5 – “India, That Is Bharat
- 30 MCQs with answers
- 20 Very Short Answer type questions with answers
- 15 Short Answer type questions with answers
- 15 Long Answer type questions with answers
📘 Question Bank – India, That Is Bharat
A. Multiple Choice Questions (30)
1. The Rig Veda refers to the north-western region of India as:
a) Bhārata
b) Jambudvīpa
c) Sapta Sindhava ✅
d) Hindustān
2. The word Sindhava comes from:
a) Saraswati
b) Sindhu ✅
c) Ganga
d) Yamuna
3. The Mahābhārata uses the term _______ to describe the Indian Subcontinent.
a) Bharatam
b) Jambudvīpa ✅
c) Hindustān
d) Aryavarta
4. Bhāratavarṣha means:
a) Land of rivers
b) Land of the Bharatas ✅
c) Land of seven seas
d) Land of the gods
5. The jamun tree is connected with the term:
a) Sapta Sindhava
b) Bharat
c) Jambudvīpa ✅
d) Indoi
6. Emperor Aśhoka used the name _______ to describe India.
a) Hindustān
b) Jambudvīpa ✅
c) Bharatam
d) Indike
7. The Vishnu Purāṇa defines Bhārata as:
a) Land east of the Himalayas
b) Land south of the snowy mountains ✅
c) Land west of the oceans
d) Land of ten rivers
8. ‘Cape Kumari’ refers to:
