BHIC 105 key facts: June 2026
- Course code: BHIC 105 (printed BHIC-105)
- Subject: History of India-III (c. 750-1206 CE)
- Programme: IGNOU Bachelor of Arts (Honours) History (BAHIH); also in BAFHI
- Credits: 6 (core course)
- Units: 17 units, with no block division
- Maximum marks: 100 (term-end exam 70 per cent, assignments 30 per cent)
- Duration: 3 hours
- Questions in the paper: 8 in two sections; attempt any 5, at least 2 from each section; Q4 and Q8 each offer 4 short-note options
- Expected length: about 400 words per essay, 200 words per short note
- Samples shown on this page: 2 (Q1 and Q5); all 8 in the paid file
BHIC 105 Solved Question Paper June 2026 gives you the official IGNOU term-end paper of History of India-III with complete, exam-length answers from our history team. Two answers are open below so you can judge the quality first, and all 8 questions are solved in the full file.
1. What the June 2026 Solved Paper Covers
BHIC 105 History of India-III is a six-credit core course of IGNOU's BA (Honours) History that traces Indian history from the Rashtrakutas and Palas to the Ghurid conquest.
The June 2026 term-end paper has 8 questions in two sections. You attempt any five, at least two from each section, writing about 400 words for an essay and about 200 words for each short note. Every question carries 20 marks, giving 100 marks in 3 hours.
This paper leans on sources and debates. Charita literature, Rashtrakuta administration and the origin of the Rajputs lead Section I, while Section II asks about the feudalism debate, regional languages and trade between 750 and 1200 CE. Short notes run from merchant guilds and the Chachnama to Vira Shaivism and irrigation technology.
Preparing the whole semester? Compare this paper with the other BAHIH Question Paper sets in our collection. History of India-III sits between BHIC 103 (History of India-II) and BHIC 107 (History of India-IV, c. 1206-1550), so the same source-based skills carry forward.
2. Two Answers Solved in Full, Six Held Back
Two full answers from the June 2026 paper are open here: Question 1 from Section I and Question 5 from Section II, each written to the 400-word length the paper sets.
Both topics are among the most repeated in BHIC 105, so these answers also show you how we handle the two areas examiners return to again and again: source criticism and historiographical debate.
The significance of Charita literature
Question 1: Examine the significance of Charita literature in the reconstruction of the history of the early medieval period. (20)
Charita literature means biographical poems composed by court poets to celebrate a ruler. Between c. 750 and 1206 CE the genre spread to almost every regional court, and it became one of the main literary sources for rebuilding the political history of early medieval India, alongside inscriptions and chronicles.
The model was Banabhatta's Harshacharita, a 7th-century prose account of Harshavardhana of Kannauj. Later poets followed it as newer regional dynasties wanted a literary record of their rise. Most Charitas were written in ornate Sanskrit kavya style, though Vakpati's Gaudavaho on Yashovarman of Kannauj (8th century) was composed in Prakrit.
Major examples include Bilhana's Vikramankadevacharita on the Chalukya king Vikramaditya VI of Kalyani, Padmagupta's Navasahasankacharita on the Paramara ruler Sindhuraja, Sandhyakaranandin's Ramacharita on the Pala king Ramapala, Hemachandra's Kumarapalacharita on the Chaulukya Kumarapala of Gujarat, and Jayanaka's Prithvirajavijaya on the Chahamana Prithviraja III.
- They record events that inscriptions mention only briefly. The Ramacharita, a double-meaning poem that reads both as the story of Rama and of Ramapala, describes the Kaivarta revolt in Varendra (north Bengal) and Ramapala's recovery of the region with the help of his samantas. It remains our fullest account of that rebellion.
- They show how power worked at court. They name ministers, feudatories, allies and rivals, and so throw light on the samanta system that historians discuss in the feudalism debate. Bilhana's account of Vikramaditya VI displacing his elder brother Someshvara II shows the succession politics of the Chalukyas of Kalyani.
- They reveal how new ruling families built legitimacy. Poets linked patrons to solar or lunar lineages, epic heroes and divine favour. Such claims help explain how lineages like the Paramaras and Chahamanas presented themselves as Kshatriyas. The texts also describe festivals, learning, cities and royal gifts to temples.
The genre has clear limits. Court poets wrote to praise their patrons, so defeats are hidden and victories enlarged. Dates are rarely given, myth and history are mixed, and poetic convention often replaces precise detail. Kalhana's Rajatarangini (1148-49 CE), a chronicle of Kashmir, stands out precisely because its author judged rulers more critically.
