Class 6 History Chapter 1: Amazing & Complete What, Where, When and How? Notes

Introduction

“What, Where, When, and How” is the title of Chapter 1 of Class 6 History. introduces students to the basic idea of studying history. (Class 6 History Chapter 1)

History is not simply a collection of dates, kings, wars, and events. It helps us understand how people lived in earlier times, where they lived, what they ate, what work they did, how they travelled, and how societies changed over time.

But there is an important question:

How can we know about people who lived thousands of years ago?

We obviously cannot travel back in time and interview them. Instead, historians and archaeologists examine the evidence that has survived from the past. These pieces of evidence help them build an understanding of earlier societies.

This chapter introduces us to places, people, sources, dates, manuscripts, inscriptions, archaeology, and scripts that help us study the past. (Class 6 History Chapter 1)

---

1. What, Where, When and How? – Introduction

The title of the chapter contains four basic questions:

• What happened in the past?
• Where did people live?
• When did different events happen?
• How can we find out about the past?

These questions are important because the past is not directly visible to us.

For example, we may want to know what people ate thousands of years ago. We may also want to understand what their houses looked like or what tools they used. (Class 6 History Chapter 1)

Historians use different kinds of evidence to answer such questions.

What is History?

History (इतिहास) is the study of the past.

However, history is much broader than studying rulers and battles. It also includes the lives of farmers, hunters, herders, traders, craftspeople, religious teachers, artists, and ordinary families.

The chapter therefore helps students understand that the past belonged to many different kinds of people. (Class 6 History Chapter 1)

---

2. What Can We Know About the Past?

There are many things we can learn about earlier societies.

For example, we can investigate:

• What people ate
• What clothes they wore
• What kind of houses they lived in
• What occupations they followed
• What tools they used
• What animals they kept
• What games children played
• What stories people heard
• What songs they sang
• What religious beliefs they followed

But how do historians find this information?

They study sources (स्रोत).

What is a Source?

A source is knowledge or proof that aids in our comprehension of the past.

Some important historical sources include:

• Manuscripts
• Inscriptions
• Coins
• Tools
• Pottery
• Buildings
• Sculptures
• Paintings
• Animal bones
• Plant remains

Historians and archaeologists study these sources carefully instead of simply guessing what happened.

---

3. Where Did People Live?

People have lived in different parts of the Indian subcontinent for thousands of years.

The chapter introduces several important geographical regions and rivers.

The Narmada Valley

Some of the earliest people lived around the Narmada River.

These early communities included hunter-gatherers. They collected food from forests and hunted animals. (Class 6 History Chapter 1)

They knew about plants and other natural resources around them and used them for survival.

The Sulaiman and Kirthar Hills

The chapter explains that some areas around the Sulaiman and Kirthar hills were among the places where people began growing crops such as wheat and barley around 8,000 years ago.

People also began keeping animals such as:

• Sheep
• Goats
• Cattle

As people began farming and keeping animals, some communities started living in villages.

Garo Hills and Vindhyas

The Garo Hills in the northeast and the Vindhya region in central India were also important areas where agriculture developed. (Class 6 History Chapter 1)

The chapter mentions that rice was first grown in areas to the north of the Vindhyas.

Indus River and Its Tributaries

Around 4,700 years ago, some early cities developed near the Indus and its tributaries.

A tributary (सहायक नदी) is a smaller river that flows into a larger river.

Ganga Valley

Around 2,500 years ago, cities developed in areas around the Ganga and its tributaries and along some coastal regions.

The chapter also introduces Magadha, an important ancient region associated with the Ganga valley and located in present-day Bihar. (Class 6 History Chapter 1)

---

4. Why Did People Travel?

It may seem that travelling is a modern activity because today we have cars, trains, buses, ships, and airplanes.

But people travelled in the past too.

Their reasons were different.

