The Indian International School, DSO

Revision worksheet
Gr 9

CASE BASED QUESTIONS:

1. A detailed account of the different physiographic units:

A detailed account of the different physiographic units highlights the unique features of each region. It
would, however, be clear that each region complements the other and makes the country richer in its
natural resources.
The mountains are the major sources of water and forest wealth. The northern plains are the granaries
of the country. They provide the base for early civilisations. The plateau is a storehouse of minerals,
which has played a crucial role in the industrialisation of the country.
The coastal region and island groups provide sites for fishing and port activities. Thus, the diverse
physical features of the land have immense future possibilities.

A) What is the physiographic division of India that lies in the Sea which is not mentioned in the
paragraph?
B) Explain the feature of northern plains that makes it the most fertile.
C) Describe the physical features of Deccan plateau.

2. The Himalayan Mountains

The Himalayas, geologically young and structurally fold mountains stretch over the northern borders of
India. These mountain ranges run in a west-east direction from the Indus to the Brahmaputra. The
Himalayas represent the loftiest and one of the most rugged mountain barriers of the world. They
form an arc, which covers a distance of about 2,400 Km. Their width varies from 400 Km in Kashmir to
150 Km in Arunachal Pradesh. The altitudinal variations are greater in the eastern half than those in
the western half. The Himalaya consists of three parallel ranges in its longitudinal extent. A number of
valleys lie between these ranges

A) What is the longitudinal divisions of Himalayas?

B) Differentiate between any two of the longitudinal divisions of Himalayas.
C) Explain the significance of Himalayas in India.

3. India and the World

The Indian landmass has a central location between the East and the West Asia. India is a southward
extension of the Asian continent. The trans Indian Ocean routes, which connect the countries of
Europe in the West and the countriesof EastAsia,provides a strategic central location to India. Note
that the Deccan Peninsula protrudes into the Indian Ocean, thus helping India to establish close
contact with West Asia, Africa and Europe from the western coast and with Southeast and East Asia
from the eastern coast. No other country has a long coastline on the Indian Ocean as India has and
indeed, it is India’s eminent position in the Indian Ocean, which justifies the naming of an Ocean after
it.
A) Which is the latitude from where India begins to taper and extends towards the Indian Ocean?
B) How has the construction of Suez Canal helped India?
C) India’s contacts with the World have continued through ages but her relationships through the land
routes are much older than her maritime contacts.

4. The outbreak of the revolution

On 5 May 1789, Louis XVI called together an assembly of the Estates General to pass proposals for new
taxes. A resplendent hall in Versailles was prepared to host the delegates. The first and second estates
sent 300 representatives each, who were seated in rows facing each other on two sides, while the 600
members of the third estate had to stand at the back. The third estate was represented by its more
prosperous and educated members. Peasants, artisans and women were denied entry to the assembly.
However, their grievances and demands were listed in some 40,000 letters which the representatives
had brought with them.

Voting in the Estates General in the past had been conducted according to the principle that each
estate had one vote. This time too Louis XVI was determined to continue the same practice. But
members of the third estate demanded that voting now be conducted by the assembly as a whole,
where each member would have one vote. This was one of the democratic principles put forward by
philosophers like Rousseau in his book The Social Contract. When the king rejected this proposal,
members of the third estate walked out of the assembly in protest.

A) Why was an assembly of the Estates General called by Louis XVI?

B) The representatives of third estate viewed themselves as spokesmen for the whole country. Do you
think this title is correct?
C) What were changes after the National assembly was accorded recognition by King Louis XVI?

5. Arguments for democracy

China’s famine of 1958-1961 was the worst recorded famine in world history. Nearly three crore
people died in this famine. During those days, India’s economic condition was not much better than
China. Yet India did not have a famine of the kind China had. Economists think that this was a result of
different government policies in the two countries. The existence of democracy in India made the
Indian government respond to food scarcity in a way that the Chinese government did not. They point
out that no large-scale famine has ever taken place in an independent and democratic country. If China
too had multiparty elections, an opposition party and a press free to criticise the government, then so
many people may not have died in the famine.

A) As per the paragraph, what is the economic status of India and China?

B) What makes democracy a better form of government?

C) How could China have taken charge of people in famine?

Answer Key:
1. A) Islands - Andaman and Nicobar and Lakshadweep.
 B)The most fertile region of northern plains are khadar. They are newer, younger deposits of the
alluvium as they renewed almost every year by floods caused by the rivers.
C) The Deccan Plateau is a triangular landmass that lies to the south of the river Narmada.
Satpura range flanks its broad base in the north, while the Mahadev, the Kaimur hills and the
Maikal range form its eastern extensions.
The Deccan Plateau is higher in the west and slopes gently eastwards.
An extension of the Plateau is also visible in the northeast, locally known as the Meghalaya,
Karbi-Anglong Plateau and North Cachar Hills

2. A) The longitudinal division of Himalayas is :

The norther-most range called as Great or Inner Himalayas/ Himadri
The range lying to the south of the Himadri forms the most rugged mountain system and is
known as Himachal or lesser Himalaya.
The outer-most range of the Himalayas is called the Shiwaliks.
B)
Other Formed Altitude Width Famous for
name of/characteristic
features

The Great or Himadri Core is formed of Average All prominent Himalayan

inner granite. height of peaks – Mt.Everest,
Himalayas Snow bound. 6000m Kanchenjunga etc.
Folds are Mt.Everest
Assymmetrical.
Glaciers descend from
here.
Lesser Himachal Composed of highly 3,700 and 50Km famous valley of Kashmir,
Himalayas compressed and 4,500 m the Kangra and Kullu
altered rocks Valley in Himachal
Pradesh.
well-known for its hill
stations.
Notable ranges – Pir
Panjal & Dhaula Dhar.
Outer Shiwalik Composed of 900 and 10- Valleys between lesser &
Himalayas unconsolidated 1100 m 50Kms outer Himalayas are
sediments brought covered with thick
down by rivers. gravel and alluvium.
These valleys are Also known as Duns .
covered with thick
gravel and alluvium.

D) The mountains are the major sources of water and forest wealth.

3. A) 22 N

B) Since the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, India’s distance from Europe has been reduced
by 7,000 km.
 C) The various passes across the mountains in the north have provided passages to the ancient
travellers, while the oceans restricted such interaction for a long time.

These routes have contributed in the exchange of ideas and commodities since ancient times.
The ideas of the Upanishads and the Ramayana, the stories of Panchtantra, the Indian
numerals and the decimal system thus could reach many parts of the world.

The spices, muslin and other merchandise were taken from India to different countries. On the
other hand, the influence of Greek sculpture, and the architectural styles of dome and minarets
from West Asia can be seen in different parts of our country.

4. A) The Estates General was called to impose taxes.

B) The representatives of the Third Estate, who were mainly composed of middle-class
professionals, businessmen, and peasants, felt that they represented the majority of the
population and should have a greater say in the affairs of the nation. They believed that their
interests aligned more closely with those of the general population, as opposed to the clergy
and nobility who were seen as privileged and disconnected from the struggles of everyday
people.

C) On the night of 4 August 1789, the Assembly passed a decree abolishing the feudal system of
obligations and taxes.

Members of the clergy too were forced to give up their privileges.

Tithes were abolished and lands owned by the Church were confiscated. As a result, the
government acquired assets worth at least 2 billion livres.

5. A) India’s economic condition was not much better than China.

B) A democratic government is a better government because it is a more accountable form of

government.

C) If China too had multiparty elections, an opposition party and a press free to criticise the
government, then so many people may not have died in the famine.