NCERT CLASS 6 HISTORY – CHAPTER 1
WHAT, WHERE, HOW AND WHEN
UPSC PRELIMS NOTES
1. Importance of This Chapter for UPSC
This chapter explains the method of studying history.
It forms the foundation for:
Ancient History
Art and Culture
Archaeology topics
Chronology questions
UPSC frequently asks questions on:
Sources of history
BCE/CE system
Early settlements
Names of India
Archaeology concepts
Without understanding this chapter, advanced history becomes difficult.
2. Why Should We Study History?
Understanding Human Life in the Past
History tells us how people lived in ancient times.
It explains:
Food habits
Housing patterns
Clothing styles
Tools and technology
Social organisation
Example:
Early humans ate wild fruits and hunted animals.
Later people cultivated wheat and rice.
Understanding Social Change
History shows transformation of society over time:
Hunting → Farming → Cities
Tribal chiefs → Kings → Empires
Barter → Coin economy → Modern banking
Helps understand evolution of civilisation.
Understanding Culture and Beliefs
History explains origin of:
Religions
Languages
Art forms
Literature
Music and dance traditions
Important for UPSC Art & Culture questions.
Understanding Present Through Past
Modern society is the result of historical changes.
Democracy, technology, and global trade all developed over centuries.
3. Meaning of What, Where, How and When
Historians study past by answering four questions.
WHAT – Nature of Past Life
History tells us:
What people ate
What clothes they wore
What tools they used
What houses they built
What beliefs they followed
What games, songs and traditions existed
This helps reconstruct daily life in ancient times.
WHEN – Time in History
History requires chronology.
Important Time Terms
BCE – Before Common Era
CE – Common Era
BC – Before Christ
AD – Anno Domini
BC = BCE
AD = CE
Why BCE and CE Used
Neutral and secular system.
Accepted internationally.
India adopted Western dating system about 200 years ago during British rule. Earlier calendars included Vikram Samvat and Shaka Samvat.
Chronology helps understand sequence of events.
WHERE – Location of Events
Geography plays an important role in history.
History studies:
Where agriculture began
Where cities developed
Where battles happened
Where cultures spread
Early humans lived near rivers due to water, fertile soil, and food availability.
HOW – How We Know the Past
We know history through sources.
Sources are evidence of past events.
Main types:
Manuscripts
Inscriptions
Archaeology
4. Sources of History
Manuscripts
Handwritten texts.
Written on palm leaves, birch bark, cloth, copper plates.
Languages included Sanskrit, Prakrit, Tamil, Pali.
Contained religious texts, literature, medicine, science, political history.
Many destroyed due to climate and insects.
Inscriptions
Writings on stone or metal.
Used by rulers to record:
Laws
Victories
Donations
Orders
Reliable because they are contemporary.
Examples include Ashokan edicts and pillar inscriptions.
Archaeology
Study of material remains from past.
Archaeologists excavate sites.
Objects found include:
Tools
Weapons
Pottery
Coins
Buildings
Jewellery
Bones
Food grains
Archaeology helps understand daily life of common people.
5. Historians and Archaeologists
Historians
Study written records.
Analyse manuscripts and inscriptions.
Write historical narratives.
Archaeologists
Study physical remains.
Conduct excavations.
Analyse tools, pottery, bones.
Both work together to reconstruct past.
6. Early Human Settlements in Indian Subcontinent
Narmada Valley
Early hunter-gatherers lived here.
Collected fruits and hunted animals.
Evidence of ancient human fossils.
Sulaiman and Kirthar Hills
Earliest farming in India.
Wheat and barley cultivated.
Sheep, goats and cattle domesticated.
Around 8000 years ago.
Vindhya Region
Early rice cultivation.
Indus Valley
Cities developed about 4700 years ago.
Harappan civilisation flourished.
Planned cities with drainage system.
Ganga Valley
Cities developed around 2500 years ago.
Region south of Ganga called Magadha.
Later powerful kingdoms formed here.
7. Why Early People Lived Near Rivers
Drinking water availability
Fertile soil for farming
Fish and animals for food
Transport and trade routes
Easier communication
Most ancient civilisations grew near rivers.
8. Travel and Contacts in Ancient Times
Reasons for Travel
Trade
Search for livelihood
War and conquest
Religious preaching
Natural disasters
Exploration
Example: Traders known as Banjaras.
Effects of Travel
Spread of ideas
Cultural exchange
Technology transfer
Mixing of populations
Example: Gandhara art influenced by Greek culture.
9. Natural Boundaries of India
India is protected by:
Himalayas in north
Arabian Sea in west
Bay of Bengal in east
Indian Ocean in south
But entry possible through north-west passes.
This allowed invasions by Persians, Greeks, Kushans, and others.
Geography shaped Indian history.
10. Names of Our Country
India
Derived from Indus River.
Persians pronounced Sindhu as Hindu.
Greeks called region Indos → India.
Bharat
Named after Bharata tribe mentioned in Rigveda.
Indian Constitution states: “India, that is Bharat.”
11. One Past or Many Pasts
Different groups experienced history differently.
Examples:
Kings vs peasants
Traders vs artisans
Tribal vs city societies
Hence historians talk about many pasts, not one
.
12. Why More Information About Kings
Kings recorded their achievements through inscriptions and monuments.
Common people left fewer written records.
Archaeology helps study their lives.
13. Important Terms for UPSC
Source – Evidence of past.
Manuscript – Handwritten text.
Inscription – Writing on stone or metal.
Archaeology – Study of material remains.
Culture – Way of life of people.
14. Most Important Prelims Facts
Wheat and barley first grown near Sulaiman–Kirthar hills.
Rice first grown north of Vindhyas.
Harappan civilisation in Indus valley.
Magadha south of Ganga.
BCE same as BC.
CE same as AD.
India name from Indus river.
Bharat name from Bharata tribe.
15. Practice Questions
Earliest farming in India is linked to which region?
Answer: Sulaiman–Kirthar hills.BCE and CE system is used because it is a neutral dating system.
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