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CBSE

Class 6 Important Question

Social Science: Our Past

Chapter 1: What, Where, How And When?

CBSE Important Questions for Class 6 Social Science What, Where, How and When? - 2025-26

What, Where, How and When? Class 6 Extra Questions and Answers Free PDF Download

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Study Important Questions for Class 6 Social Science Chapter 1 - What, Where, How and When?

Very Short Answer Questions: 1 Marks

1. Fill in the blanks

(i) Scholars who study the past are _____.

Ans: Historians - a historian who specialises in or studies a particular period, geographical region, or social problem.

(ii) Sulaiman and Kirthar hills are the places where early people first grown ______.

Ans: Wheat and burley - Sindh's Sulaiman and Kirthar hills are where women and men first started growing crops like wheat and barley.

(iii) Scripts which were written by hand are called ________.

Ans: Manuscripts - Traditionally, a manuscript was any document written by hand – or typewritten once practical typewriters became accessible – rather than mechanically printed or duplicated in some indirect or automatic fashion.

(iv) Scripts written on hard surfaces are called as ________.

Ans: Inscriptions - a carved, impressed, painted, or written historical, religious, or other document on stone, brick, metal, or other hard surface.

(v) People who read and analyse the ancient findings are called as ______.

Ans: Archaeologist - Archaeologists are historians and prehistoric archaeologists who investigate mankind from the past.

2. State true and false.

(i) Inscriptions were used to inscribe the war stories and life stories of any king.

Ans: True - Inscriptions are written on stone, metal, or other materials and are a valuable historical record.

(ii) Findings such as Tools, weapons, pans, pots, ornaments, coins, metals, and remains from the ancient sites do not help archaeologists to understand the past.

Ans: False - Archaeologists' data collection methods can be applied to any time period, including the recent past.

(iii) Inscriptions were usually written on palm leaves.

Ans: False - Written records cut on cave stones, pillars, or walls are known as inscriptions.

(iv) Hunter gatherers had started agriculture.

Ans: False - Hunter-gatherers did not rely on agriculture for existence; instead, they relied on mobility.

(v) Historians do not read the inscriptions and manuscripts.

Ans: False - Historians gather and analyse data from a variety of primary sources in order to answer questions about historical occurrences.

3. Match the following

i. Indus Valley Civilization	The first big kingdom
ii. Magadha	Hunting and gathering
iii. Garo Hills	Cities about 2500 years ago
iv. Ganga Valley	Early Agriculture
v. Narmada Valley	The first cities

Ans:

i. Indus Valley Civilization	The first cities
ii. Magadha	The first big kingdom
iii. Garo Hills	Early Agriculture
iv. Ganga Valley	Cities about 2500 years ago
v. Narmada Valley	Hunting and gathering

4. Choose the correct option

(i) Historians mention date and time in ________.

a) BC and AD

b) CC and GE

c) AB and BC

d) BC and CD

Ans: (a) BC and AD - The letters AD stand for Anno Domini, which means "in the year of the Lord," while BC stands for "before Christ."

(ii) _____ was used by kings to inscribe their orders.

(a)Wood

(b) Clothes

(d) Paper

Ans: (c) Stones - Stone, marble, metal, terracotta, and wood were all used to carve inscriptions.

5. Define the Following

(i) Manuscripts

Ans: These were mainly handwritten scripts on palm leaves and tree barks.

(ii) Inscriptions

Ans: These were carved into the stones.

Short Answer Questions: 2 Marks

6. What are the things that archaeologists find at excavations sites?

Ans: At ancient excavation sites, tools, weapons, pans, pots, decorations, coins, and metals, among other things, have been discovered.

7. What were the ways that people used to travel in the past?

Ans: People used to go by foot or in animal carriages in the past.

8. Where did people in the past use to live?

Ans: People used to live along riverbanks. They were expert hunters and gatherers.

9. What are the ways that can help to know about the past?

Ans: We can learn about the people of the past by analysing their lives via the results.

10. What do you mean by contemporary civilization?

Ans: Contemporary civilization is defined as two civilizations flourishing at the same time in two separate locations.

