Selina Textbook Solutions: The Vedic Civilisation | History Class 6 ICSE PDF Download

 Page 1


Exercise 
I. Fill in the blanks: 
1. The Aryans came to India from Central Asia. 
2. The Aryans settled down first in the region now called the Punjab. 
3. The two historical sources of the Vedic Age are Literary and Archaeological. 
4. The word Varna means Fair skin. 
5. The two popular assemblies of the Aryans were called Sabha, Samiti. 
6. The Iron was discovered in the Vedic period which led to development ¡n 
agriculture and making of implements. 
7. The Rigveda is the most important Veda. 
II. Match Column A with Column B: 
 
 
Page 2


Exercise 
I. Fill in the blanks: 
1. The Aryans came to India from Central Asia. 
2. The Aryans settled down first in the region now called the Punjab. 
3. The two historical sources of the Vedic Age are Literary and Archaeological. 
4. The word Varna means Fair skin. 
5. The two popular assemblies of the Aryans were called Sabha, Samiti. 
6. The Iron was discovered in the Vedic period which led to development ¡n 
agriculture and making of implements. 
7. The Rigveda is the most important Veda. 
II. Match Column A with Column B: 
 
 
Answer: 
 
III. State whether the following statements are True or False. 
1. The Aryans were the original inhabitants of India. 
False 
2. The Aryans called their settlements ‘Arpavaria’. 
True 
3. The knowledge of early Vedic society comes from the two Epics. 
False 
4. The Aryans worshiped nature and believed in 
True 
5. The Upanishads are philosophic works which lay stress on ‘Karma’ and ”Moksha’. 
True 
6. The ‘Sabha’ was a powerful body which advised the king on all matters. 
True 
7. The Aryans knew mathematics and about its two branches, algebra and geometry. 
True 
8. Mahabharata was written by Valmiki. 
False 
IV. Answer the following questions 
Question 1. 
Which theory about the original home of the Aryans is most 
popular?                                                                 
Page 3


Exercise 
I. Fill in the blanks: 
1. The Aryans came to India from Central Asia. 
2. The Aryans settled down first in the region now called the Punjab. 
3. The two historical sources of the Vedic Age are Literary and Archaeological. 
4. The word Varna means Fair skin. 
5. The two popular assemblies of the Aryans were called Sabha, Samiti. 
6. The Iron was discovered in the Vedic period which led to development ¡n 
agriculture and making of implements. 
7. The Rigveda is the most important Veda. 
II. Match Column A with Column B: 
 
 
Answer: 
 
III. State whether the following statements are True or False. 
1. The Aryans were the original inhabitants of India. 
False 
2. The Aryans called their settlements ‘Arpavaria’. 
True 
3. The knowledge of early Vedic society comes from the two Epics. 
False 
4. The Aryans worshiped nature and believed in 
True 
5. The Upanishads are philosophic works which lay stress on ‘Karma’ and ”Moksha’. 
True 
6. The ‘Sabha’ was a powerful body which advised the king on all matters. 
True 
7. The Aryans knew mathematics and about its two branches, algebra and geometry. 
True 
8. Mahabharata was written by Valmiki. 
False 
IV. Answer the following questions 
Question 1. 
Which theory about the original home of the Aryans is most 
popular?                                                                 
Answer: 
Though there are different theories regarding the origin of the Aryans, the theory 
provided by Max Mueller is most popular. According to his opinion, the Aryans came 
from Central Asia in about 1500 BC. 
Question 2. 
Which gods and goddesses were worshiped by the Aryans during the Early Vedic 
Period? Describe the changes that took place in their religion in the Later Vedic Period. 
Answer: 
During the Early Vedic period, the Aryans worshipped nature and its forces like the sun, 
earth, sky, wind, rain and fire. Most important gods were Indra (Rain-god, god of storm 
and war), Varun (water-god), Agni (fireg od), Surya (Sun-god). Early Aryans performed 
yajnas and offered prayers and chanted hymns. During the Later Vedic period, the 
mode of worship became complex and complicated. The Early Vedic gods such as 
Indra, Agni, Varan, etc., lost their importance and were replaced by Brahma, Vishnu and 
Shiva. Religious rituals and yajnas and sacrifices became complicated and too 
elaborate. 
Question 3. 
On what basis was the Aryan society divided? Mention the functions of each social 
group. 
Answer: 
The ‘Varna’ system was an important feature ofthe Vedic society. There were four 
Vamas — Brahmanas, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and Shudras. Brahmanns were teachers 
and priests. Kshatriyas were rulers and warriors. Farmers and traders formed the 
Vaishya group. Shudras served all the three classes, did menial jobs and consisted of 
artisans and labourers. Towards the end of the Later Vedic period, occupations became 
hereditary and people from the same occupation formed a specific vama. The vama 
system became very rigid and inflexible. Vama system became hereditary. 
Question 4. 
How did the Aryans amuse themselves? 
Answer: 
Chariot racing, hunting, gambling, Singing, dancing, playing musical instruments were 
the favorite amusements of the Aryans. They loved to play the game of dice which was 
very popular. Flute, dram and lute were favorite instruments. 
Question 5. 
Describe the political organisation of the Aryans during the ‘Later Vedic Period. 
Answer: 
Small tribal organisations of Early Vedic period expanded and became powerful and 
turned into large kingdoms. The position of Rajan (king) became stronger. He gained 
absolute power and his position became hereditary. Powerful kings performed elaborate 
and complex sacrifices such as Ashwamedh, Vajapeya and Rajasuya sacrifices. The 
commander-in-chief, ‘Senani,’ became very important. The ‘ Sangrihitri’ or tax collector 
Page 4


