CBSE Sample Papers for Class 12 History Paper 1

These Sample papers are part of CBSE Sample Papers for Class 12 History Here we have given CBSE Sample Papers for Class 12 History Paper 1.

CBSE Sample Papers for Class 12 History Paper 1

Students who are going to appear for CBSE Class 12 Examinations are advised to practice the CBSE sample papers given here which is designed as per the latest Syllabus and marking scheme as prescribed by the CBSE is given here. Paper 1 of Solved CBSE Sample Paper for Class 12 History is given below with free PDF download solutions.

Time: 3 Hours
Maximum Marks: 80

General Instructions

(i) Answer all the questions. Some questions have internal choice. Marks are indicated against each question.
(ii) Answer to question nos 1 to 3 carrying 2 marks should not exceed 30 words each.
(iii) Answer to question nos. 4 to 9 carrying 4 marks should not exceed 100 words. Students should attempt only 5 questions in this section.
(iv) Question 10 (for 4 marks) is a value based question and compulsory question.
(v) Answer to question nos 11 to 13 carrying 8 marks should not exceed 350 words.
(vi) Questions 14 – 16 are source based questions and have no internal choice.
(vii) Question 17 is a map question includes ‘identification’ and significant’ test items.

PART-A

Answer all the questions given below:

Question 1:
Why did Buddhism become popular?

Question 2:
Why did Akbar abolish the pilgrimage tax? Write two reasons.

Question 3:
Mention the arguments given against Hindi being made a national language.

PART-B
Section-I

Answer any five of the following questions:

Question 4:
How did James Princep’s discovery give a new direction for studying early Indian history?

Question 5:
Describe the duties of the Chandalas in the society having the vama system.

Question 6:
Discuss the discovery of Hampi.

Question 7:
Why did women in Rajasthan, Gujarat and Maharashtra recorded petitions to the village panchayat seeking redress and justice? Discuss.

Question 8:
Write the difference between the Moderate and Extremist nationalist leaders.

Question 9:
What were the impacts of Partition? Discuss.

Section II

Value Based Question (Compulsory).

Question 10:
Read the following passage and answer the question that follow.

A number of streams flow down to the river from these rocky outcrops. In almost all cases embankments were built along these streams to create reserviors of varying sizes. As this is one of the most arid zones of the peninsula elaborate arrangements had to be made to store rain water and conduct it to the city.
Nature does not discriminate with living beings, it treats equally. What values can be flourished by the natural teachings?

PART – C

Answer all the questions given below:

Question 11:
“Harappan people had contracts with distant lands. Explain.
OR
The unicorn seal is typical to the Harappan culture. Explain.

Question 12:
“The traditions of the Bhakti saints are significant even in the 21^st century”. Explain.
OR
The terms Hindus and Muslims were not regarded as labels for religious communities before the 14^th century”. Analyse.

Question 13:
“Madras was home to different communities.” Justify with suitable examples.
OR
“Bombay was the commercial capital of colonial India.” Discuss.

PART-D

Source Based Questions

Question 14:
Read the following excerpt carefully and answer the questions that follow.

Buddhism in Practice

This is an excerpt from the Sutta Pitaka, and contains the advice given by the Buddha to a wealthy householder named Sigala: In five ways should a master look after his servants and employees … by assigning them work according to their strength, by supplying them with food and wages, by tending them in sickness; by sharing delicacies with them and by granting leave at times … In five ways should the clansmen look after the needs of samanas (those who have renounced the world) and Brahmanas: by affection in act and speech and mind, by keeping open house to them and supplying their worldly needs. There are similar instructions to Sigala about how to behave with his parents, teacher and wife.

1.  Write the internal functioning of the Buddhist Sanghas.
2.  How should a master look after his servants and employees?
3. Who is being advised and by whom?

Question 15:
Read the following excerpt carefully and answer the questions that follow.

