केन्द्रीय विद्यालय संगठन हैदराबाद सम्भाग

KENDRIYA VIDYALAYA SANGATHAN, HYDERABAD

SAMPLE QUESTION PAPER-3

SUBJECT: History Max. Marks: 80

CLASS: XII TIME: 3 Hours

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Question paper comprises five Sections – A, B, C, D and E. There are 34 questions
in the question paper. All questions are compulsory.
2. Section A – Question 1 to 21 are MCQs of 1 mark each.
3. Section B – Question no. 22 to 27 are Short Answer Type Questions, carrying 3
marks each. Answer to each question should not exceed 60-80 words.
4. Section C - Question no 28 to 30 are Long Answer Type Questions, carrying 8
marks each. Answer to each question should not exceed 300-350 words
5. Section D – Question no.31 to 33 are Source based questions with three sub
questions and are of 4 marks each
6. Section-E - Question no. 34 is Map based, carrying 5 marks that includes the
identification and location of significant test items. Attach the map with the answer
book.
7. There is no overall choice in the question paper. However, an internal choice has
been provided in few questions. Only one of the choices in such questions have to be
attempted.
8. In addition to this, separate instructions are given with each section and question,
wherever necessary.

Q.NO MARKS

Section A 1X21=2
OBJECTIVE TYPE QUESTIONS 1
Q1 Where was the first major Public Appearance of Gandhiji in 1
India?
A Banaras Hindu University
B Champaran
C Bardoli
D Calcutta
Q.2 Which of the following was not a justified reason for the 1

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 annexation of Awadh by the British in 1857?
A Wajid Ali was the unpopular ruler.
B Subsidiary alliance system was accepted by Wajid Ali shah.
C Mangal Pandey initiated the revolt from Awadh.
D Material benefits were given to the talukdars by the British.
Q.3 Who is credited with the construction of Lake Sudarshan in 1
Gujarat?
A Rudradaman
B Pushyagupta
C Rudrasena II
D Chandra Gupta II
Q.4 Identify the coins and name the dynasty who issued it. 1

A Maurya
B Satvahanas
C Shaka
D Gupta
NOTE: The following question is for the visually impaired
candidates in lieu of Question number 4.
The didactic (informative) sections of Mahabharata were
added in 200-400 CE. Which text do they largely resemble?
A Sutta Pitaka
B Manusmriti
C Rigveda
D Upanishads
Q.5 What was an “Agrahara Grant”? 1
A A grant of land made out to an officer in lieu of his salary.

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 B A grant of land made to the temple for its upkeep.
C A tax free land grant restricted to Brahmanas.
D None of the above
Q.6 Consider the following statements regarding Harappan 1
Culture and choose the statement/s which are not true.
(i)- By 2100 BCE many mature Harappan sites had been
abandoned.
(ii)-Late Harappan sites were urbanised as early and
mature Harappans.
(iii)-There were transformation in material, culture after
1900 BCE in some mature Harappan sites.
(iv)-Late Harappan sites were known as successor cultures.
A (iii) and (iv)
B (i) and (ii)
C (i)
D All are false
Q.7 There are two statements marked as Assertion (A) and 1
Reason (R), mark your answer as per the codes given
below.
Assertion (A): Many Roman gold and silver coins, belonging
to first and second centuries AD, have been discovered in
South India.
Reason (R): Some parts of South India were under Roman
occupation during this period.
A Both A & R are correct & R is the correct explanation of A
B Both A & R are true, but R is not a true explanation of A
C A is true but R is false
D A is false but R is true
Q.8 Which statement is incorrect? 1
A One of the important features of the Harappan cities were
their drainage system.
B Artefacts were of different shapes.
C Gold was not an expensive metal.
D Kalibangan is in Rajasthan.
Q.9 In which of the following languages, Al-Biruni was not 1
proficient?
A Arabic
B Persian

