History: CBSE Sample Question Paper with Solutions - 3 | Sample Papers for Class 11 Humanities - Humanities/Arts PDF Download

Q.1. Multiple Choice Questions
(i) In total, Hammurabi code of conduct consists of:
(a) 282 codes
(b) 213 codes
(c) 167 codes
(d) 100 codes

Correct Answer is option a.

(ii) Declaration of the Indian Rights was prepared by:
(a) European natives
(b) Canadian natives
(c) Australia natives
(d) US natives

Correct Answer is option d.

(iii) Where are Altamira caves located?
(a) Britain
(b) Spain
(c) France
(d) Egyp

Correct Answer is option b.

(iv) Printing was done in Japan with
(a) Iron bocks
(b) Coal
(c) Wooden blocks
(d) Copper blocks

Correct Answer is option c.

(v) When did the excavation at Mesopotamia begin?
(a) 1840
(b) 1850
(c) 1871
(d) 1804

Correct Answer is option a.

(vi) The creators of Das Capital are:
(a) Aristotle
(b) Carl Ais
(c) Getech
(d) Karl Marx

Correct Answer is option d.

(vii) Which of these was initially used for smelting?
(a) Charcoal
(b) Dry leaves and twigs
(c) Wood
(d) Coal

Correct Answer is option b.

(viii) The water frame was invented by:
(a) Richard Arkwright
(b) None of these
(c) John Kay
(d) Wilbur Wright

Correct Answer is option a.

(ix) Canada came into existence
(a) By the beginning of the 19th century
(b) By the end of the 18th century
(c) By the end of the 17th century
(d) By the beginning of the 18th century

Correct Answer is option b.

(x) Which language replaced the earliest language of Mesopotamian civilization?
(a) Sumerian
(b) Greek
(c) Latin
(d) Akkad

Correct Answer is option d.

Q.2. Fill in the blanks.
(i) Agricultural produce and __________ from China were exchanged with the Steppe.
(ii) Japanese emperor was known as ___________.
(iii) The ___________was the Roman silver coin containing 4½ gm of pure silver.
(iv) _______ wrote the Epic of Gilgamesh.
(v) The Last Judgement is the painting of ___________.

(i) Iron utensils
(ii) Mikado
(iii) Denarius
(iv) Sin-Leqi-unninni
(v) Michelangelo

Q.3. State whether true or false
(i) Mongols were a nomadic tribe of Central Asia.
(ii) Frankincense is a Latin name for an aromatic spice.
(iii) The famous Lazaret Caves are located in Australia
(iv) The wood of the Iraqi Date Palm and poplar was not good enough for carts, cart wheels or boats.
(v) Guilds were the basis of the economic organisations.

(i) True
(ii) False
(iii) False
(iv) True
(v) True

Q.4. How did the emperors rule and govern the vast Roman empire?

With the exception of Italy, the Roman Empire was divided into provinces that were required to pay taxes. The cities were the main focal point of the imperial system, and the local upper classes played a role in governing their own territories. These upper classes became administrators and military commanders, and both the army and administration were made up of individuals from the provinces, as citizenship had spread throughout these regions. As a result, the emperors were able to govern the provinces with the support of the local elite, which allowed them to collect taxes from the wealthy countryside and generate significant wealth for the empire.

Q.5. Mesopotamia's greatest legacy to the world is its scholarly tradition of time reckoning and mathematics. Explain.

Around 1800 BCE, tablets were discovered that contained tables for multiplication and division, as well as square and square root values, and tables of compound interest. Students of that time were required to solve problems involving volume calculation, such as determining the amount of water in a field with a certain area covered one finger deep in water. Additionally, the Mesopotamians were responsible for dividing the year into 12 months based on the revolution of the moon around the earth, and dividing the month into four weeks, the day into 24 hours, and the hour into 60 minutes - concepts that are still in use today. They also recorded observations of solar and lunar eclipses, noted their occurrences according to year, month, and day, and kept records of the positions of stars and constellations in the night sky. These achievements were made possible by the use of writing and the establishment of urban schools, where students could read and copy earlier written tablets. Some boys were even trained to become intellectuals who could build on the work of their predecessors, rather than just record keepers for the administration.

Q.6. What were Sun Yat Sen's three guiding principles? Explain.

Sun Yat-sen, born in 1866 and passed away in 1925, is widely recognized as the individual who founded modern China. He proposed the "Three Principles" (San min chui) which consisted of the following ideas:
(a) Nationalism, which called for the removal of the Manchu dynasty seen as a foreign power and any other foreign imperialists.
(b) Democracy, which aimed to establish a democratic form of government.
(c) Socialism, which sought to regulate capital and equalize landholdings.

