ICSE Class 9 History and Civics Sample Question Paper 1 with Answers
(M.M : 80)
(2 Hours )
Genaral Instruction
- Answers to this Paper must be written on the paper provided separately.
- You will not be allowed to write during the first 15 minutes.
- This time is to be spent in reading the question paper.
- The time given at the head of this Paper is the time allowed for writing the answers.
- Attempt all questions from Part I (Compulsory). A total of five questions are to be
attempted from Part II, two out of three questions from section A and three out of five questions from Section B. - The intended marks for questions or parts of questions are given in brackets [ ].
Part -1 [30 Marks]
(Attempt all questions from this Part)
Question 1.
(a) Name the Chairman of the Drafting Committee of the Constitution. [1]
(b) When did the Constitution of India come into effect ? [1]
(c) Name the Fundamental Right that prohibits ‘Forced Labour’. [1]
(d) What is meant by the term ‘Single Citizenship’ ? [11
(e) State the meaning of the term ‘Directive Principles of State Policy’. [1]
(f) Mention any one point of difference between ‘Direct’ and ‘Indirect’ Elections. [1]
(g) What is the term of office of the Chief Election Commissioner ? [1]
(h) Mention any one Fundamental Duty as given in the Indian Constitution. [1]
(i) Mention any one function of the Zila Parishad. [1]
(j) Name the elected head of Municipal Corporation. [1]
Answer:
(a) Dr. B. R. Ambedkar was the Chairman of the Drafting Committee of the Constitution.
(b) The Constitution of India came into effect on 26th January, 1950.
(c) Prohibition of Human Trafficking and Forced Labour (Article 23) is the Fundamental Right that prohibits ‘forced labour’ or beggar. Forced labour or beggar means making a person work against his will and not paying him his wages.
(d) In India, the concept of ‘single citizenship’ prevails, which means that an Indian citizen cannot be a citizen of another country. Citizens of other countries cannot take Indian citizenship. The citizens in India owe allegiance only to the union and there is no other state citizenship.
(e) The Directive Principles of the State Policy are the instructions or guidelines to the Central and State governments of India to be kept in mind while framing laws and policies. These provisions are contained in part IV (Article 36 to 51) of the Constitution of India. Indian Directive Principles have been inspired by the Directive Principles stated in the constitution of Ireland. It also follow the principles of Gandhism.
(f)
| Direct Election | Indirect Election |
| The Constitution provides for the system of direct election of the members of the Lok Sabha and legislative assembly of every state by the eligible voters. | In India, the President is indirectly elected by an Electoral College which consists of the elected members of the two houses of the Parliament as well as of the State Legislative Assemblies. |
(g) The term of office of Chief Election Commissioner is 6 years or up to 65 years of age, which ever is earlier.
(h) An important fundamental duty that is inscribed in the Constitution of India, is to protect and improve the natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers, and wild-life and to have compassion for living creatures.
(i) Zila Parishad is responsible for undertaking many developmental functions like poverty eradication programme, irrigation schemes, rural electrification, and managing Public Distribution System (PDS).
(j) The Mayor is the elected head of the Municipal Corporation.
Question 2.
(a) State any two ways in which the script of the Indus Valley Civilization provides us with valuable historical information. [2]
(b) Name the Epics written during the Later Vedic period. [2]
(c) Who were the founders of Jainism and Buddhism ? [2]
(d) List any two sources of information about the Mauryan Empire. [2]
(e) What are Megaliths ? [2]
(f) Mention any two works of Kalidasa. [2]
(g) State any two architectural features of Qutab Minar. [2]
(h) Mention any two reasons to state that the decline of Feudalism led to the rise of the Renaissance. [2]
(i) What was known as the Letter of Indulgence ? [2]
(j) Define the term Industrial Revolution. [2]
Answer:
(a) The two ways in which the script of the Indus Valley Civilization provides us with valuable historical information are as follow :
- The Indus script gives us an idea that Harappan people had a language of their own.
- The Indus script also reflects on the commercial activities of the people.
(b) Ramayana and Mahabharata are the epics written during the later vedic period.
(c) Vardhamana Mahavira was the founder of Jainism and Gautama Buddha was the founder of Buddhism.
(d) Two important sources of information about the Maurya Empire are ‘Indika’ written by Megasthenes and ‘Arthshastra’ written by Kautilya.