Short Answer Questions: 3 Marks

11. How do archaeologists give dates to the past?

Ans: Historians use a variety of methods to indicate the date and time. The terms ‘BC' and ‘AD' are the most commonly used. The letter 'BC' stands for 'Before Christ,' which means before Christ's birth. The letter AD stands for ‘Anno Domini,' which means ‘in the year of the Lord.'

12. How do historians and archaeologists know about history?

Ans: Scripts, tools, weapons, pans, pots, ornaments, coins, metals, and the remains of stone and brick buildings discovered from the site also aid historians and archaeologists in defining and deciphering history and its various elements.

13. How did the kings give orders to their people?

Ans: The stones were written whenever a king made a new rule or issued a new command. This was done because the commands stayed for a long period using this approach, and anyone might easily harm or remove them.

14. Which were the earliest archaeological sites excavated in India?

Ans: Indus Valley Civilization and Harappa Civilization were the first sites in India to be excavated. These locations have beautiful structures and a well-organized lifestyle.They traded across borders and had abundant mineral and agricultural resources.

15. On what topics ancient people used to write books? Mention their names and out of them which ones would you like to read?

Ans: The following topics have been the subject of books:-

(i) Lives of kings

(ii) Science

(iii) Drama

(iv) Epics

(v) Poetry

(vi) Religious beliefs and practices.

(vii) Medicine

I'd like to read ancient epics like the Ramayana and Mahabharata.

Long Answer Questions: 5 Marks

16. Who were hunter gatherers? How did they live their lives?

Ans: People who hunted and gathered food were known as hunter gatherers. They were expert hunter-gatherers. They had a broad understanding of many forms of cuisine. Trees and woodlands, roots, and animal hunts were all sources of sustenance for them. They used to dwell near a river since it was abundant in water, animals, and a diverse range of trees. It made it simple for them to get their food.

17. How Manuscripts and Inscriptions help to determine the past?

Ans: Manuscripts are deciphered using the word ‘Manu,' which means ‘handmade script.' The word ‘Manu' comes from the Latin language. These scripts were typically inscribed on palm leaves or a properly prepared bark of a birch tree. The Himalayas still have these kind of trees. These works covered a wide range of ancient behaviours, including religious customs and beliefs, monarchs and kingdoms, science, and medicine.

Hard surfaces, such as stones and metals, were used to engrave inscriptions. This is how kings used to write their orders so that they could be read and followed. These inscriptions were also employed to record monarchs' battle accounts and personal biographies.

18. Why did people move from one place to another in the past? Explain.

Ans: People used to go from one location to another. They travelled across hills, high mountains, rivers, deserts, and seas, including the Himalayas. Their journeys were a little scary at times because of the rocky and treacherous paths, but they were never impossible. Men and women moved from place to place in quest of work and to avoid natural disasters such as floods and droughts. Armies of men marched to conquer the territories of others. Merchants used caravans or ships to travel for business. They transported important items from one location to another. Religious teachers preached their Dharma from one village to the next and from one town to the next. Some folks merely travelled for the thrill of it.

19. What do you mean by pasts?

Ans: Pasts is the plural form of the word past. This term is used to call attention to the fact that history can have many different versions of itself. The pasts of different persons and features can be very diverse. Farmers and herders lived in a separate world than the monarchs and queens. Merchants, for example, had a distinct way of life than craftspeople, and so on. Aside from that, there are a slew of other distinctions. Many conflicts were fought between various kingdoms, and the victor usually kept track of their wins. Ordinary people, on the other hand, such as hunters, gatherers, fishermen, and farmers, did not preserve records of their work and lifestyle. This explains why it referenced pasts rather than past.

20. What are the things that are found in an excavation and how did archaeologists decipher it to understand the past?

Ans: Historians and archaeologists are the historians and archaeologists who write and decipher history. Archaeologists are those who investigate artefacts or other types of findings that have been discovered at an excavation site. Historians and archaeologists both investigate these discoveries, and their judgments take the form of history. There are a variety of methods for determining the past. They read manuscripts, inscriptions, epics, and stories, among other things. These texts cover a wide range of ancient behaviours, including religious practises and beliefs, monarchs and kingdoms, science, and medicine. Sanskrit was the most used script in ancient India, followed by Prakrit and Tamil.