Q.7. Read the passage carefully and answer the questions that follow.
‘Late  antiquity ’  is  the  term  now  used  to  describe  the  final,  fascinating  period  in  the  evolution  and  break-up  of  the  Roman  Empire  and  refers  broadly  to  the  fourth  to  seventh  centuries.  The  fourth  century  itself  was  one  of  considerable ferment, both cultural and economic. At the cultural level, the period saw momentous developments in religious life, with the emperor Constantine deciding to make Christianity the official religion, and with the rise of Islam in the seventh century. But there were equally important changes in the structure of the state that began with the emperor Diocletian (284- 305), and it may be best to start with these.Overexpansion had led Diocletian to ‘cut back’ by abandoning territories with little strategic or economic value. Diocletian  also  fortified  the  frontiers,  reorganised  provincial  boundaries,  and  separated  civilian  from  military  functions,  granting  greater  autonomy  to  the  military  commanders  (duces),  who  now  became  a  more  powerful  group.Constantine consolidated some of these changes and added others of his own. His chief innovations were in the monetary sphere, where he introduced a new denomination, the solidus, a coin of 4½ gm of pure gold that would, in  fact,  outlast  the  Roman  Empire  itself.  Solidi  were  minted  on  a  very  large  scale  and  their  circulation  ran  into  millions.
(i) Mention Constantine's innovation.

Constantine made significant contributions to the monetary system, particularly by introducing a new denomination called the solidus. This coin was made of pure gold and weighed 4.5 grams, and remarkably, it continued to be used even after the fall of the Roman Empire. Millions of solidi were produced, indicating the widespread usage of this new currency.

(ii) What was the duration of Diocletian's regime?

Diocletian's regime lasted from 284 to 305.

(iii) What exactly is Late Antiquity?

The period from the fourth to the seventh centuries, which marked the final stage in the development and disintegration of the Roman Empire, is commonly referred to as "late antiquity".

Q.8. Read the passage carefully and answer the questions that follow.
Karl Marx (1818-83), the great German philosopher, described the American frontier as ‘the last positive capitalist utopia...the limitless nature and space to which the limitless thirst for profit adapts itself ’.
(i) What were his thoughts on the American frontier?

He referred to the American frontier as the "last positive capitalist utopia" and characterized it as being driven by a desire for profit.

(ii) Karl Marx, who was he?

A distinguished philosopher from Germany was Karl Marx.

(iii) What led to his widespread popularity among the masses?

Due to his communist ideology and focus on the welfare of the working class, he gained popularity among the general populace.

Q.9. Read the passage carefully and answer the questions that follow:
Doctor Galen on how Roman Cities Treated the Countryside-‘The  famine  prevalent  for  many  successive  years  in  many  provinces  has  clearly  displayed  for  men  of  any  understanding the effect of malnutrition in generating illness. The city-dwellers, as it was their custom to collect and  store  enough  grain  for  the  whole  of  the  next  year  immediately  after  the  harvest,  carried  off  all  the  wheat,  barley,  beans  and  lentils,  and  left  to  the  peasants  various  kinds  of  pulses  –after  taking  quite  a  large  proportion of these to the city. After consuming what was left in the course of the winter, the country people had to resort to unhealthy foods in the spring; they ate twigs and shoots of trees and bushes and bulbs and roots of inedible plants...’
– Galen, On Good and Bad Diet.
(i) What were the divisions in ancient Roman society?

In ancient Rome, the social hierarchy was comprised of three distinct groups: the Patricians, the Plebeians, and the Slaves.

(ii) What is the meaning of the given passage?

The passage discusses the adverse consequences of famine, which led to a scarcity of food.

(iii) What were the city dwellers' customs?

Following the harvest, urban residents gathered and stockpiled ample quantities of grains such as wheat, barley, beans, and lentils to sustain themselves throughout the upcoming year. Meanwhile, they allowed peasants to keep various types of legumes, although a considerable portion was still taken back to the city.

Q.10. Make a note of the major developments of the Meiji era.

