CBSE Class 12 History HOTs Kinship Caste and Class

Kinship, Caste and Class

Question. Which of the following statements is/are incorrect?
(a) Mahabharata, a colossal epic, has over 1,00,000 verses.
(b) Pandavas emerged victorious in the battle.
(c) Kanyadaan means gift of a daughter in marriage.
(d) Endogamy is a marriage outside the unit.
(e) Nishadas were people living in forests.

Answer : D

Question. Panini’s ‘Ashtadhyayi’ is a work on
(a) Sanskrit grammar.
(b) Sanskrit history.
(c) Sanskrit mantras.
(d) Sanskrit plays.

Answer : A

Question. The classification of people, in the name of gotras in Hindu religion, was practised from c. 1000 BCE onwards, by the
(a) Brahmanas.
(b) Kshatriyas.
(c) Vaishyas.
(d) Shudras.

Answer : A

Question. According to the ______, the paternal estate was to be divided equally amongst sons after the death of the parents.
(a) Varnas
(b) Varnas
(c) Manusmriti
(d) Mahabharata

Answer : C

Question. Which of these was the wife of Pandavas?
(a) Pradevi Gupta
(b) Gautami
(c) Draupadi
(d) Dithya

Answer : C

Question. ________contains vivid descriptions of battles, forests, palaces and settlements.
(a) Manusmriti
(b) Sutta Pitaka
(c) Mahabharata
(d) None of the above

Answer : C

Question. Which of the following statements is incorrect about the duties as laid down in Manusmriti for the Chandalas?
(a) They had to live on the outskirts of the village.
(b) They had to use discarded utensils.
(c) They were supposed to wear old clothes of the villagers and ornaments made from shells.
(d) It was their duty to serve as executioner and dispose of the bodies of those who had no relatives.

Answer : C

Question. Given below are two statements, one labelled as Assertion
(A) and the other labelled as Reason
(R): Assertion (A): Women were expected to give up their father's gotra and take up their husband's gotra after marriage.
Reason (R): Women who married Satavahana rulers retained their father's gotras instead of adopting names derived from their husband's gotra name.
(a) Both (A) and (R) are correct and (R) is the correct explanation of (A).
(b) Both (A) and (R) are correct and (R) is not the correct explanation of (A).
(c) (A) is correct but (R) is not correct.
(d) (R) is correct but (A) is not correct.

Answer : B

Question. Assertion-(A)Consider the following statements regarding the critical edition of Mahabharata:
I. A team comprising dozens of scholars initiated the task of preparing a critical edition of the Mahabharata.
II. Initially, it meant collecting Sanskrit manuscripts of the text, written in a variety of scripts, from different parts of the country.
III. The team worked out a method of comparing verses from each manuscript.
Which of the following statement(s) is/are correct?
A. Only I
B. I and II
C. I and III
D. All of the above

Answer : D

Question. Which of the following was one of the occupations of Kshatriyas?
(a) Perform sacrifices and give gifts
(b) To teach Vedas
(c) Trade
(d) Agriculture

Answer : A

Question. Which of the following statements is wrong for Mahabharata?
(A).In its present form, it runs into over 100,000 verses.
(B)It took a period of 1000 years to compose.
(C)The central story is about two warring cousins.
(D)It does not lay down any norms of behaviour for social groups.

Answer : D

Question. The earliest inscriptions were written on which material?
(a) Paper
(b) Metal
(c) Stones
(d) Wood

Answer : C

Question. What was the object of the team of V.S. Sukthankar?
(a) Prepare critical edition of Mahabharata
(b) Translate Mahabharata in the English language
(c) Prepare critical edition of Manusmriti
(d) Translate Manusmriti in Tamil

Answer : A

Question. Find the correct statements.
(i) Dhritarashtra was blind.
(ii) Dharmasutras were Prakrit texts.
(iii) Fa Xian was a Burmese monk who travelled India.
(iv) Each gotra was named after a vedic seer.
(A).(a) and (b)
(B).(a) and (d)
(C).(c) and (d)
(D).None of these

