Read the following passage and answer question nos. 1 to 4 :
The word medieval means ’the middle age’. It is used in history, therefore, to refer to that period which lies between the ancient and the modern periods and is quite literally the middle period. How do we know when the ancient period ends and the medieval period begins ? We have taken the eighth century A.D. as the beginning and the eighteenth century A.D. as the end of the medieval period. Why ? Because as you will see when you read this book, there were many changes taking place in Indian Society in about the eighth century A.D. and during this time these changes influenced many aspects of Indian Society. They influenced the political and economic aspects, social laws, religion, language, art in short, almost everything. So we recognise that a new stage in Indian history had come about. We may say that this change took place around the eighth century.
We have to be just a little vague about the date because just as a person does not change suddenly in one year, similarly societies also take time to change. Nor does everybody become influenced by new ideas at the same time. Some of these changes in Indian history began earlier than the eighth century and in some parts of India their influence was felt a little later. But taking a general view of things, we can say that the new phase took root in the eighth century. In the same way with the break-up of the Mughal Empire and the coming of the British, the eighteenth century also saw many changes. So we refer to the century as the closing of the medieval period.
(1) We have to be just a little vague about the date............... The word ‘vague’ here means :
(A) doubtful
(B) not precise
(C) misleading
(D) not clear
(2) The eighth century has been taken as the beginning and the eighteenth century has been taken as the end of medieval period because :
(A) No changes took place in Indian Society before eighth and after eighteenth century.
(B) A new stage began in Indian Society in the eighth and lasted up to eighteenth century.
(C) The period between eighth and eighteenth century is the most important period in Indian History.
(D) The Mughals came to India in the eighth and the British came to India in the eighteenth century.
(3) It is used in history..............and is quite literally the middle period. 'The word ‘literally’ means :
(A) Approximately
(B) Strictly
(C) According to literature
(D) Accurately
(4) The above extract has been taken from :
(A) a newspaper
(B) a history journal
(C) a book
(D) a magazine
Answer Key
(1) B
(2) B
(3) D
(4) C
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