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Solution: History Optional Paper- 2016

selfstudyhistory Posted on October 19, 2017 0

Map Based Questions with Solution:

History Optional Paper- 2016
Q.1 Identify the following places marked on the map supplied to you and write a
short note of about 30 words on each of them. Locational hints for each of the
places marked on the map are given below:
(i) A Mesolithic site

(ii) A neolithic site

(iii) A Megalithic-Chalcolithic site

(iv) A Neolithic site

(v) A Neolithic site

(vi) A Megalithic site

(vii) A site known for Buddhist remains

(viii) A Harappan site

(ix) A Harappan site

(x) A Harappan site

(xi) A Neolithic site

(xii) A Harappan site

(xiii) A Capital city

(xiv) A rock-cut cave site

(xv) A late Harappan site

(xvi) An educational site

(xvii) A terra-cotta art centre

(xviii) A seaport

(xix) A capital city

(xx) A capital city

SOLUTION

(i) A Mesolithic site

Sarai Nahar Rai (Other possibilities- Mahadaha, Chopani Mando):

In Pratapgarh district of U.P.

It is strati ed Mesolithic settlements.
Geometric microliths along with shells and animal bones found.
Human burials:
Within the habitation area.
13 burials of men, women and child with heads westward.
One of the buried skeletons had an arrow embedded in its ribs.
Microlithic tools, animal bones, and shells were placed as grave
goods.
An analysis reveals good dental health but some of them suffered
from osteo-arthritis.
Floor of made of burnt clay and has several re hearths some with
charred bones.
Many animals are domesticated type.
(ii) A neolithic site

Daojali Hading:

In the north Cachar hills, at Daojali Hading in Assam.

Stone and fossil wood axes, adzes, chisels, hoes, grinding slabs, querns,
and mullers.
Absence of microliths, bone tools and arti cially constructed habitation.
Polished stone tools, ceramics and kitchen items.
Pottery:
Handmade, cord marks and plain red pottery.
People here were growing and storing grains, and preparing food.

(iii) A Megalithic-Chalcolithic site

Adichanallur:

In the Tuticorin District, Tamil Nadu.

Urn burial site. Earthenware urns.
Bronze objects, iron objects, potsherds.
Skeletal remains inside the urns are in crouched position.
Two examples of double burial.
Pottery:
BRW, red ware and black ware.
Gra ti on pottery.
Iron implements:- arrowheads, spearheads and axe.
Copper ornaments found.
Rice husk and cloth impression on Iron sword.
A potter’s kiln (industrial activity) found in habitational site.

(iv) A Neolithic site

Kuchai:

In Mayurbhanj district, Odisha.

Neolithic tools found.
Cord impressed pottery.

(v) A Neolithic site

Maski (may be Brahmagiri also according to Ignou booklet):

In Raichur district, Karnataka.

Neolithic-Chalcolithic and Megalithic cultures.
Minor Rock Edict of the Mauryan Emperor Ashoka found.
First edict of Emperor Ashoka that contained the name Ashoka.
Artefacts:
 Polished stone tools, microlithic blades, and copper rod.
Beads of carnelian, agate, chalcedony, shell, coral, glass, and paste.
Pottery:
Red ware
BRW
Incised designs on some pottery.
Animal bones found.
Rock paintings found.
Subsistence base:
agriculture,
animal domestication,
hunting.

(vi) A Megalithic site

Junapani:

In Nagpur district, Maharashtra.

Megalithic, early iron site.
Around 300 stone circles are found.
Iron objects:- ring, chisels, horse bits, flat axes.
BRW pottery.
Bead making centre.
Burial sites characterised by cairns.
No cremation, dead were buried.
Cup marked stones in circle:- signify astronomical significance.
ASI declared it National Important Monument.
Grave goods: red potter few with graffiti.

(vii) A site known for Buddhist remains

Sanghol:

In Fatehgarh Sahib District, Punjab.

