Class 12 History: CBSE Marking Scheme (2025-26) | CBSE Sample Papers for Class 12 Humanities - Humanities/Arts PDF Download

 Page 1


1 
 
HISTORY (027) 
MARKING SCHEME 
Class XII: 2025-26  
 
                                                                 SECTION A                                                    1x21=21                     
Q. NO.      OBJECTIVE TYPE QUESTIONS MARKS 
1. B. Lothal                             1 
 
2. C. Archaeo-botanists          1 
 
3.  D. Between the sixth and the fourth centuries BCE, Panchala became the most 
powerful mahajanapada.    
1 
 
4. A. 1 - b, 2- c, 3 -d , 4- a      1 
 
5. D. Manusmriti                     1 
6. B.  A sculpture from Amaravati depicting Buddha leaving the palace 
 
NOTE: The following question is only for the visually impaired candidate in 
lieu of Q6  
A. The Rigveda          
1 
7. A. Ashokavadana                 1 
8. C. 1, 2, 4                1 
9. A. Ibn Battuta                        1 
10. A. Both (A) and (R) are correct and (R) is the correct explanation of (A). 
   
1 
11. D. Sangama dynasty             1 
 
12.  D. They were Military commanders who got territories to govern by the Raya. 1 
13. C. mulk-abadi             1 
14. B.  1, 2, 3                      1 
15. D. 1, 2, 3, 4                                            1 
16. B. Jotedars              1 
Page 2


1 
 
HISTORY (027) 
MARKING SCHEME 
Class XII: 2025-26  
 
                                                                 SECTION A                                                    1x21=21                     
Q. NO.      OBJECTIVE TYPE QUESTIONS MARKS 
1. B. Lothal                             1 
 
2. C. Archaeo-botanists          1 
 
3.  D. Between the sixth and the fourth centuries BCE, Panchala became the most 
powerful mahajanapada.    
1 
 
4. A. 1 - b, 2- c, 3 -d , 4- a      1 
 
5. D. Manusmriti                     1 
6. B.  A sculpture from Amaravati depicting Buddha leaving the palace 
 
NOTE: The following question is only for the visually impaired candidate in 
lieu of Q6  
A. The Rigveda          
1 
7. A. Ashokavadana                 1 
8. C. 1, 2, 4                1 
9. A. Ibn Battuta                        1 
10. A. Both (A) and (R) are correct and (R) is the correct explanation of (A). 
   
1 
11. D. Sangama dynasty             1 
 
12.  D. They were Military commanders who got territories to govern by the Raya. 1 
13. C. mulk-abadi             1 
14. B.  1, 2, 3                      1 
15. D. 1, 2, 3, 4                                            1 
16. B. Jotedars              1 
2 
 
17. D. 4, 3, 2, 1             1 
18. C. Chandran Devanesan      1 
19. D. i – d, ii – a, iii – b, iv – c             1 
20. C. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru    1 
21. A.  Socialists        1 
                                                                      SECTION B                                                          3x6=18 
SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS 
22. There is no doubt that that the archaeological findings provide no immediate 
answer to the Harappa’s central authority. Many views have been given 
regarding the central authority. Following are some of them: 
? Alarge building found at Mohenjodaro but no spectacular finds were 
associated with it. 
?  A stone statue was found at the site of Mohenjodaro which have been 
labelled as the ‘priest king’.  
? But so far, the ritual practices of Harappan people have not been 
understood.  
? There is no clear evidence to know whether those who performed ritual 
practices also held some political power. 
Any three points to be described-       PAGE 16 
                          OR 
1. Harappans maintained trade relations with other parts of the world in the 
following ways:  
? Archaeological findings have given clue that Harappans had trade relations 
with Western Asia. 
? Copper was imported from Oman. Chemical analyses have shown that both 
the Omani copper and Harappan artefacts have traces of nickel indicating a 
common origin of copper. 
? A distinctive type of Harappan vessel coated with a thick layer of black clay 
has been found at some Omani sites. 
? Harappan weights, seals, dice and beads etc. have also been found from 
the Mesopotamian sites. 
? Meluhha, a harappan site is also mentioned in Mesopotamian texts. Copper, 
gold, carnelian, lapis lazuli and varieties of wood were imported from this 
site. 
Any three points to be described 
3 
 
