KSEEB Class 8 History Important Questions Chapter 1 Sources

Students can download Class 8 History Chapter 1 Sources Important Questions, KSEEB Class 8 Social Science Important Questions and Answers helps you to revise the complete Karnataka State Board Syllabus and to clear all their doubts, score well in final exams.

Karnataka State Syllabus Class 8 Social Science History Important Questions Chapter 1 Sources

Question 1.
What is History?
Answer:
History is a systematic study of the past.

Question 2.
How do historians write history?
Answer:
Historians write history on the basis of sources.

Question 3.
What are the basic materials required for the construction of history?
Answer:
Sources are the basic materials required for the construction of history.

Question 4.
What are sources?
Answer:
The basic materials necessary for the construction of history are called sources. Sources provide information about the period they belong to. They provide support to history. Writing of History is not possible without sources.

Question 5.
List the types of sources.
Answer:

Question 6.
Why are events in history analysed differently by different historians?
Answer:
Historians collect the sources, subject them to critical analysis and then write the history. Where direct sources are not available, they need to make assumptions based on the available sources. Hence, an event is often analysed from different perspectives by different historians.

Question 7.
Which are the two groups into which the primary sources can be classified?
Answer:
The two groups into which primary sources can be classified are

Literary sources and
Archaeological sources.

Question 8.
Which are the two types of literary sources?
Answer:
The two types of literary sources are

Written literature
Oral literature.

Question 9.
Which are the two types of written literary sources?
Answer:
The two types of written literary sources are

Native literature
Foreign literature.

Question 10.
What is meant by native literary sources? Name any two native literary works.
Answer:
Literature produced by Indians in their native language is called native literature, and sources comprising such literature are called native literary sources. Vishakadatta’s ‘Mudrarakshasa’, Kalhana’s ‘Rajatarangini’, Banabhatta’s ‘Harsha Charitha’, Kautilya’s Arthasastra’, Chand Bardai’s ‘Prithviraja Raso’, Pampa’s ‘Vikramarjunavijaya’ are some of the native literary sources.

Question 11.
What is meant by foreign literary sources? Give examples.
Answer:
The writings of foreign travellers, explorers and scholars constitute foreign literature and such writings are called foreign literary sources. Megasthenes’ ‘Indica’, Hiuen Tsang’s ‘Si-yu-ki’, Fa-hien’s ‘Gho-ko-ki’, Ptolemy’s ‘Geography’, Ferishta’s ‘Tarikh-i-Ferishta’, Babur’s ‘Tuzuk-e-Babri’ are examples of foreign literary sources.

Question 12.
Who wrote “Indica’?
Answer:
‘Indica’ was written by Megasthenes, the Greek ambassador at the court of Chandragupta Maurya.

Question 13.
Who were the Chinese visitors who visited India and wrote about the conditions here? Name their works.
Answer:
The famous Chinese visitors who visited India and wrote about the conditions here were Fa-hien and Hiuen-Tsang. Fa-hien wrote ‘Gho-ko-ki’, and Hiuen-Tsang wrote ‘Si-yu-ki’.

Question 14.
Name any two foreign writers.
Answer:
Megasthenes, Fa-hien, Hiuen Tsang, Ptolemy, Ferishta are some of the well known foreign writers.

Question 15.
Give two examples each for native literary sources and foreign literary sources of history.
Answer:
Native literary sources: Vishakhadatta’s ‘Mudrarakshasa’ and Kalhana’s ‘Rajatarangini’. Foreign literary sources: Megasthenes’ ‘Indica’ and Hiuen Tsang’s ‘Si-yu-ki’.

Question 16.
What are the limitations of written literary sources?
Answer:
The limitations of written literary sources are:

Exaggeration, hyperbole and loyalty to one’s master are apparent in native literature.
Misrepresentation of facts in foreign literature due to lack of local knowledge.

Question 17.
What is oral literature?
Answer:
Oral literature refers to the folk stories, folk songs, folk legends, ballads and experiences passed on from generation to generation by word of mouth.

Question 18.
What is the role of oral sources in the construction of history?
Answer:
From time immemorial human society has preserved its experiences and memories in the form of stories, songs and ballads and passed them on orally from generation to generation. This tradition existed before the advent of writing. Indian history begins with this oral tradition. Today such oral sources are also used for writing history.

Question 19.
hat are legends? Give examples.
Answer:
Legends are the local mythological stories. There are legends behind the names of places like Sravanabelagola, Bengaluru, Pattadakallu, Gokarna and Mysuru.

Question 20.
What is meant by ‘archaeological sources’? Give examples.
Answer:
Archaeological sources are the inscriptions, coins, monuments, pots and pans, tools and other artefacts that have been obtained during archaeological excavations.

Question 21.
Mention the types of archaeological sources.
Answer:
Archaeological sources are of four types

Inscriptions
Coins
Monuments
Other ruins.

Question 22.
Which is the source that is more reliable for the writing of history?
Answer:
Inscriptions are more reliable sources for the writing of history.

Question 23.
What do you mean by inscriptions?
Answer:
Inscriptions are the writings engraved on rocks, stones, metals, terracotta and other materials.

Question 24.
How are inscriptions useful in constructing history?
Answer:
Inscriptions are reliable sources as they have a direct relationship with events. They are useful in constructing history because they provide authentic information about the administration as well as political, social, cultural, economic, educational, religious and other aspects of the period.

Question 25.
Whose inscriptions are the earliest inscriptions found in India?
Answer:
The inscriptions of Ashoka are the earliest inscriptions found in India.

