ICSE Solutions for Class 9 History and Civics – The Age of the Guptas

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Exercises

Question 1.
Name one literary and another archaeological source to reconstruct the Age of the Gupta’s.
Answer:

1. Literary Source: Fa-hein visit to India.
2. Archaeological Source: Allahabad Pillar Inscriptions.

Question 2.
Name the famous Inscription that tells us about the character and military achievements of Samudragupta.
Answer:
Allahabad Pillar Inscription

Question 3.
Which great conquest enabled Chandragupta II to carry the title of Sakari ?
Answer:
The Conquest of Gujarat and Kathiawar peninsula dominated by the Saka power, enabled Chandragupta II to carry the title of Sakari.

Question 4.
Who was Fa-hien ? What is the title of the book that he wrote about India ?
Answer:
Fa-hien was a Chinese pilgrim, who traveled all over India for more than 13 years. The title of the book that he wrote about India was, Fo-Kwo-Ki (The Travels of Fa-hien).

Question 5.
What did Fa-hien write about the City of Pataliputra ?
Answer:
Fa-hien wrote about the City of Pataliputra that the City had two grand monasteries-one of the Hinayana and other of the Mahayana. He noticed the usual grandeur of Ashoka’s Palace as such. People living there, were quite prosper by all means. There w^:as an excellent hospital run by the wealthy citizens of the town. Rest-houses existed in large towns and on highways for the comforts of the travelers. The relations between the followers of various sects w’ere cordial. The people were honest and law-abiding. No uneven restrictions were imposed on them to move about anywhere in the City The criminal law was mild. Capital punishment was out of practice.

PQ. Which Gupta ruler defeated the Hunas ?
Answer: Skandagupta defeated the Hunas.

Question 6.
What does Fa-hien write about the life of the people during the Gupta age?
Answer:
Fa-hien writes that the bulk of the population during the Gupta age was vegetarian and usually followed the principle of Ahimsa (non-violence)
The caste-system prevailed and untouch ability had become an established institution in this age. The Chandalas occupied the lowest rank in society. They were outcasts and lived away from the people. They did menial jobs. When they approached a city or a market, they had to strike a piece of wood, so that others might avoid coming in contact with them.
Slavery also existed, although the Brahmins could not be owned as slaves. Women were educated in fine arts and domestic virtues. Widow-remarriage was viewed with disfavor. The practice of Devadasi was prevalent. In other words, some girls were being maintained to many temples for the service of Gods.

Question 7.
Who was the greatest literary genius of the Gupta period?
Answer:
Kalidasa was the greatest literary genius of the Gupta period.

Question 8.
Name two dramas and two epics written by Kalidasa.
Answer:
Malavikagnimitra and Vikramorvasiya are the two dramas written by Kalidasa. The two epics are—Raghuvamsa and Kumarasambhava.

Question 9.
Mention the contributions of Aryabhatta in the field of astronomy.
Answer:
Aryabhatta was the first Indian astronomer to declare that the earth is spherical in shape and he proved that the earth revolves around the sun on its own axis.

Question 10.
Name the famous astronomer of the Gupta period after whom an Indian Satellite was named.
Answer:
Aryabhatta.

Question 11.
Mention the important contributions  of Varahamihira.
Answer:
Varahamihira was a great scientist of the Gupta age, he wrote Brihat Samhita which deals with Astronomy, Mathematics, Botany and Physical Geography. He also wrote a famous book on different branches of Jyotishastra and another work Pancha Siddhantika, giving an account of the five systems of Astronomy.

Question 12.
Mention two famous temples of the Gupta period.
Answer:
The Dasavatara Temple, also known as Vishnu Temple, at Deogarh near Jhansi, and Bhitargaon Temple near Kanpur.

Question 13.
Metion two important architectural features of the Dasavatara (Vishnu) Temple at Deogarh.
Answer:
The Temple stands on a wide basement with a flight of steps in the middle of each side. It had a spire and its roof was supported by pillars.

Question 14.
The Provincial Governors during the reign of the Gupta were called by which names ?
Answer:
The provincial governors were usually the princes of royal blood. As governors, they were called Uparika Maharaja or Pradeshikas.

Question 15.
The Districts (Vishyas) were placed under whose charge during the rule of Guptas ?
Answer:
A Bhukti was divided into districts called Vishyas, which were ruled by Vishayapatis or Ayuktas. They were usually appointed by the Provincial Governor. Many other persons had position of authority in the district administration. They were Prathamkayastlia who wrote letters and documents, Pushtapal, the keeper of records and Nagarshresthi, that is, the Chief Banker.

Question 16.
Mention an important cause for the revival of Brahmanical religion in the Gupta period.
Answer:
The Gupta monarchs were staunch supporters of Brahmanism, they gave a strong impetus to the restoration and enhancement of their religion.

Question 17.
What is the importance of Panchatantra?
Answer:
It is a collection of stories which intended to teach moral lessons to children.

Question 18.
Name three important sciences which made great progress during the Gupta period.
Answer:
Astronomy, mathematics and medicine.

Question 19.
Mention the famous work on medicine written by Vriddha-Vagabhatta.
Answer:
Ashtang Sangrah.

Question 20.
Which Gupta ruler defeated the Hunas?
Answer:
Skandagupta defeated the Hunas.

Question 21.
Mention two pieces of evidence to show that the art of Sculpture excelled during the Gupta period.
Answer:
The statue of the Standing Buddha discovered at Mathura and the figure of the Great Boar done in relief at the entrance of the Cave at Udayagiri are the two pieces of evidence that show that the art of Sculpture excelled during the Gupta period.

Question 22.
What is known as Frescoes ?
Ans.
The paintings done on the walls are called Frescoes.

Question 23.
Mention two places famous for the art of painting during the Gupta period.
Answer:
The Ajanta Caves in Maharashtra State and the Bagh Caves near Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh.

Question 24.
Mention two important features of the paintings at Ajanta.
Answer:
Two important features of the paintings at Ajanta are as follows:

1. The rock walls were first plastered with a thick coating of clay, mixed with straw, gypsum and other materials. Then a thin layer of lime-plaster was applied to produce a glazed surface for making the painting more effective.
2. On the glazed surface of the wall the outlines of the figures were drawn first. The artists used water colours.

Question 25.
Name the Chinese pilgrim who studied at the Nalanda University.
Answer:
Hiuen-Tsang was the Chinese pilgrim who studied at the Nalanda University.

Question 26.
Mention the extent of King Harsha’s empire.
Answer:
The extent of King Harsha’s empire included

1. Eastern Punjab
2. Kanauj (Uttar Pradesh)
3. Magadha (Bihar)
4. Bengal
5. Orissa.

Question 27.
How can we say that Harshavardhana w as a patron of learning ?
Answer:
Matang Diwakar was the court-poet to Harshavardhana. His patronage to authors like—Banabhatta, who wrote Harshcharita, and Mayur, who wrote Suryashataka, shows his interest in literature. Harsha himself was a scholar and an author of three plays—Ratnavali, Nagananda and Priyadarshika. Nalanda University was patronised by Harshavardhana.

Question 28.
Who wrote Harshcharita ?
Answer:
Banabhatta wrote Harshcharita.

Question 29.
Where was the Fifth Buddhist Assembly held ? Who presided over the Assembly’s deliberations ?
Answer:
The Fifth Buddhist Assembly was held at Kanauj, Hiuen-Tsang presided over the Assembly’s deliberations.

Question 30.
Mention the main conquests of Pulakesin II.
Answer:
Pulakesin II, ruled, from 608 AD to 642 AD. He conquered northern Konkan and the Gujarat ahd Malwa regions.

Question 31.
Whose reign marks the climax of the Pallava power ?
Answer:
The reign of Narasimhavarman marks the climax of the Pallava power.

Question 32.
Mention the main conquests of the Pallava ruler Narasimhavarman.
Answer:
Narasimhavarman conquered the Chalukya’s Capital Badami and occupied it. He defeated Cholas, the Cheras and the

Question 33.
Name the Inscription that refers to the achievements of King Kharvela of Kalinga.
Answer:
The Hathigumpha Inscription on the Udayagiri hills, near Bhubaneshwar in Orrissa.

Question 34.
Who converted Kanishka to Buddhism ?
Answer:
A Buddhist monk Asvaghosa converted Kanishka to Buddhism.

Question 35.
Name the two sects into which Buddhism got split during Kanishka’s reign.
Answer:
During Kanishka’s reign, Buddhism got split into Hinayana (Lesser Vehicle) and the Mahay an a (Great Vehicle).

Question 36.
Give one evidence to suggest that the sculptural art flourished during the reign of Satvahanas of Deccan.
Answer:
The sculptures of Amaravati and Nagarjuna konda Stupas.

Question 37.
Name a fine specimen of rock-cut architecture during the reign of the Satvahanas.
Answer:
The Chaitya at Karle.

Question 38.
Name the two main crafts that flourished during the Gupta age.
Answer:
Jewellery-making and sculpture flourished during the Gupta age.

Question 39.
Mention an important cause for the revival of Brahmanical religion in the Gupta period.
Answer:
The Gupta monarchs were staunch supporters of Brahmanism, they gave a strong impetus to the restoration and enhancement of their religion.

Question 40.
Mention-any one cause that led to the decline of the mighty Gupta empire.
Answer:
The repeated invasions of the Hunas led to the decline of the mighty Gupta empire. Pandyas. He also sent two naval expeditions to Sri Lanka to help Sri Lankan prince, Manavarman to gain the throne of that island.

Question 41.
Mention the literary works of Dandin.
Answer:
Dandin wrote Daskumarcharita and Kavyadarsha.

Question 42.
Name the literary work of Perundevanar.
Answer:
Perundevanar wrote Bharatam.

Question 43.
How many Rathas are found at Mahabalipuram?
Answer:
Eight Rathas are found at Mahabalipuram.

Question 44.
Name the ‘Pancha Pandava’ Rathas.
Answer:
Draupadi Ratha, Dharamaraja Ratha, Arjuna Ratha, Bhima Ratha and Sahadeva Ratha.

Question 45.
Name the largest and the smallest of the
Answer:
The largest Ratha is the Dharamaraja Ratha. The smallest Ratha is the Draupadi Ratha.

STRUCTURED QUESTIONS
Question 1.
There are many literary sources to reconstruct the Age of the Guptas. In this context explain the literary accounts of Fa-hien.
Answer:
Accounts of Fa-hien — Fa-hien, in his book Fo-Kwo-Ki (The Travels of Fa-hien) mentioned about life of the people and religious conditions that prevailed in the early years. According to Fa-hien, Magadha was a prosperous country with large towns, teeming with wealthy population. Pataliputra was a flourishing city with numerous charitable institutions, including a hospital endowed by benevolent citizens. According to Fa-hien, although the people were wealthy, they led simple lives, generally observing the Buddhist rules of conduct. Fa-hien has mentioned that Vaishnavism, Shaivism and even Buddhism and Jainism existed in the society. People, however,had no ill-will towards other sects. Fa-hien said that Hindu gods and goddesses were depicted on coins and also in sculptures and paintings. Fa-hien was pleased with the mildness of the administration. According to him, the penal code was mild and the offences were ordinarily punished by fines only. From his accounts, it can be inferred that the Gupta Empire was prosperous and governed on enlightened principles.

Question 2.
Regarding archaeological sources to reconstruct the Age of the Gupta, explain what significance do the following have:
(a) Allahabad Pillar Inscription (b) Nalanda University
Answer:
(a) The Allahabad Pillar Inscription:
Allahabad Pillar Inscription is one of the most epigraphic evidence of the Imperial Gupta. Achievements of different rulers of the Gupta image are mentioned in Allahabad Pillar Inscription. It gives a vivid description of the reign and conquest of Samudragupta. Historians, both ancient and modem, have considered the historical value of Allahabad Pillar. It provides a pretty impressive lest of Kings and tribal republic that were conquered by Samudragupta.

(b) Nalanda University:
It was the most renowned educational institution of ancient India. Located at Nalanda in Rajagriha in Bihar, it was originally set up by Sakraditya in the 5th century AD during the reign of Kumaragupta-I. The University of Nalanda had imposing buildings. There were at least 8 colleges built by different patrons including one by Balaputradeva, King of Sumatra. According to Hiuen Tsang the whole university area was enclosed by a brick wall. The Nalanda University provided various facilities to the students for their studies. There were three great libraries called Ratnasagar, Ratnodadhi and Ratnaranjak.

There were more than 10,000 students including teachers of all kinds. They came from Korea, Mongolia, Japan, China, Tibet, Ceylon and various parts of India. The subjects of study at Nalanda University were all the four Vedas, logic, grammar, medicine, samkya, yoga, nyaya and the Buddhist works of the different schools. It was not an ordinary university. It was a post-graduate institution to which admission was very difficult. Before admission, an examination was held in which hardly 20% students passed and the rest of 80% were rejected. Only the most brilliant were admitted to the University. Nalanda continued to be a beacon of light up to 12th century AD when it was destroyed by Mohammad-bin- Bakhtiyar Khilji, a general of Mohammad Ghori. Today only the remains of its magnificence and glory can be seen.

Question 3.
Samudragupta earned a reputation as one of the greatest kings and conquerors. In this context, explain:(a) His Conquests, (b) His Personal Attainments.
Answer:
Samudragupta earned a reputation as one of the greatest kings and conquerors. In this context, the given heads are explained below:
(a) His Conquests: Samudra gupta first defeated the rulers of northern India and annexed their dominions. They included the Nagas of Mathura, Padmavati (near Gwalior) and Ahicchetra (the region in the neighborhood of Bareli) and the ruling chiefs of western Uttar Pradesh and eastern India. He won victories over twelve rulers including those of Orissa, Andhra and Tamil Nadu. He defeated these rulers, but did not annex their kingdoms. He allowed them to rule as tributaries of the Gupta empire. The rulers of Bengal, Assam, Nepal, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh got impressed by his victories and submitted of their own free-will and agreed to pay tributes to him.

(b) His Personal Attainments: Besides a great conqueror, Samudragupta was also a scholar, a poet and a lover of music. He was called He worshiped Lord Vishnu, but he showed respect for all religions. He was also a patron of learning.

Question 4
The reign of Chandragupta n marks the zenith of the Gupta glory. In this context briefly describe his conquests and the extent of his Empire.
Answer:
In context of the reign of Chandragupta II the given headlines are described below:
Chandragupta II was determined to overthrow the Saka power in Gujarat and Kathiawar peninsula. With a view to pursuing his plan against the Sakas. He married Kubemaga, a Naga princess. He gave the hand of his daughter to Rudrasena II, the Vakataka prince. Thus, he secured the friendship of those rulers who could be of much service to him in his campaign against the Saka satraps. He attacked the Saka satraps. He conquered the Saka rulers and obtained the title of Sakari. He put an end to the domination of foreigners in India, but added rich areas and prosperous parts to the empire. He defeated a united front of his enemies in Vanga (Bengal) and his victorious arms reached the northern Afghanistan (Vahilkas).

Question 5.
The Gupta era witnessed an unprecedented intellectual progress. In this context explain:
(a) Enrichment of Sanskrit literature with reference to the works of Kalidasa and Visakhadutta.
(b) Technical and Scientific works of Aryabhatta
Answer:
In context of the unprecedented intellectual progress that the Gupta era witnessed, the given headlines are explained as under:
(a)
The Gupta age had been aptly called the “Golden Age of Sanskrit Literature”. In this period, the great poet and dramatist, Kalidasa made a significant contribution in the field of Sanskrit literature. Abhi janash akuntalam popularly known as Shakuntala, is the well-known masterpiece of him, it is regarded as one of the best literary productions of the world. Malavikagnimitra and Vikramorvasiya are two other excellent dramas written by him. His literary skill is also displayed in his two epics—Raghuvamsa and Kumarasambhava and in the lyric poetry of Ritu Samhara and Visakhadutta was the another literary genius, he wrote the well known political drama Mudrarakshasa, in which he described the political revolution that led to the fall of the  Nanda Dynasty and the establishment of the Mauryan empire. Devichandraguptam was another play of him, dealing with the early life of Chandragupta II.

(b)
Aryabhatta was a great astronmer and mathematician. He wrote two famous works, the Aryabhatiya and Surya Siddhanta. The former deals with Arithmetic, Geometry, Algebra and Trigonometry. He worked out the exact value of 7i (pi) viz, 3.1416 and discovered a formula to find the area of a triangle. In this famous work Surya Siddhanta, he explained scientifically the causes of the solar and lunar eclipses. He was the first Indian astronomer to declare that the earth revolves around the sun and rotates on its own axis. India’s first satellite sent into space was named ‘Aryabhatta’ after this great astronomer.

Question 6.
With reference to Nalanda University answer the following questions:
(a) Under whose patronage did the University develop into a famous Center of Learning ?
(b) Give three of its special features ?
(c) Who destroyed this University ?
Answer:
(a)
Nalanda University — It was the most renowned educational institution of ancient India. Located at Nalanda in Rajagriha in Bihar, it was originally set up by Sakraditya in the 5th century AD during the reign of Kumaragupta-I. The University of Nalanda had imposing buildings. There were at least 8 colleges built by different patrons including one by Balaputradeva, King of Sumatra. According to Hiuen Tsang the whole university area was enclosed by a brick wall.
(b)
The Nalanda University provided various facilities to the students for their studies. There were three great libraries called Ratnasagar, Ratnodadhi and Ratnaranjak. There were more than 10,000 students including teachers of all kinds. They came from Korea, Mongolia, Japan, China, Tibet, Ceylon and various parts of India. The subjects of study atNalanda University were all the four Vedas, logic, grammar, medicine, samkya, yoga, nyaya and the Buddhist works of the different schools. It was not an, ordinary university. It was a post-graduate institution to which admission was very difficult. Before admission, an examination was held in which hardly 20% students passed and the rest of 80% were rejected. Only the most brilliant were admitted to the University.
(c)
Nalanda continued to be a beacon of light up to 12th century AD when it was destroyed by Mohammad-bin-Bakhtiyar Khilji,-a general of Mohammad Ghori. Today only the remains of its magnificence and glory can be seen.

Question 7.
Study the picture given here and answer the following questions:

(a) Where is this Vishnu Temple located ?
(b) Which period does it belong to ?
(c) What are the three main structural features of the temple?
Answer:
(a) This is the Vishnu temple located at Deogarh. It is also known as the Dashavatara Temple.
(b) Gupta Period.
(c) The Sanchi temple, another temple in the Gupta period has a flat roof. The columns of the portico are surmounted by a bell capital. A large number of Stupas, Viharas and Chaityas were cut out of solid rocks.

Question 8.
The Pallava period recorded brilliant achievements in the fields of literature, art and architecture. In this context explain: Architectural features of the Dharmaraja Rath.
Answer:
The main features of Dharamaraja Rath are as fellows:

1. Dharamaraja Ratha is a monolithic structure, carved out of a single boulder on the seashore.
2. It resembles a Buddhist Vihara and Chaitya. Its base is square but the tower is pyramidal.
3. The tower has three tiers and a small stupa on top of the spire.
4. The Ratha is adorned with magnificent sculptures.

Question 9.
Harshavardhana not only brought the greater part of northern India under his direct rule, he also consolidated his dominions by efficient administrative machinery. In this context explain:
(a) His Conquests and Extent of his Empire
(b) His Administration.
Answer:
Harshavardhana consolidated his dominions by efficient administrative machinery in this context the given headlines are explained below:

(a)
His Conquests and Extent of his Empire: Harshavardhana became the ruler of Thanesar after he succeeded his elder brother Rajyavardhana. After becoming the king, he immediately decided to rescue his sister and punish Sasanka. He advanced with a huge army and inflicted a crushing defeat on the enemy. Harsha administered the government of Kanauj in the name of his sister. Later, the kingdom of Kanauj was combined with that of Thanesar and the union, thus formed, was developed into an empire by Harsha.Hiuen-Tsang, the Chinese pilgrim, said Harsha brought the Five Indies under his control.
These regions included

1. Eastern Punjab,
2. Kanuaj (Uttar Pradesh),
3. Magadha (Bihar),
4. Bengal and
5. Orissa

He tried to expand his empire beyond the river Narmada, but he suffered a defeat at the hands of Pulakesin II, the Chalukya king. He died in 648 AD. He had no heir.

(b) His Administration: Harsha raised the small state into the most powerful kindgom in northern India. Hiuen-Tsang remarks, “the king personally supervised the affairs of his vast kingdom. The day was too short for him. ’’ His officials and state-functionaries, both civil and military, worked very efficiently. The outlying provinces were put in charge of Governors and the provinces were further subdivided into districts, called Visayas. The penal law was exceptionally severe. Imprisonment for life was a common penalty for breach of laws and conspiracy against the king. For offences against social morality, the punishment was to cut off nose or an ear or a hand or foot. Minor offences were punished by ordering offenders to pay a fine.

Question 10.
The Pallava period recorded brilliant achievements in the fields of literature, art and architecture. In this context explain:
(a) Their patronage to literature.
(b) Contributions in the field of architecture.
Answer:
In contex of the brilliant achievements in the fields of literature during the Pallava period, the given headlines are explained as under:
(a) Their patronage to literature: The Pallava rulers patronised Sanskrit scholars. Mahendravarman himself was a scholar and a musician. He wrote Prahasans (farces) – Mattavilasa and Dandin, who wrote Daskumaracharita and Kavyadarsha, lived in the court of Narasimhavarman II. Dinnaga Vatsayana the author of Nyayabhasya, was also associated with Kanchipuram, Sanskrit was the language of courts and men of literature, but Tamil became the vehicle for popular composition of devotional poetry. It received encouragement from the rulers. Perundevanar wrote Bharatam and a court-poet of King ; Nandivarman III composed Nandikalambalkam.

(b) Contributions in the field of architecture: Many magnificent temples were built by the Pallava kings. Under the Pallava rulers; of Kanchipuram, two forms of temple-architecture were evolved in the South-—the rock-cut’and the structural shrinks. The rock-cut architecture includes two types of shrines—the Mandapas and the Rathas. Mandapas are open pavilions with one or more cells in the back-wall. This type of architecture is found in places like—Pallavaram, Trichinopoly and Dalavanur. Rathas are monolithic shrines. The best examples of monolithic shrines or Rathas are found at Mahabalipuram in Tamilnadu.

Question 11.
Study the picture of Dharmaraja Ratha and answer the following questions:
(a) Name the place and the State where the Ratha is located ?
(b) Under which Dynasty and in whose reign was the Ratha built ?
(c) When was it built ?
(d) Mention three architectural features of the
Answer:
On the basis of study of the picture of Dharmaraja Ratha, the given questions are answered as under:
(a) Mahabalipuram in Tamilnadu.
(b) Under the Pallava dynasty, King Narasimhavarman builtthe Ratha.
(c) It was built in the 7th century AD
(d) The temple is monolithic;

1. Carved from a single massive granite stone, it resembles a Buddhist Vihara and Its base is square, but the tower is pyramidal;
2. The tower has three tiers and a small stupa on top of the spire.

Question 12.
With reference to the Gupta administration, mention briefly: The position of the King and his Ministers.
Answer:
With reference to the Gupta administration, the given headlines are explained ahead

The position of the King and his Ministers: The Guptas discarded the modest title of Rajan and assumed titles like—Maharajadhiraja, Parambhattaraka and Paramadaivata. An important feature of the period was the emphasis on divine character of kingship. Titles such as ‘Paramadaivata’ raised rulers to the level of Gods. Several ministers assisted the king in the task of administration. The Mantri stood at the head of civil administration. Other important officials included the Senapati (General of the Army), the Chief of the Palace Guards and Sandhivigrahika that is, the Minister for foreign affairs.

ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS
Short Answer Questions:

Question 1.
When did Fa-hien visit India? Who was the ruler at that time ?
Answer:
Fa-hien started his journey from China in AD 399 and reached India in AD 405 and stayed in India up to 411. Chandragupta II was the ruler at that time.

Question 2.
During whose reign Hiuen Tasang visited India ?
Answer:
Hiuen Tasang visited India during the reign of Harsha.

Question 3.
Name the three dramas written by Kalidasa.
Answer:
The three dramas written by Kalidasa were Malavikagnimitram, Abhij nanshakuntalam and V ikramorvashiyam.

Question 4.
Why is the Gupta Period known as the Golden Age of Indian culture ?
Answer:
The Gupta Period is remarkable for all-around development in ideal administration, art, culture, economy, medicines, literature, education, astronomy etc. The famous universities of Taxila and Nalanda near Rawalpindi and in Bihar respectively. The temple of Bhitrigaon in Kanpur, Bhitari temple in Gazipur, Deogarh temple in Jhansi are examples of five architect. Aryabhatta, a famous astronomer and mathematician, Varahmibira, Brahmagupta was eminent astronomers. Charaka and Sushruta were excellent scholars of Ayurveda. The ‘Iron Pillar’ in New Delhi is the proof of high level metallurgy due to its high quality iron. Highly talented poets were Kalidas, Sudraka, Bhasa, Harishena, Dandin Subandhu, Bharavi, Banbhatta, Vishnusharma (writer of Panchatantra). Besides this, Puranas and Bhagvata Gita were written in this period. So it was the golden period of Indian culture, undoubtedly.

Question 5.
How was Samudragupta a bold and great conqueror ?
Answer:
Samudragupta was a brave conqueror. He defeated many rulers. His empire extended from Yamuna and Chambal in the west to Brahmaputra in the east. He was known as the ‘Napoleon of India’.

Question 6.
Who was Fa-hien ? What did he say about India ?
Answer:
The Chinese traveller Fa-hien, visited India at the time of Chandragupta-II (Vikramaditya). He was deeply impressed by the ideal and mild administration affected by Buddhism, economic prosperity of Pataliputra and Magadha, simplicity of the people. He had also mentioned about the versatile religions including Vaishnavism, Shaivism, Shaktism, Buddhism and Jainism etc.

Question 7.
Name two renowned Sanskrit authors and their important works during the Gupta period.
Answer:
Kalidasa: The famous poet of Vikramaditya’s court, wrote famous poetic works, e.g. Ritusamhara, Raghuvamsa. Sudraka: He wrote dramatic work ‘Mrichchhakatika’ or the ‘Little Clay Cart’, throwing light on socio-economic life of the people with a sense of humor.

Question 8.
Name two famous universities tliat existed during the Gupta period ?
Answer:
Two famous universities were Taxila near Rawalpindi and Nalanda university in Bihar.

Question 9.
Name any two titles adopted by the Gupta rulers ?
Answer:
‘Maharajadhiraja’ and ‘Napoleon of India’ were the two titles adopted by Gupta rulers.

Question 10.
Name the officer who collected the toll tax during the Gupta period.
Answer:
The officer who collected the toll tax during the Gupta period was known as ‘Shaulkika’

Question 11.
Name the officer who was in charge of a province or bhukti during the Gupta period.
Answer:
The officer who was incharge of a province or bhukti during the Gupta period was called Vishayapati.

Question 12.
What contribution did Aryabhatta and Varahamihira make in the field of science, astronomy and mathematics ?
Answer:
Aryabhatta discovered zero decimal system and calculated the value of pi (3.1416) and area of triangle in mathematics; movement of earth and sun in the astronomy. Varahamihira invented that the moon moves around the earth and studied the movement of planets.

Question 13.
What was the chief architectural feature of the brick temple at Bhitrigaon ?
Answer:
This temple dates back to 5th century AD. The temple has a pyramidal roof and its outer walls are decorated with statues and figures. There is a Shivalinga placed in the Garbagriha. The chief architectural feature is the arch, the curved structure supporting the weight of the roof.

Question 14.
Give two distinguishing features of Ajanta and Bagh paintings.
Answer:
Ajanta and Bagh paintings are very impressive and lively with human faces, limbs drawn with grace and action along with flowers and birds depicting living action views.