A 1st century Buddhist stupa enshrining the bone relics of Buddhist
teacher and a monastery complex.
Few votive stupas are put around this main stupa to secure the relics.
The Kushan rulers built stupas for monks.
Artefacts:
Kushan sculptures of the Mathura school.
Pottery found.
Toys, bangles, beads, seals, and coins made of terracotta, ivory and
metal.
Inscriptions in Brahmi and Kharoshti script on a few items.
Coins engraved with images of Shiva, Lakshmi, Nandi and kings.
‘The Head of Buddha’ was recovered from the Sanghol stupa.
Mentioned in writings of Hiuen Tsang, the Chinese traveller.
(viii) A Harappan site

Banawali (possibility for Rakhigarhi is very low):

In Hissar district, Haryana, near Rangoi river

Early, mature, and late Harappan phases.
Mud-brick, burnt brick houses with hearths
Storage pits in the courtyards
A wall divided the fortified area into two sections—
a higher citadel area and
a lower town.
Burnt bricks used for wells, bathing pavements, and drains.
A multi-roomed house:- may belong to a wealthy merchant.
Fire altars
Artefacts:
Stone weights,
Terracotta ploughs,
Female gurines—may be of religious significance.
Beads of gold, lapis lazuli, and carnelian, tiny weights
City life ended all of a sudden in late Harappan period, there is evidence
of mud houses and a rich range of artefacts.

(ix) A Harappan site

Kalibangan:

In Hanumangarh district, Rajasthan, on bank of Ghaggar.

Pre-Harappan and Harappan.
Pre-Harappan:
used copper and produced pottery,
no writing system,
lack the orderly layout,
used sun dried bricks.
Harappan:
Cemetery and a fortified citadel.
lower town also forti ed.
use of mud and burnt bricks
grid-pattern of town planning,
Burnt bricks were used in drains, wells, bathing platforms, re-altar.
Other feature and findings:
Pottery:
for household, religious and burial purposes,
wheel made red pottery.
Unique re altars:- suggest re worship
Ploughed eld
Rectangular as well as cylindrical seals found.
Terracotta bangles, bull etc. are found.
 Pit burial and urn burial has been found.

(x) A Harappan site

Harappa (most probably as no famous IVC site nearby):

In Punjab, Pakistan on bank of Ravi River.

Early, mature and late Harappan phase found.
First site of IVC to be discovered.
Urban culture sustained by surplus agricultural production and
commerce.
Trade with Sumer in southern Mesopotamia.
Differentiated living quarters, flat-roofed brick houses, and fortified
administrative or religious centers.
City followed grid planning.
Row of six granaries found.
Burials:
Only place having evidenced of co n burial.
Evidenced of fractional burial and co n burial.
Grave goods
Cemetery-H of alien people.
Citadel and fortified city.
Seal, stone figurines (torso of naked male and female figure in dancing
pose)
Bronze smelting

(xi) A Neolithic site

Mehrgarh:

In Baluchistan, Pakistan.
A Neolithic and Calcolithic site.
Neolithic:
Small farming and pastoralist village:
Planned ancient farm villages.
mud brick house (later sun-dried brick)
bone tools,
a-ceramic.
Precursor of IVC.
It was later abandoned with Harappan urbanisation.
One of the earliest sites with evidence of farming (wheat and barley),
herding and metallurgy.
One of the earliest cultivation of cotton.
Evidence of shing.
Unique discovery:- Dental surgery and related medicinal activities.
Figurines of terracotta found.
(xii) A Harappan site

Rojdi:

In Rajkot district, Gujarat.

Mature Harappan, Late Harappan, and Palaeolithic site.
Houses:
Built on stone foundations.
No bricks were found.
Pottery:
Hard, red-ware.
Gra ti and Script:
Graffiti with signs from the Indus script, such as jar sign.
A short Harappan inscription on pots.
Copper or bronze flat axes were found.

(xiii) A Capital city

Ujjain (since no other famous capital nearby):

On the river Shipra, Madhya Pradesh.

Called Ujjaini and was the northern capital of Avanti Mahajanapadas of
the 6th century BC.
With rise of Magadhan power, it came under the Magadhan Empire.
During the reign of Mauryan King Bindusara, Ashoka was the provincial
governor of Ujjain.
NBPW found their way to the northern Deccan from the Gangetic plains
through Ujjain.
Coins of Kshatrapas and Kushanas were found.
There is evidence of bead manufacturing here.
Associated with a king who called himself Vikramaditya and started the
Vikram Samvat Era in 58 BC after defeating the Sakas.
Kalidasa was related to Ujjayini.
During Mughal time, Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh built the astronomical
observatory here.
Most of the temples of Ujjain were constructed during Maratha period.
Mahakaleshwar Temple (among the 12 Jyotirlingas) situated here.
Famous for the Kumbh Mela.

