List of top History Questions asked in CBSE Class Twelve Board Exam

Match Column-I with Column-II and choose the correct option: 

 

Match Column-I with Column-II and choose the correct option: 

 

On the Upanishads Here are two verses from the Chhandogya Upanishad, a text composed in Sanskrit c. sixth century BCE:
The Nature of the Self
This self of mine within the heart, is smaller than paddy or barley or mustard or millet or the kernel of a seed of millet. This self of mine within the heart is greater than the earth, greater than the intermediate space, greater than heaven, greater than these worlds.
The True Sacrifice 
This one (the wind) that blows, this is surely a sacrifice. . . . While moving, it sanctifies all this; therefore it is indeed a sacrifice.

Read the following source carefully and answer the questions that follow: 
Amir Khusrau and the Qaul Amir Khusrau (1253–1325), the great poet, musician and disciple of Shaikh Nizamuddin Auliya, gave a unique form to the Chishti ‘sama’ by introducing the qual (Arabic word meaning “saying”), a hymn sung at the opening or closing of qawwali. This was followed by sufi poetry in Persian, Hindavi or Urdu, and sometimes using words from all of these languages. Qawwals (those who sing these songs) at the shrine of Shaikh Nizamuddin Auliya always start their recital with the qual. Today qawwali is performed in shrines all over the subcontinent.

Read the following source carefully and answer the questions that follow:
Why the Salt Satyagraha?
   Why was salt the symbol of protest? This is what Mahatma Gandhi wrote:
The volume of information being gained daily shows how wickedly the salttax has been designed. In order to prevent the use of salt that has not paid thetax which is at times even fourteen times its value, the Government destroys
the salt it cannot sell profitably. Thus it taxes the nation’s vital necessity; itprevents the public from manufacturing it and destroys what nature manu-
factures without effort. No adjective is strong enough for characterizing this wicked dog-in-the-manger policy. From various sources, I hear tales of such wanton destruction of the nation’s property in all parts of India. Maunds if not tons of salt are said to be destroyed on the Konkan coast. The same tale comes from Dandi. Wherever there is likelihood of natural salt being taken away by
the people living in the neighbourhood of such areas for their personal use,
salt officers are posted for the sole purpose of carrying on destruction. Thus valuable national property is destroyed at national expense and salt taken out of the mouths of the people. The salt monopoly is thus a fourfold curse. It deprives the people of a valuable easy village industry, involves wanton destruction of property that nature produces in abundance, the destruction itself means more national expenditure and fourthly, to crown this folly, an unheard of tax of more than 1,000 per cent is exacted from a starving people. This tax
has remained so long because of the apathy of the general public. Now that it
is sufficiently roused, the tax has to go. How soon it will be abolished depends upon the strength the people. The Collected Works of Mahatma Gandhi (CWMG), Vol. 49

The sculpture of the Bodhisattva statue shown in the image below is influenced by which of the following schools of art?

The imperial karkhanas

Bernier is perhaps the only historian who provides a detailed account of the working of the imperial karkhanas or workshops:

Large halls are seen at many places, called karkhanas or workshops for the artisans. In one hall, embroiderers are busily employed, superintended by a master. In another, you see the goldsmiths; in a third, painters; in a fourth, varnishers in lacquer-work; in a fifth, joiners, turners, tailors and shoe-makers; in a sixth, manufacturers of silk, brocade and fine muslins …

The artisans come every morning to their karkhanas where they remain employed the whole day; and in the evening return to their homes. In this quiet regular manner, their time glides away; no one aspiring for any improvement in the condition of life wherein he happens to be born.

Analyse the relationship between the Mughal empire and its artisans.

We say that it is our firm and solemn resolve to have an independent sovereign republic. India is bound to be sovereign, it is bound to be independent and it is bound to be a republic … Now, some friends have raised the question: “Why have you not put in the word ‘democratic’ here?” Well, I told them that it is conceivable, of course, that a republic may not be democratic but the whole of our past is witness to this fact that we stand for democratic institutions. Obviously we are aiming at democracy and nothing less than a democracy. What form of democracy, what shape it might take is another matter. The democracies of the present day, many of them in Europe and elsewhere, have played a great part in the world’s progress. Yet it may be doubtful if those democracies may not have to change their shape somewhat before long if they have to remain completely democratic. We are not going just to copy, I hope, a certain democratic procedure or an institution of a so-called democratic country. We may improve upon it. In any event whatever system of government we may establish here must fit in with the temper of our people and be acceptable to them. We stand for democracy. It will be for this House to determine what shape to give to that democracy, the fullest democracy, I hope. The House will notice that in this Resolution, although we have not used the word “democratic” because we thought it is obvious that the word “republic” contains that word and we did not want to use unnecessary words and redundant words, but we have done something much more than using the word. We have given the content of democracy in this Resolution and not only the content of democracy but the content, if I may say so, of economic democracy in this Resolution. Others might take objection to this Resolution on the ground that we have not said that it should be a Socialist State. Well, I stand for Socialism and, I hope, India will stand for Socialism and that India will go towards the constitution of a Socialist State and I do believe that the whole world will have to go that way.

How did defining India as a ‘republic’ enhance democratic governance?

The imperial karkhanas

Bernier is perhaps the only historian who provides a detailed account of the working of the imperial karkhanas or workshops:

Large halls are seen at many places, called karkhanas or workshops for the artisans. In one hall, embroiderers are busily employed, superintended by a master. In another, you see the goldsmiths; in a third, painters; in a fourth, varnishers in lacquer-work; in a fifth, joiners, turners, tailors and shoe-makers; in a sixth, manufacturers of silk, brocade and fine muslins …

The artisans come every morning to their karkhanas where they remain employed the whole day; and in the evening return to their homes. In this quiet regular manner, their time glides away; no one aspiring for any improvement in the condition of life wherein he happens to be born.

How did the crafts in the karkhanas reflect the cultural diversity of the Mughal empire?