History: CBSE Sample Question Paper with Solutions - 2 | Sample Papers for Class 11 Humanities - Humanities/Arts PDF Download

Q.1. Multiple Choice Questions
(i) Which was the first known language of Mesopotamia?
(a) Urdu
(b) German
(c) Japanese
(d) Sumerian

Correct Answer is option d.

(ii) Who were Plebeians?
(a) Plebeians were the common people of the Roman empire.
(b) Plebeians were the royal people of the Roman empire.
(c) Plebeians were the slaves of the Roman empire.
(d) Plebeians were the nomads of the Roman empire.

Correct Answer is option a.

(iii) Name the world-famous paintings made by Leonardo da Vinci?
(a) The Last Supper
(b) The Pieta
(c) Mona Lisa
(d) Both (a) and (b)

Correct Answer is option d.

(iv) Who used the term ‘Expel Asia’?
(a) Fukazawa Yokkaichi
(b) Fukuva Yukichi
(c) Fukazawa Lukichi
(d) Fukazawa Zukichi

Correct Answer is option a.

(v) Copernicus asserted that the planets including the earth revolve around the Sun.
(a) The statement is False
(b) The statement is partially True
(c) The statement is True
(d) None of these

Correct Answer is option c.

(vi) Which of these sources help us to know about early human history?
(a) Time Machine
(b) Cave paintings
(c) Stories from ancestors
(d) None of these

Correct Answer is option b.

(vii) What form of government was established by the Meiji Constitution?
(a) Dictatorship
(b) Monarchy
(c) Communalism
(d) Parliamentary form of government

Correct Answer is option d.

(viii) Which religion was promoted by the Byzantine?
(a) Christianity
(b) They did not promote any religion in particular.
(c) Hinduism
(d) Islam

Correct Answer is option a.

(ix) What do you understand by “The Great Australian Silence”?
(a) A mourning ceremony
(b) The electrifying lecture given by the anthropologist W.E.H Stanner in 1968
(c) A battle between Australia and France
(d) Both (b) and (c)

Correct Answer is option b.

(x) What term was used for the native people of Australia?
(a) Red Indian
(b) Aboriginal
(c) Indigenous people
(d) Aborigine

Correct Answer is option d.

Q.2. Fill in the blanks.
(i) Australia is _________ populated.
(ii) _________ dynasty ruled over South China.
(iii) The prospect of _______ drove imperialist countries to establish colonies.
(iv) Ptolemy’s Almagest is about ___________.
(v) The ___________ could not leave the estate without the permission of their masters/lords.  
(vi) The earliest cities developed in Mesopotamia around _________.
(vii) The first Railway line connected the cities of ___________ and __________.

(i) sparsely
(ii) Sung
(iii) profit
(iv) astronomy
(vi) 5000 BCE
(v) serfs
(vii) Stockton, Darlington

Q.3.  State whether true or false.
(i) Gilgamesh was the greatest epic of the Mesopotamians.
(ii) The Mesopotamians taught the art of writing to the human civilisation.
(iii) Spanish in South America overcome by the abundance of gold in the country.

(i) True
(ii) True
(iii) True

Q.4. Why did Genghis Khan believe it was necessary to divide the Mongol tribes into new social and military groups?

Genghis Khan recognized that his nomadic army had become a diverse and unmanageable mass due to the influx of new members. To establish control and discipline, he felt it necessary to fragment the Mongol tribes into new social and military groupings. Moreover, Genghis Khan aimed to unite the various Mongol tribes and their distinct identities, creating a cohesive community with different social groups. Lastly, by harnessing the bravery of the Mongols, Genghis Khan was able to organize them into powerful military units, thereby laying the foundation for a formidable empire.

Q.5. 'Britain was the first country to experience modern industrialisation,' says one historian. Investigate the factors that contributed to it.

The Industrial Revolution in Britain was influenced by several crucial factors. Firstly, the country had generated significant wealth through foreign trade, providing British merchants with the capital to invest in industrial development. Secondly, access to raw materials in the colonies facilitated manufacturing. Thirdly, the agricultural revolution resulted in a surplus of landless laborers who provided a ready workforce for factories. Fourthly, Britain's abundant coal and iron reserves were instrumental in establishing the foundations of industrialization. Finally, Britain's numerous technological advancements hastened the pace of the Industrial Revolution. These events occurred during the Age of Imperialism, during which European nations sought to explore and dominate large areas of land across the globe.

Q.6. What is your understanding of Charles Darwin's theory of evolution?

Charles Darwin, a renowned biologist and naturalist, is famous for proposing the theory of evolution. According to Darwin's theory, the survival of a species is determined by its ability to adapt and evolve through a process called "natural selection." This means that species that can successfully adapt to changes in their environment have a better chance of survival and reproduction, while those that cannot evolve face extinction.

