Class 8 Social Science Part 2 Chapter 8 – Cultural Currents: 13th to 17th Centuries | NCERT Worksheet
Practise Class 8 Social Science Part 2 Chapter 8 – Cultural Currents: 13th to 17th Centuries with this NCERT worksheet. Prepare more with important questions and revision exercises designed to strengthen understanding, improve practice and support effective preparation for class tests and examinations.
Class 8 Social Science Chapter 8 Worksheet | Cultural Currents: 13th to 17th Centuries
“I do not want my house to be walled in on all sides and my
windows to be stuffed. I want the cultures of all the lands
to be blown about my house as freely as possible. But I
refuse to be blown off my feet by any.”
— Mahatma Gandhi
🎯 Learning Targets
📚 Section A — Multiple Choice Questions
1
The bhakti mārga means the path of:
2
Which saint promoted equality and oneness of all?
3
Guru Nanak spread the message of:
4
Sufi devotional songs are called:
5
Purandaradasa is associated especially with:
6
The two major streams of Indian classical music are:
7
Mughal miniature painting was strongly shaped by:
8
The charbagh design is associated with:
9
Razia Sultan was associated with:
10
Which school made important contributions to mathematics and calculus?
11
Banarasi saris are especially known for:
12
The samosa was adapted from:
✏️ Section B — Fill in the Blanks
1. The bhakti mārga is the path of __________.
2. Kabir’s compositions spoke about __________ God.
3. Guru Nanak taught the equality of __________ people.
4. Sufi devotional songs are called __________.
5. The two streams of Indian classical music are Hindustani and __________.
6. An artist’s studio is called an __________.
7. The four-part Persian garden design is called __________.
8. Razia Sultan was the first and only female ruler of the __________ Sultanate.
9. The Kerala School made important contributions to mathematics and __________.
10. The Persian influence on Banaras silk included zari, zardozi and __________.
🔎 Section C — True or False
1. The bhakti tradition required everyone to follow elaborate rituals.
2. Ravidas promoted the idea of equality and oneness.
3. Sufism focuses on devotion and an inner and personal search for God.
4. Carnatic music developed mainly in North India.
5. Mughal miniature painting included court scenes and portraits.
6. Pashmina shawls are made from a type of soft wool from goats of Ladakh and Kashmir.
7. Persian became an important language of Mughal administration and courtly culture.
8. The Kerala School made no contribution to mathematics.
9. The samosa and jalebi show examples of cultural exchange in food.
🔗 Section D — Match the Following
Column A
Column B
Your Match
1. Kabir
a. Carnatic music
2. Purandaradasa
b. Equality and oneness
3. Razia Sultan
c. Delhi Sultanate
4. Tansen
d. Akbar’s court
5. Charbagh
e. Four-part garden
6. Banarasi sari
f. Zari and brocade
7. Madhava
g. Kerala School
8. Dara Shikoh
h. Upanishads translated into Persian
🧠 Section E — Very Short Answer Questions
1
What does culture mean?
2
What is meant by bhakti mārga?
3
Who was Kabir?
4
Who was Ravidas?
5
What message did Guru Nanak spread?
6
What is Sufism?
7
What is zikr?
8
What is a qawwālī?
9
Name the two streams of Indian classical music.
10
What is an atelier?
11
What is a charbagh?
12
Who was Razia Sultan?
13
What is Hindavi?
14
What is a GI tag?
15
Name one important contribution of the Kerala School of Astronomy and Mathematics.
✍️ Section F — Short Answer Questions
1
Why did the bhakti tradition become important during this period?
2
How did bhakti saints promote unity?
3
How did Bhakti and Sufi traditions interact?
4
Why were music and dance important in spreading devotional ideas?
5
How did Indian classical music develop during this period?
6
How did Rajput and Mughal painting influence each other?
7
What changes took place in garden design during the Mughal period?
8
What were some roles played by women in public life during this period?
9
How did decentralised educational institutions help preserve knowledge?
10
How was knowledge transferred among traditional weaving communities?
11
How did Persian influence Indian languages?
12
Give two examples of scientific developments during this period.
13
Give two examples of cultural exchange in food.
14
How did clothing styles change during this period?
🔍 Section G — Think and Analyse
1
Explain how Indian culture could adopt outside influences while retaining its own identity.
2
Why was cultural continuity possible even during periods of political instability?
3
What does the interaction between Rajput and Mughal painting tell us about cultural exchange?
4
Why were local educational systems more resilient than large universities during political turmoil?
5
Why might adaptation be more successful for cultural survival than completely accepting or rejecting new ideas?
👩🏫 Section H — Case-Based Questions
Case 1 — Bhakti and Sufi Traditions
During this period, devotional traditions brought people together.
Bhakti saints composed songs in local languages, while Sufi saints
used music and devotional practices to express love for God.
a. What was the main idea of the bhakti tradition?
b. What role did music play in these traditions?
c. Name one Bhakti saint and one Sufi saint.
Case 2 — Education and Knowledge
Education continued through gurukulas, maṭhas, temple schools,
Buddhist vihāras, Jain pallis, pāṭhaśhālās and madrasās.
Apprenticeships also helped preserve practical knowledge.
a. Name two institutions where students learned.
b. What subjects were studied?
c. How did apprenticeships preserve skills?
Case 3 — Banarasi Textiles
Weavers from Gujarat moved to Banaras with Akbar’s encouragement.
They brought their expertise, while zari, zardozi and brocade
traditions became part of Banaras silk weaving.
a. What is a brocade?
b. How was weaving knowledge transferred?
c. Why is the GI tag important?
