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Social Science (087) — CBSE Class 10 board question

Q1. [2] § 1 The Pre-modern World § 1.3 Conquest, Disease and Trade § 2.4 Rinderpest, or the Cattle Plague
⚠ The Making of a Global World › 2.4 Rinderpest, or the Cattle Plague — Internal project only — not in the Board exam (per CBSE 2026-27 curriculum) Only sub-topics 1–1.3 (The Pre-modern World) are in the Board exam; sub-topics 2–4.4 are the internally-assessed interdisciplinary project. [source: Course Structure — History, Chapter III (Subtopics 1 to 1.3 evaluated in Board)]
How did trade and long distance travel contribute to the spread of diseases during ancient period ? Explain.
Previously asked in CBSE board exam
2026 32/5/1 Q5(b)
Generated by claude-sonnet-4-6 · 2026-06-15 07:00 · grounding rag
Model Answer

Traders, travellers, priests, and pilgrims moved across vast distances carrying not only goods and ideas but also germs and diseases. The long-distance spread of disease-carrying germs can be traced back to the seventh century. For example, when Spanish conquerors reached America, they unknowingly carried smallpox germs, which wiped out entire indigenous communities that had no immunity against it.

Source: Chapter 3 – The Making of a Global World, Sections 1 and 1.3

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Explanation

The examiner expects two points: (1) the general idea that trade/travel spread germs alongside goods, and (2) a specific example (smallpox in America is the strongest one from the chapter). Keep the example crisp. Mentioning the 7th-century reference shows textbook awareness. Avoid over-explaining — 2 marks = ~2 key points.

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Previous-year CBSE Grade 10 board exam questions, organised by subject and chapter, each with a model answer — free to read and print.