Conclusion. Historians therefore read Charitas alongside copper-plate grants, prashastis, coins and foreign accounts. Checked in this way, they fill gaps that no other source covers. Charita literature is biased but indispensable: it gives voice to regional courts, explains dynastic ambitions and adds narrative depth to the history of early medieval India.
The main arguments of the feudalism debate
Question 5: Discuss the main arguments of the feudalism debate in early medieval Indian history. (20)
The feudalism debate is a long-running argument among historians about whether Indian society between roughly 600 and 1200 CE can be called feudal. It matters because the answer shapes how we understand land, state power, trade and peasant life in the early medieval period.
The case for Indian feudalism
D.D. Kosambi opened the discussion. He spoke of "feudalism from above", where kings allowed tributary chiefs to rule, and "feudalism from below", where a class of landholders grew up between the state and the peasantry. His Marxist framework set the terms for later work.
R.S. Sharma's Indian Feudalism (1965) gave the fullest case. He argued that land grants to brahmanas, temples and officials, recorded in copper-plate charters, transferred fiscal and administrative rights to the grantees. This weakened the central state and created layers of intermediaries, a process often called subinfeudation.
Sharma linked this to economic change. He pointed to a decline of long-distance trade, the decay of towns and a scarcity of coins, which pushed the economy towards self-sufficient villages. Peasants were tied to the land, paid many new levies and faced forced labour (vishti). B.N.S. Yadava supported this view with evidence from northern India.
The challenges
Harbans Mukhia, in "Was There Feudalism in Indian History?" (1981), argued that Indian peasants largely controlled their own production and were not serfs as in Europe. Favourable ecology and simple technology let them survive without dependence on lords, so the European label did not fit.
B.D. Chattopadhyaya offered an integrative alternative. He saw the period as one of state formation, in which local lineages, tribes and peasant groups were drawn into new regional kingdoms, and of fresh urban growth rather than decay. John S. Deyell's study of coinage, Living Without Silver (1990), questioned the idea of a coin famine.
For South India, Burton Stein proposed the "segmentary state" model for the Cholas, in which the king held ritual sovereignty while real control lay with local nadu assemblies and peasant groups. Critics replied with Chola inscriptions that show a working revenue system and royal officials across the kingdom.
Conclusion. The debate has not produced one agreed answer, but it has transformed the field. It moved attention from dynasties to land relations, peasants and regional variety. Most historians now accept that early medieval India saw real changes in land control and political authority, while doubting that the European feudal model explains them fully.
3. Questions Answered Only in the Full File
The remaining 6 questions are printed below exactly as they appear in the June 2026 paper. Their answers sit in the full file only.
Section I
Question 2: Discuss the nature of Rashtrakuta administration. (20)
Question 3: Discuss the various views on the origin of the Rajputs. (20)
Question 4: Write short notes on any two of the following in about 200 words each. (10 + 10)
(a) Merchant guilds
(b) Temple architecture
(c) Pala polity
(d) The Chachnama
Section II
Question 6: Write a note on the rise of regional languages in the early medieval period. (20)
Question 7: Analyse the nature of trade and commerce during the period CE 750 to 1200. (20)
Question 8: Write short notes on any two of the following in about 200 words each. (10 + 10)
(a) Gender relations in the early medieval period
(b) Vira Shaivism
(c) Bhakti movement in North India
(d) Irrigation technology
4. Unit-Wise Syllabus
BHIC 105 has 17 units and no block division, running from historical sources through regional dynasties and invasions to religion, literature and science.
The table follows the unit order of the official self-learning material, checked against the BHIC-105 collection on eGyanKosh. If you want unit-wise notes rather than exam answers, ask for our BHIC 105 Study Material on the same WhatsApp number.
