PW Class 6 Social Science Chapter 4: Timeline and Sources of History Solutions

History is not simply a collection of old dates and names. To understand what happened in the past, historians need clues from many places and must work out when events took place. A timeline can place developments in sequence, while sources such as inscriptions, coins, books, tools, monuments, and oral accounts provide evidence about earlier societies.

The  PW Class 6 Social Science Chapter 4 Solutions help you work through these ideas using the activities and questions in the textbook. You can use them after attempting the exercises yourself to check chronology-based answers, understand historical sources, revise BCE and CE, and see how evidence helps us learn about the past.

Class 6 Social Science Chapter 4 Solutions

Timeline and Sources of History introduces important ways of understanding and studying the past. The questions below cover historical time, timelines, BCE and CE, sources of history, early human life, and the role of historians.

1. How is historical time measured, and what system is used today?

Answer: Historical time is measured using calendars and significant events. Today, the Gregorian calendar is widely used. Time is categorised into two main eras: BCE (Before Common Era) and CE (Common Era). Timelines arrange these dates sequentially to show which events occurred earlier or later.

2. How do historians calculate the total number of years between a BCE date and a CE date?

Answer: In the Gregorian calendar, there is no year zero; 1 CE immediately follows 1 BCE. To calculate the span of time between a BCE year and a CE year, add both numbers together and subtract 1.

For example:

2 + 2 − 1 = 3 years

Therefore, the duration between 2 BCE and 2 CE is 3 years.

3. What are the key sources of history, and what information do they provide?

Answer: Key sources of history include old tools, pottery, books, coins, stories, and stone carvings. These sources help historians understand the lives, cultures, economies, beliefs, and activities of people who lived in earlier times.

• Coins: Reveal details about ancient rulers, economic systems, and art.

• Books and Writings: Document stories, historical events, ideas, and knowledge.

• Utensils and Clothes: Show everyday cooking habits, lifestyle, and fashion.

• Old Buildings and Carvings: Display architectural skills, culture, and social activities.

4. How did early humans live during the hunter-gatherer phase?

Answer: Early humans lived by hunting animals and gathering wild plants and fruits for food. They resided in natural rock shelters or caves, crafted basic stone tools, and used fire for warmth and cooking.

5. How did life change as early humans transitioned into agricultural communities?

Answer: Early humans shifted from nomadic hunting and gathering to settled village life. They began cultivating crops, domesticating animals such as sheep, constructing huts, fetching river water, and practising crafts such as weaving.

6. Why can historians be compared to detectives?

Answer: Historians gather clues and examine evidence from old artefacts, written documents, and archaeological remains, much like detectives solve a case by collecting physical evidence. By comparing different sources, historians can reconstruct and understand events from the past.

7. Place these historical dates in the correct chronological order: 323 CE, 323 BCE, 100 CE, 100 BCE, 1900 BCE, 1090 CE, 2024 CE.

Answer:

1900 BCE → 323 BCE → 100 BCE → 100 CE → 323 CE → 1090 CE → 2024 CE

This order arranges the dates from the earliest event to the latest.

8. If King Chandragupta was born in 320 CE, which century did he belong to, and how many years after Buddha's birth (560 BCE) was he born?

Answer:

• Century: Chandragupta belonged to the 4th century CE.

• Time Difference:
  560 + 320 − 1 = 879 years

Therefore, Chandragupta was born 879 years after the birth of the Buddha.

9. Rani of Jhansi was born in 1828. Which century did she belong to, and how many years before India's Independence (1947) was she born?

Answer:

• Century: Rani of Jhansi belonged to the 19th century CE.

• Time Difference:
  1947 − 1828 = 119 years

Therefore, she was born 119 years before India's Independence.

10. How do you convert "12,000 years ago" into a specific BCE date, assuming the current base year is 2024 CE?

Answer:

The calculation is:

12,000 − 2024 = 9,976 BCE

Therefore, 12,000 years ago corresponds approximately to 9,976 BCE when 2024 CE is used as the reference year.

11. What is the historical significance of the Lion Capital of Ashoka?

Answer: The Lion Capital was created during the reign of Emperor Ashoka. It serves as the national emblem of India and symbolises power, courage, and pride.

12. Why should gender roles depicted in historical paintings or diagrams be viewed with caution?

Answer: Available historical evidence is limited, and depictions of specific jobs by gender may not reflect all real-world situations. In ancient communities, activities such as hunting, farming, toolmaking, and cooking may have been shared flexibly according to need and capability rather than strict gender roles.

Class 6 Social Science Chapter 4 Solutions PDF

Use the Class 6 Social Science Chapter 4 Solutions PDF while completing homework, revising a difficult topic, or preparing for a school assessment.

PW Class 6 Social Science Chapter 4 Solutions: Key Benefits

Class 6 Social Science Chapter 4 Solutions help you connect dates, evidence, timelines, and historical events while making revision easier and more effective.

• Understand Historical Time: Learn how BCE, CE, calendars, and timelines help place events in the correct order.

• Identify Historical Sources: Understand what coins, books, tools, buildings, carvings, and other objects can tell us about the past.

• Improve Chronology Skills: Practise arranging dates and calculating time gaps within and across different eras.

• Connect Evidence with History: See how historians use different clues to understand the lives and activities of earlier societies.

• Revise Important Concepts: Quickly revisit key ideas before homework, class tests, or examinations.

• Write Better Answers: Use clear explanations and relevant examples to present your understanding of historical concepts.

Complete Your Class 6 Social Science Preparation with PW Study Resources 

You can build your preparation step by step by using resources for planning, revision, practice, and answer checking.

• Map Your Course: Start with the Class 6 Social Science Syllabus to know what you need to study and revise.

• Refresh Key Ideas: Go through Class 6 Social Science Notes to quickly revisit important terms, facts, explanations, and chapter highlights.

• Strengthen Practice: Work on Class 6 Social Science Important Questions to apply your learning and improve your responses to different question types.

• Evaluate Your Learning: Solve Class 6 Social Science Sample Papers to practise independently and identify topics where you need more preparation.

Studying history becomes more interesting when you learn to ask how we know what happened rather than only memorising what happened. Timeline and Sources of History introduces you to the tools historians use to organise time and interpret evidence. Work through the textbook activities yourself, then use the  Solutions to check your reasoning and revise the chapter with greater clarity.

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