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 C Greek
D Sanskrit
Q.10 Consider the following statements about the Mauryan 1
Empire:
1. There were 5 major political centres in the Empire.
2. Megasthenes mentions a committee with six
subcommittees for coordinating military activity.
3. Chandragupta Maurya appointed Dhamamahamatta.
4. Ashoka tried to hold his empire by propagating dhamma.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
A 1,2 & 3
B 1, 2,3 & 4
C 2, 3 & 4
D 1,2 & 4
Q.11 Which one of the following statements about the teaching 1
of Kabir is not correct?
A He was not against pilgrimage and idol worship.
B He believed in universal love.
C He emphasized on one God and the spread of
devotionalism.
D He did not consider it necessary to abandon the normal life
of a householder.
Q.12 Which of the following statements regarding the jotedars is 1
incorrect?
A The jotedars lived in the cities.
B They often instigated the peasants not to pay their revenue
on time.
C They often prevented the zamindari officials from carrying
out their duties.
D They were the first to buy the zamindar’s lands when they
were auctioned.
Q.13 Match the list 1 with list 2 and select the correct pair by 1
using the codes given below.
List 1 List 2
A. Manzil-abadi 1. Gazetteer of the empire
B. Sipah-abadi 2. deals with fiscal matters
C. Mulk-abadi 3. covers military and civil administration
D. Ain-i-Akbari 4. concerns the imperial households
A A-2, B-1, C-4, D-3
B A-3, B-1, C-2, D-4
C A-2, B-4, C-1, D-3

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 D A-4, B-3, C-2, D-1
Q.14 The ruler of which one of the following states was removed 1
from power by the British on the pretext of mis
governance?
A Awadh
B Jhansi
C Nagpur
D Satara
Q.15 _________ and _________ were the two companies which 1
encouraged cotton production all over the world.
A The Cotton Supply Company; The Manchester Cotton Company

B The Cotton Supply Association; The Manchester Cotton Company

C The Cotton Supply Union; The Birmingham Cotton Company

D The Cotton Supply Association; The Birmingham Cotton Company

Q.16 Consider the following foreign travellers: (i) Nicolo Conti 1

(ii) Abdur Razzaq (iii) Bernier (iv) Tavernier and choose the
correct option who visited the Vijayanagara Empire.
A (i), (ii), (iii)
B (i) and (ii)
C (i), (iii), (iv)
D (i) and (iv)
Q.17 Which of the following is characteristic of the Kankut 1
system of revenue assessment?
A Fields were divided after they are sown.
B Crops are cut and divided by agreement.
C Grains kept in heaps and then divided.
D Revenue was assessed on the basis of the standing crop.
Q.18 Fill in the blanks from the given options. 1
The remains of the Vijayanagara Empire can be found at -
___.
A Bijapur
B Golconda
C Hampi
D Baroda

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Q.19 Which one of the following statements is correct? 1
A The members of the Constituent Assembly were chosen
on the basis of the provincial elections of 1946.
B Jawaharlal Nehru, M.A. Jinnah and Sardar Vallabh bhai Patel
were members of the Constituent Assembly of India.
C The First Session of the Constituent Assembly of India was
held in January 1947.
D The Constitution of India was adopted on 26th January
1951.
Q.20 Identify the name of the person from the information given 1
below.
a. He was born in 973, in Khwarizm.
b. He received the best education available at the time.
c. He arrived in Ghazni as a hostage.
d. He spent years in the company of Brahmana priests and
scholars, learning Sanskrit, and studying religious and
philosophical texts.
A Ibn Battuta
B Francois Bernier
C Domingo Paes
D Al Biruni
Q.21 The Second Session of the Round Table Conference broke
down on the question of ______.
A Gandhi’s fast unto death.
B Separate electorates for the minorities.
C Gandhiji being not treated on equal terms with the British
King.
D Government’s unwillingness to release all political
prisoners.
Section B
Short Answer Type Questions 3X6=18
Q.22 How do we know about the agricultural practices which 3
existed during the Harappan civilization?
OR
Why did Cunningham miss the significance of Harappa?
Q.23 Trace the history of Pataliputra. 3
Q.24 State the inherent problems faced by Al- Biruni in the task 3
of understanding Indian Social and Brahmanical practices.
Mention any two sources that provided him the support.
Q.25 Describe the two main platforms found in the King’s palace 3
in Vijayanagar.
Q.26 “The battle between the hoe and the plough was a long 3
one.” Substantiate the statement with reference to the

