BHIC 101 Question Paper December 2025 is the paper you want open in front of you while you prepare History of India I. It moves from Bhimbetka and the Stone Age right through to Mauryan art and architecture, so reading it shows you exactly how IGNOU frames ancient India for the BAHIH degree. Treat it as your sharpest mock for the next attempt.
What is the BHIC-101 December 2025 Question Paper?
The BHIC 101 December 2025 question paper is the official IGNOU Term-End Examination for History of India I, set for B.A. Honours History students, carrying 100 marks over three hours with ten questions across two sections. It samples the whole ancient India syllabus, from prehistoric cultures and the Harappan world to the Vedic age, Buddhism and the Mauryan state. As the most recent live paper, it is the closest thing you have to the questions waiting in your own hall.
About IGNOU BHIC-101 History of India-I
BHIC-101 is the opening history paper in the IGNOU B.A. Honours History (BAHIH) programme, and it builds the foundation for everything that follows. It first asks how we even know about ancient India, the sources, the sites and the debates, before moving into the big themes.
From there you study prehistoric and Stone Age cultures and what sites like Bhimbetka and Mehargarh tell us, the rise and economy of the Harappan civilisation, Vedic society and religion, the second urbanisation of the sixth century BCE, the emergence of Buddhism, and the Mauryan empire. The questions reward students who connect a site or source to a wider argument, not those who just list facts.
This page is prepared by the Unnati Educations academic team, with the question text checked by our history content reviewers and the study notes written by Prateek Talwar. It is anchored to the IGNOU Term-End Examination of December 2025 for the BAHIH programme, and it was last updated in June 2026 so the pattern guidance stays current for the 2026 cycle.
BHIC-101 Question Paper December 2025 Exam Pattern and Marks
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| Medium | Bilingual, English and Hindi |
| Duration | 3 hours |
| Total marks | 100 |
| Total questions | 10, five in Section I and five in Section II |
| Questions to attempt | Any five, with at least two from each Section |
| Marks per question | 20 each, the short-note questions split as 10 plus 10 |
| Type of questions | Long essay-type answers of about 400 words and short notes of about 200 words |
| Language of answers | English or Hindi, your choice |
All Questions in the BHIC-101 December 2025 Paper
No. of Printed Pages : 6
BHIC–101
B. A. (HONOURS) HISTORY (BAHIH)
Term-End Examination
December, 2025
BHIC–101 : HISTORY OF INDIA–I
Time : 3 Hours Maximum Marks : 100
Note : Attempt any five questions in about 400 words each. Attempt at least two questions from each Section. All questions carry equal marks.
Section—I
1. Write an essay on Bhimbetka. How does it help in studying Paleolithic cultures? 20
2. Analyse the various aspects of the Harappan economy. 20
3. Discuss in detail the Vedic religion and religious practices. 20
4. Write short notes on any two of the following in about 200 words each : 10+10
(a) Literary sources for the study of ancient India
(b) Mesolithic cultures in India
(c) Mehargarh
(d) Dholavira
Section—II
5. Give a brief account of the emergence of Buddhism and its main teachings. 20
6. What are the main features of urbanization which developed in the 6th century BCE? 20
7. Discuss with examples Mauryan art and architecture. 20
8. Write short notes on any two of the following in about 200 words each : 10+10
(a) Painted Grey Ware Culture
(b) Arthashastra
(c) Ashokan Inscriptions
(d) Astronomy in Ancient India
Topics Covered in the BHIC-101 Paper
Bhimbetka and its rock shelters as evidence for Palaeolithic cultures
Mesolithic cultures in India
Mehargarh as an early farming site
The various aspects of the Harappan economy, from agriculture and craft to trade
Dholavira as a Harappan urban centre
Literary sources for the study of ancient India
Vedic religion and its religious practices
The Painted Grey Ware culture
The emergence of Buddhism and its main teachings
The features of urbanisation in the sixth century BCE, often called the second urbanisation
Mauryan art and architecture
The Arthashastra as a source on Mauryan statecraft
Ashokan inscriptions and what they reveal
Astronomy in ancient India
How to Use BHIC-101 December 2025 Question Paper to Score in the 2026 Exam
Read the whole paper once and mark which questions you could answer today and which you cannot. That single pass shows your real gaps fast. Then sit it like the real thing: three hours, five questions, at least two from each Section, because students who ignore that section rule lose marks even with strong answers.