FAQs on CBSE Important Questions for Class 6 Social Science What, Where, How and When? - 2025-26

1. What are the two main types of sources historians study in Chapter 1, and what kind of questions can be asked from this topic?

In Chapter 1, the two most important sources for studying the past are manuscripts and inscriptions. For exams, you can expect questions such as:

Define manuscripts and explain what they were written on.
What are inscriptions and why are they generally more durable than manuscripts?
List one key advantage and one disadvantage of using manuscripts as a historical source.

These questions test your basic understanding and are often asked for 1 or 2 marks.

2. What are some expected short-answer questions (1-2 marks) from the section 'Where Did People Live' for the CBSE 2025-26 exam?

From the section covering early human settlements, you should prepare for direct, fact-based questions. Some frequently asked questions include:

Along which river bank did the earliest people live?
Name the hills to the north of the Vindhyas where rice was first grown.
Where are the Sulaiman and Kirthar hills located, and which crops were first grown there?
When did cities first develop on the banks of the river Ganga?

These questions are important for securing full marks in the very short answer section.

3. How should I answer a 3-mark question on the origin of the names 'India' and 'Bharat'?

To secure full marks for a 3-mark question on the names of our country, structure your answer with these key points:

Origin of 'India': Explain that the word comes from the river Indus, called 'Sindhu' in Sanskrit. Mention that the Iranians and Greeks who came through the northwest called it the 'Hindos' or 'Indos' and the land to the east of the river as India.
Origin of 'Bharat': State that the name Bharat was used for a group of people who lived in the northwest. Mention that their name is found in the Rigveda, the earliest composition in Sanskrit.
Conclusion: Conclude by stating that later, this name was used for the entire country.

4. What is a common misconception about archaeologists that Chapter 1 helps clarify?

A common misconception is that archaeologists only dig for treasure or large monuments. Chapter 1 clarifies that archaeologists are historians who study the remains of the past in a scientific way. They are interested in everyday objects that tell a story about ordinary people. For example, they study:

Remains of buildings made of stone and brick.
Paintings and sculpture.
Tools, weapons, pots, pans, and ornaments.
Bones of animals, birds, and fish to understand the diet of past people.

Understanding this is a key Higher Order Thinking Skill (HOTS) as it shows you appreciate the scientific process of history.

5. Why is understanding the difference between BCE and CE important for answering questions from this chapter?

Understanding the dating system is crucial for placing historical events in the correct sequence, which is a fundamental skill tested in exams. You should know:

BC/BCE: Stands for 'Before Christ' or 'Before Common Era'. These years are counted backwards from the year 1. For example, 2500 BCE is earlier than 1000 BCE.
AD/CE: Stands for 'Anno Domini' or 'Common Era'. These years are counted forwards from the year 1.

An important question could ask you to arrange events chronologically or explain what 'circa' (c.) means when used with a date. This shows a deeper understanding of how historians create timelines.

6. How does studying where people lived, like near the Narmada river, help us answer important questions about their lives?

This is an important application-based question. Studying geographical locations helps us understand the 'why' behind historical developments. For example, knowing that early people lived near the Narmada river allows us to infer that:

They had access to a steady supply of water, which is essential for life.
The vast forests nearby provided roots, fruits, and other produce, indicating they were skilled hunter-gatherers.
Living by the river meant they could hunt animals that came to drink water.

Connecting geography to lifestyle is a key analytical skill for Social Science exams.

7. What is the most important skill to develop while preparing the 'Important Questions' for this introductory chapter of history?

Beyond just memorising dates and names, the most important skill to develop from Chapter 1 is inference. This means learning to draw conclusions from the evidence provided. For example, when you learn about an inscription found on a hard surface, you should be able to infer:

Why the king chose a hard surface (for permanence).
What the inscription tells us about the king's achievements or the society's rules.

This skill of asking 'what does this tell us?' is more valuable for exams than simply repeating facts from the textbook.