Exercise 
I. Fill in the blanks: 
1. The Aryans came to India from Central Asia. 
2. The Aryans settled down first in the region now called the Punjab. 
3. The two historical sources of the Vedic Age are Literary and Archaeological. 
4. The word Varna means Fair skin. 
5. The two popular assemblies of the Aryans were called Sabha, Samiti. 
6. The Iron was discovered in the Vedic period which led to development ¡n 
agriculture and making of implements. 
7. The Rigveda is the most important Veda. 
II. Match Column A with Column B: 
 
 
Answer: 
 
III. State whether the following statements are True or False. 
1. The Aryans were the original inhabitants of India. 
False 
2. The Aryans called their settlements ‘Arpavaria’. 
True 
3. The knowledge of early Vedic society comes from the two Epics. 
False 
4. The Aryans worshiped nature and believed in 
True 
5. The Upanishads are philosophic works which lay stress on ‘Karma’ and ”Moksha’. 
True 
6. The ‘Sabha’ was a powerful body which advised the king on all matters. 
True 
7. The Aryans knew mathematics and about its two branches, algebra and geometry. 
True 
8. Mahabharata was written by Valmiki. 
False 
IV. Answer the following questions 
Question 1. 
Which theory about the original home of the Aryans is most 
popular?                                                                 
Answer: 
Though there are different theories regarding the origin of the Aryans, the theory 
provided by Max Mueller is most popular. According to his opinion, the Aryans came 
from Central Asia in about 1500 BC. 
Question 2. 
Which gods and goddesses were worshiped by the Aryans during the Early Vedic 
Period? Describe the changes that took place in their religion in the Later Vedic Period. 
Answer: 
During the Early Vedic period, the Aryans worshipped nature and its forces like the sun, 
earth, sky, wind, rain and fire. Most important gods were Indra (Rain-god, god of storm 
and war), Varun (water-god), Agni (fireg od), Surya (Sun-god). Early Aryans performed 
yajnas and offered prayers and chanted hymns. During the Later Vedic period, the 
mode of worship became complex and complicated. The Early Vedic gods such as 
Indra, Agni, Varan, etc., lost their importance and were replaced by Brahma, Vishnu and 
Shiva. Religious rituals and yajnas and sacrifices became complicated and too 
elaborate. 
Question 3. 
On what basis was the Aryan society divided? Mention the functions of each social 
group. 
Answer: 
The ‘Varna’ system was an important feature ofthe Vedic society. There were four 
Vamas — Brahmanas, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and Shudras. Brahmanns were teachers 
and priests. Kshatriyas were rulers and warriors. Farmers and traders formed the 
Vaishya group. Shudras served all the three classes, did menial jobs and consisted of 
artisans and labourers. Towards the end of the Later Vedic period, occupations became 
hereditary and people from the same occupation formed a specific vama. The vama 
system became very rigid and inflexible. Vama system became hereditary. 
Question 4. 
How did the Aryans amuse themselves? 
Answer: 
Chariot racing, hunting, gambling, Singing, dancing, playing musical instruments were 
the favorite amusements of the Aryans. They loved to play the game of dice which was 
very popular. Flute, dram and lute were favorite instruments. 
Question 5. 
Describe the political organisation of the Aryans during the ‘Later Vedic Period. 
Answer: 
Small tribal organisations of Early Vedic period expanded and became powerful and 
turned into large kingdoms. The position of Rajan (king) became stronger. He gained 
absolute power and his position became hereditary. Powerful kings performed elaborate 
and complex sacrifices such as Ashwamedh, Vajapeya and Rajasuya sacrifices. The 
commander-in-chief, ‘Senani,’ became very important. The ‘ Sangrihitri’ or tax collector 
became a very important officer. The two assemblies, Sabha and Samiti lost their 
importance and their powers were taken away by the king. Nevertheless, these 
organisations continued to exist and were dominated by the rich and influential people. 
Question 6. 
Compare the position of women during the Early Vedic Period and the Later Vedic 
Period. 
Answer: 
During the Early Vedic period, women were respected and given a high status in 
society. They even attended the assemblies and participated in debates. The wife was 
the husband’s partner in all social and religious ceremonies. Girls had the freedom to 
choose their husbands through the system of ‘ Swayamvara’. But during the Later Vedic 
period, society became patriarchal as most prayers contained the desire to have a son. 
The position of women deteriorated during the period. Women were considered inferior 
to men and were denied education. Their freedom was curtailed. Polygamy began to be 
practiced. They were supposed to serve their families and were confined to the four 
walls of their houses. 
Question 7. 
What difference do you find in the position of the King of the Early Vedic Age as 
compared to the King of the Later Vedic Age? 
Answer: 
During the Early Vedic period, the Rajan (king) was the head of the tribe. His chief 
occupation was fighting battles to defend and protect the tribe and its territory. His 
position was not hereditary and the two tribal assemblies — Sabha and Samiti — 
checked his power. The king was in most cases selected or chosen by the tribal heads 
due to his bravery and wisdom. During the Later Vedic period, the position of the king 
became stronger. He gained absolute power and his position became hereditary. He 
started claiming himself to be the representative of God. He performed several complex 
sacrifices (yajnas) to augment his power and prestige — Ashwamedha, Vajapeya and 
Rajasuya. He also assumed titles of ‘Samrat’ and ‘Mahadhiraj’ 
V. Write short notes on 
1. The Vedas 
2. The Epics and 
3. Archaeological Sources 
Answer: 
1. The Vedas: 
There are four Vedas — the Rigvada, the Samaveda, the Yajurveda and the 
Atharvaveda. They mainly contain hymns in praise of various gods. The Rigveda was 
the earliest, written around 1500 BC. Other three Vedas were written during 1000 BC — 
600 BC. The Atharvaveda contains charms and spells to ward off evils. The Yajurveda 
also contains sacrificial formulae and rituals. The Samaveda has collection of hymns set 
Page 5