The Meiji era in Japan, which lasted from 1868 to 1912, was marked by significant developments in various fields. Here are some of the major developments of the Meiji era:
Political modernization: The Meiji government implemented a series of political reforms that transformed Japan from a feudal society into a modern state. These reforms included the adoption of a new constitution, the establishment of a bicameral parliament, the creation of a modern legal system, and the abolishment of the feudal system.
Industrialization: The Meiji government launched an ambitious program of industrialization that aimed to modernize Japan's economy and make it more competitive on the global stage. This included the establishment of modern factories, the development of new industries such as steel and shipbuilding, and the construction of new infrastructure such as railways and ports.
Westernization: The Meiji government embraced Western culture and technology in order to catch up with the advanced nations of the world. This led to the adoption of Western-style clothing, architecture, education, and social norms.
Military modernization: The Meiji government invested heavily in modernizing the Japanese military in order to defend against the perceived threat of Western imperialism. This included the adoption of modern military technologies, the creation of a conscript army, and the establishment of a modern navy.
Imperial expansion: Japan embarked on a policy of imperial expansion during the Meiji era, annexing territories such as Taiwan and Korea and establishing itself as a major power in Asia.
Overall, the Meiji era was a period of rapid modernization and transformation in Japan, laying the groundwork for the country's emergence as a major economic and military power in the 20th century.

Q.11. Describe the Mongols' social and political history.

The Mongols were a nomadic people who emerged from the vast grasslands of Central Asia in the 12th century. They were organized into clans, each led by a chieftain or Khan. The Mongols were skilled horsemen and warriors, and their way of life centered around herding livestock and engaging in raiding and hunting.
In the early 13th century, a great Mongol leader named Genghis Khan united the various Mongol tribes and began a campaign of conquest that would ultimately result in the largest contiguous empire in history. Under Genghis Khan and his successors, the Mongols conquered much of Asia, including China, Korea, Central Asia, and parts of Europe.
The social structure of the Mongols was based on a hierarchical system of clans, with each clan divided into sub-clans and families. At the top of the hierarchy was the Khan, followed by his immediate family and the families of his closest allies. The majority of the population were commoners who worked as herders, farmers, and artisans.
Politically, the Mongols were organized into a confederation of tribes and clans, with each group maintaining a degree of autonomy. However, under Genghis Khan, the Mongols began to centralize their power, establishing a system of government based on meritocracy. Positions of power were given to those who demonstrated loyalty, skill, and competence, rather than on the basis of heredity.
The Mongols were also known for their tolerance of different religions and cultures. While they practiced a form of shamanism, they allowed other religions to coexist within their empire, including Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam.
Overall, the social and political background of the Mongols was shaped by their nomadic way of life, their military prowess, and their willingness to adapt and adopt new ideas from other cultures.

Q.12. Mention some facts about Ur, one of the first cities to be excavated.

The systematic excavation of Ur in the 1930s revealed several important features of the ancient city's layout and architecture. One of the main observations was the presence of narrow winding streets, which suggests that wheeled carts could not have reached the houses. Instead, goods such as sacks of grains or firewood would have been carried on donkey backs.
Furthermore, the irregular shapes of plots and absence of town planning indicate a lack of centralized urban planning in Ur. There were no street drains like those found in Mohenjo-Daro, but drains and pipes made of clay were found in the inner courtyards of the Ur houses. The roofs of the houses sloped inwards, channelizing rainwater via the drain pipes into the sumps in the inner courtyards, which helped prevent unpaved streets from becoming slushy after a heavy downpour.
The streets of Ur were also used as dumping grounds for household refuse, which caused the street levels to rise over time. As a result, thresholds of houses had to be raised so that no mud would flow in after the rains. Light came into the rooms from doors that opened into courtyards, but there were no windows.
Lastly, the excavation also revealed the existence of a town cemetery at Ur, in which the graves of royalty and commoners were found together. Additionally, few individuals were found buried under the floors of the ordinary houses. These observations provide insights into the urban planning, architecture, and social practices of the people who lived in Ur.

Q.13. What do you mean when you say "Renaissance"? Examine the role of the printing press in the Renaissance and the rapid spread of Italian humanist culture.

The Renaissance, meaning 'rebirth,' took place in 15th century Italy, signifying a new era of knowledge after a prolonged period of darkness and ignorance. During this time, people developed a renewed interest in Europe's ancient culture and civilization. With the printing of classical texts in Latin, books became easily accessible to students, thereby spreading ideas and opinions more widely and quickly than ever before. The availability of books also greatly influenced the spread of humanist ideas, with literary works of the period, such as Utopia, Hamlet, and Divine Comedy, discussing man's sentiments, capabilities, and weaknesses in detail.
Humanism also greatly impacted the art of the Renaissance Age. While Raphael and Michelangelo's paintings were concerned with wealth, they were based on man, and depicted mother Mary as an affectionate mother to Jesus. Other notable works include Mona Lisa and Madonna, with the artists giving great importance to the beauty of the physical form. Leonardo-da-Vinci, who was a painter, sculptor, architect, engineer, and scientist, demonstrated his mastery over colors and forms through his works.

Q.14. Locate the following on the Australia map.
(i) Perth
(ii) Adelaide
(iii) Canberra
(iv) Melbourne