Social Science · Class 6

Active learning ideas

Administration and Governance

Explore the intricate machinery of governance in ancient India's new empires and kingdoms. This topic moves beyond kings and battles to uncover how daily administration actually worked.

• CBSE Learning Outcomes
• NCERT Class 6: Our Pasts-I, Chapter 10

• 25–40 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 3 activities

Activity 01

• Simulation Game
• 30 min · Pairs

Kingdom Officials: Then and Now

Students create a two-column chart comparing an official from an ancient kingdom (e.g., mahadandanayaka) with a modern government official (e.g., District Magistrate). They compare their roles, how they got their jobs, and their source of power.

Explain how the administration of this period was different from that of the Mauryan Empire.

Facilitation Tip

Provide a list of ancient titles and modern equivalents to guide their research.

What to look for

A short quiz with multiple-choice and fill-in-the-blank questions on key vocabulary like 'samanta', 'prashasti', and 'sabha'.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Social Awareness
• Decision-Making

Activity 02

• Simulation Game
• 40 min · Small Groups

Village Assembly Role-Play

Students role-play a meeting of a 'sabha' to discuss a local issue like irrigation tank maintenance or a land dispute. This helps them understand the functions and decision-making processes of these local bodies.

Analyse the role of the 'sabhā', an assembly of brahmin landholders, in the southern kingdoms.

Facilitation Tip

Assign specific roles like the headman, a farmer, a merchant, and a brahmin landholder.

What to look for

A short-answer test requiring students to write a paragraph comparing Mauryan administration with that of the Guptas, or explaining the functioning of a 'sabha'.

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Social Awareness
• Decision-Making

Activity 03

• Simulation Game
• 25 min · Individual

Revenue Collection Map

On an outline map of ancient India, students mark different kingdoms and illustrate the primary sources of revenue. They can use symbols for agriculture, trade routes, and craft centres.

Identify the primary source of revenue for these kingdoms.

Facilitation Tip

Encourage students to create a key for the symbols they use to represent different revenue sources.

What to look for

A checklist where students rate their understanding of each learning objective on a scale of 1 to 3 (e.g., 'I can explain why land revenue was important').

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Social Awareness
• Decision-Making

A few notes on teaching this unit

Start by contrasting the highly centralized Mauryan system with the more decentralized model of this era. Use diagrams to show the hierarchy from the king down to the samantas and village assemblies. Emphasise the shift towards hereditary posts and payment through land grants as key changes.

By the end of these activities, students will be able to compare different administrative styles and explain how local communities managed their own affairs.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• The king controlled everything directly, just like the Mauryan emperors.

  While the king was the supreme authority, administration in this period was more decentralized. Kings often shared power with local chieftains (samantas) and relied on local assemblies to manage village affairs, unlike the highly centralized Mauryan bureaucracy.

• All official posts were based on merit and ability.

  A significant change during this period was that many important administrative posts became hereditary. This meant a son would often succeed his father in a position, regardless of his own capability.

• Taxes were only collected in the form of money or coins.

  The most important source of revenue was land tax, which was often collected as a share of the agricultural produce, typically one-sixth. Taxes could also be paid through labour or goods from artisans and traders.

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Methods used in this brief

• Simulation Game