SOCIAL SCIENCE
📘 Chapter 5: India, That is Bharat
🔹 Very Short Answer (1 Mark)
Q1. What is the most ancient text of India?
👉 The Ṛig Veda is the most ancient text of India.
Q2. What does ‘Sapta Sindhava’ mean?
👉 It means land of the seven rivers.
Q3. Which name of India is mentioned in the Constitution?
👉 India, that is Bharat / भारत अर्थात् India.
Q4. Who was the first foreigner to call India as ‘Hind’ or ‘Hindu’?
👉 The Persians.
Q5. What does ‘Jambudvīpa’ mean?
👉 The island of the fruit of the jamun tree.
🔹 Short Answer (2 Marks)
Q6. What is the meaning of ‘Bhāratavarṣha’?
👉 Bhāratavarṣha means the country of the Bharatas. The Bharatas were an
important Vedic tribe mentioned in the Ṛig Veda.
Q7. How did the Greeks get the name ‘India’?
👉 The Greeks borrowed the Persian word Hindu (from Sindhu) but dropped the
sound “h”, as it did not exist in Greek. They called it Indoi or Indike, which later
became India.
Q8. Which name did Emperor Ashoka use for India?
👉 Emperor Ashoka used the name Jambudvīpa for India in his inscriptions.
🔹 Long Answer (3 Marks)
Q9. Write any three names of India given by Indians themselves in ancient
texts.
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👉 Three ancient names of India given by Indians are:
1. Sapta Sindhava (Rig Veda – land of seven rivers)
2. Bhāratavarṣha (Mahābhārata, Vishnu Purāṇa – country of the Bharatas)
3. Jambudvīpa (Mahābhārata, Ashoka’s inscriptions – land of jamun tree).
Q10. How did foreigners name India? Explain with examples.
👉 Foreigners gave different names to India:
Persians → Hind / Hindu (from Sindhu River)
Greeks → Indoi / Indike (from Hindu)
Chinese → Yindu / Yintu (from Sindhu)
Later, Persians used the word Hindustān (geographical, not religious).
🔹 Detailed Answer (4 Marks)
Q11. Explain why India is called ‘Bharat’.
👉
The term Bhārata comes from the Vedic tribe called Bharatas, mentioned in
the Rig Veda.
Later, many kings named Bharata are described in literature.
In texts like the Mahābhārata and Vishnu Purāṇa, the whole subcontinent
is described as Bhāratavarṣha.
Meaning: “The land that lies north of the ocean and south of the Himalayas
is called Bhārata.”
This name remains in use even today in Indian languages and is written in
the Constitution as “India, that is Bharat.”
Q12. Why did people from other countries travel to India in ancient times?
👉 People traveled to India because:
1. Trade – India was famous for spices, textiles, gems, and other goods.
2. Knowledge – India had great centres of learning like Nalanda and
Takshashila.
3. Pilgrimage – Many came to learn about Buddhism and visit holy places.
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4. Conquest/Empire – Some came to conquer and rule.
5. Cultural exchange – Scholars, writers, and travellers came to know about
Indian culture.
🔹 True / False (Quick Revision)
1. Rig Veda describes the entire geography of India. → ❌ False
2. Vishnu Purana describes the entire Subcontinent. → ✅ True
3. Ashoka used the word ‘Jambudvīpa’ for India. → ✅ True
4. Mahābhārata lists regions like Kashmir, Kutch, Kerala. → ✅ True
5. The word ‘Hindustān’ first appeared in a Greek inscription. → ❌ False
(Persian)
6. In ancient Persian, ‘Hindu’ meant the Hindu religion. → ❌ False (It was only
a geographical name)
7. ‘Bhārata’ was given to India by foreign travellers. → ❌ False (Given by
Indians themselves)
SOCIAL SCIENCE 3