People travelled for:

• Finding food
• Looking for work
• Trade
• Military campaigns
• Religious activities
• Escaping natural disasters
• Exploring new places
• Meeting relatives and friends
• Sharing ideas and knowledge

Travelling was not always easy.

Mountains, deserts, rivers, forests, and seas could make journeys difficult. Yet people continued to move from one place to another. (Class 6 History Chapter 1)

Travel and Cultural Exchange

Travel also helped people exchange ideas.

People could learn new:

• Food practices
• Craft techniques
• Ways of making objects
• Music
• Artistic styles
• Cultural traditions

Therefore, movement of people contributed to the development of cultural traditions.

---

5. Manuscripts and Inscriptions

Two important sources introduced in this chapter are manuscripts and inscriptions.

What is a Manuscript?

A manuscript (पांडुलिपि) is a document or book written by hand.

Ancient manuscripts were often prepared using materials such as:

• Palm leaves
• Birch bark

The word “manuscript” is connected with a Latin word meaning “hand”.

Many old manuscripts have been lost because natural materials could be damaged by insects, moisture, or other conditions. However, some survived and were preserved in places such as temples and monasteries.

What Did Manuscripts Contain?

Manuscripts could discuss many subjects, including:

• Religious ideas
• Practices
• Kings and their lives
• Medicine
• Science
• Poems
• Epics
• Plays

Some were written in Sanskrit, while others were written in Prakrit or Tamil.

---

What is an Inscription?

An inscription (अभिलेख) is writing engraved or carved on a hard surface.

Examples of surfaces include:

• Stone
• Metal

Rulers sometimes had orders written on such surfaces so that people could see and follow them.

Inscriptions could also record achievements, including victories in battles.

Why Were Hard Surfaces Useful?

Writing on stone or metal could make a record last for a very long time.

However, creating such writing was not easy. Engraving letters on hard material required considerable effort. (Class 6 History Chapter 1)

---

6. Archaeologists and Historians

Who is an Archaeologist?

An archaeologist (पुरातत्वविद्) studies material remains from the past.

Archaeologists may find and examine:

• Tools
• Weapons
• Pots
• Coins
• Ornaments
• Buildings
• Sculptures
• Paintings
• Animal bones
• Plant remains

They may also excavate sites.

What is Excavation?

Excavation (खुदाई) means carefully digging beneath the ground to discover remains of earlier human activity. (Class 6 History Chapter 1)

---

What Can Animal Bones Tell Us?

Animal, bird, and fish bones can provide useful information about the food habits of earlier people.

If archaeologists discover animal bones at an ancient settlement, these remains may help them understand what people ate.

Plant remains are usually more difficult to preserve. However, burnt grains or pieces of wood can sometimes survive in a charred form. (Class 6 History Chapter 1)

---

Who is a Historian?

A historian (इतिहासकार) is a scholar who studies the past.

Historians use information from different sources, including:

• Manuscripts
• Inscriptions
• Archaeological evidence
• Coins
• Other surviving records

They combine these clues to develop an understanding of earlier societies.

Why Are Historians Compared to Detectives?

A detective uses clues to solve a mystery.

Similarly, historians examine different pieces of evidence and try to understand what happened in the past.

For example:

Old pot + animal bones + tools + written evidence

can together provide much more information than any one object alone.

That is why studying history can sometimes feel like solving a mystery.

---

7. What Do Dates Mean?

Dates help historians place events in a particular period.

The chapter introduces terms such as BCE, CE, and BP.

BCE — Before Common Era

BCE (ईसा पूर्व) means Before Common Era.

It is used for dates before the beginning of the Common Era.

For example:

500 BCE

is a date from before the Common Era.

CE — Common Era

CE (सामान्य युग) means Common Era.

For example:

2026 CE

refers to a year in the Common Era.

The book also explains the use of AD, which is another system used for years in the Common Era.

BP — Before Present

The abbreviation BP can mean Before Present.

It is another way of expressing a period in relation to a defined present reference point.

Understanding BCE Numbers

This is important for students.

