Goyal Brothers Solutions for ICSE Class 9 History Civics Chapter 3 The Later Vedic Age

Question 1. Mention any two of the religious texts which serve as sources to reconstruct the later Vedic Age.
Answer: Two religious writings that help us learn about this period are the Brahmans and the Aranyakas, which are also called forest books.
In simple words: The Brahmans and the Aranyakas are two holy books that teach us about this old period.
Exam Tip: Always spell the names of historical texts correctly to score full marks in your exams.

Question 2. Mention any two archaeological sources to reconstruct the later Vedic Age.
Answer: Old items dug up from the ground, like tools made of iron and clay pots, help us study this era.
In simple words: Scientists use old iron objects and clay dishes found in the dirt to learn about the past.

Exam Tip: Remember that "archaeological sources" refer to physical objects dug up from the earth, not written books.

Question 3. Name any two newer regions occupied by the Aryans during the later Vedic period.
Answer: In this later era, the people settled in new lands. These areas included Bihar near the Ganga and Yamuna rivers, and Kosala in eastern Uttar Pradesh.
In simple words: The Aryans moved to new places like Bihar and eastern Uttar Pradesh.

Exam Tip: When listing regions, naming the modern state equivalents like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar makes your answer clearer.

Question 4. Mention the important evidence to suggest that Southern India had also become familiar with Iron in the later Vedic Age.
Answer: Big stone structures called megaliths, like dolmens and cromlechs, are found across South India. A megalith is simply a massive stone. Dolmens are old tombs where a big flat stone sits on top of standing stones. Inside these graves, we found iron objects, arrowheads, old grains of rice, and bones. This proof shows that people there stopped using copper and bronze and started using iron.
In simple words: Huge stone graves in South India contain iron tools and old rice. This shows that people in the south knew how to use iron back then.

Exam Tip: Define "megalith" briefly to explain how these monuments prove the shift to the Iron Age in the south.

Question 5. Mention any two of the Ashrams in the life of a man in Aryan society.
Answer: Two stages of life in this society were the student life, called Brahmacharya, and the family life, called Grihastha.
In simple words: The two stages are student life and householder life.

Exam Tip: Keep the original Sanskrit terms in your answer as they are key terms that examiners look for.

Question 6. Mention the important subjects included in the courses of Gurukul education.
Answer: Students in these old schools learned rules of behavior, fighting skills, and study of the stars. They also studied math, rules, language structure, and holy books.
In simple words: Children in these schools learned math, science, grammar, law, star-gazing, and how to fight.

Exam Tip: Try to list at least three or four subjects like math, grammar, and military science to secure full points.

Question 7. Name the sacrifice that was performed by a king at the time of his coronation during the later Vedic age.
Answer: A ruler would perform the Ashvamedha ritual when they were crowned during this time.
In simple words: Kings did a special horse ritual when they took the throne.

Exam Tip: The term "coronation" refers to the crowning ceremony, and the main ritual associated with it is the Ashvamedha.

Question 8. Name arty two newer crops produced by the later Vedic Aryans.
Answer: The farmers grew new types of food, such as wheat and a type of rice known as Vrihi.
In simple words: Two new plants they grew for food were rice and wheat.

Exam Tip: Using the historical term "Vrihi" alongside "rice" shows deep knowledge of the text.

Question 9. Name the important deities of the later Vedic period.
Answer: The main gods were Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. Later, during the times of the great stories, Lord Rama and Lord Krishna became well-loved. Goddesses like Durga, Kali, and Parvati also became very important.
In simple words: People prayed to gods like Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva, and to goddesses like Durga, Kali, and Parvati.

Exam Tip: Make sure to separate the male deities from the female deities as shown in the textbook.

Question 10. Name the two Epics and their authors.
Answer: The two great stories are the Ramayana, written by the wise man Valmiki, and the Mahabharata, which was created by Ved Vyasa.
In simple words: The Ramayana was written by Valmiki, and the Mahabharata was written by Ved Vyasa.

Exam Tip: Match the author correctly with their respective epic so you do not lose easy marks.

Question 11. What is the message of the Bhagavad Gita?
Answer: This holy book teaches us to focus on working hard without worrying about what we will get in return, because God decides our rewards. It also tells us not to fear dying, since only our physical bodies pass away while our inner souls live forever.
In simple words: Work hard without thinking about rewards, and do not fear death because your soul never dies.

Exam Tip: The two central ideas are performing duty without desire for results (Karma) and the eternity of the soul.

