Mountains are useful to man in the following manner:

• They are storehouses of water. Many rivers have their sources in the glaciers.
• Water present in the mountains is ideal for agriculture and irrigation purposes. It also helps in the production of hydroelectricity.
• They have rich variety of flora and fauna.
• The forests provide fuel, fodder, shelter and other products.
• They provide idyllic sites for tourists and enhance tourism for the specific country.

A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer which may be a chapel, church, or temple, and may also serve as an oratory, or in the case of communities anything from a single building housing only one senior and two or three junior monks or nuns, to vast complexes and estates housing tens or hundreds. A monastery complex typically comprises a number of buildings which include a church, dormitory, cloister, refectory, library, balneary and infirmary. Depending on the location, the monastic order and the occupation of its inhabitants, the complex may also include a wide range of buildings that facilitate self-sufficiency and service to the community. These may include a hospice, a school, and a range of agricultural and manufacturing buildings such as a barn, a forge, or a brewery.

Genealogy  is the study of families, family history, and the tracing of their lineages. Genealogists use oral interviews, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family and to demonstrate kinship and pedigrees of its members.

The main land of India extends between latitudes 8°4'N and 37°6'N and longitudes 68°7'E and 97°25'E. The Tropic of Cancer (23° 30'N) passes almost through the middle of the country. Apart from the mainland, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands (Indian Ocean) and the Lakshadweep (Arabian Sea) are also parts of India.

The five functions of the Municipalities are as follows:-

1. Supply of adequate drinking water.
2. Providing and maintaining drainage and sewage systems.
3. Maintenance of public street lighting.
4. Construction and maintenance of bus terminals, roads and bridges.
5. Maintenance of birth and death records.

The capital of the Pallavas was at Kanchipuram. The Pallava territory extended up to the Kavery delta.

Associations formed by many craftspersons and merchants were known as shrenis.

Shrenis helped their members in several ways. They provided technical training, organised trade activities, helped in procuring raw materials, helped in selling goods and served as banks where rich people could deposit their money. It also provided loans to its members for their trading activities.

• Harshacharita written by Bana, his court poet.
• Travel accounts left by Hiuen Tsang, the Chinese traveller.
• Other important sources are dramas written by Harsha himself: Ratnavali, Nagananda, Priyadarshika.
• Madhuben plate inscription.
• Sonpat inscription.

The three-fourth of the earth's surface is covered with water bodies. And when looked from the space it appears blue due to those water bodies. That is why it is also known as the Blue planet.

People in urban areas are engaged in a variety of activities in order to earn their living. Some are doing the work of a cobbler while some are barbers busy with their work. A number of people earn their livelihood by pulling rickshaw. Vendors are also seen here and there selling household articles. In urban areas showrooms of different items can be seen. These showrooms are run by businesspersons. These people employ a number of workers as supervisors and helpers for their showrooms. Several urban people are engaged in Factories where they work for long hours. They don’t have job security still they continue their work because they don’t have other option. But there are also people who do office work with full job security. They get regular salary and enjoy other benefits of job like savings for old age, holidays, medical facilities etc.

Working in Call Centres is a new form of employment in big cities. It has attracted a large number of young men and women. Thus, we see that with a growing population, job opportunities have also increased and people are availing these opportunities according to their talent and aptitude.

Samudragupta's policies towards the rulers of Aryavarta were very strict. All the nine rulers were brutally defeated and their kingdoms were made a part of Samudragupta's empire. But as far as the rulers of Dakshinapatha were concerned, Samudragupta maintained a submissive attitude towards them. There were twelve rulers who surrendered to Samudragupta after being defeated and he then allowed all of them to rule again.

The fundamental diversity in India is gleaned from the following:

1. Geographical Diversity:
Geography has played a vital role in sharing the character of this country. It has a chain of lofty mountains. Many rivers including the Ganges and Indus provide water throughout the year creating many fertile plains which produce ample grains. Similarly, there are places in India like the Thar Desert of Rajasthan where not a single grass grows.

Similar is the case with climate of our country. All the three types of climate i.e. polar, temperate and tropical are felt in India. Places of Kashmir like Gulmarg, Khilanmarg and Pahalgam are very cold during winter. Hot wind and heat waves is common feature in Rajasthan. Towns like Mumbai and Chennai on the sea- coast enjoy moderate climate. There are places in India like Cherapunj which records 480 inches of rainfall where as less than 3 inches of it is found in north-western Rajasthan per annum. Thus, geographical diversity is well discernible in India.

2. Diversity in Flora and Fauna:
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There exists diversity so far as flora and fauna in India are concerned. The great teak, sal, pine and other big trees are found in the vast forest tracts in India. In Indian deserts small cactus and thorny bushes are found. In forests live wild lives like tigers, lions, elephants, deer’s etc. Many other animals like monkey, cow, goat, camel, buffalo are generally found everywhere in the country. The ponies in the hilly area and camels in the deserts facilitate transportation. Definitely variety in flora and fauna is found in India

3. Racial Diversity:
India is a place of diverse races. It contains different races like Negrito, Proto-Austroloid, Mongoloid, Mediterranean, Nordic and Brachycephels. That is why Prof V. A. Smith rightly called it as “an ethnological museum”. From ancient times India has become the land of Dravidians, Aryans, Persians, Greeks, Sakas, Mushanas, Hunas. In medieval period, the Arabs, Turks, Tartars, Mughals and Afghans had lived in this country. With the British conquest, the Europeans began to live in this land. Thus India has given shelter to many races and such diverse races have shaped the course of Indian history.

