NCERT solutions for History - Themes in Indian History [English] Class 12 chapter 3 - Kinship, Caste And Class: Early Societies [Latest edition]

Answer in 100-150 words

Explain why patriliny may have been particularly important among elite families.

Answer in 100-150 words 

Discuss whether kings in early states invariably were Kshatriyas.

Answer in 100-150 words

Compare and contrast the dharma or norms mentioned in the stories of Drona, Hidimba and Matanga.

Answer in 100-150 words 

In what ways was the Buddhist theory of a social contract different from the Brahmanical view of society derived from the Purusha Sukta?

Answer in 100-150 words

The following is an excerpt from the Mahabharata in which Yudhisthira, the eldest Jandava, speaks to Sanjaya, a messenger:

Sanjaya, convey my respectful greetings to all the Brahmanas and the chief priest of the house of Dhritarashtra. I bow respectfully to teacher Drona … I hold the feet of our preceptor Kripa … (and) the chief of the Kurus, the great Bhishma. I bow respectfully to the old king (Dhritarashtra). I greet and ask after the health of his son Duryodhana and his younger brother ... Also greet all the young Kuru warriors who are our brothers, sons and grandsons … Greet above all him, who is to us like father and mother, the wise Vidura (born of a slave woman) ... I bow to the elderly ladies who are known as our mothers. To those who are our wives you say this, “I hope they are well-protected”… Our daughters-inlaw born of good families and mothers of children greet on my behalf. Embrace for me those who are our daughters … The beautiful, fragrant, well-dressed courtesans of ours you should also greet. Greet the slave women and their children, greet the aged, the maimed (and) the helpless …

Try and identify the criteria used to make this list – in terms of age, gender, kinship ties. Are there any other criteria? For each category, explain why they are placed in a particular position in the list.

Write a short essay (about 500 words) on the following:

This is what a famous historian of Indian literature, Maurice Wintemitz, wrote about the Mahabharata: “Just because the Mahabharata represents more of an entire literature…. and contains so many kinds of things….(it) give(s) us an insight into the most profound depths of the soul of the Indian folk.” Discuss.

Write a short essay (about 500 words) on the following:

Discuss whether the Mahabharata could have been the work of a single author.

Write a short essay (about 500 words) on the following:

How important were gender differences in early societies? Give reasons for your answer.

Write a short essay (about 500 words) on the following:

Discuss the evidence tliat suggests that Brahmanical prescriptions about kinship and F marriage were not universally followed.

Map work

Compare the  map in this chapter with Map 1 in Chapter 2. List the mahajanapadas and cities located near the Kuru-Panchala lands.

Map 1 of Chapter 2(Kings, Farmers and Towns)

Map 1 of Chapter 3(Kinship, Caste and Class)