Answer : B

Question. How many verses are there in Mahabharata?
(a) 20 thousand
(b) 50 thousand
(c) One Lakh
(d) More than one lakh

Answer : D

Question. Drupada, the king of Panchala and father of Draupadi did not accede to the idea of Draupadi being common wife of all the Pandavs. However, sage Vyasa convinced him that
(A) Pandavs were in fact reincarnations of Indra
(B) wife of Indra had been reborn as Draupadi
(C) Pandavas and Draupadi are destined for each other
(D) All of the above

Answer : D

Question. Duryodhana and his brothers were known as
(a) Kauravas
(b) Pandavas
(c) Malechhes
(d) Nishada

Answer : A

Question. Which of the following strategies were evolved by Brahmanas to enforce the norms of Varna order from c. 600 BCE to 600 CE?
(a) Brahmanas used to emphasise that the varna system is divine.
(b) Brahmanas tried to convince people that their occupation and status are determined by birth.
(c) Brahmanas advised the kings to ensure that people follow the norms of the varna system within the kingdom.
(d) All of these.

Answer : D

Question. Who seized Draupadi by her hair and dragged her into the court?
A.Duryodhana
B.Duhshasana
C.Drushtadyumna
D.Vidura

Answer : B

Question. Which of these was the wife of Pandavas?
(a) Pradevi Gupta
(b) Gautami
(c) Draupadi
(d) Dithya

Answer : C

Question. Which of the following was one of the occupations of Kshatriyas?
(a) Perform sacrifices and give gifts
(b) To teach Vedas
(c) Trade
(d) Agriculture

Answer : A

Question. Mandasor Stone inscription records the history of a guild of
(a) goldsmiths.
(b) rathakaras.
(c) potters.
(d) silk weavers.

Answer : D

Question. According to Shastras, only ______ could rule the country.
(a) Brahmins
(b) Kshatriyas
(e) Vaishyas
(d) Shudras

Answer : B

Question. According to the Sanskrit text Mahabharata, Duryodhana plotted to kill
(a) Dhritarashtra.
(b) Draupadi.
(c) Kauravas.
(d) Pandavas.

Answer : D

Question. Marriage within a unit, a kin group, caste or a group living in the same locality, is called
(a) endogamy.
(b) exogamy.
(c) polygyny.
(d) polyandry.

Answer : A

Question. The earliest inscriptions were written on which material?
(a) Paper
(b) Metal
(c) Stones
(d) Wood

Answer : C

Question. Who was the son of Hidimba and Bheema?
(A )Jarasandha
(B )Abhimanyu
(C )Ghatotkacha
(D )Barbarik

Answer : C

Question. Which of these rulers followed endogamy?
(a) Satvahanas
(b) Pandavas
(c) Mauryas
(d) None of these

Answer : C

Question. The janapada which was inhabited by the cousins Pandavas and Kauravas was that of
(a) Shurasenas.
(b) Mallas.
(c) Sakyas.
(d) Kurus.

Answer : D

Question. Rulers whose name ended with the term 'Puta' belonged to
(a) Satavahana dynasty.
(b) Shunga dynasty.
(c) Mauryan dynasty.
(d) Kanva dynasty.

Answer : A

Question. The Brahmanas considered some people as being outside the system by classifying certain social categories as _______.
(a) Kinfolk
(b) Varnas
(c) Untouchable
(d) Nishada

Answer : C

Question. The number of categories into which the Dharmashastras and Dharmasutras divided the ideal occupations were
(a) Two
(b) Three
(c) Four
(d) Five

Answer : C

Question. Duryodhana and his brothers were known as
(a) Kauravas
(b) Pandavas
(c) Malechhes
(d) Nishada

Answer : A

Question. Families are usually parts of larger networks of people defined as relatives, or to use a more technical term ______.
(a) Kinfolk
(b) Patriliny
(c) Marriage
(d) Polygamy

Answer : A

Question. Duryodhana and his brothers were known as
(a) Kauravas
(b) Pandavas
(c) Malechhes
(d) Nishada