23.  The work of compilation of Mahabharata started in 1919 under the leadership of 
noted scholar V.S. Sukthankar. A team comprising dozens of scholars initiated 
the task of preparing a critical edition of the Mahabharata. The various stages of 
compiling Mahabharata were: 
? Scholars collected Sanskrit manuscripts of the text, written in a variety of 
3 
Page 3


1 
 
HISTORY (027) 
MARKING SCHEME 
Class XII: 2025-26  
 
                                                                 SECTION A                                                    1x21=21                     
Q. NO.      OBJECTIVE TYPE QUESTIONS MARKS 
1. B. Lothal                             1 
 
2. C. Archaeo-botanists          1 
 
3.  D. Between the sixth and the fourth centuries BCE, Panchala became the most 
powerful mahajanapada.    
1 
 
4. A. 1 - b, 2- c, 3 -d , 4- a      1 
 
5. D. Manusmriti                     1 
6. B.  A sculpture from Amaravati depicting Buddha leaving the palace 
 
NOTE: The following question is only for the visually impaired candidate in 
lieu of Q6  
A. The Rigveda          
1 
7. A. Ashokavadana                 1 
8. C. 1, 2, 4                1 
9. A. Ibn Battuta                        1 
10. A. Both (A) and (R) are correct and (R) is the correct explanation of (A). 
   
1 
11. D. Sangama dynasty             1 
 
12.  D. They were Military commanders who got territories to govern by the Raya. 1 
13. C. mulk-abadi             1 
14. B.  1, 2, 3                      1 
15. D. 1, 2, 3, 4                                            1 
16. B. Jotedars              1 
2 
 
17. D. 4, 3, 2, 1             1 
18. C. Chandran Devanesan      1 
19. D. i – d, ii – a, iii – b, iv – c             1 
20. C. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru    1 
21. A.  Socialists        1 
                                                                      SECTION B                                                          3x6=18 
SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS 
22. There is no doubt that that the archaeological findings provide no immediate 
answer to the Harappa’s central authority. Many views have been given 
regarding the central authority. Following are some of them: 
? Alarge building found at Mohenjodaro but no spectacular finds were 
associated with it. 
?  A stone statue was found at the site of Mohenjodaro which have been 
labelled as the ‘priest king’.  
? But so far, the ritual practices of Harappan people have not been 
understood.  
? There is no clear evidence to know whether those who performed ritual 
practices also held some political power. 
Any three points to be described-       PAGE 16 
                          OR 
1. Harappans maintained trade relations with other parts of the world in the 
following ways:  
? Archaeological findings have given clue that Harappans had trade relations 
with Western Asia. 
? Copper was imported from Oman. Chemical analyses have shown that both 
the Omani copper and Harappan artefacts have traces of nickel indicating a 
common origin of copper. 
? A distinctive type of Harappan vessel coated with a thick layer of black clay 
has been found at some Omani sites. 
? Harappan weights, seals, dice and beads etc. have also been found from 
the Mesopotamian sites. 
? Meluhha, a harappan site is also mentioned in Mesopotamian texts. Copper, 
gold, carnelian, lapis lazuli and varieties of wood were imported from this 
site. 
Any three points to be described 
3 
 
23.  The work of compilation of Mahabharata started in 1919 under the leadership of 
noted scholar V.S. Sukthankar. A team comprising dozens of scholars initiated 
the task of preparing a critical edition of the Mahabharata. The various stages of 
compiling Mahabharata were: 
? Scholars collected Sanskrit manuscripts of the text, written in a variety of 
3 
3 
 
scripts, from different parts of the country. 
? Scholars compared verses from each manuscript. They selected the verses 
that appeared common to most versions. 
? These common verses were published in several volumes, running into over 
13,000 pages. 
? The project took 47 years to complete.  
Any three points to be described  
24 Al-Biruni was aware of the problems that he could face during his travel. He felt 
that many barriers obstructed his understanding. These barriers can be studied 
as under: 
? The first barrier was that of the language. Sanskrit was so different from 
Arabic and Persian that ideas and concepts could not be easily translated 
from one language into another. 
? The second barrier, he found a lot of difference in religious beliefs and 
practices. 
? The third barrier was the self-absorption and insularity of the local population. 
 