Travelling with the Mughal army

Bernier often travelled with the army. This is an excerpt from his description of the army’s march to Kashmir: I am expected to keep two good Turkoman horses, and I also take with me a powerful Persian camel and driver, a groom for my horses, a cook and a servant to go before my horse with a flask of water in his hand, according to the custom of the country. I am also provided with every useful article, such as a tent of moderate size, a carpet, a portable bed made of four very strong but light canes, a pillow, a mattress, round leather table-cloths used at meals, some few napkins of dyed cloth, three small bags with culinary utensils which are all placed in a large bag, and this bag is again carried in a very capacious and strong double sack or net made of leather thongs. This double sack likewise contains the provisions, linen and wearing apparel, both of master and servants. I have taken care to lay in a stock of excellent rice for five or six days’ consumption, of sweet biscuits flavoured with anise (a herb), of limes and sugar. Nor have I forgotten a linen bag with its small iron hook for the purpose of suspending and draining dahi or curds; nothing being considered so refreshing in this country as lemonade and dahi.

1. Who was Bernier? To whom did he dedicate his most famous creations?
2. Write any two materials other than food given by him.
3. Write the things which were given to him to eat.

Question 16:
Read the following excerpt carefully and answer the questions that follow.

What Taluqdars Thought

The attitude of the taluqdars was best expressed by Hanwant Singh, the Raja of Kalakankar, near Rae Bareli. During the mutiny, Hanwant Singh had given shelter to a British officer, and conveyed him to safety. While taking leave of the officer, Hanwant Singh told him: Sahib, your countrymen came into this country and drove out our King. You sent your officers round the districts to examine the titles to the estates. At one blow you took from me lands which from time immemorial had been in my family. I submitted. Suddenly misfortune fell upon you. The people of the land rose against you. You came to me whom you had despoiled. I have saved you. But now – now I march at the head of my retainers to Lucknow to try and drive you from the country.

1.  Explain the attitude of taluqdars towards the Britsh during the Revolt of 1857.
2.  Why was there a discontentment amongst the taluqdars against the British?
3.  How did the dispossession of taluqdars lead to the breakdown of the entire rural social order?

PART-E

Question 17:
Map Questions

17.1. On the given outline map of India, locate and label the following with appropriate symbols.
(a) Kalibangan
(b) Rajgir
17.2. On the same outline map of India three centres related to Mahajanapadas have been marked as A, B and C. Identify them and write their correct names on the lines drawn near them.

Answers

Answer 1:
(i) Many kings became patrons of Buddhism.
(ii) Buddhism was propagated in Prakrit language used by common masses.

Answer 2:
(i) Akbar felt that abolishing of pilgrim tax will create good feeling between the Hindus and Muslims.
(ii) Communal harmony will be established in the state.

Answer 3:
(i) The people in south India was strongly opposed to Hindi.
(ii) They viewed every propaganda for Hindi as cutting the root of the provincial language.

Answer 4:
(i) James Princep was an officer in the mint of the East India Company.
(ii) He deciphered the Brahmi and the Kharoshti script which were used in the earliest inscriptions and coins. He was able to identify ‘Piyadassi’ referred to Ashoka.
(iii) European and Indian scholars have used this information to reconstruct the history of major dynasties especially Maurya dynastry.
(iv) Scholars started to change focus from political history and looked for conections between economic, political and social developments.

Answer 5:
According to the Manu Smriti, there were some duties of the chandals.

1. The chandalas had to live outside the village. They used the discarded utensils and wore clothes of the dead. They also wore ornaments of iron.
2. They could not walk about in village and cities at night.
3. They had to dispose off the bodies of those who had no relatives. They served as the executioners.
4.  They also performed polluting activities like handling corpses and dead animals. They were placed at the very bottom of the hierarchy.

Answer 6:
(i) Hampi, the capital city of the Vijayanagra empire, was discovered by Colonel Colin Makenzie.
(ii) Mackenzie was a well-known engineer, surveyor and a cartographer. He visited Hampi in 1800. He did a survey of Hampi. He collected most information from the priest of Virupaksha and the Pampa devi.
(iii) AS the first Surveyor General of India (1815 – 1821) he tried to understand the past of India in a better way. He surveyed historical sites so that their governance could be made easy and efficient.
(iv) Mackezie’s efforts gave a new impetus to the future researchers As early as 1836 the epigraphist began to collect inscriptions from the Virupaksha temple.

