Deck 9: State, Society, and the Quest for Salvation in India

Question 1

The two great Indian epics,the Mahabharata and the Ramayana,

A) called for an end to the caste system.
B) championed the rights of women.
C) showed the same questioning of divine judgment that would later mark Greek thought.
D) commonly portrayed women as weak-willed and emotional creatures.
E) were written during a period when Indian society was strongly matriarchal.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

One of the biggest financial problems of the later Mauryan period was the

A) decision to trade exclusively with China.
B) frequent need to debase the currency.
C) failure to invest in sea trade.
D) decision to borrow money from Persia at high interest rates.
E) decision to stop trading with the Persians.

Answer 2

B

Question 3

After the collapse of the Mauryan dynasty,northwest India was controlled by the Bactrians,who spoke

A) Chinese.
B) Persian.
C) Latin.
D) Thai.
E) Greek.

Answer 3

E

Question 4

One of the most pronounced examples of patriarchal dominance in ancient India was the

A) common practice of child marriage.
B) domination of gods over goddesses in Hindu mythology.
C) rise in significance of the kshatriya caste.
D) growing role of women in the marketplace.
E) lack of any female characters in the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.

Question 5

The kingdom that played a leading role in Indian unification after the withdrawal of Alexander of Macedon was

A) Kalinga.
B) Magadha.
C) Bodh Gaya.
D) Nalanda.
E) Bengal.

Question 6

The rock and pillar edicts were issued by

A) Kautalya.
B) Harsha.
C) Hammurabi.
D) Chandragupta Maurya.
E) Ashoka.

Question 7

Although only fragments remain,some of our best information about early Indian history comes from the Indika,written by

A) Socrates.
B) Megasthenes.
C) Herodotus.
D) Sima Qian.
E) Kautalya.

Question 8

The Arthashastra reflected the political philosophy employed by

A) Ashoka Maurya.
B) Qin Shihuangdi.
C) Chandragupta Maurya.
D) Chandra Gupta.
E) Cyrus the Great.

Question 9

The Mauryan emperor Ashoka fought his bloodiest battle against

A) the Punjab.
B) Kalinga.
C) Magadha.
D) Harsha.
E) Alexander the Great.

Question 10

Politically,the Guptas

A) achieved the same level of centralized power that had existed under the Mauryas.
B) left local government and administration in the hands of their allies.
C) created a much larger and more powerful state than the Mauryas did.
D) brought unprecedented civil strife to India.
E) were able to bring complete unification to India by spreading a state-supported religion.

Question 11

The harsh political philosophy of Kautalya is recorded in the

A) Law Codes of Manu.
B) Mauryan Law Codes.
C) Bhagavad Gita.
D) Daodejing.
E) Arthashastra.

Question 12

The high point of Mauryan success came during the reign of

A) Chandragupta Maurya.
B) Chandra Gupta II.
C) Kautalya.
D) Ashoka.
E) Harsha.

Question 13

The Kushans in India reached their peak under

A) Kanishka.
B) Chandra Gupta II.
C) Samudra Gupta.
D) Ashoka.
E) Chandragupta.

Question 14

One of the biggest transformations of the caste system during this period was the

A) elimination of the brahmins as a caste.
B) rise of guilds,which essentially served as jati.
C) rise of the untouchables to an equal status to the rest of the castes.
D) rise of the kshatriyas to the top position.
E) complete destruction of the caste system.

Question 15

The eventual collapse of the Gupta state was partially caused by an invasion of the

A) Persians.
B) White Huns.
C) Chinese.
D) Romans.
E) Mauryas.

Question 16

The capital of Ashoka's empire was

A) Delhi.
B) Bodh Gaya.
C) Pataliputra.
D) Mahavira.
E) Banaras.

Question 17

After the collapse of the Mauryan empire,India

A) returned to a series of regional kingdoms.
B) was immediately reunified in a new empire.
C) was united by a new wave of invaders.
D) suffered through a long period of chaos marked by a later Dravidian uprising.
E) was absorbed into the expanding Chinese empire.

Question 18

Essentially,much of the responsibility for maintaining social order in India during these years fell to

A) the Mauryan emperors themselves.
B) the powerful Buddhist monasteries.
C) the jati.
D) the writers and philosophers of classical India.
E) Hindu religious police.