Answer : A

Question. Matchthefollowing
(i) Endogamy (a) refers to marriage outside the unit
(ii) Exogamy (b) refer to the practice of a man having several wives
(iii) Polygyny. (c) refers to a practice of a woman having several husbands
(iv) Polyandry (d) refer to marriage within the unit Choose the correct option:
(a) i - b, ii - c, ii - a, iv - d
(b) i – a, ii – b, iii - d, iv - c
(c) i - c, ii - a, iii- b, iv - d
(d) i – d, ii – a, i - b, iv - c

Answer : D

Question. Which of the following pairs are correctly matched?
(i) Adi Parvan – The first section of the Sanskrit Mahabharata
(ii) Duryodhana – Eldest son of Gandhari
(iii) Hidimba – Wife of Bhima
(iv) Mahashweta Devi – Maharashtrian writer
(a), (b) and (c)
(b), (c) and (d)
(a), (b) and (d)
None of these

Answer : A

True/False

Question. Sons could claim the throne and the resources.
Answer : True

Question. Kauravas and Pandavas (cousins) pitted against each other for ascending of throne of Hastinapur.
Answer : True

Question. Polyandry mean?The practice of a man having several wives.
Answer : False

Question. Eklavya was a nishada (a hunting community). On account of his dharma, Drona refused to accept him as a pupil.
Answer : True

One word Answer :

Question. Who did not have any claim to the resources of the household?
Answer : Daughters

Question. Who was Gandhari?
Answer : Gandhari was the mother of the Kauravas.

Question. Who were regarded as Mlechchhas?
Answer : Shakas were regarded as Mlechchhas

Question. How many years did it take to complete the critical edition of Mahabharata?
Answer : 47 years.

Question. How many forms of marriage were recognised in Dharmasutras and Dharmashastras?
Answer : Eight

Question. Which Chines monk come to India during fifth century CE?
Answer : Fa Xian.

Question. Which system of lineage was followed by most of the ruling dynasties?
Answer :  patriliny

Question. Through which side the Satavahana rullers were identified?
Answer : They were identified through metronymics or through mother side

Question. Who were regarded as Mlechchhas?
Answer : Shakas were regarded as Mlechchhas

Question. From where did Shakas Came?
Answer :  Central Asia

Question. Why and among whom, the war of Mahabharata was fought ?
Answer : Kauravas and Pandavas

Question. Under whose leadership the process of preparing critical edition of Mahabharata started?
Answer : Under the leadership of V.S. Sakhankar

Question. Where did the duties of the Chandalas lay down?
Answer : The Manusmriti laid down the duties of the Chandalas.

CASE-BASED MCQs

Observe the picture and answer any three of the following questions by choosing the correct option. 

Question. Where has this sculpture been found?
(A) Amravati
(B) Hastinapur
(C) Harappa
(D) Mohenjodaro
Answer : A

Question. How has the sculptor shown the difference between the chief and his follower?
(A) The chief has placed hand on head of the follower
(B) The chief is taller than the follower
(C) The chief is in the lead and the follower is behind him
(D) All of these
Answer : D

Question. To which century does the sculpture belong to?
(A) c. third century BCE
(B) c. second century CE
(C) c. eighth century CE
(D) c. fifteenth century CE
Answer : B

Question. From which Tamil literature has this been taken?
(A) Puranaruru
(B) Abhigyanam
(C) Kadambini
(D) None of these
Answer : A

Question. SourcebasedQuestions.
A Tiger-Like Husband
This is a summary of a story from the Adi Parvan of the Mahabharata.
The Pandavas had fled into the forest. They were tired and fell asleep; only Bhima, the second Pandava, renowned for his powers, was keeping watch. A man-eating rakshasa caught the scent of the Pandavas and sent his sister Hidimba to capture them. She fell in love with Bhima, transformed herself into a lovely maiden and proposed to him. He refused. Meanwhile, the rakshasa arrived and challenged Bhima to a wrestling match. Bhima accepted the challenge and killed him. The others woke up hearing the noise. Hidimba introduced herself and declared her love for Bhima.
She told Kunti, “I have forsaken my Am. friends, my dharma and my kin; and good lady, chosen your tiger-like son for my man…whether you think me a fool or your devoted servant, let me join you, great lady, with your son as my husband.” Ultimately, Yudhisthira agreed to the marriage on one condition that they would spend the day together, but that Bhima would return every night. The couple roamed all over the world during the day. In due course, Hidimba gave birth to a rakshasa boy named Ghatotkacha. Then, the mother and son left the Pandavas.Ghatotkacha promised to return to the Pandavas whenever they needed him. Some historians suggest that the term rakshasa is used to describe people whose practices differed from those laid down in Brahmanical texts.

