NCERT Solutions for Class 9th Social Science Chapter 1 Understanding Social Science
Updated on 2026-09-19
About this chapter
Social Science is the systematic study of human society. It does not stop at what happened or where a place is; it asks why events occur, how people live together, how environments shape life, how governments function and how economies operate. Physics, Chemistry and Biology study the natural world; Social Science studies society, institutions, cultures and human interactions. Everyday life is the easiest proof of this. The house you live in, the food on your plate, the road you travel, the school you attend and the electricity you use all rest on systems of governance, economic production, social cooperation and the natural environment . Society, the chapter insists, does not function by chance — it is shaped by history, geography, institutions, resources and human choices. India's own kn
- Social Science in Everyday Life
- Geography
- Why Should We Study Social Science?
Quick revision
| Term | What it means | Where it appears in the chapter | Example from the book |
|---|---|---|---|
| Social Science | The systematic study of human society — it explains not only what happened or where things are located, but why events occur and how different aspects of life are interconnected. | Page 1 | Contrasted with Physics, Chemistry and Biology, which study the natural world |
| Pañchamahābhūtas | The 'five great elements' of Indian philosophical traditions — earth (Pṛithvī), water (Āpaḥ), fire (Agni), air (Vāyu) and space (Ākāśha). An early attempt to understand nature as one interconnected system. | Page 3, side note | Used to explain settlement patterns, occupations, architecture, food habits and health practices |
| Vasudhaiva kuṭumbakam | 'The world is one family' — the idea that human societies across regions and cultures are interconnected. | Page 3 | The sense of interdependence behind the study of global interactions |
| Arthaśhāstra | A text attributed to Kauṭilya, composed about 2,300 years ago, on administration, economic management, taxation and the duties of rulers toward their people. | Pages 3 and 9 | Evidence that systematic thinking about governance and the economy existed long before modern disciplines |
| Geography | Studies the location and distribution of places, objects, materials and people, and the relationships between societies and their surroundings. | Pages 4–6 | Tools: maps, globes, atlases, GIS, infographics — Fig. 1.1 shows NCERT's School Bhuvan portal |
| History | The study of the human past, through which societies understand people's experiences, values and changes over time. | Pages 6–8 | The itihāsa-purāṇa tradition of Bharat; modern tools such as human genetics and carbon-14 dating |
| Political Science | The study of governance — how and why power is distributed, decisions are made and policies are implemented. | Page 9 | The Panchayati Raj system as grassroots democracy in India's villages |
| Economics | Studies how individuals and societies decide to use limited resources to meet their needs, and how goods and services are produced, exchanged and distributed. | Page 10 | Consumers decide what to buy, producers what to produce, governments what policies to frame |
| Empirical evidence | Information collected by actual observation or experimentation. | Page 6, side note | Modern historiography increasingly relies on it, unlike traditions that emphasise moral or philosophical insight |
| Archaeological source | Material remains used to study the past — monuments, architectural structures, excavated sites, artefacts, objects and art such as sculptures and paintings. | Pages 6–7 | Fig. 1.4, a terracotta figurine from the Sindhu-Sarasvatī Civilisation; Fig. 1.5, a Viṣhṇu sculpture of the 12th century CE |
| Epigraphic source | Texts, decrees or records inscribed on durable materials such as stone, metal plates or rock surfaces; they give direct evidence about past events, rulers, administration and society. | Page 8, side note | Fig. 1.6, a Brahmi inscription of the Gupta period; Fig. 1.7, Krishnadeva Raya's Kannada inscription at Hampi |
| Numismatic source | Coins, currency or medals. Their metal content, inscriptions and symbols help historians study economy, chronology, rulers, trade, political boundaries and culture. | Page 8, side note | Fig. 1.8, a coin issued by Samudragupta, 4th century CE; Fig. 1.9, a Mughal coin of Jahangir's reign showing 'Sagittarius' |
Exercises
- Social Science in Everyday Life — In-text Questions Page 2
- Social Science in Everyday Life — LET'S ANALYSE Page 2
- Geography — In-text Questions Page 5
- Geography — LET'S EXPLORE Page 5
- Why Should We Study Social Science? — In-text Questions Page 10
- Why Should We Study Social Science? — In-text Questions Page 11