Here is the notes from NCERT Class 6 History Chapter 1 – “What, Where, How and When?”.

What can we know about the past?

  • History helps us understand how people lived in the past.
  • We learn about past lifestyles, food, clothing, houses, occupations, and societies.
  • It also tells us about rulers, battles, buildings, art, and religion.

 Where did people live in the past?

  • People lived near:
    • Rivers (e.g., Ganga, Indus) – good for water and farming.
    • Hills, forests, and seas – for protection, food, and trade.
  • Important regions:
    • Sulaiman and Kirthar hills to the northwest
      • First began to grow crops such as wheat and Barley
      • About 8000 years ago.
    • Garo hills to the north-east and the Vindhyas in central India
      • Agriculture developed
      • Rice was first grown are to the north of Vindhyas.
    • Indus Valley
      • one of the oldest civilizations.
    • Magadha (modern Bihar)
      • powerful kingdom.
      • Along with Ganga and its tributary (Son).
Names of the land
  • The word India comes from the Indus, called Sindhu in Sanskrit.
  • The Iranian and the Greeks (2500 years ago) were familiar with the Indus, called it the Hindos or the Indos, and the land to the east of the river was called India.
  • The name Bharata was used for a group of people who lived in the north-west, and it is mentioned in the Rigveda.
  • Later it is used for the country.

Sources of History:

Manuscripts –
  • Written by hand (‘Manu’ means hand).
  • Written on pam leaf, or on specially prepared bark of a tree known as the birch, grows in the Himalayas.
  • Book dealt with religious beliefs and practices, lives of kings, medicine and science
  • Often in Sanskrit, Prakrit, Tamil, etc.
Inscriptions –
  •  writings on relatively hard surfaces such as stone or metal.
  • Example: kings’ achievements, victories, donations.
Archaeology
  • The study of the remains of buildings made of stone and brick, paintings and scultpure.
    • Those who study study these object are called archaeologists.
  • They explore and excavate to find tools weapons, pots, pans, ornaments and coins.

What do dates mean?

  • Historians use the term “BC” (Before Christ) and “AD” (Anno Domini).
    • Example: 2025 AD means 2025 years after the birth of Jesus Christ.
  • Some books also use BCE (Before Common Era) and CE (Common Era).
Cartouche
  • An oval with a horizontal bar at the base of the oval and a king’s name written inside of the oval
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