II. Structured Questions.

Question 1.
With reference to the sources of information about the Gupta Age, write short notes on the following:
(a) Accounts of Fa-hien
(b)The Allahabad Pillar Inscription
(c) Nalanda University
Answer:
(a)
Accounts of Fa-hien — Fa-hien, in his book Fo-Kwo- Ki (The Travels of Fa-hien) mentioned about life of the people and religious conditions that prevailed in the early years. According to Fa-hien, Magadha was a prosperous country with large towns, teeming with wealthy population. Pataliputra was a flourishing city with numerous charitable institutions, including a hospital endowed by benevolent citizens. According to Fa-hien, although the people were wealthy, they led simple lives, generally observing the Buddhist rules of conduct. Fa-hien has mentioned that Vaishnavism, Shaivism and even Buddhism and Jainism existed in the society. People, however, had no ill-will towards other sects. Fa-hien said that Hindu gods and goddesses were depicted on coins and also in sculptures and paintings.Fa-hien was pleased with the mildness of the administration. According to him, the penal code was mild and the offences were ordinarily punished by fines only. From his accounts, it can be inferred that the Gupta Empire was prosperous and governed on enlightened principles.
(b)
The Allahabad Pillar Inscription — Allahabad Pillar Inscription is one of the most epigraphic evidences of the Imperial Gupta. Achievements of different rulers of the Gupta image are mentioned in Allahabad Pillar Inscription. It gives a vivid description of the reign and conquest of Samudra- gupta. Historians, both ancient and modem, have considered the historical value of Allahabad pillar. It provides a pretty impressive lest of Kings and tribal republic that were conquered by Samudragupta.
(c)
Nalanda University—It was the most renowned educational institution of ancient India. Located at Nalanda in Rajagriha in Bihar, it was originally set up by Sakraditya in the 5th century AD during the reign of Kumaragupta-I. The University of Nalanda had imposing buildings. There were at least 8 colleges built by different patrons including one by Balaputradeva, King of Sumatra. According to Hiuen Tsang the whole university area was enclosed by a brick wall.The Nalanda University provided various facilities to the students for their studies. There were three great libraries called Ratnasagar, Ratnodadhi and Ratnaranjak. There were more than 10,000 students including teachers of all kinds. They came from Korea, Mongolia, Japan, China, Tibet, Ceylon and various parts of India.The subjects of study at Nalanda University were all the four Vedas, logic, grammar, medicine, samkya, yoga, nyaya and the Buddhist works of the different schools.It was’ not an ordinary university. It was a post-graduate institution to which admission was very difficult. Before admission, an examination was held in which hardly 20% students passed and the rest of 80% were rejected. Only the most brilliant were admitted to the University. Nalanda continued to be a beacon of light upto 12th century AD when it was destroyed by Mohammad-bin-Bakhtiyar Khilji, ageneral of Mohammad Ghori. Today only the remains of its magnificence and glory can be seen.

2. With reference to the Age of the Guptas, answer the following questions.
Question 2(a).
Explain the extent of samudragupta’s Empire based on the information given in the Allahabad Pillar Inscription.
Answer:
The Allahabad Pillar Inscription of Samudragupta describes four different kinds of rulers and tells us about Samudragupta’s policies towards them:

1. The nine rulers of Aryavarta were up rooted and their kingdoms were made a part of Samudragupta’s empire.
2. The twelve rulers of Dakshinpatha (South India), who surrendered to Samudra gupta after being defeated, were liberated and allowed to rule again over their kingdoms.
3. The inner circle of neighboring states, including Assam, Coastal Bengal, Nepal and a number of gana sanghas (organisation of many kings) in the north-west. They brought tribute, followed his ordered and attended his court.
4. The rulers of the outlying areas, who submitted to him and offered their daughters in marriage

Question 2(b).
Explain how Chandragupta II expanded his empire.
Answer:
Chandragupta II inherited the military genius of his father and extended the Gupta empire by conquest of his own. He annexed the territories of Sakas of Malwa, Gujarat and Saurashtra. For this he was given the title ‘ Sakari’ or conqueror of Sakas. According to noted historian, Dr. Vincent Smith, “the annexation of Saurashtra and Malwa not only added to the empire, provinces of exceptional wealth and fertility, but opened up access to the ports of the western coast; and thus placed Chandragupta II in direct touch with the seaborne commerce with Europe through Egypt.” Chandragupta-II entered into matrimonial alliances as a part of his foreign policy. He married Kuberanaga of the Naga family. The Nagas were a powerful ruling clan and this matrimonial alliance helped the Gupta ruler in expanding his empire. The marriage of Chandragupta’s daughter, Prabhavati with the Vakataka ruler, Rudrasena II helped him to establish his political influence in the Deccan.

3.With reference to the administrative system of the Guptas, answer the following questions:
Question 3(a).
Explain the position and powers of the king during the Gupta Age.
Answer:
The Gupta kings enjoyed a large number of powers which covered the political, administrative, military and judicial fields. They were the commanders-in-chief of the army. Samundragupta, Chandragupta II and Skandagupta personally led their armies. The kings appointed all the governors and important military and civil officers. The governors and their officers had to work under the control and guidance of the king. The central secretariat also worked under the supervision of the king. The king was the source of all honors and titles. All land in the country was the property of the king. He could construct dams, give shelter to foreigners, impose, recover and remit taxes and give justice. If any property was unclaimed, that went into the coffers of the king.

Question 3(b).
Describe briefly the administration of villages during the Gupta period.
Answer:
The village administration was managed by the village headman. The Gupta inscriptions refer to the participation of leading local elements in the administration of the village or small towns called vithis. No land transactions could be effected without their consent and this may have been also true of other important affairs.

4. With reference to Golden Age of Indian Culture answer the following questions.
Question 4(a) .
Briefly describe growth of Sanskrit literature.
Answer:
Sanskrit became the language of the learned and retained its supreme position for a thousand years. Guptas made Sanskrit official language for administrative purposes. They used Sanskrit instead of Prakrit in their inscriptions. Sanskrit was used in official documents as well as in inscriptions. The classical Sanskrit literature that flowered during the Gupta period consisted of epics, poetry, drama, lyrics and prose.

Question 4(b).
Give an account of the contribution of Aryabhatta,Varahamihira and Brahmagupta.                   ‘
Answer:
Aryabhatta (AD 471-500) — He wrote two famous books Aryabhattiyam and Surya Siddhanta. He told that the earth moves round the sun. He also discovered the rule for finding the area of a triangle. He calculated the exact value of pi which was equal to 3.1416. The credit for development of trigonometry should actually go to him. Aryabhatta was acquainted with the decimal system and use of ‘zero’. The decimal system has numbers from 1 to 9 and zero. Varahamihira — He composed two famous books Panch Siddhantika and Brihat Samhita. He proved that moon rotates round the earth and earth rotates round the sun. He also studied movements of planets. Brahmagupta — He wrote Brahma Sphutic Siddhanta and described law of gravitation, several centuries before Newton. This system is now in use throughout the world.

Question 4(c).
Describe the progress in medicine during this period.
Answer:
Ayurvedic medicines were created by Charak and Sushruta in the 2nd century A.D., which are still today the basic promoter of herbal medicines e.g. ‘Chyavanprash’ and various digestive medicines.

ICSE Solutions for Class 9 Geography – Volcanoes

ICSE SolutionsSelina ICSE SolutionsML Aggarwal Solutions

Exercises

I. Short Answer Questions.

Question 1.
What are known as volcanoes ?
Answer:
Volcanoes are the vents in the earth’s crust erupting hot magma from the interior core motivated by endogenic forces.

Question 2.
What is the difference between magma and lava ?
Answer:
Molten material moving under the earth’s crust is called magma. When magma comes to the surface of the earth it is known as lava.

Question 3.
Give one example each of an active volcano and a dormant volcano.
Answer:

• Active Volcano – Mt. Stromboli and Mt. Etna in Italy
• Dormant Volcano – Mt. Kilimanjaro of Africa.

Question 4.
What is the difference between dormant volcano and an extinct volcano ?
Answer:
Dormant volcano can erupt at any interval but extinct volcano can never erupt again.

Question 5.
What is the magma chamber of a volcano ?
Answer:
The magma chamber is created by the molten magma itself by melting the surrounding rocks in the form of a huge chamber.

Question 6.
Name two types of landforms made by volcanoes.
Answer:
Two types of landforms are :

1. Extrusive landforms :
   Extrusive landforms include crater composite cones caldere lava platforms.
2. Intrusive landforms :
   Intrusive landforms include dykes batholiths laccoliths volcanic hill etc.

Question 7.
What is called the Pacific Ring of Fire ? Why is it called so ?
Answer:
There are 80% active volcanoes around the Pacific ocean which is called the Ring of Fire.

Question 8.
Name the three types of volcanoes on the basis of the frequency of their eruption.
Answer:
There are three types of volcanoes e.g. active volcano which is still active in erupting magma dormant volcano which erupts in uncertain intervals and extinct volcano which has stopped eruption permanently it is also called dead volcano.

Question 9.
What are known as Shield volcanoes ?
Answer:
A volcanoes erupting with plentiful lava spreading over the surface into several kilometres with huge circumference and taking a shape of shield are called as shield volcanoes.

Question 10.
Mention any two extrusive landforms caused by volcanic eruptions.
Answer:

1. Composite cone : The volcano which erupts both lava and pyroclastic rocks form alternating layers of these two materials and build up to form composite cones. Examples : Fujiyama in Japan Vesuvius and Stromboli in Italy.
   
2. Caldera : During repeated eruptions the summit of a valcano may be blown up. In its place a large depression called caldera is formed. These are generally formed when the magma chamber is no longer able to emit sufficient magma and results in the collapse of a cone either partly or wholly.
   

Question 11.
Name any two intrusive landforms made by volcanic eruptions.
Answer:

1. Batholiths : Large sized intrusions in igenous rocks. They occur at considerable depth and come to the surface in course of mountain building activity.
2. Laccolith : These are formed when magma spreads laterally in a dome shape. The dome also forces the overlying strata to bulge upward. The projecting landform is subjected to erosion and denudation. Thus laccolith comes to the surface.
   

Question 12.
How are hot springs formed ?
Answer:
The movement of magma heats up the underground water which converts into steam and gushes out through any crack or holes on the crust.

Question 13.
What is called the Pacific Ring of Fire ? Why is it called so ?
Answer:
There are 80% active volcanoes around the Pacific ocean which is called the Ring of Fire.

Question 14.
Give an example each of conical volcano and fissure volcano.
Answer:
Mount Fuji in Japan is a conical volcano and Columbia plateau in South America and Deccan plateau in India are the examples of fissure volcanoes.

Question 15.
What is the difference between dormant volcano and an extinct volcano ?
Answer:
Dormant volcano can erupt at any interval but extinct volcano can never erupt again.

II. Match the following

Answer:

III. Fill in the blanks below

1. The forces arising from the interior of the earth are called endogenic forces.
2. The molten rock that reaches the surface of the earth is called magma.
3. A lava shield is made up of basic lava flows solidified away from the vent.
4. Vents are intrusions of igneous rock that are vertical in shape.
5. The Circum-Paciflc Belt is also called Pacific Ring of Fire.

IV. Long Answer Questions

Question 1.
Explain the various parts of a volcano.
Answer:
A volcano represents some typical parts e.g. the molten rock or magma mostly lava makes the conical body of a volcano. Magma chamber is the source of erupting magma. Vent is the main channel through which the magma erupts outwards. Crater is the mouth or uppermost part of a volcano which is a big hole from which magma erupts and spreads all over.

Question 2.
Describe the causes of volcanic eruptions.
Answer:
The main causes of volcanic eruptions are the following :

1. Heat and Pressure inside the Earth : Temperature and pressure both increase from the surface towards the centre of the earth. Rocks are bad conductors of heat. So the earth’s heat does not escape on its own. Instead it melts the rocks and builds up great pressure. The pressure forces the heat to find an escape route through fissures and cracks in the rocks.
2. Plate Tectonics : Most volcanic eruptions take place near plate margins. The same forces that cause earthquakes also cause volcanic eruptions.
3. Magma Chamber : The molten material while still under the earth’s crust melts weak rocks and creates a huge chamber for itself. Fresh magma continues to pour inside the chamber. Since magma contains silicate materials gases and water vapours the pressure always acts vertically upwards. Once a route is found it rises to the surface.

Question 3.
Explain briefly the landforms created by volcanoes on the surface of the earth.
Answer:
The landforms created on earth’s surface are called Extrusive Landforms. These include volcanic plateaus volcanic mountains and volcanic plains.

(a) Volcanic Plateaus : These are derived from lava which flows from volcanic eruptions. The Plateau of Peninsular India especially the north western Deccan is an example of lava plateau. Other examples are South African plateau Columbian Plateau and Ethiopian plateau.
(b) Volcanic Mountains : These mountains are built from material ejected from the fissures in the earth’s crust. Volcanic mountains are the most diverse because there are great differences in volcanic eruptions as well as the materials they throw up.
(c) Volcanic Plains : These plains are vast and smooth formed by extensive volcanic flooding from volcanic centres. The Western Victorian Plains in Victoria Australia are the finest examples of Volcanic Plains.

Question 4.
Write any three destructive effects of volcanoes.
Answer:
Destructive Effects :

1. When the volcanoes erupt they destroy life and property. The hot lava together with ash and dust destroy not only human beings but also animals as well as plant life.
2. Agricultural fields are covered with layers of volcanic ash and dust making them unsuitable for cultivation.
3. Huge clouds are formed after the eruption of volcanoes causing heavy rains which result in floods and landslides.
4. Volcanoes also emit poisonous gases which pollute the environment and cause health problems.
5. Explosive volcanoes in ocean islands are followed ‘by high Tsunami waves. They flood the area and destroy property people animals and crops.

Question 5.
Describe the distribution of volcanoes in the world.
Answer:
Volcanoes are found along the weak zones of the earth’s crust where due to continuous tussle by tectonic forces maximum active volcanoes have created. These are

1. Cirum-Pacific Belt : It is also known as ‘ring of fire due to consisting 75 % active volcanoes of the world.
2. Mid-World Mountain Belt or Mid Continental Belt : It extends along the fold mountain zone of Alpine-Himalayan Region. Although this belt is noted for drastic earthquake but these are some of the very destructive volcanoes e.g. Stromboli Vesuvius Mt. Etna Mt. Pelee (West Indies). Out of these belts there are also various volcanoes scattered here and there.

Question 6.
Describe important volcanic landforms on earth.
Answer:
Prominent landforms associated with volcanoes are composite cones built of multiple material erupted out from a volcano. Conical hills are common in volcanic areas Crater lake is formed along the mouth of a conical volcano which is filled with water after cooling down of volcano. Due to repeated eruptions mouth of a volcano is converted into a large depression called caldera. Lavashields are made by large amount of basic lava flows making volcanic shields with a gentle slope.
Lava plateau : is formed by large scale fissure eruptions covering extensive area e.g Columbia plateau in South America and Deccan plateau of India.

Practice Questions (Solved)

Question 1.
Name three causes of volcanic eruptions.
Answer:

• Hot interior of the Earth
• Steam and gases
• Faults and fissures.

Question 2.
Name the largest active volcano in the world.
Answer:
Mauna Loa (Hawaii islands).

Question 3.
Which volcano is known as the ‘light house of the Mediterranean ?
Answer:
Stromboli.

Question 4.
Name the three belts where volcanoes are found.
Answer:

• Circum Pacific belt
• Mid-world mountain belt
•  African rift valley.

Question 5.
In which belt most of the volcanoes of the world are found ?
Answer:
Circum Pacific Belt.

Question 6.
Name three causes of Earthquakes.
Answer:

• Volcanic eruptions
• Tectonic causes
• Elasticity of Rocks

Question 7.
What is epicentre ?
Answer:
The point on Earth’s surface vertically above the focus is called epicentre.

Question 8.
Indicate the world distribution of active volcanoes.
Answer:
There are about 500 active volcanoes. Most of them are confined to Circum-Pacific Belt and Mid World Mountain Belt.

Question 9.
Give two reasons why tremors occur inside the earth?
Answer:

1. Movements of the earth’s crust along lines of weakness produces great tremors.
2. During volcanic activity movement of lava beneath the crust also causes tremors inside the earth.

Question 10.
Distinguish between :

1. Seismology and Volcanology.
2. Volcanic Dust and Volcanic Ash.

Answer:

1. Seismology and Volcanology : Seismology is the science of study of earthquake and Volcanology is the science of study of volcanic phenomena.
2. Volcanic Dust and Volcanic Ash : The finely pulverised fragments of rock are called volcanic ash and very fine particles which blow into air are called volcanic dust.

Question 11.
Describe the materials thrown out during volcanic eruption.
Answer:
The materials thrown out of a volcano due to eruptions are of three types :

1. Solid materials :- The solid materials include large fragments of rocks known as volcanic Bombs. The finest particles include cinder volcanic ash dust.
2. Liquid materials :- The liquid materials include basic lava and Acid lava. Acid lava has more silica while Basic lava has low content of Silica.
3. Gaseous materials :- The gaseous material is mainly composed of steam. The other gases include Oxygen Hydrogen Sulphuric acid Carbon dioxide etc.

Question 12.
Describe the effect of volcanic eruption of Karakatoa in 1883.
Answer:
Karakatoa island is situated between the islands of Java and Sumatra in the Sunda strait. It suddenly erupted in 1883. The top of the mountain was blown away by the explosion 16 metres high tidal waves were caused killing 36,000 persons in west Java. Volcanic dust rose to a height of about 27 kilometres. This dust encircled the globe for 3 years. Its effect caused strange sunrise and sunset conditions.

Question 13.
Why is volcanic activity often associated with mountain building ?
Answer:
Most of the active volcanoes are formed along the fold mountains such as the Himalayas, The Alps, The Andes etc. Fold mountains have been formed by mountain building movements. These involve intense folding and faulting which mark lines of weakness on the surface. Most of the eruptions take place along these lines of weak.

Question 14.
Describe the materials thrown out during volcanic eruptions.
Answer:
The materials thrown out of a volcano due to eruptions are of three types :

1. Solid Materials : The solid materials include large fragments of rocks known as volcanic bombs. The finest particles include cinder volcanic ash and dust.
2. Liquid Materials : The liquid materials include Basic lava and Acid lava. Acid lava has more of silica while Basic lava has low content of silica.
3. Gaseous materials : The gaseous material is mainly composed of steam. The other gases include Oxygen Hydrogen Sulphuric acid Carbon dioxide etc.

Describe any three advantages of volcanoes.

1. Many minerals from the interior of the Earth come on to the surface.
2. Fertile soils like Black soil are made by breaking up of lava.
3. Electricity is generated from gases emitted out during volcanic eruptions.

Question 15.
Why are Earthquakes related to volcanoes ?
Answer:
There is a close relationship between an Earthquake and a volcano Earthquakes and volcanoes occur in same belts i.e. mid-world belt and Circum Pacific belt. Their distribution shows a similar pattern. Volcanic eruptions lead to Earthquakes. Volcanic eruptions are the local cause of Earthquakes.

Question 16.
What is a geyser ? Give two of its main characteristics. Name a well known geyser.
Answer:
Geyser : Geysers are fountains of super heated steam and hot water that is usually emitted with an explosion trigged off by gases escaping from below
Main Characteristics of Geysers

1. Water in a geyser gets heated up beyond its boiling point.
2. They may spout to a height of over 150 feet.

A well known geyser is ‘Old Faithful’ in Yellow Stone National Park of Wyoming. It erupts regularly every hour and attracts a large number of tourists.

Question 17.
State two ways in which lava may come out of the earth’s crust giving an example of each type of these volcanic activities.
Answer:
Two main types of volcanic eruptions are :

• Explosive and
• Quiet or Hawaiian.

1. The Explosive eruption are the most violent and destructive Explosion of pent up gases mainly steam cause enormous quantities of magma to be thrown into the air to form great clouds. Example Krakatoa volcano in Sunda Strait in Indonesia erupt in 1883.
2. The Quiet eruption cause and other gases to escape. There is no violent explosion. Lava flows the creaters and flows down the sides of the cone.
   Example : Hawaiian volcanoes and Maupa Loa.

Question 18.

(a) What do you understand by ‘Vulcanism’ ?
(b) What are ‘Volcanoes’ ?
(c) How are volcanoes formed ?
(d) Differentiate between active dormant and extinct volcanoes.
(e) What is‘magma’?
(f) What do you understand by ‘Crater of the Volcano’ ?

Answer:

(a) The interior part of the earth is extremely hot temperature upto 2000°C. in which every matter converts into molten form. This molten material ‘magma’ always tries to burst out whereever it finds any crack or hole in the crust. The process of erupting out of magma is known as ‘vulcanism’.
(b) ‘Volcanoes’ are the outlets of magma through a vent or cracks in the form of a conical volcanic hill or through various holes known as fissure eruption.
(c) Volcanoes are formed by the eruption of magma from the interior and deposited on the land surface and after cooling down take the shape of volcanoes.
(d) Active volcanoes go on erupting magma continuously e.g. stromboli (North of Sicily). Dormant volcanoes erupt in accidental intervals e.g. Mt. Vesuvius in Italy. Extinct volcanoes stop eruption for ever. e.g. Mt. Fujiyama in Japan.
(e) ‘Magma’ is the one word of several matters erupting out of a volcano e.g. lava, steam, cinderellas, stones, cinder, smoke etc.
(f) Crater of a volcano is the mouth of volcano in its vertex in the form of a circular hole.

Question 19.

(a) Describe the distribution of volcanoes in the world.
(b) What are the influences of volcanic eruptions on man ?

Answer:
(a) Volcanoes are found along the weak zones of the earth’s crust where due to continuous tussle by tectonic forces maximum active volcanoes have created. These are :

1. Cirum-Pacific Belt— It is also known as ‘ring of fire due to consisting 75% active volcanoes of the world.
2. Mid-World Mountain Belt or Mid Continental Belt— It extends along the fold mountain zone of Alpine-Himalayan Region. Although this belt is noted for drastic earthquake but these are some of the very destructive volcanoes e.g. Stromboli Vesuvius Mt. Etna Mt. Pelee (West Indies). Out of these belts there are also various volcanoes scattered here and there.

(b) The effects of volcanoes on human life are both positive and negative :
Destructive influences : The deposition of lava makes the area very porous which creates water problem. The major flow of hot lava of Etna destroyed the whole area and property in Sicily. Mt. Vesuvius destroyed the city of Pompeii seven times since 79 AD. and the city of Herculaneum.
Constructive Influences : Volcanoes have provided some fertile lands e.g. Java and Deccan plateau and areas of South Brazil. Various precious minerals come out on the upper part of the earth’s crust through eruption e.g. Diamonds of Kimberley and gold of Johannesburg in South Africa nickel deposits of Sudbury in Canada.

Question 20.

(a) What is an ‘earthquake’ ?
(b) Give two major causes of earthquakes.
(c) Describe the world’s distribution of earthquakes.
(d) Mention some of the main effects of earthquakes.
(e) Name the major earthquakes of India from 1991 to 1997.

Answer:

(a) An earthquake is tremor or convulsion of the earth’s crust due to sudden movement of the crust.
(b) Two major causes of earthquakes are faulting associated with tectonic forces and the movements due to volcanic eruptions.
(c) The earthquakes are distributed along two major belts namely Circum Pacific earthquake belt (Ring of fire) and the Mid-World mountain earthquake belt along the great fold mountain zone.
(d) The destructive effects of earthquakes are very dangerous e.g. disruption of the rocks bed land slides changing the river courses floods tides collapsing of buildings destruction of transport lines and fires in electric wiring etc.
The constructive effects are the creation of additional coastal plains inlets bays for good harbours creation of fissure- openings to form sulphur or hot springs etc.
(e) Major earthquakes of India from 1919 to 1997.

• Latur 1991
• Uttarkashi 1993

Question 21.
What are the following

(a) Fissure type of volcanoes
(b) Spine or plug
(c) Caldera
(d) Mud volcanoes
(e) Epicentre
(f) ‘Ring of Fire’
(g) Cinder Cone

Answer:

(a) Some times the volcanic eruption takes place through several small holes which is known as fissure type volcanoes.
(b) The volcanic cone made by the quick solidification of viscous lava and having steep slopes is known as spine or plug.
(c) Caldera is the spacious crater of a volcano created by tremendous eruption. Crater lake in Oregon U.S.A occupies a caldera about 9 kilometre in diameter.
(d) Mud Volcanoes — A volcanic cone made of the mud due to the eruption of muddy water is called a mud volcano.
(e) Epicentre — It is the place of surface position immediately above the origin or focus of an earthquake.
(f) ‘Ring of Fire’ — It is the belt around the pacific ocean where due to the weak crust 75% of active volcanoes exist forming a huge ‘ring of fire’ phenomenon.
(g) Cinder Cone — The volcanic cone built of small pieces and fragments of solidified lava and ash is called ‘Cinder Cone’.

Question 22.

(a) Distinguish between the following pairs of terms associated with vulcanicity

1. Lava and Magma
2. Acidic Lava and Basic Lava
3. Cinder Cone and Composite Cone
4. Fissure-type Volcanoes and Central-types Volcanoes
5. Crater and Caldera
6. Laccolith and Lapolith
7. Geysers and Hot Springs

(b) Distinguish between the following pairs of terms associated with crustal movement of the earth

1. Graben and Horst
2. Tilted Block mountains and Lifted Block mountains

Answer:
(a)

Question 23.
Give a brief account of ‘Plate Tectonics’.
Answer:
In the beginning all the continents were combined together known as ‘Pangasa’ which later on splitted away and separated. But still all continental and oceanic plates are sliding upon each other and result in various earthquakes and volcanoes. The continental drifting theory was discovered by German scientist Alfred Wagner in 1912 which supported this plate tectonics to prove the movement of the continental and oceanic plates working for changing the landforms of the crust.

Question 24.
Give reasons for the following

1. The Belts of volcanic activity and earthquakes are roughly the same.
2. Basic lava cones are broader than Acid lava cones.
3. The Circum-Pacific Belt of volcanoes is called ‘The Ring of Fire’.

Answer:

1. The volcanoes and earthquakes are associated with each other as every volcanic activity takes place by shaking and breaking the weak crust which naturally creates tremors and earthquakes within the earth’s crust.
2. Basic lava cones are formed by liquid lava which expands and covers a large area while the Acid cones are formed by solid material e.g. ash cinders etc which heap up but do not cover large area and form a high conical hill as compared to broad and low volcanic deposits on the surface.
3. The circum-pacific belt is truly known as “The Belt of Fire” or “The Ring of Fire” as 75% active volcanoes erupting fire are located in this belt.

Question 25.
Match the items given in Column A with the correct ones in Column B.

Answer:

Question 26.
Give one word for each of the following :

1. A narrow block elevated between two normal faults.
2. The funnel shaped hollow at the top of a volcanic cone.
3. The lava which is poor in silica and rich in iron and magnesium.
4. A volcano which has the possibility of erupting in future.
5. A large sill of acid lava which has solidified gradually giving a dome – like shape.
6. A volcano where magma reaches the surface through a vent or a pipe.
7. A volcano whose eruption buried and destroyed two Roman towns.
8. An instrument used for recording all the earth tremors and earthquakes.
9. The surface position immediately above the origin of an earthquake.
10. The region where there are highest number of geysers and hot springs.

Answer:

1. Horst
2. Crater
3. Basic-Lava
4. Dormant Volcano
5. Acid-Lava Dome
6. Central type volcano
7. Vesuvius
8. Seismograph
9. Epicentre
10. Yellow stone park (U.S.A.)

