HISTORY

(Two hours and fifteen minutes)

Summative Assessment-2, 2022-23
(Sample Question Paper)
GRADE: VI Maximum Marks: 80
Please check that this question paper contains 11 printed pages.
Answers to this Paper must be written on the paper provided separately.
The time given at the head of this Paper is inclusive of the reading time and writing time.
Reading time: 15 minutes
Writing time: 2 hours

Attempt all questions

The intended marks for questions or parts of questions are given in brackets [ ].

Section A (30 Marks)

Attempt all questions from this Section
Question 1 Choose the correct answer to the question from the given options. [8]
i. Special development boards are called . 1
a. Town area committees
b.Port Trust
c. Improvement Trusts
d. Cantonment Boards
ii. The important provinces of the Mauryan Empire were administered by . 1
a. Kumaras
b. Kumaramatya
c. Mahamatra

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 d. Amatya
iii. Srigupta was succeeded by his son who took the title, Maharaj. 1
a. Chandragupta I

b. Ghatotkach

c. Samudragupta

d. Chandragupta II
iv. Bindusara was referred to as in Greek sources. 1
a. Amitra
b. Amitraghata
c. Amitrochates
d. Maharajadhiraja
v. accounts are a rich source of information for the Gupta period. 1
a. Kalidas
b. Harisena
c. Fa Hien
d. Chanakya
vi. were expected to pay tax in the form of animal or animal products. 1
a. Farmers
b. Cattle Breeders
c. Herders
d. Hunter-Gatherers
vii. Vatsa is a Mahajanapada situated on the banks of river . 1
a. Narmada
b. Yamuna
c. Ganga
d. Indus
viii. Samudragupta consolidated his victory by performing the Yagna. 1
a. Ashtadhyayi
b. Ashwamedha

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 c. Arthashastra
d. Amitraghata
Question 2 State whether the following statements are true or false. [6]
i. One-fourth of the seats are reserved for women in a Municipal Corporation. 1
False
ii. Skandagupta successfully drove out the barbaric hordes of Huns. 1
True
iii. Mahajanapadas with monarchies were known as ganas or sangha. 1
False
iv. The Kingdom of Kalinga controlled the sea route between South India and South East 1
Asia.
True
v. The Satavahanas came to power under the rule of King Kanishka. 1
False
vi. The Mauryan King was advised by a council of ministers called Mantri Parishad. 1
True
Question 3 Name the following: Write only the correct answer in your answer sheet [6]
against the correct question number.
i. The towns in the Mauryan Administration. 1
Nagaras
ii. The people who paid taxes in the form of forest produce. 1
Hunter-gatherers
iii. The king whose court was adorned by nine scholars from various fields. 1
Chandragupta Vikramaditya
iv. The Chief Advisor of Chandragupta Maurya. 1
Chanakya
v. The masterpiece composed by Shudraka. 1
Mrichhakatika
vi. The astronomer who explained planetary movements during Gupta period. 1
Varahamira
Question 4 Answer in short: [10]
i. What information do we get about the last days of Chandragupta Maurya from the 2
Jain texts?

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 ● The information in the Jain texts reveals that Chandragupta moved to
Shravanbelagola with the Jain Monk Bhadrabhau.
● He spent many years fasting before passing away in the Jain tradition of
Sakkelhana.

ii. What is a metropolitan city? 2

● A metropolitan city or metropolis is a densely populated city with a
population of over 10 Lakhs.
● These cities are often considered important for their economic, political
and cultural contributions to the development of the country.

iii. What information do the excavations reveal about the Janapadas? 2

● Excavations have revealed that the people in the janapadas lived in huts,
reared cattle and grew rice, wheat, barley, pulses, sugarcane, sesame and
mustard.
● The excavations also reveal the use of grey and red coloured pottery.

iv. What were the contributions of Aryabhatta to science in the Golden Age? 2
● Aryabhatta discovered that the Earth was round and not flat.
● He also stated that the Earth rotated on its axis and shared the reasons for
the occurrence of the lunar eclipse.
v. What are the adoptions of Ashok Chakra in Modern India? 2
● The quartet of lions has been adopted as the national symbol of India.
● The Ashok Chakra is placed at the center of the Indian Flag.

