ICSE Class 9 History and Civics Sample Question Paper 4 with Answers
Part -I
(Attempt all questions from this Part)
Question 1.
(a) What is the ‘Mirror of the Nation’?
(b) Who was elected as the first permanent President of the Constituent Assembly ?
(c) In which Constitution Amendment Act of 1976, some minor changes were made to the Preamble ?
(d) Which Article of the Indian Constitution of the explains the ‘Protection of Life and Personal Liberty’ ?
(e) What does the Latin term ‘Mandamus’ mean ?
(f) Who is the present Chief Election Commissioner of India ?
(g) Who is a ‘Sarpanch’ ?
(h) Which were the first urban areas of the Municipal Corporation ?
(i) Who launched the scheme ‘Nehru Rozgar Yojana’ ?
(j) Name the programme that has been started to improve the condition of women and children in the rural society.
Answer:
(a) The Constituent Assembly is the ‘Mirror of the Nation’.
(b) Dr. Rajendra Prasad was elected as the first Permanent President of the Constituent Assembly.
(c) In the 42nd Constitution Amendment Act of 1976, some minor changes were made in the Preamble, such as the addition of the words Secular, Socialist, Integrity and Unity.
(d) The Article 21 guarantees the ‘Protection of Life and Personal Liberty’.
(e) The Latin term ‘Mandamus’ means ‘We Command’.
(f) Om Prakash Rawat (incumbent) is the present Chief Election Commissioner of India.
(g) ‘Sarpanch’ is the head of the Gram Panchayat.
(h) The Presidency towns of Kolkata, Chennai and Mumbai were incorporated as the first urban areas of the Municipal Corporation.
(i) Atal Bihari Vajpayee launched the ‘Nehru Rozgar Yojana’.
(j) The programme ‘Anganwadi’ was launched in the rural society to improve the condition of women and children.
Question 2.
(a) In which area of the Indus Valley Civilization a large granary has been unearthed ?
(b) Which Council of High Dignitaries and Princes of the Holy Roman Empire ordered the writings of Martin Luther to be burned ?
(c) Who created the colony named ‘Virgin Queen’ ?
(d) Name the Jesuit Mission who accompanied Akbar to Fatehpur Sikri.
(e) Which Sikh Guru sheltered the rebel prince Khusrao ?
(f) Which Mughal Emperor became the patron of eminent scholars such as Shams-i-Siraj and Zia-ud-din Barani ?
(g) Which Chola King sent out a naval expedition to Sumatra and Java ?
(h) Which image has been recognised as the ‘Cultural Epitome’ of the Chola Empire ?
(i) Who wrote Brahmasphuta Siddhanta during the Gupta period ?
(j) Who was the first to discover the number zero ?
Answer:
(a) A large granary measuring 45.71 meter length and 15.23 meter breadth has been unearthed at Mohenjo-Daro during the Indus Valley Civilization.
(b) Diet Worm, which was the Council of High Dignitaries and Princes of the Holy Roman Empire, ordered the writings of Martin Luther to be burned.
(c) Walter Raleigh created the colony named Virgin Queen.
(d) Portuguese Fathers, Fr. Rudolf Acquaviva, Antoine de Monserrate and Francis Henriques accompanied Akbar to Fatehpur Sikri.
(e) Arjun Dev, the 5th Sikh Guru sheltered the rebel prince Khusrao.
(f) Firoz Shah Tughlaq, the Mughal Emperor became the patron of eminent scholars such as Shams-i-Siraj Afif and Zia-ud-din Barani.
(g) King Rajendra Chola I sent out an expedition to Java and Sumatra.
(h) The Bronze image of ‘Nataraja’ has been recognised as the ‘Cultural Epitome’ of the Chola Empire.
(i) Brahmagupta wrote Brahmasphuta siddhanta during the Gupta period.
(j) Aryabhatta was the first to discover the number ‘zero’ during the Gupta period.
Part -II
Section -A
(Attempt any two questions from this Part)
Question 3.