Question 26.
In which language and script are Ashoka’s inscriptions written?
Answer:
Most of Ashoka’s inscriptions are in Brahmi script and Prakrit language.

Question 27.
Name some important inscriptions.
Answer:
Samudragupta’s Allahabad pillar inscription, Immadi Pulikeshi’s Aihole inscription, Kharavela’s Hathigumpa inscription, the Uttaramerur inscription of the Cholas are some important inscriptions.

Question 28.
What is meant by numismatics?
Answer:
Numismatics is the study of coins.

Question 29.
What are the uses of the study of coins?
Answer:
Coins are helpful for knowing the:

geographical extent of the empire that minted the coins;
language of administration, titles of kings, etc.
religious and economic conditions and the metal technology in vogue during that time;
trade links between India and other countries.

Question 30.
In what ways are coins useful in constructing history?

Explain the importance of coins in the writing of history.
Answer:
Coins play a significant role in the construction of history by providing valuable information regarding the extent of the empire, the language of administration, titles of kings, religious and economic conditions and the metal technology in vogue during that time as well as the trade links between India and other countries.

Question 31.
What are monuments? Give examples.
Answer:
A monument is a large structure, usually made of stone, erected in memory of a person, event, etc., such as a building, pillar, or statue. In every period of history human achievements have included material objects too.

Stupas, basadis, temples, palaces, forts, etc., are the kinds of monuments that exist today. Mehrauli’s iron pillar, Vijayapura’s Gol Gumbaz, Chittor’s Vijayastamba, paintings of the Ajanta and Ellora caves, Elephanta caves, Aihole and Pattadakallu sculptures are examples of monuments.

Question 32.
In what way do monuments throw light on history?

What are the aspects on which monuments throw light?
Answer:
Monuments throw light on the civilization, culture, technology, social and economic conditions and religious aspects of the period. They reflect the achievements of kings and administrators. They thus enable us to know the history of the period.

Question 33.
By what method can the age of biological fossils be decided?
Answer:
The age of biological fossils can be decided by applying Carbon-14 dating method.

Question 34.
Explain the sources of history.
Answer:
The primary sources of history can be classified into two groups. They are

Literary sources: Literary sources are of two types
- Written literature: Thease are also two types.
  - Native literature,
  - Foreign literature
- Oral literature
Archaeological sources.

Native literature is the literature produced by Indians in their native language. The writings of foreign travellers, explorers and scholars constitute foreign literature. Oral literature refers to the folk stories, folk songs, folk legends, ballads and experiences passed on from generation to generation by word of mouth.

Archaeological sources are the inscriptions, coins, monuments, pots and pans, tools and other artefacts that have been obtained during archaeological excavations.

Multiple Choice Question

Question 1.
The basic materials needed for the construction of history are called
(A) inscriptions
(B) sources
(C) coins
(D) monuments
Answer:
(B) sources

Question 2.
The literature produced by Indians in their own language is called _______ literature.
(A) religious
(B) swadeshi
(C) native
(D) social
Answer:
(C) native

Question 3.
Which of the following is a foreign literary source?
(A) Indica
(B) Arthasastra
(C) Mudrarakshasa
(D) Rajatarangini
Answer:
(A) Indica

Question 4.
Fa-hien and Hiuen-Tsang were pilgrims from
(A) China
(B) Tibet
(C) Africa
(D) Burma
Answer:
(A) China

Question 5.
The sources obtained through excavations are called
(A) archaeological sources
(B) monuments
(C) legends
(D) literary sources
Answer:
(A) archaeological sources

Question 6.
The earliest inscriptions found in India are those of
(A) Kakutsavarma
(B) Ashoka
(C) Rudradaman
(D) Chandraguptha
Answer:
(B) Ashoka

Question 7.
Which one of the following is not a cave temple?
(A) Ajanta
(B) Ellora
(C) Elephanta
(D) Mahabalipuram
Answer:
(D) Mahabalipuram

Question 8.
Folk stories, folk songs and folk legends are included under
(A) native literature
(B) foreign literature
(C) oral literature
(D) written literature
Answer:
(C) oral literature

Fill In The Blanks

The basic material necessary for the construction of history is sources
The two types of literary sources are written literature and oral literature.
The author of ‘Rajatarangini’ is Kalhana
Most of Ashoka’s inscriptions are written in Brahmi script and Prakrit language
The Uttarameruru inscription describes the rural administration of the Chola kings.
Buddhist stupas came to light during the excavations at Sannathi and Rajagatta.

Match The Follwoing

A	B
a. Kalhana’s ‘Rajatarangini’	1. Oral sources
b. Megasthenes’ ‘Indica’	2. Native literary source
c. Cave temples of Ellora	3. Foreign literary source
d. Ballads	4. Legends
	5. Monuments

Answer:
a – 2, b – 3, c – 5, d – 1.

A	B
a. Vishakadatta	1. Arthasastra
b. Kalhana	2. Mudrarakshasa
c. Banabhatta	3. Tripitakas
d. Kautilya	4. Gathasapthasathi
e. Hala	5. Harsha Charitha
	6. Rajatarangini

Answer:
a – 2, b – 6, c – 5, d – 1, e – 4.

A	B
a. Megasthenes	1. Geography
a. Hiuen Tsang	2. Tarikh-i-Ferishta
c. Fa-hien	3. Indica
d. Ptolemy	4. Si-yu-ki
e. Ferishta	5. Gho-kho-ki

Answer:
a – 3, b – 4, c – 5, d – 1, e – 2