Social Science Notes Class 6 English Medium 2026-27

Social Science Chapter 5. India, That Is Bharat

CBSE Notes New Syllabus: Class 6

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Chapter 5. India, That Is Bharat

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)

1. What is the region that we commonly call India also often called?

   1. European Subcontinent
   2. Indian Subcontinent
   3. Asian Island
   4. Southern Peninsula

2. Which is one of India's most ancient texts?

   1. Mahābhārata
   2. Ṛig Veda
   3. Viṣhṇu Purāṇa
   4. Arthaśhāstra

3. What does ‘Sapta Sindhava’ mean?

   1. Land of seven mountains
   2. Land of seven rivers
   3. Land of seven kingdoms
   4. Land of seven seas

4. The word ‘Sindhava’ comes from:

   1. Ganga
   2. Sindhu
   3. Yamuna
   4. Bharata

5. What does ‘Bhāratavarṣha’ mean?

   1. Land of seven rivers
   2. Island of the jamun tree
   3. Country of the Bharatas
   4. Land of the Buddha

6. Which ancient text uses the terms ‘Bhāratavarṣha’ and ‘Jambudvīpa’?

   1. Ṛig Veda
   2. Mahābhārata
   3. Viṣhṇu Purāṇa
   4. Ramāyaṇa

7. What does ‘Jambudvīpa’ mean?

   1. Country of the Bharatas
   2. Land of seven rivers
   3. Island of the fruit of the jamun tree
   4. Land of snowy mountains

8. Who used the name ‘Jambudvīpa’ in one of his inscriptions?

   1. Chandragupta
   2. Aśhoka
   3. Harṣha
   4. Akbar

9. In the Viṣhṇu Purāṇa, Bhārata is described as the country:

   1. North of the ocean and south of the snowy mountains
   2. South of the ocean and north of the mountains
   3. Between two rivers
   4. Only around the Indus River

10. Who were among the first foreigners to mention India?

    1. Romans
    2. Persians
    3. French
    4. British

11. Which names did the Persians use for India?

    1. Indoi and Indike
    2. Yintu and Yindu
    3. Hind, Hidu and Hindu
    4. India and Inde

12. Which names were used by the ancient Greeks?

    1. Hind and Hidu
    2. Indoi and Indike
    3. Yintu and Yindu
    4. Bharat and Bharatam

13. Which names for India are found in ancient Chinese texts?

    1. Hind and Hindu
    2. Indoi and Indike
    3. Yintu and Yindu
    4. Bhārata and Bharatam

14. Who travelled from China to India in the 7th century CE?

    1. Megasthenes
    2. Xuanzang
    3. Fa-Hien
    4. Al-Biruni

15. Which phrase appears at the beginning of the Indian Constitution?

    1. Bharat is India
    2. India and Bharat
    3. India, that is Bharat
    4. Hindustan, that is India

Answer Key – MCQs

Fill in the Blanks

1. The region commonly called India is also known as the __________.
2. The Ṛig Veda gives the northwest region the name __________.
3. Sapta Sindhava means the ‘land of the __________ rivers’.
4. The word Sindhava comes from __________.
5. Bhāratavarṣha means ‘the country of the __________’.
6. Jambudvīpa means ‘the island of the fruit of the __________ tree’.
7. Emperor __________ used the name Jambudvīpa in one of his inscriptions.
8. The Persians used the names Hind, Hidu and __________.
9. The Greeks used the names Indoi and __________.
10. The ancient Chinese used the names Yintu and __________.
11. __________ travelled from China to India in the 7th century CE.
12. The Indian Constitution uses the phrase “India, that is __________”.