Question 27.

(a) Which type of lavas weather into more fertile soil. Name also one useful feature of volcanicity other than soil fertility.
(b) Which four of the following words are connected with volcanic activity :  Karst, crater, drumlin, stalactite, gully, potholesl, ash, basalt, swallow, holes, dyke, domes, bluffs.

Answer:

(a) Basic – type lava sheet weather into fertile soil e.g.Deccan trap soil. Other useful feature of volcanicity is that the precious minerals come out with the magma near the land surface e.g. diamond and gold etc.
(b) Crater, ash, dyke, domes.

Question 28.
What are tectonic movements ? How are these classified?
Answer:
Tectonic movements are changes through earth’s natural activities which are known as ‘diastrophism’. These movements are of two types e.g. vertical movement and horizontal movement.

Question 29.
Give reasons for the following :

1. Earth movements have modified the Earth’s surface.
2. Internal processes are different from external processes.
3. Folding and faulting frequently go together.
4. Earth as a whole does not expand.

Answer:

1. Earth movements like Continental Drift theory changed the whole face of the earth into distinct continents and oceans of today with highest mountains plateaus plains drainage system and so on.
2. Internal processes are associated with tectonic forces resulting in drastic changes e.g. earthquakes volcanoes etc. External processes are carried on by natural agents of change e.g. water wind and ice which produce gradual changes.
3. Folding and Faulting frequently go together because the stress on folding exceeds more than enough then folds break through fault line to two pieces slipping one upon another which is called faulting.
4. Inspite of various changes occurring within the earth it does not expand as it is affected by the centripital force of gravity working towards the centre of the earth.

Question 30.
How the theory of plate tectonics has explained the formation of mountains like Himalaya or Alps and of the volcanic islands.
Answer:
The formation of the highest mountains of Himalayas and Alps have been created by the bucking up of the geo synclines of tethys sea between Angaraland and Gondwanaland which pushed towards each other and forced the geosynclines to be lifted up forming the mountains. The Mid-Atlantic Ridge is the proof of the edge raised at the joint of continental plates which gives birth to several volcanic islands.

Question 31.
(a) Describe the distribution of volcanoes in the world.
OR
Name the important belts of volcanoes.
(b) What are the influences of volcanoes eruption on man?
OR
What is the importance of volcanoes ?
OR
Mention adverse and beneficial effects of volcanoes.
Answer:
(a) Obviously volcanoes will be found in those regions where the crust of the earth is weak because lava can easily be discharged from such places. These are found in areas of Fold mountains. There are three main belts of volcanoes :

1. Circum-Pacific Belt : This belt runs round the Pacific Ocean in Asia and the America. It starts from Cape Horn goes along the Andes and the Rockies to Alaska. From their it turns westwards and passing through Aleutian Islands Japan and Formosa goes to the Philippine Island. Here one branch goes to East Indies that is Java Sumatra and Bameo and other branch goes to New-Zealand. Some of the well known Volcanoes are Karakatoa (on a hilly island between Sumatra and Java) Mayon (N. Philippines) Fujiyama (Japan) Chimborezo and Cotopaxi (Equador S. America).
2. Mid World Mountain Belts : This belt starts from the West Indies and passing through the Canavy Islands. The Mediterranean sea Caucasus mountains and Turkey reaches the Himalayas. Mt. Vesuvius (Italy) Mt Stromboli (Sicily) Etna (the Mediterranean sea) and Mt. Pelee (West Indies) are the important Volcanoes of this belt.
3. African Belts : This belt follows the Great African Rift Valley. This belt running through Red Sea extends upto Africa. Important Volcanoes are Kilimanjaro Kenya Canary Islands St. Helena (Atlantic ocean).

(b) Adverse effects of volcanoes

1. Most of the recently formed volcanic areas are barren and forbidding to man.
2. The sudden flow of basic lava from an eruptive volcano may cause the total destruction of human life property and crops in the neighbouring areas.
3. The Karakatoa volcanic eruption (in 1883) caused such high sea waves that Karakatoa and several other neighbouring islands were completely destroyed.
4. Volcanoes eruption of Vesuvius in 79 A.D. buried and destroyed completely the two Roman towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum.

Beneficial effects of Volcanoes :

1. The soil made up of lava is very fertile.
2. Lakes are formed when the craters are filled up with waters.
3. Several minerals which are found deep down come up near the surface of the earth.
4. Lava flows have preserved many fossils which throw much light on the past life.

Question 32.
What are the following :

(a) Fissure type of volcanoes
(b) Spine or plug
(c) Caldera
(d) Mud volcanoes
(e) Epicentre
(f) ‘Ring of Fire’
(g) Cinder Cone

Answer:

(a) Fissure type of volcanoes : A volcano is a vent in the earth’s crust out of which hot molten rocks (lava) flow. The hot rocks may also eject violently in the form of solid pieces. If the vent is in the form of a long crack then it is knows as a Fissure Type Volcano. In this type volcanic activity occurs quietly the lava upwells silently and spreads over a large area giving rise to volcanic plateaux and extensive lava sheets.
(b) Spine or plug : Acid lava dome is formed when viscous lava solidifies quickly and gives rise to steep sloping cones. This is known as a spine or plug. Sometimes these spines and plugs are exposed by denudation.

(c) Caldera : In some volcanoes the summit of the volcano blows up during a violent explosion resulting in the formation of a large depression called a Caldera. Some calderas may have been formed by the collapse of the summit portion. Calderas are occupied by large lakes. The lake in the caldera is called the crater lake. In the state of Oregon in the United States there is a caldera which is about 9 km in diameter.

(d) Mud volcanoes : If water which erupts in a volcano is muddy then a conical mound of mud is formed within a creater at the top. This is known as a mud volcano. Such mud volcanoes are found in New Zealand Sicily and other areas of volcanic activity.
(e) Epicentre : The point on the earth’s surface directly above the ‘focus’ of earthquake is called epicentre.
(f) Ring of Fire ; The Circum-Pacific Belt of volcanoes encircles the Pacific Ocean in Asia and the Americas along the weak coastal crust. It is called the ‘Ring of Fire’ because there are a large number of active volcanoes in it. The belt begins from the volcanic islands of South America and includes the Andes mountains of the Central America and Mexico the western part of the Rockies in the U.S.A. Canada and Alaska.
(g) Cinder cone : When the lava is ejected from a central vent its pieces and fragments solidify round the vent to form a cone. This is known as a Cinder Cone.

Question 33.
Distinguish between the following pairs of terms associated with vulcaniaty

1. Magma and Lava
2. Acidic Lava and Basic lava
3. Cinder Cone and Composite Cone
4. Fissure-type Volcanoes and Central Type Volcanoes
5. Crater and Caldera
6. Laccolith and Lapolith
7. Geysers and Hot springs
8. Active Volcano and Dormant Volcano
9. Folding and Faulting
10. Volcanic Cone and Volcanic Plateau
11. Seismic Focus and Epicentre
12. Dykes and Sills

(b) Distinguish between the following pair of terms associated with crustal movement of the Earth

1. Graben and Horst
2. Tilted Block Mountains and Listed Block Mountains

Answer:
(i) Magma and Lava :
Magma :

1. Magma is hot sticky molten material.
2. It contains solutions of water and gases.
3. It comes out during volcanic eruptions.

Lava :

1. Lava is solidified magma.
2. Gases and water disappear after evaporataion.
3. It cools down as it comes into contact with atmosphere.

(ii) Acidic Lava and Basic lava
Acidic Lava :

1. It is highly viscous lava.
2. It is light coloured like granite.
3. It has low density.
4. It has a high percentage of silica.
5. It flows slowly and results in steepsided cones or lava domes.

Basic Lava :

1. It is highly fine and thin.
2. It is dark coloured like Basalt.
3. It has high density.
4. It is poor in silica.
5. It flows rapidly as thin sheets resulting in shield cones.

(iii) Cinder Cone : Volcanic cones are called Cinder cones when the material erupted consists of cinder and other solid particles. These cones have steep slopes because they consist of particles of large size.
Composite Cone : The volcanoes which start as cinder cone and grown into large volcanic hills with alternating layers of lava and ash are called Composite cones. These cones are formed due to an explosive eruption followed by eruption of lava. Explosive eruption leads to the formation of a layer of ash while lava solidifies as a sheet on the layer of ash. This is followed by a quiet period and then the process gets repeated.
(iv) Fissure type of volcanoes : A volcano is a vent in the earth’s crust out of which hot molten rocks (lava) flow. The hot rocks may also eject violently in the form of solid pieces. If the vent is in the form of a long crack then it is known as a Fissure Type Volcano. In this type volcanic activity occurs quietly the lava upwells silently and spreads over a large area giving rise to volcanic plateaux and extensive lava sheets.
Central-type Volcanoes : If the vent in the earth’s crust is of such type that the rock materials come out and mounds hills or cones are formed than the volcanoes formed are known as Volcanoes of the Central type. Vesuvius and Fuji Yama are the best examples of this type.
(v) Crater and Caldera : Crater forms the summit and Caldera the enlarged mouth or the sunken crater at the centre of a volcano. When water accumulates in a crater it forms a crater lake and in a caldera a lake like Taba lake of Sumatra. A crater is formed as a result of overflow of lava and calera as a result of subsidence.
(vi) Laccoliths : Laccoliths are large lens-shaped intrusions which assume a dome shape. They vary in thickness and extent. When laccoliths are exposed on the surface they form low hills.
Lapoliths : Lapoliths are saucer-shaped intrusive layer of solidified magma and sinks as shallow basins in rock-beds.

(vii) Hot Springs :

1. It is a stream of hot water issuing from the ground. The hot water flows unobstructed quietly and continuously.
2. Hot springs are common where joints fissures and porous beds allow the free exit of water to the surface. The water becomes hot when it comes into contact with the heated rocks or upper heated steam lying deep into the earth’s crust.

Geysers :

1. It is a hot spring which at regular or irregular intervals throws a jet of hot water and steam into the air.
2. In the case of geyser the fissure or vent connecting the source of hot water to the surface is very narrow which greatly increases the pressure and temperature of the hot water and so when water comes out it rise high into the air.

Question 34.
Give reasons for the following :

1. The Belts of volcanic activity and earthquakes are roughly the same.
2. Basic lava cones are broader than the Acid lava cones.
3. The Circum-Pacific Belt of volcanoes is called ‘The Ring of Fire’.

Answer:

1. The belts of volcanic activity and earthquakes are roughly the same because the movement of magma beneath the Earth is the main cause of earthquakes and volcanoes.
2. Basic lava cones are broader than the Acid lava cones because basic lava is very fluid and flows easily for a great distance before it solidifies where as acid lava is highly viscous and flows only for a short distance.
3. The Circum-Pacific belt of volcanoes is called “The Ring of Fire” because there are large number of fire volcanoes in it.

Question 35.

(a) Name one useful feature of vulcanicity other than soil fertility.
(b) Out of the following words write down the four that are connected with volcanic activity.
Karst, crater, drumlin, stalacities, gully, pot holes, ash, basalt, swallow holes, dyke, domes, bluffs.

Answer:

(a) The molten rocks of vulcanicity is of considerable environmental significance other than soil fertility since it is the direct or indirect cause of several classes of landforms. Basic lava weather into more fertile soils.
(b) Crater, ash, basalt, dyke are connected with volcanic activity.

Question 36.
Give reasons for the following :

1. Earth’s movements have modified the Earth’s surface.
2. Earth as a whole does not expand.

Answer:

1. The surface of the earth is undergoing constant change. Some of these changes take place all of a sudden as in the case of volcanic eruptions and earthquakes but most of them are gradual and slow. Due to these changes the sediments which were originally deposited in horizontal layers are found tilted bent broken and twisted. In certain regions the structures which were once at sea-level in the Baltic Sea are now well above the water. Recently it has been found that the larger part of the coast of Scandinavia is rising relative to sea-level but that of the Southern extremity is sinking. Along some coasts submerged forests and various human structures show that the land has not only risen but at places it has also submerged. All this has happened or is happening due to the Earth’s movements. Thus we find that the Earth’s movements have modified the Earth’s surface.
2. About six important Convection Current Cells with over-riding six large plates have been identified below the Lithosphere. The Mid-Oceanic ridges from edges of the plates. For example the Mid-Atlantic ridge is such a ridge. The molten matter from below adds new crust along such’ ridges. Taking the earth as a whole it has resulted in the spreading of the ocean floor at the rate of 1 cm to about 10 cm every year. It is called the constructive plate movement. At the same time the crust at the other edges of the plates in oceanic trenches gets destroyed. It is called the destructive plate movement Consequently a balance exists and the Earth as a whole does not expand.

Question 37.
Answer the following :

1. Some volcanoes erupt explosively
2.  Some volcanoes develop parasitic cones.
3. Hot springs are common in volcanic regions.
4. Earthquakes are common in the belt of young fold mountains.
5. Plate margins are zones of great volcanic activity.
6. Volcanic eruption is one of the main causes of earthquakes.
7. The vent of a volcano when blocked results in explosive eruption.

Answer:

1. Some Volcanoes erupt explosively because the vent of a volcano.may be blocked by some sticky material or rock which causes the explosion.
2. Some volcanoes develop parasitic cones because the main vent grows too high and develops a parasite or a branch l cone.
3. Hot springs are common in volcanic regions because undergound water gets heated by contact with hot magma.
4. Earthquakes are common in the belt of young fold mountains because these mountains are in a state of constant flux.
5. Plate margins are zones of great volcanic activity because collisions of plate margins produce the magma and allow it to escape through a vent, a fissure or a crack.
6. Volcanic eruption is one of the main causes of earthquakes bacause volcanic earthquakes are caused by gas explosions. Such earthquakes occur either simultaneously with eruption or more commonly in the period preceding an eruption.
7. It causes the pressure to build up which results in violent explosion.

ICSE Solutions for Class 9 History and Civics – The Sangam Age: Kingdoms and The Social and Economic Conditions

ICSE SolutionsSelina ICSE SolutionsML Aggarwal Solutions

EXERCISES

Question 1.
Name the oldest language of South India. OR Name the oldest Dravidian language.
Answer:
Tamil.

Question 2.
What is known as Sangam literature?
Answer:
The word ‘Sangam’ means ‘Assembly’. According to early tradition, three Sangams or Assemblies of literary men were held at Madurai, the center of great literary activity in the Tamil Country. It is generally accepted that these assemblies lasted from about first century BC to the fifth century AD. Many poets, scholars and bards who gathered there, produced a large volume of excellent Tamil poetry. These literary compositions were collected and complied into books called the Sangam literature.

Question 3.
Name any two literary sources to reconstruct history of the Sangam age.
Answer:
There is no clear evidence regarding the literary works of the first Sangam. ‘Tolkappiyam’, written by Tolkappiyar, a disciple of Agastya, is a standard treatise on grammar and it belongs historically to the Second Sangam. Tiruvalluvar, the famous Tamil poet who attended the Third Sangam, wrote ‘KuraP. The literary works of the third Sangam constituted the most important part of the Sangam literature and they are the main source of information about the life and traditions of the Tamil people.

Question 4.
Who were ‘Tirukurral’ ?
Answer:
Tiruvalluvar.

Question 5.
Mention any two archaelogical sources to reconstruct history of the Sangam age.
Answer:

1. The Megaliths,
2. Inscriptions in the Brahmi script.

Question 6.
Why are graves of people in the megalithic phase in South India’s history called ‘Megalithis’?
Answer:
The megalithic culture is mostly known for its burials. The un pland portions of the peninsula were inhabited by people, whose graves are called ‘megaliths’, because they were encircled by big pieces of stone.

Question 7.
How do Megaliths suggest that people of Southern India in those times had become familiar with iron?
Answer:
The megaliths contain not only skeletons of people who were buried. Iron tools, arrows, pottery and fragments of rice and other grains have been found, besides the skeletons of the persons buried in these graves. Arrow heads, spearheads and sickles, all made of iron, do show the transition from Copper and Bronze Age Culture to the Iron Age.

Question 8.
Why did Arundhati, a character in Sanskrit literature, become a model for South Indian Women in the Sangam age?
Answer:
Arundhati, for instance, had become a model for women in the South, because she personified the ideal of Chastity.

Question 9.
Name the two agricultural products during the Sangam Age.
Answer:
The two agricultural products during the Sangam Age were jack-fruit, pepper and turmeric.

Question 10.
Name the two prominent ports on India’s Western Coast during the Sangam age.
Answer:
The ports of Nelcynda (Kottayam) and Naura (Canhanore) were among the most prominent ports on India’s Western Coast.

Question 11.
Name the two deities worshiped by people in the Sangam age.
Answer:
Vishnu and Murugan.

Question 12.
Name the two items of trade referred to in the Tamil literature of the Sangam age.
Answer:
The Tamil literature refers to items of trade like spices, sandalwood, pearls, sea products, semi-precious stones and textiles of various types.

Question 13.
Mention the two views held by scholars regarding the origin of the Dravidians.
Answer:
Scholars hold various theories regarding the origin of the Dravidians. Some are of the view that they were foreigners, probably belonging to the Mediterranean race, who entered through the north-western passes and settled in India, about the beginning of the Neolithic Age. Other scholars believe that they were the original inhabitants of India.

Question 14.
Name any ftw.famouse epics of Tamil literature.
Answer:
‘Silappadikaram’ and Manimekalai’ are two famous epics of Tamil literature.

Question 15.
How does the inscripition of Kharvela, the ruler of Kalinga, enable us to reconstruct history of the Sangam age?
Answer:
The Inscription of Kharvela (the ruler of Kalinga) says he “destroyed a Confederacy of Tamil states (Tramirdesh Sanghatam).” The same Inscription records that Kharvela brought hundreds of pearls from Pandya kingdom to Kalinga. He also brought horses, elephants, jewels and rubies to his kingdom.

Question 16.
Hero-stone reminds us of an important event. What is the event?
Answer:
Some Tamil poems affirm that there is only one God worthy of being worshiped. The God is the Hero-Stone recalling the fall of a brave warrior on the battle field. A stone was fixed at the place where some big warrior fell dead. Since he died, he became a martyr. Death in battle was held to lead the soldier straight to heaven. The hero-stone gave strength to the people in general and the soldiers in particular.

Question 17.
Mention any two Chera rulers whose names figure in the Sangam literature.
Answer:
Udaiyanjeral (who flourished during the second century AD), Nedunjeral and Senguttuvan.

Question 18.
Who was the greatest among the earliest Chola kings?
Answer:
Karikal was the greatest among their earliest Chola kings.

Question 19.
What did the Chera region produce in large quantities in the Sangam age?
Answer:
The Chera region was well-known for its buffaloes, jack- fruit, pepper and turmeric.

STRUCTURED QUESTIONS

Question 1.
There are many literary sources to reconstruct history of the Sangam age. In this context explain the literary importance of Tirukurral.
Answer:
Tirukurral: It was written by Tiruvalluvar. It consist of 1330 couplets, dealing with three main topics namely— Aram (Dharma), Porul (Artha) and Iibam (Kama). It is considered a sacred book by the Tamils and has been translated into many Indian and European languages.

Question 2.
How can the Megaliths help us to reconstruct events of the Sangam age ?
Answer:
Megaliths:
The megalithic culture is mostly known for its burials. The upland portions of the peninsula were inhabited by people, whose graves are called ‘Megaliths’, because they were encircled by big pieces of stone.

Question 3.
Describe the social conditions that Sangam literature depicts with reference to:
(a) The Castes
(b) The Ruling Class and the Class of Warriors
Answer:
(a)
The Brahmins, the Kshatriyas and the Vaishyas appear as regular castes or Vamas in the Sangam texts. An ideal king was one who never caused an injury to the Brahmins. Many Brahmins were celebrated poets, and as such they were handsomely rewarded by the rulers. Karikel is said to have given one poet 1,600,000 gold coins, but we consider this comment exaggerated. Besides gold, the Brahmins got cash and land grants from the king .and noble families.
(b)
The ruling class was called ‘arasar’. The members of this class had marriage relations with the ‘Vellalas’, the propertied people owning the bulk of the land. War body and income from trade and agricultural produce enabled the king to maintain professional warriors. The occasions for war were many. According to the Sangam poets, the refusal of one king to give his daughter in marriage to another was a frequent cause of war. In Sangam poetry ‘heroes are glorified’ and wars and cattle raids very often mentioned.

Question 4.
Describe the social conditions that Sangam literature suggests with reference to:
(a) Institution of Marriage
(b) Position of Women
Answer:
(a)
The ‘Tolkappiyam’, written by Tolkappiyar, states that marriage was an important religious ceremony, accompanied by many rituals. Naturally, the Aryan culture had now much impact on the institution of marriage. Earlier the Tamils had a relatively simple conception of marriage. They regarded it as “the natural coming together of men and women, mainly due to their physical difference.”
(b)
The joint family system characterised the society. Few women got good education, their status in society was not equal to that of men. They did not have the right to inherit property. There were ascetics also among women, following the Jain and the Buddhist tradition. The worship of Kannagi or Pattini suggests that the vow of chastity was regarded as the greatest of feminine virtues. In fact, the images of Pattini Devi were being preserved and worshiped by Tamils in their temples until very recently.

Question 5.
The Sangam literature gives a complete and true picture of economic conditions of the age. Describe economic life of the people with reference to:
(a)Agriculture (b) Trade
Answer:
(a)
Agriculture was the main occupation of a large section of the people. Land was held by individuals as well as by the state. The land was fertile and there was plenty of grain, meat and fish. The Chola Country was watered by the river Kaveri. About this country there was a saying that “the space in which an elephant did lie down produced enough grain to feed seven persons.” The Chera region was well-known for its buffaloes, jack-fruit, pepper and turmeric. The rich did not plough the land themselves.They hired laborers, called pariyars, for this job. The pariyars belonged to the lowest social class and skinned dead animals also.
(b)
The rulers had big income from trade transactions also. A large number of crafts and occupations are referred in Sangam literature. The epic ‘Manimekalai’ was written by a grain merchant of Madurai. The Tamil literature refers to items of trade like spices, sandalwood, pearls, sea products, semi-precious stones and textiles of various types. We also have the information that foreigners (yavanas) visited the coastal towns for trade. Metal lamps in different shapes and bottles of wine figure prominently among the articles of trade brought to India by the foreigners.

Question 6.
With reference to economic conditions during the Sangam Age, explain the following:
(a) Significance of Occupational Guilds
(b) Socio-economic Inequalities in the Sangam Age.
Answer:
(a)
Guilds had become an important institution in the economy of the Sangam age. The guilds defined rules of work and controlled the quality and prices of the finished product. The guilds also functioned as bankers and financiers. Guilds also carried out welfare activities and services of many kinds.
(b)
The Brahmins, the Kshatriyas and the Vaishyas appear as regular castes or Vamas in the Sangam texts. An ideal king was one who never caused an injury to the Brahmins. Many Brahmins were celebrated poets, and as such they were handsomely rewarded by the rulers. Karikel is said to have given one poet 1,600,000 gold coins, but we consider this comment exaggerated. Besides gold, the Brahmins got cash and land grants from the king ari noble families.

ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS

Question 1.
What is meant by the term ‘the Sangam Age’ ?
Answer:
The Sangam Age refers to the period when bulk of Tamil literature was composed by a body of Tamil scholars and poets in three successive literary gatherings called Sangam.

Question 2.
Name the author of Tolkappiyam.
Answer:
The author of Tolkappiyam was Tolkappiar.

Question 3.
Name the three kingdoms mentioned in the Sangam texts.
Answer:
The three kingdoms mentioned in the Sangam texts were Pandyas, Cheras and Cholas.

Question 4.
Name any three Epics mentioned in the Sangam literature.
Answer:
Three Epics mentioned in the Sangam literature are Silappadikaram, Manimegalai and Sivaga Cindamani.

Question 5.
What was the theme of the Aham type of literature ?
Answer:
Aham type of literature discuss about ethical living in private life.

Question 6.
What were the topics of Puram category of poems ?
Answer:
Puram category of poems deals with militarism and hero worship.                                  –

Question 7.
Name the author of Tirukkural.
Answer:
The author of Tirukkural was Tiruvalluvar.

Question 8.
In whose honor were the hero stones erected during the Sangam Age ?
Ans.
In Sangam Age, memorial stones (Nadukal), were erected for the heroes who died for the common cause of their village, country and king.

Question 9.
Name the four castes mentioned in the Tolkappiyam.
Answer:
The Tolkappiyam has mentioned four castes, namely, Brahmanas, kings, traders and farmers.

Question 10.
Name the five physiographic divisions or tinais mentioned in the Sangam literature.
Answer:
Tamil land consisted of five physiographic division viz., kurinji (hilly backwoods), palai (parched zones), mullai (pastoral tract), marutam (wet land), and neital (littoral land).

Question 11.
Who were the Vellalas during the Sangam Age.
Answer:
Vellalas were traders assigned with the duties of learning other than the Vedas, making gifts, agriculture, trade and worship.

Question 12.
Name the chief crops grown during the Sangam Period.
Answer:
The chief crop grown during the Sangam Period was rice, while other crops included cotton, ragi, sugarcane, pepper, ginger, cardamom, turmeric, cinnamon and different varieties of fruits etc.

Question 13.
Name one center of cotton trade mentioned in the Sangam literature.
Answer:
Uraiyur was a great center of cotton trade.

Question 14.
Name the products exported to foreign lands during the Sangam Age.
Answer:
The products exported to foreign lands during the Sangam Age were pepper, ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, turmeric, ivory products, pearls and precious stones.

Question 15.
Name any two ports of the Sangam Age.
Answer:
Saliyur in the Pandya country and Bandar in Chera are among the most two important ports.

II. Structured Questions

Question 1.
With reference to the sources of information about the Sangam Age, explain the significance of the following;
(a) Literary texts (b) Megaliths (c) Hero stones
Ans.
(a) Literary texts — The Sangam literature consists of the great grammatical work, Tolkappiyam, the ten poems Pattuppattu, the eight anthologies Ettuttogai, eighteen minor works Patinenkikariakku and epics, such as, Silappadikaram, Manimegalai and SivagaCindamani.
(b) Megaliths — These are huge stones found at most of burial sites. A box-like structure was erected with the stone slabs, resting on each other without any mortar. Sometimes there was,an opening cut into one of the sides, also known as memorial stones.
(c) Hero stones — The Tamil Sangam literature has many references to monuments raised in memory of such heroes. Hero stones were erected as part of the burial and this has been described by more than 25 Sangam poets.

2. With reference to the Sangam Age, answer the following questions:
Question 2 (a) .
Explain why the Sangam Age is so. called ?
Answer:
The Sangam Age is considered as a landmark in the history of South India. The word ‘Sangam’ is the Tamil form of the Sanskrit ‘Sangha’ which means an association. Thus, the Sangam Age refers to the period when bulk of Tamil literature was composed by a body of Tamil scholars and poets in three successive literary gatherings called Sangam. Hence, Sangam meaning confluence, refers to the gatherings of poets and bards.

Question 2 (b) .
Name the three kingdoms that existed during the Sangam Age. Describe the achievements of Chera ruler, Senguttuvan ; and Chola ruler, Karikalan.
Answer:
Three kingdoms that existed during the Sangam Age were Pandyas, Cheras and Cholas.
Achievements of Senguttuvan — Cheran Senguttuvan was the most popular king of the Sangam Cheras. The Sangam works, Padirruppattu and Ahananuru provide a lot of information about him. The Tamil Epic Silappadikaram also tells about his military achievements. Senguttuvan led an expedition up to the Himalayas. He crossed the river Ganges and defeated his enemies. He reached the Himalayas and hoisted the Chera flag. He brought stones from there and built a temple in memory of Kannagi.