Question. Who was Hidimba?
Answer : sister of a man-eating rakshasa.

Question. Why was she sent to Pandavas and what did she do?
Answer : She was sent by her brother to capture the Pandavas.

Question. Whom does Hidimba marry?
Answer : bhima

Question. Identifythepictureandchoosethecorrectoption..
Look at the image given below. What is depicted in the image?

Answer : It is a stone sculpture from Gandhara belonging to c. third century CE. In this image, a mendicant is seeking alms.

Question. Look at the figure given below. Identify and name the terracotta sculpture belonging to c. fifth century CE.

Answer : It is the earliest sculptural description of a scene from the Mahabharata. It is taken from the walls of a temple in Ahichchhatra (Uttar Pradesh).

Source based Questions

Read the following passage given carefully and answer the question that follows:

Draupadi’s Marriage

Drupada the king of Panchal orginsed a competition where the challenges was to string a bow and hit a target : the winner would be chosen to marry his daughter Draupadi. Arjuna was victorious and was garlanded by Draupadi. The Pandavas returned with her to their mother Kunti, who, even before she saw
them asked them to share whatever they had got .she realized her mistake when she saw Drupadi, but her command could not be violated. After much deliberation, Yudhisthira decided that Drupadi would be their common wife. When Drupda was told about this, he protested. However, the seer Vyasa arrived and told him that the Pandavas were in reality incarnations of Indra, whose wife had been reborn as Draupadi and they were thus destined for each other. Vyasa added that in another instance a young woman had prayed to shiva for a husband, and in her enthusiasm, had prayed five times instead of once. This woman was know reborned as Draupadi and Shiva had fulfilled her desire Convinced by these stories, Drupada consented to the marriage.

(i) What was the competition organized by the Panchala king Drupada for the marriage of his daughter?
Answer : Drupada organized a competition where the challenge was to string a bow and hit a target.

(ii) What two explanations were given by Vyasa to convince king Drupada for Draupadi being the common wife of the Pandvas?
Answer : Vyasa told that Pandvas were in reality incarnations of Indra. He also told that a women was blessed by Lord Shiva to have five husband was now reborn as Draupadi.

(iii) What form of the marriage was Draupadi’s marriage to the pandvas? Give two views of historians about the form of marriage.
Answer : It was an example of polyandry. Some historians believes that such kind of marriage were perhaps prevalent in some section of societies. Some historians believe that such tradition was present in the Himalayan region

Short Answer type Questions

Question. What do you mean by term kula and Jati?
Answer : Sanskrit texts use the term kula to designate families and jati for the larger network of kinfolk .

Question. What do you mean by the term epic?
Answer : Epic means a larger poetic text which narrates the life and achievements of the heroes or the past of a nation.

Question. Why the war Mahabharata was fought? What was its result?
Answer : The war of Mahabharata was fought to acquire land and authority. The war was won by the Pandavas.

Question. Give Two Importance of Manusmriti?
Answer : (i) It gives vital information about law and social practices.
(II) It influences the Hindu way of life even today.

Long Answer type Questions

Question. Explain the rules of Rules of marriage followed in ancient society
Answer : 1. Sons were important for the continuity of the patrilineage daughters were viewed rather differently within this framework.
2. At the same time, marrying them into families outside the kin was considered desirable.
3.This system, called exogamy (literally, marrying outside), meant that the lives of young girls and women belonging to families that claimed high status were often carefully regulated to ensure that they were married at the “right” time and to the “right” person.
4.The belief that kanyadana or the gift of a daughter in marriage was an
Important religious duty of the father.
5. The Brahmanas laid down codes of socialbehaviour in great detail.
6. These were meant to be followed by Brahmanas known as the Dharmasutras and Dharmashastras.
7.The most important of such works, the Manusmriti,
6.The Dharmasutras and Dharmashastras recognised as many as eight forms of marriage. Of these, the first four were considered as “good” while the remaining were condemned.