(xiv) A rock-cut cave site

Bagh caves:

In Dhar district (north-west of Ajanta), Madhya Pradesh.

Buddhist rock cut caves used as Viharas.
Architecture:
Plan related to the Ajanta caves.
 All the caves are ‘viharas’ with quadrangular plan.
A chamber at the back, forms the ‘chaitya’, the prayer hall.
Mural paintings:
On wall, pillars and ceiling.
Related to the Buddhist and Jataka stories.
A copper plate inscription of Maharaja Subandhu, recording his donation
for the repair of the vihara was found.

(xv) A late Harappan site

Manda (Akhnoor):

In Akhnoor district, J&K on the bank of Chenab.

Mature and Late Harappan.
Northern most Harappan site.
Harappan and Late Harappan site.
BRW, red ware and grey ware.
Artefacts:
Bangles,
potshards with Harappan writings and
bone arrow heads.
Artefacts of Kushana period:- Pottery, terracotta figurines, bone arrow
heads, iron daggers and copper rods.
Source of timber for IVC sites.
Akhnoor fort built by Raja Alam Singh in 1802.

(xvi) An educational site

Nalanda:

In Nalanda district, Bihar.

Taranatha, the 17th century Tibetan Lama, states that the 3rd century BCE
Mauryan Emperor, Ashoka, built a great temple at Nalanda.
Mahavihara (University):
Flourished during Gupta, Harsha and Pala times.
A seal identifies Sakraditya (Kumargupta of 5th century) as founder.
7th century Chinese Pilgrims like Hieun Tsang and I-tsing studied here.
I-tsing notes that revenues from 200 villages (as opposed to 100 in
Hieun Tsang’s time) assigned toward the maintenance of Nalanda.
Library called Dharmaganja.
Teaching of religious (mainly Mahayana) and other subjects like
grammar, logic, literature, astrology, astronomy, and medicine.
Influence of Vajrayana during Palas.
Destroyed by Bakhtiyar Khilji in 1200 CE.

(xvii) A terra-cotta art centre

Chandraketugarh:

In North 24 parganas district, West Bengal.

Archaeological site:
NBPW found,
Silver and copper punch marked coins,
Some of the punch marked coins having ship motif indicate that
Chandraketugarh might have been a port-town.
Stone and terracotta beads.
Semi-precious stone beads and items of ivory and bone found.
Terracotta art:
Unusual degree of precision and craftsmanship.
Terracotta plaques are comparable to those found at other sites
such as Kaushambi and Ahichhatra.
Terracotta plaques from these sites often carry similar motifs
executed in nearly identical fashion.
A temple structure of Gupta or post-Gupta period found.

(xviii) A seaport

Muziri:

In Cranganore, Kerala.
Ancient port in the Chera kingdom in Sangam Age.
Trade with Arabia, Rome, Greece etc.
Sangam literature, Greek & Roman writers like Pliny, Periplus mention
Muziris.
Export:
Spices, semi-precious stones, pearls, diamonds, sapphires, ivory,
tortoise shells etc.
Import:
Romans gold coins, figured linens, copper, tin, lead, coral, raw glass,
wine etc.
Muziris Heritage Project started by Kerala government.

(xix) A capital city

Amaravati/ Dhanyakataka

(Vengi also nearby):

In Guntur District, Andhra Pradesh.

Meghalithic, BRW and NBPW site.
Inscription in Maurya Brahmi found.
Dhanyakataka – capital of Satavahanas.
Buddhist stupa:
 Buddhist Stupa and Mahachaityas with marble and limestone
sculptures.
Its carved panels tell the story of Buddha.
Chinese traveller Hiuen Tsang visited in 7th century.
Ancient School of Arts:
Flourished for nearly six centuries commencing from 200-100 BC.
Patronized first by the Satavahanas and later by the Ikshvakus.
Some Buddhist sculptures with Greco-Roman in uence.

(xx) A capital city

(Home work)

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