Answer 7:
(i) The male infidelity was not always punished by the state and superior caste groups intervened when it came to ensure that the family, was properly provided for.
(ii) In various cases when women petitioned to the panchayat, their names were excluded from the record.
(iii) The petitioner was referred to as the mother, sister or wife of the male head of the family. The women were kept under strict control by the male member of the household and the community.
(iv) Wives made protests against the infidelity of their husbands or the male head of the household.

Answer 8:
(a) Moderates:

1. Moderate leaders like Gopal Krishna Gokhale, Dadabhai Naoroji wanted to work within the framework of law and adopted constitutional methods.
2. They preferred a more gradual and persuasive approach of petitioning.

(b) Extremists:

1.  Extremist leaders like Bal Gangadhar Tilak rejected constitutional methods as weak and advocated militant opposition to colonial rule.
2. They adopted radical ways of political agitation and believed their demands could be met by putting pressure on the government.

Answer 9:
(i) The Partition between India and Pakistan took place on the name of communities or religions. History has not witnessed such type of Partition.
(ii) It was the first incidence in the history, where people of two countries moved across. Most of the Muslims of India crossed over to Pakistan and almost all the Hindus and Sikhs came to India from Pakistan.
(iii) More than lakh people were killed. People who used to live with each other with peace and harmony started killing each other. Government machinery had no role in it.
(iv) Innumerable women were raped and abducted. They had different type of problems. People were rendered homeless having suddenly lost all of their immovable and movable assets. They were separated from many of their relatives and friends as well.

Answer 10:
Expected values:

1. Welfare
2.  Equality
3.  Freedom
4.  Cooperation
5. Devotion etc.

Answer 11:

1. Archaeological finds mention that Harappan civilisation had contacts with distant lands. Its reasons was exchange of goods.
2. Copper was brought from Oman. Omani copper and Harappan artefacts, both have traces of nickel. A distinctive type of vessel coated with thick layer of black clay, had been found at Omani sites.
3. These vessels with coating used to prevent the percolation of liquids. Probably Harappan people exchanged the contain of these vessels for Omani copper.
4. Mesopotamian texts mentioned contacts with Dilmun (Today Bahrain) from where copper was procured. Copper products excavated from the sites of Mesopotamia have traces of nickel.
5. Many archaeological evidences indicate towards the distant contacts, seals, weight, beads etc of Harappan culture.
6. The texts of Mesopotamia mentioned the regions-Dilmun (today Bahrain), Magan and Meluhha. They explain the products from Meluhha.
7. The products were like lapis lazuli, camelian, gold, copper.
8. Oman was connected through sea. Mesopotamian texts refer Meluhha as a land of sea. Depictions of ships and boats on seals have also been found.

OR

1. The Harappan seal is possibly the most distinctive artefact of the Harappan civilisation.
   Made of stone called steatite, seals like the above often contain animal motifs and signs from the script which to date remains deciphered.
2. Large square unicorn is the most common motif on Indus seals and appears to represent a mythical animal that Greeks and Roman sources trace back to the Indian sub continent.
3. A relatively long inscription of eight symbols runs across the top of the seal. The elongated body and slender arching neck is typical of unicorn figurines are the tail with bushy end and the bovine hoofs.
4. This figure has triple incised line depicting a pipal leaf shaped blanket or halter while most unicorn figures have only a double incised line.
5. The arching horn is depicted as if spiraling or ribbed and the jowl is incised with multiple folds.
6. A collar or additional folds encircle the throat-in front of the unicorn is a ritual offering stand with droplets of water or sacred liquid along the bottom of the bowl.
7. The top portion of the stand depicts a square grid or sieve that actually according to scholars may have been a circular cylinder.