 Any three points to be described 
3 
25 The condition of an average peasant of North India during the seventeenth 
century was as under: 
1) An average peasant of northern India had not more than a pair of oxen and 
two ploughs. Most of the peasants were possessing less than that.  
2) In Gujarat, peasants were considered to be rich if they were possessing six 
acres of land.  
3)  In Bengal, 5 acres was the upper limit of land of an average peasant.  
4) 10 acres of land owned by a peasant was considered rich asami.  
5) Agriculture was based on the concept of individual ownership. 
Any three points to be described 
3 
26 The policies adopted by the British towards the Paharias during the early 18th 
century in Bengal can be explained in the following way: 
? In the decade of 1770, the British adopted the policy of extermination towards 
Paharias and began hunting them down and killing them. 
? In the decade of 1780, Collector of Bhagalpur, Augustus Cleveland, proposed 
the policy of pacification.  
? This policy proposed to give annual allowance to Paharia Chiefs and they 
were made responsible for controlling their men.  
? They were also expected to maintain order in their localities and keep 
discipline among their own people. 
? But a number of Paharia chiefs refused to take the annual allowance.  
? Those who accepted the allowance lost the authority within their community. 
They came to be seen as stipendiary chiefs being in the pay of the colonial 
government. 
Any three points to be described  
3 
27 ? During 1857 revolt, there was an apparent rumour that the Indian sepoys 3 
Page 4


1 
 
HISTORY (027) 
MARKING SCHEME 
Class XII: 2025-26  
 
                                                                 SECTION A                                                    1x21=21                     
Q. NO.      OBJECTIVE TYPE QUESTIONS MARKS 
1. B. Lothal                             1 
 
2. C. Archaeo-botanists          1 
 
3.  D. Between the sixth and the fourth centuries BCE, Panchala became the most 
powerful mahajanapada.    
1 
 
4. A. 1 - b, 2- c, 3 -d , 4- a      1 
 
5. D. Manusmriti                     1 
6. B.  A sculpture from Amaravati depicting Buddha leaving the palace 
 
NOTE: The following question is only for the visually impaired candidate in 
lieu of Q6  
A. The Rigveda          
1 
7. A. Ashokavadana                 1 
8. C. 1, 2, 4                1 
9. A. Ibn Battuta                        1 
10. A. Both (A) and (R) are correct and (R) is the correct explanation of (A). 
   
1 
11. D. Sangama dynasty             1 
 
12.  D. They were Military commanders who got territories to govern by the Raya. 1 
13. C. mulk-abadi             1 
14. B.  1, 2, 3                      1 
15. D. 1, 2, 3, 4                                            1 
16. B. Jotedars              1 
2 
 
17. D. 4, 3, 2, 1             1 
18. C. Chandran Devanesan      1 
19. D. i – d, ii – a, iii – b, iv – c             1 
20. C. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru    1 
21. A.  Socialists        1 
                                                                      SECTION B                                                          3x6=18 
SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS 
22. There is no doubt that that the archaeological findings provide no immediate 
answer to the Harappa’s central authority. Many views have been given 
regarding the central authority. Following are some of them: 
? Alarge building found at Mohenjodaro but no spectacular finds were 
associated with it. 
?  A stone statue was found at the site of Mohenjodaro which have been 
labelled as the ‘priest king’.  
? But so far, the ritual practices of Harappan people have not been 
understood.  
? There is no clear evidence to know whether those who performed ritual 
practices also held some political power. 
Any three points to be described-       PAGE 16 
                          OR 
1. Harappans maintained trade relations with other parts of the world in the 
following ways:  
? Archaeological findings have given clue that Harappans had trade relations 
with Western Asia. 
? Copper was imported from Oman. Chemical analyses have shown that both 
the Omani copper and Harappan artefacts have traces of nickel indicating a 
common origin of copper. 
? A distinctive type of Harappan vessel coated with a thick layer of black clay 
has been found at some Omani sites. 
? Harappan weights, seals, dice and beads etc. have also been found from 
the Mesopotamian sites. 
? Meluhha, a harappan site is also mentioned in Mesopotamian texts. Copper, 
gold, carnelian, lapis lazuli and varieties of wood were imported from this 
site. 
Any three points to be described 
3 
 
