Deck 2: Ancient India

Question 1

What army of occupation was driven from India by Chandragupta Maurya?

A)the Akkadian army.
B)the army of Ramses IV.
C)the forces of the Assyrian king.
D)the Greek administrators who had remained after Alexander the Great.
E)the army of Tamir the Lame.

Answer 1

the Greek administrators who had remained after Alexander the Great.

Question 2

Harappan civilization evolved along the Ganges River.

Answer 2

False

Question 3

The Indian priestly caste was known as the

A)kshatriya.
B)pariah.
C)brahmin.
D)vaisya.
E)volcana.

Answer 3

brahmin.

Question 4

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

Question 5

Siddartha denied the reality of the material or physical world, claiming that it was all an illusion that had to be transcended.

Question 6

The language of the Vedas was Prakrit.

Question 7

The caste system

A)was applicable to every member of Indian society.
B)was a central element of Buddhist belief.
C)was actually more flexible than the Egyptian social structure.
D)originated in Macedonia.
E)was unsuccessfully opposed by Aryan warriors' wives.

Question 8

The Indian term dharma referred to laws setting behavioral standards for which groups in Indian society?

A)bodhis and kshatriyas.
B)rajas and maharajas.
C)the Dao.
D)the untouchables.
E)all inhabitants of India, of all classes.

Question 9

Which of the following correctly describes Harappan civilization?

A)It showed no similarity to the civilizations of ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia.
B)Its culture never attained the status of a true civilization.
C)It was much more agricultural than its contemporaries in Egypt and Mesopotamia.
D)It was a collection of over fifteen hundred towns and cities, ruled by landlords and rich merchants.
E)It never developed an urban center of over 3,000 people.

Question 10

In comparison to Hinduism, Buddhism was much less egalitarian.

Question 11

The caste system was in part a reflection of the light-skinned Aryans' conquest of the dark-skinned Dravidians.

Question 12

The three "twice-born" castes were the

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 13

During the Mauryan Dynasty,

A)the government extensively regulated economic activities.
B)the rulers showed no interest in major religious developments.
C)women were able to own and inherit land and one, Omione, even reigned for years.
D)Ashoka created and publicized the ideas of karma and irgun.
E)Alexander built a city on the Ganges.

Question 14

After the fall of the Mauryan dynasty, the Indian subcontinent was immediately reunified under the Gupta dynasty.

Question 15

The members of the caste known as the untouchables, or pariahs, were

A)so holy that they would be contaminated if touched even by high priests.
B)given extensive opportunity to achieve social mobility.
C)required to have a minimum of five children during their lifetimes.
D)composed primarily of priests and financial planners.
E)given jobs such as handling dead bodies or collecting trash.

Question 16

Two of the world's major religions, Hinduism and Zoroastrianism, originated in India. ​

Question 17

The authority of Mauryan kings was

A)limited by the practical aspects of administering a numerous independent city states.
B)curtailed by an institutionalized bureaucracy of powerful governors and ministers.
C)unlimited by law or custom.
D)established by Alexander the Great.
E)diminished by the onset of the Black Death.

Question 18

Which of the following is NOT true about the Aryans :

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 19

Harappan economy was based primarily on agriculture.

Question 20

The Arthasastra, associated with the Mauryan court official Kautilya, has been compared to Machiavelli's The Prince.

Question 21

The ultimate goal of Hindus is to

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 22

The language of the Vedas was

A)Prakrit.
B)Sanskrit.
C)Hindi.
D)Gujarati.
E)Farsi.

Question 23

The earliest of the Vedas was the

A)Brahmanas.
B)Upanishads.
C)Rig Veda.
D)Ramayana.
E)Bodhiyara.

Question 24

The Mahabharata

A)describes the peaceful relations between Aryan cousins.
B)primarily details the activities of Hindu rulers.
C)provides an elaborate discussion of the ethics of the dharma.
D)contains Krishna's sermon in which he advocates the value of success or failure as the paramount objective in all activities.
E)sharply attacks belief in the dharma as being irrational.

Question 25

After the decline of the Mauryan Empire, the new kingdom that was founded by nomadic warriors in Bactria was the

A)Macedonian Empire.
B)Chan Empire.
C)Kushan Kingdom.
D)Shungas Republic.
E)Xiongnu Empire.