Exercise 
I. Fill in the blanks: 
1. The Aryans came to India from Central Asia. 
2. The Aryans settled down first in the region now called the Punjab. 
3. The two historical sources of the Vedic Age are Literary and Archaeological. 
4. The word Varna means Fair skin. 
5. The two popular assemblies of the Aryans were called Sabha, Samiti. 
6. The Iron was discovered in the Vedic period which led to development ¡n 
agriculture and making of implements. 
7. The Rigveda is the most important Veda. 
II. Match Column A with Column B: 
 
 
Answer: 
 
III. State whether the following statements are True or False. 
1. The Aryans were the original inhabitants of India. 
False 
2. The Aryans called their settlements ‘Arpavaria’. 
True 
3. The knowledge of early Vedic society comes from the two Epics. 
False 
4. The Aryans worshiped nature and believed in 
True 
5. The Upanishads are philosophic works which lay stress on ‘Karma’ and ”Moksha’. 
True 
6. The ‘Sabha’ was a powerful body which advised the king on all matters. 
True 
7. The Aryans knew mathematics and about its two branches, algebra and geometry. 
True 
8. Mahabharata was written by Valmiki. 
False 
IV. Answer the following questions 
Question 1. 
Which theory about the original home of the Aryans is most 
popular?                                                                 
Answer: 
Though there are different theories regarding the origin of the Aryans, the theory 
provided by Max Mueller is most popular. According to his opinion, the Aryans came 
from Central Asia in about 1500 BC. 
Question 2. 
Which gods and goddesses were worshiped by the Aryans during the Early Vedic 
Period? Describe the changes that took place in their religion in the Later Vedic Period. 
Answer: 
During the Early Vedic period, the Aryans worshipped nature and its forces like the sun, 
earth, sky, wind, rain and fire. Most important gods were Indra (Rain-god, god of storm 
and war), Varun (water-god), Agni (fireg od), Surya (Sun-god). Early Aryans performed 
yajnas and offered prayers and chanted hymns. During the Later Vedic period, the 
mode of worship became complex and complicated. The Early Vedic gods such as 
Indra, Agni, Varan, etc., lost their importance and were replaced by Brahma, Vishnu and 
Shiva. Religious rituals and yajnas and sacrifices became complicated and too 
elaborate. 
Question 3. 
On what basis was the Aryan society divided? Mention the functions of each social 
group. 
Answer: 
The ‘Varna’ system was an important feature ofthe Vedic society. There were four 
Vamas — Brahmanas, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and Shudras. Brahmanns were teachers 
and priests. Kshatriyas were rulers and warriors. Farmers and traders formed the 
Vaishya group. Shudras served all the three classes, did menial jobs and consisted of 
artisans and labourers. Towards the end of the Later Vedic period, occupations became 
hereditary and people from the same occupation formed a specific vama. The vama 
system became very rigid and inflexible. Vama system became hereditary. 
Question 4. 
How did the Aryans amuse themselves? 
Answer: 
Chariot racing, hunting, gambling, Singing, dancing, playing musical instruments were 
the favorite amusements of the Aryans. They loved to play the game of dice which was 
very popular. Flute, dram and lute were favorite instruments. 
Question 5. 
Describe the political organisation of the Aryans during the ‘Later Vedic Period. 
Answer: 
Small tribal organisations of Early Vedic period expanded and became powerful and 
turned into large kingdoms. The position of Rajan (king) became stronger. He gained 
absolute power and his position became hereditary. Powerful kings performed elaborate 
and complex sacrifices such as Ashwamedh, Vajapeya and Rajasuya sacrifices. The 
commander-in-chief, ‘Senani,’ became very important. The ‘ Sangrihitri’ or tax collector 