Q.7.  Read the passage carefully and answer the questions that follow.
‘Each  of  the  great  houses  of  Rome  contained  within  itself  everything  which  a  medium-sized  city  could  hold,  a  hippodrome,  fora,  temples,  fountains  and  different  kinds  of  baths...  Many  of  the  Roman  households  received  an income of four thousand pounds of gold per year from their properties, not including grain, wine and other produce which, if sold, would have amounted to one-third of the income in gold. The income of the households in Rome of the second class was one thousand or fifteen hundred pounds of gold.’

(i) Give three characteristics of Late Roman aristocracy.

The Three characteristics of Late Roman aristocracy are:
(a) The Late Roman aristocracy was characterized by immense wealth and indulgent living.
(b) Nevertheless, the military elites who emerged from non-aristocratic backgrounds held more power than the aristocracy.
(c) The landed aristocracy sought to augment their surplus through the use of debt bondage.

(ii) Why do you believe households received gold income?

Due to the depletion of the silver-based monetary system, households began to receive their income in gold, following the establishment of a new monetary system by Constantine that was based on gold.

(iii) Describe the late antiquity's social structure.

During the late antiquity period, the previously separate groups of senators and "equites" had combined to form a unified, larger aristocracy. The middle class was composed of individuals associated with the imperial bureaucracy, military, and successful merchants. On the other hand, the labor force known as "humiliores" consisted of various workers such as migrant laborers, rural workers, and those employed in industrial mining operations.

Q.8. Read the passage carefully and answer the questions that follow.
Apart from the Church, devout Christians had another kind of organisation. Some deeply religious people chose to live isolated lives, in contrast to clerics who lived amongst people in towns and villages. They lived in religious communities called abbeys or monasteries, often in places very far from human habitation. Two of the more well-known monasteries were those established by St Benedict in Italy in 529 and of Cluny in Burgundy in 910. Monks took vows to remain in the abbey for the rest of their lives and to spend their time in prayer, study and manual labour,  like  farming.  Unlike  priesthood,  this  life  was  open  to  both  men  and  women  –  men  became  monks  and  women nuns. Except in a few cases, all abbeys were single-sex communities, that is, there were separate abbeys for  men  and  women.  Like  priests,  monks  and  nuns  did  not  marry.  From  small  communities  of  10  or  20  men/women, monasteries grew to communities often of several hundred, with large buildings and landed estates, with attached  schools  or  colleges  and  hospitals. They contributed  to  the  development  of  the  arts.  Abbess  Hildegard  was a gifted musician and did much to develop the practice of community singing of prayers in church. From the thirteenth century, some groups of monks – called friars – chose not to be based in a monastery but to move from place to place, preaching to the people and living on charity.

(i) What examples does he give to back this up?

In support of the division of three orders, Hildegard gave the following examples:
(a) Hildegard provided examples to support the idea of three orders, such as how a herder separates their cattle into different groups based on their species, such as cows, donkeys, sheep, and goats.
(b) Despite God being the creator of all things, Hildegard pointed out that not all creations are equal and that there are distinctions between them.
(c) Hildegard also noted that while God loves all human beings, he does not treat them equally on earth or in heaven.

(ii) What was the identity of Abbes Hildegard?

Hildegard was an abbess, who held a position of authority within the Church, but it is important to note that abbesses are not considered to be part of the clergy.

(iii) Was he a supporter of the Three Orders?

Yes, he supporter with the three orders.

Q.9.  Read the passage carefully and answer the questions that follow:
It  is  interesting  to  note  that  another  writer,  Washington  Irving,  much  younger  than  Wordsworth  and  who  had  actually  met  native  people,  described  them  quite  differently.  ‘The  Indians  I  have  had  an  opportunity  of  seeing  in  real  life  are  quite  different  from  those  described  in  poetry...  Taciturn  they  are,  it  is  true,  when  in  company  with white men, whose goodwill they distrust and whose language they do not understand; but the white man is  equally  taciturn  under  like  circumstances.  When  the  Indians  are  among  themselves,  they  are  great  mimics,  and  entertain  themselves  excessively  at  the  expense  of  the  whites...  who  have  supposed  them  impressed  with  profound respect for their grandeur and dignity... The white men (as I have witnessed) are prone to treat the poor Indians as little better than animals’.
(i) Natives and Europeans viewed each other differently. Explain

Europeans held the belief that the native people were uncivilized and regarded the goods they received from them as mere commodities.
In contrast, the native people were confused and disheartened by the Europeans' eagerness to acquire their goods, as they viewed these exchanges as acts of friendship rather than purely transactional.

