CBQ PracticeClass 12 History
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Class 12 History
CBQ Practice

Competency Based Questions · 3 chapters · 6 CBQ sets

Question types:Case StudySource BasedAssertion–Reason
💡Attempt each question before clicking Show Answers — then compare.
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Ch 1

Bricks, Beads and Bones — The Harappan Civilisation

2 sets
CBQ 1Source BasedUrban Planning at Mohenjo-daro4 marks

Source / Extract

Read the following description of Mohenjo-daro's urban features by archaeologist Sir John Marshall: 'The town planning of Mohenjo-daro is remarkable. Streets were laid out in a grid pattern, intersecting at right angles. Drains ran along the street sides, and each house had its own drainage system connected to the main drain. The Great Bath, measuring approximately 12 metres by 7 metres, was possibly used for ritual bathing. Houses were built of baked bricks of standard sizes. The citadel — a raised platform — separated the ruling class from the lower town. There is no evidence of temples or palaces of the type found in Mesopotamia, suggesting a different form of political organisation.'
1

What does the grid-pattern street layout at Mohenjo-daro suggest about Harappan civilisation?

1M
(A)The Harappans were nomadic people
(B)The city was built spontaneously without prior planning
(C)The Harappans had sophisticated urban planning with centralised organisation
(D)The city was built by foreign engineers
2

The absence of temples and palaces in Mohenjo-daro (unlike Mesopotamia) suggests:

1M
(A)The Harappans did not have rulers or priests
(B)Their political and religious organisation may have been different from Mesopotamian city-states
(C)The Harappans were less advanced than Mesopotamians
(D)All Harappan temples were made of wood and have not survived
3

The Great Bath at Mohenjo-daro is considered evidence of:

1M
(A)Harappan interest in sport and recreation only
(B)Possible ritual or religious bathing practices, reflecting a concern for ritual purity
(C)Advanced military technology
(D)Trade connections with Egypt
4

What are the limitations of using archaeological evidence to understand Harappan civilisation? Explain with two examples.

1M
CBQ 2Assertion–Reason1 mark
A
Assertion

The Harappan civilisation declined due to Aryan invasions in approximately 1500 BCE.

R
Reason

Most contemporary archaeologists believe the decline of Harappan cities was a gradual process caused by multiple factors including climate change, shifts in river courses, trade disruption, and internal changes — not a single invasion.

(A) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A
(B) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A
(C) A is true but R is false
(D) A is false but R is true
Ch 2

Bhakti-Sufi Traditions and Cultural Developments

2 sets
CBQ 1Source BasedKabir's Doha on Religious Equality4 marks

Source / Extract

Read the following verses attributed to Kabir (c. 15th century CE), translated from Hindi: 'If God be within the mosque, then to whom does this world belong? If Ram be within the image which you find upon your pilgrimage, then who is there to know what happens without? Hari is in the East: Allah is in the West. Look within your heart, for there you will find both Karim and Ram. All the men and women of the world are His living forms. Kabir is the child of Allah and Ram: He is my Guru, He is my Pir.' — Kabir, Dohas (15th–16th century CE)
1

What is the central message of Kabir's verses quoted above?

1M
(A)Muslims should convert to Hinduism
(B)God resides in holy places like mosques and temples
(C)True devotion transcends external religious forms — God is within every person
(D)Kabir rejects both Hinduism and Islam completely
2

How did Kabir's poetry challenge the religious establishment of his time?

1M
(A)By advocating armed rebellion against priests and mullahs
(B)By writing in Sanskrit to reach the educated elite
(C)By rejecting idol worship, rituals, and caste distinctions, and preaching direct personal devotion to God
(D)By promoting pilgrimage to sacred sites
3

The phrase 'Karim and Ram' in Kabir's verse refers to:

1M
(A)Two different gods who must be worshipped separately
(B)Names for the same universal divine reality in Islamic and Hindu traditions respectively
(C)Two kings who ruled Kabir's region
(D)Kabir's two teachers
4

How did the Bhakti movement contribute to social reform in medieval India? Explain two impacts.

1M
CBQ 2Assertion–Reason1 mark
A
Assertion

Sufism and the Bhakti movement had significant similarities in their approach to spirituality.

R
Reason

Both movements emphasised direct personal experience of God through love and devotion, rejected elaborate rituals and priestly intermediaries, and were accessible to ordinary people regardless of caste or religious background.

(A) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A
(B) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A
(C) A is true but R is false
(D) A is false but R is true
Ch 3

Colonialism and Rural Society

2 sets
CBQ 1Source BasedThe Peasants of Champaran — A Colonial Account4 marks

Source / Extract

Read the following account from the report of the Champaran Agrarian Enquiry Committee (1917): 'The condition of the ryots [peasants] of Champaran is deplorable. Under the tinkathia system, every tenant is bound to plant three out of every twenty parts of their holding with indigo for the benefit of the European planter — as a form of rent. The planter fixes the price at which the produce is to be taken over. The ryot has no bargaining power whatsoever. He is entirely at the mercy of the planter... We find that the economic condition of the cultivators is not satisfactory and that the tinkathia system has been a fruitful source of grievance and discontent.'
1

What was the 'tinkathia' system described in the passage?

1M
(A)A system where peasants paid rent in cash
(B)A compulsory cultivation arrangement where peasants had to grow indigo on 3/20 of their land for planters at fixed prices
(C)A cooperative farming system introduced by the British
(D)A system of tax collection for road maintenance
2

The passage states that ryots had 'no bargaining power whatsoever'. This was primarily because:

1M
(A)Ryots preferred to grow indigo over other crops
(B)The colonial legal system backed the planters and ryots were economically dependent on them
(C)Indigo was more profitable for ryots than food crops
(D)The Indian National Congress supported the planters
3

The Champaran Agrarian Enquiry Committee (1917) was established as a result of:

1M
(A)A government initiative to improve farmer welfare
(B)Gandhi's civil disobedience campaign in Champaran which brought national attention to peasant exploitation
(C)A petition by European planters for better farming conditions
(D)A United Nations report on Indian agriculture
4

How did colonial land revenue systems transform Indian agriculture and rural society? Explain with two examples.

1M
CBQ 2Assertion–Reason1 mark
A
Assertion

The introduction of railways by the British was purely beneficial for India's economic development.

R
Reason

While railways facilitated the movement of troops, raw materials, and British manufactured goods, they also connected Indian markets, enabled the Indian National Movement, and contributed to long-term industrialisation.

(A) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A
(B) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A
(C) A is true but R is false
(D) A is false but R is true
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