Question 1

The purpose of the Vedas was to provide

Accepted Answer

A) the unchanging theological dogma of Hinduism. 
B) hymns and ritual sacrifices for tribal Aryan religious ceremonies. 
C) the historical legacy of the Hindu tradition. 
D) commentaries on the tribal Aryan religious beliefs. 
E) the story of the decline of Harappa. 
A) the unchanging theological dogma of Hinduism. 
B) hymns and ritual sacrifices for tribal Aryan religious ceremonies. 
C) the historical legacy of the Hindu tradition. 
D) commentaries on the tribal Aryan religious beliefs. 
E) the story of the decline of Harappa. B

Question 2

Identify the following terms.
-Ashokan pillars

Accepted Answer

The Ashokan pillars are a series of columns dispersed throughout the northern Indian subcontinent, erected or at least inscribed with edicts by the Mauryan king Ashoka during his reign in the 3rd century BCE. These pillars are significant for their architectural and historical importance.

Ashoka, who ruled from 268 to 232 BCE, was an initially warlike emperor who, after the bloody conquest of the Kalinga region, converted to Buddhism and adopted a philosophy of non-violence and compassion. His transformation led to the spread of Buddhism within India and beyond.

The pillars are made out of sandstone and were quarried at Chunar, located near Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, and then transported throughout the empire. They are characterized by their polished finish, which has been compared to a mirror-like sheen, and the precision with which they were crafted. The pillars vary in height but are typically around 40 to 50 feet tall.

At the top of many pillars is a capital, which often includes sculptures of animals, such as lions, elephants, and bulls. The most famous of these is the lion capital from the Ashokan pillar at Sarnath, which has been adopted as the national emblem of India. This capital features four Asiatic lions standing back to back, symbolizing power, courage, pride, and confidence.

The pillars also carry inscriptions, known as the Edicts of Ashoka. These edicts are written in Brahmi script and were used to disseminate Ashoka's policies and directives to his subjects. The edicts cover a wide range of topics, from administrative instructions to moral exhortations, and reflect Ashoka's commitment to the Buddhist concept of Dhamma, which encompasses duty, law, and righteousness.

The Ashokan pillars are not only important artifacts of ancient Indian history but also a testament to the spread of Buddhism and the cultural and religious developments during the Mauryan Empire. They remain a subject of study for historians, archaeologists, and scholars interested in early Indian art and religion.

Question 3

Harappan civilization evolved along the Ganges River.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False  False

Question 4

Identify the following terms.
-Law of Manu

Accepted Answer

The Law of Manu, also known as the Manus

Question 5

The Indian term that refers to the impact of one's actions in life on a later life after reincarnation is

Accepted Answer

A) satya. 
B) dharma. 
C) karma. 
D) sati. 
E) khalid. 
A) satya. 
B) dharma. 
C) karma. 
D) sati. 
E) khalid.

Question 6

Identify the following terms.
-Mohenjo-Daro

Accepted Answer

Mohenjo-Daro is an archaeological site l

Question 7

Which of the following is NOT true about the Aryans :

Accepted Answer

A) They dominated ancient India after their arrival from the north. 
B) assimilated with the Dravidians to form an egalitarian India. 
C) They spoke Sanskrit.​ 
D) They wrote the Rig Veda.​ 
E) They organized in tribes bed by a Raja.​ 
A) They dominated ancient India after their arrival from the north. 
B) assimilated with the Dravidians to form an egalitarian India. 
C) They spoke Sanskrit.​ 
D) They wrote the Rig Veda.​ 
E) They organized in tribes bed by a Raja.​

Question 8

Harappan economy was based primarily on agriculture.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 9

The three "twice-born" castes were the

Accepted Answer

A) Sikh, Hamar and Maltese. 
B) sudras, brahmins and kshatriya. 
C) vaisya, kshatriya and brahmins. 
D) brahmins, bodhi and mahayana. 
E) sudra, ashakan and pariah. 
A) Sikh, Hamar and Maltese. 
B) sudras, brahmins and kshatriya. 
C) vaisya, kshatriya and brahmins. 
D) brahmins, bodhi and mahayana. 
E) sudra, ashakan and pariah.

Question 10

According to the Arthasastra, a woman who had been deserted by her husband:

Accepted Answer

A) was entitled to the return of double her dowry. 
B) could seek a divorce. 
C) had no recourse. 
D) was immediately freed from all marital commitments. 
E) could never remarry. 
A) was entitled to the return of double her dowry. 
B) could seek a divorce. 
C) had no recourse. 
D) was immediately freed from all marital commitments. 
E) could never remarry.

