NCERT Solutions for Class 6th History Chapter 5 What Books and Burials Tell us?

NCERT Solutions for Chapter 5 What Books and Burials Tell us? Class 6 History

The Vedas are considered to be the oldest surviving manuscripts on the Indian subcontinent. There is a belief that the Vedas date back to the pre-Vedic era. The Rigveda, Yajurveda, Samaveda, and Atharvaveda are the four Vedas. The Rigveda contains many prayers for cattle, children, and horses. Archaeologists found some burials on different sites like Inamgaon,Deccan, South India and Kashmir. Burial refer to the remains of the dead found under the ground or the act of burying the dead. Artifacts such as clothing and objects provide insight into how the individual lived. This provides a form of immortality for the deceased.

What Books and Burials Tell us? Questions and Answers

Chapter Name	What Books and Burials Tell us? NCERT Solutions
Class	CBSE Class 6
Textbook Name	History
Related Readings	NCERT Solutions for Class 6 NCERT Solutions for Class 6 History Summary of What Books and Burials Tell us?

LET'S RECALL

Question 1: Match the columns

Sukta	Stone boulder
Chariots	Sacrifice
Yajna	Well – said
Dasa	Used in battles
Megalith	Slave

Answer

Column I	Column II	Explanation
Sukta	Stone boulder	Sukta is Sanskrit means well said
Chariots	Sacrifice	Chariots were used in battles because they could move fast
Yajna	Well – said	Yajna is the sacrificial ritual where offering are made to the god
Dasa	Used in battles	Dasa were the people who did not perform yajna.
Megalith	Slave	Megalith literally means big stones and the word was used to address stone boulders.

Question 2: Complete the sentences:

(a) Slaves were used for_______.

(b) Megaliths are found in_______.

(c) Stone circles or boulder on the surface were used to______.

(d) Port-holes were used for_______.

(e) people at Inamgaon ate_______.

Answer

(a) Slaves were used for work.

Slave men and women were captured in war and used as free labourers by their owners.

(b) Megaliths are found in Deccan, Southern India, North-east and Kashmir.

Megaliths were prevalent in these parts of India, while some megaliths can be seen on the surface other megalithic burials are often underground.

(c) Stone circles or boulders on the surface were used to mark the site of burial.

It served as a sign post for burial sites, so that people can return to the same place later.

(d) Port-holes were used for bringing the bodies of those who died later into the family grave.

A porthole is a circular window kind of entry path.

(e) People at Inamgaon ate wheat, barley, rice, pulses, millets, peas, sesame and animal meat besides fruits.

They were both hunter and food gatherers. Once food cultivation started, they settled down in one place.

LET'S DISCUSS

Question 3: In what ways are the books we read today different from the Rigveda?

Answer

Rigveda was primarily composed of religious hymns that were recited and heard within a small community of learned people. They were written in Sanskrit. They consisted of hymns in praise of gods and goddesses. Not everyone could study them.

Modern books, on the other hand, are written on the various subject. They are available in print format and read by a lot of people. They are written in many modern languages.

Question 4: What kind of evidence from burials do archaeologists use to find out whether there were social differences amongst those who were buried?

Answer

The archaeologists use the object found in the grave to know more about the social status of those buried. Some skeletons were found buried with gold and copper ornaments indicating their high social status while others had only a few pots. In Brahmagiri, one skeleton was buried with 33 gold beads, 4 copper bangles, and one conch shells. These finds suggest that there was some difference in status amongst the people who were buried. Some were rich, others poor, some chiefs, other followers.

Question 5: In what ways do you think that the life of a raja was different from that of a dasa or dasi?

Answer

The 'rajas' were the higher-class people while the 'dasas' were the lowest class in the society and worked as slaves. The dasa/dasi were often captured in the war and were treated as the property of their owners. I think a raja lived a more comfortable live than that of a dasa.

LET'S DO

Question 6: Find out whether your library has a collection of books on religion, and list the names of five books from this collection.

Answer

Five religious books in our library are:

1. Ramayana

2. Mahabharata

3. Gita

4. Bible

5. Quran

Question 7: Write down a short poem or song that you have memorized. Did you hear or read the poem or song? How did you learn it by heart?

Answer

I read this poem by Walt Whitman in brother's school book. I learned it by repeating it to myself

THIS is thy hour O Soul, thy free flight into the wordless, Away from books, away from art, the day erased, the lesson done, Thee fully forth emerging, silent, gazing, pondering the themes thoulovest best. Night, sleep, and the stars.

Question 8: In the Rigveda, people were described in terms of the work they did and the languages they spoke. In the table below, fill in the names of six people you know, choosing three men and three women. For each of them, mention the work they do and the language they speak. Would you like to add anything else to the description?

Name	Work	Language	Anything else

Answer

Name	Work	Language	Anything else
Amina	Household	Hindi	She is tall and quiet.
Amit	Carwasher	Hindi	He gets up early in the morning.
Ajay	Washerman	Hindi	He delivers clothes in the afternoon.
Malti	Housemaid	Bhojpuri	She talks loudly.
pinki	Flower seller	Hindi	She is a shy girl.
Raju	Coconut deliveryman	Tamil	He speaks in broken English.