Class 6 ncert Chapter 4 Social Science Solution - Timeline and Sources of History

Chapter 04 : Timeline of History and Its Sources

Question: How does a timeline help in understanding history?

Answer: A timeline arranges historical events in chronological order. It helps us understand which event happened earlier and which happened later. Example: The birth of Buddha occurred before the Common Era, which we can easily understand through a timeline.

Question: How do we calculate historical periods?

Answer: In the present time, the Gregorian calendar is used. Historical periods are calculated based on the birth of Jesus Christ.

• Years after Christ are called Common Era (C.E.)
• Years before Christ are called Before Common Era (B.C.E.)

Question: What is the meaning of year, decade, century, and millennium?

Answer:

• Year – A period of 1 year
• Decade – A period of 10 years
• Century – A period of 100 years (e.g., 21st century: 2001–2100)
• Millennium – A period of 1000 years (e.g., third millennium: 2001–3000)

Question: How do different sources help us understand history?

Answer: Examples of historical sources include coins, copper plates, manuscripts, paintings, sculptures, buildings, etc. Archaeological, literary, oral, artistic, and scientific sources are useful for understanding history. These sources provide information about ancient civilizations, events, and lifestyles.

Question: How did early humans live?

Answer: Early humans lived in groups and survived by hunting and gathering fruits and vegetables. They lived in caves and used stone tools. They expressed their lives through paintings. Gradually, they started farming and animal domestication, leading to settled life.

Question: Can you calculate how many years ago Buddha was born?

Answer: Buddha was born in 560 B.C.E. The present year is 2025.

So: 560 + 2025 – 1 = 2584 years ago.
Reason: 1 is subtracted because there is no “year zero” in the Gregorian calendar.

Question: What was the impact of the Ice Age on human life?

Answer: During the Ice Age (100,000 to 12,000 years ago), life was difficult due to extreme cold. When the climate became warmer, agriculture and permanent settlements became possible, leading to the development of civilization.

Question: What is Panchang?

Answer: It is a traditional Indian calendar based on the positions of the sun and moon. It records dates of festivals, eclipses, and auspicious timings.

NCERT Solutions

Question: Can we compare historians to detectives?

Answer: Yes, because just like detectives find truth through clues, historians gather information about the past from various sources.

Question: Arrange the following dates in chronological order — 323 C.E., 323 B.C.E., 100 C.E., 100 B.C.E., 1900 B.C.E., 1090 C.E., 2024 C.E.

Answer: Chronological order: 1900 B.C.E. → 323 B.C.E. → 100 B.C.E. → 100 C.E. → 323 C.E. → 1090 C.E. → 2024 C.E.

Question: If Emperor Chandragupta was born in 320 B.C.E., which century did he belong to? How many years after Buddha was he born?

Answer: Chandragupta Maurya belonged to the 4th century B.C.E. He was born 560 – 320 = 240 years after Buddha.

Question: Rani of Jhansi was born in 1828 C.E. Which century did she belong to? How many years before India’s independence was she born?

Answer: Rani of Jhansi belonged to the 19th century. India got independence in 1947. 1947 – 1828 = 119 years before independence.

Question: Convert “12,000 years ago” into a date.

Answer: “12,000 years ago” is approximately 10,000 B.C.E.