Question. In what ways was the Buddhist theory of a social contract different from the Brahmanical view of society derived from the Purusha sukta?
Answer : (I) The Purusha sukta says that four varnas emerged from the Purasha sukta .
(II) These varnas where Brahamans, Kshatriya, Vaishya, Shudras.
(III) The Bramahans enjoyed the supreme position in the society.
(IV) The Kshatriyas where worriers, they ran the administration.
(IV) The Vaishaya were engaged in trade. The Shudras where destined to serve the three Varnas.
(V) Only the birth was the basis of status and respect in the society.
The Buddhism did not accept this concept. They believe that the inequality in the society was artificial and temporary. They rejected birth as the basis of social prestige.

Question. Explain the relationship between the Varna system and the occupation according to Brahmanical texts. How did the Brahmanas reinforce these?
Answer : Relatonship between the varna system and occupation according to Brahmanical texts:
(I) Brahmanas- study and teach the vedas,perform sacrifices.
(II) Kshtriyas -study the vedas , get sacrifice performed and engage in warfare ,protect people and administer justice.
(III) Vaishyas-study the vedas,get sacrifices performed and engaged in agriculture and trade.
(IV) Shudras-assigned only one occupation-that of serving the three higher varnas. The Bramanas enforced these by:
(a) Divine origin.
(b) Advising kings to enforce the order.
(c) Caste based on birth. oHow did the women get their gotra?
1.One Brahmanical practice to classify people was in terms of gotras.
2.Each gotra was named after a Vedic seer, and all those who belonged to the same gotra were regarded as his descendants.
3.Two rules about gotra were particularly important: women were expected to give up their father’s gotra and adopt that of their husband on marriage and members of the same gotra could not marry.
4. Satavahana rulers had names derived from gotras such as Gotama and Vasistha
5.They evidently retained these names instead of adopting names derived from their husband’s gotra name as they were required to do according to the

Question. What did B.B.Lal note about the houses in the second phase of Mahabharata?
period. Explain?
Answer : B.B.lal has given a description about the houses in the second phase. He noted that within the limited area excavated, no definite plans of houses were obtained, but walls of mud and mud bricks were duly encountered. The discovery of mud plaster with prominent reed marks suggested that some of the houses had reed walls plastered over with mud. Brahmanical rules.

Question. The Mahabharata is a good source to study the social value of ancient times Prove it.?
Answer : Yes, Mahabharata is a good source to study the social value of ancient times.
(I) The Mahabharata gives a vivid description of the social values of the period as essential it is story between two set of warnings cousins and thus centre around conflict in the society.
(II) Patriliny succession it emphasized
(III) The Mahabharata reinforces the relations between the caste and the occupation prescription between the caste and the occupation prescribed in the Dharmashastras through stories. For example, the story of Eklavya.
(IV) The Mahabharata gives a vivid description of the caste system and interrelation of the different caste group. This is evident from the story of Hidimba’s marriage with Bhima.
(V) The Mahabharata also provides evidence to patriarchal society, for example Yudhishtira staking Draupadi, his wife in the game of dice.
(VI) Kanyadan or gift of daughter in marriage was considered an important religious duty of the father.
(VII) Different types of marriges were practiced in the society.
(VIII) The Mahabharata also gives two contrasting social norms in the relationship between the mother and son for example(i)relationship between the Pandavas and their mother example (ii) the Kauravas and their mother.
(IX) It provides information about varna and different professions. X) Elders were dominating in the family.