Question 26

Women in ancient India

A)were legally owned by their husbands and male children.
B)were never permitted to study the Vedas or own land, but could often serve as gurus.
C)never married before the age of twenty-one years.
D)were in theory required that a widow throw herself upon her dead husband's funeral pyre.
E)were barred from even viewing the ritual of sati.

Question 27

The Ramayana

A)is a presentation of Indian values.
B)ignores the relationship of gods and animals in human life.
C)is a realistic depiction of Indian life.
D)describes an Aryan attack on Delhi.
E)is the name of the warrior caste.

Question 28

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

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 29

A set of commentaries on the Vedas that emphasized spiritual meditation were the

A)Upanishads.
B)Kamasutra.
C)Rigveda.
D)Mahabharata.
E)Epistularias.

Question 30

The purpose of the Vedas was to provide

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.

Question 31

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

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

Question 32

Gautama said that the way to avoid suffering was to end desire by

A)permanently isolating oneself from the rest of humanity.
B)practicing excessive asceticism.
C)following the "Middle Path."
D)practicing karma exercises.
E)avoiding agricultural projects.

Question 33

"The Rule of the Fishes" refers to the

A)statement of Buddha about the need to abstain from killing reptiles.
B)view that warfare is glorious and was the primary activity of kings and aristocrats.
C)development of a major marine fishery program under Ashoka.
D)desire of Hindus to eat fish rather than cattle.
E)the invasion of the Ganges basis by the Sea Peoples from South Asia.

Question 34

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

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

Question 35

All of the following are true about the jati system except

A)it was the category of social classification with subdivisions within each for different castes.
B)it served to categorize large numbers of individual families.
C)it sometimes offered an opportunity for upward mobility.
D)it could serve as a stabilizing factor in Indian life.
E)a jati was obliged to provide for its poor and destitute members.

Question 36

Asceticism in ancient Indian religion

A)served as a substitute for sacrificial practices as a means to placate and communicate with the gods.
B)enabled priests to facilitate communication between believers and the gods.
C)enhanced sacrificial practices.
D)provided means of firmly establishing one's experiences apart from the realm of spiritual meditative processes.
E)reduced food consumption, as desired by Ashoka.

Question 37

The founder of Buddhism was

A)Chandragupta Maurya.
B)Siddhartha Gautama.
C)Mahauira Krishna.
D)Ashoka Gupta.
E)Mahavira.

Question 38

Ashoka

A)was the founder of Jainism.
B)was the only Indian emperor who tried to foster trade.
C)changed his personal values and governmental policies after becoming a Buddhist.
D)sent Buddhist missionaries to China and Japan to instruct the people.
E)was a vaisya.

Question 39

The purpose of Ashoka's great polished sandstone pillars was to

A)commemorate events in Buddha's life.
B)mark pilgrim routes to Daoist holy places.
C)warn aliens to leave India.
D)provide propaganda for Kautilya's government.
E)celebrate his victories over Alexander the Great.

Question 40

A major religion that was founded by Mahavira in the sixth century was

A)Daoism.
B)Jainism.
C)Chandrism.
D)Zoroastrianism.
E)Hinduism.

Question 41

Which of the following is not true about the rock chambers?

A)Ashoka originally built them to house monks and wandering ascetics.
B)They were carved out of the sides of mountains.
C)Ashoka prohibited their use for religious ceremonies.
D)Their structural format was similar to that of a Roman basilica.
E)One of the most famous rock chambers is at Ajanta.

Question 42

​Which of the following was the most significant factor of Chandragupta Maurya's reign?

A)​His alliance with Alexander the Great
B)​His adoption of Buddhism
C)​His centralization of the first unified empire in India
D)​His production of sacred texts including the Upanishads
E)​His engagement in long-distance trade with the Roman Empire.

