Q15 of 18 Page 1

Read the excerpt and answer the following questions

System of varnas


This is Al-Biruni’s account of the system of varnas:


The highest caste is the Brahmana, of whom the books of the Hindus tell us that they were created from the head of Brahman. And as the Brahman is only another name for the force called nature, and the head is the highest part of the … body, the Brahmana is the choice part of the whole genus. Therefore the Hindus consider them as the very best of mankind. The next caste is the Kshatriya, who were created, as they say, from the shoulders and hands of Brahman. Their degree is not much below that of the Brahmana. After they follow the Vaishya, who was created from the thigh of Brahman. The Shudra, who was created from his feet . . .


Between the latter two classes, there is no very great distance. Much, however, as these classes differ from each other, they live together in the same towns and villages, mixed together in the same houses and lodgings.


i. Give an account of the system of varnas described by Albiruni.


ii. Describe why did he call it social pollution?’


iii. Was this system contrary to the law of nature?

i


Al-Biruni gave the account of the system of varnas as follows: the highest caste were the Brahamans which were created from the head of Brahma; next were the Kshatriyas which were created from the shoulders and hands of Brahma; it was followed by Vaishya which was created by the thigh of Brahma, and at the end came Shudra which was created by his feet.


ii.


According to the notion of social pollution attached to the caste system, certain categories of people on the basis of birth are regarded as impure. Al-Biruni highly disregards this notion and believes that all the impure things that fall on earth strive for purity. If this was not so, then life would have been impossible on earth.


iii


yes, according to Al-Biruni this notion of social pollution attached to the caste system was contrary to the laws of nature. As he thinks that anything that falls on the earth in the state of impurity strives to regain its purity, just like the salt prevents the water in the sea from getting polluted.


More from this chapter

All 18 →
13

Explain the significance of Non-Cooperation Movement of 1920.

OR


Explain the factors responsible for the partition of India during 1947.

 14

Read the following extracts carefully and answer the following questions-

Mother’s advice


The Mahabharata describes how, when war between the Kauravas and the Pandavas became almost inevitable, Gandhari made one last appeal to her eldest son Duryodhana:


By making peace you honor your father and me, as well as your well-wishers … it is the wise man in control of his senses who guard his kingdom. Greed and anger drag a man away from his profits; by defeating these two enemies a king conquers the earth … You will happily along with the wise and heroic Pandavas … There is no good in a war, no law (dharma) and profit (artha), let alone happiness; nor is a there (necessarily) victory in the end – don’t set your mind on war … Duryodhana did not listen to this advice and fought and lost the war.


i. How does a king conquer the earth as describes in the extract?


ii. Mention the views of Gandhari on feud war.


iii. Explain about Gandhari’s appeal to her son?

 16

Read the following extracts carefully and answer the following questions

On clearance and settled cultivation


Passing through one village in the lower Rajmahal hills, Buchanan wrote:


The view of the country is exceedingly fine, the cultivation, especially the narrow valleys of rice winding in all directions, the cleared lands with scattered trees, and the rocky hills are in perfection; all that is wanted is some appearance of progress in the area and a vastly extended and improved cultivation, of which the country is highly susceptible. Plantations of Asan and Palas, for Tessar (Tassar silk worms) and Lac, should occupy the place of woods to as great an extent as the demand will admit; the remainder might be all cleared, and the greater part cultivated, while what is not fit for the purpose, might rear Plamira (palmyra) and Mowa (mahua).


i. Mention about Buchanan’s opinion of how the land of Rajmahal more productive.


ii. How were Buchanan’s vision and priorities on development different from the local inhabitants?


iii. iii. Explain how the inhabitants of the Rajmahal hill felt about the Buchanan’s ideas of production.

 17

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

(a) Rakhigarhi, the mature Harappa site


(b) Agra, the imperial capital of Mughal in 1585


(ii) On the same outline map of India, three places related to the Indian National movement have been marked as A, B and C. Identify them and write their correct names on the lines drawn near them.