1. Sources of History
Complete solutions to the Exercise. Maharashtra State Board (Balbharati), Grade Six History and Civics.
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About the chapter
This chapter explains how we learn about the past. Historians use material, written and oral sources. The chapter also tells us about museums in Maharashtra. It introduces the twelve forts listed as the ‘Maratha Military Landscapes of India’.
Key points
- Sources of history are of three types: material, written and oral.
- Material sources are objects like coins, pottery, weapons, forts and temples.
- Written sources include the Vedas, Tipitaka, Agamas, inscriptions and travelogues.
- Oral sources like folk songs, Ovi and Povada are passed on by word of mouth.
- Primary sources belong to the same period. Secondary sources are made later by studying them.
- Twelve Maratha forts were added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2025.
Words to remember
- Source of history – anything that gives us information about the past
- Inscription – writing carved on stone or metal
- Museum – a place where old objects are kept safely for people to see
- Travelogue – a written account of a journey
- Excavation – careful digging to find remains of the past
Exercise
(1) The teachings of Vardhaman Mahavir are found in the ........... texts.
- a) Upanishads
- b) Tipitaks
- ✓ c) Agama
- d) Sangham
Answer: The teachings of Vardhaman Mahavir are found in the Agama texts.
(2) The most ancient sources of Indian history are the ………. .
- a) Aranyaka
- ✓ b) Veda
- c) Brahmana texts
- d) Upanishads
Answer: The most ancient sources of Indian history are the Vedas.
| Group ‘A’ | Group ‘B’ |
|---|---|
| 1) Written sources | b) Travelogues of foreign travellers |
| 2) Material sources | c) Coins and weapons |
| 3) Oral Sources | a) Folk songs |
Concept map — the three kinds of sources of history.
- Rock-cut cave temple — Material source. It tells us about the art and religious life of that time.
- Ancient coin — Material source. It tells us about the economy and the ruler.
- Stone inscription — Written source. It tells us about the script, language and administration.
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(1) Explain the difference between written and oral sources of history.
Written sources:
- They are available in written form, on palm leaf, birch bark, paper, stone or copper plates.
- Examples: the Vedas, Tipitaka, Agamas, inscriptions and travelogues.
- They tell us about the script, language, administration and society of that time.
- They are available only after scripts came into use.
Oral sources:
- They are passed on by word of mouth from one generation to the next.
- Examples: folktales, folk songs, Ovi, Povada and proverbs.
- They tell us about the daily life, customs and beliefs of common people.
- Their wording changes over time. So they are checked with other sources.
(2) List the types of material sources and describe their significance in the study of history.
Types: coins, seals, inscriptions, copper plates, pottery, weapons, ornaments, sculptures, buildings, forts, temples, caves, and remains like grains and bones found in excavations.
Significance:
- They belong to the same period. So they give reliable information.
- Pottery helps to find the period of a site.
- Grains and bones tell us about the food habits of people.
- Coins tell us about the economy and the rulers.
- Forts and weapons tell us about defence and war.
- For the Stone Age, material sources are the only evidence.
(3) Which sources from the modern times will be useful for generations to reconstruct history? Write about them.
- Written sources — newspapers, books, diaries, letters, government records and the Constitution.
- Material sources — coins, currency notes, stamps, tools, vehicles and buildings.
- Audio-visual sources — photographs, films, and radio and TV recordings.
- Digital sources — websites, social media posts and online records.
- Oral sources — recorded memories of elders and folk songs.
These sources will tell future generations how we lived today.
- Idols tell us about the gods people worshipped and the skill of sculptors.
- Seals tell us about trade and the script of that time.
- Coins tell us about rulers, metals and the change from barter to money.
- Utensils tell us what people cooked and how they stored food and water.
- Jewellery tells us about metals, beads and the skill of craftsmen.
- Documents tell us about language, laws, land grants and taxes.
- Toys tell us how children played and which animals people knew.
| Name of City / Place | Name of Museum | Features / Characteristics |
|---|---|---|
| Mumbai | Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya | Houses a vast collection of artefacts related to the history of India — sculptures, coins, weapons, paintings and manuscripts |
| Pune | Raja Dinkar Kelkar Museum | Galleries dedicated to household objects, jewellery, weaponry, musical instruments, textiles and artworks; gives insights into the lifestyles of people of the past |
| Pune | Museum of the Deccan College Post-Graduate and Research Institute | Museum of various archaeological objects; offers a glimpse of artefacts recovered from excavations |
- Raigad — Raigad district
- Rajgad — Pune district
- Shivneri — Pune district
- Salher — Nashik district
- Lohgad — Pune district
- Pratapgad — Satara district
- Panhala — Kolhapur district
- Vijaydurg — Sindhudurg district
- Sindhudurg — Sindhudurg district
- Suvarnadurg — Ratnagiri district
- Khanderi — Raigad district
- Gingee (Jinji) — Tamil Nadu
In the puzzle, Gingee is written as JINJI. Look across, down and diagonally.
The Activity (collecting folk songs, Povada and Ovi for a ‘Heritage wall’ chart) and the Project (visiting a museum and writing a report) are to be done by you with your teacher’s guidance.