CBSE EXAMINATION PAPER-2025

Harappan Settlements

So far, more than 2000 Harappan archaeological sites have been discovered in the Indian sub-continent. Most of the sites are found located between the Indus and the Saraswati River basins. Nearly two-thirds of these settlements are in the Saraswati basin, suggesting its immense importance for the Harappan Civilisation. Among these, five major cities have been identified. These are Rakhigarhi, Mohenjodaro, Harappa, Dholavira and Ganweriwala. The remaining sites come under different categories such as Regional Centres, agricultural villages, ports and manufacturing centres.

The bird leaves its nest:

This is an excerpt from the Rihla: My departure from Tangier, my birthplace, took place on Thursday... I set out alone, having neither fellow-traveller... nor caravan whose party I might join, but swayed by an overmastering impulse within me and a desire long-cherished in my bosom to visit these illustrious sanctuaries. So I braced my resolution to quit all my dear ones, female and male, and forsook my home as birds forsake their nests ... My age at that time was twenty-two years. Ibn Battuta returned home in 1354, about 30 years after he had set out.

Two rebels of 1857

- Shah Mal:

Shah Mal lived in a large village in pargana Barout in Uttar Pradesh. He belonged to a clan of Jat cultivators whose kinship ties extended over chaurasee des (eighty-four villages). The lands in the region were irrigated and fertile, with rich dark loam soil. Many of the villagers were prosperous and saw the British land revenue system as oppressive: the revenue demand was high and its collection inflexible. Consequently cultivators were losing land to outsiders, to traders and moneylenders who were coming into the area. Shah Mal mobilised the headmen and cultivators of chaurasee des, moving at night from village to village, urging people to rebel against the British. As in many other places, the revolt against the British turned into a general rebellion against all signs of oppression and injustice. Cultivators left their fields and plundered the houses of moneylenders and traders. Displaced proprietors took possession of the lands they had lost. Shah Mal’s men attacked government buildings, destroyed the bridge over the river, and dug up metalled roads – partly to prevent government forces from coming into the area, and partly because bridges and roads were seen as symbols of British rule. They sent supplies to the sepoys who had mutinied in Delhi and stopped all official communication between British headquarters and Meerut. Locally acknowledged as the Raja, Shah Mal took over the bungalow of an English officer, turned it into a 'hall of justice', settling disputes and dispensing judgments. He also set up an amazingly effective network of intelligence. For a period the people of the area felt that firangi raj was over, and their raj had come. Shah Mal was killed in battle in July 1857.

On the given political outline map of India locate and label the following with appropriate symbols :

Two statements labelled as Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are given below.

Read them carefully and select the correct option :

Assertion (A): James Prinsep’s work was crucial for understanding the political history of ancient India. Reason (R): Deciphering inscriptions provided insights into political events and rulers.

Match Column I with Column II regarding the Buddhist texts and choose the correct option:

Identify the ancient Indian text:

• Sanskrit text compiled between c. 200 BCE and 200 CE

• Provided a comprehensive code of laws

• Offered guidelines on social life

In which of the following regions are the ‘Barabar Caves’ located in India ?

Which of the following is a similarity between the works of Ibn Battuta and Al-Biruni ?

If you were to create a documentary on Amir Khusrau, which aspect would best highlight his cultural significance ?

Which one of the following is a famous literary work authored by Raja Krishnadeva Raya ?

If you were researching the economic policies and revenue collection methods of Akbar’s reign, which of the following sections of the Ain-i-Akbari would provide the most relevant information ?

Which of the following options represents the correct chronological order of Mughal rulers in India ?

I. Reign of Aurangzeb

II. Reign of Akbar

III. Reign of Shah Jahan

IV. Reign of Jahangir

Bernier compared the Mughal Empire to the French monarchy, and particularly criticized the absence of private property rights in India. How does this comparison reflect Bernier’s own socio-political context ?

Fill in the blank with the appropriate option from the following : While historians use the term Vijayanagara Empire, contemporaries described it as the ‘‘Karnataka ___________’’.

Read the statements about the Deccan Riots Commission. Identify which of the following options is correct.

I. The Government of Bombay established an enquiry commission to investigate the causes of the riots.

II. The Deccan Riots Report was presented to the British Parliament in 1878.

III. The Commission’s report included only qualitative data from the eyewitnesses.

IV. The enquiry process involved recording statements from ryots and sahukars.

Who amongst the following was the female member from Orissa (Odisha) in the Constituent Assembly ?

Which of the following pairs is correctly matched regarding the Constituent Assembly ?Column I (Committees of Constituent Assembly) Column II (Presidents)

Identify the leader of the Indian National Movement in 1905 with the help of the given information.

• This leader was a part of the trio known as Lal-Bal-Pal, signifying their all-India character despite being from different provinces.

• He belonged to Maharashtra.

Which one of the following policies by the British led to discontent among Indian soldiers, contributing to the Revolt of 1857 ?

Which of the following was the consequence of not paying the revenue by sunset on the specified date under the British Sunset Law enacted in Bengal ?

The sculpture of the Bodhisatta statue shown in the image below is influenced by which of the following schools of art ?