Class 06 NCERT Chapters

About 2500 years ago, some janapadas became more important than others, and were known as mahajanapadas. Most mahajanapadas had a capital city, many of these were fortified. The new rajas now began maintaining armies. Soldiers were paid regular salaries and maintained by the king throughout the year.

There are four Vedas - the Rigveda, Samaveda, Yajurveda and Atharvaveda. The oldest Veda is the Rigveda, composed about 3500 years ago. The Rigveda was recited and heard rather than read. It was written down several centuries after it was first composed, and printed less than 200 years ago.

About eighty years ago, archaeologists found the site, and realised that this was one of the oldest cities in the subcontinent. As this was the first city to be discovered, all other sites from where similar buildings (and other things) were found were described as Harappan. These cities developed about 4700 years ago.

Today, most of our food such as fruit, vegetables, grain, milk and meat comes from plants that are grown and animals that are reared. Different plants grow in different conditions - rice, for example, requires more water than wheat and barley. This explains why farmers grow some crops in some areas and not in other areas.

There are several things we can find out - what people ate, the kinds of clothes they wore, the houses in which they lived. We can find out about the lives of hunters, herders, farmers, rulers, merchants, priests, crafts persons, artists, musicians, and scientists.

Saeeda’s mother has not received proper medical treatment for her complaints. She is denied healthy food, sunshine and fresh air. At last, she consults a good physician who gives her effective medicine and sound advice.

Our body and brain recover from fatigue after a good sleep. We dream while sleeping, but we do not always remember our dreams. During sleep, our heartbeat becomes slower and our temperature and blood pressure go down.

A monkey lived in a fruit tree on the bank of a river. He made friends with a crocodile, gave him delicious fruits to eat and sent some for his wife. They met regularly and talked - the monkey in the tree and the crocodile on the ground.

Tansen was the only child of his parents. Naughty but talented, he imitated the calls of birds and animals perfectly. Once he tried to frighten a group of travellers by roaring like a tiger.

A poor shepherd once lived in Iran. Though uneducated, he was very wise and helpful. The king decided to meet him in disguise.

A farmer, his wife and their small child lived in a village. There was also a baby mongoose in the house, who they believed would be their son’s companion and friend in future. One day the farmer and his wife went out leaving the child alone with the mongoose.

A mother bird and her two young ones lived in a forest. The mother was killed in a storm and the young birds were separated from each other. Each found a different home.

Some changes can be reversed and some cannot be reversed.