On Map 1, use a pencil to circle sites w | Class 12 History - Themes in Indian History - I Chapter Bricks, Beads and Bones, Bricks, Beads and Bones NCERT Solutions

Discuss whether the Mahabharata could have been the work of a single author.

How do historians reconstruct the lives of ordinary people?

Look at Fig. 1.30 and describe what you see. How is the body placed? What are the objects placed near it? Are there any artefacts on the body? Do these indicate the sex of the skeleton?

Discuss whether kings in early states were invariably Kshatriyas.

How important were gender differences in early societies? Give reasons for your answer.

Discuss the evidence that suggests that Brahmanical prescriptions about kinship and marriage were not universally followed.

Describe some of the distinctive features of Mohenjodaro.

Describe the salient features of mahajanapadas.

This is a statement made by one of the best-known epigraphists of the twentieth century, D.C. Sircar: “There is no aspect of life, culture and activities of the Indians that is not reflected in inscriptions.” Discuss.

Discuss the role of the begums of Bhopal in preserving the stupa at Sanchi.

List the materials used to make beads in the Harappan civilisation. Describe the process by which any one kind of bead was made.

Discuss the evidence that suggests that Brahmanical prescriptions about kinship and marriage were not universally followed.

Discuss the role of the begums of Bhopal in preserving the stupa at Sanchi.

In what ways was the Buddhist theory of a social contract different from the Brahmanical view of society derived from the Purusha sukta?

Discuss the functions that may have been performed by rulers in Harappan society.

Discuss the evidence of craft production in Early Historic cities. In what ways is this different from the evidence from Harappan cities?

Compare and contrast the dharma or norms mentioned in the stories of Drona, Hidimba and Matanga.

To what extent were agricultural practices transformed in the period under consideration?

Compare and contrast the list of things given to the Pandyan chief (Source 3) with those produced in the village of Danguna (Source 8). Do you notice any similarities or differences?

How do archaeologists trace socio-economic differences in Harappan society? What are the differences that they notice?