(e) A megalith is a large stone that has been used to construct a grave or monument, either alone or together with other stones. The construction of these structures took place mainly in the Neolithic Age and continued into the Chalcolithic and Bronze Age.
(f) Two phenomenal works of Kalidasa are Abhijnanashakuntalam and Kumarasambhava.
(g) Two architectural features of Qutab Minar are as follows :
- It is a circular tower which has the height of 72.5 metres.
- It has five storeys tapering as they ascend and separated from each other by projecting balconies.
- Red sandstone, marble and grey quartizite were used to construct the tower. It is the highest stone tower in India.
(h) Two reasons that describe the decline of Feudalism led to the rise of the Renaissance are as follows :(i) The one major factor which played a dominant role in the decline of feudalism and the rise of Renaissance was with the increase in trade the demand for luxury products increase which results in the exploitation of the serfs (slaves).
(ii) The slaves deserted cultivation and flocked to the newly developed town which resulted in the collapse of the feudal structure.
(i) The issue of letters of indulgence was a very common practice in the Catholic Church just before the reformation. After confessing or doing other godly work, the faithful received a decree exempting them from punishment for their sins. Letters of indulgence were bought en masse on certain occasions.
(j) Industrial Revolution took place during 18th and 19th centuries. It signifies a series of revolutionary changes that took place in the field of industry and production. Manual production was replaced by mechanised production.
Part -II
Section- A
(Attempt any two questions from this Section)
Question 3.
With reference to the salient features of the Indian Constitution, answer the following
(a) Define the term ‘Constitution’. State any two reasons for its significance. [3]
(b) State any three freedoms given under the ‘Right to Freedom’. [3]
(c) Mention any two differences between the Fundamental Rights and Directive Principles of State Policy. [3]
Answer:
(a) A Constitution is a comprehensive documents comprising of laws and rules, according to which a state is governed. It is also known as fundamental law of land.
Four reasons of the significance of the Constitution are as follows :
(i) The primary function of a Constitution is to lay out the basic structure of the government according to which the people are to be governed. The constitution of a country, establishes the three main organs of the government, namely, the Legislature, Executive and Judiciary.
(ii) The Constitution of a country not only defines the powers allotted to each of the three main organs, but it also significantly makes a clear demarcation of the responsibilities assigned to each of them. It effectively regulates the relationship between these organs and collective interests.
| Fundamental Rights | Directive Principles of State Policies |
| Fundamental Rights are the essential rights of all the citizens of the country. | Directive Principles are the guidelines which are referred while formulating policies and laws of the country. |
| It is defined in Part III (Article 12 to 35) of the Constitution. | It is defined in Part IV (Article 36-51) of the Constitution |
| They are automatically imposed and no legislation is required for their implementation. | They need legislation and policy intervention for the their proper implementation. |
Question 4.
Elections play a very significant role in our Indian Democracy.
(a) State the composition of the Election Commission. [3]
(b) Under what circumstances can a ‘By-election’ be held ? [3]
(c) Explain the terms ‘General Election’ and ‘Mid-term Election’. [4]
Answer:
(a) The Election Commission of India was established under Article 324 of the Constitution. on 25th January 1950. This Article says that the Election Commission in India shall consist of:
(j) A Chief Election Commissioner,
(ii) Other two additional Commissioners, as the President may fix from time to time.
Earlier the Election commission had only one Chief Election Commissioner. The concept of the multi-member Election Commission has been in operation since 1993. The President of India appoints the Chief Election Commissioner and the two additional Election Commissioners.
(b) The By-election is held in case of the death or sudden resignation of any member of the Central Legislative Assembly or the State Legislative Assembly before the expiry of the full term. A By-election is. held to fill up the vacant position thus created. The newly elected member holds the office till the term of the existing government.
(c) General Elections : The general elections are the regular elections conducted after the completion of a period of five years of Lok Sabha and State Assemblies.
Mid-term Elections : Mid-term Election is a type of election that occurs when the full term of five years of State Assemblies or Lok Sabha has not been completed and the house has to be dissolved, this type of election is held to bring a new house in power. But this term holds no major legal significance as the Lok Sabha and state legislative assembly elections are referred to as General Elections, regardless of whether the 5 year term has been completed or not.
Question 5.
(a) State the three-tier system of the Panchayati Raj system. [3]
(b) Give only three functions of a Municipal Committee. [3]
(c) State any two functions of the following : [4]
(i) Gram Panchayat.
(ii) Panchayat Samiti.
