … None of … our spiritual masters had engaged in such activity.”
Then he told an appropriate story: “… Sultan Ghiyasuddin, who at that time was still know as Ulugh khan, came to visit Shaikh Fariduddin (and) offered some money and ownership deeds for four villages to the sheikh, the money being for the benefit of the dervishes (sufis), and the land for his use. Smiling, Shaikh al Islam (Fariduddin) said: ‘Give me the money. I will dispense it to the dervishes. But as for those land deeds, keep them. There are many who long for them. Give them away to such persons.’ ”
(i) Explain the contents of the deed sent by the king to the king to the Rev. Shaikh Nizamuddin Auliya.
(ii) Why did the sheikh decline have the gift?
(iii) What did the Shaikh advise to do with the gifts?
21. What should the qualities of a national language be?
A few months before his death Mahatma Gandhi reiterated his views on the language questions.
This Hindustani should be neither Sanskritised Hindi nor Persianised Urdu, but a happy combination of both. It should also freely admit worlds wherever necessary words from foreign languages, provided that they can mix well and easily with our national language. Thus our national language must develop into a rich and powerful instrument capable of expressing the whole gamut of human thought and feelings. To confine oneself to Hindi or Urdu would be a crime against intelligence and the spirit of patriotism.
HERIJANSEVAK, 12 October 1947
(i) Examine the view of Gandhiji on the language issue.
(ii) Do you agree with the views of Gandhiji? Give reasons.
(iii) Explain why Hindi and Urdu started growing apart.
OR
The problem with separate electorates
At the Round Table Conference Mahatma Gandhi stated his arguments against electorates for the Depressed, Classes:
Separate electorates to the “Untouchables” will ensure them bondage in perpetuity … Do you want the “Untouchables” to remain “Untouchables” forever ? Well, the separate electorates would perpetuate the stigma.
What is needed is destruction of “Untouchability”, and when you have done it, the bar-sinister, which has been imposed by an insolent “superior” class upon an “inferior” class will be destroyed. When you have destroyed the bar-sinister to whom will you give the separate electorates?
(i) Explain the views of Gandhi Ji on separate electorates for depressed classes. 3
(ii) Explain the views of Ambedkar and separates electorates. 3
(iii) Compare the views of Gandhi Ji and Dr. Ambedkar and give your opinion with two reasons. 2
Part E
22. On the given political outline map of India (on page 17) marks and label the following Harappan sites:
Lothal, Dholavira, Kalibangan, Rangpur, Banawali.
OR
On the given political outline map of India (on page 17) more and label any five centres of the Indian National Movement.
23. On the give political outline map of India (on page 19) two places under Babur’s reign and three important places of South India during 14th to 18th century have been marked as 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Identify them and write their names on the lines drawn near each place. 5
Note. The following questions are only for the Blind Candidates in lieu of the map questions (Q. No. 22 and 23).
23. Mention any five Harappan sites.
OR
Mention five centres of the India National Movement. 5
24. Write the names of any five place under Babur, Akbar and Aurangzeb in India. 5
CBSE Board Question Papers Class 12th 2009