23.  The work of compilation of Mahabharata started in 1919 under the leadership of 
noted scholar V.S. Sukthankar. A team comprising dozens of scholars initiated 
the task of preparing a critical edition of the Mahabharata. The various stages of 
compiling Mahabharata were: 
? Scholars collected Sanskrit manuscripts of the text, written in a variety of 
3 
3 
 
scripts, from different parts of the country. 
? Scholars compared verses from each manuscript. They selected the verses 
that appeared common to most versions. 
? These common verses were published in several volumes, running into over 
13,000 pages. 
? The project took 47 years to complete.  
Any three points to be described  
24 Al-Biruni was aware of the problems that he could face during his travel. He felt 
that many barriers obstructed his understanding. These barriers can be studied 
as under: 
? The first barrier was that of the language. Sanskrit was so different from 
Arabic and Persian that ideas and concepts could not be easily translated 
from one language into another. 
? The second barrier, he found a lot of difference in religious beliefs and 
practices. 
? The third barrier was the self-absorption and insularity of the local population. 
 
 Any three points to be described 
3 
25 The condition of an average peasant of North India during the seventeenth 
century was as under: 
1) An average peasant of northern India had not more than a pair of oxen and 
two ploughs. Most of the peasants were possessing less than that.  
2) In Gujarat, peasants were considered to be rich if they were possessing six 
acres of land.  
3)  In Bengal, 5 acres was the upper limit of land of an average peasant.  
4) 10 acres of land owned by a peasant was considered rich asami.  
5) Agriculture was based on the concept of individual ownership. 
Any three points to be described 
3 
26 The policies adopted by the British towards the Paharias during the early 18th 
century in Bengal can be explained in the following way: 
? In the decade of 1770, the British adopted the policy of extermination towards 
Paharias and began hunting them down and killing them. 
? In the decade of 1780, Collector of Bhagalpur, Augustus Cleveland, proposed 
the policy of pacification.  
? This policy proposed to give annual allowance to Paharia Chiefs and they 
were made responsible for controlling their men.  
? They were also expected to maintain order in their localities and keep 
discipline among their own people. 
? But a number of Paharia chiefs refused to take the annual allowance.  
? Those who accepted the allowance lost the authority within their community. 
They came to be seen as stipendiary chiefs being in the pay of the colonial 
government. 
Any three points to be described  
3 
27 ? During 1857 revolt, there was an apparent rumour that the Indian sepoys 3 
4 
 
were intentionally given the Enfield rifles, and its bullets were coated with the 
fat of cows and pigs and biting those bullets would corrupt their caste and 
religion. 
? The British tried to explain to the sepoys that this was not the case but the 
rumour that the new cartridges were greased with the fat of cows and pigs 
which spread like wildfire across the sepoy lines of North India. 
? This is one rumour whose origin can be traced. Captain Wright, commandant 
of the Rifle Instruction Depot, reported that in the third week of January 1857 
a ‘low-caste’ Khalasi who worked in the magazine in Dum Dum had asked a 
Brahmin sepoy for a drink of water from his lota. The sepoy had refused 
saying that the “lower caste’s” touch would defile the lota. The Khalasi had 
reportedly retorted, “You will lose your caste, as ere long you will have to bite 
cartridges covered with the fat of cows and pigs”. 
? The truthfulness of the report had not identified but once this rumour started 
no amount of assurances from British officers could stop its circulation and 
the fear of it spread among the sepoys. 
?  There was a rumour that the British government had hatched a gigantic 
conspiracy to destroy the caste and religion of Hindus and Muslims. 
? These fears stirred men to action. The response to the call for action was 
reinforced by the prophecy that British rule would come to an end on the 
centenary of the Battle of Plassey, on 23 June 1857. 
Any three points to be described 
 