Section B (50 Marks)

Attempt any five questions
Question 5 [10]
i. a.List any two functions of the Municipal Council. 2+2
The functions of the municipal council are:
● Constructing and maintaining roads.
● Providing clean water and maintaining the water supply.
● Issuing licenses for new buildings, factories, and birth and death
certificates.

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 ● Setting up primary and secondary schools, and promoting adult education
and literacy programs.
● Providing transport facilities, maintaining cremation and burial grounds.

b. State any two optional functions of a Municipal Corporation.

The two optional functions of a Municipal Corporation are:
● To supply milk and gas.
● To build and maintain parks, gardens, museums, libraries theatres, zoos,
picnic spots and resorts.

ii. What is a Cantonment Board? Name two Cantonment boards in India. 3

● Areas that comprise the establishments and residences of the armed forces
are called cantonments and are governed by Cantonment Boards.
● Two examples are the Jabalpur Cantonment Board, (MP) and the
Lucknow Cantonment Board.

iii. Who is the Chief Executive Officer of the Municipal Corporation? State any two of 3
his functions.
● The Municipal Commissioner is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) who is
appointed by the State Government and stays in office for 3 to 5 years.
● The CEO supervises the functioning of a municipal corporation.
● The CEO is also responsible for implementing the decisions made by the
Council and its standing committees.

Question 6 [10]
i. a.Name any two Mahajanapadas and give their modern-day location. 2+2
● The two Mahajanapadas are Vatsa and Kosala.
● Vatsa is located near modern-day Allahabad and Kosala is located in
modern-day Uttar Pradesh and western Odisha.

b. What were the contributions of Bindusara to his father’s empire?

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 ● Bimbisara conquered the regions of Kosala and Vajji to make Magadha
the most powerful kingdom in the north.
● He also moved the capital to Pataliputra and organised the First Buddhist
Council at Rajgriha.

ii. Explain the geographical advantage of Magadha serving as a contributing factor to its 3
rise in power.
● The kingdom of Magadha was located at the confluence of the rivers
Ganga and Son.
● It was surrounded by five hills, which provided protection and difficult to
conquer.
● Water from the rivers ensured a steady water supply for agriculture and
water transport while the forests in the surrounding mountains provided
wood and timber for building activities.
● Elephants captured from the forest were trained and served in the army.
● Proximity to rich mineral deposits was an added advantage. (Accept any
three)

iii. Who was Alexander? Which two rulers did he face during his invasion of India? 3
● Alexander was the son of King Philip of Macedonia.
● He is considered to be one of the most remarkable conquerors in world
history.
● When Alexander invaded India, he faced two rulers- Ambi the ruler of
Takshila and Puru or Porus the king of the region between the rivers
Chenab and Jhelum.

Question 7 [10]
i. a. What is the meaning of the word ‘Dhamma’? What does Ashoka’s Dhamma teach? 2+2
● Dhamma is derived from the Sanskrit word dharma which refers to the
religious and moral laws governing individual conduct.
● Ashoka’s Dhamma teaches moral values and a code of conduct based on
the teaching of Buddha.

b. State any two ways in which Ashoka propagated the principles of Dhamma himself.
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 ● Ashoka gave up hunting and began caring for animals.
● He visited all the places associated with the life of Buddha.
● He commissioned pillars with the principles of the Dhamma inscribed on
them.

ii. What was the purpose of Ashokan Edicts? Which languages were used to 3
inscribe the Ashokan Edicts?
● Ashokan Edicts were pillars with the principles of Dhamma inscribed on
them to serve the purpose of Royal commands and proclamations to
directly communicate with the public. These were strategically placed all
over the empire for people to see and be reminded of it.
● The inscriptions were composed in Prakrit, Greek, Kharoshti and even
Aramaic.

iii. What are the two sources of information for the study of the Mauryan Empire? 3
Name the authors of the two literary sources of information during the Mauryan
period.
● The two sources of information for the study of the Mauryan Empire are
Literary and Archeological Sources.
● The two main sources of literary information are the Arthasashta written
by Chanakya and Indica by Megasthenes an ambassador of Seleucus
Nikator, Alexander’s general.
Question 8 [10]
i. a. Describe the city of Pataliputra as mentioned in the extracts from various sources. 2+2
● Pataliputra was a large and beautiful city. It was surrounded by a massive
wall. It has 570 towers and 64 gates.
● The houses were two or three storeys built of wood and mud brick. The
King’s palace was also made of wood and decorated with stone carvings
and it was surrounded by gardens and enclosures for keeping birds.

b. Describe the city administration of the Mauryan Empire.