Answer 12:

1. India society, even in the 21st century, is a caste-ridden society. Caste plays an important role in marriage and politics.
2. The Bhakti saints traditions are relevant even today as they addressed the key problem of caste.
3. The lingayats, Alvars and Nayanars all initiated a protest movement against Brahmin domination.
4. The Bhakti saints emphasis on toleration, universal peace and harmony, brotherhood, can help India overcome communal tendencies which is a bane of Indian democracy.
5. Worship of one God, rejection of irrational practices popularised by Bhakti Saints.
6. Kabir said God is one even if he is called by different names. This is relevant even today.
7. Equality of genders in a gender biased society is yet another idea of Bhakti saints which is significant.
8. Mirabai Bhajans are sung by both sexes especially the low caste in Gujarat and Rajasthan.

OR

1. People were identified by the regions from which they came.
2. Tajikistan was known as Tajika and the Turkish rulers were known as Turushka.
3. The term mussalman or Muslims was not used between 8^th– 14^th centuries in Sanksrit texts and inscriptions.
4. Terms used for other peoples were applied to new migrants. Turks and Afghans were referred to as Shakas and Yavanas.
5. Another term used for migrants mlechcha mentioning that they did not observe the norms of the caste society and did not speak Sanskrit.
6. The terms such as mlechchas had a derogatory connotation.
7. It need to be noted that they did not pertain to a distinct religious community of muslims in opposition to Hindus.

Answer 13:

1.  The Dubasheer or Indians who could speak two languages, local language and english. They acted as the middlemen and suppliers of goods.
2.  Their first work was to act as intermediaries between Indian society and the British.
3. They used their privileged position to acquire wealth.
4. The vellars, a rural caste took advantage of the new opportunities provided by British rule.
5. With the spread of English education, the Brahmans started competing for government jobs.
6. The Telegu ‘komatis’ a powerful commercial group controlled the grain trade in the city.
7.  The Gujarati bankers were also present in large numbers.
8. The Paraiyas and Vanniyar formed the labouring community. Nearby Triplicane became the nucleus of a substantial Muslim settlement.

OR

1. Bombay initially consisted of seven islands.
2. Due to the growth of population the islands were joined to create more space and then fused into one big city.
3. As an important port at western coast of India it became a centre of international trade.
4. By the end of the 19th century, half of India’s exports and imports transited through Bombay.
5. Opium was the most lucrative item of trade.
6. Opium was exported to China by the East India Company.
7. Indian merchants and middlemen participated in this trade and helped integrate Bombay’s  economy directly to Malwa, Rajputana and Sind where opium was grown.
8. Participation of Indians and profits from trade led to the growth of an Indian Capitalist class. This class came from diverse communities-Marwari, Konkani, Muslims, Bohras and Jews.

Answer 14:
(i) (a) The internal functioning of the Buddhist Sangha was based on the traditions of gamas and sanghas.
(b) Consensus were arrived at through mutual discussions.
(c) If, they were unable to reach any consensus then decisions were taken by voting on the subject.

(ii) (a) By supplying them with food and wage.
(b) By attending them in sickness.

(iii) (a) Buddha is advising to Sigala.
(b) Sigala is a wealthy house holder.

Answer 15:
(i) (a) He was a French traveller.
(b) He dedicated his most famous creations to French monarch Louis XIV.
(ii) (a) A cook , (b) A mattress
(iii) (a) Excellent rice (b) Sugar (c) Sweet Biscuits.

Answer 16:
1. (a) Taluqdars’ attitude was not good towards the Britishers during the revolt of 1857.
(b) Britishers came to India as traders but they established their control over India.

2. (a) The British had driven the local rulers out of their power.
(b) Taluqdars were brutally supressed by the Britishers.
(c) The lord of the Taluqdar was taken over.

3. (a) The thread of loyalty and patronage that had bound the peasants to the taluqdars was
disrupted.
(b) This result of discruption lead to breakdown of the entire social order.

Answer 17:

(2) (A) Magadha (B) Kuru (C) Gandhara

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