Question. What were the duties of the chandalas?
Answer : 1.The brahamanas developed a sharper social divide by classifying certain social categories as “untouchable”
2. Those who considered themselves pure avoided taking food from those they designated as “untouchable”.
3.In sharp contrast to the purity aspect, some activities were regarded as particularly “polluting”.
4.These included handling corpses and dead animals. Those who performed such tasks, designated as chandalas, were placed at the very bottom of the hierarchy.
5.Their touch and, in some cases, even seeing them was regarded as “polluting” by those who claimed to be at the top of the social order.
6. Manusmriti laid down the “duties” of the chandalas. They had to live outside the village, use discarded utensils, and wear clothes of the dead and ornaments of iron.
7. They could not walk about in villages and cities at night.
8.They had to dispose of the bodies of those who had no relatives and serve as executioners.

Question. Mahabharata is a dynamic text. Explain
Answer : The Mahabharata, like any major epic, contains vivid descriptions of battles, forests, palaces and settlements. It also deals with political, social ,religious, cultural and moral values suitable forever
1.The version of the Mahabharata we have been considering is in Sanskrit.
2.The Sanskrit used in the Mahabharata is far simpler than that of the Vedas,
3. Historians classify the contents of the present text under two broad heads sections that contain stories, designated as the narrative,
4.The sections that contain prescriptions about social norms, designated as didactic.
5.Historians agree that the Mahabharata was meant to be a dramatic, moving story, and that the didactic portions were probably added later.
Author(s) and dates
1. The original story was probably composed by charioteer-bards known as sutas who generally accompanied Kshatriya warriors to the battlefield and  composed poems celebrating their victories and other achievements.
2. Form the fifth century BCE, Brahmanas took over the story and began to commit it to writing. This was the time when chiefdoms such as those of the Kurus and Panchalas, were gradually becoming
kingdoms. It is also possible that the upheavals that often accompanied the establishment of these states, where the old social values were often replaced by new norms, are reflected in some parts of the story.
3. Another phase in the composition of the text was between c. 200 BCE and 200 CE.
This was the period when the worship of Vishnu was growing in importance, and Krishna, one of the important figures of the epic, was coming to be identified with Vishnu. Subsequently, between c. 200 and 400 CE, large didactic sections resembling the Manusmriti were added.
With these additions, a text grew to comprise about 100,000 verses. This enormous composition is traditionally attributed to a sage named Vyasa.

Question. What were the occupational structure given in the Dharmasutras and Dharmashastras?
Answer : 1.The Dharmasutras and Dharmashastras contained rules about the ideal “occupations” of the four categories or varnas.
2.Brahmanas were supposed to study and teach the Vedas, perform sacrifices and get sacrifices performed, and give and receive gifts.
3’Kshatriyas were to engage in warfare, protect people and administer justice, study the Vedas, get sacrifices performed, and make gifts.
4.The last three occupations” were also assigned to the Vaishyas, who were expected to engage in agriculture, pastoralism and trade.
5. Shudras were assigned only one occupation – that of serving the three “higher” varnas.
6.The Brahmanas evolved two or three strategies for enforcing these norms. One was to assert that thevarna order was of divine origin.
7.Second, they advised kings to ensure that these norms were followed within their kingdoms.
8.Third, they attempted to persuade people that their status was determined by birth.

Question. The rules of the Brahmanical texts were not universally followed in ancient time. Justify giving five evidence.
Answer : Brahmanical texts were not universally followed in ancient times:
(i) Women were expected to give up the gotra of the father after marriage. However the women married Satvahana rulers continued to have names derived from others gotra. They did not adopt husband’s gotra.
(ii) According to the shastras only Kshatriyas could become rulers. But there were many ruling families that claims to be Brahmanas or Vaishyas.
(iii) There were population whose practices were not influenced by Brahmanical ideas such as Nishadas, nomadic pastoralists.
(iv) There were instance of multiple occupations of the same caste such as silk weavers of Mandasor.
(v) Instances of chandalas not accepting the life of degradation prescribed in the Shastras.
(vi) Generally marriage took place within the caste. Sometimes marriage took place outside the caste such as Bhim and Hidimba.
(vii) Women were not allowed to share the property of their father. Exceptions are there such as Prabhavati Gupta.