a) Western Ghats
b) Kanyakumari ✅
c) Vindhyas
d) Himalayas
9. The Indian Constitution begins with the phrase:
a) Bharat arthāth Hindustān
b) India, that is Bharat ✅
c) Bharat varsha only
d) Hindustān desh
10. The Persians first referred to India as:
a) Indoi
b) Yintu
c) Hind ✅
d) Bharat
11. In ancient Persian, the word Hindu meant:
a) Hindu religion
b) Geographical region ✅
c) River Saraswati
d) Buddhist land
12. The Greeks called India:
a) Indoi / Indike ✅
b) Hindustān
c) Bharatam
d) Tianzhu
13. Which foreign term for India means “heavenly master”?
a) Yindu
b) Tianzhu ✅
c) Indike
d) Hind
14. Xuanzang visited India in the:
a) 4th century BCE
b) 7th century CE ✅
c) 10th century CE
d) 1st century CE
15. Xuanzang stayed in India for:
a) 10 years
b) 12 years
c) 17 years ✅
d) 20 years
16. The Mahābhārata mentions regions such as:
a) Kerala
b) Kashmir
c) Kutch
d) All of the above ✅
17. Ancient Chinese referred to India as:
a) Indoi
b) Yindu ✅
c) Bharatam
d) Indike
18. Hindustān first appeared in a Persian inscription about:
a) 500 years ago
b) 1000 years ago
c) 1800 years ago ✅
d) 2500 years ago
19. The Latin name for India is:
a) Indoi
b) India ✅
c) Inde
d) Indike
20. The French name for India is:
a) Inde ✅
b) Indoi
c) Indike
d) Yindu
21. The name Bharat is derived from:
a) River name
b) Vedic tribe ✅
c) Greek text
d) Persian word
22. The snowy mountains in Vishnu Purana refer to:
a) Vindhyas
b) Himalayas ✅
c) Western Ghats
d) Satpura
23. Which of the following is NOT a name for India?
a) Jambudvīpa
b) Bharat
c) Aryavarta ✅
d) Indoi
24. In south India, Bharat is often written as:
a) Bharatam ✅
b) Bharatas
c) Bhāratavarṣha
d) Bharate
25. Sapta Sindhava literally means:
a) Land of the seven seas
b) Land of the seven rivers ✅
c) Land of the seven mountains
d) Land of the seven kings
26. Ancient Tamil literature describes India from:
a) Kashmir to Kanyakumari ✅
b) East to West only
c) Ganga to Yamuna
d) Vindhyas to Himalayas
27. The modern Constitution of India came into force in:
a) 1947
b) 1950 ✅
c) 1948
d) 1952
28. Which among the following was NOT derived from ‘Sindhu’?
a) Hind
b) Indoi
c) India
d) Bharat ✅
29. Which language dropped the letter ‘h’ from Hindu?
a) Latin
b) Greek ✅
c) Chinese
d) Persian
30. The phrase “India, that is Bharat” is mentioned in:
a) Preamble of Indian Constitution ✅
b) Rig Veda
c) Vishnu Purana
d) Mahabharata
B. Very Short Answer Questions (20)
1. What does Sapta Sindhava mean?
👉 Land of seven rivers.
2. Which text first mentions ‘Bharata’?
👉 The Rig Veda.
3. What does Jambudvīpa mean?
👉 Island of the jamun fruit.
4. Who used Jambudvīpa in his inscriptions?
👉 Emperor Aśhoka.
5. What does Vishnu Purana say about Bharat?
👉 Land north of the ocean and south of the Himalayas.
6. Which Tamil literature mentioned India’s extent?
👉 Sangam poetry.
7. Which mountain is called “snowy mountains”?
👉 Himalayas.
8. What does ‘Cape Kumari’ mean?
👉 Kanyakumari.
9. Which phrase appears in the Indian Constitution?
👉 India, that is Bharat.
10. Who first called India ‘Hind’?
👉 The Persians.
11. Who called India ‘Indoi’?
👉 The Greeks.
12. What does ‘Hindu’ mean in ancient Persian?
👉 Geographical region near Sindhu.
13. What did the Chinese call India?
👉 Yindu or Tianzhu.
14. What does Tianzhu mean?
👉 Heavenly master.
15. Who was Xuanzang?
👉 Chinese pilgrim-scholar.
16. How long did Xuanzang stay in India?
👉 17 years.
17. When did Hindustān first appear?
👉 1,800 years ago.
18. What is the French name for India?
👉 Inde.
19. Which river’s name influenced India’s foreign names?
👉 Sindhu (Indus).
20. When did the Indian Constitution come into force?
👉 1950.
C. Short Answer Questions (15)
1. Explain the meaning of Bhāratavarṣha.
👉 Bhāratavarṣha means the land of the Bharatas, derived from the Rig Veda, later referring to the whole Indian Subcontinent.
2. What is the significance of the name Jambudvīpa?
👉 It symbolized India as the island of the jamun fruit tree, showing its cultural identity and unity.
3. How did the Mahābhārata describe Indian regions?
👉 It listed many regions like Kashmir, Kutch, Kerala, Vanga, and Assam, covering the Subcontinent.
4. Describe the geographical definition of Bharat in Vishnu Purana.
👉 Bharat is the land north of the ocean and south of the snowy mountains (Himalayas).
5. How is India described in ancient Tamil literature?
👉 From Cape Kumari in the south to the great northern mountains, bounded by seas on both sides.
6. Why is “India, that is Bharat” important in the Constitution?
👉 It reflects India’s ancient cultural identity and unifies both traditional and modern names.
7. What name did Persians give to India and why?
👉 They called it ‘Hind’ from Sindhu, as they could not pronounce ‘s’.
8. How did Greeks modify the name of India?
👉 They dropped ‘h’ and called it Indoi or Indike.
9. What did the Chinese call India?
👉 Yindu and Tianzhu, derived from Sindhu.
10. What does the name Tianzhu signify?
👉 Respect for India as the land of the Buddha.
11. Who was Xuanzang and what was his contribution?
👉 A Chinese pilgrim who visited India in 7th century CE, stayed 17 years, collected Buddhist texts, and translated them into Chinese.
12. How did Hindustān come into use?
👉 First used in a Persian inscription 1,800 years ago, later by invaders for India.
13. List four motivations for foreigners visiting India in ancient times.
👉 Trade, religion, knowledge, political conquest.