     OR  
Since 18th century, Awadh faced a number of grievances which linked the 
princes, taluqdars, peasants and sepoys to join hands in the revolt of 1857 
against the British. Following were such factors which were responsible for 
creating grievances:  
 
? The Subsidiary Alliance had been imposed on Awadh in 1801, which confined 
the power of the Nawab over his territory as his military force disbanded, the 
British troops took position in the kingdom and he could not take any 
decision without the advice of the British resident who was attached to the 
court of Awadh. He could no longer assert control over the rebellious chiefs 
and taluqdars. The British became increasingly interested in acquiring the 
territory of Awadh as it was economically and geographically important for 
them. 
? This annexation also dispossessed the taluqdars of the region. Before the 
advent of the British, they were powerful and maintained armed retainers, 
built forts and enjoyed degree of autonomy. The British were unwilling to 
tolerate the power of taluqdars. Immediately after the annexation, the 
taluqdars were disarmed and their forts destroyed. The first revenue 
settlement, known as the ‘Summary Settlement’, further undermined the 
position and authority of the taluqdars. This settlement proceeded to remove 
the taluqdars wherever possible. 
? By removing the taluqdars, the British wanted to reduce the level of 
exploitation and increase the revenue demand. But now, Peasants were in 
more difficult situation. Under the British rule there was no guarantee that in 
times of hardship or crop failure the revenue demand of the state would be 
Page 5


1 
 
HISTORY (027) 
MARKING SCHEME 
Class XII: 2025-26  
 
                                                                 SECTION A                                                    1x21=21                     
Q. NO.      OBJECTIVE TYPE QUESTIONS MARKS 
1. B. Lothal                             1 
 
2. C. Archaeo-botanists          1 
 
3.  D. Between the sixth and the fourth centuries BCE, Panchala became the most 
powerful mahajanapada.    
1 
 
4. A. 1 - b, 2- c, 3 -d , 4- a      1 
 
5. D. Manusmriti                     1 
6. B.  A sculpture from Amaravati depicting Buddha leaving the palace 
 
NOTE: The following question is only for the visually impaired candidate in 
lieu of Q6  
A. The Rigveda          
1 
7. A. Ashokavadana                 1 
8. C. 1, 2, 4                1 
9. A. Ibn Battuta                        1 
10. A. Both (A) and (R) are correct and (R) is the correct explanation of (A). 
   
1 
11. D. Sangama dynasty             1 
 
12.  D. They were Military commanders who got territories to govern by the Raya. 1 
13. C. mulk-abadi             1 
14. B.  1, 2, 3                      1 
15. D. 1, 2, 3, 4                                            1 
16. B. Jotedars              1 
2 
 
17. D. 4, 3, 2, 1             1 
18. C. Chandran Devanesan      1 
19. D. i – d, ii – a, iii – b, iv – c             1 
20. C. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru    1 
21. A.  Socialists        1 
                                                                      SECTION B                                                          3x6=18 
SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS 
22. There is no doubt that that the archaeological findings provide no immediate 
answer to the Harappa’s central authority. Many views have been given 
regarding the central authority. Following are some of them: 
? Alarge building found at Mohenjodaro but no spectacular finds were 
associated with it. 
?  A stone statue was found at the site of Mohenjodaro which have been 
labelled as the ‘priest king’.  
? But so far, the ritual practices of Harappan people have not been 
understood.  
? There is no clear evidence to know whether those who performed ritual 
practices also held some political power. 
Any three points to be described-       PAGE 16 
                          OR 
1. Harappans maintained trade relations with other parts of the world in the 
following ways:  
? Archaeological findings have given clue that Harappans had trade relations 
with Western Asia. 
? Copper was imported from Oman. Chemical analyses have shown that both 
the Omani copper and Harappan artefacts have traces of nickel indicating a 
common origin of copper. 
? A distinctive type of Harappan vessel coated with a thick layer of black clay 
has been found at some Omani sites. 
? Harappan weights, seals, dice and beads etc. have also been found from 
the Mesopotamian sites. 
? Meluhha, a harappan site is also mentioned in Mesopotamian texts. Copper, 
gold, carnelian, lapis lazuli and varieties of wood were imported from this 
site. 
Any three points to be described 
3 
 