| Unit | Unit title | Key topics you study |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Historical Sources | Charita biographies such as the Ramacharita; copper-plate land grants and prashastis; Islamic sources including the Chachnama |
| 2 | The Political Scenario I: Rajputs, Rise and Struggle to Power | Agnikula myth and origin theories; Gurjara-Pratiharas; Paramaras and Chahamanas in western India |
| 3 | The Political Scenario II: Rashtrakutas and Palas | Tripartite struggle for Kannauj; Rashtrakuta capital Manyakheta; Pala patronage of Nalanda and Vikramashila |
| 4 | The Political Scenario III: Cholas and Chalukyas | Rajaraja I and Rajendra I; Chalukyas of Kalyani and the contest over Vengi; Chola local bodies, the ur and the nadu |
| 5 | Art and Architecture: North India and South India | Nagara and Dravida temple styles; Khajuraho group of temples; Brihadisvara temple at Thanjavur |
| 6 | Arab Conquest of Sindh and the Turkish Invasions | Muhammad bin Qasim's campaign of 712 CE; raids of Mahmud of Ghazni including Somnath; battles of Tarain, 1191 and 1192 |
| 7 | Social, Cultural and Technological Impacts: Arab and Turkish Invasions | Al-Biruni's Kitab al-Hind as a record of contact; new military and craft techniques; social adjustment in north India |
| 8 | Society, Economy, Polity and Culture: East and North-East India | Pala and Sena Bengal; the kingdom of Kamarupa in Assam; regional polities of Odisha |
| 9 | Political and Cultural Expansion in Southeast Asia | Rajendra Chola's expedition against Srivijaya; Indian influence at Angkor; temple art at Borobudur |
| 10 | Agriculture, Landlord, Peasants and Tribals: The Feudalism Debate | R.S. Sharma's feudal model; Harbans Mukhia's critique based on peasant autonomy; land grants and peasant obligations |
| 11 | Castes, Gender and Professions | Growth of new jatis such as the Kayasthas; status of untouchables; women's property rights and gender norms |
| 12 | Trade, Trade Routes and Maritime Trade | Arab merchants on the western coast; Indian Ocean routes and ports; inland routes of north India |
| 13 | Merchant Guilds and Urbanisation of North India and South India | Ayyavole-500 and Manigramam guilds; urban decay versus third urbanisation; temple towns of the south |
| 14 | Developments in Religion | Alvars and Nayanars; Vira Shaivism of Basava; Shakti and Tantric cults |
| 15 | Education, Intellectual Traditions, Interactions and Philosophy | Monastic universities of Nalanda and Vikramashila; Shankaracharya's Advaita; Ramanuja's Vishishtadvaita |
| 16 | Languages and Literature | Sanskrit kavya at regional courts; rise of Kannada and Tamil literature; Apabhramsha and early regional tongues |
| 17 | Science, Technology and Environment | Bhaskara II and the Siddhanta Shiromani; tank and well irrigation; rasayana or early chemistry |
5. Question Paper Pattern and Marks Split
The paper carries 100 marks in 3 hours: answer any five of eight questions, at least two from each section, with each question worth 20 marks.
| Part | Questions | Marks | Expected length | What June 2026 tested |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Section I, long answers | Q1 to Q3 | 20 each | About 400 words | Charita literature, Rashtrakuta administration and Rajput origins |
| Section I, short notes | Q4 (any two of four) | 10 + 10 | About 200 words each | Merchant guilds, temple architecture, Pala polity, the Chachnama |
| Section II, long answers | Q5 to Q7 | 20 each | About 400 words | Feudalism debate, regional languages, trade and commerce 750 to 1200 |
| Section II, short notes | Q8 (any two of four) | 10 + 10 | About 200 words each | Gender relations, Vira Shaivism, North Indian Bhakti, irrigation |
| Whole paper | Any 5 of 8, at least 2 per section | 100 in 3 hours | Roughly 2,000 words in total | Balance of political history (Section I) and socio-economic history (Section II) |
Being a six-credit course, BHIC 105 needs three tutor-marked assignments before you can sit the exam, and those assignments carry 30 per cent weightage in the final result.
The pattern has stayed the same across every paper we checked since June 2022. To practise it on older sets, use our IGNOU Previous Year Question Paper collection.
6. Most Repeated Topics Across Seven Sessions
Temple architecture is the most repeated BHIC 105 topic, appearing in all seven official papers we checked, followed by the feudalism debate and science and technology at six each.