Achievements of Karikalan — The most popular among the Sangam Cholas was Karikalan. Both the Sangam works, Pattinappalai and Porunaruatruppadi give information about Karikalan. Even in his young age, he proved his extraordinary ability of settling the disputes in his kingdom. He was a great warrior. He defeated the Chera and Pandya kings at Venni. In another battle Karikalan defeated a confederacy of nine princes. He extended his kingdom beyond Kanchipuram in the North. Karikalan had also become popular for the development activities in his kingdom. He had encouraged the growth of agriculture as well as commerce. He had built the dam called Kallanai across the river Kavery to tame that river and the water was used for irrigation. Karikalan had also fortified the port-city Kaveripoompattinam or Puhar and made it as his capital. It flourished as a great emporium of trade. Merchants from foreign countries visited Puhar. Karikalan was generous towards Tamil poets and patronised them.

3. With reference to the society that existed during the Sangam Age, answer the following questions:
Question 3 (a) .
Explain briefly the functions of the four castes mentioned in the Tolkappiyam.
Answer:
The Tolkappiyam has mentioned four castes, namely, Brahmanas, kings, traders and farmers. The Brahmanas during the Sangam Age were a respectable and learned community. They performed their caste duties scrupulously. They served the king occasionally as judicial officers and always as priests and astrologers. They were attached to the land and were proud of their country and their mother tongue.
Trade was common to both the Vaishyas and Vellalas. The Vaishyas were assigned the duties of learning, performing sacrifice, making gifts agriculture, protection of cows and trade. Vellalas were assigned the duties of learning other than the Vedas, making gifts, agriculture, trade and worship. So the two communities were known by the profession in which they were engaged for the time being.

Question 3 (b) .
Name the physiographic divisions of the Tamil land and the occupations associated with each one of them.
Answer:
Tamil land consisted of five tinais or physiographical divisions viz., kurinji (hilly backwoods), palai (parched zones), mullai (pastoral tract), marutam (wet land), and neital (littoral land).
The occupations associated with each one of them were:

1. The inhabitants of the hilly areas (kurinji) were hunters and gatherers.
2. In the parched zone, (palai) the inhabitants lived by plunder and cattle lifting.
3. In the pastoral tract (mullai), the inhabitants subsisted on shifting agriculture and animal husbandry.
4. Wet land (marutam) was inhabited by people subsisting on plough agriculture.
5. And finally, the littoral land (neital) was inhabited by those dependent on fishing and salt extraction.

Question 3 (c) .
Explain the position of women.
Answer:
The status of women in Sangam society was not equal to that of men. The Sangam society consisted of different kinds of women. There were married women who had settled down as dutiful housewives. There were female ascetics belonging to Buddhist or Jain tradition like Kaundi Adigal and Manimegalai and also a large number of courtesans.

4. With reference to the economy during the Sangam Age, answer the following questions:
Question 4 (a) .
What was the main occupation of the people and the activities associated with it ? What were the other occupations of the people ?
Answer:
Agriculture was the main occupation. Next to agriculture, spinning and weaving were the most important and widely practised crafts. Spinning and weaving of cotton, and of silk, had attained a high degree of perfection. Spinning was the part­time occupation of women. The weaving of complex patterns on cloth and silk is often mentioned in literature and according to the Periplus. Uraiyur was a great centre of cotton trade.Ship-building, metal working, carpentry, rope-making, ornament­making, tanning and making of ivory products were widely practiced.

Question 4 (b) .
Explain the organisation of internal trade.
Answer:
Internal trade was brisk, caravans of merchants with carts and pack-animals carried their merchandise from place to place. Most of the trade was carried on by barter. Paddy constituted the most commonly accepted medium of exchange, specially in the rural areas. Salt was sold for paddy. Paddy was sold by mentioning its price in terms of salt. Honey and roots were exchanged for fish oil. Toddy, sugarcane and rice-flakes were exchanged for attack. There were established marked, called angadi in the bigger towns. Elsewhere, hawkers carried goods to the houses of the people.

Question 4 (c) .
Explain the extent and significance of external trade.
Answer:
There was an extensive trade with foreign countries. According to the Sangam literature, the Tamil land had certain commodities which were in great demand in foreign markets. Those were pepper, ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, turmeric, ivory products, pearls, precious stones. The main imports included horses, gold and glass.The great port cities were the emporia of foreign trade. Big ships, entered the port of Puhar and poured out on the beach precious merchandise brought from overseas. The family life of the rich merchants of this city was carried on in the upper floors, while the lower ones were set apart for business. Saliyur in the Pandya country and Bandar in Chera are the most important ports.

 

ICSE Solutions for Class 9 History and Civics – The Mauryan Empire

ICSE SolutionsSelina ICSE SolutionsML Aggarwal Solutions

EXERCISES

Question 1.
Name any two sources to reconstruct the Age of the Mauryas.
Answer:
Literary Sources: Indica (Written by Megasthenes), Arthashastra
Archaeological sources: The Rock Edicts of Ashoka, the Ashokan Pillars.

Question 2.
Who was Kautilya (Chanakya)? Name the famous book written by him.
Answer:
Kautilya (Chanakya) was a learned Brahmin of Taxila, who later on became a prominent diplomat in the kingship of emperor Chandragupta Maurya. The ‘Arthashastra’ was written by Kautilya.

Question 3.
What is a Stupa ? Name one stupa built by Ashoka ?
Answer:
The Stupa is a semi-spherical solid dome-like structure made of unburnt bricks and stones. The Sanchi stupa was made by Ashoka around 3rd century BC.

Question 4.
Why did Seleucos Nicator invade India?
Answer:
Seleucos Nicator was a Greek king, he invaded India with an intention to recover the Greek conquests in India.

Question 5.
What do you know about the extent of Chandragupta Maurya’s empire?
Answer:
The empire of Chandragupta Maurya had been extended up to Mysore in the South and Kabul, in the north-west. It stretched from Saurashtra in the West up to Bengal in the East.

Question 6.
What change did the Kalinga War bring about in Ashoka’s life?
Answer:
Ashoka was the Bird and the most enlightened ruler of the Mauryan dynasty. The Kalinga War was the major turning- point in the career of Ashoka. the massacre of Kalinga absolutely converted the aggressive conscience of his. He „ was so moved by this dreadful heart-tearing scene that he dropped his weapons forever and became a follower of Lord Buddha.

Question 7.
Mention two advantages of the Pan-Indian character of the Mauryan empire.
Answer:
Pan-Indian or Subcontinental character of the Mauryan empire. Ashoka ruled over a large part of the Indian subcontinent. There were three main advantages of the Pan-Indian character of Ashokan empire. First, it resulted in the disappearance of small states. Second, it enabled the rulers face foreign invasions successfully. Third, it facilitated trade and commerce with frontier towns as well as the Middle Eastern and Greek cities.

Question 8.
What does Megasthenes’ Indica tell us about the king’s life?
Answer:
Megasthenes’ Indica tells us that the king Chandragupta had been the first historical emperor of India. He expanded his empire in India and beyond her neighboring countries. Chandragupta renounced princely life and settled down at a place Sravana Belagole in southern India. Here, he died as an ascetic.

Question 9.
What does Kautilya tell us about the duties of the king?
Answer:
Kautilya divided the King’s day into eight parts. It was the King’s duty to give close attention to people’s welfare, social order and military action.

Question 10.
What does Megasthenes tell us about the City administration?
Answer:
Megasthenes explains that the City administration was divided into six boards of five persons each. Each Board dealt with a specific function, such as the supervision of trade and commerce or census of population or care of foreigners and so on and so-forth.

Question 11.
What is the importance of Ashoka’s inscriptions (Stone Edicts)?
Answer:
The Ashoka’s inscriptions (Stone Edicts) leave the message of love with mankind and all living creatures. It exhorted people to live with peace. Might is not the ultimate solution to any problem, as it ends in destruction and ruthless killings.

Question 12.
Mention any two principles of Ashoka’s
Answer:
Two principles of Ashoka’s Dhamma are:

1. Purity of Domestic Life.
2. Toleration.

( STRUCTURED QUESTIONS )

Question 1.
Describe the sources to reconstruct the Age of the Mauryan with reference to the following:
(a) Indica (b) Arthashastra
Answer:
(a) Indica — Megasthenes wrote a book named Indica which contains his impressions of what he heard and saw during his stay in India. Megasthenes’ original Indica has been lost, but its fragments still survive in the writings of later Greek Authors like Starbo, Arrian, Diodorous. Plutarch and Justin.
(b) Arthashastra — Of all the literary sources on the history of the Mauryas, the most important source is the Arthashastra written by Kautilya, also known as Vishnugupta and Chanakya. Arthashastra contains 6000 shlokas and is divided into 15 sections and 180 subjects. It is written in Sanskrit. These subjects deal with politics, rules ofdiplomacy, principles of administration and other political topics. This book was discovered in 1909.

Question 2.
What is an Edict ? Mention the significance of Ashokan Edicts, with particular reference to the Rock Edict XIII and the Rummindei Pillar Inscription.
Answer:
Ashokan Edicts: An edict means “an official order or proclamation. According to the Rock Edict XIII, in Kalinga war about a hundred thousand people were killed and as many as one hundred and fifty thousand were taken as prisoners. The horrors of the War awakened in Ashoka’s heart the feelings of profound sorrow. The XHIth Rock Edict says “The Beloved of the Gods, the King considers victory by dhamma to be the foremost victory.” The inscription on the Rummindei Pillar, for instance says “King, the beloved of the Gods, visited this spot in person and offered worship at this palace, because the Lord Buddha was born here.”

Question 3.
Chandragupta ruled over a vast empire. In this context explain:
(a) His main conquests.
(b)Details of his victory over Seleucos Nicator.
Answer:
Chandragupta ruled over a vast empire in this context, the given heading are explained below:
(a) His main conquests: He conquered West Punjab and Sindh. Next, he attacked Magadha and uprooted the Nanda dynasty and took control of their rich and powerful kingdom, Magadha.

(b) Details of his victory over Seleucos Nicator: The territories west of the Indus were ruled by the Greek king Seleucos. He crossed the Indus in 305 BC and hoped to march victoriously through the Punjab.The Mauryan armies rushed to the north-west and inflicted a crushing defeat on the invader. Seleucos was forced to retire and had to purchase peace by ceding to Chandragupta the territories of Herat, Kandahar and Kabul (Afghanistan). Chandragupta presented him with 500 war-elephants. It is said that Chandragupta married princess Helen, the daughter of Seleucus. The Greek King maintained friendly relations with the Mauryan Court and sent Megasthenes as his ambassador who lived in Pataliputra and wrote a book on India.

Question 4.
The administration of a vast imperial state raised intricated problems which were wisely solved by Chadragupta Maurya and Ashoka. In this context explain briefly:
(a) Position of the king.
(b) Role of the Council of Ministers.
(c) Provincial Administration.
Answer:
In context of the intricated raised problems by the administration of a vast imperial state and talking them Wisely by Chandragupta Maurya and Ashoka, the given heads are explained below:
(a) Position of the king: The king was the supreme Head of the State and had military, judicial and executive powers. He also had the power to enact laws.
(b) Role of Council of Ministers: They were small in number, but were very influential. At times, the Council of Ministers (.Mantriparishad) could act as a check on the King’s powers. The ministers also advised the King in the task of choosing governors. General of the Army, Treasurer of the State, chief magistrates and other high officials.
(c) Provincial Administraction: Next to the Emperor, tanked the Governors incharge of provinces of the empire. The Ashok an inscriptions mention four such Governors posted at Taxila (Northern Province), Ujjain (Western Province), Tosali (Eastern Province) and Suvarnagiri (Southern Province). The Governors had their ministers and also had the power to appoint a few officials. The smaller provinces were under officials called Pradesikas in the Ashokan Edicts.

Question 5.
What do you know about:
(a) Mauryan District Administration.
(b) Mauryan City Administration.
Answer:
The above headings are described as follows:
(a) Mauryan District Administration:
Provinces were divided into districts for purposes of administration. Ashokan inscriptions refer to three classes of high officials, namely the Rajukas, Yuktas and the Mahamatras. The Rajukas were probably incharge of district and corresponded to the District Magistrates of the present day. They managed the state property and kept law and order in the districts. The Yuktas were probably the District Treasury Officer who collected revenues and kept accounts. The Mahamatras were heads of special departments. Ashoka created a new class of Mahamatras which included the Dhamma Mahamatras who promoted Dhamma (Dharma) and looked after the general interests of women were protected by a separate Department, headed by Stri Adhyaksha Mahamatra.

(b) Mauryan City Administration:
In the Arthashastra ’s there is a mention of the Nagarka who functioned as a City- Superintendent or a City-Magistrate, with a number of officers assisting him. Nagarka was entrusted with the duties such as providing water facility to the city dwellers, the maintenance of public roads and public buildings, the inspection of city walls and city towers and taking precautions against fire. He was often required to meet difficult situations like—floods, epidemics.According to Megasthenes, the city administration was divided into six boards of five persons each. Each board dealt with a specific function, such as supervision of trade and commerce or census of population or care of foreigners. The six Boards acted together in general matters like—the maintenance of public buildings, fire-protection and care of wells and temples, etc.

Question 6.
Ashoka’s Dhamma was not a narrow religious faith. Its broad objective was to promote harmony and the spirit of common brotherhood amongst people of the realm. In this context explain:
(a) Fundamental Principles of Dhamma.
(b) Means adopted for the propagation of Dhamma and the spread of Buddhism.
Answer:
In context of Ashoka’s Dhamma was not a narrow religious faith. Its broad objective was to promote harmony and the spirit of common brotherhood amongst people the following principles were adopted:
(a) Fundamental Principles of Dhamma: The Prakrit word ‘Dhamma’ and the Sanskrit word ‘Dharma’ have the same meaning. Dharma never meant exactly ‘religion’. It Implied such concepts as justice, virtue, morality, law and duty. The fundamental principles of Ashoka’s Dhamma are as follows:

1.  Purity of Domestic Life: Ashoka presented himself to be a father-figure. He speaks of his people as his children and directs them, “to respect their parents, elders and teachers.” the superiors, on the other hand, were required “to treat their inferiors, including servants, slaves and all living creatures with kindness.” An important duty assigned to all persons was that of truthfulness.
2. Toleration: Ashoka had a secular attitude while justifying with different religions prevailing in his regime. The people were required to refrain from speaking ill of their neighbour’s faith. He exhorted that all religions were supposed to attain self-control and purity of mind.
3. (Sanctity of Life: Ashoka exhorted his people to follow the parth of Ahimsa. No animal should be slaughtered for sacrifice. He undertook public welfare works like— construction of roads and hospitals for both the men and animals.
4. True Ceremonial: Ashoka condemned all sorts of meaningless and worthless rituals performed on the occasion of childbirth, wedding, death or departure on journey. He declared that the True Ceremonial was “kindness to living creatures and Liberality to asceics and Brahmins” People should spread Dhamma in all directions. That is the best ceremony and the best gift.

(b)
The means adopted for the propagation of Dhamma were as follows:

1. Ashoka practiced what he preached. He gave up the Royal Hunt and also stopped the killing of living creatures for the delicacies of the royal kitchen,
2. The officers of the State were required to tell people about their duties,
3. Ashoka created a special class of officers, called Dhamma Mahamatras, who were charged with the duty of enforcing the moral code and looking after the welfare of the people, Missionaries were spent to all frontiers of the empire and to Sri Lanka, Syria, Egypt and Macedonia for the propagation of Dhamma and the spread of Buddhism.

Question 7.
Identify the picture given below and answer the following questions

(a) When and by whom was the Original Stupa built ?
(b) Which Dynasty enlarged it ?
(c) Mention two important features of the Stupa.
(d) What events are depicted on the panels of the Gateway?
Answer:
(a) The great stupa at Sanchi near Vidisha in Madhya Pradesh is believed to have been originally built in the 3rd Century BC by Ashoka to enshrine the relics of Buddha. Later it was enlarged during the Sunga, period.

(b) It was enlarged during the Sunga, period.

(c) The stupa is a semi-spherical solid dome-like structure made of unbumt bricks and stones. The Buddhist stupa has special significance. It represents the spiritual body of Buddha containing his relics such as hair, teeth or bones. A casket containing these relics is placed at the base of the dome.

(d) Gateways are lavishly covered with magnificent sculptures which depict episodes from Buddha’s life and from Jataka tales. Buddha was represented in Symbolic form like that of a wheel or a lotus or a throne under a pipal tree.

Question 8.
It is only with Ashoka that we can properly begin the history of the art and architecture of ancient India. In this context explain briefly:
(a) Arts and Crafts that flourished during Ashoka’s reign.
(b) A few features of the Ashokan Pillars.
Answer:
(a) Arts and Crafts:
Arthashastra mentions several regions which specialized in textiles, such as Kashi (Varanasi) Vanga, Vatsa and Kalinga. A separate section in Arthashastra deals with the technology of gold mining. In fact, the southern province of the Mauryan empire was named Suvamagiri, which itself is an evidence of the comprehensive exploitation of the earth’s gold reserves. Ashoka made many improvements in replacing the old wooden material of the Imperial Palace by stone.

(b) A few features of Ashokan Pillars:
The Pillars of Ashoka are a series of columns dispersed throughout the Northern Indian Subcontinent, erected or at least inscribed by the Mauryan King Ashoka. The most celebrated pillar is the pillar with the lion capital at Sarnath here, four lions are seated back to back, which symbolizes the different steps of Budha’s life. All these pillars are monolithic i.e., they are carved out of one piece of stone each pillar weighs about 50 tones. At the top of each such pillar is the capital which is also monolithic.

Question 9.
Ashoka was a promising warrior, but soon after the Kalinga War, he turned into a practicing moralist. In this context explain:
(a) Fundamental Principles of Dhamma.
(b) True Nature of Dhamma.
Answer:
In context of becoming of Ashoka to be a practicing moralist soon after the Kalinga War, the given heads are explained as under:
(a) Fundamental Principles of Dhamma:
The Prakrit word ‘Dhamma and the Sanskrit word ‘Dharmci have the same meaning. Dharma never meant exactly ‘religion’. It Implied such concepts as justice, virtue, morality, law and duty.
The fundamental principles of Ashoka’s Dhamma are as follows:

(a) Purity of Domestic Life: Ashoka presented himself to be a father-figure. He speaks of his people as his children and directs them, “to respect their parents, elders and .teachers.” the superiors, on the other hand, were required “to treat their inferiors, including servants, slaves and all living creatures with kindness.” An important duty assigned to all persons was that of truthfulness.

1. Toleration: Ashoka had a secular attitude while justifying with different religions prevailing in his regime. The people were required to refrain from speaking ill of their neighbor’s faith. He exhorted that all religions were supposed to attain self-control and purity of mind.
2. Sanctity of Life: Ashoka exhorted his people to follow the path of No animal should be slaughtered for sacrifice. He undertook public welfare works like— construction of roads and hospitals for both the men and animals.
3. True Ceremonial: Ashoka condemned all sorts of meaningless and worthless rituals performed on the occasion of childbirth, wedding, death or departure on journey. He declared that the True Ceremonial was “kindness to living creatures and Liberality to asceics and Brahmins”. People should spread Dhamma in all directions. That is the best ceremony and the best gift.

(b) True Nature of Dhamma: “The Dhamma preached by Ashoka is Buddhism.” Undoubtedly, Ashoka’s personal religion was Buddhism, but he did not impose his religion ^on his subjects. Ashoka’s Dhamma was basically a Universal Religion.

ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS
Short Answer Questions:

Question 1.
What are our main sources of information on the Mauryan ruie ?
Answer:
Main sources of information on the Mauryan rule are edicts of Ashoka (14 rock edicts, seven pillar edicts and minor rock edicts), Sanchi Stupa, Nandangarh pillar, ‘Indika’ by Megasthenes, ‘Arthashastra’ of Kautilyaand Visakhadutta’s ‘Mudrarakshasa’ etc.

Question 2.
Who wrote Arthashastra ? What is its importance ?
Answer:
It was written by Chanakya (Vishnugupta). It contains 6000 shlokas divided into 15 sections and 180 subjects. It is remarkable for political clues, diplomacy and administration.

Question 3.
What is the importance of Ashoka’s edicts ?
Answer:
These are the most important source of Mauryan history. These are the oldest and the best preserved and most precisely dated epigraphic records of India.

Question 4.
What is a stupa ? Name one stupa built by Ashoka.
Answer:
The Stupa is a semi-spherical solid dome-like structure made of unburnt bricks and stones. The Sanchi stupa was made by Ashoka around 3rd century BC.

Question 5.
How did Chandragupta Maurya establish the Mauryan dynasty ?
Answer:
Chandragupta’s empire extended from Kabul and Kandahar in theNorth WesttoMysore in the South, andfrom Saurashtra in the west to Bengal in the east. With the cooperation of Kautilya or Chanakya, he became successful to conquer over Nandas and annexed Magadha and made Pataliputra (Patna), his capital in 321 BC. After regular fighting against Greek ruler, Alexander, he occupied Punjab in 322 BC. Again in 306 BC he defeated Seleucus and occupied Kabul, Kandalar, Herat and Baluchistan etc. He again extended the empire to the South.

Question 6.
Give a brief account of the political conditions in India under Bindusara.
Answer:
Bindusara succeeded Chandragupta and ruled upto 273 BC. He conquered many parts of South India after defeating sixteen rulers. There was a revolt in Taxila between Ashoka and other sons of Bindusara. He maintained friendly relations with Hellenic world or Greek and received many gifts.

Question 7.
What is the importance of Kalinga war in the personal life of Ashoka ?
Answer:
Ashoka was deeply moved by the blood-shed and destruction in Kalinga war e.g. 150 thousand prisoners, 100,000 were slain and many more were injured. He adopted Buddhism and ordered for ban on killing of animals and human beings too.

Question 8.
Name the two taxes mentioned in the Edicts of Ashoka.
Answer:
Two kinds of taxes, namely Bali and Bhaga are mentioned in the Edicts of Ashoka.

Question 9.
Name four important ways in which Buddhism spread under the royal patronage during the Mauryan times.
Answer:
The sub-continental extent of the Mauryan Empire and the concept of universal empire took its religion (Buddhism), beyond the Hindukush and for away beyond the Bay of Bengal. Under the powerful royal patronage by Ashoka, Buddhism spread in major part of Asia, while various parts of Asia were under aggression. King Ashoka personally worked hard to establish Buddhism along with his son Mahindra and daughter Sanghmitra in Sri Lanka.

Question 10.
What is meant by Ashoka’s Dhamma ?
Answer:
Ashoka’s Dhamma was based on the unifying principles of all major religions of the world. It is described as a ‘Moral Law’, ‘a common code of conduct or an ‘Ethical order’. Which is common meeting ground of all religions.

Question 11.
Give the basic principles of Ashoka’s Dhamma.
Answer:
The basic principles are as follows:

1. To respect elders and love young ones.
2. Ahimsa
3. Good deeds
4.  To respect all religions
5. Discard baseless rituals.

Question 12.
What was the impact of Dhamma an Ashoka’s policies?
Answer:
The advantages of the impact of Dhamma were as follows:

1. Religious unity and tolerance
2. Application of moral values in life.
3. End of crimes
4. Public welfare through end of wars and development policies.

Question 13.
What is meant by Pan-Indian character of the Mauryan administration ?
Answer:
The Maurya administration was remarkable for its widespread and multipurpose achievements by conquering various foreign forces led by Alexander and Seleucus in N.W. India, and Nandas in Ganga-basin and Mysore rulers n the South. After Kalinga war Ashoka encouraged the development in art, culture and economy of India. So it is called Pan-Indian character due to its extension and gravity of realm covering a large part of India.

Question 14.
How was the district administration organised during Mauryan period ?
Answer:
The provinces were divided into districts called Janpadas. Their administration was looked after by ‘Pradeshika’, ‘Rajuka’ and Yukta.

II. Structured Questions.

Question 1.
With reference to the sources of information on the Mauryan Empire, explain briefly the significance of the following:(a) Arthashastra (b) Indica (c) Sanchi Stupa
Answer:
(a) Arthashastra — Of all the literary sources on the history of the Mauryas, the most important source is the Arthashastra written by Kautilya, also known as Vishnugupta and Chanakya. Arthashastra contains 6000 shlokas and is divided into 15 sections and 180 subjects. It is written in Sanskrit. These subjects deal with politics, rules of diplomacy, principles of administration and other political topics. This book was discovered in 1909.

(b) Indica — Megasthenes wrote a book named Indica which contains his impressions of what he heard and saw during his stay in India. Megasthenes’ original Indica has been lost, but its fragments still survive in the writings of later Greek Authors like Starbo, Arrian, Diodorous. Plutarch and Justin.

(c) Sanchi Stupa — Sanchi Stupa was built around 3rd century BC by Ashoka at Sanchi about 60 km from Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh. Its dimensions are 36.58 metres in diameter and 16.46 metres in height. The pillars of the railings are 2.784 metres high. During the Sunga period, the wooden railings were replaced by stone railings. There are four gateways in four directions. They have carved panels depicting events from the life of Buddha and some tales Jataka stories.

Question 2.
With reference to Mauryan Empire, answer the following questions:
(a) Give a brief account of how Chandragupta established the Mauryan empire.
(b) Give a brief account of Kalinga war and its consequences.
Answer:
(a) Chandragupta and Chanakya both together became successful to uproot Nandas from Magadha and thus took revenge for their dishonour by Nandas. Under the perfect guidance of Chanakya, Chandragupta was successful to defeat Alexander and Seleucus and conquered N. W. part of India. Apart from the vast realm along Ganga basin up to Bengal, he also spread the empire up to South.
(b) Kalinga War in 261 BC, resulted in the death of 100,000 warriors, 150,000 prisoners and many more injured. All this changed Ashoka’s personal life. He stopped hunting and eating meat and abandoned luxurious life. He declared Buddhism as state religion. Prisoners of war were made cultivators who added economic prosperity to the empire, but mil itary efficiency was decreased.

Question 3.
With reference to Mauryan administration, answer the following questions:
(a) Why is Chandragupta Maurya regarded as the chief architect of the system of administration ?
(b) Briefly describe the main features of civil and military administration under Mauryan rule.
(c) What is meant by the Pan-Indian character of Mauryan administration ?
Answer:
(a)
In the time of Nandas the empire was undisciplined due to the faulty character of Nanda king. He insulted Chanakya, too. So Chanakya promised to destroy Nandas and prepared Chandragupta for a successful ruler, under his sharp guidance. Thus, Chandragupta became the basic founder of the Mauryan empire, extending to a large part of India ; with the administrative capital at Patliputra.
(b)
Civil administration was divided to central and provincial governments with governors and council of ministers. Chandragupta maintained a huge army consisting of infantry, cavalry, elephants and chariots etc.
(c)
The Pan-Indian character of Mauryan administration means the ruling region of Mauryan empire extended to a vast area of India from N. W. part to Bengal and up to Mysore region in South.

Question 4.
With reference to Provincial Governments under the Mauryan rule, answer the following questions
(a) Name the different provinces and their capitals into which the Mauryan empire was divided.
(b) How was the provincial administration run ?
(c) What changes were brought about in the Mauryan administration during Ashoka’s reign ?
Answer:
(a)

(b)
Head of the province was called ‘ Kumar’ or ‘ Aryaputra’, who were assisted by the Governors (Mahamatras). Besides this ‘Pradeshika’ (tax-collector), Rajuka (revenue officer) and Yukta (treasurer) etc. were other helpers.
(c)
The Mauryan administration was highly centralised. The metropolitan state of Magadha was connected with surrounding states with active trade links and economic Revenue officers had to tour the areas under their jurisdiction and enquire into the well being of the subjects. On account of some language problem, some peripheral regions were subjected to self-government.