Question 43

​The main trio of the polytheistic gods in India are

A)​Shiva the Destroyer, Vishnu the Preserver, and Brahman the Creator​
B)​Shiva the destroyer, Indra the Creator and Agni the Fire God.​
C)​Varuna the Almighty, Krishna the Warrior, and Siddartha Gautuma​.
D)​Ganesha of good fortune, Kali of Death, Zuul the gatekeeper​.
E)​None of these​

Question 44

​The first money system in India probably came into existence from

A)coins of gold and copper from the Middle East
B)​cowrie shells​
C)​was introduced by Alexander the Great​
D)​the Aryan migration​
E)​the Mauryan government's centralized control of silver mines​

Question 45

​Gautama's vision of Nirvana was​

A)​similar to the Aryan concept of Brahman​
B)​considered unknowable by humans​
C)​only possible with asceticism​
D)​open to all who accepted Buddhism​
E)​a heavenly paradise for those with good karma.

Question 46

Identify the following terms.
Mohenjo-Daro

Question 47

Identify the following terms.
Arjuna and Krishna

Question 48

The collapse of Harrupan civilization​

A)​indicates a gradual decline and abandonment of Mohenjo Daro.
B)​was due to a volcanic eruption that destroyed and buried the city.
C)​probably occurred as a result of a sudden catastrophic event
D)​was due to the onslaught of Aryan invasions.
E)​was due to flooding during the monsoon seasons of the subcontintent.

Question 49

Identify the following terms.
Ganges and Indus rivers

Question 50

​Ashoka was most notable for

A)​his conversion to Buddhism and facilitated its spread through India
B)​conquoring the Tamil portion of India
C)​overthrowing the Mauryan empire
D)​fighting an extensive war against Alexander the Great
E)​None of these.

Question 51

​The concept of "the happiness of the king lying in the happiness of his subjects" is explained by

A)​ma'at
B)​the Mandate of Heaven
C)​the Arthasastra
D)​karma
E)​divination

Question 52

​Justification for centralization in India was written in which literary work?

A)​Tripitaka
B)​Rig Veda
C)​Arthasastra
D)​Mahabharata
E)​Ramayana

Question 53

Identify the following terms.
Harappan seals

Question 54

Identify the following terms.
the Deccan Plateau

Question 55

The basic social organization of the jati was formed around one's

A)​caste
B)​occupation
C)​kin group
D)​location
E)​none of these​

Question 56

Stupas

A)originally housed a relic of Ashoka.
B)ultimately became a place of devotion.
C)was the site where painting first developed in India.
D)were believed to be the homes of Vishnu.
E)were pillars, exactly fifty meters high and thirty meters deep.

Question 57

​In the religious changes described by the Upanishads, Brahman meant​

A)​a monotheistic presence, later embodied by Vishnu.​
B)​the main celestial god honored by fire sacrifices.
C)​the process of reincarnation for not doing one's darma.
D)​a shadowy ultimate reality with which one's individual spirit would merge.
E)​the ritual worship maintained by the priestly caste.​

Question 58

​A significant difference between Buddhism and Brahmanism was

A)​its emphasis on ritual divination
B)​the focus on Buddha as a divine figure
C)​rejection of shrines and monasteries
D)​rejection of the rigid caste system
E)​embracing of severe austerity and poverty

Question 59

Ancient Indian scientific activities

A)were based on ideas much like those of Arabia.
B)were notably lacking in astronomical interest.
C)included the development of the idea that the earth was a sphere.
D)were much more significant than Indian religious innovations.
E)caused the Indian scientists to be renowned for their world domination in alchemy.

Question 60

Identify the following terms.
Harappans

Question 61

Identify the following terms.
Arthasastra

Question 62

Identify the following terms.
Rig Veda

Question 63

Identify the following terms.
Hinduism

Question 64

Identify the following terms.
asceticism

Question 65

Identify the following terms.
Law of Manu

Question 66

Identify the following terms.
raja and maharaja

Question 67

Identify the following terms.
Vedas

Question 68

Identify the following terms.
Sudras

Question 69

Identify the following terms.
untouchables/pariahs

Question 70

Identify the following terms.
Kshatriya

Question 71

Identify the following terms.
sati

Question 72

Identify the following terms.
Alexander the Great

Question 73

Identify the following terms.
Chandragupta Maurya

Question 74

Identify the following terms.
Brahmins

Question 75

Identify the following terms.
Aryans

Question 76

Identify the following terms.
varna/caste

Question 77

Identify the following terms.
Dravidians

Question 78

Identify the following terms.
jati

Question 79

Identify the following terms.
the monsoon

Question 80

Identify the following terms.
Vaisya