Question 11

Identify the following terms.
-Harappans

Accepted Answer

The Harappans refer to the people associ

Question 12

Identify the following terms.
-Dyaus and Indra

Accepted Answer

Dyaus and Indra are significant deities

Question 13

Why was India unable to maintain a unified empire in the first millennium B.C.E., and how was the Mauryan Empire temporarily able to overcome the tendencies toward disunity? What was the role of the Greeks under Alexander in the Mauryan ascendancy?

Accepted Answer

India was unable to maintain a unified e

Question 14

The ultimate goal of Hindus is to

Accepted Answer

A) attain a blissful, eternal afterlife. 
B) attain an ultimate spiritual reunion with Brahman and escape the pain of living. 
C) attain eternal life by exchanging one's karma for Atman. 
D) be reborn again and again. 
E) achieve enlightenment in the Western Paradise. 
A) attain a blissful, eternal afterlife. 
B) attain an ultimate spiritual reunion with Brahman and escape the pain of living. 
C) attain eternal life by exchanging one's karma for Atman. 
D) be reborn again and again. 
E) achieve enlightenment in the Western Paradise.

Question 15

Were the beliefs of early Hindus and Buddhists fundamentally the same? Why or why not? Why was Buddhism able to make such inroads among the Indian people at a time when Brahmanical beliefs had long been dominant in the subcontinent?

Accepted Answer

The beliefs of early Hindus and Buddhist

Question 16

The third-ranked caste, usually viewed as the merchant caste, was the

Accepted Answer

A) kshatriya. 
B) pariah. 
C) brahmins. 
D) vaisya. 
E) sudras. 
A) kshatriya. 
B) pariah. 
C) brahmins. 
D) vaisya. 
E) sudras.

Question 17

Identify the following terms.
-Vaisya

Accepted Answer

The term "Vaisya" refers to one of the f

Question 18

In what ways did the events of Ashoka's reign mark the high point of Buddhism in India? Why?

Accepted Answer

The events of Ashoka's reign marked the

Question 19

The priestly class of brahmins held the highest social status in Vedic society.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 20

Identify the following terms.
-Arthasastra

Accepted Answer

The Arthashastra is an ancient Indian tr

Exam 2: Ancient India

The purpose of the Vedas was to provide

Identify the following terms. -Ashokan pillars

Harappan civilization evolved along the Ganges River.

Identify the following terms. -Law of Manu

The Indian term that refers to the impact of one's actions in life on a later life after reincarnation is

Identify the following terms. -Mohenjo-Daro

Which of the following is NOT true about the Aryans :

Harappan economy was based primarily on agriculture.

The three "twice-born" castes were the

According to the Arthasastra, a woman who had been deserted by her husband:

Identify the following terms. -Harappans

Identify the following terms. -Dyaus and Indra

Why was India unable to maintain a unified empire in the first millennium B.C.E., and how was the Mauryan Empire temporarily able to overcome the tendencies toward disunity? What was the role of the Greeks under Alexander in the Mauryan ascendancy?

The ultimate goal of Hindus is to

Were the beliefs of early Hindus and Buddhists fundamentally the same? Why or why not? Why was Buddhism able to make such inroads among the Indian people at a time when Brahmanical beliefs had long been dominant in the subcontinent?

The third-ranked caste, usually viewed as the merchant caste, was the

Identify the following terms. -Vaisya

In what ways did the events of Ashoka's reign mark the high point of Buddhism in India? Why?

The priestly class of brahmins held the highest social status in Vedic society.

Identify the following terms. -Arthasastra

Early Humans and the First Civilizations

China in Antiquity

The Civilization of the Greeks

The First World Civilizations: Rome, China, and the Emergence of the Silk Road

The Americas

Ferment in the Middle East: the Rise of Islam

Early Civilizations in Africa

The Expansion of Civilization in South and Southeast Asia

The Flowering of Traditional China

The East Asian Rimlands: Early Japan, Korea, and Vietnam

The Making of Europe

The Byzantine Empire and Crisis and Recovery in the West

New Encounters: the Creation of a World Market

Europe Transformed: Reform and State Building

The Muslim Empires

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The West on the Eve of a New World Order

The Beginnings of Modernization: Industrialization and Nationalism in the Nineteenth Century

The Americas and Society and Culture in the West

The High Tide of Imperialism

Shadows Over the Pacific: East Asia Under Challenge

The Beginning of the Twentieth-Century Crisis: War and Revolution

Nationalism, Revolution, and Dictatorship: Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America From 1919 to 1939

The Crisis Deepens: World War 2

East and West in the Grip of the Cold War

Brave New World: Communism on Trial

Europe and the Western Hemisphere Since 1945

Challenges of Nation Building in Africa and the Middle East

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