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 Santhals and Paharias of Rajmahal hills during the 18th
century.
Q.27 Discuss the significance of the unity between Hindus and 3
Muslims during the Revolt of 1857.
OR
Discuss the legacy of the Revolt of 1857.
Section C
Long Answer Type Questions 8x3=24
Q.28 Mahabharata is the precious source to provide the details 8
information about the kinship values and systems of
marriage. Explain your views about to reconstruct the
history of India in this regard.
OR
How can you justify that Brahmanical prescription about
kinship, Patriarchy and marriage were not universally
followed in the period of Mahabharata?
Q.29 Ain -I -Akbari is the major source to reconstruct the history 8
of reign of Akbar. In this context, analyse the merit and
demerit of this text.
OR
Critically examine the structure and functions of village and
caste panchayat during Mughal period in India.
Q.30. “Gandhiji’s Quit India movement was genuinely a mass 8
movement bringing into its ambit hundreds of thousands of
ordinary Indians.” Explain.
OR
“The Salt March of 1930 was the first event that brought
Mahatma Gandhi to world attention.” Explain the
significance of this movement for Swaraj.
Section C
Source Based Questions 4x3=12
Q.31. This is an excerpt from the Mahaparinibbana Sutta, part of
the Sutta Pitaka: As the Buddha lay dying,Ananda asked
him: “What are we to do Lord, with the remains of the
Tathagata (another name for the Buddha)?” The Buddha
replied: “Hinder not yourselves Ananda by honouring the
remains of the Tathagata. Be zealous, be intent on your
own good.” But when pressed further, the Buddha said: “At
the four crossroads they should erect a thupa (Pali for
stupa) to the Tathagata. And whosoever shall there place
garlands or perfume … or make a salutation there, or

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 become in its presence calm of heart, that shall long be to
them for a profit and joy.”
31.1 Who advised the Ananda to build the Stupa? 1
31.2 Who was the Tathagata? 1
31.3 What is the importance of stupa to spread the Buddhism in 2
that contemporary time?
Q.32. A Church in Khambat
This is an excerpt from a farman (imperial order) issued by
Akbar in 1598:
Whereas it reached our eminent and holy notice that the
padris (fathers) of the Holy Society of Jesus wish to build a
house of prayer (church) in the city of Kambayat (Khambat,
in Gujarat); therefore an exalted mandate … is being
issued, … that the dignitaries of the city of Kambayat
should in no case stand in their way but should allow them
to build a church so that they may engage themselves in
their own worship. It is necessary that the order of the
Emperor should be obeyed in every way.
32.1 Who issued the farman? 1
32.2 From whom did the king anticipate opposition? 1
32.3 What light does this throw on the religious policy of the
Mughals? 2
Q.33. “I believe separate electorates will be suicidal to the
minorities”
During the debate on 27 August 1947, Govind Ballabh Pant
said:
I believe separate electorates will be suicidal to the
minorities and will do them tremendous harm. If they are
isolated forever, they can never convert themselves into a
majority and the feeling of frustration will cripple them
even from the very beginning. What is it that you desire
and what is our ultimate objective? Do the minorities
always want to remain as minorities or do they ever expect
to form an integral part of a great nation and as such to
guide and control its destinies? If they do, can they ever
achieve that aspiration and that ideal if they are isolated
from the rest of the community? I think it would be
extremely dangerous for them if they were segregated
from the rest of the community and kept aloof in an airtight
compartment where they would have to rely on others even
for the air they breathe…The minorities if they are returned
by separate electorates can never have any effective voice.
33.1 How can we solve the problem of minorities? 1
33.2 Will the creation of separate electorates solve the problem 1
of minorities?
33.3 How will separate electorates prove suicidal to the 2
minorities the views of G.B. Pant?

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 Marks
3+2=5
Q.34. 34.1 On the given political map of India, locate and label the
following with appropriate symbols:
a. Lothal, a Harappan site
b. Agra, a territory under Babur, Akbar, and Aurangzeb
c. Bharhut Gaya, a Buddhist site
OR
d. Amaravati, a Buddhist site
34.2 On the same outline map, two places have been marked as
. A and B, which are centres of the National movement.
Identify them and write their correct names on the lines
drawn near them.
Note: The following questions are for the Visually
Impaired Candidates only in lieu of Q. No.34.
34.1 (a) Mention any two sites of Harrapan period.
. (b) Mention any one Territory under Ashokan empire.
OR
(b)Where is Brihadishvara temple located?
34.2 Mention any two centres of the Gandhian movement.

34.

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