We counted topics in seven official IGNOU BHIC 105 papers: June 2022, June 2023, June 2024, December 2024, June 2025, December 2025 and June 2026. December 2022 and December 2023 could not be found on the official servers, so they are not counted.
| Topic | Unit | Sessions where it appeared | Count (of 7) | In June 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temple architecture and the role of the temple | Unit 5 | Jun 22 (Dravida style), Jun 23, Jun 24, Dec 24, Jun 25, Dec 25, Jun 26 | 7 | Q4(b) |
| Feudalism debate | Unit 10 | Jun 22, Jun 23, Jun 24, Dec 24, Dec 25, Jun 26 | 6 | Q5 (Sample 2) |
| Science and technology (astrolabe, chemistry, astronomy, irrigation) | Unit 17 | Jun 22, Jun 24, Dec 24, Jun 25, Dec 25, Jun 26 | 6 | Q8(d) |
| Biographies or Charita literature | Unit 1 | Jun 24, Dec 24, Jun 25, Dec 25, Jun 26 | 5 | Q1 (Sample 1) |
| Guilds and merchant guilds (including Ayyavole-500) | Unit 13 | Jun 22, Jun 23, Jun 25, Dec 25, Jun 26 | 5 | Q4(a) |
| Chachnama and the Arab conquest of Sindh | Units 1 and 6 | Jun 22, Jun 24, Dec 24, Jun 25, Jun 26 | 5 | Q4(d) |
| Regional languages and literature | Unit 16 | Jun 23, Jun 24, Dec 24, Dec 25, Jun 26 | 5 | Q6 |
| Rashtrakuta polity and administration | Unit 3 | Jun 22, Jun 23, Dec 24, Jun 26 | 4 | Q2 |
| Palas and Pala polity | Unit 3 | Jun 22, Jun 23, Dec 24, Jun 26 | 4 | Q4(c) |
| Origin and rise of the Rajputs (including the Agnikula myth) | Unit 2 | Jun 22, Dec 24, Dec 25, Jun 26 | 4 | Q3 |
| Vira Shaivism | Unit 14 | Jun 23, Jun 24, Jun 25, Jun 26 | 4 | Q8(b) |
| Bhakti: Alvars, Nayanars and North India | Unit 14 | Jun 23, Jun 24, Dec 25, Jun 26 | 4 | Q8(c) |
| Trade, trade routes and maritime links | Unit 12 | Jun 22, Jun 23, Jun 25, Jun 26 | 4 | Q7 |
| Chola local administration (ur and nadu) | Unit 4 | Jun 24, Dec 24, Jun 25, Dec 25 | 4 | — |
| Urbanisation and urban decay | Unit 13 | Jun 22, Jun 24, Dec 24, Jun 25 | 4 | — |
| Chola naval expeditions | Units 4 and 9 | Jun 23, Dec 24, Jun 25 | 3 | — |
| Gender relations | Unit 11 | Jun 26 only | 1 | Q8(a), first appearance |
Topics that appear four or more times deserve full 400-word answers in your revision. For a ranked revision list built on this kind of count, see our IGNOU Solved Guess Paper page.
Notice that gender relations appeared for the first time in June 2026, while Chola local administration, a regular since June 2024, was left out. Expect both to stay in rotation for December 2026.
7. How Our Answers Are Written and Checked
Every History of India-III answer is written by our history team, matched to its BHIC 105 unit and checked for names, dates and texts before it enters the file.
We start from the official June 2026 paper and read each question against its eGyanKosh unit, so the answer uses the same terms and examples the course material uses. Then we compare it with how the same topic was asked in earlier papers.
Answers follow the paper's own limits: about 400 words for an essay and about 200 for a short note. Each essay opens with a clear definition, builds three or four arguments with named sources, adds a balanced critique and ends with a short conclusion.
For BHIC 105 that means naming the evidence examiners look for: Bilhana, Padmagupta and Sandhyakaranandin for Charita sources, and R.S. Sharma, Harbans Mukhia and B.D. Chattopadhyaya for feudalism, as the two samples above show.
8. Solved File Index: All 8 Questions Mapped to Units
The file answers all 8 questions: 2 are shown on this page and the other 6 are in the full file only.
| Question | Topic | Unit | Where the answer is |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q1 | Significance of Charita literature | Unit 1 | Sample 1 above |
| Q2 | Nature of Rashtrakuta administration | Unit 3 | Full file |
| Q3 | Views on the origin of the Rajputs | Unit 2 | Full file |
| Q4 | Short notes: merchant guilds, temple architecture, Pala polity, the Chachnama | Units 13, 5, 3 and 1 | Full file |
| Q5 | Main arguments of the feudalism debate | Unit 10 | Sample 2 above |
| Q6 | Rise of regional languages | Unit 16 | Full file |
| Q7 | Trade and commerce, CE 750 to 1200 | Units 12 and 13 | Full file |
| Q8 | Short notes: gender relations, Vira Shaivism, Bhakti in North India, irrigation | Units 11, 14 and 17 | Full file |
Because Q4 and Q8 let you pick any two options, the file answers all four options of each, giving you eight short notes to choose from on exam day.
