Chapter 1: What, Where, How and When?
क्या, कब, कहाँ और कैसे? (नर्मदा घाटी, सुलेमान-किरथर, पांडुलिपि एवं अभिलेख)
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- Narmada River Valley: Earliest people lived along the banks of the Narmada for several hundred thousand years; they were skilled hunter-gatherers who gathered roots and forest produce.
- Sulaiman & Kirthar Hills (Northwest): Located in modern Pakistan; where men and women first began to cultivate crops like **Wheat and Barley** approximately **8,000 years ago**; began rearing sheep, goats, and cattle.
- Garo Hills & Vindhyas: Agriculture developed in Garo hills (Northeast); **Rice was first cultivated to the north of the Vindhyas**.
- Indus Civilization & Magadha: Cities first flourished along the Indus and its tributaries around **4,700 years ago**; around 2,500 years ago, cities developed along the Ganga; the first great empire **Magadha** emerged south of the Ganga.
- Manuscripts vs Inscriptions: **Manuscripts (पांडुलिपि)**: Written by hand on palm leaves or specially prepared birch bark (*bhurja*) tree bark from the Himalayas. **Inscriptions (अभिलेख)**: Writings engraved on relatively hard surfaces like stone or metal slabs.
- Trap: Where was rice first cultivated in ancient India? Correct: **To the north of the Vindhya mountains**.
- Trap: Where were wheat and barley first farmed 8000 years ago? Correct: **Sulaiman and Kirthar Hills** in the northwest.
- Trap: Difference between Manuscript and Inscription: Manuscripts were written on **palm leaf / birch bark**; Inscriptions were engraved on **hard stone or metal**.
NCERT Core Facts: Early Settlers, Agricultural Origins & Historical Artifacts
Class 6 History Chapter 1 outlines the geography of Indian civilization:
1. Landmark Geographic Locations of Early Humans
| Geographic Region | Historic Event / Significance in NCERT Class 6 | Time Horizon |
|---|---|---|
| Narmada River Banks | Earliest skilled hunter-gatherers lived gathering roots and fruits. | Several hundred thousand years ago. |
| Sulaiman & Kirthar Hills | First farming of Wheat and Barley; domestication of sheep and goats. | ≈ 8,000 years ago. |
| North of Vindhyas | Rice was first cultivated here. | Ancient Neolithic period. |
| Indus River System | Earliest planned urban cities flourished. | ≈ 4,700 years ago (Harappa). |
| Ganga & Son Valleys | Rise of powerful kingdoms like Magadha (modern Bihar). | ≈ 2,500 years ago. |
2. Deciphering Historical Sources
- Manuscripts (पांडुलिपियाँ):
- Derived from Latin word manu meaning hand.
- Written on dried palm leaves tied with string or the bark of the Birch tree (भूर्ज) that grows in the Himalayas.
- Inscriptions (अभिलेख):
- Carved using metal chisels on rocks, stone pillars, or copper plates.
- Preserved royal proclamations (Ashokan Edicts) and battle victories that could not decay easily.
Test Your Mastery: What, Where, How and When?
Authentic CBSE exam questions tested directly from this NCERT chapter.
In which of the following regions did women and men first begin to cultivate crops such as wheat and barley about 8,000 years ago?
लगभग 8000 वर्ष पूर्व किस क्षेत्र में स्त्री-पुरुषों ने सबसे पहले गेहूँ और जौ जैसी फसलों को उपजाना प्रारंभ किया?
Ancient handwritten texts written on palm leaves or on the specially prepared bark of the Himalayan birch tree are known as:
प्राचीन काल में ताड़पत्रों अथवा हिमालय में उगने वाले भूर्ज नामक पेड़ की छाल पर हाथ से लिखी गई पुस्तकों को क्या कहा जाता है?
Where in ancient India was rice first cultivated according to NCERT History?
To the north of the Vindhya mountains.
On what material were ancient Indian manuscripts typically written?
On palm leaves or the bark of the Himalayan birch (bhurja) tree.