Question 12. Mention briefly the rituals and sacrifices of the later Vedic Aryans?
Answer: Rituals became the main focus of life back then. Only trained priests could run these complex events. People began to believe in magic and spirits. Doing deep meditation or self-control became very important. They also believed that our actions shape our lives and that we can reach final freedom.
In simple words: Religion became more complex with many rituals run by priests. People also believed in karma and finding freedom for the soul.

Exam Tip: Use terms like "Karma", "Moksha", and "priests" to satisfy the grading key for descriptive answers.

Question 13. Mention the reasons for the importance of the Brahmins (priestly class) in the later Vedic society.
Answer: As time passed, simple religious ways became highly complex. Only the priests knew how to chant the holy words and run these detailed events for special wishes. Because of this special knowledge, they held a very high and respected place in the community.
In simple words: Religious ceremonies became too hard for normal people, so priests became very important because only they knew how to perform them.

Exam Tip: Emphasize that the growing complexity of rituals is the direct reason why the priestly class became so powerful.

Structured Questions

Question 1. What information do we gather from the later Vedic literature in respect of: (a) Spread of Vedic Civilization to many New Regions. (b) Role of Iron in later Vedic Economy.
Answer:
(a) As the number of people grew, they traveled along the Ganga and Yamuna rivers. They shifted from Punjab to the Kuru region near modern Delhi. They also settled in eastern lands like Kosala, Kashi, Videha, and Magadha. Old forest books mention the Vangas in Bengal. Other books speak of the Andhra people in the south. This shows they lived across most of northern India and even reached areas south of the Narmada river.
(b) Iron was used in many regions, including modern Haryana, Punjab, Delhi, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Bengal, and parts of the south. Archaeologists found iron weapons like spears and arrows, as well as tools like axes and plows, in old clay pot sites. In some places, red clay pots were more popular than gray ones.
In simple words: (a) The Aryans spread across northern India and moved toward the east and south. (b) Iron tools and weapons became very common in many states, changing how people farmed and fought.

Exam Tip: When writing structured answers, divide your points clearly using (a) and (b) to match the question's format.

Question 2. Describe the social changes evident in the later Vedic period with reference to:| (a) Position of Women (b) Caste System
Answer:
(a) Women lost some of the high respect they had in earlier times. While they still took part in religious events, marriage rules changed. Having more than one wife became common among rich people. Letting widows remarry was no longer liked. However, some women still got a very good education, and their wise debates are kept in ancient books.
(b) Priests and warriors held special powers that other groups did not have. Many new smaller groups started, like builders, weavers, and fishermen. A person's group was decided by birth, and they had to do the job of their family. People who were seen as unclean were forced to live away from the main towns.
In simple words: (a) Women had less freedom and respect than before, though some were highly educated. (b) Society became divided into strict groups based on birth, and people could not easily change their jobs.

Exam Tip: Contrast the Rig Vedic period with the Later Vedic period to highlight how the status of women and the caste system changed.

Question 3. In the later Vedic Age there was a marked change in the economic life of the Aryans. In this context describe : (a) The growing importance of Agriculture (b) Variety of Crafts (c) Changes in the field of Trade and Commerce
Answer:
(a) Keeping cows was still done, but growing crops became much more important. Along with barley, rice became a major food source. Old pieces of these grains have been discovered by experts. Farmers also started growing wheat, millet, and sugarcane.
(b) Many new types of work developed because iron was used a lot more. Workers made pots, leather items, wooden tools, glass, and jewelry. People became experts in specific jobs. For example, making chariots became a completely separate job from general woodwork.
(c) Buying and selling became much easier because people started using special items like nishka and satmana as money. Mention of ships shows they traded by water. A special group of merchants arose, and workers formed groups called guilds to manage their trades.
In simple words: (a) Farming became the main way of living, with rice and wheat becoming key crops. (b) More specialized crafts grew thanks to iron tools. (c) Trade increased using early forms of money and organized trade groups.

Exam Tip: When describing economic changes, cover three areas: farming, specialized crafts, and trade networks.

Question 4. Explain the religious beliefs and forms of worship during the later Vedic Age with reference to : Spiritual Philosophy of the Upanishads
Answer: Near the end of this era, a fresh way of thinking began. These books do not focus on ceremonies or offerings. Instead, they look at deep wisdom and how the human soul connects with the supreme divine. A key teaching is that all paths lead to the same truth, which is one but described in different ways.
In simple words: The Upanishads focus on deep wisdom and the link between our souls and God, rather than rituals.

Exam Tip: Remember that the Upanishads represent a shift away from external rituals toward internal spiritual knowledge.