Question 19

The success and timing of trade through the Indian Ocean basin largely depended on

A) controlling the actions of Turkish pirates.
B) forming a lasting trading partnership with China.
C) understanding the rhythms of the monsoon winds.
D) the Indian desire to purchase pepper from the Romans.
E) the invention of a revolutionary sailing vehicle.

Question 20

During the time of the Aryans,the Indian political landscape was characterized by

A) a series of small kingdoms.
B) efficient centralized government.
C) constant bloody civil war.
D) two equally matched rival states.
E) a turbulent but profitable union with China.

Question 21

Hindu ethical teachings held out the promise of salvation precisely to those who

A) rejected the caste structure and sought to improve their lives.
B) participated in the world and observed their caste duties.
C) gave to the poorest members of society.
D) removed themselves from the world and material concerns.
E) committed themselves to extreme nonviolence and aestheticism.

Question 22

The man that unified northern India and laid the foundation for the first empire to control most of the subcontinent was Chandragupta Maurya.

Question 23

Ancient Indian religion revolved around ritual sacrifices offered by whom?

A) kshatriyas
B) brahmins
C) vaishyas
D) shudras
E) jati

Question 24

The line,"As a man,casting off old clothes,puts on others and new ones,so the embodied self,casting off old bodies,goes to others and new ones," comes from the

A) Bhagavad Gita.
B) Analects.
C) Arthashastra.
D) Daodejing.
E) Ramayana.

Question 25

The Indian work that deals with a dialogue between the warrior,Arjuna,and his charioteer,Krishna,is the

A) Mahabharata.
B) Ramayana.
C) Bhagavad Gita.
D) Arthashastra.
E) Book of Songs.

Question 26

The religious group that carefully swept the ground before them as they walked to avoid harming any invisible insects was the

A) Zoroastrians.
B) Jains.
C) Buddhists.
D) Hindus.
E) Sikhs.

Question 27

Ahimsa refers to

A) the Buddhist Noble Eightfold Path.
B) the Hindu concept of reincarnation.
C) the Jain principle of nonviolence.
D) Ashoka Maurya's policy of enlightened rule.
E) Kautalya's policy of harsh statecraft.

Question 28

Jainism first became popular under the teachings of

A) Vardhamana Mahavira.
B) Siddhartha Gautama.
C) Ashoka Maurya.
D) Kautalya.
E) Samudra Gupta.

Question 29

The Arthashastra is an ancient Indian political handbook.

Question 30

Mahayana was known as the greater vehicle because it opened the road to salvation for large numbers of people.

Question 31

The Bhagavad Gita is the work containing a dialogue between Arjuna and Krishna.

Question 32

The Buddha called for people to lead lives characterized by

A) intense meditation.
B) extreme asceticism.
C) balance and moderation.
D) active hedonism.
E) devotion to a powerful monotheistic god.

Question 33

The core of Buddhist doctrine was known as the

A) Three Principles of the People.
B) Second Triad.
C) Four Noble Truths.
D) Ahimsa Path.
E) Path of Reincarnation.

Question 34

The greatest social contribution of the Jains was

A) their support of the traditional caste system.
B) the fact that they did not recognize social hierarchies based on caste.
C) their incorporation into the brahmin caste.
D) the implementation of their law code after they became the leading religion of India.
E) their incorporation into the kshatriyas.

Question 35

Chandra Gupta was the Indian ruler who converted to Buddhism and became a very active missionary for its spread.

Question 36

The Jains adhered to the principle of nonviolence to other living things or their souls,which is expressed in the word

A) dharma.
B) boddhisatva.
C) nirvana.
D) ahimsa.
E) karma.

Question 37

The beliefs of the Charvakas

A) reflected the increasingly materialistic character of Indian society.
B) reaffirmed basic Hindu tenets.
C) led naturally to the acceptance of Siddhartha Gautama as the Buddha.
D) strengthened the power of the brahmins.
E) led to a spiritual reawakening in India.

Question 38

The bodhisattva is associated with which religion?

A) Buddhism
B) Judaism
C) Zoroastrianism
D) Hinduism
E) Jainism

Question 39

The Charvaka sect believed

A) that India would be best served by a reaffirmation of the leading role of the brahmins.
B) that too many Indians were falling into the trap of atheism.
C) that the gods were figments of the imagination.
D) in personal salvation through a personal faith in the Buddha.
E) that everything was divine.