With reference to the Elections of India, explain the following questions :
(a) State the types of the Elections held in India.
(b) Explain the concept of ‘By-Elections’ in your own words.
(c) State two differences between Direct and Indirect Elections.
Answer:
(a) The three types of the Elections held in India are General Election, By-Election and Mid-Term Election.
(b) By-Elections, also known as Bypolls in India. In case of 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. The newly elected member holds office only till the term of the existing government is not complete. By-Elections may also be conducted to fill up the vacant seat of a candidate who has been disqualified under Parliamentary law for some reason or the other.
(c)
| Direct Election | Indirect Election | |
| Representatives are directly chosen by the people through voting. | Representatives are indirectly elected by the people through an intermediary group who further elect the representatives. | |
| In this process, qualified members of the Lok Sabha, Vidhan Sabha or Legislative Assemblies, local bodies like Municipal Corporation, Municipalities and Gram Panchayat are directly elected. | In this process, the members of Rajya Sabha, Vidhan Parishad, Zila Parishad, President and Vice President are indirectly elected. |
Question 4.
With reference to Indian Constitution, explain the following questions :
(a) State the ideals of the Indian Constitution.
(b) What does the word ‘Republic’ mean ?
(c) State the significance of the Preamble in the written constitution.
Answer:
(a) The ideals of the Indian Constitution are as follow :
(i) To secure all its citizens, social, economic and political justice; liberty of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship; equality of status and opportunity.
(ii) To promote the idea of fraternity so as to secure the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of the Nation.
(b) The word Republic refers to a state in which the power is held by the people through their elected representatives. No individual in a Republican Government has a hereditary right to the office of power. The people in India exercise their power by electing their representatives. A Republic makes no distinction between indirectly and directly elected head of the State.
(c) (i) The Preamble declares that the source of the constitution is the People of India.
(ii) It indicates the secular, socialist and democratic basis of the Constitution.
(iii) The Preamble states the basic objectives or ideals of the Indian Republic.
The Preamble is the keynote which sets out the main theme of the Constitution. The Preamble is like the mini-Constitution. It reminds people the noble and grand visions of our Constitution makers.
Constitution is registered by the fact that a distinguished English author Sir Barker included the Indian Preamble as the introduction of his best seller.
Question 5.
With reference to the local self-government (rural), explain the following :
(a) What is the name of ‘Panchayat Samiti’ in Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh ?
(b) State any two functions of the Gram Panchayat.
(c) Discuss any three functions of Zila Parishad.
Answer:
(a) The name of ‘Panchayat Samiti’ in Madhya Pradesh is ‘Janapada Panchayat’ while in Uttar Pradesh it is known as ‘Kshetra Samiti’.
(b) The functions of the Gram Panchayat are as follows :
(i) Developmental Functions:
1. The Gram Panchayat undertakes preparing and executing various agricultural plans. . 2. Gram Panchayat provides provisions for primary and secondary education.
(ii) Regulatory and Administrative Functions:
1. Gram Panchayat looks after the maintenance of the village’s public property.
2. Gram Panchayat implements the official programme given by the authorities.
(c) The three functions of Zila Parishad are as follows :
(i) Civic activities : Construction and maintenance of public roads, bridges, culverts, parks and water supply system come under the civic activities of Zila Parishad.
(ii) Welfare functions : Establishment of markets, running of public libraries, dispensaries, public health and family planning centers, providing relief in times of calamities are some of its civil welfare activities.
(iii) Coordination : The Zila Parishad supervises the activities of the Gram Panchayats and the Panchayat Samiti at the block level. It is through the blocks that the districts prosper. Therefore, the Zila Parishad coordinates and consolidates the developmental projects at the block levels.
Section – B
(Attempt any three questions from this section)
Question 6.
With reference to the Vedic Civilization in India, explain the following questions :
(a) Explain the political organizations of Later Vedic India.
(b) Elucidate the Four-Fold Varna System that is prevalent in India.
(c) What was ‘Soma’? When and by whom was it consumed ?