4. Diversity in Religion:
Several religions have left their imprint on the cultural canvass of India. The principal religions of the world like Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Islam, and Christianity have blossomed on the lap of this country. The Hindu religion with its sub-sects like Vaishnavism, Saivism, Shaktism etc. have been followed by a vast majority of people in India Several Gods and Goddesses have been worshipped by the people. Spells, charms, dogmas, rites, rituals etc. are found abundantly in this land. Monotheism, Polytheism, aboriginal deities, peculiar cults and soon have made Indian religion a curious mixture of several ideas. This is a great peculiarity which Indian religion exhibits.

5. Diversity in Language and Literature:
Many languages have sprang up on Indian soil. Now, there are more than fourteen main languages in India such as, Sanskrit, Hindi, Oriya, Telugu, Malayalam, Bengali, Guajarati, Urdu, Punjabi, Sindhi, Kannada etc. English has become the connecting link among all the languages. Besides these languages, there are more than two hundreds of languages spoken by the people of this land.

The aboriginal tribes speak their dialect. In this way people of India speak several languages which is perhaps not found anywhere in the world. Every language has its own literature. The style and theme of Oriya literature is different from Bengali, Marathi, Punjabi and so on.

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6. Diversity in Social Life:
Indian society is not homogeneous. The customs, manners, food, cloth etc. of a society is different from other. Through their dress the people of Northern Indian can be distinguished from their counterparts of Southern India. The people of Northern India prefer roti, dal and subji where as the people of Southern India prefer rice, sambar, rasam, pappad etc. In a similar vein, the fairs and festivals observed by different societies in India are varied in nature. Thus diversity is quite discernible in the social life of the Indians.

7. Political Diversity:
From the hoary past diversity is seen in Indian political system. In sixth century B.C. monarchical states flourished vis-a-vis republican states. The Mauryan polity was definitely different from the Guptas. Great rulers like Asoka, Chandragupta II, Harsavardhan, Balban, Akbar, Shivaji etc. had their own way for governing the country.

The fundamental diversity in India is gleaned from the following:

1. Geographical Diversity:
Geography has played a vital role in sharing the character of this country. It has a chain of lofty mountains. Many rivers including the Ganges and Indus provide water throughout the year creating many fertile plains which produce ample grains. Similarly, there are places in India like the Thar Desert of Rajasthan where not a single grass grows.

2. Diversity in Flora and Fauna:
There exists diversity so far as flora and fauna in India are concerned. The great teak, sal, pine and other big trees are found in the vast forest tracts in India. In Indian deserts small cactus and thorny bushes are found. In forests live wild lives like tigers, lions, elephants, deer’s etc. Many other animals like monkey, cow, goat, camel, buffalo are generally found everywhere in the country. The ponies in the hilly area and camels in the deserts facilitate transportation. Definitely variety in flora and fauna is found in India

3. Racial Diversity:
India is a place of diverse races. It contains different races like Negrito, Proto-Austroloid, Mongoloid, Mediterranean, Nordic and Brachycephels. That is why Prof V. A. Smith rightly called it as “an ethnological museum”. From ancient times India has become the land of Dravidians, Aryans, Persians, Greeks, Sakas, Mushanas, Hunas. In medieval period, the Arabs, Turks, Tartars, Mughals and Afghans had lived in this country. With the British conquest, the Europeans began to live in this land. Thus India has given shelter to many races and such diverse races have shaped the course of Indian history.

4. Diversity in Religion:
Several religions have left their imprint on the cultural canvass of India. The principal religions of the world like Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Islam, and Christianity have blossomed on the lap of this country. The Hindu religion with its sub-sects like Vaishnavism, Saivism, Shaktism etc. have been followed by a vast majority of people in India Several Gods and Goddesses have been worshipped by the people. Spells, charms, dogmas, rites, rituals etc. are found abundantly in this land. Monotheism, Polytheism, aboriginal deities, peculiar cults and soon have made Indian religion a curious mixture of several ideas. This is a great peculiarity which Indian religion exhibits.

5. Diversity in Language and Literature:
Many languages have sprang up on Indian soil. Now, there are more than fourteen main languages in India such as, Sanskrit, Hindi, Oriya, Telugu, Malayalam, Bengali, Guajarati, Urdu, Punjabi, Sindhi, Kannada etc. English has become the connecting link among all the languages. Besides these languages, there are more than two hundreds of languages spoken by the people of this land. 
6. Diversity in Social Life:
Indian society is not homogeneous. The customs, manners, food, cloth etc. of a society is different from other. Through their dress the people of Northern Indian can be distinguished from their counterparts of Southern India. The people of Northern India prefer roti, dal and subji where as the people of Southern India prefer rice, sambar, rasam, pappad etc. In a similar vein, the fairs and festivals observed by different societies in India are varied in nature. Thus diversity is quite discernible in the social life of the Indians.

7. Political Diversity:
From the hoary past diversity is seen in Indian political system. The Mauryan polity was definitely different from the Guptas. Great rulers like Asoka, Chandragupta II, Harsavardhan, Balban, Akbar, Shivaji etc. had their own way for governing the country.

Major types of landforms on earth include mountains, valleys, plateaus, glaciers, hills, loess, plains and desserts. Mountains are lands physical features protruding high beyond the hills and very high up the land surface with steep top commonly shaped up to a peak.Mountains, plains, and buttes are all landforms. A landform is a feature on the Earth's surface that is part of the terrain. Mountains, hills, plateaus, and plains are the four major types of landforms. Minor landforms include buttes, canyons, valleys, and basins.

Sickles have been found at many neolithic sites.

Xuan Zang wanted to study in Nalanda (Bihar) because of its high standards. "The teachers are men of the highest ability and talent. They follow the teachings of the Buddha in all sincerity. The rules of the monastery are strict, and everyone has to follow them.