23.  The work of compilation of Mahabharata started in 1919 under the leadership of 
noted scholar V.S. Sukthankar. A team comprising dozens of scholars initiated 
the task of preparing a critical edition of the Mahabharata. The various stages of 
compiling Mahabharata were: 
? Scholars collected Sanskrit manuscripts of the text, written in a variety of 
3 
3 
 
scripts, from different parts of the country. 
? Scholars compared verses from each manuscript. They selected the verses 
that appeared common to most versions. 
? These common verses were published in several volumes, running into over 
13,000 pages. 
? The project took 47 years to complete.  
Any three points to be described  
24 Al-Biruni was aware of the problems that he could face during his travel. He felt 
that many barriers obstructed his understanding. These barriers can be studied 
as under: 
? The first barrier was that of the language. Sanskrit was so different from 
Arabic and Persian that ideas and concepts could not be easily translated 
from one language into another. 
? The second barrier, he found a lot of difference in religious beliefs and 
practices. 
? The third barrier was the self-absorption and insularity of the local population. 
 
 Any three points to be described 
3 
25 The condition of an average peasant of North India during the seventeenth 
century was as under: 
1) An average peasant of northern India had not more than a pair of oxen and 
two ploughs. Most of the peasants were possessing less than that.  
2) In Gujarat, peasants were considered to be rich if they were possessing six 
acres of land.  
3)  In Bengal, 5 acres was the upper limit of land of an average peasant.  
4) 10 acres of land owned by a peasant was considered rich asami.  
5) Agriculture was based on the concept of individual ownership. 
Any three points to be described 
3 
26 The policies adopted by the British towards the Paharias during the early 18th 
century in Bengal can be explained in the following way: 
? In the decade of 1770, the British adopted the policy of extermination towards 
Paharias and began hunting them down and killing them. 
? In the decade of 1780, Collector of Bhagalpur, Augustus Cleveland, proposed 
the policy of pacification.  
? This policy proposed to give annual allowance to Paharia Chiefs and they 
were made responsible for controlling their men.  
? They were also expected to maintain order in their localities and keep 
discipline among their own people. 
? But a number of Paharia chiefs refused to take the annual allowance.  
? Those who accepted the allowance lost the authority within their community. 
They came to be seen as stipendiary chiefs being in the pay of the colonial 
government. 
Any three points to be described  
3 
27 ? During 1857 revolt, there was an apparent rumour that the Indian sepoys 3 
4 
 
were intentionally given the Enfield rifles, and its bullets were coated with the 
fat of cows and pigs and biting those bullets would corrupt their caste and 
religion. 
? The British tried to explain to the sepoys that this was not the case but the 
rumour that the new cartridges were greased with the fat of cows and pigs 
which spread like wildfire across the sepoy lines of North India. 
? This is one rumour whose origin can be traced. Captain Wright, commandant 
of the Rifle Instruction Depot, reported that in the third week of January 1857 
a ‘low-caste’ Khalasi who worked in the magazine in Dum Dum had asked a 
Brahmin sepoy for a drink of water from his lota. The sepoy had refused 
saying that the “lower caste’s” touch would defile the lota. The Khalasi had 
reportedly retorted, “You will lose your caste, as ere long you will have to bite 
cartridges covered with the fat of cows and pigs”. 
? The truthfulness of the report had not identified but once this rumour started 
no amount of assurances from British officers could stop its circulation and 
the fear of it spread among the sepoys. 
?  There was a rumour that the British government had hatched a gigantic 
conspiracy to destroy the caste and religion of Hindus and Muslims. 
? These fears stirred men to action. The response to the call for action was 
reinforced by the prophecy that British rule would come to an end on the 
centenary of the Battle of Plassey, on 23 June 1857. 
Any three points to be described 
 
