NCERT Solutions For Class 11 History Chapter 2 An Empire Across Three Continents - 2025-26

1. If you had lived in the Roman Empire, where would you rather have lived—in the towns or in the countryside? Explain why?

Answer:
I would prefer to live in the towns of the Roman Empire because they offered more opportunities for work, trade, and a better standard of living. Towns had stronger infrastructure to deal with everyday challenges and natural disasters. Being close to centers of politics and business also gave people better access to facilities and security compared to the countryside.

2. Compile a list of some of the towns, cities, rivers, seas and provinces mentioned in this chapter, and then try and find them on the maps. Can you say something about any three of the items in the list you have compiled?

Answer:

• Continents: Europe, North Africa

• Island: Sicily

• Rivers: Nile, Rhine, Danube, Sind

• Seas: Mediterranean, Caspian, Black Sea, Aegean Sea

• Provinces: Gaul, Numidia, Tunisia, Macedonia

• Towns and Cities: Constantinople, Naples, Damascus, Alexandria, Rome (See NCERT Page 59)
  
  

Description of three items:

• Rivers supported agriculture by providing irrigation.

• Seas connected different regions and encouraged trade and cultural exchange.

• Towns and cities became hubs of political power, business, and social life in the empire.
  
  

3. Imagine that you are a Roman housewife preparing a shopping list for household requirements. What would be on the list?

Answer:
As a Roman housewife, my shopping list would include items like pottery, glassware, kitchen tools, lamps, furniture, clothing, jewelry, toys, and household fabrics such as sheets and curtains. These were common things used in daily life in Roman towns.

4. Why do you think the Roman government stopped coining in silver? And which metal did it begin to use for the production of coinage?

Answer:
The Roman government stopped minting silver coins because the Spanish silver mines, which were their main source, had been exhausted. Due to this shortage, they shifted to using gold for making coins.

5. Suppose the emperor Trajan had actually managed to conquer India and the Romans had held on to the country for several centuries. In what ways do you think India might be different today?

Answer:
Trajan was known as a powerful ruler who expanded the Roman Empire to its greatest size and promoted welfare projects for his people. If he had conquered India, Roman laws and traditions might have replaced local systems. India would not have developed its democratic institutions and rights as we know them today, and society could have been structured more like Roman society, with distinct classes and privileges.

6. Go through the chapter carefully and pick out some basic features of Roman society and economy which you think make it look quite modern.

Answer:
One modern feature of Roman society was that women, even after marriage, could own property and often received a share from their parents’ estate. This shows that women had a stronger position in family and society.

Another modern aspect was the Roman economy. Trade networks stretched across different provinces, creating strong commercial connections and bringing in significant revenue for the state. This wide trading system makes their economy look quite advanced and modern.

Key Features of the Roman Empire: NCERT Solutions Class 11 History Chapter 2

Mastering Ncert Solutions Class 11 History Chapter 2 An Empire Across Three Continents helps students understand Roman society, economy, and governance. Grasping these fundamental points enhances conceptual clarity and boosts exam readiness for the 2025-26 academic year.

Consistent practice with NCERT-based solutions makes it easier to tackle complex topics like trade, urbanization, and cultural diversity. Try focusing on maps and timelines for a quick revision of Roman expansion.

Spending time on key events and structure of Roman power will give you an edge in short and long answer questions. Active revision is the best way to improve your score in Class 11 History NCERT exams.

CBSE Class 11 History Chapter-wise NCERT Solutions

CBSE Class 11 History Study Materials