14. How did the name India evolve in European languages?
👉 From Persian ‘Hindu’ → Greek ‘Indoi’ → Latin ‘India’ → English ‘India’ → French ‘Inde’.
15. What is the cultural significance of multiple names of India?
👉 They reflect India’s diversity, historical contacts, and unity despite different identities.
D. Long Answer Questions (15)
1. Describe the different names given to India by its own people in ancient times.
Answer:
In ancient times, Indians themselves used many names for their land. The Rig Veda refers to the north-western region as Sapta Sindhava, meaning “land of the seven rivers.” The Mahābhārata mentions terms like Bhāratavarṣha and Jambudvīpa, both of which extended to the entire Subcontinent. Bhāratavarṣha means the “land of the Bharatas,” a Vedic people, while Jambudvīpa means “the island of the jamun fruit tree.” Later texts such as the Vishnu Purāna described Bharat as the land between the Himalayas and the ocean. These names reflected the unity and cultural identity of the land.
2. Explain the terms ‘Bhāratavarṣha’ and ‘Jambudvīpa’ with examples from texts.
Answer:
The Mahābhārata uses the terms Bhāratavarṣha and Jambudvīpa. Bhāratavarṣha means “the land of the Bharatas,” derived from the Rig Veda, where Bharata was the name of a tribe. Later texts also mention kings named Bharata. Jambudvīpa literally means “the island of the jamun fruit tree,” which was common in India. Emperor Aśhoka, in his inscriptions around 250 BCE, used the name Jambudvīpa to describe his empire, which included present-day India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and parts of Afghanistan. These names show the cultural and geographical identity of ancient India.
3. How did Aśhoka’s inscriptions reflect the use of Jambudvīpa?
Answer:
Emperor Aśhoka, who ruled around 250 BCE, left many inscriptions carved on rocks and pillars across his empire. In one such inscription, he used the word Jambudvīpa to describe his realm. At that time, Jambudvīpa included modern India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and parts of Afghanistan. This shows that the idea of India as a single unit was already strong during his reign. By using this name, Aśhoka gave recognition to India’s cultural and geographical unity.
4. Discuss the Vishnu Purana’s description of Bharat and its geographical boundaries.
Answer:
The Vishnu Purāna, an ancient text, gives a clear definition of Bharat. It states:
“The country that lies north of the ocean and south of the snowy mountains is called Bhārata.”
Here, the “snowy mountains” refer to the Himalayas, and the “ocean” refers to the Indian Ocean. This description roughly matches the present geographical boundaries of India. It highlights that ancient people had a good sense of India’s natural frontiers and cultural unity.
5. Explain how ancient Tamil poetry described the extent of India.
Answer:
Ancient Tamil literature from about 2,000 years ago provides another definition of India’s boundaries. A Tamil poem praises a king whose fame spread “from Cape Kumari in the south, to the great mountain in the north, from the ocean in the east to the ocean in the west.” Here, Cape Kumari refers to Kanyakumari, the southern tip of India, and the “great mountain” refers to the Himalayas. This shows that people in different parts of the country shared a common idea of India’s extent and unity.
6. Write an essay on the significance of the phrase “India, that is Bharat” in the Constitution.
Answer:
When the Constitution of India came into force in 1950, it began with the phrase: “India, that is Bharat.” This was a deliberate choice to unite both the ancient name Bharat and the modern international name India. Bharat connects the nation with its cultural roots, history, and tradition, while India represents its modern, democratic, and global identity. By including both, the Constitution acknowledges India’s continuity from the past to the present. It symbolizes the unity of diversity and shows respect for both heritage and progress.
7. How did Persians and Greeks refer to India? What were the reasons behind these names?
Answer:
The Persians were among the first foreigners to refer to India. In the 6th century BCE, they called the land near the Indus River Hind or Hindu, derived from the Sanskrit word Sindhu. This was simply a geographical term, not related to religion. The Greeks, influenced by the Persians, dropped the ‘h’ (since their language lacked it) and called the region Indoi or Indike. Both names highlight how the river Sindhu (Indus) influenced the naming of India by outsiders.