Consider:

800 BCE → 500 BCE → 200 BCE → 1 BCE → 1 CE

In BCE, a larger number represents an earlier time.

Therefore:

800 BCE is older than 300 BCE. (Class 6 History Chapter 1)

---

8. Unknown Scripts

Another fascinating part of the chapter is the study of ancient scripts.

What is a Script?

A script (लिपि) is a system of letters or signs used for writing.

A language (भाषा) is what people speak or use to communicate.

These two terms should not be confused.

Script vs Language

Script = writing system

Language = language used for communication

Historians sometimes discover inscriptions written in scripts that they cannot understand.

How can they decode them?

They look for clues.

If the same text appears in a known language as well as an unknown script, scholars can compare the two versions.

The chapter gives an example connected with ancient Egypt, where scholars were able to use a text written in languages and scripts that could be compared with one another.

By identifying which signs represented particular sounds or letters, scholars could make progress in understanding the unknown writing. (Class 6 History Chapter 1)

This process of working out the meaning of an unknown writing system is called deciphering (अर्थ निकालना/पढ़ना).

Again, historians are working like detectives: they find clues, compare evidence, and gradually build an understanding.

---

9. Important Keywords

Here are the most important terms from Class 6 History Chapter 1:

Keyword	Meaning
History	Study of the past
Source	Evidence that provides information about the past
Manuscript	A handwritten document or book
Inscription	Writing engraved on a hard surface
Archaeology	Study of material remains from the past
Archaeologist	A person who studies archaeological remains
Historian	A scholar who studies history
Excavation	Digging to uncover remains from the past
Script	System of letters or signs used for writing
Language	A system used for communication
Tributary	A smaller river flowing into a larger river
Decipher	To work out the meaning of an unknown script
Hunter-gatherer	People who obtained food by hunting and gathering

---

10. Important Dates

Students should remember these approximate dates from the chapter:

Around 8,000 years ago

People in some areas began growing crops such as wheat and barley and keeping animals such as sheep, goats, and cattle.

Around 4,700 years ago

Some of the earliest cities developed around the Indus and its tributaries.

Around 2,500 years ago

Cities developed around the Ganga and its tributaries and in some coastal areas.

The chapter also refers to the use of dates in BCE and other dating systems.

---

11. Class 6 History Chapter 1 Questions and Answers

Q1. What is a manuscript?

Answer:
A manuscript is a book or document written by hand. Ancient manuscripts were often written on materials such as palm leaves and birch bark. (Class 6 History Chapter 1)

---

Q2. What is an inscription?

Answer:
An inscription is writing engraved on a hard surface such as stone or metal. Rulers sometimes used inscriptions to record orders or achievements.

---

Q3. Who is an archaeologist?

Answer:
An archaeologist is a person who studies material remains from the past, such as tools, pots, coins, buildings, bones, and ornaments. (Class 6 History Chapter 1)

---

Q4. What can archaeologists learn from animal bones?

Answer:
Animal bones can help archaeologists understand the food habits of people who lived in the past.

---

Q5. Why did hunter-gatherers move from one place to another?

Answer:
Hunter-gatherers moved for several reasons. Food resources in one place could become limited, animals moved from one area to another, plants produced fruits in different seasons, and people needed access to water.

---

Q6. Why are historians compared with detectives?

Answer:
Historians examine different sources and clues to reconstruct the past. Like detectives, they collect evidence, compare information, and use clues to understand what happened earlier.

---

Q7. What is the difference between a manuscript and an inscription?

Answer:
A manuscript is generally a handwritten document or book, often written on materials such as palm leaves or birch bark. An inscription is writing engraved on a hard surface such as stone or metal.

---

Q8. What is the difference between a script and a language?

Answer:
A script is a system of signs or letters used for writing, while a language is a system used for communication. They are related but are not the same thing. (Class 6 History Chapter 1)

---

Q9. Why is the book called “Our Pasts” rather than “Our Past”?

