Q14 of 29 Page 1

Read the following excerpt carefully and answer the questions that follow :

A prayer to Agni


Here are two verses from the Rigveda invoking Agni, the god of fire : Bring, O strong one, this sacrifice of ours to the gods, O wise one, as a liberal giver. Bestow on us, O priest, abundant food. Agni, obtain, by sacrificing, mighty wealth for us. Procure, O Agni, for ever to him who prays to you (the gift of) nourishment, the wonderful cow, May a son be ours, offspring that continues out line... Verses such as these were composed in a special kind of Sanskrit, known as Vedic Sanskrit. They were taught orally to men belonging to priestly families.


(14.1) Why was Vedic Sanskrit significant?


(14.2) Explain any two Vedic traditions of religious beliefs and practices.


(14.3) Why were sacrifices performed during Vedic Period?


(14.1) Vedic Sanskrit is significant because it was only taught to men from priestly families through oral tradition. Therefore, it was an indication of social status and was considered restricted knowledge which was not accessible to the common population.

(14.2) The Vedic traditions come from the Rigveda, which was compiled between c. 1500-1000 BCE.


a. One practice was the chanting of hymns from the Rigveda. These hymns were in praise of various deities, particularly Indra, Agni, and Soma. These were chanted when sacrifices were performed in which people prayed for good health, long life, cattle, sons, etc. These were performed collectively.


b. The sacrificial tradition was important. It was later also performed individually by heads of households for the well-being of the domestic unit (family), and also by kings and chiefs in an elaborate fashion, where the ritual was conducted by a priest.


(14.3) Sacrifices were performed for a variety of reasons.


a. Initially, collective sacrifices were performed by people for cattle, sons, good health, long life, etc.


b. From c. 1000-500 BCE, they were performed by the heads of households for the well-being of the domestic unit i.e. the family


c. Elaborate sacrifices such as Rajasuya and Ashvamedha were performed by rulers and chiefs under the guidance of a priest.


More from this chapter

All 29 →
12

“Quit India Movement’ was genuinely a mass movement bringing into its ambit hundreds of thousands of ordinary Indians.” Analyse the statement.

OR


“The worst is over but Indians need to work collectively for the equality of all classes and creeds.” Substantiate the statement of Gandhiji for bringing communal peace after the partition of India.


 13

The Muslim League resolution of 1940

The League’s resolution of 1940 demanded :


That geographically contiguous units are demarcated into regions, which should be so constituted, with such territorial readjustments as may be necessary, that the areas in which the Muslims are numerically in a majority as in the north-western and eastern zones of India should be grouped to constitute “Independent States”, in which the constituent units shall be autonomous and sovereign.


(13.1) Identify the major demands of the Muslim League.


(13.2) Analyse the reasons for the demand of autonomy by the Muslim League.


(13.3) Analyse the distinctive aspects of the Muslim League Resolution of 1940.


OR


Read the following excerpt carefully and answer the questions that follow :


A small basket of grapes


This is what Dr. Khushdeva Singh writes about his experience during one of his visits to Karachi in 1949 :


My friends took me to a room at the airport where we all sat down and talked... (and) had lunch together, I had to travel from Karachi to London... at 2.30 am... At 5.00. p.m. ... I told my friends that they had given me so generously of their time, I thought it would be too much for them to wait the whole night and suggested they must spare themselves the trouble. But nobody left until it was dinner time.... Then they said they were leaving and that I must have a little rest before emplaning. .... I got up at about 1.45 a.m. and, when I opened the door, I saw that all of them were still there.... They all accompanied me to the plane, and, before parting, presented me with a small basket of grapes. I had no words to express my gratitude for the overwhelming affection with which I was treated and the happiness this stopover had given me.


(13.1) Analyse the attitude of the people of Karachi towards Khushdeva Singh.


(13.2) Express the feelings of Khushdeva Singh at Karachi.


(13.3) “Love is stronger than hate.” Elucidate the statement in the context of this narrative.


 15

Read the following excerpt carefully and answer the questions that follow :

The One Lord


Here is a composition attributed to Kabir :


Tell me, brother, how can there be


No one lord of the world but two ?


Who led you so astray ?


God is called by many names :


Names like Allah, Ram, Karim, Keshav, Hari and Hazrat.


Gold may be shaped into rings and bangles.


Isn’t it gold all the same ?


Distinctions are only words we invent....


Kabir says that are both mistaken.


Neither can find the only Ram. One kills the goat, the other cows.


They waste their lives in disputation.


(15.1) How has Kabir laid emphasis on the attainment of oneness with the divine? Explain.


(15.2) How do you think people waste their lives in disputation?


(15.3) How has the lyrical beauty of his poem made him a figure of inter-religious harmony? Explain.


 16

(16.1) On the given political outline map of India, locate and label the following with appropriate symbols :

(a) Agra, a territory under Mughals


OR


Vijaynagara


(b) Champaran, a centre of National Movement


OR


Gwalior – a centre of the Revolt of 1857



(16.2) On the same outline map three places have been marked as A, B, C which are related to the mature Harappan sites. Identify them and write their correct names on the lines marked near them.