Answer:
(a) As per the 73rd Amendment Act of the Indian Constitution, the Panchayati Raj has a three-tier structure :
(i) Gram Panchayat, Gram Sabha and Nyaya Panchayat at the village level.
(ii) Panchayat Samiti at the block level.
(iii) Zila Parishad at the district level.
(b) Three functions of a Municipal Committee are as following :
(i) Provision of Electricity and Safe Drinking Water : One of the most important functions of Municipal Committee is to provide electricity and safe drinking water for use in domestic as well as commercial circles.
(ii) Provision of Education and Sports Facilities: Setting up primary and secondary schools is another responsibility of the Municipalities. In order to cultivate the aptitude of young boys and girls for sports, this Committee also provides facilities related to games and sports.
(iii) Public Works : This largely includes building of roads, community halls and shopping centers.
(c) (i) The two functions of Gram Panchayat are :
1. Maintenance and construction of roads, drainage, street lights, culverts, foot path, bridges and health care facilities.
2. Registering marriages, birth and death doucuments.
(ii) The two functions of Panchayat Samiti are :
1. It is responsible for providing drinking water in the rural areas, construct and develop rural roads and regulate markets.
2. The Samiti scrutinizes the budget of the Panchayats and proposes necessary changes in it.
Section – B
(Attempt any three questions from this section)
Question 6.
With reference to the Bhakti Movement, Sufism and Christianity, answer the following questions:
(a) Mention the teachings of Kabir as mentioned in the Bijak. [3]
(b) State the significance of Sufism on Indian Society. [3]
(c) State any two contributions of St. Francis Xavier in the advancement of Christianity in India. [4]
Answer:
(a) The teachings of Kabir was recorded in the book called as Bijak. His main teachings are as follows :
(i) He condemned caste distinction. He emphasised on the equality of religion by describing Hindu and Muslims “as pots made out of same clay”. To him Rama and Allah, temples and mosques are same.
(ii) Devotion to god was regarded as an effective means of salvation.
(iii) One must have pure heart free from dishonesty, insincerity and hypocrisy to reach god.
(b) The importance of Sufism in the Indian society is colossal and cannot be overlooked. The impact of Sufism was that the common people got enchanted by the simple ascetic life style of the saints. The significance of Sufism on the Indian society is as under :
(i) It neutralized the Hindu-Muslim tension in society by promoting the feeling of brother hood.
(ii) The Sufi saints actually Indianized Islam as they lived and preached in India. Moreover, Sufi khankas were centers of moral life.
(iii) Devotional songs were composed there in Urdu and Hindi. Sufi music and dance were considered as manifestation of complete submission to Allah.
(iv) A number of sufi principles had similarity with those of Bhakti cult. It leads to the popularity of the Bhakti movement.
(c) Three significant contributions of St. Francis Xavier in the advancement of Christianity in India are as follows :
(i) His main contribution was that he devoted his life to the task of proselytizing the peoples of Southern India and Ceylon and baptizing them.
(ii) He built nearly 40 churches along the coast, including St. Stephen’s Church, Kombuthurai, mentioned in his letters dated 1544.
(iii) He could not master the local language so he translated the Creed, the Lord’s Prayer, the Ten Commandments and the Ave Maria with the help of the Goan scholars. He requested people to attend his meetings and listen to his sermons.
Question 7.
(a) State any three social changes that came about in the Later Vedic Period in relation to the Position of Women. [3]
(b) State any three occupations that existed during the Vedic Age. [3]
(c) Mention any two similarities in the teachings of Jainism and Buddhism. [4]
Answer:
(a) Three social changes that came about in the Later Vedic Period in relation to the plight of women are as follows :
(i) In the later Vedic period, women lost their political rights of attending assemblies.
(ii) During this time, the status of women suffered significant decline and women lost the right to property and freedom to choose their husbands.
(iii) Women also lost the right of performing yajnas and other rituals that had hitherto been performed by them during any religious ceremony.
(b) Three occupations that prevailed during the Vedic age are manifold and layered. During the Early Vedic Age, pastoralism and agriculture were the most important occupations. People were also engaged in other economic activities like carpentry, pottery and weaving. During the Later Vedic Age, agriculture has gained importance with the development of iron tools. The trade started to emerge which led to the development of market to enable exchange of goods.
(c) The four similarities of the teachings of Buddhism and Jainism are as follow :
(i) Both denied the authority of the Vedas and the necessity of performing sacrifices and rituals.
