BHIM 161 Question Paper December 2025 is your sharpest practice set for the IGNOU History of Bharat paper, the one running from the Harappan Civilization and Vedic culture up to Harshavardhana and Aryabhatta. If you sit this in 2026, this is the exact paper to rehearse on, so let's walk through it the way a senior would.
What is the BHIM-161 December 2025 Question Paper?
The BHIM 161 December 2025 question paper is the official IGNOU Term-End Examination for History of Bharat from the Earliest Times to 700 C.E., set in English and Hindi, worth 50 marks over 2 hours across two sections.
In practice, it asks you to attempt any five of eight questions, with a guaranteed mix because at least two must come from each Section. Section I leans on early India, the Harappan Civilization, Buddhist literature and the cultural exchange between Bharat and South-East Asia, while Section II turns to the empires and rulers like Chandragupta Maurya and Rudradaman.
About IGNOU BHIM-161 History of Bharat
BHIM-161 carries you across more than two millennia of Indian history. You start with the salient features of the Harappan Civilization and Vedic culture, move through early polities and the famous Dasharajana War, then into the rise of Buddhism with the Noble Eightfold Path and rulers such as Ajatshatru.
From there the course tracks the great empires. You study the achievements of Chandragupta Maurya, the Greek invasions, the Shaka ruler Rudradaman, and the Gupta age under Chandragupta II. It closes with the post-Gupta world of Harshavardhana, the Pandya Kingdom and the science of Aryabhatta, all the way up to 700 C.E.
This page is written by Prateek Talwar and reviewed by the Unnati Educations academic team, including our History and ancient-India content reviewers. It sits within the BHIM-161 course of the IGNOU B.A. History (BAFYUP) programme and reflects the official IGNOU Term-End Examination of December 2025. Last updated: June 2026.
BHIM-161 Question Paper December 2025 Exam Pattern and Marks
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| Medium | Bilingual, English and Hindi, both accepted |
| Duration | 2 hours |
| Total marks | 50 |
| Total questions | 8 |
| Sections | 2 (Section I and Section II) |
| Questions to attempt | Any 5 |
| Minimum per section | At least 2 from each Section |
| Marks per question | 10 marks each |
| Word limit per answer | About 300 words |
| Short-note word limit | About 150 words each |
| Type of questions | Descriptive long answers and short notes |
How the BHIM-161 Question Paper Is Split into Section I and Section II
The eight questions sit in two halves. Section I is the early-India half, with cultural exchange between Bharat and South-East Asia, Buddhist literature, the Harappan Civilization with Vedic culture, and short notes on the Dasharajana War, the Noble Eightfold Path, Ajatshatru and the Greek invasions.
Section II is the empires half. Here you meet Chandragupta Maurya, the Shaka ruler Rudradaman, the campaigns of Chandragupta II, and short notes on the Pahlavas, Harshavardhana, the Pandya Kingdom and Aryabhatta.
Here's the part that matters: you must answer at least two from each Section. So plan five answers as a three and two split, never five from one side. If Chandragupta Maurya and Rudradaman feel strong, that still leaves you needing two Section I answers, say the Harappan Civilization and Buddhist literature.
All Questions in the BHIM-161 December 2025 Paper
Note: Attempt any five questions in about 300 words each. Attempt at least two questions from each Section. All questions carry equal marks.
Section—I
Discuss on cultural exchange between Bharat (India) and South-East Asia. 10
Write an essay on Buddhist Literature. 10
Discuss the salient features of Harappan Civilization and Vedic culture. 10
Write short notes on any two of the following in 150 words each: 5+5
(a) Dasharajana War
(b) The Noble Eight-fold Path
(c) Ajatshatru
(d) Greek invasions
Section—II
Describe the achievements of Chandragupta Maurya. 10
Critically analyse the reign of Shaka ruler Rudradaman. 10
Describe the campaigns of Chandragupta-II. 10
Write short notes on any two of the following in 150 words each: 5+5
(a) Pahlavas
(b) Harshavardhana
(c) Pandya Kingdom
(d) Aryabhatta
भाग—I
नोट : किन्हीं पाँच प्रश्नों के उत्तर लगभग 300 शब्दों (प्रत्येक) में दीजिए। प्रत्येक भाग से कम से कम दो प्रश्न अवश्य कीजिए। सभी प्रश्नों के अंक समान हैं।
भारत और दक्षिण-पूर्व एशिया के बीच सांस्कृतिक आदान-प्रदान की चर्चा कीजिए। 10
बौद्ध साहित्य पर एक निबंध लिखिए। 10
हड़प्पा सभ्यता एवं वैदिक संस्कृति की मुख्य विशेषताओं की चर्चा कीजिए। 10
निम्नलिखित में से किन्हीं दो पर लगभग 150-150 शब्दों में संक्षिप्त टिप्पणियाँ लिखिए : 5+5
(क) दशराजन युद्ध
(ख) उत्कृष्ट अष्टांगिक मार्ग
(ग) अजातशत्रु
(घ) यूनानी आक्रमण
भाग—II
चंद्रगुप्त मौर्य की उपलब्धियों का वर्णन कीजिए। 10
शक शासक रुद्रदामन के शासनकाल का आलोचनात्मक विश्लेषण कीजिए। 10
चन्द्रगुप्त-द्वितीय के युद्ध सम्बन्धी अभियानों का वर्णन कीजिए। 10
निम्नलिखित में से किन्हीं दो पर लगभग 150 शब्दों (प्रत्येक) में संक्षिप्त टिप्पणियाँ लिखिए : 5+5
(क) पहलव
(ख) हर्षवर्धन
(ग) पांड्य राज्य
(घ) आर्यभट्ट
Topics Covered in the BHIM-161 Paper
Cultural exchange between Bharat and South-East Asia
Buddhist literature
Salient features of the Harappan Civilization and Vedic culture
The Dasharajana War
The Noble Eightfold Path
Ajatshatru
Greek invasions
Achievements of Chandragupta Maurya
Reign of the Shaka ruler Rudradaman
Campaigns of Chandragupta II
The Pahlavas
Harshavardhana
The Pandya Kingdom
Aryabhatta
Key Terms in the BHIM-161 Paper Explained
Dasharajana War: The Battle of Ten Kings recorded in the Rigveda, a clash on the Parushni (Ravi) river in which the Bharata chief Sudas defeated a confederacy of tribes and won early Vedic dominance.
