Class 12 History Chapter 3 Kinship, Caste, and Class Important Questions in English
1 Marks Questions
Q1. Who was the editor of the present edition of the Mahabharata?
Ans: V.S. Sukthankar.
Q2. How much time taken to complete this project?
Ans: 47 years
Q3. How many forms of marriages were found?
Ans: 8
Q4. The Book Mrichchhakatika was written by which writer.
Ans : Shudraka
Q5. What was patriliny?
Ans. Patriliny Means trashing descent from father to son, Grandson and so on.
Q6. What was Matriliny?
Ans. Matriliny the term is used when descent is traced through the mother.
Q7. What do you understand of Exogamy Marriage types?
Ans. Marriage outside the unit.
Q8. What sources are used by Historian for understanding of social changes?
Ans.
Textual Traditions.
From Inscriptions.
Q9. How do Historians classify the contents of the Mahabharata?
Ans:
Narrative- Stories, designated.
Didactic – Social Norms.
Q10. Which elements are considered by historians when they analyse text Book.
Ans: They examine whether text were written in which languages. They also consider the kinds of text; author; audience; time period etc.
Q11. What was the ancient Tamilkam?
Ans: In Tamilkam there were several chiefdoms around 2000 Years ago
3 Marks Questions
Q12. Mention rules of marriage as mentioned in the early text.
Ans:
The gift of a Daughter after dressing her in costly clothes and honoring her with presents of Jewels.
The gift of a daughter by the father after he has addressed the couple with the text” May both of you perform your duties together.
After having given as much wealth as he can afford to the kinsmen and to the Bride herself. – The voluntary union of a maiden and her lover.
Q13. What rules did the Dharma sutras and Dharma Shastra’s contain about the Ideal ”occupations” of the four Varna’s?
Ans.
Brahmanas were supposed to study and teach the Vedas, perform sacrifices and give and receive gifts.
Kshatriyas were to engage in warfare, protect people and justice, study the Vedas and get sacifices performed.
The last three occupations were also assigned to the Vaishyas ie crafts, Agriculture and trade.
Shudras were assigned only serving the three ”higher” varnas.
Q14. What was Jati? How are they related to Varnas?
Ans.
Jati in Brahmanical theory.
Varna was based on Birth.
The number of varnas was four.
There was no restriction on the number of Jati.
Jatis which shared a common occupation or profession were sometimes organized into shrines or guilds.
Q15. How could men and women acquire wealth in early societies?
Ans.
For men wealth-Inheritance, finding, purchase, conquest, investment, work and acceptance of gifts from good people.
For women – what was given at the time of the marriage, bridal procession, token of affection she got from her brother, mother or father and she could also acquire from husband.
Q16. Who was V.S. Sukthankar? What was his contribution to understanding the Mahabharata?
Ans.
V.S. Sukthankar was a famous Sanskritist.
Under the sukthankar a team prepared the critical edition of the Mahabharata.
Collecting Sanskrit Manuscripts of the text. Written in a variety of scripts.
Ultimately they selected the verses that were common to most versions.
And published these in several volumes.
Q17. What were the effects of several changes in between 600 BCE and 600 CE on societies?
Ans.
Extension of Agriculture in to forested areas.
Craft specialists often emerged as distinct social groups.
Trade activities increased.
Many religious activities /movements started.
Q18. What do you understand by ” The critical edition of the Mahabharata”?
Ans.
One of the most ambitious projects of scholarship began in 1919.
Under the leadership of a noted Indian Sanskritist V.S. Sukthankar.
A team comprising a dozen of scholars initiated the task of preparing a critical edition of the Mahabharata.
Q19. What were the terms of gotras? What were the rules of gotras?
Ans.
Each gotra was named after a Vedic Seer and all those who belonged to the same gotra.
Two rules about gotra were particularly very important. Women were expected to give up their father’s gotra and adopt that of their husband’s gotra after marriage.
Marriage in same gotra was not allowed
Q20. Why were mothers important in Satavahana rule?
Ans.
Satavahana rules were Identified through matronymics (Names Derived from mother) -Although this may suggest that mothers were important.
We have got name like gautami putra Satakarni , Vashishthi putra Pulvami .
Q21. What were the categories made by Brahmanas?
Ans.
Brahmanas Claimed the order in which they were ranked. First was divinely ordained.
While placing group classified as shudras at the bottom of the social order.
Q22. Describe the Duties of the Chandalas.
Ans.
They had to live outside the village.
Use discarded utensils.
Wear Clothes of the dead and ornaments of iron.
Q23. what do you understand by the Term ” Beyond the four varnas”?
Ans.
Brahmanas considered some people as being outside the system, they were called untouchable.’
Some activities were ” Polluting” those who performed such tasks designated as chandalas”
Q24. What do you understand by stridhana (Woman’s wealth)?
Ans.
According to Manusmriti women were allowed to retain the gift they received on the occasion of their marriage as stridhana.
This could be inherited by their children.
Q25. How is Mahabharata a Dynamic text?
Ans.
Versions of the epic were written in a variety of languages.
Several stories originated in specific regions.
At the same time, the central story of the epic was often retold in different ways.
Different phases in the composition of Mahabharata.
8 Marks Questions
Q26. Discuss whether the Mahabharata could have been the work of a single author.
Ans.
Probably composed by charioteer-bards known as sutras.
From the fifth century BCE Brahmanas took over the story and began to commit it to write.
Also possible that the upheavals that often accompanied the establishment of these states.
Where old social values were often replaced by new norms.
Another Phase in the composition of the text between C 200 BCE and 200 C.E.
Between 200 BCE and 400 BCE, Large didactic sections were included the manusmriti