(ii) Who wrote the passage?

The passage was written by Washington Irving, a writer who had personal experience and interactions with the native people.

(iii) What is his perspective towards indigenous communities?

Irving holds a distinct viewpoint from that of Wordsworth when it comes to the indigenous population. He perceives them as skilled imitators who indulge in amusement at the cost of white people. The native community, according to him, were awed by the magnificence and nobility of the white population.

Q.10. Mongolia had portrayed Genghis Khan as an iconic figure capable of forging a national identity and leading the country into the future. Justify this claim with appropriate arguments.

According to the Mongols, Genghis Khan is regarded as the greatest leader in history. He brought unity to the Mongol people, ended their internal tribal conflicts, and freed them from Chinese exploitation. Under his leadership, the Mongol Empire prospered and trade routes were restored, attracting traders from far and wide. Despite the diversity of religious beliefs among the Mongols, they did not let it interfere with public policy, and welcomed people of all ethnicities and religions as administrators and armed contingents. Researchers are exploring the Mongols' influence on later regimes, such as the Mughals. However, due to limited historical documentation, it is difficult to comprehend the inspiration that led to the formation of a confederation of fragmented groups. Timur, another monarch who aspired to universal dominion, was hesitant to declare himself a monarch since he did not belong to Genghis Khan's descent. Today, Mongolia is re-establishing its identity as an independent nation after years of Soviet influence, and honoring Genghis Khan as a national hero whose achievements are a source of pride and a foundation for forging a national identity for the future.

Q.11. What are the benefits and drawbacks of using ethnographic accounts to reconstruct early man's life?

Ethnography is the investigation and analysis of present-day ethnic communities, encompassing a comprehensive study of their lifestyle, gender roles, ceremonial practices, governmental establishments, cultural traditions, and technological progress. There is a debate among scholars regarding the usefulness of ethnographic records in gathering information about contemporary hunter-gatherer societies.
Benefits of ethnography include its potential to provide insights into the practices of ancient societies through observations of contemporary hunter-gatherer groups. For example, researchers have used observations of migratory patterns among the Hadza and Kung San to suggest that early human sites around Lake Turkana may have been dry season camps. Additionally, ethnographic studies can help shed light on the role of women in hunter-gatherer societies and their contributions to food supply.
However, there are also several drawbacks to using ethnography as a means of studying contemporary hunter-gatherer societies. The living conditions and ecological contexts of present-day groups differ significantly from those of earlier societies. Additionally, contemporary societies are often marginalized both geographically and socially and engage in a variety of activities beyond hunting and gathering. The lack of a standardized pattern for the division of labor in food procurement presents further challenges, as conflicting data can arise from studies of different societies regarding group sizes and movement patterns.

Q.12. What factors allowed Japan to avoid being colonized?

Japan was able to avoid colonization due to several factors, including its geographic isolation, strong centralized government, and ability to modernize and adapt to changing circumstances.
(i) Japan's location as an island nation made it difficult for foreign powers to invade and conquer. This helped to maintain Japan's independence and sovereignty.
(ii) during the Meiji Restoration in the late 19th century, Japan underwent a period of rapid modernization and industrialization, which allowed it to catch up with Western powers and become a formidable military and economic force. This enabled Japan to resist external pressures and maintain its independence.
(iii) Japan had a strong centralized government that was able to exert control over the country and mobilize resources effectively. This made it easier to implement policies and reforms that helped to modernize and strengthen the country.
(iv) Japan was able to learn from the experiences of other colonized countries, such as China and Korea, and avoid making the same mistakes. This helped Japan to maintain its independence and sovereignty.
Overall, Japan's ability to adapt and modernize, combined with its geographic isolation and strong government, helped it to avoid colonization and become a major player on the world stage.

Q.13. Can the 14th century be considered as a period of European Renaissance? Explain.

The term "Renaissance" refers to a period of cultural and intellectual change in Europe during the 14th century. This era is often associated with a revival of Greek and Roman culture, the rise of humanism and rationalism, and the decline of the church's influence. However, some scholars argue that the concept of a sudden rebirth is an exaggeration, and that the changes of the Renaissance were built upon earlier developments. Moreover, the changes in Europe were not solely shaped by the classical civilizations of Greece and Rome, but also by contacts with Asia through navigation, Mongol conquests, and the spread of Islam. The period witnessed the growth of individualism, including the separation of public and private spheres of life, and the emergence of nation-states based on language and cultural identity. Overall, the Renaissance was a complex and multifaceted period that cannot be fully captured by a simple dichotomy of dynamism versus gloom.

Q.14. How can you identify the locations of A and B on an outline map of Asia, and also locate the Red Sea and Arabian Sea on the same map?

China & Japan