Question 5.
With reference to the Mauryan administration write short notes on the following:
(a) District Administration (b) Revenue system
Answer:
(a)
The district or Janapadas were administered by Pradeshika, Rajuka and Yukta.
(b)
The revenue shared one-sixth to one-fourth of the produce. ‘Bhaga’ was levied for agricultural produce and the cattle and ‘Bali’ was a religious tribute. Taxes collected from many shops, professionals, forests and mines, were applied for facilities of roads, irrigation hospitals and other expenses of the state.

Question 6.
With reference to the spread of Buddhism under the Mauryas, answer the following questions:
(a) What was the Mauryan concept of Universal Empire?
(b) Give the important causes for the spread of Buddhism.
(c) What was known as ‘Ashoka’s Dhamma’? State its features and principles.
Answer:
(a)
Mauryan concept of Universal Empire was linked with the extension of Mauryan Empire along with Buddhism through spread of Buddhism beyond the boundaries of India as it is clear that Buddhism spread in the largest part of Asia, i.e. Burma, Indonesia, Indochina, China, Japan and Mangolia, Afghanistan etc.
(b)
Important causes of spread of Buddhism were: Employees for propagation of the religion.Royal Patronage of Chandragupta, Ashoka etc.Various edicts and pillars established for spreading the important principles. Foreign Missions were organised by Ashoka along with his son daughter to preach about Buddhism in Burma, Nepal, Egypt and Syria etc.
(c)
Ashoka’s Dhamma was based on the unifying principles of all major religions of the world. It is described as a ‘Moral Law’, a common code of conduct or an ‘Ethical order’. Which is common meeting ground of all religions.
The basic feature and principles are as follows:

1. To respect elders and love young ones.
2. Ahimsa
3. Good deeds
4. To respect all religions
5. Discard baseless rituals.

Question 7.
Study the Ashokan Edict and answer the following questions:

Question 1.
What is an edict ? Where are these edicts inscribed ?
Answer:
An edict is a decree issued by a Sovereign. The edicts of Ashoka form the most important source of Mauiyan history. These edicts are inscribed on rocks and pillars throughout the country and include 14 major Rock Edicts, seven pillar edicts and a number of minor rock edicts.

Question 2.
What is the significance of edicts as a source of information ?
Answer:
The edicts provide a useful insight into the life and ideals of Ashoka in particular and about the history of the Mauryas in general.

Question 3.
Explain briefly the importance of Ashoka’s edicts, giving example from one of his edicts.
Answer:
The edicts of Ashoka form the most important source of Mauryan history. They are the oldest, best preserved and precisely dated records of India. These edicts are inscribed on rocks and pillars throughout the country and include 14 Major Rock Edicts, seven pillar edicts and a number of minor rock edicts. The inscriptions on these edicts provide a useful insight into the life and ideals of Ashoka in particular and about the history of the Mauryas in general. Rock Edict-I is one of the important edict which states, about the protection of animals

ICSE Solutions for Class 9 Geography – Earthquakes

ICSE SolutionsSelina ICSE SolutionsML Aggarwal Solutions

Exercises

I. Fill in the blanks below

1. Most earthquakes occur on account of the strain in the earth’s crust.
2. P (primary or push waves) are the first earthquake waves to be recorded on a seismograph of an earthquake.
3. The last of the earthquake waves to arrive on the surface of the earth are L (surface or long) waves.
4. The giant sea waves caused by earthquakes in the oceans are called Tsunamis.
5. About 70 per cent of the earthquakes occur in the Circum- Pacific-Mountain Belt.

II. Short Answer Questions

Question 1.
What is called an earthquake ?
Answer:
An earthquake is defined as a tremor below the surface of the earth which causes shaking of the earth.

Question 2.
State two natural causes of an earthquake.
Answer:
Natural causes are the movement of tectonic plates and volcanic activities.

Question 3.
Name one man-made cause of an earthquake.
Answer:
Construction of large scale dams, thrust of rivers along fault lines, dumping of chemical wastes also cause earthquakes due to imbalance in isostatic balance of the earth’s landforms, e.g. Koyna dam caused an earthquake in Maharashtra.

Question 4.
What are known as seismic focus and epiceptre with respect to an earthquake ?
Answer:
The point of origin of earthquake waves is called seismic focus and the centre vertically above the seismic focus nearest to the earth’s crust is called epicentre.

Question 5.
What is known as Richter scale ? State its uses.
Answer:
Ritcher scale is used to measure the intensity of earthquake through a scale, which is motivated by a needle attached to this instrument The zigzag wavelength of the earthquake comes on the screen and calculated from 1 to 9 scale measured in centimetres.

Question 6.
How are earthquakes useful ?
Answer:
Earthquakes cause energy release to put the earth in good shape; several landforms are uplifted to build large plains e.g. Sagami Bay uplifted 200 m, Landslides cause the formation of lakes in Himalayan region.

Question 7.
Give any two destructive effects of earthquakes ?
Answer:
Destructive effects are collapse of structures, submergence of coastal parts e.g. Dwarka submergence, these change the course of rivers, danger to human life and motivation of tsunami waves causing drastic calamities.

Question 8.
What is tsunami ? How is it caused ?
Answer:
Tsunami is a large furious destructive sea waves caused by the force of an earthquake along the moving tectonic plates, volcanic activity landslides and meteorite impact.

Question 9.
How do Japanese predict earthquakes ?
Answer:
Japanese use the methods of measuring changes in sea level and variations in Earth’s magnetic field to predict earthquakes.

Question 10.
Name the two belts where most of the earthquakes occur.
Answer:
Two belts are the Circum-Pacific Mountain belt and the midworld mountain belt of high fold mountains like the Alps, Himalayas etc.

III. Match the following

Answer:

IV. Long Answer Questions

Question 1.
Describe how earthquakes are caused on the surface of the earth.
Answer:
When the earth’s crust is unable to accommodate itself to the strain due to isostatic imbalance, so sudden release of energy results in violent shock or an earthquake. The earthquakes are caused by severe tectonic movement of plates, volcanic eruption forces and isostatic imbalance often taking place due to diastrophism creating ups and downs in landform construction.

Question 2.
Explain the three types of earthquake waves. What is the difference between seismic focus and epicentre ?
Answer:
Three types of earthquake waves are :

1. P-primary waves,
2. S-Secondary (or Shear waves) and
3. L-Long waves (or Surface waves).
   

Seismic focus.is located in the interior of earth’s crust from where the earthquake waves originate and the epicentre is the nearest point vertically below the region of earthquake effect.

P Q. What is the Tsunami ? How ist it produced ? What are its effects ?
Answer:
Tsunami is very destructive sea wave rising high upto several metres and jump furiously along the coastal areas like the hood of a snake. The name ‘tsunami’ is from the Japanese words : ‘Tsu’ and ‘nami’ meaning ‘harbour’ and ‘wave’ respectively. So tsunamis are harbour waves.
It is produced mainly by undersea earthquake along the gaps of tectonic plates, volcanic thrusts, great landslides and meteorite impact.
They can cause a lot of destruction on the shore. They are sometimes mistakenly called “tidal waves,” but tsunamis have nothing to do with the tides.

Question 3.
Compare and contrast the constructive effects and the – destructive effects of an earthquake.
Answer:
Constructive effects :

1. Earthquakes help the earth release its stored up energy. The majority of the earthquake occur around. The plate margins. This energy release helps to keep the earth in good shape.
2. On account of both vertical and lateral displacement of the earth’s crust, earth-quakes may raise or lower parts of earth especially near the seashore. Sagami Bay of Japan was uplifted 200 m in 1923.
3. Landslides triggered by earthquakes cause formation of lakes as has happened at many places in the Himalayan region.

Destructive effects :

1. Human beings have settlements in active earthquake zones. Most often the houses and other structures collapse causing great loss of property.
2. The forces of uplift and subsidence also cause submergence of coastal parts. For example: Dwarka in Gujarat which now lies submerged under the sea.
3. Earthquakes have changed the course of rivers in the past. They have thus rendered many areas unsuitable for irrigation and agriculture. They cause danger to human life.

Question 4.
Is it possible to predict an earthquake ? Give reasons to support your answer.
Answer:
No till now it is not possible to predict an earthquake. Earthquake prediction in the past was left to astrologers and mystics. Today it is a respectable scientific pursuit. The Russians were the first to discover P and S seismic waves in 1960s on the basis of which predictions were made. These waves still are the only means available to seismologists to predict earthquakes.
The theory of Plate Tectonics offers another means of prediction on scientific lines. Japanese use the methods of measuring changes in sea level and variations in Earth’s magnetic field to predict earthquakes. However, no method is still foolproof as has been proved by recent earthquakes in Japan, India and the USA.

Question 5.
How are earthquakes distributed over the globe ?
Answer:
The earthquakes are common along the weak tectonic belts affected by continuous tremors due to the movement of plates one upon another. Main belts are Circum-Pacific Mountain belt and Mid-World Mountain belt of fold mountains which are still in the process of upthrust forces increasing their height.

Question 6.
How is the intensity of earthquakes measured ? What instruments are used ?
Answer:
Ritcher scale and Mercalli scale are used to measure the intensity of earthquakes. Ritcher scale measures through a graphical scale in zigzag graph from 1 to 9 and Mercalli scale observes it from 1 to 12 points scale.

Practice Questions (Solved)

Question 1.
(a) What is an Earthquake ?
(b) How it is caused ?
(c) Describe the world’s distribution of earthquakes.
(d) What are the advantages and disadvantages of Earth quakes.
OR
What are the effects of Earthquakes ?
(e) Name the major earthquakes of India from 1991 to 1997.
Answer:
(a) The sudden mild or violent shaking of a part of the earth is called an earthquake. An earthquake is generally accompanied by a rumbling and tremors.
(b) Causes The chief known causes of earthquakes are believed to be as follows :

1. When a dormant volcano erupts into activity or an active volcano discharges matter with greater violence the surrounding areas feel tremors or earthquakes.
2. When the interior of the earth cools and contracts the outer crust in some places cracks and faults are caused. This movement causes earthquake.
3. Some time water percolates so deep down into the earth that it turns into steam on account of the internal heat. This steam expands and tries to force its way out. This pressure causes an earthquake.

(c) The earthquakes are distributed along two major belts namely circum Pacific earthquake belt (Ring of fire) and the Mid¬World, Mountain Earthquake belt along the great fold mountain zone.
(d) Earthquakes brings about changes on the surface of the earth which are very harmful to man.

Destructive Effects :

1. Many towns are destroyed and there is considerable loss of life and property.
2. They cause floods by uplifting of land in the’ course of river.
3. Some places are submerged under the sea.
4. Big cracks and fissures are formed on the surface of the river and they interrupt communications.
5. Some times rivers disappear or change their courses or get flooded. Railway lines are twisted.
6. They cause great tidal waves, which may bring havoc to the coastal areas.

Constructive Effects :

1. Precious metals and minerals come up to the surface for the use of man.
2. New lands for habitation above the surface of the sea are formed.
3. Some times new springs and water falls are formed which help in irrigation.
4. Violent earthquakes have led to the formation of hills and mountains.
5. Bays and gulfs are formed along the coastal land to provide new ports and harbours.

(e) Major earthquakes of India from 1991 to 1997

1. Latur -1991
2. Uttarkashi – 1993

Question 2.
Name the important Earthquake-belts of the world.
OR
Indicate two major belts of Earthquakes.
Answer:

1. Circum – Pacific Earthquake Belt :- i.e. round the Pacific Ocean. This belt goes along with the coast of America and East coast of Asia.
2. Mid World Mountain Earthquake Belt :- This belt runs through the middle of Asia from East and goes beyond the Mediterranean sea as far as the West Indies. This belt, however, is not so active as Pacific Belt.

Question 3.
Name the instrument used to record Earthquakes.
Answer:
The instrument used to record Earthquakes’ is called Seismograph.

Question 4.
Name some Earthquakes which caused great damage.
Answer:
Some Earthquakes which caused serious damage to property and life are :

1. Lisbon Earthquake of 1755
2. South Carolina Earthquake of August 1886
3. The Japan Earthquake of Oct. 28, 1891
4. Kanga (Himachal pradesh) Earthquake of April 1905
5. Tokyo (Japan) Sep. 1923
6. Quetta 1935
7. Bihar 1934
8. California Earthquake of April, 1966
9. Turkey Sep. 1975
10. Iran 1968
11. Peru 1970
12. Tangshan (China) Earthquake of July, 1976
13. Broach Earthquake of 1970 affected part of Gujrat.
14. Earthquake of 1988, had its epicentre near Darbhanga and affected parts of North Bihar, Nepal and Bangladesh.
15. The Bhuj earthquake of 2001 devastated many cities of Gujarat.

Question 5.
Earthquakes occur in the Mid-Atlantic belt.
Answer:
Earthquakes occur in the Mid-Atlantic belt because here the sea floor spreading is the main cause for earthquakes.

Question 6.
How do earthquakes affect landscape ?
Answer:
Earthquakes cause rise and fall of landmasses, create fault scarps, offset streams and other land features and cause landslides. Earthquakes waves also destroy houses and man-made structures, buckle and twist the railway lines electric and telegraph lines etc.

Question 7.
What was the cause of Koyna earthquake in India ?
Answer:
Koyna Dam is located in Maharashtra on the Deccan plateau. This part was considered a stable block free from earthquakes. But Koyna earthquake in 1986 was a big surprise. In the reservoir of the dam water gathered was more than its capacity. It disturbed the local isostatic balance. It caused an earthquake and caused cracks in the rocks. It may be called a man-made earthquake.

Question 8.
Describe the main type of Earthquake Waves.
Answer:
Earthquake Waves :- Earthquake waves travels in all directions from the Focus. There are three types of earthquake waves :

1. Longitudinal Waves : These are known as Primary Waves ‘P’
2. Transverse Waves : These are known as Secondary Waves ‘S’.
3. Surface Waves : These are called Long Waves or ‘L’ Waves.

Question 9.
Name the causes of earthquakes.
Answer:

1. Volcanic eruptions
2. Faulting
3. Elasticity of rocks
4. Local causes
5. Epeiro, Genetic events.

Question 10.
Why are earthquakes related to volcanoes ?
Answer:
There is a close relationship between an earthquake and a volcano. Earthquakes and volcanoes occur in small belts, i.e. Mid world belt and Circum pacific belt. Their distribution shows a similar pattern. Volcanic eruption lead to earthquakes. Volcanic eruptions are the local cause of earthquakes.

ICSE Solutions for Class 9 Geography – Rocks

ICSE SolutionsSelina ICSE SolutionsML Aggarwal Solutions

Exercises

I. Short Answer Questions 

Question 1.
State two points of distinction between rocks and minerals.
Answer:
Rocks :

1. Rocks contain minerals.
2. Rocks are the aggregates of minerals and other rock material.

Minerals :

1. Minerals do not contain rocks.
2. Mineral are the compounds of pure elements with a definite chemical Composition.

Question 2.
Name any three elements of the earth’s crust.
Answer:
These are silicon, aluminium, iron, magnesium, calcium, potassium, sodium and nickel.

Question 3.
Name three types of rocks.
Answer:
Three types of rocks are sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic rocks.

Question 4.
Why are the igneous rocks also called the primary rocks?
Answer:
The igneous rocks were the first to be formed. They form the basis of formation of other types of rocks. Thus, they are called primary rocks.

Question 5.
Give one difference between Extrusive igneous and Intrusive igneous rocks.
Answer:

• Extrusive igneous rocks are formed by the cooling of molten magma on the earth’s surface.
• Intrusive igneous rocks are formed when the magma solidifies within the earth’s crust forming coarse texture.

Question 6.
Name any two chief characteristics of Igneous Rocks.
Answer:
Igneous rocks are formed by cooling of magma and these are crystalline rocks and full of mineral compounds.

Question 7.
What is the main characteristics of Basic Igneous Rocks?
Answer:
Basic igneous rocks have higher percentage of oxides of denser elements and dark in colour, e.g. Basalt, dolerite etc.

Question 8.
Name two important landforms made by Igneous Rocks.
Answer:
Conical mountains and extensive lava plateaus.

Question 9.
What are Sills ?
Answer:
The magma takes place in between the layers of rocks and hardens after cooling, which is called Sill.

Question 10.
Which rocks are associated with ores of metals ?
Answer:
Igneous rocks are associated with ores of metals due to their origin by cooling magma resulting in crystalline rocks rich in mineral content.

Question 11.
Which rocks are associated with fossil fuels ?
Answer:
Sedimentary rocks are associated with fossil fuels due to fossils trapped in between layers of these rocks.

Question 12.
Mention any two chief characteristics of Sedimentary Rocks.
Answer:

• Sedimentary rocks are formed from material derived from other rocks including plant and animal remains. These rocks thus contain fossils.
• Sedimentary rocks are generally not crystalline. They are soft and layered as they are formed by deposition of sediments.

Question 13.
Give two examples of Sedimentary Rocks.
Answer:

1. Sandstone
2. Limestone

Question 14.
Name the rocks which are most widespread on the earth.
Answer:
Sedimentary rocks are most widespread on the earth.

Question 15.
Name the three stages of lithification of Sedimentary rocks.
Answer:
Lithification is the process of turning loose rock material into hard rock through evaporation, compaction and cementation.

Question 16.
Name the types Sedimentary rocks based on agents of formation.
Answer:
There are five main types of rocks on the basis of agents of formation:

1. Riverine Rocks These are formed by the sediments deposited by running water or river.
2. Lacustrine Rocks These are formed by the deposition of silt etc on the bed of lakes.
3. Glacial Rocks These are formed by the debris carried on and deposited by glaciers.
4. Aeolean Rocks These are formed by the deposition sand accumulation by the wind.
5. Marine Rocks These are formed by the deposition of sediments at the ocean floor. These types are Calcarious and Carbonaceous sedimentary Rocks.

Question 17.
Which agents are responsible for deposition of sediments?
Answer:
There are three main agents of deposition i.e., water, wind and ice, which mainly act as agents of change on the surface of earth for deposition of sediments.

Question 18.
What are known as metamorphic rocks ? Give two examples.
Answer:
Metamorphic rocks are formed by complete change of texture of rocks through volcanism and diastrophism, e.g., limestone is converted to marble and shale is transformed to slate.

Question 19.
What is Mechanical Metamorphism ?
Answer:
This is a mechanical Transformation in which texture of rocks is changed by crushing and rubbing processes associated with heat and compression created by mechanical action.

Question 20.
What is meant by Rock Cycle ?
Answer:
The earth is said to be 4700 million years old and the rocks came into existence 3400 years ago. Since then these rocks have undergone various changes by which multiple transformation took place within the rocks. This continuous process of transformation of old rocks into new rocks is known as rock cycle for figure See Page no. of this book.

Question 21.
What processes are involved in the formation of Igneous Rocks ?
Answer:
Igneous rocks are associated with volcanic activity, cooling of magma and mechanical weathering etc.

II. Explain these terms associated with rocks.

Question 1.
Extrusive Igneous Rocks.
Answer:
These rocks are formed by consolidation of erupted magma on the surface of earth.

Question 2.
Laccoliths and Batholiths.
Answer:
Laccoliths is formed by the intrusion of magma in the erupting channel just below the crust. Batholiths are deep seated dome shaped formation of magma intrusion, generally forming the base of mountain ranges, e.g., Ranchi Batholiths.

Question 3.
Fossil fuels.
Answer:
These are the fuels accumulated between two impermeable layers of the sedimentary rocks, e.g. peat, coal and petroleum etc.

Question 4.
Lithification of Rocks.
Answer:
It is the process of turning the loose material into hard rock, which helps in the formation of the sedimentary rocks found in different layers one upon another.

Question 5.
Metamorphism.
Answer:
It is the process of transformation of sedimentary and igneous rocks into metamorphic rocks through extreme temperature and compression by volcanism and diatrophism by physical and Chemical changes.

III. Distinguish between each of the following

P Q. Lava and Magma.
Answer:
Lava : Lava is the black molten material erupted in a volcano.
Magma : Magma is the compound of lava, stones, ash, debris etc. erupting out in a volcano.

Question 1.
Plutonic and Volcanic rocks.
Answer:
Plutonic rocks :

1. These are intrusive igneous rocks.
2. These cool down very slowly due to heat in the interior

Volcanic rocks :

1. These are extrusive igneous rocks.
2. These cool down abruptly due to less temperature on the surface region.

Question 2.
Thermal and Dynamic Metamorphism.
Answer:
Thermal Metamorphism :

1. It takes place due to extreme temperature which transforms the shape and texture of rocks.
2. The heat may be due to hot magma or friction of rocks.

Dynamic Metamorphism :

1. It takes place due to excessive compression created by tectonic forces within the earth.
2. It takes place through physical or chemical changes by deep pressure.

Question 3.
Sills and Dykes.
Answer:
Sills : The collection of magma between layers of rocks is called sill.
Dykes : The fillings of magma in the cracks or fissures of rocks are called dykes.

Question 4.
Calcarious and Carbonacious rocks.
Answer:
Calcarious rocks : The sedimentary rocks formed by the deposition of shells, skeletons of sea organism as corals, clams and oysters etc. are called calcarious rocks due to excess of calcium.
Carbonacious rocks : The sedimentary rocks formed by the deposition of large scale vegetation and animals etc. are called carbonacious rocks due to the excess of carbon.

Question 5.
Acid Igneous Rocks and Basic Igneous Rocks.
Answer:
Acid Igneous rocks : These are lighter rocks with silica content 65 to 85 percent with density less than 2 g/Cm³, e.g. Granite.
Basic igneous rocks : These are denser rocks with silica content 40 to 60 percent with average density between 2.8 g/Cm³ and 3.0 g/Cm³ e.g. Basalt.

IV. State the types of rocks for the formation of which the following processes are involved.

Question 1.
Solidification of magma on the surface of the earth.
Answer:
Extrusive igneous rocks

Question 2.
Formation of large crystals, coarse texture and slow cooling and compaction.
Answer:
Intrusive igneous rocks.

Question 3.
Accumulation takes place over long periods of time in seas, lakes and streams.
Answer:
Sedimentary rocks.

Question 4.
Decomposition of organic matter at different stages and over different periods of time.
Answer:
Carbonaceous Sedimentary rocks.

V. Long Answer Questions

Question 1.
Distinguish between rocks and minerals.
Answer:
The rocks contain minerals in the form of ores, but minerals do not contain rocks. Sedimentary rocks contain fossil fuels like coal and petroleum etc, igneous rocks are rich in minerals like copper, gold, iron etc, metamorphic rocks contain valuable building stones like marble and garnet, feldspar etc. Rocks have no definite chemical composition, while minerals have particular chemical composition.

Question 2.
Describe how are igneous rocks formed ? State their chief characteristics.
Answer:
Igneous rocks are formed by melting and cooling of magma originated from volcanic eruptions. These may be formed by diastrophism and volcanism. These rocks are strong, crystalline and dark in colour. These may be extrusive and intrusive on the surface and beneath the crust respectively.

Question 3.
How are igneous rocks classified on the basis of their chemical composition?
Answer:
On the basis of chemical composition igneous rocks may be classified into two groups i.e. Acid igneous rocks and Basic igneous rocks. Acid rocks have silica content 65-85 percent e.g. granite which is made up of large crystals of quartz, feldspar and mica. Basic rocks contain high percentage oxides of denser material, silica content is between 40-60 percent with a density of 2.8 g/cm³ and 3.0 g/cm³. Acid rocks are lighter than Basic rocks.

Question 4.
Classify the igneous rocks on the basis of their place of origin.
Answer:
On the basis of origin igneous rocks are divided into two groups i.e. Extrusive and Instrusive igneous rocks. Extrusive igneous rocks are found on the surface of the earth by cooling down of erupted magma. Intrusive igneous rocks are formed beneath the earth’s crust after solidification of magma.

Question 5.
How are sedimentary rocks formed ?
Answer:
Continuous deposition of sediments of silt, soil, debris etc. by water, wind and ice along lower landforms and solidification into different layers result in the formation of light sedimentary rocks.

Question 6.
Explain the formation of sedimentary rocks on the basis of agents of formation.
Answer:
There are five main types of rocks on the basis of agents of formation:

1. Riverine Rocks These are formed by the sediments deposited by running water or river.
2. Lacustrine Rocks These are formed by the deposition of silt etc on the bed of lakes.
3. Glacial Rocks These are formed by the debris carried oh and deposited by glaciers.
4. Aeolean Rocks These are formed by the deposition sand accumulation by the wind.
5. Marine Rocks These are formed by the deposition of sediments at the ocean floor. These types are Calcarious and Carbonaceous sedimentary Rocks.

Question 7.
How are sedimentary rocks classified on the basis of their formation ?
Answer:
There are three types of this type of rocks :

1. Mechanically formed rocks : Denudation of rocks by agents of change results in layers of sedimentary rocks by mechanism.
2. Chemically formed rocks : These are formed by evaporation of calcarious water and accumulated along lake and lagoon beds, e.g. gypsum and rock salt.
3. Organically formed rocks : These are formed by deposition of dead plants and animals e.g. limestone rock (or Calcareous rock) lignite, bituminous and anthracite coal are carbonaceous rocks formed by compression of vegetation under the layers of sedimentary rocks. In the same way petroleum in between the sedimentary rocks is the result of zurasic age dinosaurs e.g. shale rock, containing oil.

Question 8.
What is metamorphism ? What are its causes ?
Answer:
Metamorphism is a process of transformation of sedimentary and igneous rocks into the metamorphic rocks through physical and chemical reactions. Main causes are great temperature and pressure beneath the earth’s crust, which changes the original texture and form of the rocks into dense, crystalline and fine grained rocks.

Question 9.
What are the chief characteristics of metamorphic rocks?
Answer:
Metamorphic rocks are composed of fine particles and dense, smooth material. These are very precious rocks, particularly for building stones like marble, garnet, slate quartzite etc.

Question 10.
What is Rock Cycle. How does it keep the earth young?
Answer:
The earth is said to be 4700 million years old and the rocks came into existence 3400 years ago. Since then these rocks have undergone various changes by which multiple transformation took place within the rocks. This continuous process of transformation of old rocks into new rocks is known as rock cycle.

To keep the earth young, rock melts again resulting in formation of igneous rock. This disintegrated material again form sedimentary rock, it takes hundreds are thousands years.

Question 11.
Give a detailed account of lithiflcation of sedimentary rocks.
Answer:
Lithification means solidification. The loose material carried on by water, wind and ice is deposited slowly in different layers one upon another. Gradually the deposited sediments become solid and hard due to pressure and temperature. Evaporation results in the loss of water within the sediments and these are compacted and cemented. Compaction takes place by increasing weight and pressure of over lying sediments e.g. sand is converted to sandstone. Cementation takes place by bonding of compacted sediments by natural elements like calcium compounds, silica and iron with a property to bind the loose materials to solid state.

Practice Questions (Solved)

Question 1.
(a) What is meant by a rock ?
Or
What is meant by a ‘rock’ ? Name the main types of rocks.

(b) Differentiate between Rock and Mineral
(c) How are sedimentary and igneous rocks formed ?
(d) In what type of rocks do you find fossils and why ?
(e) How are rocks important to us ?

Answer:
(a) Rock : A rock can be defined as “an aggregate of minerals that forms a more or less definite unit of the earth’s crust”. A rock does not possess a definite composition like that of a chemical compounds, but is usually a mixture of various minerals.
The bulk of rocks is made up of silica or quartz and feldspar. Feldspar are composed of silica, aluminium, potassium and sodium or calcium. Some rocks are composed of grains cemented together, while several other are crystalline, compact or even glass-like.
All material (whether hard like stone or sand) of which the crust of the earth is composed are called rocks e.g, stone, clay, lava, sand, chalk, salt, coal marble etc.. On the basis of their mode of formation, rocks are divided into three types :

• Igneous rocks
• Sedimentary rocks
• Metamorphic rocks.