Question 40

Theravada Buddhism is also known as

A) Hinayana Buddhism.
B) Mahayana Buddhism.
C) Zen Buddhism.
D) Chan Buddhism.
E) Ahimsa Buddhism.

Question 41

The Ramayana is the Indian epic about the adventures of a hero and his wife Sita.

Question 42

In what ways did outsiders influence India during this period? In turn,how did India influence the rest of the world and especially Asia?

Question 43

Compare and contrast the reigns of Chandragupta Maurya and Ashoka Maurya.What common techniques did the Mauryas pursue?

Question 44

Examine the social structure of India during the time of the Mauryas and the Guptas.How did long-distance trade influence India?

Question 45

What social and religious changes worked to transform the caste system during these years? What were the long-term consequences of this transformation?

Question 46

In the Bhagavad Gita,Arjuna says,"As a man,casting off old clothes,puts on others and new ones,so the embodied self,casting off old bodies,goes to others and new ones." What did he mean? How does this comment express the basic ideals of Hinduism?

Question 47

Describe the beliefs of the Charvaka sect and how they were a reflection of changes in Indian society.

Question 48

Examine the reign of Ashoka Maurya.In what ways was his reign the high point of Mauryan rule? How did he affect the religious beliefs of India and Asia?

Question 49

Despite the efforts of several Indian emperors,Buddhism never became the main religion of India.What factors explain this?

Question 50

Examine Chandragupta Maurya's effort to unify India.What steps did he take? What factors helped make this process possible?

Question 51

Siddhartha Gautama was the Buddha.

Question 52

Examine the period of political revitalization under the Guptas.How does this dynasty compare to the earlier Mauryas?

Question 53

Compare the unification of India with the unification process in China under the Qin and Han dynasties,and in southwest Asia under the Assyrians and Persians.

Question 54

Examine the religious philosophy of Siddhartha Gautama.What are the basic tenets of Buddhism? How did this religion influence India?

Question 55

With the spread of Mahayana Buddhism,the Hinayana faith disappeared.

Question 56

What sets Jainism apart from other religions,such as Hinduism or Buddhism? How does Jainism compare to Daoism?

Question 57

The Jainist principle of nonviolence to other living things is ahimsa.

Question 58

Chandra Gupta II was the founder of the Gupta dynasty.

Question 59

Compare the deep spirituality of ancient India with the secularism of ancient Chinese thought.Why were the two areas so different?

Question 60

Compare and contrast the religions of Hinduism and Buddhism.What were the essential differences between the two? What hope did they give to the common people of India?

Question 61

How did India fit in to the trade along the silk roads?

Question 62

Examine the defensive fortifications of Pataliputra in the picture on page 179.What do these fortifications tell us about the political situation during the Mauryan period?

Question 63

Why did Buddhism eventually lose popularity in India?

Question 64

Examine the transformation of Hindu thought during this period.Why did it change?

Question 65

How did the Persian conquest set the stage for the emergence of the Mauryan empire?

Question 66

Read the passage from the Bhagavad Gita (see Textbook: Sources from the Past: Caste Duties according to the Bhagavad Gita).Krishna speaks to Arjuna and says,"Having regard to your own duty,you ought not to falter,for there is nothing better for a kshatriya than a righteous battle." What Hindu concept does this comment represent? How would this concept be different from Jainism or even Daoism?

Question 67

How did early Buddhism evolve into Mahayana Buddhism? How did that help spread the religion?

Question 68

Examine the carving of the boddhisatva Avalokitesvara on page 190 and read the inscription below the picture.What is the theory behind the boddhisatva? Can you think of any similar religious concepts?

Question 69

Examine the picture of the Buddha on page 185.Why would the Buddha be portrayed in this manner? Why would the representation be so stylized?

Question 70

Examine the Mauryan and Gupta dynasties as represented in Map 9.1,The Mauryan and Gupta empires,321 B.C.E.-550 C.E.What did these dynasties have in common? How did trade influence them?

Question 71

How did the Gupta administrative practices differ from the Mauryan?

Question 72

Discuss the formation and beliefs of Jainism.What factors explain why it never became as successful as Hinduism or Buddhism?

Question 73

In what ways did the development of trade and manufacturing impact the caste system?

Question 74

What brought about the decline of the Gupta dynasty? What replaced the empire in the power vacuum that resulted?

Question 75

Describe the status of women during this period.Did the level of patriarchy differ based on the class one belonged to?

Question 76

What were the major accomplishments of the emperor Ashoka?