9. Programmes That Study BHIC 105
BHIC 105 is a core course in IGNOU's BA (Honours) History (BAHIH) and is also studied in the four-year Bachelor of Arts (History) programme, BAFHI.
Most students meet this course in the IGNOU Bachelor of Arts (Honours) History programme, where it follows BHIC 103 and prepares the ground for BHIC 107 on the Delhi Sultanate period; check your programme guide to confirm your semester.
The 2026-27 assignment booklet covers learners enrolled in the July 2026 and January 2027 cycles and lists both BAHIH and BAFHI on its cover, which confirms that both programmes sit the same BHIC 105 paper.
10. How to Get the Full Solved Question Paper
Message WhatsApp 9899436384 with "BHIC 105 June 2026" to get the full file with answers to all 8 questions.
The full file includes the two answers above plus the 6 answers not shown here: Rashtrakuta administration, Rajput origins, regional languages, trade and commerce, and all eight short notes. Every answer is written for the BHIC 105 word limits.
11. BHIC 105 History of India-III FAQs
These answers cover the questions BHIC 105 students ask us most before the exam.
How many questions does the June 2026 solved paper answer?
The full file answers all 8 questions of the June 2026 paper. That includes the six long essays and every option of the two short-note questions, Question 4 and Question 8, so you also get eight short notes. Two essays, Question 1 and Question 5, are open on this page. The other 6 questions are answered only in the full file.
How do I get the full solved paper on WhatsApp?
Send a WhatsApp message to 9899436384 with the words BHIC 105 June 2026. Our team will confirm the file and the price, then share the PDF once payment is done. The file contains complete answers to all 8 questions, including the 6 questions whose answers are not shown on this page. Mention the course code clearly so the right subject file reaches you.
Which topics repeat most often in BHIC 105 papers?
Temple architecture appeared in all seven official papers we checked, from June 2022 to June 2026. The feudalism debate and science and technology each came six times. Charita literature, guilds, the Chachnama and regional languages came five times each. Rashtrakutas, Palas, Rajput origins, Vira Shaivism, Bhakti and trade appeared four times. Revise these first for December 2026.
What is the paper pattern and word limit?
The BHIC 105 term-end paper carries 100 marks and runs for 3 hours. It has two sections with four questions each. You attempt any five questions, with at least two from each section. Long answers should be about 400 words for 20 marks. Question 4 and Question 8 ask for two short notes of about 200 words each, worth 10 marks apiece.
How many credits and units does BHIC 105 have?
BHIC 105 is a six-credit core course, as stated in IGNOU's official assignment booklet. Its self-learning material on eGyanKosh has 17 units and no block division. The units run from historical sources and regional dynasties through art, invasions, the feudalism debate, trade, guilds, religion and literature to science, technology and environment. Six credits also means three tutor-marked assignments.
Are the two sample answers enough to pass the exam?
No. The two answers on this page cover Charita literature and the feudalism debate, which are only two of the five questions you must attempt. You still need answers for at least three more questions, such as Rashtrakuta administration, Rajput origins or trade and commerce. The full file covers all 8 questions, so you can pick your strongest five with confidence.
Who wrote and checked the solved answers?
The answers were written by Prateek Talwar and the history team at Unnati Educations and reviewed by Sheetal Kirola. Each answer was matched to its eGyanKosh unit, written to the word length the paper asks for, and checked for names, dates and texts such as the Ramacharita, the Vikramankadevacharita and R.S. Sharma's Indian Feudalism before release.
Can these answers help for December 2026?
Yes. BHIC 105 papers repeat themes often, so the June 2026 answers are strong preparation for December 2026. Charita literature, the feudalism debate, Rashtrakutas, Palas, Rajputs, guilds, temple architecture and Vira Shaivism have all appeared in earlier papers too. Studying these full answers along with the repeat-topic table above gives you a clear list of high-value topics to revise.
12. Who Wrote and Checked the BHIC 105 Answers
The BHIC 105 answers were written by Prateek Talwar and reviewed by Sheetal Kirola.
Prateek Talwar, founder of Unnati Educations, leads the IGNOU solved-paper series and prepares answers from the course units and the official term-end paper. Sheetal Kirola, Academic Head (M.Ed.), checks every name, date, text and historian's position against the course material before release.