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

The Accessible Emperor

In the account of his experiences, Monserrate, who was the member of the first Jesuit mission, says: It is hard to exaggerate how accessible he (Akbar) makes himself to all who wish audience of him. For he creates an opportunity almost every day for any of the common people or of the nobles to see him and to converse with him; and he endeavours to show himself pleasant-spoken and affable rather than severe towards all who come to speak with him. It is very remarkable how great an effect this courtesy and affability has in attaching him to the minds of his subjects.

(i) Who were Jesuits? How did they establish their network in India?

(ii) How did Monserrate accord his experience about Akbar?

(iii) How had Akbar’s courtesy brought affability for his subjects? Explain.

Explain the system of land grants and trade from C. 600 BCE to 600 CE.

OR

Explain any four sources to reconstruct the history of Mauryas. Examine the system of Mauryan administration.

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

A Tiger – Like Husband

This is a summary of a story from the Adi Parvan of the Mahabharatha:

The Pandavas had fled into the forest. They were tired and fell asleep; only Bhima, the Second Pandava, renowned for his prowess, was keeping watch. A man-eating Rakshasa caught the scent of the Pandavas and sent his sister Hidimba to capture them. She fell in love with Bhima, transformed herself into a lovely maiden and proposed to him. He refused. Meanwhile, the Rakshasa arrived and challenged Bhima to a wrestling match. Bhima accepted the challenge and killed him. The others woke up hearing the noise. Hidimba introduced herself, and declared the love for Bhima. She told Kunti; “I have forsaken my friends, my dharma and my kin; a good lady, chosen your tiger-like son for my man….whether you think me a fool, or your devoted servant, let me join you, great lady, with your son as my husband.”

Ultimately, Yudhishtra agreed to the marriage on condition that they would spend the day together but that Bhima would return every night. The couple roamed all over the world during the day. In due course, Hidimba gave birth to a Rakshasa boy named Ghatotkacha. Then the mother and son left the Pandavas. Ghatotkacha promised to return to the Pandavas whenever they needed him.

Some historian suggest that the term rakshasa is used to describe people whose practices differed from those laid down in the Brahmanical texts.

(i) How did the story from Adi Parvan play an important role in shaping the values and ethos of the society?

(ii) How was this story a unique example of exogamy?

(iii) How did Hidimba and Yudhishtra interpret dharma in their context?

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

Why the Salt Satyagraha?

Why was salt the symbol of protest? This is what Mahatma Gandhi wrote: The volume of information being gained daily shows how wickedly the salt tax has been designed. In order to prevent the use of salt that has not paid the tax which is at times even fourteen times its value, the Government destroys the salt it cannot sell profitably. Thus, it taxes the nation’s vital necessity: it prevents the public from manufacturing it and destroys what nature manufactures without effort. No adjective is strong enough for characterising this wicked dog-in-the-manger policy. From various sources I hear tales of such wanton destruction of the nation’s property in all parts of India. Maunds if not tons of salt are said to be destroyed on the Konkan coast. The same tale comes from Dandi. Wherever there is likelihood of natural salt being taken away by the people living in the neighbourhood of such areas for their personal use, salt officers are posted for the sole purpose of destruction. Thus, valuable national property is destroyed at national expense and salt taken out of the mouths of the people.

The salt monopoly is thus a fourfold curse. It deprives the people of a valuable easy village industry, involves wanton destruction of property that nature produces in abundance, the destruction itself means more national expenditure, and fourthly to frown this folly, an unheard-of tax of more than 1,000 per cent is extracted from a starving people.

This tax has remained so long because of the apathy of the general public. Now that is sufficiently roused, the tax has to go. How soon it will be abolished depends upon the strength of the people.

(i) Why was salt monopoly introduced by the British considered as a curse by the Indians?

(ii) How did Gandhiji illustrate his tactical wisdom with regard to salt monopoly?

(iii) Explain the significance of Gandhiji’s challenge of salt protest.

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

(a) Rakhigarhi

(b) Agra, the imperial capital of the Mughal

(ii) On the same outline map of India three centres 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.