NCERT Solutions for Class 12 History - Themes in Indian History - I - Chapter-wise Solutions

Chapter 1 : Bricks, Beads and Bones

The problem of archaeological interpretation is perhaps most evident in attempts to reconstruct religious practices. The frontiers of the harappan civilization have little or no connection with present – day national boundaries. Over the decades, new issues have assumed importance. A site like Harappa, which was not part of the itinerary of the Chinese pilgrims and was not known as an early historic city, did not fit very neatly within his framework of investigation.

Chapter 2 : Kings, Farmers and Towns

Some of the most momentous developments in Indian epigraphy took place in the 1830’s. This gave a new direction to investigations into early Indian political history as European and Indian scholars used inscription and texts composed in a variety of languages to reconstruct the lineages of major dynasties that had ruled the subcontinent. Asoka was the first ruler who inscribed his message to his subject and official on stone surface-natural rocks and pillars are often regarded as amongst the most valuable sources. From the sixth century BCE, land and river routes criss- crossed the subcontinent and extended in various direction overland into central asia and beyond and overseas from ports that dotted the coastline extending across the arabian sea to east and north Africa and west  asia and through the bay of Bengal to southeast asia and china.

Chapter 3 : Kinship, Caste and Class

For early societies historians can retrieve  information about  elite families fairly easily; it is however far more difficult to reconstruct the familial relationship of ordinary people. Historians usually classify the contents of the present text under two broad heads: sections that contain stories designed as the narrative and sections that contain prescriptions about social norms designated as didactic. Amongst other things the chief were patrons of bards and poets who sang their praise. They also rejected the idea of claims to status on the basis of birth. In other words social differences between men and women were sharpened because of the differences in access to resources.

Chapter 4 : Thinkers, Beliefs and Buildings

The Rigveda consists of hymns in praise of a variety  of deities, especially agni indra and soma. People also began speculating on the significance of the sacrificial tradition. For centuries manuscripts of these texts were carefully preserved in libraries attached to temples. He had a sheltered upbringing within the places insulated from the harsh realities of life. For the rest of his life he taught dhamma or the path of righteous living. The Buddha's followers came from many social groups. If that failed decisions were taken by a voice on the subject. These early scholars tried to make sense of what appeared to be strange images by comparing them with sculpture with which they were familiar, that from ancient Greece.