True or False

1. The Indian Subcontinent has always had exactly the same boundaries.
2. India has been known by many names throughout history.
3. The Ṛig Veda calls the northwest region Sapta Sindhava.
4. Sapta Sindhava means the land of seven mountains.
5. Bhāratavarṣha means the country of the Bharatas.
6. Jambudvīpa later came to mean the Indian Subcontinent.
7. Aśhoka used the name Jambudvīpa in an inscription.
8. The Persians derived Hind and Hidu from Sindhu.
9. In ancient Persian, the word Hindu in this context referred to the Hindu religion.
10. The Greeks used the names Indoi and Indike.
11. The Chinese used the name Yindu.
12. Xuanzang travelled from India to China in the 7th century CE.
13. The Constitution uses the phrase “India, that is Bharat”.

Very Short Answer Questions

1. What is meant by Indian Subcontinent?
2. Who are inhabitants?
3. What is Sapta Sindhava?
4. What does Sindhu refer to?
5. What is Bhāratavarṣha?
6. What is Jambudvīpa?
7. Who was Aśhoka?
8. Name the three Persian names for India mentioned in the chapter.
9. Name the two Greek names for India mentioned in the chapter.
10. Name the two Chinese names for India mentioned in the chapter.
11. Who was Xuanzang?
12. When did the Indian Constitution come into force?

Short Answer Questions

1. Why has India been known by many different names throughout history?
2. What information does the Ṛig Veda give about the northwest region of India?
3. Explain the meaning and significance of the term Bhāratavarṣha.
4. Explain the meaning of Jambudvīpa.
5. What does Aśhoka's use of the term Jambudvīpa tell us about the geographical region?
6. How does the Viṣhṇu Purāṇa describe Bhārata?
7. How did the ancient Greeks derive the names Indoi and Indike?
8. How were the names Yintu and Yindu connected with Sindhu?
9. Why is the term ‘Hindu’ in ancient Persian different from the modern religious use of the word?
10. What was the importance of Xuanzang's visit to India?

Long Answer Questions

1. Describe the different ancient Indian names used for the Indian Subcontinent and explain their meanings.
2. Explain how the name of India developed from Sindhu to Hind and eventually to India.
3. Describe the different geographical descriptions of Bhārata found in ancient Indian literature.
4. Explain how Persians, Greeks and Chinese referred to India and how their names were connected with Sindhu.
5. Describe Xuanzang's journey to India and explain what he did during his stay.
6. Explain the significance of the phrase “India, that is Bharat” in the Indian Constitution.

Source-Based Questions

Read the following passage and answer the questions:

An ancient Indian text describes a region as the land of seven rivers. The word used for this region is connected with Sindhu, the name of the Indus River. Later, Persian records used forms such as Hind and Hindu, while Greek sources used Indoi and Indike.

1. Which ancient Indian text is referred to here?
2. What was the ancient name for the land of seven rivers?
3. What does Sindhu refer to?
4. Name any two Persian forms derived from Sindhu.
5. What names did the Greeks use?

Think and Answer

1. Why do you think different peoples used different names for the same geographical region?
2. Why is it important to study the origins of historical names?
3. What can we learn about ancient India's geography from the descriptions in the Viṣhṇu Purāṇa and ancient Tamil literature?
4. Why might travellers from distant countries have been interested in visiting India?
5. If you had lived 2,000 years ago, what name would you have chosen for your land? Give a reason.

Match the Following

Activity-Based Questions

1. Make a chart showing the different names of India and the people or languages associated with them.
2. Prepare a flow chart showing the development: Sindhu → Hind / Hindu → Indoi / Indike → India.
3. On an outline map of the Indian Subcontinent, identify the Indus River, Himalayas and Cape Kumari.
4. Prepare a short presentation on Xuanzang's journey from China to India.
5. Write a short paragraph explaining why India has had many names throughout history.
6. Discuss the meaning of the quotation by Sri Aurobindo given at the beginning of the chapter.

Research and Project Work

1. Find out the names by which India is known in five different Indian languages.
2. Find out the modern names of some of the regions mentioned in the Mahābhārata.
3. Make a timeline showing important stages in the development of the names of India.
4. Collect information about one ancient traveller who visited India and write a short report.