Free printable worksheet
Class 8 · History and Civics · 10 Aug 2026
Which of these is an example of an 'official record' kept by the British administration in India?
[1 mark]Which of the following is an example of a 'written source' used to study modern Indian history?
[1 mark]Which of the following is considered a primary 'Visual Source' used by historians to study the architectural style of colonial-era buildings in Mumbai?
[1 mark]Match the source type with its characteristic.
[2 marks]| Column A | Column B |
|---|---|
| 1. Survey | a. Mapping land and resources |
| 2. Newspaper | b. Daily public opinion |
| 3. Biography | c. Life story of a person |
| 4. Painting | d. Visual record of events |
Answer: __________________________________________
Match the source type with its specific example:
[2 marks]| Column A | Column B |
|---|---|
| 1. Written Source | a. Newspaper report of Independence Day |
| 2. Visual Source | b. Statue of a national leader |
| 3. Written Source | c. Personal diary of a soldier |
| 4. Visual Source | d. Documentary film clips |
Answer: __________________________________________
Match the source type with its specific example.
[2 marks]| Column A | Column B |
|---|---|
| 1. Newspaper | a. Written Source |
| 2. Documentary Film | b. Visual Source |
| 3. Autobiography | c. Written Source |
| 4. Sketch/Painting | d. Visual Source |
Answer: __________________________________________
The National Archives of India is located in the city of _____, while the first British printing press was set up by the _____
[2 marks]Surveys became common under colonial rule because the British believed that a country had to be _____ before it could be effectively _____.
[2 marks]Define what an 'administrative source' refers to in the context of colonial history.
[1 mark]Define what is meant by 'Written Sources' in the context of studying history.
[2 marks]Describe the value of 'Oral History' in documenting the experiences of the common people during the Independence struggle.
[3 marks]Describe how the invention of the camera changed the way we document history compared to only using written records.
[3 marks]Compare how 'Survey Reports' and 'Biographies' help a historian understand colonial India.
[3 marks]Contrast the value of official government reports with that of autobiographies and letters when writing a history of the Indian freedom struggle.
[5 marks]You are researching the 1942 Quit India Movement. You find a personal diary from a college student in Mumbai and a government police report from the same week. Compare how these two sources might differ in their description of the same protest.
[4 marks]Rohan finds two letters about his grandfather's village history. Letter A is from a local government official in 1950. Letter B is a newspaper article from 2020 summarizing those events. Which letter should Rohan use if he wants to know exactly what the official thought about the land reforms in 1950? Explain your choice.
[3 marks]Label the types of evidence presented in the 'History Lab' display: [A] = A diary, [B] = An old coin, [C] = A printed government law. (Reference: A=Autobiographical, B=Archaeological, C=Administrative).
[3 marks]