(b)
Rock :

1. A rock is a natural solid organic or inorganic material forming the crust of the earth.
2. A rock is an aggregate of minerals.
3. The physical properties of rocks vary.

Mineral :

1. The mineral is an organic element or compound which occurs naturally.
2. A mineral has an atomic structure.
3. It has fixed definite physical properties.

(c) Formation of Sedimentary rocks : Sedimentary rocks are formed by the process of consolidation of sediments deposited commonly in water bodies like seas or lakes. The sediments are derived by the rivers, glaciers, winds and waves. The sediments consist of loose particles of gravel, sand, silt and clay in various proportions. These loose particles get consolidated or compacted into hard rocks by the presence of cementing substances like lime or the pressure of overlying deposits.
Formation of igneous rocks : The rocks which are formed by the process of solidification of molten rock material (magma), are called igneous rocks.
The processes involved in the formation of igneous rocks are cooling and solidification.
Two types of igneous rocks are

• Intrusive igneous rocks
• Extrusive igneous rocks.

Formation of extrusive rocks : These rocks are also known as volcanic rocks, because they are formed by the solidification of lava on the earth’s surface. As on the outer surface of the earths’ crust the rate of cooling and solidification is more rapid than in the interior, the different minerals composing the magma have less time to become crystalline. The crystals formed are small. Basalt is a good example of this type of rock. Extrusive rocks are much more fine-grained as compared to intrusive granite. The hot magma free of gases is converted into lava on reaching the surface. It takes the form of lava flows, lava sheet and lava plateau. The north-western part of Peninsular India, known as the Deccan Trap, covers a great area of basaltic regur soil formed by the weathering of these rocks. Basaltic lava rocks cover a wide area in Columbia, the Snake Plateau of U.S.A. The other name of extrusive rock is Volcanic
Rock The properties of extrusive rocks :

1. These rocks are formed by the solidification of lava on the earth’s surface.
2. These rocks are very fine-grained.
3. They are usually dark coloured.

The other name given to intrusive rock is Plutonic rock.
Formation of intrusive rocks : When the molten material of the interior part of the earth’s crust finds its way through clefts or spaces that it has made by pushing the surrounding rocks apart, and does not reach the surface. This is known as the Intrusive Rocks. Dolerite and granite are the best examples of intrusive rocks.
Properties of intrusive rocks :

1. They have large crystals.
2. They are very compact.
3. They are glassy in appearance.

(d) Fossils are found in sedimentary rocks. Organic remains of plants and animals or their skeletal impressions are called fossils. Fossils help us in fixing the relative ages of rocks.
(e) The dead sea abounds in chemically formed sedimentary rock because the evaporation of water from it is rapid.

Question 2.
(a) Name different types of sedimentary rocks.
(b) What physical agents are involved in the sedimentary rocks ?
(c) How are chemically-formed sedimentary rocks produced?
(d) How are chemically-formed sedimentary rocks formed? Give examples.
(e) Sedimentary rocks are also called stratified rocks. Why?
OR
Why sedimentary rocks are called stratified rocks ?
Answer:

(a) There are three types of sedimentary rocks on the basis of the nature of sediments, their origin, composition and mode of formation. These are mechanically-formed sedimentary rocks, organically formed sedimentary rocks and chemically- formed sedimentary rocks.
(b) Rain water, wind, ice or the running water are the agents involved in the formation of sedimentary rocks. These agents break and carry on loose material and deposit it in various low lying areas to convert into the solid sedimentary rocks.
(c) Chemically-formed sedimentary rocks are produced through evaporation of water from solutions containing minerals. In this ways a rock like ‘gypsum’ is produced. Other examples are nitrates and potash etc.
(d) Chemically formed sedimentary rocks are formed through chemical action of water. Some mineral like limestones and salts are dissolved into the water and after the evaporation of water form a particular type of rock which is formed by the chemical sedimentation of limestones into gypsum and salt into various types of nitrates.
(e) During the formation of sedimentary rocks, the sediments are deposited in waterbodies and get sorted out according to their size. The sediments accumulate in different layers or strata arranged one above the other. Each layer or stratum has particles of given size. In sedimentary rocks each layer or stratum has particles of a given size. Therefore, sedimentary rocks are also called stratified rocks.

Question 3.

(a) What is meant by the term ‘metamorphism’ ?
(b) Distinguish between Thermal metamorphism and Dynamic metamorphism.
(c) Distinguish between Regional and Contact metamorphism.
(d) What are metamorphic rocks ?
(e) Give some examples of metamorphic rocks formed from sedimentary and igneous rocks.

Answer:
(a) The term metamorphism means change of form. It may be physical or chemical or both.
(b) Thermal metamorphism : When the transformation of the original rock takes place principally because of the influence of high temperature, the rock is said to be caused through Thermal metamorphism. For example, graphite (from coal) and slate (from clay). The heat may result from the intrusion of hot magma or from the friction of moving rock layers. It may also occur due to chemical changes.
Dynamic metamorphism : When the transformation of the original rock takes place mainly because of the influence of pressure at a great depth within the earth’s crust, it is known as Dynamic Metamorphism.
(c) Regional metamorphism When metamorphism of bed rocks takes place over a very large area, it is called Regional metamorphism. It is usually caused by the movement of the earth’s crust. Contact metamorphism when it takes place over a small area, it is called Local Metamorphism or Contact Metamorphism. It commonly occurs when hot magma comes in contact with other rocks.
(d) Metamorphic rocks are those rocks which were formerly igneous or sedimentary rocks, but owing to extreme heat and pressure in the interior of the earth it has been changed or altered to such an extent that they are quite different from what they once were slate, which is in reality clay, and marble’ which is in reality lime stone. Other examples of metamorphic rocks are quartzite from sand stone, graphite from coal, gneiss from granite and Mica from Schist.
(e)
(a) Sedimentary Rocks :

1. Limestone
2. Clay and Shale
3. Sandstone
4. Coal

Metamorphic Rocks :

1. Marble
2.  Slate
3. Quartzite
4. Graphite

(b)
Igneous Rocks :

1. Granite
2. Basalt

Mctamorphic Rocks :

1. Gneiss
2. Schist

Question 4.
Classify the following rocks into sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic

Answer:

(a) Shale — Sedimentary rock
(b) Gneiss — Metamorphic rock
(c) Quartzite — Metamorphic rock
(d) Slate — Metamorphic rock
(e) Marble — Metamorphic rock
(f) Coal — Sedimentary rock
(g) Clay — Sedimentary rock
(h) Schist — Metamorphic rock
(i) Granite — Igneous rock
(j) Graphite — Metamorphic rock
(k) Dolomite — Sedimentary rock
(l) Peat — Sedimentary rock
(m) Basalt — Igneous rock
(n) Rock salt — Sedimentary rock
(o) Lime-stone — Sedimentary rock
(p) Gypsum — Sedimentary rock
(q) Loess — Sedimentary rock

Question 5.
Give one word for the following

(a) The outer layer of the earth.
(b) The lower part of ocean floor, comprising mainly of silica.
(c) Rocks formed by the cooling and solidification of molten rock from beneath the earth crust.
(d) Stratified rock formed organically but from vegetative matter-swamps and forests.
(e) The upper part of lithosphere, which is rich in silica and aluminium.
(f) The core of the earth occupied by rock in iron and nickel.
(g) Igneous rocks, which contain a high percentage of silica.
(h) Igneous rocks, which contain a low percentage of silica.
(i) A sedimentary rock, which is composed of microscopically fine, soft and smooth particles.
(j) The best example of chemically-formed sedimentary rock, which has been formed by the evaporation of water from solution containing minerals.

Answer:

(a) Crust
(b) SIMA
(c) Igneous rocks
(d) Carbonaceous rocks
(e) SIAL
(f) Nife
(g) Acidic igneous rocks
(h) Basic igneous rocks
(i) Clay
(j) Gypsum

Q. 6. Fill in the blanks

1. The interior layer is the core, which is made up mainly of iron and nickel, and is called Nife.
   
2. Organically formed sedimentary rocks are formed by the deposition of shells and skeletons of organism.
3. Breccia rock is formed, when the angular and coarse grains of some durable minerals are cemented together.
4. Aeolian is the best example of the wind deposited stratified rock.
5. Basic igneous rock contain a low percentage of silica and a high percentage of basic oxides.
6. Extrusive rocks are also known as volcanic rocks.
7. Basaltic lava rocks cover wide area in Peninsular India and Columbia, the Snake Plateau of the U.S.A.

Question 7.
Give one example of an area of :

1. Igneous rocks
2. Metamorphic rocks,
3. Sedimentary rocks in India

Answer:

1. Deccan Plateau
2. Narmada Basin
3. Himalayan Region

Question 8.
What is the basis for the classification of rocks ?
Answer:
The basis for the classification of rocks are their mineral composition, colour and texture.

Question 9.
Why are Sedimentary rocks called the Secondary rocks?
Answer:
Sedimentary rocks are called Secondary rocks or derived – rocks because they are derived by the denudation of other rocks.

Question 10.
How are sedimentary rocks classified ?
Answer:
Sedimentary rocks are classified into the following types according to the nature of sediments, their origin, composition and the mode of formation.

1. Inorganic rocks or Mechanically-formed Sedimentary Rocks :- These type of rocks are formed by the deposition of land derived material. When the river began to flow, they eroded the rocks and washed away to the sea. Clay, shale, sandstone were formed in this way. These rocks are called inorganic rocks.
2. Organically formed Sedimentary Rocks :- These rocks are formed by the deposition of plants and sea organisms. Millions of years ago, there grew huge forest in marshy places. In course of ages they were buried underground and the internal heat changed them into coal. Moreover, there are millions and millions of sea-organisms whose skeleton are made of Calcium carbonate derived from sea water. After their death skeleton sink to the bottom of the seas and are formed into lime true and chalk and coal.
3. Chemically-formed Sedimentary Rocks :- There rocks are formed by the evaporation of water from solution containing mineral. Various kinds of salts precipitate from waters of shallow desert lakes, where evaporation of the water is rapid. Gypsum is the best example of this kind of rocks. Several nitrates and potash are also chemically formed sedimentary rocks.

Question 11.
State the properties of metamorphic rocks.
Answer:
Properties of metamorphic rocks :

1. These rocks are harder and more resistant than the original rocks.
2. These rocks have their minerals arranged in a series of bands.

Question 12.
Give one term for the following statements :

1. Formed when mud layers compacted under great pressure composing 80% of this rock.
2. It has a definite chemical composition with its own chemical and physical properties.
3. Igneous rocks of deep seated origin.
4. Sheet like body of igneous rock.
5. Rounded or sub-rounded fragments, usually water-born cobbles, pebble and gravel, cemented together by a matrix of calcium carbonate, silica, etc.
6. Formed by evaporation in saline lakes.
7. Fine grained metamorphic rock, generally produced by the low grade metamorphism of shale.
8. Type of metamorphism in which changes are caused due to high pressure.

Answer:

1. Shale
2. Mineral
3. Plutonic rocks
4. Sill
5. Conglomerate
6. Rock salt
7. Slate
8. Dynamic metamorphism.

Question 13.
Why are the Igneous Rocks called Primary Rocks ?
Answer:
It is believed that the earth was in a molten state in the beginning Igneous rocks were the first rocks to be formed due to cooling and solidification of molten matter. Hence these are called Primary Rocks.

Question 14.
Why fossils are preserved in Sedimentary and not in Igneous rocks ?
Answer:
Fossils are remains of vegetation and animals buried under the sediments. The sedimentary rocks are stratified rocks and are found in layers. These fossils are preserved in between these layers. But in Igneous rocks, the fossils are destroyed due to high temperature of lava.

Question 15.
How is Plutonic rock formed ? Give an example of an Plutonic rock.
Answer:
Plutonic rocks are the igneous rocks which are formed as some depth in the earth’s crust, when a molten material gets solidified under pressure. Granite is very good example of a Plutonic rock.

Question 16.
Give reasons for the following :

1. Extrusive rocks generally have small crystals.
2. Silicates are the most common rock forming minerals.
3. Rocks are of great economic significance.
4. Man’s habitat is the biosphere and not the lithosphere in the true sense.

Answer:

1. Extrusive rocks generally have small crystals because in the formation of these rocks, the solidification of magma takes place at a slower rate.
2. Silicates are the most common rock forming minerals because they are most common minerals in the Earth’s crust.
3. Rocks are of great economic significance Some of the main benefits of rocks are as follows :
   • After disintergration, they turn into valuable soils.
   • They are the store-houses of a large number of minerals.
   • They are the source of precious metals like gold, silver, platinum etc.
   • They are source of fuel-minerals.
   • They provide different types of stones.
4. The composite zone inhabited by most living creatures is called biosphere. It includes a part of the atmosphere, the hydrosphere and a part of the lithosphere. All three layers are essential for life to exist.
   As lithosphere is only a small part of the biosphere, therefore, man’s habitat is the biosphere and not the lithosphere in the true sense.

Question 17.
Distinguish between Intrusive and Extrusive Rocks :
Answer:
Intrusive Rocks :

1. Intrustive rocks are formed beneath the surface of the Earth.
2. These rocks have large size crystals due to slow cooling.
3. These are also known as plutonic rocks.
4. Granite is an example of these rocks.

Extrusive Rocks :

1. Extrusive rocks are formed on the surface of the Earth.
2. Crystals are not formed due to rapid cooling of lava.
3. These are also known as volcanic rocks.
4. Basalt is an example of these rocks.

ICSE Solutions for Class 9 History and Civics – India in the 6th Century BC: Rise of Jainism and Buddhism

ICSE SolutionsSelina ICSE SolutionsML Aggarwal Solutions

EXERCISES

Question 1.
Give any two sources to reconstruct the two great religious movements—Jainism and the Buddhism.
Answer:
Literary Sources:

1. The Jataka Tales, The Tripitakas.
2. Archaeological Sources: The Great Stupa at Sanchi, Samath Pillar.

Question 2.
Mention two causes which favored the rise of Jainism and Buddhism in the 6th Century BC.
Answer:
Two causes which favored the rise of Jainism and Buddhism in the 6th Century BC. were:

1. Ritualistic Vedic Religion.
2. Expensive Sacrifices.

Question 3.
Name the first and the last two Jain
Answer:
The first Tirthankaras was ‘Risabit known as Adi Nath. The last two Tirathankaras were ‘Parashvanath’ and ‘Mahavira’.

Question 4.
What was the Original name of Mahavira?
Answer:
The Original name of Mahavira was Vardhamana.

Question 5.
How did Vardhamana become Mahavira?
Answer:
Vardhamana renounced all wordy pleasures. At the age of thirteen, he became an ascetic and attained the true knowledge (Kevala Jnana), therefore he come to be known as Mahavira.

Question 6.
Why were the followers of Mahavira called Janis?
Answer:
Since Vardhamana became popular with the name of Mahavira (the great hero) or Jina (the conqueror of self), therefore, his followers were called Janis.

Question 7.
Mention any two teachings of Mahavira (any two doctrines of Jainism).
Answer:
The two teachings of Mahavira are:

1. Ahimsa.
2. No Belief in God.

Question 8.
What is known as Triratna in Jainism?
Answer:
Right faith, Right knowledge and Right conduct is known as Triratna in Jainism.

Question 9.
Name the two sects of Jainism. What is the main difference between the two?
Answer:
Svetambaras and Digambaras. Their main difference is that the Digambar Munis (ascetics) remain completely nude. They do not keep even a small piece of cloth on their bodies. The Svetambara Munis, on the other hand wear white clothes.

Question 10.
Mention the “Four Great Sights” of Buddhism.
Answer:
The “Four Great Sights” of Buddhism were:

1. The sight of an old man.
2.  A sick man.
3. A dead body.
4. An ascetic.

Question 11.
What is known as the Great Renunciation?
Ans.
The urge for finding a solution to the problems of human suffering and death, made Buddha broke all his wordy ties and left his place at the age of 29 as an ascetic in search of truth. This event came to be known as the Great Renunciation (Maha Parityaga).

Question 12.
How did Gautama come to be known as the Buddha?
Answer:
When Gautama got enlightened with the spiritual knowledge after rigorous meditation, he came to be known as the Buddha or the Enlightened One.

Question 13.
Name the place where Buddha got Enlightenment.
Answer:
At Bodh Gaya, under the Pipal tree Buddha got Enlightenment.

Question 14.
Name the place where Buddha gave his first Sermon.
Answer:
At the Deer Park near Samath, Buddha gave his first spiritual Sermon.

Question 15.
What are the “Four Noble Truths” of Buddhism?
Answer:
The “Four Noble Truths” of Buddhism are:

1. The world is full of sorrows and suffering.
2. The main cause of suffering is man’s desire (Trishna) for sensual pleasures and earthly possession.
3. Suffering can be removed by getting rid of desires, i. e., renunciation.
4. One can overcome desires by following the Eight-Fold Path.

Question 16.
Mention any four points of the Buddhist Eight-Fold Path.
Answer:
Select any four points from the Eight-Fold Path in Buddhism:

1. Right Faith
2. Right Aspiration
3. Right Action
4. Right Speech
5. Right Meditation
6. Right Living
7. Right Effort
8. Right Contemplation

Question 17.
Mention any two teachings of Lord Buddha.
Answer:
Ahimsa and no faith in caste system.                   ,

Question 18.
Mention any two similarities in the teachings of Jainism and Buddhism.
Answer:
The principle of ‘Ahimsa’ and ‘Opposition to Caste System’.

Question 19.
What is the importance of the Jatakas in Buddhism?
Answer:
The Jatakas’ tales throw light on the social and political conditions of the people in the 3rd and 4th centuries BC. The most important thing about the Jatakas’ tales is that they deal with the previous births of the Buddha.

Question 20.
How do Buddhist ideals still affect our life?OR What impact did Buddha’s teachings have on Mahatma Gandhi’s thoughts?
Answer:
The Buddhist ideals even today have a significant place in our life. The principles of equality, teachings of non-violence and individual purification are still working as usual. Evils, such as pride, envy, wrath and lust have no place in our life even today.
Mahatma Gandhi took a leaf from the Buddha’s life when he said, “non-violence is the first article of my faith.” He also said, “religion in the sense of peace, fraternity and all-embracing love can alone be the basis of the existence of the world.”

Question 21.
What is called a Vihara?
Answer:
A Vihara (Monastery) was permanent abode or residence of the monks.

Question 22.
Give two reasons why Magadha grew into a powerful kingdom around 600 BC.
Answer:
The two reasons of growing of Magadha into a powerful kingdom around 600 BC. were as follow:

1. The fertile plains brought about prosperity and consolidation to the Magadha kingdom.
2. Discovery of Iron in large quantities in Chota Nagpur and the hilly regions of Magadha.

Question 23.
Mention any two factors that led to the growth of Jainism.
Answer:
The following two factors led to the growth of Jainism:

1. The simple doctrines of Mahavira.
2. Usage of common language of the masses, instead of Sanskrit.

Question 24.
What were the causes of the decline of Jainism?
Answer:
The causes of the decline of Jainism are:

1. The loss of royal patronage.
2. Rigid principles and difficulty in following the severe penance and austerity advocated by Mahavira.
3.  Split-up of the Jainism into two sects i. e., the Shvetambaras (clad in white) and the Digambaras (Sky-clad or naked).
4. The revival of Brahmanism.

Question 25.
Mention two factors that led to the spread and growth of Buddhism.
Answer:
Two factors that led to the spread and growth of Buddhism are:

1. Simple teachings of Buddha.
2. Simple language.

Question 26.
Mention any two causes of the decline of Buddhism.
Answer:
Two causes of the decline of Buddhism were:

1. Revival of Brahmanical Hinduism,
2. Split in Buddhism.

Question 27.
Mention the contribution of Buddhism to India Literature.
Answer:
Buddhism contributed its variety of religious literates in  the language of the people. The teachings of Buddha were compiled and known as Tripitaka or the three baskets. The Jatakas contain tales dealing with previous births of the Buddha. These form an important part of Buddhist Literature. The Jataka tales were written in Pali. They greatly enriched the Indian literature. The Mahayana Buddhists produced their religious literature in Sanskrit.

Question 28.
What was the purpose of a Chaitya?
Answer:
Chaityas were the big halls where religious rites and worship were performed.

Question 29.
Name-any two places famous for Buddhist rock-cut caves.
Answer:
Barabar Hills near Gaya and Nasik.

Question 30.
Mention two important features of any one Chaitya at Ajanta.
Answer:
The Chaitya—19 has the facade beautifully decorated with sculptured images. The fresco painting on the walls and ceilings are judged as being some of the finest contributions to the art of painting in India.

Question 31.
Mention any two features of the Ashokan Pillars.
Answer:
The Ashokan pillars are made out of stone. All these pillars are monolithic i.e., they are carved out of one piece of stone. Each pillar weighs about 50 tons. At the top of, each such pillar is the capital which is also monolithic.

Question 32.
Mention two important features of the Lion-Capital of the Samath Pillar.
Answer:
The Lion-Capital of the Sarnath Pillar is chiseled out of single block of stone. The figure of the four lions has been used on the Indian currency and the wheel is shown in our National Flag.

Question 33.
What is the significance of the Lion-Capital for modern India?
Answer:
The Lion-Capital has been accepted as the National Emblem of modern India.

Question 34.
What was the purpose of a Stupa ?
Answer:
The purpose of a Stupa was to commemorate a sacred spot or a particular event, or to enshrine the relics of Buddha or those of Buddhist saint.

Question 35.
Name the religious literature containing the teachings of the Lord Buddha.
Answer:
The Tripitaka contains the spiritual teachings of the Lord Buddha.

Question 36.
Mention the reason why the teachings of Buddha were called the ‘Middle Path’.
Answer:
The teachings of Buddha were called the ‘Middle Path’ because his teachings teach neither to indulge in extreme attachment to worldly pleasures, nor practice severe self-mortification.

Question 37.
Name two rulers of Northern India who contributed to the spread of Buddhism in India and abroad.
Answer:
Ahsoka the Great and Harsha contributed to the spread of Buddhism in India and abroad.

Question 38.
Mention the influence of Buddhism on Hinduism.
Answer:
The Buddhism was quite popular among the Hindus due to its simple- doctrines. The Hindus also followed the practice of the Buddhists and built beautiful temples to worship their Gods and Goddesses.

Question 39.
Mention two important features of each — Mahayana and Hinayana Buddhism.
Answer:
The Mahayana Buddhism insisted on worshiping the images of Buddha and prayed for forgiveness of sins and for salvation. The Mahayana Buddhism adopted Sanskrit for the writing of their scriptural texts. The Hinayana Buddhism had no faith in idol-worship. Buddha was represented only in symbols such as a pair of foot-prints or an empty seat.

Question 40.
What was the impact of Jainism and Buddhism on the caste system ?
Answer:
The Jainism and Buddhism badly sabotaged the Caste System that had been prevailing during that time. The common mass got very much attracted to these religions, who accepted all the followers worship altogether without any caste-distinction. Both the religions united the people in society who had been divided before, over caste and creed-issues.

Question 41.
Mention two features of the Brahmanical faith of the 6th Century BC which were opposed by the Buddha.
Answer:
Two features of the Brahmanical faith of the 6th Century BC which the Buddha opposed were:

1. Buddha condemned all forms of sacrifices that were conducted by the Brahmans during the 6th Century BC.
2. Buddha discarded the complicated Sanskrit language of Vedic scriptures which was unintelligible to the ordinary people.

Question 42.
Mention any two features of the Brahmanical faith of the 6th Century BC which were accepted by the Buddha.
Answer:
The ‘Karma theory’ and ‘Nirvana’ are the two features of the Brahmanical faith of the 6th Century BC which were accepted by the Buddha.

Question 43.
Name one of the famous Chaityas at Euora.
Answer:
Vishvakarma.

Question 44.
With what religion, was the cave-temple at Udayagiri associated ?
Answer:
With Jain religion

Question 45.
Mention the important features of the Viharas at Udayagiri.
Answer:
The Viharas possess semicircular arches resting on pillars surrounded by figures of animals. Some of these caves have two stores and some consist of a row of cells for the monks with an opening into a courtyard.

Question 46.
Name any two places where Ashokan Pillars were found.
Answer:
Lauria Nandangarh (Bihar) and Rampurva.

STRUCTURED QUESTIONS

Question 1.
Examine the sources to reconstruct the two great religious movements —Jainism and Buddhism — under the following heads (a) Twelve Angas (b) Tripitakas (c) Jatakas
Answer:
The sources to reconstruct the two great religious movements under the following sources on
(a) Twelve Angas — A Jain Council (at Pataliputra) collected and compiled the teachings of Mahavira and Jain religious literature into twelve The twelve Angas contain the rules for Jain monks and teachings of Jain Tirthankars or spiritual Gurus. These works, written in Ardhamagadhi, are divided into many subsections or parts, such as Upangas, Prakimas, Sutras and other texts.
(b) Tripitakas — The Tripitakas (three baskets) are also written in Pali. These three books are:

1. Sutta Pitaka contains the Buddhist teachings and sayings of the Buddha. It tells about the origin of Universe and the unnatural character of the caste system. The Buddhist ideas of karma, rebirth and Nirvana are found in this book.
2. Abhidhamma Pitaka presents a philosophical interpretation of the doctrines contained in Sutta Pitaka. It is written mostly in the form of question and answer.
3. Vinaya Pitaka contains rules for the guidance of the Buddhist monks and nuns. It gives a list of sins and offences likely to the committed by members of the Buddhist sangh and the punishment they deserved.

(c) Ja takas — The Jataka tales, written in Pali, deal with the previous births of Lord Buddha. These tales also throw light on political, economic and social conditions ranging from fifth to second century BC. There are more than 550 such stories.

Question 2.
There were many factors responsible for the rise of Jainism and Buddhism in the 6th century BC.
In this context, explain the role of the following:
(a) Ritualistic Vedic Religion.
(b) Supremacy of the Priestly Class.
(c) Rigit Caste System.
(d)Difficult Vedic Language.
Answer:
Many factors were responsible for the rise of Jainism and Buddhism in the 6th century BC in this context the given points are explained as ahead:
(a)
Ritualistic Vedic Religion: The simple religion of the early Aryans was replaced by meaningless rituals and complicated ceremonies. The common people were greatly burdened with the elaborate rites and ceremonies which were too expensive for them to perform. They became discontented with the religious beliefs and practices of that age.
(b)
Supremacy of the Priestly Class: The expensive religious rites and rituals made the position of the priestly class quite strong and dominating in the society. They in a sense turned supreme, intervening into the life of a man from birth till death. They even had a strong hold in the royal courts due to enormous powers they exercised. People turned against these priests, who made their religion complicated, expensive and burdensome.
(c)
Rigid Caste System: The Castes became rigid like— water-tight compartments. Castes were decided according to birth and not according to profession. People from the lower’castes were maltreated by the high castes. They were deprived of their rights to enter the shrines, to own land or to get on education. The institution of untouch ability too came into being. The intellectuals and reformers, therefore resented such unjust social distinctions among the people.
(d)
Difficult Vedic Language: The Vedic literature had been written in Sanskrit, which was beyond the comprehension of the common people. Many could not understand the Vedic mantras recited by the Brahmin priests who conducted the religious ceremonies. The people had to depend on the priestly class-lo understand the meaning of all these Vedic works.