Case 4 — Science and Mathematics
Scholars such as Narayana Pandita and Madhava made important
contributions to mathematics. The Kerala School of Astronomy
and Mathematics produced important works over several centuries.
a. Name the mathematical work written by Narayana Pandita.
b. What was Madhava known for?
c. Name the school associated with these developments.
Case 5 — Food and Cultural Exchange
Foods such as samosa and jalebi illustrate how culinary traditions
changed through cultural interaction.
a. What was sambūseh?
b. What Indian dish developed from sambūseh?
c. What does such food exchange tell us about culture?
🎨 Section I — Picture & Art Observation
Observe the textbook paintings and monuments from this chapter.
Write any three similarities or differences you notice between Rajput and Mughal miniature paintings.
Which colours, subjects, people, animals, plants or landscapes do you notice?
What can paintings tell historians about the society of the period?
📜 Section J — Women in Society
1
Why did the status and public appearance of women change in some regions during this period?
2
Who was Razia Sultan? Mention two things she did during her rule.
3
How did Nur Jahan participate in governance?
4
What roles did women perform in the Vijayanagara Empire according to Fernão Nunes?
5
What conclusions can be drawn from women’s donations and construction of public facilities?
🌐 Section K — Language & Literature Lab
1
Name four Indian languages that flourished during this period.
2
How did Bhakti literature make ideas accessible to common people?
3
Who translated the Mahābhārata into Bengali?
4
What was the role of Persian in Mughal administration and culture?
5
How did Urdu develop?
6
What did Dara Shikoh contribute to cultural interaction?
🔬 Section L — Science & Technology
1
What was special about zinc production during this period?
2
Who wrote Gaṇitakaumudī?
3
What was Madhava’s contribution to mathematics?
4
What was special about Nilakantha Somayaji’s planetary model?
5
Name three medical systems mentioned in the chapter.
6
What was Indian saltpetre used for?
🏛️ Section M — Architecture & Cultural Heritage
1
What made Hampi an important centre of urban planning and temple building?
2
What is the significance of the Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple’s restoration?
3
What is the Sheesh Mahal?
4
What features can be seen in Mughal garden design?
5
How did local traditions and outside influences combine in architecture?
📖 Section N — Textbook Questions and Activities
Answer all questions in your own words. Keep your answers clear and well organised.
1. What is the path to mokṣha that became popular in the period from the 13th to 17th centuries?
2. Name three bhakti saints from different regions of India and identify the key messages they promoted.
3. Kabir’s doha compares wheat being ground into flour with the unity of Ram and Rahim. Why do you think he used this everyday example?
4. The chapter mentions that while major universities like Nalanda were destroyed, education continued through decentralised systems like gurukulas, temple schools, and apprenticeships. What advantages might these smaller, local systems have had in surviving political turmoil?
5. Women’s roles changed differently across regions during this period. What factors mentioned in the chapter might explain why the same historical events affected women differently in different regions?
6. The chapter describes how Indian culture sometimes “adopted or adapted” external influences. Why do you think adaptation (changing something to fit local tastes) might be more successful for cultural survival than simply copying or completely rejecting new ideas?
7 What are some examples of cultural interactions that led to the creation of new art forms?
8. Research one bhakti or Sufi saint mentioned in the chapter (Kabir, Mirabai, Ravidas, Tukaram, Chishti or others). Find one of their poems or bhajans in translation, and prepare a three-minute presentation where you:
(a) Share the poem/song,
(b) Explain its main message,
(c) Describe why it might have appealed to common people during that time, and
(d) Discuss whether its message is still relevant today.
9. Choose one aspect of culture from the chapter (architecture, clothing, food, music, education, or gardens) and create a group project to study how it appears in your region. Try to enquire into:
What has changed and what has remained the same over time?
What are your thoughts on why certain elements continued while others changed?
You can present your report in any form — as an illustrated report, or digital presentation, or in any other creative way.
🧭 Section O — Let’s Explore
1. What are the traditions of story-telling in your region? Explore, with your teachers and parents, the possibility of inviting practitioners to your school for a talk and demonstration.
2. Observe all the miniature paintings featured here. What are the similarities and differences you notice? What are the features that have changed, and which have been retained?
3. Take up a group project. Identify the local forms of art and craft in your area. Are they being continued? How are the knowledge and skills in these being transferred from generation to generation?
4. What conclusions can we draw from such acts about the economic and social status of these women?
5. Imagine that you are a historian in the 22nd century looking at the lives and status of girls and women in 21st-century society. What are the different aspects you would write about? Exchange your thoughts with your classmates. How similar or different are they?
6. What were the different vocations women were involved in as a part of the King’s staff?
7. Create a list of words in your regional language that might have Persian roots. You may be surprised by your findings!
8. Make a list of popular dishes in your region. Explore their origins and discover various cross-cultural influences.
9. What are your observations about continuity and change in clothing styles today? What might be the reasons for the changes we see?
💡 Section P — Creative Thinking
🎭 Culture Detective
Choose one object, food, song, dress, language word, building or art form
from your surroundings that shows cultural interaction.
Name of the cultural item:
Where is it found?
What cultures or traditions influenced it?
What has remained unchanged?
What has changed?
🗺️ Section Q — Cultural Heritage Map Activity
On the map below, mark any six places mentioned in this chapter.
You may include places connected with saints, music, education,
architecture, textiles, science or cultural traditions.
Draw your India map / paste an outline map here.
Mark and label six cultural centres.
Places marked:
🏆 Self-Assessment
One idea I understood very well:
One topic I need to revise:
One cultural tradition from my region that I want to learn more about:
My participation in this worksheet:
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