The Noble Eightfold Path: The Buddhist route to ending suffering, eight linked practices from right view to right concentration that flow directly from the Buddha's Four Noble Truths.
Rudradaman: The Shaka (Western Kshatrapa) ruler of the second century C.E., remembered for the Junagadh rock inscription in polished Sanskrit and for repairing the Sudarshana lake.
Chandragupta Maurya: Founder of the Mauryan Empire around 321 B.C.E., who with Kautilya overthrew the Nandas, checked Seleucus and built India's first large pan-Indian state.
Pahlavas: The Indo-Parthian rulers who held parts of the north-west after the Shakas, often grouped with the Sakas and Kushanas in early Indian historical sources.
Aryabhatta: The Gupta-age mathematician and astronomer, author of the Aryabhatiya, who explained the Earth's rotation and gave a remarkably accurate value for pi.
How to Use BHIM 161 December 2025 Question Paper to Score in the 2026 Exam
Treat this December 2025 IGNOU paper as a full mock. Set a 2-hour timer and pick your five questions before you start writing, keeping the two-from-each-Section rule in mind, perhaps the Harappan Civilization and Buddhist literature from Section I and Chandragupta Maurya, Rudradaman and Chandragupta II from Section II.
For a 300-word, 10-mark answer, open with context, then give evidence, then a short conclusion. In ancient history, marks come from specifics. A Rudradaman answer should name the Junagadh inscription, and a Chandragupta Maurya answer should mention the defeat of the Nandas and the dealings with Seleucus, not vague praise.
Watch the repeats. Themes like the Mauryas and the Guptas surface across years, so a confident answer on the campaigns of Chandragupta II or the achievements of Chandragupta Maurya is rarely wasted effort.
Sample Answer Approach (not a full answer)
Take question 5, describe the achievements of Chandragupta Maurya. Here is the shape of a full-marks answer, not the answer itself.
Opening: set the period, around 321 B.C.E., and the founding of the Mauryan Empire after the fall of the Nanda dynasty.
Key points to cover: the alliance with Kautilya, the overthrow of the Nandas, the conflict with Seleucus Nicator and the treaty that followed, the expansion across north India, and the administrative machinery later described by Megasthenes.
Concrete evidence: cite Megasthenes' Indika, or the marriage alliance and the 500 war elephants from the Seleucus treaty, as a dated, named detail an examiner can reward.
Conclusion: a two-line judgement on how Chandragupta Maurya built the first empire to unify most of the subcontinent.
Frequently Asked Questions about the BHIM-161 Question Paper December 2025
Is this the authentic BHIM-161 Question Paper December 2025?
Yes. This is the genuine IGNOU Term-End Examination paper for BHIM-161 held in December 2025, reproduced word for word from the official PDF in both English and Hindi. You will find the real questions on the Harappan Civilization, Chandragupta Maurya and Rudradaman exactly as they were set, with the same marks and the same Section I and Section II structure.
Is the BHIM 161 Question Paper December 2025 useful for the 2026 exam?
Very useful. The December 2025 paper is the most recent official BHIM-161 set, so it is the closest guide to what your 2026 attempt may look like. Themes such as Buddhist literature, the Noble Eightfold Path, the Guptas under Chandragupta II and the age of Harshavardhana recur often, which makes timed practice on this paper genuinely worthwhile.
Is a BHIM 161 solved question paper available?
Yes, a BHIM 161 solved question paper is available on request. The questions here are the real ones, and the solved set adds model answers structured the way examiners reward, with context, evidence and conclusion for topics like the campaigns of Chandragupta II or the reign of Rudradaman. Send us a message and we will share what you need.
Does the BHIM-161 Question Paper help with the assignment too?
It helps a lot. The BHIM-161 assignment and this exam paper draw on the same syllabus, so revising the Dasharajana War, the salient features of the Harappan Civilization, or the achievements of Chandragupta Maurya for one strengthens the other. Practising the December 2025 questions builds the exact understanding your tutor-marked assignment also expects.
Is the BHIM 161 Question Paper available in both English and Hindi?
Yes. The paper is bilingual, and both the English questions and the Hindi (भाग I and भाग II) versions are printed here in full. So whether you write on Ajatshatru or the Pandya Kingdom in English or in Hindi, you can revise from the exact wording IGNOU used, since both mediums are accepted in the BHIM-161 examination.
What BHIM-161 support is available?
You can reach our team directly. If you need the solved set, guidance on structuring a 300-word answer on Aryabhatta or the Pahlavas, or help planning your five-question selection across both Sections, we are a message away. Send us a note on WhatsApp and we will point you to the right BHIM-161 resource.
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