Question 3.
Give a brief account of the life of Lord Mahavira. Explain his teachings regarding:
(a) The Five Vows
(b) Belief in God
(c) Rejection of Rituals
(d) Treating People on an Equal basis
Answer:
Mahavira is the name most commonly used to refer to the Indian sage Vardhamana. Who established what are today considered to be the central tenets of Jainism. Mahavira was born to king Sidharatha and Queen Trishala on the 13th day under the rising moon of the Chaitra. While still in his mother’s womb it is believed he brought wealth and prosperity to the entire kingdom, which is why he was also known as Vardhaman. Though Vardhaman was instructed in all branches of knowledge, he showed more interest in spiritual matters. After attaining spiritual knowledge, he travelled from place to place preaching his doctrines. He received supports from the royal families of Kosala, Magadha, Avanti, etc.

(a) The Five Vows: Mahavira laid great emphasis on the principle of Ahimsa. It is a term meaning do not harm (literally the avoidance of violence-himsa). Ahimsa is a  rule of conduct that bars the killing or injuring of living beings. Besides Ahimsa, the Jains were required to take vows of not telling a lie, not to steal, non-attachment to wordy things and celibacy, i.e., Brahmacharya.

(b) Belief in God: Mahavira did not believe in the existence of God. He had no faith in the theory that God created the world. According to him, man is responsible for his own destiny. Emancipation from suffering does not depend upon any outside power. Man can escape from his misery and suffering only through leading a life of renunciation.

(c) Rejection of Rituals: Mahavira did not attach any importance to the meaningless rites and ceremonies and the sacrificial rituals of the Brahmanical religion.

(d) Treating people on an Equal Basis: Mahavira believed in the equality of all human beings. All have the right to attain Nirvana by leading a pure life. He preached that there should not be any discrimination on grounds of castes. He even favored the freedom of woman and allowed them to join the Jain Sangha.

Question 4.
With reference to the life and teachings of Gautama Buddha, explain the following:
(a) How did Buddha get Enlightenment?
(b) What views did Buddha hold reagrding:
(1) Karma Theory  (2) Nirvana  (3) Existence of God; and  (4) Ahimsa?
Answer:
The given questions with reference to the life and teachings of Gautama Buddha are answered as below:
(a)
Gautama Buddha was born about the years 567 BC in the village of Lumbini near Kapilavastu. The Kshatriya Prince, Gautam was the son of Suddhodhana, the Chief of the Shakya Clan of Kapilavastu in the foot-hills of Nepal.Right from childhood, his inclination was towards deep spiritual matters and got never enticed to the luxuries of royal life. He was married to princess Yashodhara and they had a son named, Rahula. Gautama could no longer get entwined to the family life, as his urge to find the solution to the enigmatic process of life and death, never allowed him to remain at ease.

The “Four Great Sights” in Buddha’s life brought a big change in his life and at the age of 29, he broke all his worldly ties and left his palace as an ascetic in search of truth. This event came to be known as the Great Renunciation (Maha Parityaga). When Gautama Buddha’s spiritual quest could not be quenched after he accompanied a number of Brahmins and religious teachers. The severe penance that he performed along with five Brahmin ascetics also proved to be futile to seek the answers to his questions of the mysticsm. He gave up penance after learning it’s futility. Then he sat under a Pipal tree at Bodh Gaya and remained in meditation till he attained spiritual knowledge.
(b)
Ultimately, the true light dawned on him and he came to be known as the Buddha or the Enlightened One.Buddha held the following views on the given topics, regarding his life and teachings.

1. Karma Theory: Buddha believed in the theory of Karma (actions). He preached that whatever a man sows ; good or bad, he has to ultimately reap it accordingly. The condition of man in this life and the next, depends on his deeds and he has to bear the consequences of his own actions. Neither sacrifices, nor any prayers to God can change a man’s destiny.
2. Nirvana: Man’s ultimate aim in life is to attain Nirvana—the final bliss which is free from desire and sorrow, and is an escape from the cycle of birth and re-birth. One can attain Nirvana by following the Eight-Fold Path.
3. Existence of God: Buddha was mute on the existence of God. He neither accepted, nor denied the existence of God. He declined mechanical worship of Gods and in it’s place, he gave stress on a high ethical code.
4. Ahimsa (Non-violence): He believed that the spirit of love is more important than good-deeds. He was strongly against anyone causing harm to any living-being. He also was believer of the concept that non-violence should be the main principle of practical mortality.

Question 5.
With reference to the spread and growth of Buddhism, explain the role of each of the following:
(a) Simple Teachings.
(b) Simple Language.
(c)The Buddhist Sangha.
(d) Royal Patronage.
Answer:
With reference to the spread and growth of Buddhism, the role of each of the given heads is explained ahead:
(a) Simple Teachings: Buddha’s teachings were quite simple. He condemned complicated rituals and ceremonies and strongly opposed all forms of sacrifices. He demonstrated a religion devoid of all expensive practices and made it accessible to the common people.

(b) Simple Language: Buddha and his disciples used only popular dialects as the source for their teachings. They discarded the complicated Sanskrit language of the Vedic scriptures which was unintelligible to the ordinary people.

(c) The Buddhist Sangha: Buddha established the Buddhist Sangha to spread his teachings far and wide. The male members were called Bhikshus. Even, women were allowed to join the Sangha as Bhikshunis or nuns. They lived in monasteries, known as Viharas, specially constructed for them. They led a highly disciplined life renouncing all pleasures of the world and engaged in preaching the doctrines of Buddha.

(d) Royal Patronge: Buddhism was apparently accepted by the great leaders like—Ashoka, Kanishka and Harsha. These rulers actively participated in flourishing and popularising Buddhism in the States and abroad. They sent Buddhist Missionaries to many countries like—Sri Lanka, China, Myanmar, Japan and Korea to spread the light of Truth attained by Buddha.

Question 6.
With reference to the decline of Buddhism in India, explain each of the following causes:
(a) Revival of Brahmanical Hinduism.
(b) Loss of Royal Patronage.
(c) Split in Buddhism.
(d) Corruption in Buddhist Sangha.
Answer:
With reference to the decline of Buddhism in India, the given headlines are explained below:

1. Revival of Brahmanical Hinduism: The efforts of great Brahmin scholars like—Shankaracharya and Kumarila Bhatta to eradicate the evils that had crept into the Brahmanical religion,’ led to the revival of Hinduism. Eventually, they were able to establish the supremacy of the Vedic religion over Buddhism.
2. Loss of Royal Patronage: The Gupta period marked the beginning of the decline of Buddhism. The Gupta rulers were zealous followers of Hinduism. They encouraged their religion and the Sanskrit language.They built beautiful temples for the Hindu Gods. Loss of royal patronage was great blow to Buddhism.
3. Split in Buddhism: During the reign of Kanishka, Buddhism was split into two sects—the Mahayana and the Hinayana. With the rise of the Mahayana, the line dividing Buddhism from Hinduism became very thin. Gradually, the power of Hinduism absorbed Buddhism in itself.
4. Corruption in Buddhist Sangha: With the passage of time, the spirit of Buddhism started disappearing in the Buddhist monks and nuns as it was before. They assumed luxurious life in the rich monasteries which had now become the abodes of wealth and power. They indulged in collecting huge amount of money as revenues from the vast estates that were donated to the monasteries. Eventually, corruption crept in. The moral degeneration of the monks and nuns was one of the most important factors of the downfall of Buddhism.

Question 7.
What impact did Buddhism have on:
(a) India’s Religion.(b) Literature .(c) Education (d) Art and Architecture.
Answer:
On the basis of the given hints, Buddhism had significant impact in all these fields explained below:
(a) India’s Religion:
The practical and simple doctrines left a deep impression on Hinduism. It won the hearts of many, with its simple doctrines, which were easy to understand and follow. The principle of Ahimsa (non-violence) got very popular among the Hindus. The Hindus gradually started avoiding costlier religious ceremonies like sacrifices and Yajnas. The Mahavanists started the cult of worshiping Buddha and Bodhisattvas, making idols and erecting temples in their honor. Imitating them, the Hindus too followed the practice of Buddhists, and built beautiful temples to worship their Gods and Goddesses.

(b) Literature:
Much of the Buddhist-Literature had been composed in the common-speaking language of the people in that time. Two centuries after the death of Buddha, his teachings were compiled and known as Tripitaka of the three baskets. The first part is the Sutta Pitaka, it consists of the collection of Buddha’s discourses and teachings. The second part was the Vinaya Pitaka which contains rules and regulations framed for the guidance of those who belong to the monastic order. The third part was the Abhidhamma Pitaka which contains the philosophical explanation of the doctrines of the Buddhist religion. The Jatakas contain tales, dealing with the previous births of the Buddha. These tales were written in Pali script. They greatly enriched Indian literature. They throw light on the social and political conditions of the people in the 3rd and 4th centuries BC. The Mahayana Buddhists produced their religious literature in Sanskrit.

(c) Education:
Buddhist monasteries became great centers of learning. A number of learned scholars in these monasteries, taught Buddhist scriptures, logic, philosophy, medicine, astronomy etc. These centers of learning developed into famous universities—Nalanda, Taxila, Vikramasila etc. They fascinated scholars from many countries of the world.

(d) Art and Architecture:
Buddhist viharas, temples and monument were known for their beautiful carvings. The gateways and railings of the Sanchi Stupa were covered with sculptured figures. They constructed many cave temples, which were decorated with beautiful frescoes. The Gandhara art was developed under Buddhist patronage. The numerous rock-cut cave temples, stupas and pillars, bear testimony to the Buddhist ingenuity in the field of architecture.

Question 8.
Study the picture of the Stupa at Sanchi and answer the following questions:
(a) When and by whom was the Original Stupa built ?
(b)Which Dynasty enlarged it ?
(c) Mention two important features of the Stupa.
(d) What events are depicted on the Panels of the Gafeway ?
Answer:
(a) The Original Stupa at Sanchi was built in the 3rd Century BC by Ashoka.
(b) It was enlarged by the Sanga Dynasty.
(c) The Stupa was equipped with four gateways on all four sides. The Gateways are lavishly covered with magnificent sculptures which depict episodes from Buddha’s life and from the Jataka tales.
(d) The Panels of the Gateways depict events from Buddha’s life and from Jataka tales. Buddha was represented in Symbolic form like that of a wheel or a lotus or a throne under pipal

Question 9.
Mention the points of difference between the two sects of Buddhism—the Mahayana and the Hinayana.
Answer:
The points of difference between the Mahayana and Mahayana and the Hinayana are mentioned below:

1. The Hinayanists belonged to original sect, looking upon Buddha as their teacher and guide and following his simple teachings. They did not look at Buddha as an incarnation of God or as a Saviour.
2. The Eight-Fold Path was strictly obeyed by the followers of Hinayana that constituted on good deeds and a holy life. The Mahayanists, found the concept of Nirvana to be too cold and remote. New ideas of gorgeous heavens came to be developed by them.
3. The Hinayanists, rejected idol-worship. Buddha was represented only in Symbols such as a pair of foot-prints or an empty seat.
4. The Pali script was exercised by the Hinayanists to preach their faith and for writing their sacred literature. The Mahayanists adopted Sanskrit for the writing of the holy texts.

Question 10.
In the 6th century BC, many Republics developed in India. In this context explain:
(a) The administrative system of the Republics.
(b) Causes why the Republics collapsed.
Answer:
In the 6th century BC. many Republics developed in India in this context the mentioned headlines are explained as under:
(a) The administrative system of the Republics: The administrative and judicial business of the Republic was carried on in the public assembly (council). The assembly also met to make laws for the republic. The people had an elected chief, called He presided over the Assembly sessions. Some of the eminent republics were the Shakyas of Kapilvastu, the Videhas of Mithila and the Lichhavis of Vaishali. Each republic was a nation-in-arms. But these republics did not become purely ‘military’.

(b) Causes why the Republics collapsed: The republics were small in size and they lacked unity that weakened their strength. The rise of monarchical kingdoms of the Ganga Valley made the existence of the republics shaky. Kosala and Magadha were each expanding at the expense of their weak neighbors. The Shakyas and Mallas had already vanished during the age of the Buddha.

Question 11.
Study the picture of an excavated hall at Karle and answer the following questions:
(a) What is the name given to such a Hall ?
(b) Name the State in which Karle Cave is situated.
(c) What was the purpose of the Hall ?
(d) Mention three important features of the Hall at Karle.
Answer:
(a) Such a Hall is named as The Karle Chaitya.
(b) The Karle Cave is situated in Pune, Maharashtra.
(c) The purpose of the Hall w^;as to perform prayer meetings associate^ with the Buddhist religion.
(d) The Hall at Karle is constructed of rock, inside the Chaitya, are columns of remarkable beauty, there is a fine stupa at one end of the Hall.

Question 12.
During King Bimbisara’s reign, Magadha rose to great prominence. In this context mention briefly:
(a) The conquests and achievements of King Bimbisara.
(b) Reasons why Magadha became a powerful kingdom.
Answer:
Magadha rose to great prominence during King Bimbisara’s reign in this context the given headlines are briefly described as ahead:
(a)  The conquests and achievements of King Bimbisara:
King Bimbisara ruled over Magadha from about 542 BC Up to 492 BC. His capital was Rajagriha, the modern Rajgir in the Patna district. Bimbisara conquered Anga, the region to the east of Magadha. He married Kosala devi of Kosala and received the town of Kasi as dowry. He married Chellana, the youngest daughter of the ruler of Vaishali. Avanti and Gandhara were powerful kingdoms at that time. Bimbisara was on friendly terms with them. In the Buddha’s time, Magadha included about eighty thousand villages. Bimbisara was an efficient administrator. He built many roads and bridges and travelled from place to place to find whether his subject was happy or not. He had an effective control over material as well as human resources of kingdom.

(b) Reasons why Magadha became a powerful kingdom:

1. It had fertile plains to produce a variety of crops. The big landlords employed dasas (slaves) and other laborers. The expansion of the economy led to increased commercial activity. The king received a lot of land-revenue and other taxes. The income was used to maintain vast armies.
2. Iron was discovered in large quantities in Chota Nagpur and the hilly regions of Magadha. It was used in making weapons and agricultural implements. Magadha’s successful military campaign against Anga eliminated an important rival at the very beginning of its imperial highness.
3. The rivers – Ganga, Son, Gandaka and Sarayu provided water-ways for traders to go to all directions. The trade, crafts and commercial activity made Magadha a prosperous kingdom. However, there were great inequalities of income between social classes.
4. Magadha had a large and strong infantry. It included Chaturangini sena (the foot-soldiers, the chariot-warriors, the cavalry’ and the war-elephants). This gave Magadha extra military’ advantage.

Question 13.
Give a brief account of the life of Lord Mahavira. With reference to his teachings explain:

(a) Principle of Ahimsa.
(b) No Belief in God.
(c) Doctrine of Salvation.
(d) Rejection of Rituals.
(e) Equality of all Human beings.
Answer:
With reference to the teachings mentioned above a brief account of the life of Lord Mahavira is explained as under:

(a) Principle of Ahimsa: Mahavira’s original name was Vardhamana. He was born at Kundagrama, now called as Basukunda, in the modern district of Muzza farpur in Bihar. His father Siddhartha, was the head of Kshatriya clan and his mother, Trishala was a Lichhavi princess. Vardhmana leaned towards spiritual matters. He got married to princess Yashoda, a daughter was born to them. At the age of twenty, Mahavira renounced all the worldly pleasures. He left his home in search of truth. He attained spiritual knowledge at the age of 33. He traveled from place to place to preach the people and spread the light of truth among the people. At the age of 72 at Pava, in Patna District ‘Mahavira attained Mahavira laid great emphasis on the principle of Ahimsa. He stressed that all creatures, animals and plants possess life. No harm should be caused to any living creature.

(b) No Belief in God: Mahavira did not believe in the existence of God. He had no faith in the theory that Cod created the world. According to him, man is responsible for his own destiny. Emancipation from suffering does not depend upon any outside power. Man can escape from his misery’ and suffering only through leading a life of renunciation.

(c) Doctrine of Salvation: Mahavira accepted the current theories of Karma and rebirth. His main aim in life had been to attain salvation. He exhorted that man could be liberated from the cycle of birth and rebirth by following the Triratna (3 gems) right faith, right knowledge and right conduct. Mahavira stressed the fact that right conduct is possible through making five vows—not to injure anything Ahimsa), not to tell lies (Satya), not to steal, not to have any possession, and to observe celibacy Brahmacharya).

(d) Rejection of Rituals: Mahavira did not ascribe any importance to the meaningless rites and’ceremonies and the sacrificial of the Brahmanical religion.

(e) Equality of all Human beings: Mahavira believed in the equality of all human beings. All have the right to attain Nirvana by leading a pious life. He preached that there should not be any discrimination on grounds of caste. He even favored the freedom of women and allowed them to join the Jain

Question 14.
There are many sources to reconstruct the two great religious movements – Jainism and Buddhism. In this context mention the significance of each of the following:
(a) The Jataka tales and the Tripitakas.
(b) Stupa at Sanchi and Shravan Belgola.
(c) Gandhara School of Art.
Answer:
(a)
The Jataka tales and the Tripitakas .The Jatakas tales written in Pali language refer to the previous birth of Lord Buddha. They also throw light .on the political, economic and social conditions ranging from fifth to second century BC. The Tripitakas (three baskets or books) is a traditional term used by various Buddhist sects to describe their various covers of scriptures. As the name suggests, a Tripitaka traditionally contains three baskets of teachings.
(b)
Stupa at Sanchi and Shravan BelgolaStupa at Sanchi is one of the important places of Buddhist pilgrimage. Its ‘ nucleus was a simple hemispherical brick structure built over the relics of Buddha. It was crowned by the Chatra symbolising high rank, which was intended to honor and shelter the relics. It showed scenes from the life of the Buddha integrating with everyday events that would be familiar to the onlookers and so make it easier for them to understand the Buddhist creed as relevant to their lives. Shravan Belgola is a city located in the Indian states of Karnataka. It reached a peak in architectural and sculptural activity, under the patronage of Gangas of Talakad Shravan Belgola which is also known as the white pond of Shravan or the Jain monk. The derivation of the word Belgola appears to have been from the two Kannada words Bel(white) and Kola (pond) in allusion to the beautiful pond in the middle of the town. The Sanskrit equivalents Sveta-Sarovara, and Dhavala Sarovara used in the inscriptions that support the derivation of his word from the Kannada words.
(c)
The Gandhara School of Art Gandhara along with the Punjab became one of the most significant schools of early Indian art, active from about the middle of the first century BC to about the 5th century AD. Since this region was under the Greek rulers for about three centuries, Indian art was influenced by the Greco-Roman culture and this led to the development of a unique school of art, at Gandhara. In this school of art, the style and technique of Greek art was combined with Indian ideals and Indian themes. The Gandhara School produced a number of fine sculptures of Buddha and Boddhisattvas.

 

 

 

ICSE Solutions for Class 9 Geography – Landforms of the Earth

ICSE SolutionsSelina ICSE SolutionsML Aggarwal Solutions

Exercises

I. Short answer questions.

Question 1.
What is meant by a landform ?
Answer:
A landform is a natural feature on the surface of the earth with a particular shape.

Question 2.
Why are the fold mountains called so ?
Answer:
Fold mountains are called so because of the result of large- scale earth movements caused by stresses in the earth’s crust. Such stresses may be caused by weight of the overlying rocks, movements in the mantle, the expansion or contraction of some part of the earth, etc. These stresses subject the rocks to compressive forces, producing wrinkling or folding along the lines of weakness. This is shown in fig. the raising of folds makes the fold mountains.

Question 3.
Give two chief characteristics of the fold mountains.
Answer:

1. The fold mountain system has parallel ranges.
2. A fold mountain region is also a region of sudden forces such as of volcanoes and earthquakes.

Question 4.
Give one example of each :

(a) Young fold mountains;
(b) Old fold mountain. Why they are called so

Answer:

(a) These mountains are made of light sedimentary rocks of recent tertiary age and are the highest mountain system which are still increasing their heights due to gradual upthrust force. The Himalayas are called young fold mountains.
(b) The Alpine-Himalayan system and Circum Parific mountain belt are the ‘Old Fold Mountains’ which existed as geosynclines 50-60 million years ago.

Question 5.
Give example of residual mountains.
Answer:
Examples of Residual mountains are Nilgiri, Parasnath and Rajmahal Hills in India and the Catskill range in the USA.

Question 6.
How is a rift valley formed ? Give one example of a rift valley.
Answer:
A rift valley is formed by the submergence of a big landmass between two high block mountains, e.g. the Rhine river flows through a rift valley in its middle course.

Question 7.
Give a brief definition of a plateau.
Answer:
The Himalayas are an important form of folding being the highest mountain range in the world.

Question 8.
Give one example of each :

(a) Intermontane plateau
(b) Volcanic plateau and
(c) Piedmont plateau

Answer:

(a) The Tibetan plateau
(b) The Plateau of Peninsular India.
(c) The Patagonian plateau of South America.

Question 9.
Give two points of importance of landforms.
Answer:
Various landforms display the internal and external forces of the earth, different climatic effects and features, forests, snow lands giving birth to rivers, coasts and islands as fishing regions. All these together make the earth beautiful and ideal for living and various activities.

Question 10.
What are known as epeirogenic movements ?
Answer:
The movements such as uplift and submergence working in vertical direction are known as epeirogenic movements. ‘Epeiros’ in Greek means continent ‘genic’ means building. As this movement created continents coming out higher from the oceans.

Question 11.
Name two landforms created by epeirogenic movements.
Answer:

1. Block mountains.
2. Rift valleys and basins are produced by epeirogenic movements.

Question 12.
Why are the sudden forces described as ‘Constructive forces ?
Answer:
Earthquakes and volcanic activities are described as sudden forces. These forces are described as ‘Constructive Forces’ because they create relief features on the surface of the earth. As volcanic erruptions result in the formation of volcanic mountains, extensive plateaus and also plains.

Question 13.
What are called endogenic forces ?
Answer:
Endogenic forces are the internal diastrophic forces working inside the interior of the earth related to the tectonic forces.

Question 14.
Name four relief features on the surface of the earth.
Answer:
The four major landforms are mountains, plateaus, plains, valleys and basins.

Question 15.
What are known as exogenic forces ?
Answer:
Exogenic forces work on the surface of the earth through water, wind and ice, resulting in changing the shape of landforms slowly.

Question 16.
Name the two land forms produced by exogenic forces.
Answer:

1. Alluvial and erosional plains
2. Glacial landforms.

Question 17.
Give one chief characteristic of the fold mountains.
Answer:
The fold mountains are formed by the lateral compression of sedimentary rocks as seen by the different layers of various types of rocks one upon another.

Question 18.
Give one example of volcanic mountains.
Answer:
Volcanic mountains are formed by erupting magma from the inner core on the surface e.g. Mt. Krakatoa is an active volcano on the western side of Java.

Question 19.
How is a rift valley formed ? Give one example.
Answer:
A rift valley is formed by the submergence of a big landmass between two high block mountains, e.g. the Rhine river flows through a rift valley in its middle course.

Question 20.
Give a brief definition of a plateau.
Answer:
A plateau is a higher tableland between mountain and valley, lower than mountain and higher than valley.

Question 21.
Give one example of each

(a) Intermontane plateau
(b) Piedmont plateau
(c) Volcanic plateau.

Answer:

(a) The Tibetan plateau.
(b) The Patagonian plateau of South America.
(c) The Plateau of Peninsular India.

Question 22.
How are erosional plains formed ?
Answer:
Erosional plains are formed by the agents of erosion in millions of years, when the higher landforms are eroded into level plain areas, e.g. Lorraine plain in France.

Question 23.
Give two points of importance of landforms.
Answer:
Various landforms display the internal and external forces of the earth, different climatic effects and features, forests, snow lands giving birth to rivers, coasts and islands as fishing regions. All these together make the earth beautiful and ideal for living and various activities.

II. Distinguish between each of the following 

1. Fold Mountain and Block Mountain.
2. Intermontane plateau and Volcanic plateau.
3. Structural plain and Depositional plains.
4. Tectonic mountain and Volcanic mountain.

Answer:

1. Fold Mountain :

1. Fold mountains is built by the tectonic forces folding the sedimentary rocks.
2. These are formed of light sedimentary rocks e.g. the Himalayas

Block Mountain :

1. Block mountain is built after the submergence of a landmass leaving behind the big blocks on the both sides.
2. These are formed by solid rocks standing on the both sides of a rift valley. e.g. Vosges mountain in France.

2. Intermontane plateau : These are the highest and most extensive types on the globe surrounded by hills and mountains. The plateau of Tibet is the highest plateau as well as most extensive intermontane plateau. Other examples are Columbian Plateau, North Americal Cordillera, Bolivian, Peruvian and Mexican plateaus.
Volcanic Plateau : In places where fissure eruptions have taken place magma erupts quietly through narrow fissures several kilometres in length. This magma spreads on the surface and cools down as a sheet of lava covering the surface of the land. Eruptions at intervals lead to the piling up of lava sheets one over the other in a series of steps. The Deccan trap region of Peninsular India has several lava sheets having a maximum thickness of about 200 metres. This region forms a lava plateau. Other examples are South African plateau, Columbian Plateau and Ethiopian plateau.
3. Structural plain : It is formed by the uplift of landmass by Diastrophic forces creating an extensive lowland. The Missouri – Mississippi plain of U.S.A. is an example, which came out of ocean by uplift force.
Depositional plains : These plains are formed by the deposition of materials which have been brought by various agents of transportation, eg.

1. River Deposition : The most widespread of these are alluvial plains like the Northern Plains of India; the flood plains like the Mississippi Plains in the USA, deltaic plains in Egypt and India
2. Wind Deposition : Most of such plains are sandy deserts like the Sahara in Africa and the Thar desert in India. They have irregular and undulating surface made by existence of sand dunes and hallows.
3. Marine Deposition : These plains are found in coastal regions. Examples are the east coast of India, the estuarine banks in the Netherlands, coast of Germany and Denmark.

4. Tectonic mountain :

1. It is built by the tectonic force working on the crust of the earth.
2. It is the result of upthrust force of the tectonic movement.
3. It may be built by sedimentary or metamorphic rocks.

Volcanic mountain :

1. It is built by the volcanic eruption from the interior of the earth.
2. It is the result of upthrust force of magma coming up on the earth surface.
3. It may be built by crystalline igneous rocks of particular composition.

III. Give one technical term for each of the following 

Question 1.
Block mountains with flattened summits.
Answer:
Horst Mountains.

Question 2.
Plateaus surrounded by hills and mountains on all sides.
Answer:
Intermontane plateaus.

Question 3.
Plateaus formed by lava.
Answer:
Volconic plateaus.

Question 4.
An extensive area of lowland with a level or gently undulating surface.
Answer:
Plain.

Question 5.
The compressional forces that cause folding of rocks and formation of fold mountains.
Answer:
Diastrophic forces.

Question 6.
The vertical movements which are the result of faults and cracks in the surface of the earth.
Answer:
Epeirogenic forces.

Question 7.
The forces operating on the surface of the earth.
Answer:
Exogenic forces.

Question 8.
Plateaus surrounded by mountains on one side and plains on the other.
Answer:
Piedmont plateaus

P Q. Fill in the blanks with suitable words.

1. Volcanic activity is a sudden movement.
2. The upfolds of the rock strata are called anticlines.
3. The Mid-Atlantic Ridge rises 3 km above the floor of the Atlantic.
4. The Great Plain of the USA was formed by Diastrophic forces.
5. The Great Northern plains of India were formed by River Deposition.

IV. Long Answer Questions.

Question 1.
1. Describe the formation of mountains and their types.
Answer:
Mountains are classified into three main types depending on the forces that have formed them. Three main types of mountains are

1. Fold Mountains : Fold mountains are the result of large-scale earth movements caused by stresses in the earth’s crust. Such stresses may be caused by weight of the overlying rocks, movements in the mantle, the expansion or contraction of some part of the earth, etc. These stresses subject the rocks to compressive forces, producing wrinkling or folding along the lines of weakness. This is shown in fig. The raising of folds makes the fold mountains.
   