(ii) Both Buddhism and Jainism put stress on right conduct and right knowledge and not on religious ceremonial and ritual practices as the way to obtain salvation.
(iii) Both Buddhism and Jainism denied the existence of God.
(iv) Both accepts the disciples from all castes and genders.
Question 8.
Study the picture given below and answer the following questions:
(a) Identify the structure given in the picture. Name the place and the state where it is located. [3]
(b) Name the dynasty and the king who built it. In which century was it built ? [3]
(c) Mention any two architectural features of this structure. [4]
Answer:
(a) In the picture, the structure shown is known as Sanchi Stupa. This monument is located in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.
(b) Emperor Ashoka of the Mauryan Empire had built the Stupa in the 3rd Century B.C.
(c) Two architectural features of the structure are as follows :
(i) This monument is a Stupa and it is a huge hemispherical dome with a height of 12.2816.46 m (54.0 ft), comprising a central chamber where the relics of Lord Buddha are placed.
(ii) Four ornamental gateways facing four directions and a balustrade surrounding the Stupa were later added in the first century BC.
(iii) The stupa has a central pillar that supports the three circular umbrella-like discs.
(iv) A circular wall at the circumference of the inner portion of the the Stupa, raises the whole semi-circular structure off the ground.
Question 9.
With reference to the Modem Age in Europe, answer the following questions :
(a) How did the invention of the Printing Press lead to the rise of the Renaissance in Europe ? [3]
(b) State any three contributions of Martin Luther in reforming the Church in Europe. [3]
(c) Mention any two differences between ‘Capitalism’ and ‘Socialism’. [4]
Answer:
(a) The invention of the printing press act as the most significant factor for the rise of Renaissance. In the middle ages the books and the manuscripts has to be copied manually, so the cost of the books were very high. With the invention of the printing press, books are made available on various topics in large numbers, at a very low price. With the spread of knowledge people developed self-confidence which brings new awakening in Europe.
(b) Three contributions of Martin Luther in reforming the Church in Europe are as follows :
(i) Martin Luther protested against the rigidities or absurdities of the Catholic Church, such as the Letters of Indulgence.
(ii) He wrote down his reformative ideas in a book, entitled ‘Ninety-Five Theses’ as a protest against the Catholic Church.
(iii) Martin Luther attempted to translate the Bible from Latin and Hebrew into German so that everybody could read and understand the bible.
| Capitalism | Socialism |
| 1. Capitalism refers to the economic system prevalent in the country, where there is private or corporate ownership on the trade and industry. 2. It is based on the Principle of Individual Rights. 3. Prices are determined by the market forces. |
1. The economic structure in which the government has ownership and control over the economic activities of the country is refered to as Socialism. 2. It is based on the Principle of Equal Rights. 3. Prices are determined by the government. |
Question 10.
With reference to the impact of the Renaissance in the field of Literature, Art and Science, state the contributions of :
(a) Leonardo da Vinci in the field of Art. [3]
(b) William Shakespeare in the field of Literature. [3]
(c) Copernicus in the field of Astronomy.
Answer:
(a) In the field of Art, Leonardo Da Vinci was a polymath and a versatile genius. He was a brilliant painter, sculptor and artist of high stature. As far as his painting skills are concerned, the Mona Lisa was the most famous and most parodied portrait and The Last Supper the most reproduced religious painting of all time. Leonardo’s drawing of the Vitruvian Man is also regarded as a cultural icon. Leonardo-is admired, for his technological ingenuity. He conceptualised flying machines, a type of armoured fighting vehicle, concentrated solar power, an adding machine and -the double hull.
(b) In the field of Literature, the name of William Shakespeare will be inscribed in golden letters on the pages of the history of World Literature. He was the greatest playwright, poet and writer. Out of his classical works, the most notable are Romeo and Juliet and Julius Caesar. Apart from them, The Taming of the Shrewd, As you like it, Comedy of Errors, Merchant of Venice and King Lean.
(c) In the field of Astronomy, Copernicus played a crucial role in transforming the knowledge of superstition-ridden medieval society. He questioned the theories of Aristotle and Ptolemy. He suggested that it was the Sim which was the centre of universe and the earth and other planets revolves around the sun. This is called as helio centric idea of universe. The publication of Copernicus’ model in his book De revolution bus orbium coelestium (On the Revolutions of the Celestial Spheres), just before his death in 1543, was a major event in the history of science.