Ncert Class 6 History Chapter 1 Notes | Easy Concept

In this post, we have provided the Class 6 History Chapter 1 Questions and Answers | Notes. It is a part of the Social Studies curriculum in many educational systems and covers the history of ancient civilizations and early human societies. Through this post, the students will learn about the meaning of history, various historical events, and important figures through the given notes and questions and Answers. These will help them to gain a deeper understanding of human societies and civilizations from the past.

Ncert Class 6 History Chapter 1 Notes

What can we know about the past?

We can know about the past through various sources of evidence:
archaeological remains, written records, and oral traditions, which provide us with information about the living style of people such as

• What they used to eat, the type of clothes they used to wear, and the houses in which they lived.
• How did the hunters, herders, farmers, rulers, etc live in the past?
• Which games did children use to play, the stories they heard, the songs they sang?

Where did people live?

In ancient India, people lived in villages near rivers such as the Narmada, the Indus, and the Ganges, which provided water for irrigation and transportation.

• People lived near the Narmada River for several hundred thousand years.
• The area near the river was rich with a vast wealth of plants.
• They hunted animals & collected forest produce such as roots, and fruits for their food.
• About 8000 years ago, people first began to grow crops such as wheat and barley in these areas.
• They began to look after animals like sheep, goats, and cattle and used to live in villages.
• The north of the Vindhyas was the first place to grow rice.
• The cities developed on the banks of the Ganga and its tributaries about 2500 years ago.
• The area to the south of the Ganga was known as Magadha present city in the state of Bihar.
• People moved in search of food & shelter and to save from natural disasters like floods or droughts.
• The travelling of people from one place to another added to our cultural traditions.

Names of the land

In ancient times, the land was referred to by various names. Two of the most common names used to refer to the region were
1. “Bharatvarsha” or simply “Bharat,” which is derived from the Sanskrit word “Bharata.”It was used for a group of people who lived in the northwest, and who are mentioned in the Rigveda which was composed about 3500 years ago.

2. The name “India” is believed to have been derived from the ancient Indus River, which was known as the Sindhu River in Sanskrit. The name “India” was first used by the ancient Greeks, who referred to the region as “Indoi.” The term was later adopted by the Romans, who referred to the region as “India.”

Finding out about the past

There are several sources that historians and scholars use to find out about the past, including:

Manuscripts

A manuscript is a handwritten document that serves as an original text. These were written on palm leaves, or the bark of a tree known as the birch. These were created to preserve ideas, information, stories, religious beliefs and practices, the lives of kings, medicine, and science. these were written in Sanskrit as well as Prakrit and Tamil languages.

Inscriptions

“Inscription” is a type of writing or text that is inscribed or engraved on the surface of stone tablets, and metal plates in ancient times by the rulers or kings to describe their orders, and records of victories in battle so that the people could see, read and obey them.

Archaeologists

The persons who study human history and prehistory through the physical remains left behind by past societies are known as Archaeologists. They excavate, analyze, and interpret artefacts, structures, and other material cultures such as tools, weapons, pots, pans, ornaments and coins, and bones of animals, birds, and fish from different periods and cultures to find out the lifestyle of people in the past.

One Past or Many?

The book is titled “Our Pasts – I”, with the word “pasts” used in the plural to tell the fact different groups of people had different pasts of history.
For example, the pasts of herders or farmers were different from the pasts of kings and queens,
the lives of merchants were different from the lives of crafts persons, and so on.
the lives of ordinary people in the past are not found by our Archaeology as they did not keep records of their lives in comparison to kings and rulers who used to keep records of their victories and the battles they fought

What do dates mean?

Dates are an important aspect of historical study, as they help to establish a chronological framework for events and developments in the past. In ancient times, dates were assigned to the birth of Jesus Christ, the founder of Christianity. All dates before the birth of Christ are observed backwards and usually written as BC (Before Christ).

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Class 6 History Chapter 1 Questions and Answers

Key Words

1. Archaeologist: An expert who studies human history, culture, and societies by analyzing artefacts, structures, and other physical remains.

2. Excavate: To dig out remains of materials, people, or buildings to study the past.

3. Manuscript: Books written by hand on paper or palm leaf or birch bark.

4. Inscription: An engraved text on a surface, such as a stone, metal, or paper, that serves as a record or memorial of a person, event, or message.

5. Parchment: The skin of a sheep or goat prepared as surface material on which to write or paint.

Let’s recall

1. Match the following:

Narmada Valley	The first big kingdom
Magadha	Hunting & gathering
Garo Hills	Cities about 2500 years ago
Indus & its tributaries	Early agriculture
Ganga Valley	The first cities

Answer:

Narmada Valley	Hunting & gathering
Magadha	The first big kingdom
Garo Hills	Early agriculture
Indus & its tributaries	The first cities
Ganga Valley	Cities about 2500 years ago

2.  List one major difference between manuscripts and inscriptions.

Answer:

Manuscripts	Inscriptions
These can be damaged or decay over time	These are inscribed or engraved on a surface of stone, metal, or wood.
These were written in many languages such as Sanskrit, Prakrit, or Tamil.	These were written in a particular language.
These can be damage or decay over time	These may be more durable than manuscripts.

Let’s discuss

3. Return to Rasheeda’s question. Can you think of some answers to it?
Answer: We can think of some answers to it in the following ways:
i) Manuscripts
ii) Inscriptions
iii) Archaeological remains
iv) Written documents

4. Make a list of all the objects that archaeologists may find. Which of these could be made of stone?
Answer: Archaeologists may find a wide range of objects in their excavations, including:

• Tools and weapons, such as arrowheads, knives, axes, and hammers
• Pottery and ceramics, including dishes, bowls, and urns
• Jewellery and ornaments
• Coins and other metal objects, and household items
• Stone carvings, sculptures, and inscriptions
• Bones and other organic remains, such as animal bones, shells, and plant material
• Building materials, such as bricks, stones, and tiles

Tools and weapons, Jewelry Building materials could be made of stone.

5. Why do you think ordinary men and women did not generally keep records of what they did?
Answer: I think ordinary men and women did not generally keep records of what they did because in the past, daily life was a struggle for survival, and they were more concerned with meeting their basic needs than recording their activities.

6. Describe at least 2 ways in which you think the lives of kings would have been different from those of farmers.
Answer:

lives of kings	lives of farmers
They enjoyed high social status and privilege.	They belonged to lower social classes.
They did not engage in agriculture.	They Primarily engaged in agriculture.
They lived in luxury and comfort.	They lived a simple and difficult lifestyle.

Let’s do

7. Find the word ‘crafts persons’ on the page of the textbook. In the list at least five different crafts that you know about today. Are the craftspersons—(a) men (b) women (c) both men and women?
Answer: Five different crafts that are popular today:
i) Pottery
ii) Musicians
iii) Architects
iv) scientist
v) artist

These craftspersons are both men and women.

8. What were the subjects on which books were written in the past? Which of these would you like to read?
Answer: The subjects on which books were written in the past-
i) Philosophy and Religion
ii) Literature including novels, poetry, and plays & epics.
iii) Science and Technology:
iv) Art and culture such as music, painting, sculpture, architecture, and fashion

I would like to read epics such as Ramayan & Mahabharat.

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Also Read: Our Country India Class 6 Geography Chapter 7 NCERT Solution

FAQs of Class 6 History Chapter 1

Conclusion of Class 6 History Chapter 1

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