8. Describe the role of Chinese pilgrims, especially Xuanzang, in understanding India’s history.
Answer:
The Chinese had long contact with India. They called it Yindu or Tianzhu, both derived from Sindhu. Chinese pilgrims travelled to India mainly for Buddhism. One of the most famous was Xuanzang, who visited India in the 7th century CE. He spent 17 years travelling across the country, meeting scholars, studying Buddhism, and collecting texts. After returning to China, he translated many Sanskrit works into Chinese. His detailed accounts give us valuable information about India’s culture, religion, society, and geography during that period.
9. Explain how ‘Hindustān’ came into common use and its historical background.
Answer:
The term Hindustān was first used in a Persian inscription nearly 1,800 years ago. It originally referred to the land of the Indus River region. Over time, foreign invaders, especially from Central Asia and Persia, began to use Hindustān to describe the entire Indian Subcontinent. In medieval times, rulers like the Delhi Sultans and Mughals popularized the term. Eventually, Hindustān became a common name for India, especially in the north, symbolizing the land and its people.
10. Trace the evolution of the name India in European languages.
Answer:
The name India went through a long process of evolution:
From Sanskrit Sindhu → Persian Hindu
Greek → Indoi or Indike
Latin → India
English → India
French → Inde
Thus, the word India is ultimately rooted in Sindhu, the name of the Indus River. Each culture adapted the word according to its language. By the time of European colonialism, “India” had become the standard international name.
11. Compare the Indian and foreign perspectives on naming India.
Answer:
Indians named their land based on cultural and spiritual unity. Names like Bhāratavarṣha and Jambudvīpa symbolized belonging, heritage, and identity. They connected India to its people, tribes, and geography.
Foreigners, on the other hand, named India based mainly on geography. Persians called it Hind, Greeks Indoi, and Chinese Yindu—all derived from the Sindhu River. These names were external labels rather than cultural identifiers. Together, both perspectives show how India was recognized both from within and outside.
12. Why is the Sindhu river so important in the naming history of India?
Answer:
The Sindhu River (Indus) is central to India’s naming history. The Rig Veda mentions Sindhu, and Sapta Sindhava refers to the land of seven rivers, including it. The Persians converted Sindhu into Hindu. The Greeks then called it Indoi. Later, Latin adopted India. Even Chinese names like Yindu were derived from Sindhu. Thus, almost all foreign names for India trace back to this river, making it the root of India’s global identity.
13. Discuss the importance of multiple names of India in understanding its cultural unity.
Answer:
The multiple names of India reflect its cultural diversity and unity. While different regions and peoples gave different names—Bhāratavarṣha, Jambudvīpa, Hind, Indoi, Yindu—all pointed to the same land. Each name carries a story: Vedic heritage (Bharat), spiritual imagery (Jambudvīpa), geographical reality (Hind), and international recognition (India). Despite diversity, all names represent the unity of the Subcontinent. They remind us that India’s identity has been recognized and respected across time and cultures.
14. Why do you think foreigners had deep interest in visiting India in ancient times?
Answer:
Foreigners visited India for many reasons:
Religion: Pilgrims from China and Central Asia came to learn about Buddhism.
Trade: India was famous for spices, textiles, and precious stones.
Knowledge: Scholars came to study mathematics, astronomy, and medicine.
Conquest: Some came to expand empires and control trade routes.
Thus, India’s wealth, culture, and spiritual traditions made it a major attraction for outsiders.
15. Conclude with how the ancient names of India still resonate in modern times.
Answer:
Ancient names like Bharat and India still hold meaning today. The Indian Constitution itself begins with “India, that is Bharat,” joining the ancient and modern. Bharat reflects tradition, culture, and heritage, while India connects us with the world. Hindustān is still used in popular speech, and Jambudvīpa survives in religious and cultural contexts. These names remind us that India’s identity is timeless, rooted in its history, yet open to global interaction. They symbolize the unity in diversity that defines India even today.
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