Class 10 SS Chapter 4 Literary Heritage of India
Study the Class 10 SS Chapter 4 Literary Heritage of India, covering Vedas, medieval literature and ancient universities.
Section A – Multiple Choice Questions
- Which is the most ancient book of Indian literature? [1 marks]
- Rigveda
- Yajurveda
- Samveda
- Atharvaveda
- In which language was the earlier Buddhist literature written? [1 marks]
- Pali
- Hindi
- Brahmi
- Gujarati
- Which is the oldest of the four Dravidian languages mentioned in the chapter? [1 marks]
- Tamil
- Telugu
- Kannada
- Malayalam
- Which work marks the beginning of Hindi literature and deals with the heroic deeds of Prithviraj Chauhan? [1 marks]
- Prithviraj Raso
- Vikramankdev Charit
- Kaviraj Marg
- Chandrayan
- Which is the literary composition of Maharshi Panini? [1 marks]
- Ashtadhyayi
- Prithviraj Raso
- Vikramdev Charit
- Chandrayan
Section B – Answer in Short
- Name the four Vedas and write one important feature of any one of them. [3 marks]
- What information is given in the Yajurveda according to the chapter? [2 marks]
- Write a short note on Takshashila Vidhyapith. [3 marks]
- Which philosophical principles are explained in the Bhagwad Geeta? [2 marks]
Section C – Answer Pointwise
- Give information about Nalanda Vidhyapith. Write any four relevant points. [4 marks]
- Give information about Vallabhi Vidhyapith. Write any four relevant points. [4 marks]
Section D – Long Answer
- Describe Medieval Literature with reference to the development of languages, important writers/works, and the growth of regional literature. [4 marks]
Section E – Very Short Answer
- What are the Upanishads mainly concerned with? [1 marks]
Class 10 SS Chapter 4 Literary Heritage of India Answer key
Section A – MCQ Answers
- A – Rigveda
- A – Pali
- A – Tamil
- A – Prithviraj Raso
- A – Ashtadhyayi
Section B – Short Answers
- The four Vedas are Rigveda, Samveda, Yajurveda and Atharvaveda. Rigveda is the most ancient work of Indian literature and contains 1028 verses. Samveda focuses on the recitation of verses. Yajurveda deals with hymns recited during Yagyas and religious practices and rituals. Atharvaveda describes various types of rituals and sanskaras.
- Yajurveda describes hymns recited at the time of Yagyas and explains religious practices and rituals. It is composed in both prose and verse.
- Takshashila was an ancient university located at Rawalpindi in present Pakistan and was the capital of the ancient Gandhar region. It imparted education in 64 subjects. Students studied with a guru and could study subjects of their interest. Education included Vedas, military science, Gajvidhya, archery, grammar, philosophy, warfare, astronomy and astrology. Panini, Kautilya and other notable scholars studied there.
- The Bhagwad Geeta, a part of the Mahabharata, explains deep philosophical principles and conveys the message of achieving ‘Moksha’ or salvation through ‘Gyana’, ‘Karma’ and ‘Bhakti’.
Section C – Pointwise Answers
Nalanda Vidhyapith:
- Ancient Nalanda University was situated at Badgaon village of Patna district in Bihar.
- It gave importance to Buddhist and Jain traditions and became a pilgrimage place for Jains.
- Students came from different parts of the world for study and research.
- It had a large library/repository known as ‘Dharmgunj’ and was a reputed centre of education from the 5th to the 11th century.
- Huen-Tsang visited Nalanda in the 7th century and took 657 books from there to China.
- The university had seven huge halls and about 300 rooms for lectures, along with facilities for students.
Vallabhi Vidhyapith:
- Vallabhi was a famous centre of education in Gujarat in the 7th century.
- It was a significant contribution of the contemporary ruler of the Vanash Dynasty and was a major centre of education.
- It was a centre of the Hinayana cult of Buddhism.
- Students came from distant areas of Ganga-Yamuna and other regions for higher studies.
- Vallabhi was an international university and taught almost all branches of knowledge.
- Its maintenance was supported through charity given by kings and landlords.
- It was renowned for knowledge of arts and science.
Section D – Long Answer
- Medieval Literature – Model Answer: During the medieval period, Sanskrit continued to be an important language of literature, while Apabhramsha languages developed into modern Indian languages. Important works included Somdeva’s ‘Kathasaritsagar’, Kalhana’s ‘Rajatarangini’ and Jaydeva’s ‘Geetgovind’. ‘Prithviraj Raso’ by Chandbardai is described as an early important work of Hindi literature. Khadi Boli and Brij Bhasha developed in Delhi, while Rajasthani and Gujarati also produced heroic poems and stories. Persian became the court language of the Delhi Sultanate and influenced Indian languages. Amir Khusro wrote poetry in several languages and promoted a bilingual literary tradition. Regional languages received a strong impetus from kings and Bhakti saints; poets such as Kabir, Tulsidas and Surdas became important figures. Literature also developed in Bengali, Gujarati, Marathi, Kashmiri, Telugu, Tamil and other languages. During the Mughal period, works such as ‘Ain-e-Akbari’, ‘Akbarnama’ and major autobiographical and poetic works were produced, while Urdu developed into a rich modern Indian language.
Section E – Very Short Answer
- The Upanishadic literature gives a vivid description and analysis of the beginning of the universe, the mysteries of life and death, and materialistic and spiritual aspects of life.