Home › Free notes › Class 12 History › Thinkers, Beliefs and Buildings

Thinkers, Beliefs and Buildings – Class 12 History notes, important questions and MCQs

NCERT Class 12 History, chapter 4. Notes, key terms, important questions with answers and MCQs.

Chapter overview

The sixth century BCE was a period of intellectual ferment, with thinkers questioning ritual and seeking the meaning of life. Mahavira and the Buddha founded traditions that emphasised conduct and liberation. Buddhism spread widely and was represented in monuments such as the stupa at Sanchi. Later, Puranic Hinduism developed with the worship of Vishnu and Shiva, and temple architecture grew. Historians study these traditions through texts and sculptures.

Thinkers and new ideas

The Upanishads explored ideas of atman and brahman; debates took place in kutagarashalas (huts with pointed roofs) and groves.
Mahavira, the twenty-fourth tirthankara of Jainism, taught ahimsa and that liberation requires renunciation; Jaina teachings were recorded in Prakrit.
The Buddha taught that the world is transient and that suffering can be ended through the Middle Path and the eightfold path; he founded the sangha, which included women such as Mahapajapati Gotami.

Stupas and Buddhist art

Stupas were mounds containing relics of the Buddha or other sacred objects; the stupa at Sanchi was supported by rulers of Bhopal and preserved in the nineteenth century.
Sculptures depicted the Buddha's life through symbols such as the empty seat, the wheel and the stupa, and also showed popular traditions such as shalabhanjika and yakshas.
Mahayana Buddhism later developed the idea of the Bodhisattva and images of the Buddha.

Puranic Hinduism and temples

Vaishnavism (worship of Vishnu and his avatars) and Shaivism (worship of Shiva) grew, with stories in the Puranas.
Early temples had a small square room called the garbhagriha with an entrance; later a shikhara (tower) was added.
Rock-cut caves and temples such as those at Ajanta, Mahabalipuram, Ellora (Kailashnatha) and Deogarh show developments in art and architecture.

Key terms

Tirthankara: a teacher in Jainism who helps people cross the river of existence
Sangha: the community of Buddhist monks and nuns
Stupa: a hemispherical mound containing relics
Bodhisattva: in Mahayana Buddhism, a compassionate being who helps others attain liberation
Garbhagriha: the inner sanctum of a temple

Important questions with answers

What is a stupa?2 marks

A stupa is a hemispherical mound built over relics of the Buddha or other holy persons or objects. It has an anda (dome), a harmika (balcony-like structure), a chhatri (umbrella) and a railing with gateways; Sanchi has a well-known stupa.

What were the main teachings of the Buddha?3 marks

The Buddha taught that the world is transient and constantly changing, that life is full of suffering caused by desire, and that suffering can be ended by following the Middle Path between severe penance and self-indulgence, through the eightfold path of right conduct. He emphasised personal effort and right action rather than rituals.

Describe the developments in religious thought and architecture between 600 BCE and 600 CE.5 marks

The sixth century BCE was a time of intellectual ferment, when thinkers debated the nature of life, ritual and liberation. The Upanishads explored ideas of the self (atman) and the universal soul (brahman). Mahavira, the twenty-fourth tirthankara of Jainism, taught non-violence and renunciation, and the Buddha taught that suffering can be ended through the Middle Path; he founded the sangha of monks and nuns, supported by rulers, merchants and ordinary people. Buddhism spread across the subcontinent and beyond, and monuments such as stupas, which contained relics, were built; the stupa at Sanchi, with its carved gateways, shows scenes from the Buddha's life through symbols and also popular traditions such as yakshas and shalabhanjikas. Mahayana Buddhism developed the idea of the Bodhisattva and images of the Buddha. At the same time, Puranic Hinduism grew with Vaishnavism and Shaivism, worship of images and stories in the Puranas. Temples developed from a small garbhagriha to structures with a shikhara and mandapas; rock-cut caves and temples such as those at Ajanta, Mahabalipuram, Deogarh and the Kailashnatha temple at Ellora show remarkable artistic achievements. Historians study these developments through texts, inscriptions and sculpture, interpreting symbols carefully.

Quick revision

Sixth century BCE: intellectual ferment; Upanishads.
Mahavira and the Buddha; sangha.
Sanchi stupa; symbols; Mahayana.
Vaishnavism, Shaivism; temples.

Exam tips

Draw a simple stupa and label the anda, harmika, chhatri and railing.
Compare Jaina and Buddhist teachings in a table.

Practice MCQs

The twenty-fourth tirthankara of Jainism was
1. Rishabhadeva
2. Buddha
3. Parshvanatha
4. Mahavira
Show answer
Answer: (d) Mahavira. He lived in the sixth century BCE.
A mound containing relics is called a
1. temple
2. chaitya hall
3. stupa
4. garbhagriha
Show answer
Answer: (c) stupa. Sanchi has a famous one.
The community of Buddhist monks and nuns is the
1. gana
2. shreni
3. jati
4. sangha
Show answer
Answer: (d) sangha. Women were also admitted.
The inner sanctum of a temple is called
1. shikhara
2. garbhagriha
3. mandapa
4. harmika
Show answer
Answer: (b) garbhagriha. The main image was placed there.
Worship of Vishnu and his avatars is called
1. Vaishnavism
2. Shaivism
3. Jainism
4. Mahayana
Show answer
Answer: (a) Vaishnavism. The Puranas tell their stories.
The idea of the Bodhisattva is associated with
1. Mahayana
2. Theravada
3. Jainism
4. Upanishads
Show answer
Answer: (a) Mahayana. It emphasised compassion.
In early Buddhist sculpture the Buddha was often shown through
1. life-size portraits
2. symbols such as the empty seat and wheel
3. coins only
4. inscriptions alone
Show answer
Answer: (b) symbols such as the empty seat and wheel. Human images came later.
The Kailashnatha temple at Ellora is remarkable because it was
1. carved out of a single rock
2. built of bricks
3. made of wood
4. built in Europe
Show answer
Answer: (a) carved out of a single rock. It is a rock-cut temple.

All chapters of Class 12 History

Written by Kundali IQ from standard, well-established facts to help with revision. This is not an official NCERT publication; always read your textbook too.