Social Science [2 Mark Questions]

Buddhism also reached Tibet through Ladakh which is also called ‘Little Tibet’. With the introduction of Islam, nearly four hundred years ago, there is a significant Muslim population living in Ladakh. Both Muslims and Buddhists perform the local versions of the Tibetan national epic ‘The Kesar Saga’.

By nature, mankind inherits a variety of things. Seasonal cycle of summer, monsoon, autumn, winter and spring reflects the diversity of nature. Nature thus provides diversity. Human beings also reflect different kinds of traits or attributes. This difference is termed as diversity.

Mostly sheep is domesticated by the people here. The sheep is of a special quality because it produces Pashmina wool. All this wool is carefully collected by the Ladakhis and sold to traders from Kashmir where it is woven into shawls for sale and export.

In spite of having a desert landscape, Ladakh has been able to attract tourists and traders because of the many mountain passes and scenic beauty through which the caravans travelled to what is today called Little Tibet. It was considered a good trade route.

Yes, I believe “unity in diversity” is an appropriate term to describe India.
Diversity. India is a large country and people of different parts follow different faiths, speak various languages, wear and eat differently. This shows that India has a diversity spread across its people.
Unity. Despite the diversities, as Indians, we are one. As an Indian, we are no more a Gujarati or a Bengali, we celebrate the national days with equal zeal, we sing the national anthem with the same passion. This shows our unity. Therefore, the phrase “unity in diversity” is justified.
Nehru has written in his book “The Discovery of India”, “It was something deeper and within its fold, the widest tolerance of belief and custom was practiced and every variety acknowledged and even encouraged.” He means that when one ponders over it deeply, one finds that India is not only united, but its people also know how to accept other customs and beliefs.

• Yes, the story of the Indian Flag is very interesting.
• The national flag underwent several changes
• At last, the present flag came into being.
• It was used as a symbol of protest against British rule by the people of India everywhere.
• Now it is a symbol of faith, dignity, and patriotism.

(i) Do it yourself.
(ii) No.
List of five things we shall miss :
• Friends
• Good food
• Good relations
• City environment
• Schools and Colleges.

1. Samir Do did not attend school due to the following reasons:
    • He had to earn his own livelihood and for his mother.
    • He did not have enough time to join a school.
2. Yes, we think that it would have been easy for him to attend school if he wanted to, because of the following reasons:
    • After selling newspapers he had enough time to attend school in the evening shift.
    • He would have been able to save some rupees to meet our expenses on his studies.
    • He had enough time for studies at night.
3. In my opinion, it is not a fair situation that some children get to go to school and others do not. Every child must go to school.

Samir Ek and Samir Do were different in the following three ways :
• Samir Ek knew English, Samir Do spoke in Hindi. He did not attend school.
• Samir Ek came from the Hindu religion while Samir Do belonged to the Muslim religion.
• Samir Ek was a student while Samir Do was a newspaper hawker.
No, these differences did not prevent them from becoming friends, because emotional bond bound them together and made them friends.

We are quite like some of our classmates in the following ways :
• We wear the same clothes.
• We speak the same languages.
• We like cricket the most.

We are different from others in the following ways :
• We do not like Mahatma Gandhi in the same ways as other boys.
• Our favourite festivals are different.
• We do not study and do homework in the same way as others do.

India became like this due to unity in diversities.
• All the Indians are one.
• They love their motherland more than their lives.
• They are always ready to sacrifice their lives at the altar of their motherland.
• They are ready to protect and preserve the unity and integrity of India at all costs.

While Kerala and Ladakh are quite different in terms of their geographical features, the history of both regions has seen similar cultural influences. Both regions were influenced by Chinese and Arab traders.
It was the geography of Kerala which allowed for the cultivation of spices and the special geographical location of Ladakh and its wool that drew traders to these regions. Thus history and geography are often tied in the cultural life of a region.

Kerala is surrounded by the sea at one side and hills on the other. It is the spices that made this region an attractive place for traders. Jewish and Arab traders were the first to come here. Arab traders came and settled here.
The Apostle of Christ came here nearly 2000 years ago and he is credited with bringing Christianity of India. Ibn Battuta who travelled here about 700 years ago, wrote that the Muslims were a highly respected community.
Vasco da Gama landed with his ship here. Because of all these various historical influences, people in Kerala practice different religions such as Judaism, Islam, Christianity, Hinduism and Buddhism.
The fishing net used by the people of Kerala called cheena-vala etc., and these words came from China. The fertile land and climate are suited for growing rice and a majority of people here eat rice, fish and vegetables.

Ladakh is a desert in the mountains in the eastern part of Jammu and Kashmir. Very little agriculture is possible here since this region does not receive any rain and is covered in snow for a large part of the year.
People rear sheep in the region. Pashmina wool, meat and milk of sheep is used there. Other reared cattle are goats, cows and dzos. Pashmina is a great demanded and valued product of this region and thus traders are attracted. It was considered a good trade route as it had many passes. Caravans passed through these route and carried textiles and spices, raw silk and carpets.
Buddhism reached Tibet via Ladakh. Ladakh is also called little Tibet. Significant Muslim population is here. Ladakh has a very rich tradition of songs and poems. Local versions of the Tibetan national epic the “Kesar Saga”is performed and sung by both Muslims and Buddhists.