2. Residual Mountains : Mountains which are subjected to weathering and erosion for a longtime, are lowered down and called residual or relict mountains.
   Denudation and erosion by natural agents like winds, water, snow etc., cause the mountains to be lowered but some resistant areas may remain and form residual mountains.
   They may also be formed on plateaus that are dissected by rivers. For example the hills and valleys in the Deccan plateau.
   Some examples of Residual mountains are Nilgiri, Parasnath and Rajmahal Hills in India and the Catskill range in the USA.
   
3. Block Mountains : Horst or a block mountain is an uplifted land mass situated between two adjacent faults. The central block is upthrown or land on the outer-sides of the faults is downthrown so that the central mass appears like a highland. Its surface is like a plateau, but it has steep edges. The Vosges mountains to the west of the Rhine Rift Valley and the Black Forest mountain to the east of the Rhine Rift Valley are good examples of Horsts.
   

Question 2.
Describe the characteristics of four different types of plateaus.
Answer:
Intermontane plateaus are the highest plateaus between highest mountains, e.g. Tibetan plateau. Piedmont plateaus lie between mountains and plains with steep slopes towards plains due to the force of flowing water downwards, e.g. Appolochian plateau of U.S.A., Patagonia plateau of South America Volcanic plateaus are created by volcanic eruption and Lava flows, e.g. Deccan plateau of peninsular India Uplifted plateaus are caused by the endogenic forces resulting in the dome shaped plateaus e. g. Chhotanagpur plateau in India

Question 3.
Describe the characteristics of structural plains.
Answer:
Structural plains are created by uplifting of a large landmass due to Diastrophic movements, e.g. plainofU.S.A. Erosionalplains are formed by eroding highlands into plain areas, e.g. Lorraine plain in France. Srinagar Valley of Kashmir is the result of glacial erosion, Sahara desert plain is the result of wind erosion. Karst plains are created by erosion of limestone rocks by ground water, e.g. Karst plain of Yugoslavia. Depositional plains are caused by large scale deposition of debris and silt deposited by the running water or rivers, e.g. Northern plain of India.

Question 4.
Explain the chief characteristics of depositional plains and their types.
Answer:
Depositional plains These plains are formed by the deposition of materials which have been brought by various agents of transportation, eg.

1. River Deposition : The most widespread of these are alluvial plains like the Northern Plains of India; the flood plains like the Mississippi Plains in the USA, deltaic plains in Egypt and India
2. Wind Deposition : Most such plains are sandy deserts like the Sahara in Africa and the Thar desert in India. They have irregular and undulating surface made by existence of sand dimes and hallows.
3. Marine Deposition : These plains are found in coastal regions. Examples are the east coast of India, the estuarine banks in the Netherlands, coast of Germany and Denmark.

Question 5.
Give a brief account of importance of landforms on the surface of the earth.
Answer:
Landforms play an important role for human activities by providing different aspects of landscapes, climatic variety, natural gifts of snowclad ranges, glaciers and rivers etc., various vegetation zones imparting innumerable forest’ products, agriculture and other occupations related to different types of landforms, natural beauty and tourism all these making this earth fascinating living world.

Practice Questions (Solved)

Question 1.
Describe the direction in which the following mountain systems lie and also point out the continents where they are found.

(a) Alpine Himalayan System
(b) Rocky-Andean System

Answer:

(a) Alpine and Himalayan System both run from West to East direction in Europe and Asia continents respectively.
(b) Rocky-Andean System both run from North to South in the western margins of North America and South America continents.

Question 2.
Describe the different stages in the growth of mountains.
Answer:
There are three different stages in the growth of mountains.

1. The geosyncline stage : The deposition of sediments in the sea-bed to form large geosynclines.
2. The Orogenic stage : The tectonic forces working horizontally push and press there geosynclines to form various folds.
3. Epeirogenic stage : When the whole mass of geosynclines is raised and buckled up and form a distinct series of troughs (synclines) and arcs (auticlines) i.e. Mountains and Valleys.

Question 3.
What are the different types of Geosynclines ?
Answer:
There are three types of Geosynclines

1. Monogeosynclines : Long, narrow geosynclines along narrow water bodies take the shape of narrow mountains such as Appalachian mountains of North America.
2. Polygeosynclines : Geosynclines laid down in wide and long water basin take the shape of broad and long mountain ranges like Rockies in North America.
3. Mesogeosynclines : The geosynclines lying between Europe and Africa continents resulted in various mountain ranges e.g. Alps and Pyrenees in Europe, Atlas in Africa.

Question 4.
Write a note on the characteristics of folded mountains.
Answer:
Folded mountains are formed by the forces of compression and contortion resulting in a series of synclines and anticlines, later on undergoing various erosive forces. All the highest mountain systems are example of folded mountains made of sedimentary rocks.

Question 5.
What are Block mountains ? How are they formed ?
Answer:
Block mountains are formed on the both sides of a rift valley, which is formed by deep submergence of a large landmass leaving behind two raised platform type blocks known as Block mountains. These landforms are created by displacement of landmass along fault lines known as faulting.

Question 6.
How can mountains be classified according to their different size and arrangement ? Describe in detail two of the classes of such mountains.
Answer:
Simply the mountains can be divided into 4 groups

1. Folded mountains
2. Block mountains
3. Volcanic mountains
4. Relict mountains

Volcanic mountains : are formed by the eruption and deposition of magma from the interior core to the land surface. According to their construction these are Cinder or Ash cones, Lava cones and composite cones, e.g. Fujiyama in Japan.
Relict mountains : These are formed by the continuous erosion ofthe original materials and giving birth to the hills of rounded peaks made of high density rocks, which have undergone excessive pressure and denudation by natural agents. One of the best example is Vindhyanchal mountain.

Question 7.
What are Block mountains ? How are they formed ?
Answer:
Horst or a block mountain is an uplifted land mass situated between two adjacent faults. The central block is upthrown or land on the outer-sides of the faults is downthrown so that the central mass appears like a highland. Its surface is like a plateau, but it has steep edges. The Vosges mountains to the west of the Rhine Rift Valley and the Block Forest mountains to the east of the Rhine Rift Valley are good examples of Horsts.

Question 8.
How can mountains be classified according to their different size and arrangement ?
Answer:
Mountains can be classified according to their different size and arrangement as given below :

1. CordillersThese are large regions of mountains topography which are characterised by a large number of chains and ranges.
2. System It is formed of several associated ranges. These ranges should be similar in position, form and structure although treanches or basins may separate them.
3. ChainIt is a series of ridges in one line although separated by trough like valleys.
4. RangeIt is a linear arrangement consisting of a large number of peaks and ridges separated by valleys. The different mountains possess a unity of form and structure.
5. Group It is a circular or massive arrangement of peaks and ridges. Group formations often result from the erosion of laccolths.
6. Ridge It is the individual arch or block that results from folding and faulting. It may be of various types according as the slope is steep on one side or the other.
7. Peaks These are formed by the less regular beds resisting denudation. They may be dome-like or pyramidical or needle-shaped. Their shape depends upon the rock structure and joint planes of the region. The peaks and ridges may either be arranged parallel to one another or may be quite isolated of may be arranged like features round a dome or they may be cones formed due to volcanic extrusion.

Question 9.
What are plateaus ? How are they different from mountains ? Give suitable examples.
Answer:
Plateaus Plateaus or table lands are elevated uplands, extensive in size and descending steeply to the surrounding regions. On the other hand, a portion of land surface rising considerably above the surroundings either as a single eminence or in a range if chain is called a ihountains.
Examples of Plateaus :

1. Deccan Plateau of India.
2. Tibetan Plateau (called the roof of the world)

Question 10.
What is a Piedmont Plateau ? How is it different from a Continental plateau ? Give suitable examples to illustrate.
Answer:
Piedmont Plateaus The plateaus which lie at the foot of the mountains are called Piedmont plateaus. These are flanked on one side by the plains or seas. The chief examples are the Colorado plateau or North America and the Patagonia Plateau of South America. Continental Plateaus The extensive and massive tablelands which rise abruptly from the bordering lowlands or from the sea are called continental plateaus. On most of their margins, there is sea. They seldom have mountainous rims. The major portion of Africa, Arabia, Spain, Australia, Peninsular India, Greenland and Antarctica are continental plateaus.

Question 11.
Write short notes on the following :

(a) Coastal plains
(b) Karst plains
(c) Peneplain
(d) Cuestiform plains.

Answer:

(a) Coastal plains : The plains situated near a sea coast are called coastal plains. They are formed by the sea waves after sea bottoms have emerged. The newly emerged plain is generally broad and wide and comprise of loosely compacted layers of mud and sand. Many coastal plains increased in which towards the sea because the sea waves continue adding matter to it.
(b) Karst plains : These plains are formed by the action of underground water, dissolving the regions made of chalk or limestone are called Karst plains. They are often flat-bottomed. Due to wind erosion and differential weathering, the topography is etched and rounded or even polished in a curious manner. Some of the relief features are quite fantastic in shape, especially the pebbles and other fragments that litter the surface of these plains.
(c) Peneplains : Very low undulating plains are called peneplains. They are almost plains.
(d) Cuestiform plains : The plains marked by a concentric arrangement of ridges and lowlands are called Cuestiform plains. Paris and London are the typical examples of such plains. They are made by river action on hard and soft rocks. Consequently they become rolling like the downs of S.E. England.

Question 12.
Why and how are the plains the centres of all human activity ?
Answer:
The plains are the centres of great economic advancement. The alluvial plains have been the cradles of civilisation from the earliest time. They have the following advantages to man:

1. Railways, roads and waterways can be easily laid.
2. They are the granary of the world.
3. Due to fine climate, fertile soil and facilities for movement, the plains have become thickly populated and most of the big cities and towns are situated in the plains of the world except in areas which suffer from harsh climate and temperature.

Question 13.
Differentiate between Young fold mountains and Old fold mountains.
Answer:
Old fold mountains : The fold mountains which were formed about more than 250 million years ago are called old fold mountains. For example, the Urals in Russia, the Appalachians in North America and the Aravalli range in India are old fold mountains. These mountain ranges are of low altitude and have gentle slopes.
Young fold mountains : The most recent phase of mountain building took place about 25 million years ago. The world’s highest mountain ranges were formed during this period. These are known as young fold mountains. They have rugged relief features because they have been subjected to denudation for a comparatively short period only.

Question 14.
Give reasons for the following :

1. Old fold mountains have low altitude and gentle slopes.
2. Young fold mountains have rugged relief features.
3. Young fold mountains are liable to Earthquakes and Volcanic action.

Answer:

1. Old fold mountains have low altitude and gentle slopes because they have been subjected to denudations for million of years.
2. Young fold mountains have rugged relief features because they have been subjected to denudation for a comparatively short period only.
3. Young fold mountains are liable to Earthquakes and volcanic action because these mountain regions are areas of crustal instability.

Question 15.
State two evidences that the Earth movements have taken place in the past.
Answer:
The evidences that the Earth movements have taken place in the past are as follows :

1. The basins containing sedimentary rocks indicate that such basins must have been below sea level in the past. The coalfields of the Damodar valley occur in such basins of the geological past.
2. Oilfields occur in basins containing old sedimentary rocks. Such basins are now occurring on the land. This shows that the portion of the crust which was once depressed must have been uplifted later.
3. llie Himalayas provide another evidence of the recent effect of Earth movements.

Question 16.
What causes Orogenic movemeiits ?
Answer:
Orogenic movements are caused by compressional or tensional forces.

Question 17.
What are the effects of Epeirogenic movements ?
Answer:
Effects of epeirogenic movements :

1. They cause rising or sinking of the crust. They may cause the elevation of broad areas as extensive as those of a continent or lowering of the sea level.
2. These movements are responsible for the formation of plateaux.

ICSE Solutions for Class 9 History and Civics – The Later Vedic Age

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EXERCISES

Question 1.
Mention any two of the religious texts which serve as sources to reconstruct the later Vedic Age.
Answer:
The Brahmans and the Aryanyakas (forest texts).

Question 2.
Mention any two archaeological sources to reconstruct the later Vedic Age.
Answer:
Iron tools and pottery.

Question 3.
Name any two newer regions occupied by the Aryans during the later Vedic period.
Answer:
During the later Vedic period, the Aryans occupied the region along the course of the rivers Ganga and Yamuna—Bihar, vast regions to the east such as Kosala (east Uttar Pradesh).

Question 4.
Mention the important evidence to suggest that Southern India had also become familiar with Iron in the later Vedic Age.
Answer:
Megalithic Monuments such as dolmens and cromlechs have been found all over South India. The word ‘megalith’ means large stone (mega + lith). A dolmen or a cromlech is a megalithic tomb with a large -flat stone laid on upright ones. Iron tools, arrows and fragments of rice and other grains have been found, besides the skeletons of the persons buried in these graves. This is enough to show the transition from Copper and Bronze Age Culture to the Iron Age.

Question 5.
Mention any two of the Ashrams in the life of a man in Aryan society.
Answer:
The Brahmacharya Ashram and the Grihastha Ashram.

Question 6.
Mention the important subjects included in the courses of Gurukul education.
Answer:
Ethics, Military Science, Astronomy and Astrology were included in the course of study. Mathematics, Law and Grammar were also important subjects of study besides Vedic literature.

Question 7.
Name the sacrifice that was performed by a king at the time of his coronation during the later Vedic age.
Answer:
The Ashvamedha sacrifice was performed by a king at the time of his coronation during the later Vedic age.

Question 8.
Name arty two newer crops produced by the later Vedic Aryans.
Answer:
Virhi (rice) and wheat.

Question 9.
Name the important deities of the later Vedic period.
Answer:
Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. Lord Rama and Lord Krishna became popular deities during- the Epic period. Durga, Kali and Parvati emerged as the important female deities.

Question 10.
Name the two Epics and their authors.
Answer:
The two Epics are the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. The Ramayana was written by the sage Valmiki and the Mahabharata is believed to be the work of Ved Vyasa.

Question 11.
What is the message of the Bhagavad Gita?
Answer:
The Bhagavad Gita lays down stress on keep oneself doing hard work in the long run in respect of seeking any advantage out of it as it is the will of God to bestow his servant with the reward that he deserves. Also, it teaches; Let you not scare the Death as it is the physical body which dies but the Soul is immortal.

Question 12.
Mention briefly the rituals and sacrifices of the later Vedic Aryans?
Answer:
Sacrifice became the most important part of the religion – of the later Vedic Aryans. The ceremonies could be performed only by professional priests, many superstitious beliefs in spirits, spells and charms became part of their religion. Practice of Tapasya or penance occupied an important place in the religion. They believed in the principles of Karma (action) and Moksha (salvation).

Question 13.
Mention the reasons for the importance of the Brahmins (priestly class) in the later Vedic society.
Answer:
In the later Vedic period, the simple religious practices became complicated and ritualistic which were varied handled by the priests themselves as they had a vast knowledge of enchanting mantras in a meaningful manner to perform the holy rituals for a purpose, wish or some other reason. Hence, the priestly class was always given a prominent position in society in the later Vedic period.

STRUCTURED QUESTIONS

Question 1.
What information do we gather from the later Vedic literature in respect of:
(a) Spread of Vedic Civilization to many New Regions.
(b) Role of Iron in later Vedic Economy.
Answer:
(a)
Aryas-expansion during the later Vedic age: As the population increased, the Aryans moved along the course of the river Ganga and Yamuna. The scene shifted from Punjab to the land of the Kurus which was the region round dem Delhi. Further, they occupied vast regions to the east, such as Kosala (east Uttar Pradesh), Kashi (Varanasi), Videha (north Bihar) and Magadha (south Bihar). The name ‘ Vangas’ occurs in one of the Aranyakas (forest texts), which refers to the people of Eastern Bengal. The Aitareya Brahmana mentioned the Andhra, who in modern times are the Telugu-speaking people of the southern India. Thus, the territories occupied by the later Vedic Aryans, comprised the whole of India to the north of the Narmada and some regions even to the south of that river.
(b)
In context of the use of Iron extensively during the later Vedic Age, the given headlines are described as under:The regions in which the use of Iron was fairly widespread during the later Vedic Age, they were the modem States of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, parts of Bengal, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. Iron weapons such as arrowheads and spearheads and tools like— knives, axes and plough shares have been discovered from various painted Grey Ware sites. But in some parts of the country, the Red Ware (pottery) were more common than the Polished Grey Ware.

Question 2.
Describe the social changes evident in the later Vedic period with reference to:|
(a) Position of Women (b) Caste System
Answer:
With reference to the given heads the social changes evident in the later Vedic period are described as under:
(a) Position of Women: The honor or respect that the women of the Rig Vedic age had enjoyed had been lessened towards the later Vedic age. Although they continued to be associated with all religious rites, the rules of marriage underment a change. If monogamy was the ideal, polygamy was practiced, at least in higher sections of society. Widow-marriage, which was fairly common in the Rig Vedic age, was now regarded with disfavor. But the education which some women received, was of high order. The discourses of women philosophers are preserved in the

(b) Caste System: The Brahmins and Kshatriyas enjoyed powers and privileges denied to the Vaisyas and the By this time, besides the four major Varnas, many other caste groups had come into being like — the merchants, the chariot-makers, the smiths, the carpenters, the tanners, the fishermen etc. Membership of a caste had become hereditary’ and there was also a fixation of occupation on the basis of one’s caste-grouping. The so-called untouchables were forced to live in separate settlements outside the village or the town boundaries.

Question 3.
In the later Vedic Age there was a marked change in the economic life of the Aryans. In this context describe :
(a) The growing importance of Agriculture
(b) Variety of Crafts
(c) Changes in the field of Trade and Commerce
Answer:
In context of the marked change in the economic life of the Aryans, the given headlines are described as follows:
(a) The growing importance of Agriculture:
Rearing of cattle and other domestic animals continued, but it was now less important than agriculture. In addition to Yava or barley, a new crop Vrihi or rice,had assumed greater significance. Fragments of both barley and rice have been found at Hastinapur and other place. The later Vedic Aryans produced many other crops such as wheat millet and sugarcane.

(b) Variety of Crafts:
Different kinds of crafts had been introduced. The main reason behind it, could be the use of iron in large quantities. Iron weapons and tools have been recovered from various Painted Grey Ware or Black and Red Ware Sites. Crafts, such as pottery, leather ­working, carpentry, making of jewelry and the manufacture of glass also flourished. Crafts specialization had now become more common that, in early Vedic period. Thus, chariot-making developed as an occupation different from that of carpentry.

(c) Change in the field of Trade and Commerce:
Important changes can be noticed in the field of trade and commerce. Commerce was made easier by the use of such units of value as nishka and satmana. The reference to ships, indicates a flourishing in land maritime trade. A class of hereditary merchants (Vanija) existed now. Many of the professions were organised into guilds, which in later ages, controlled prices and ensured the quantity of the goods.

Question 4.
Explain the religious beliefs and forms of worship during the later Vedic Age with reference to : Spiritual Philosophy of the Upanishads
Answer:
Spiritual Philosophy of the Upanishads:
Towards the end of the later Vedic phase, a new trend is visible. The Upanishads do not deal with rituals or sacrifices. They deal with the higher knowledge and explain the relationship between Jeeva (individual soul) and Brahma (Supreme Soul or God). A major concept of the Upanishads is “the essential unity of all religions, of all spiritual paths.” The Truth is One, the wise call it by many names.

 

ICSE Solutions for Class 9 History and Civics – Early Vedic Civilization

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EXERCISES

Question 1.
Name any two early Aryan settlements.
Answer:
The early Aryans settled in the Sapta-Sindhu region which comprised the five rivers of Punjab namely—Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Beas and Sutlej and the river Indus (Sindhuj and the river Sarasvati.

Question 2.
Name the first of the Vedas. Or Which is the oldest Vedic literature.
Answer:
The Rig Veda is the oldest Vedic literature.

Question 3.
What does the Rijj Veda contain ?
Answer:
It contains hymns in praise of different Gods and Goddesses like – Indra, varuna and Agni.

Question 4.
Mention any of the Vedic hymns that enables us reconstruct the Early Vedic Civilization.
Answer:
Agni. Agni was the personification of the ‘sacrificial fire.’ Sacrifices or yajnas occupied a prominent place in the early Vedic religion. Agni was thought of a messenger or a bearer of offerings (of milk, grain, ghee, etc.) from men to Gods.

Question 5.
How can you say that the Rig Vedic Age was the Non ­Iron using phase of Vedic history ?
Answer:
The copper and the bronze were available in abundance, while the use of iron was not known to the Rig Vedic Age.

Question 6.
Name any two of the four Varnas.
Answer:
The Brahmins and the Kshtriyas.

Question 7.
What w’as the position of women in the Rig Vedic age ?
Answer:
Women were treated as being equal with men. They took part in all religious rites. Women were given education. Girls had freedom in the choice of husbands. Monogamy any polygamy both were popular. Child-marriage the sati system and purdah did not exist among the Aryans. The women attended all the social functions and gatherings. People prayed for the birth of sons in particular, but there are no clues of prayers for the birth of a daughter.

Question 8.
What were the two main occupations of the Rig Vedic Aryans?
Answer:
Domestication of the animals and agriculture.

Question 9.
What form of worship did the Aryans follow during the early Vedic period?
Answer:
The early Vedic period comprised worshiping of  several gods. The Aryans used to worship Gods of the Sky or Heaven, Gods of the Atmosphere Gods of the Earth, Sacrifices or the Yajnas.

Question 10.
Name the two political institutions which exercised check on the powers of the King in the Rig Vedic period.
Answer:
The Samiti and the Sabha.

Question 11.
Mention the important features of the religion of the early Vedic period.
Answer:
The religion of the early Vedic period was very simple. The people worshiped various forces of nature as manifestations of the Supreme God. Thus, they worshiped a number of Nature Gods. The Aryans did not build any temples of worshiped idols. They used to chant hymns in the open air. Sacrifices or the Yajnas occupied a prominent place in the early Vedic period.

Question 12.
State the importance of Sacrifices in the early Vedic ritual.
Answer:
The Aryans propitiated their Gods by performing sacrifices. The common items of offerings for the sacrifice included ghee, milk, grain, flesh and soma juice. Every householder performed the sacrifice by kindling the sacred fire and reciting hymns. All the members of the family participated in these ceremonies.

Question 13.
Mention the important changes that took place in their religion of the later Vedic period.
Answer:
In the later Vedic period, Vajpeya sacrifice was performed by a new king at the time of his coronation. The Rajasuya sacrifice was performed to appease Gods in order to ensure the material well-being of the kingdom. The Ashvamedha sacrifice was performed for a powerful king to proclaim that he was the ‘King of Kings’.

Sturctue Questions.
Question 1.
Discuss the sources to reconstruct the Early Vedic (Rig Vedic) Past with reference to the following:
(a) Indra, the most favorite God of the Aryans
(b) Agni, the personification of Sacrificial fire.
(c) References to the Cow in the Rig Vedic hymns
Answer:
(a)
In the Rig Veda, Indra is the king of the gods and ruler of the heavens. Indra is the God of thunder and rain and a great warrior, a symbol of courage and strength. He leads the Deva (the gods who form and maintain Heaven) and the elements, such as Agni (Fire), Varuna (Water) and Surya (Sun). He thus fights in a timeless battle between good and evil. As the God of war, he is also regarded as one of the guardians of the directions, representing the East. As the favorite national god of the Vedic Indians, Indra has about 250 hymns dedicated to him in the Rigveda, more than those devoted to any other god and almost one fourth of the total number of hymns of the Rigveda.
(b)
Agni, the Vedic god of fire who presides over the earth, has made transition into the Hindu pantheon of gods, without losing his importance. With Vayu and Indra, who presided over the air and sky, he is one of the supreme gods in Rig Veda. The link between heaven and earth, he is associated with Vedic sacrifice, taking offerings to the other world in the fire. Agni is a deva, second only to Indra in the power and importance attributed to him in Vedic mythology. Agni stands for knowledge for it is seen by the learned people, covering all things that move and do not move and because it is summers the Devatas endowed with knowledge. The light Agni units is the light of knowledge, therefore it is known as illuminator of knowledge who lights up the path leading to truth.
(c)
Cow has been a symbol of wealth since ancient Vedic times. In the Rig Veda, the cows figure frequently as symbols to  wealth, and also in comparison with river goddesses. The Vedic god Indra is often compared to a bull. River are often linked to cows in the Rigveda.

Question 2.
Describe the social life of the Rig Vedic Aryans with reference to the following:
(a) The Family Structure
(b) Position of Women
(c) Varna System
Answer:
With reference to the given heads the social life of the Rig Vedic Aryans is described below:
(a)
The Family Structure: The basic unit of the social structure was the ‘family’. The joint family system was prevalent. Houses in this age, were built of wood or reed. The Rig Vedic society was patriarchal in which Grihyapati(master of the house) dominated in family and social life.
(b)
Position of Women: Women were given equal status to that of men in society. They were permitted to participate in all the religious rites. Gaining of education had not been restricted to them. There w’ere women scholars who composed hymns and were well-versed in the sacred scriptures. Girls could seek husbands of their own choice. Monogamy was in custom, but polygamy w’as also practiced by many. Child-marriage, the Sati system and Purdah did not exist among the Aryans, The w’omen attended all social functions and gatherings. The general tendency of people w’as to have male births rather than the females. They used to perform prayers seeking the birth of the male-child. But, in case of females, people had a repulsive attitude they did not like to have female-baby.
(c)
Varna System: One hymn in the last book of the Rig Veda refers to four orders of society — the Brahmins, the Kshatriyas, the Vaisyas and the The people w’ho explained the Vedic texts and performed the religious ceremonies were called the Brahmins. Those w’ho belonged to the ruling class, were the Kshatriyas. The common people, w’ho were engaged in agriculture, trade and industry were the Vaisyas. The Shudras were the menial workers who did not have much to ow’n. Scholars are of the opinion that the term ‘Varna’ in the Rig Veda, refers to the racial difference between the Aryans and non-Aryans. It is in this context that therferms Ary a Varna and Dasa Varna came into use. There was no ban on the taking of food cooked by Shudras and no restrictions on intermarriages or change of occupation.

Question 3.
With reference to the following explain the main features of the Rig Vedic Economy:
(a) Agriculture
(b) Domestication of Animals
(c) Trade Transactions, Crafts and Transportation
Answer:
With reference to the given headings, the economic life of the Rig Vedic Aryans is explained as follows:
(a) Agriculture: The Rig Vedic Aryans were mainly scattered in villages. They frequently prayed for plentiful rain and bountiful harvest, large herds of cattle and good health. It shows that agriculture was an important occupation of the village folk. However, the only grain referred to in the Rig Veda is Yava which could mean grain in general or barley in particular.

(b) Domestication of Animals: The Rig Vedic Aryans had mainly a pastoral economy. Cattle formed an important item of dona (gifts) made to the priests. The word Gomat was used to signify a wealthy person. It meant the one who possessed many cattle, especially the cows and bulls. Other domesticated animals were the ox, the horse, the dog, the goat and the sheep.

(c) Trade Transactions, Crafts and Transportation:
The people were engaged in trade, cloth and leather goods being the main items. The barter system practiced for trade transactions. The cow was the standard unit of value. Men and women were engaged in weaving cloth. The metal-workers or the smiths were skilled in making weapons, implements and ornaments. The metal ayas mentioned in the Rig Veda is generally taken to mean copper or bronze, although it has been understood as iron also. They used horses and bullocks for carrying goods from place to place. They also transported goods through the inland rivers