Answer:
The word “Pasts” is plural because different groups of people had different experiences and ways of living. The lives of kings, farmers, herders, merchants, and craftspeople were not the same.

---

Q10. Which is older: 700 BCE or 300 BCE?

Answer:
700 BCE is older because in BCE dates, a larger number represents an earlier point in time.

---

12. Quick Revision

If you have only a few minutes before a test, remember these points:

🧠 History

History helps us understand the past and how societies changed over time.

🔎 Sources

Historians use sources to learn about the past.

📜 Manuscripts

Handwritten books or documents.

🪨 Inscriptions

Writing engraved on hard surfaces.

🏺 Archaeology

Study of material remains from the past.

👨‍🏫 Historians

Scholars who study the past using evidence.

🕵️ Detectives

Historians and archaeologists can be compared to detectives because they use clues to reconstruct the past. (Class 6 History Chapter 1)

🌾 Farming

Some communities began farming around 8,000 years ago.

🏙️ Early Cities

About 4,700 years ago, a few ancient cities arose near the Indus.

🌊 Ganga Valley

Cities developed around the Ganga and its tributaries about 2,500 years ago.

📅 BCE

Before Common Era.

🔤 Script

A writing system made up of signs or letters.

---

13. MCQs / Quiz

1. What is a manuscript?

A. A metal coin
B. A handwritten document
C. A type of building
D. An animal bone

Answer: B. A handwritten document

---

2. Which of the following is an example of an inscription?

A. Writing engraved on stone
B. A fruit
C. A wooden toy
D. A modern newspaper

Answer: A. Writing engraved on stone

---

3. Who studies archaeological remains?

A. Archaeologist
B. Farmer
C. Merchant
D. Pilot

Answer: A. Archaeologist

---

4. Which evidence can help us understand what people ate in the past?

A. Animal bones
B. Modern newspapers
C. Television
D. Roads

Answer: A. Animal bones

---

5. Which is older?

A. 200 BCE
B. 800 BCE
C. 100 CE
D. 500 CE

Answer: B. 800 BCE (Class 6 History Chapter 1)

---

6. What does BCE mean?

A. Before Common Era
B. Before City Era
C. British Common Education
D. Beginning of Common Era

Answer: A. Before Common Era

---

7. What is a tributary?

A. A mountain
B. A tiny river that merges with a bigger one
C. A type of crop
D. A historical building

Answer: B. A tiny river that merges with a bigger one

---

8. Why did hunter-gatherers move from place to place?

A. To use modern transport
B. To find food, water, and follow seasonal resources
C. To attend modern schools
D. To visit shopping centres

Answer: B. To find food, water, and follow seasonal resources (Class 6 History Chapter 1)

---

9. What does “script” mean?

A. A type of food
B. A writing system
C. A type of animal
D. A river

Answer: B. A writing system

---

10. Why is the title “Our Pasts” written in the plural?

A. Because history has no meaning
B. Because different groups experienced the past differently
C. Because there was only one group of people
D. Because all people lived exactly the same way

Answer: B. Because different groups experienced the past differently

---

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

---

Final Summary

Class 6 History Chapter 1 teaches us an important lesson: the past cannot simply be guessed. We need evidence to understand it.

Historians and archaeologists examine different sources such as manuscripts, inscriptions, tools, pottery, coins, bones, buildings, and other remains.

The chapter also introduces important geographical regions such as the Narmada Valley, Sulaiman and Kirthar hills, Garo Hills, Vindhyas, Indus region, and Ganga Valley.

It explains how people gradually developed different ways of living, including hunting and gathering, farming, animal rearing, village life, and eventually urban settlements. (Class 6 History Chapter 1)

Most importantly, the chapter teaches us to look at history from the perspective of different groups of people. Their experiences were not identical, which is why the book uses the title “Our Pasts.”

One-line takeaway:

History is like a puzzle: sources are the pieces, and historians use those pieces to understand the past.