For the 20-mark essays, aim for about 400 words with a clear shape, a short definition or context, three or four argued points, at least one named site or source, and a tight conclusion. A line about Dholavira or an Ashokan edict beats a vague paragraph.
For the 10-mark notes, keep to about 200 words and say what the term is before why it matters. The same themes return year after year, so strong notes on the Harappan economy, Vedic religion, Buddhism and the Mauryan empire pay off against the December 2025 pattern you will face.
Sample Answer Approach (not a full answer)
Take question two, analyse the various aspects of the Harappan economy. Here is the shape of a full-marks answer, not the answer itself.
Open with one or two sentences placing the Harappan economy in its mature urban phase and naming your evidence, seals, granaries, weights and excavated sites. Then build four or five points with concrete detail: agriculture and surplus, craft such as bead-making and metalwork, standardised weights, internal trade between sites, and external trade with Mesopotamia. Add one developed example, such as the granary debate, then close on what it reveals about Harappan organisation. Definition, evidenced points, example, conclusion: that shape turns a 12 into a 20.
Frequently Asked Questions about the BHIC-101 Question Paper December 2025
Is this the authentic IGNOU BHIC-101 Question Paper?
Yes, this is the genuine IGNOU BHIC-101 Question Paper for December 2025. The questions are reproduced exactly as they appeared in the official IGNOU BHIC-101 Term-End Examination, with nothing reworded, renumbered or simplified. You are reading the same BHIC-101 Ancient India Question Paper covering Bhimbetka, Harappan and Mauryan topics that real students attempted, making it an authentic practice paper for exam preparation.
Is this IGNOU BHIC-101 Question Paper useful for the 2026 exam?
Very. The IGNOU BHIC-101 Ancient India syllabus is stable, and the pattern of essay questions plus short notes changes very little between sessions. Important BHIC-101 questions on the Harappan economy, Vedic religion, the rise of Buddhism and Mauryan art appear repeatedly, making this BHIC-101 previous year question paper one of the most reliable resources for your June / December 2026 IGNOU Term-End Examination.
Is a BHIC-101 Solved Question Paper available?
Yes. A BHIC-101 Solved Question Paper with model answers for every question is available, written according to the same 400-word essay and 200-word note format expected in the IGNOU examination. The solved set helps you understand answer presentation, argument building and source citation, which are areas where many students lose marks.
Can this IGNOU BHIC-101 Question Paper help with the assignment too?
It helps a lot. The IGNOU BHIC-101 Assignment and the examination are based on the same syllabus, so practising these BHIC-101 questions strengthens your preparation for both. Whether the topic is the Harappan economy, Vedic religion or Mauryan statecraft, the same concepts are tested in assignments and exams, allowing one set of notes to support both.
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You get direct help over WhatsApp from our team, so if any BHIC-101 question or topic is unclear, you can simply ask. We can guide you with the matching BHIC-101 Solved Question Paper, assignment help, guess papers and important questions, along with practical advice on the exam pattern and word limits to make your IGNOU BHIC-101 Ancient India preparation easier.
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Disclaimer: Unnati Educations is an independent academic support service and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or associated with the Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU). The original question paper is the property of IGNOU and is provided here only as a reference for student practice.
If you want to go wider, you can browse the full IGNOU previous year question papers archive, pick up the matching BHIC-101 solved assignment for the same ancient India topics, and add the IGNOU guess paper set to focus your revision. For the solved paper or any help with BHIC-101, message us on WhatsApp at 9899436384.