● As the capital, Pataliputra was the model for city administration.
● It was administered by six committees, namely industries, records of
births and deaths, care and comfort of foreigners, trade and commerce,
manufacture and sale of goods, and collection of taxes. Each committee
had five members.

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 ii. Mention the administrative divisions of the Mauryan Empire. Name any two officials 3
of the Mauryan administration.
● The administration was divided into departments such as treasury,
industry, revenue and security.
● Each department was administered by a mahamatra, an official appointed
by the king.
● Amatya, Mahamatya, Adhyaksa and Shrinidhata were some of the
important officials of the Mauryan administration.
iii. State any three reasons for the decline of the Mauryan Empire. 3
● The decline of the Mauryan Empire began after the death of Ashoka in
232 BCE. Several reasons led to the swift decline. They are-
● Weak and inefficient rulers.
● Inability to administer a vast empire.
● In the absence of a central authority, the provincial viceroys started
declaring independence.
● The expense of maintaining a large standing army and an elaborate
administrative system drained the state’s treasury.

Question 9 [10]
i. a. Name any four Archaeological sources of the Gupta period. 2+2
The Archaeological sources of the Gupta period are as follows:
● Allahabad Iron Inscription
● Mehrauli Iron Pillar
● Ajanta and Ellora Caves
● Buddha Sculptures
● Coins

b. Which areas came under the direct control of Samudragupta?

● Samudragupta’s direct control extended from Bengal in the east to Delhi
in the west. The Himalayas in the north up to the Narmada in the south.

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 ii. How did Vikramaditya defeat the Sakas? Describe the period after the defeat of the 3
Sakas.
● Chandragupta Vikramaditya gave his daughter for marriage to a
powerful Naga ruler and entered into a matrimonial alliance with the
Vakatakas to form strong allies for his conquests against the Sakas.
● After defeating the Sakas, Vikramaditya had access to the Arabian Sea
and controlled three seaports on the western coast.
● The ports served as outlets for overseas trade and He reigned from coast
to coast.

iii. The Gupta Empire enjoyed a profitable and brisk trade. Explain. 3
● Both Internal and International trade contributed immensely to the royal
treasury of the Gupta Period.
● The empire had trade relations with Western Asia, South East Asia,
Africa and several Mediterranean countries.
● The items of export were spices, pearls, ivory, perfumes, textiles and
precious stones in exchange for gold.

Question 10 [10]
i. a. Picture study 2+2

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 i. Identify the picture above.
Original Ashoka Stambha

ii. What is the wheel at the center called?

The wheel at the center is called the Ashok Chakra.

b. Why did Ashoka commission to build such pillars?

Ashoka commissioned to build pillars to spread the message of Dhamma
whichincludes moral values and a code of conduct based on the teachings of
Buddha.

ii. Mention in detail the treaty signed between Chandragupta Maurya and 3
SeleucusNikator.
● After Chandragupta’s victory in the battle, Seleucus was force to
sign atreaty.
● According to the treaty he had to cede eastern Afghanistan,
Baluchistanand the areas west of the Rive Indus in exchange for
500 elephants.

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 ● He also gave his daughter in marriage to Chandragupta Maurya.
● Seleucus also lost Megasthenese who was his ambassador to the Mauryan
court.

iii. Define and explain the purpose of a Stupa. How many stupas did Ashoka 3
commissioned to be built?
● A Stupa is a semi-circular dome-shaped structure made of brick and
stones.
● Stupas were used to house a relic, a tooth, hair, begging bowls and other
items associated with Buddha.
● It is believed that Ashoka commissioned 84000 stupas to be built around
his empire.

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