The Economic and Social differences in Harappa:
(i) In Harappan sites the dead were laid in pits.
(ii) In some instances the hollowed out spaces were lined with bricks
(iii) Some graves contained pottery and ornaments, indicating a belief that these could be used in the afterlife.
(iv) Jewellery has been found in burials of both man and woman. (shell rings, a jasper beads and micro beads were found)
(v) In some instances the dead were buried with Copper mirrors.
(vi) It appears that Harappan did not believe in burying precious things with the dead.

Evidences to explain the collapse of the Harappa civilization
(i) After 1900 BCE there were disappearance of the distinctive
(ii) Writing, long distance trade and craft specialization also disappeared.
(iii) House construction techniques deteriorated.
(iv) Large public structure were no longer produced.
(v) Artefacts and settlements indicated a rural life called as Late Harappan and Successive Culture.
(vi) Disappearance of the seals, the script, distinctive beads and pottery.
(vii) There was the shift from a standardized weight system to the use of the local weights.
(viii) There were decline and abandonment of cities.
(ix) Abandonment of Cholistan.
(x) Shift/ expansion of population into new settlements into Gujarat, Haryana , western UP.
(ANY FOUR)

Sources to reconstruct the history of the Mauryas
(i) Archaeological finds, especially sculpture.
(ii) Contemporary works, such as the account of Megasthenes.
(iii) Arthashastra, probably composed by Kautilya or Chanakya.
(iv) The Mauryas are mentioned in later Buddhist and Jaina.
(v) Puranic literature, as well as in Sanskrit literary works.
(vi) The inscriptions of Asoka on rocks and pillars.
(vii) Stupas
(viii) Coins
(ix) Ashokavadana
(ANY FOUR)

(i) The Mahabharata is a story about kinship describing a feud over land and power between the Kauravas and the Pandavas.

(ii) Pandavas became victorious due to their virtues.

(iii) Kinsmen claimed the throne, and, in very exceptional circumstances, women such as Prabhavati Gupta exercised power.

(iv) Under patriliny, sons could claim the authority of their fathers .

(v) Men acquired wealth through means led by the Manusmriti like inheritance, work, etc.

(vi) Women acquired wealth through Stridhan( by father, brother, husband).

(vii) While sons were important for the continuity of the patriliny, daughters had no claims to the resources of the household.

(viii) Various systems followed for the marriage were endogamy, exogamy, polygamy and polyandry.

(ix) Members of the same gotra could not marry.

(x) One of the most challenging episode in the Mahabharata is Draupadi’s marriage with the Pandavas an instance of Polyandry

(xi) Bhima marrying Hidimba –an example of exogamy.

(xii) Dharamshastras and Dharamasutras recognized as many as eight forms of marriages.

(xiii) Kanyadana or the gift of a daughter in marriage was an important religious duty of the father.

(xiv) Yudhishthira losing his wife in the game of dice is an example of women being treated as a part of property, putting up a big question on the status of women.

(xv) Family shaped the attitude and thinking of the people and geared them towards patriarchy.
(ANY EIGHT)

(i) In Sanskrit texts populations whose social practices were not influenced by Brahmanical ideas are often described as odd, uncivilised, or even animal-like.

(ii) In some instances, these included forest-dwellers –for whom hunting and gathering remained an important means of subsistence.

(iii) Categories such as the Nishada, to which Ekalavya is supposed to have belonged, are examples of this.

(iv) Others who were viewed with suspicion included populations such as nomadic pastoralists, who could not be easily accommodated within the framework of settled agriculturists who spoke non Sanskritic languages were labelled as Melachhas.

(v) While the Brahmanas considered some people as being outside the system, they also developed a sharper social divide by classifying certain social categories as “untouchables but historians have tried to find out whether chandalas accepted the life of degradation prescribed in the shastras.

(vi) Hidimba marrying Bhima against the social practices prescribed in the Dharamshastras.

(vii) Others who were viewed with suspicion included population such as Pastoralist.

(viii) Whenever brahamanical authorities encountered new groups which did not easily fit into the fourfold varna system they classified them as Jatis.

(ix) Aspects related with Non- Kshatriyas king.

(x) Many new questions were raised alternate traditions like Buddhism.

(xi) Jainism appealed to lower class a s believe all, things are animated and all are equal.

(xii) Metronymics was followed the Satavahanas.

(xiii) The case of chandala named Matanga given in Matanga Jataka.

(xiv) Prabhavati Gupta had access to property unlike other daughters.
(ANY EIGHT)