     OR  
Since 18th century, Awadh faced a number of grievances which linked the 
princes, taluqdars, peasants and sepoys to join hands in the revolt of 1857 
against the British. Following were such factors which were responsible for 
creating grievances:  
 
? The Subsidiary Alliance had been imposed on Awadh in 1801, which confined 
the power of the Nawab over his territory as his military force disbanded, the 
British troops took position in the kingdom and he could not take any 
decision without the advice of the British resident who was attached to the 
court of Awadh. He could no longer assert control over the rebellious chiefs 
and taluqdars. The British became increasingly interested in acquiring the 
territory of Awadh as it was economically and geographically important for 
them. 
? This annexation also dispossessed the taluqdars of the region. Before the 
advent of the British, they were powerful and maintained armed retainers, 
built forts and enjoyed degree of autonomy. The British were unwilling to 
tolerate the power of taluqdars. Immediately after the annexation, the 
taluqdars were disarmed and their forts destroyed. The first revenue 
settlement, known as the ‘Summary Settlement’, further undermined the 
position and authority of the taluqdars. This settlement proceeded to remove 
the taluqdars wherever possible. 
? By removing the taluqdars, the British wanted to reduce the level of 
exploitation and increase the revenue demand. But now, Peasants were in 
more difficult situation. Under the British rule there was no guarantee that in 
times of hardship or crop failure the revenue demand of the state would be 
5 
 
reduced or collection postponed, or that in times of need they would get any 
loan or support that the taluqdar had earlier provided. Thus, with this 
suppression, neither taluqdars nor peasants had any reasons to be happy 
with the annexation. 
? There was also a rage in sepoys towards the British. Before 1820, the British 
were very gentle with the sepoys but in 1840 this began to change. The 
officers developed sense of superiority and started treating the sepoys as 
their inferiors. Abuse and physical violence became common. Trust was 
replaced by suspicion. The episode of the greased cartridges was a classic 
example of this. 
? In Awadh, more than anywhere else, the revolt became an expression of 
popular resistance to an alien order. 
Any three points to be described  
                                                               SECTION C                                                    3x8=24 
LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS 
28 The main features of Mauryan administration are as follows: 
? There were five major political centres in the empire i.e., the capital 
Pataliputra and the provincial centres of Taxila, Ujjayini, Tosali and 
Suvarnagiri. 
? It is likely that administrative control was strongest in areas around the 
capital and the provincial centres.  
? These centres were carefully chosen, both Taxila and Ujjayini being situated 
on important long-distance trade routes, while Suvarnagiri (literally, the 
golden mountain) was possibly important for tapping the gold mines of 
Karnataka. 
? The communication system existed along both land and riverine routes. It 
was very vital for the existence of the empire. 
? As the journeys from the centre to the provinces could have taken a long 
time, there was arrangement for provisions as well as protection for the 
travellers. 
? It is obvious that the army was an important means for ensuring the security. 
Megasthenes mentions a committee with six subcommittees for coordinating 
military activity.  
? Of these, one looked after the navy, the second managed transport, the third 
was responsible for foot-soldiers, the fourth for horses, the fifth for chariots 
and the sixth for elephants. 
? The activities of the second subcommittee were rather varied i.e.  arranging 
for bullock carts to carry equipment, procuring food for soldiers and fodder 
for animals, and recruiting servants and artisans to look after the soldiers. 
 
OR 
Between the 6
th
 and 4
th
 centuries BCE, Magadha (in present-day Bihar) became 
the most powerful mahajanapada. Modern historians explain this development in 
a variety of ways: 
8