What Books and Burials Tell Us – Class 6 History Notes

Chapter Overview: The NCERT Class 6 History chapter “What Books and Burials Tell Us” explores how ancient texts and burial sites help us understand the lives, beliefs, and social structures of early societies. In this chapter, we learn about the Vedas, megaliths, social differences, and what archaeological finds reveal about our ancestors. Below are detailed notes for your exam preparation, enriched with extra facts and insights.

What Books and Burials Tell Us – Class 6 History Chapter Notes
Image by freepik

1. The Importance of Books in Ancient India

In ancient times, books were not printed as we see today. They were often composed orally and memorized before being written on materials like birch bark, palm leaves, or parchment. These books give us valuable clues about religion, rituals, wars, social life, and more.

The most famous among them are the Vedas – a collection of hymns composed in Sanskrit. The oldest of these is the Rigveda.

The Vedas

  • Rigveda – Oldest, contains over 1,000 hymns dedicated to various deities like Agni (fire), Indra (warrior god), and Soma (a plant deity).
  • Composed about 3,500 years ago and passed orally for centuries before being written.
  • Written in Vedic Sanskrit, an ancient form of the language.

Exam Tip: Remember the order of the Vedas: Rigveda, Samaveda, Yajurveda, and Atharvaveda.

2. How We Study Ancient Books

Historians and linguists study ancient books to understand the social and cultural life of the time. They examine language, style, recurring themes, and references to events. However, these books often reflect the views of certain social groups, not the entire population.

Extra Insight: The Rigveda contains references to cattle, chariots, horses, and battles – suggesting a society that valued both agriculture and warfare.

3. The Significance of Burials

Burials are an important archaeological source. They tell us about beliefs related to death and the afterlife. The way a person was buried often reflected their social status, occupation, or beliefs.

Megaliths

Megaliths are large stones used to mark burial sites. These were common in the Deccan plateau, southern India, northeast, and Kashmir. They date back to about 3000 years ago.

  • Burials often included pottery, tools, ornaments, and weapons.
  • The positioning of the body and objects shows respect for the dead and a belief in life after death.

Fact Box: Archaeologists often find iron tools and weapons in megalithic burials, suggesting the beginning of the Iron Age in that region.

4. Social Differences Seen in Burials

Some burials contain elaborate goods like gold ornaments and decorated pottery, while others have only simple items. This shows social inequality – some people were richer or more powerful than others.

In the Brahmagiri site, archaeologists found different sizes and qualities of grave goods, indicating the hierarchy within the community.

5. Understanding Life from Skeletal Remains

Studying bones and skeletons helps us determine age, gender, health conditions, and diet. For example:

  • Men and Women: The pelvic bone helps determine gender.
  • Age: Teeth and bone fusion points indicate approximate age.
  • Health: Evidence of injuries, arthritis, or malnutrition can be detected.

Exam Tip: Be able to explain how burial goods and skeletal studies give clues about past societies.

6. Special Discoveries

At Inamgaon (a site in Maharashtra), people were buried in the courtyard of their houses. Archaeologists found that children were sometimes buried in large pots. These details help us understand domestic life and cultural customs.

Interesting Note: The practice of burying goods with the dead may also reflect the belief that these items would be useful in the afterlife.

7. Books, Burials, and Historical Reconstruction

By combining evidence from ancient books and burial sites, historians can build a more complete picture of early Indian society:

  • Books tell us about ideas, beliefs, and ideals.
  • Burials tell us about real-life practices, social structures, and material culture.
  • Together, they reveal both the “ideal world” of beliefs and the “real world” of lived experiences.

8. Key Takeaways for Exams

  1. Know the four Vedas and their order.
  2. Understand what megaliths are and their importance.
  3. Recognize how burial goods reflect social status.
  4. Remember the archaeological sites like Brahmagiri and Inamgaon.

Quick Memory Aid: “Very Mighty Burials Speak” – Vedas, Megaliths, Burials, Skeletal studies – to recall the main points.

9. Practice Questions

  • What is the Rigveda and why is it important?
  • Explain the significance of megaliths in understanding ancient societies.
  • What can burial sites tell us about social differences?
  • Describe any one archaeological site that provides evidence of burial customs.
  • How do books and burials together help historians?

10. Final Exam Tips

When answering questions from this chapter:

  • Use keywords like “archaeological evidence,” “social hierarchy,” “megalith,” “Rigveda.”
  • Give examples of sites – Inamgaon, Brahmagiri.
  • Write short definitions for terms before explaining them.

These notes are designed for CBSE Class 6 History students to make exam preparation easy and effective. Use them to revise quickly and confidently.