Answer:
(a) In later Vedic times, popular assemblies lost importance and royal power increased at their cost. The Vidatha completely disappeared. The Sabha and Samiti continued to hold the ground, but their character changed. They came to be dominated by chiefs and rich nobles allowed. The Sabha was gradually converted into the King’s court, becoming an even more exclusive body than earlier.
(b) In the early Four Fold Varna system the birth determines the caste of a person and it was difficult to change one’s caste. The society was divided into different classes based on the profession (Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and Shudras). The Brahmins were those people who perform the religious ceremonies while Kshatriyas belongs to the ruling class. They fought war to defend their country. The vaishyas are the common people engaged in trade agriculture and industry. Shudras are the people who work as labourers and servants. Brahmin and Kshatriya emerged as the most important classes. They enjoyed privileges that were denied to vaisyas and Shudras. Shudras were considered untouchables and lowest among the four castes. Inter caste marriages were also not prevelant during the Later Vedic period.
(c) Soma was an intoxicating drink that was consumed by the Vedic people during religious festivals or ceremonies.
Question 7.
With reference to the Emergence of Composite Culture, explain the following questions :
(a) Explain the Jesuit Mission of St. Francis Xavier to India.
(b) What do you mean by the term ‘Firangi’?
(c) Elucidate the influence of Christianity on the Emperors of the Mughal Empire.
Answer:
(a) St. Francis Xavier disembarked in Goa, the centre of Portuguese activity in the East, on May 6, 1542; his companion had remained behind to work in Lisbon. Much of the next three years, he spent on the south-eastern coast of India among the Paravars, Katesar Kadaiyar Pattamkattiyars (head of fishery coast) and Mukkuvars.
(i) He took the help of Goan scholars and translated the creed, the lords prayer, the Ten Commandments and the Ave Maria. He build 40 churches along the coast and established St. Stephen’s Church at Kombuthurai dated A.D. 1544.
(ii) Francis travelled tirelessly from village to village instructing and confirming them in their faith to spread the message of Jesus Christ. His evident goodness and the force of his conviction overcame difficulties of verbal communication.
(b) The term ‘Firangi’ means foreigner or someone coming from another nation. In this context, it is an Islamised term which was conceptualized during the Mughal period, denoting the Europeans who came to explore the empire.
(c) The Mughal Empire was heavily influenced by Christianity as is manifest in the rule of Mughal Emperors like Akbar and Jahangir. Mughal Emperor Akbar sent out a request to Jesuit priests stationed at the Portuguese enclave of Goa to teach him about Christianity. He conceptualized ‘Din-i-Illahi’ or an eclectic mix of religions and ethnicities. He facilitated religious synthesis and formed a liasion with the Jesuit heads. This culminates in a collection of glorious artistic pieces, consisting of a combination of Persian and European motifs.
The very first paintings to reach the Mughal court were large oil paintings of Mother Mary, a religious figure known to the Muslim world by her presence in the Quran. The Jesuits then presented the Royal Polyglot Bible to Akbar, with Biblical illustrations done by a Flemish painter.
The 17th century painting which Jahangir presented Prince Khurram with turban ornament is a perfect example of art showcasing Mughal rule with imagery borrowed from Christianity. While Christianity had been received and adopted in several other countries before it came to India, the religion’s reception here was unique in the sense that it was accommodated in a manner serving the interests of the Mughal rulers.
Question 8.
With reference to the Delhi Sultanate, study the picture and answer the following questions :
(a) Identify this Delhi ruler? Whom did she succeed to the throne and when ?
(b) Why is her rule a ‘Romantic Interlude’ of the Delhi Sultanate ?
(c) How did her rule finally come to an end ?
Answer:
(a) The picture shows the first and the last woman muslim ruler Raziya Sultana who ruled Delhi Sultanate. She succeeded her father Shams-ud-din Iltutmish to the throne in AD 1236.
