NCERT Solutions for Exploring Society: India and Beyond Chapter 11 From Barter to Money
Updated on 2026-09-05
About this chapter
Before money existed, people exchanged goods and services directly for other goods and services. This is the barter system , and cowrie shells, salt, tea, tobacco, cloth, cattle and seeds were among the commodities used. Barter runs into five problems: the double coincidence of wants , the lack of a common standard measure of value , divisibility , portability and durability . Money solves all five. It works as a medium of exchange, a common denomination that measures value, a store of value, and a standard of deferred payment. Ancient Indian coins of gold, silver and copper (or their alloys) were called kārṣhāpaṇas or paṇas and carried punched symbols called rūpas . Rulers alone controlled minting. Paper money was first used in China and came to India in the late 18th century. Today only
- Chapter opener · Theme E: Economic Life Around Us
- Chapter opening text
- Why Do we Need Money?
- Basic Functions of Money
- The Journey of Money · Fig. 11.10
- Coinage
- Coinage · Fig. 11.12
- Coinage today · group project
- Paper Money
- Paper Money · Fig. 11.16 and Fig. 11.17
Exercises
- Chapter opener · Theme E: Economic Life Around Us — The Big Questions Page 229
- Chapter opening text — In-text Questions Page 229
- Why Do we Need Money? — LET’S EXPLORE Page 231
- Why Do we Need Money? — THINK ABOUT IT Page 232
- Why Do we Need Money? — In-text Questions Page 232
- Why Do we Need Money? — THINK ABOUT IT Page 233
- Why Do we Need Money? — THINK ABOUT IT Page 234
- Barter today · after the Junbeel Mela, book exchange and utensils-for-clothes boxes — LET’S EXPLORE Page 236
- Basic Functions of Money — THINK ABOUT IT Page 237
- The Journey of Money · Fig. 11.10 — LET’S EXPLORE Page 238
- Coinage — In-text Questions Page 239
- Coinage · Fig. 11.12 — LET’S EXPLORE Page 239
- Coinage today · group project — LET’S EXPLORE Page 241
- Paper Money — LET’S EXPLORE Page 241
- Paper Money · Fig. 11.16 and Fig. 11.17 — LET’S EXPLORE Page 242
- New Forms of Money — In-text Questions Page 243
- End-of-chapter exercise — Questions and activities Page 244