became a very important officer. The two assemblies, Sabha and Samiti lost their 
importance and their powers were taken away by the king. Nevertheless, these 
organisations continued to exist and were dominated by the rich and influential people. 
Question 6. 
Compare the position of women during the Early Vedic Period and the Later Vedic 
Period. 
Answer: 
During the Early Vedic period, women were respected and given a high status in 
society. They even attended the assemblies and participated in debates. The wife was 
the husband’s partner in all social and religious ceremonies. Girls had the freedom to 
choose their husbands through the system of ‘ Swayamvara’. But during the Later Vedic 
period, society became patriarchal as most prayers contained the desire to have a son. 
The position of women deteriorated during the period. Women were considered inferior 
to men and were denied education. Their freedom was curtailed. Polygamy began to be 
practiced. They were supposed to serve their families and were confined to the four 
walls of their houses. 
Question 7. 
What difference do you find in the position of the King of the Early Vedic Age as 
compared to the King of the Later Vedic Age? 
Answer: 
During the Early Vedic period, the Rajan (king) was the head of the tribe. His chief 
occupation was fighting battles to defend and protect the tribe and its territory. His 
position was not hereditary and the two tribal assemblies — Sabha and Samiti — 
checked his power. The king was in most cases selected or chosen by the tribal heads 
due to his bravery and wisdom. During the Later Vedic period, the position of the king 
became stronger. He gained absolute power and his position became hereditary. He 
started claiming himself to be the representative of God. He performed several complex 
sacrifices (yajnas) to augment his power and prestige — Ashwamedha, Vajapeya and 
Rajasuya. He also assumed titles of ‘Samrat’ and ‘Mahadhiraj’ 
V. Write short notes on 
1. The Vedas 
2. The Epics and 
3. Archaeological Sources 
Answer: 
1. The Vedas: 
There are four Vedas — the Rigvada, the Samaveda, the Yajurveda and the 
Atharvaveda. They mainly contain hymns in praise of various gods. The Rigveda was 
the earliest, written around 1500 BC. Other three Vedas were written during 1000 BC — 
600 BC. The Atharvaveda contains charms and spells to ward off evils. The Yajurveda 
also contains sacrificial formulae and rituals. The Samaveda has collection of hymns set 
to tunes; it is a modified collection of the Rigveda. 
2. The Epics: 
The Ramayana and the Mahabharata — were written during the Later Vedic period. 
They give a lot of information about the society and economy of the Later Vedic period. 
The Ramayana written by Sage Valmiki in Sanskrit tells the story of Rama. It envisages 
an ideal family and society. The Mahabharata written by sage Ved Vyas in Sanskrit in 
verses, describes the great battle between the Pandavas and the Kaurvas. The epics 
are the main source of information about the social, economic and political conditions 
prevalent in the Epic Age or during the Later Vedic period. 
Picture study: 
This is the picture depicting an institution of Vedic Period. 
 
1. Identify and name it. 
Ans. A Gurukul 
2. Describe this system/institution. 
Ans. 
A student (Brahmachari) of 7 years was sent to Gurukul (family of a teacher) where he 
lived with his Guru. Vedic literature, mathematics, medicines, astronomy, astrology, etc. 
were the subjects students would learn. They also leamt sword fighting, archery, 
wrestling etc. to be used in battlefields. Students served their guru and paid guruda 
kshina after the completion of their education, according to their ability. 
3. Which Ashrama did it belong to ? 
Ans. Brahmacharya. 
Textbook Keywords 
1. Indo-Aryans: They were Aryans who migrated from Central Asia to India.