(b) The Delhi Sultanate witnessed some legendary rulers, one of whom was Raziya al-Din, or Raziya Sultana. The only woman to be ever crowned the ‘Sultan’ of Delhi, Raziya was truly an exception. After the death of Raziya’s father, Iltutmish, Rukn ud-din Firoz, Raziya’s brother, was crowned the Sultan. However, he was killed less than seven months into the power. This brought Raziya to the throne.
This move did not go well with the powerful Muslim nobles who were not ready to accept a female ruler. Though her rule lasted less than 4 years, she had set aside the customary veil and asked everyone to address her as ‘Sultan’ and not ‘Sultana’, since Sultana meant the wife of the Sultan. She adopted masculine costumes and led the army from the front. Though comparatively short, her rule was marked by upright law and order. She even managed to manipulate the strong nobles to oppose each other and not her. However, she could not become a successful Sultan of the Delhi Sultanate and a clique of orthodox Ulema led to the debacle of her regime.
The legacy of Raziya is the precedent of her love story and her administrative skills. It was probably due to her courage to stand against the mighty nobles and her love for Delhi that she has been given such a special place in India’s history despite her short reign. As a result, her regime is known as the ‘Romantic Interlude’ of the Delhi Sultanate.
(c) Raziya Sultan was dethroned when she lost to her brother who had rebelled against her. She later married Altuniya and tried to recover Delhi but was unsuccessful. She finally became a victim of a conspiracy and was assassinated near Kaithal (Haryana) in AD 1240.
Question 9.
With reference to Renaissance, answer the following questions :
(a) Who was the inspiration behind the term ‘Renaissance Man’ ?
(b) Explain any two causes for the rise of Renaissance in Europe.
(c) Explain the influence of Renaissance on art and architecture.
Answer:
(a) Leonardo-da-Vinci was the inspiration behind the term Renaissance Man’.
(b) Two causes for the rise of Renaissance in Europe are as follows :
(i) Decline of Feudalism : The feudal system declined in the 13th and 14th centuries mainly due to the revival of long distance trade. The growth of trade and markets stimulated the demand for the luxury goods. In order to procure them, the lords increased their exploitation of serfs (slaves). The slaves deserted cultivation and flocked to the newly developing town. This resulted in the decline of the feudal structure.
(ii) Invention of the Printing Press : The invention of the Printing Press in the middle of the 15th century in Europe made it possible to produce books in large numbers. Holy Bible and many other religious and classical books were printed and made available all over Europe. Printing and distribution of these books greatly influenced people’s attitude towards the life and brought about a new awakening in Europe.
(c) The greatest impact of Renaissance was art and its various forms such as painting, architecture and sculptures. The architects during Renaissance were inspired by the building plan of the Roman Churches. The floor was adorned with arches, decorative columns and dome. The architectural works of Renaissance highlighted harmony, proportion and balance in the buildings. The most popular architecture of this period is St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.
Question 10.
With reference to the Industrial Revolution, explain the following questions :
(a) Define Industrial Revolution.
(b) Who wrote the book ‘Das Kapital’? Which fields was he famous in ?
(c) How did Industrial Revolution lead to the development of Socialism ?
Answer:
(a) The Industrial Revolution took place from 18th to 19th The Industrial Revolution began in Great Britain and spread throughout the world. It signifies a series of revolutionary changes that took place in the fields of industry and production. Industrial Revolution marked a shift to large scale production of goods by using machinery and new technology. It has brought social and economic changes which transformed agricultural society into modem industrial society.
(b) Karl Marx was an eminent Sociologist, economist and political thinker who wrote the book ‘Das KapitaT.
(c) The Industrial Revolution polarized the society into two main groups into working class and capitalists. Capitalists were the owners of the means of production. They had power, wealth and prestige. The other class of the people created by revolution was the class of poor workers or proletariat. This class included those people who migrated to the cities in search of employment and lived in human conditions. The gap between employee and employer became very wide and remain unbridged. The Industrial Revolution gave rise to many doctrines including Marxism. The Socialists wanted to set up such society that would be free from class division and exploitation. These are the factors that led to the development of Socialism.