Deck 4: Central Asia and Indias Beginnings

Question 1

Which modern-day country is the location of the Indus River Valley settlements?

A)Southern India
B)Pakistan
C)Burma
D)Tibet
E)Thailand

Answer 1

Pakistan

Question 2

What are some of the notable aspects of the ancient cities of Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa?

A)They had a population of up to 100,000 people by some estimates.
B)They used fired bricks in some of their construction.
C)They probably had a theocracy as their government.
D)They were built of a very similar style, indicating the cities were part of the same Indus River Valley civilization.
E)All of the options are correct.

Answer 2

All of the options are correct.

Question 3

In Hinduism, when a person has lived a life in perfect accord with their dharma, death will lead to final release from reincarnation. This is known as which of the following?

A)Samsara.
B)Moksha.
C)Dharma.
D)Karma.
E)Jati.

Answer 3

Moksha.

Question 4

What is the current belief by experts regarding the form of government in the ancient Indus Valley cities?

A)It was republican.
B)It was monarchical.
C)It was theocratic.
D)It was corrupt.
E)It was ineffective.

Question 5

What is the subject of the Rig-Veda?

A)a backward, agricultural people.
B)a trading society.
C)a fanatically religious community.
D)a people who thrived on warfare.
E)a superior group of invaders.

Question 6

Which of the following BEST aided India's international trade?

A)The discovery of monsoonal wind patterns.
B)The location of the Indus River.
C)The role of Hinduism in Indian society.
D)The teachings of the Vedas.
E)The immense farming villages in the north.

Question 7

Where is Buddhism ranked in the numerical ranking of the world's major religions?

A)first.
B)second.
C)third.
D)fourth.
E)fifth.

Question 8

What were some of the factors that could have contributed to the decline of the Dravidian civilization?

A)a malaria outbreak.
B)a buildup of alkalinity in irrigated farmland.
C)invasion by the Aryans.
D)changes in the course of the Indus River.
E)All of the options are correct.

Question 9

What was the main impact of the introduction of metal to ancient India by the Aryans?

A)production of more powerful weapons that defeated their adversaries.
B)the conquering of the southern half of India, as well as the northern part.
C)the ability to cultivate new and better crops.
D)a return to their former nomadic lifestyles.
E)tying the use of the horse and the plow to cultivation.

Question 10

Which of the following was true of Early Buddhism?

A)It rejected the idea of suffering.
B)It built upon Vedic Hinduism.
C)It was restricted to the upper class.
D)It began as a revolt against the emptiness of Vedic ritualism.
E)None of the options are correct.

Question 11

Which of the following describes the divine mortals known as the bodhisattvas ?

A)They are direct descendants of the Buddha.
B)Theravada Buddhism denies their existence.
C)They make no claim to be willing to help humans here on earth.
D)They deny the existence of supernatural beings.
E)They were selected by the Buddha before his death.

Question 12

Which of the following is true regarding the social stratification in India begun by the Aryans?

A)It was fluid.
B)It persists to the present day.
C)It was completely separate from any religion.
D)It lasted only a brief time.
E)None of the options are correct.

Question 13

What were some of the characteristics of the Indian caste system?

A)flexibility and progressiveness.
B)creativity and innovation.
C)socially immobile and highly stratified.
D)usually violent and lawless.
E)changeable and adaptable.

Question 14

Central Asia is the location of some significant advances in human history, including which of the following?

A)the invention of horses' bridles and bits.
B)the invention of the horse-drawn chariot.
C)the domestication of horses and the Bactrian camel.
D)training warriors to shoot bows and arrows from horseback.
E)All of the options are correct.

Question 15

What is the most significant limitation on expanding our knowledge of the Indus Valley civilization?

A)Its written language is still not deciphered.
B)The effects of landslides and flooding.
C)Destruction caused by the Aryan invasions.
D)The effects of the invasions by Alexander the Great.
E)There was no writing system, only verbal language.

Question 16

What is one of the main characteristics of Mahayana Buddhism?

A)It is a very strict form of Buddhism.
B)It has stayed within India and not spread to other nations.
C)It preaches that Siddhartha Gautama is the only Buddha.
D)It requires that all followers join a monastery.
E)It teaches that there are many ways to salvation.

Question 17

Which of the following was one of the main contributing factors to the wealth of Bactria?

A)The Silk Road.
B)The Cinnamon Road.
C)The Spice Road.
D)The Miserable Route.
E)The Heavenly Road.

Question 18

In Buddhism, how is nirvana (the release from suffering)achieved?

A)obeying the will of the gods.
B)experiencing multiple reincarnations.
C)striving for better karma.
D)self-taught mastery of one's self and soul.
E)death and resurrection.

Question 19

The Buddhists' Eight Fold Path teaches which of the following?

A)It demands righteousness.
B)It is one of the basic elements of Buddhism.
C)It was open to all regardless of gender or caste.
D)All of the options are correct.
E)None of the options are correct.

Question 20

Which of the following is not a facet of Hinduism?

A)It contains many local variations in both style and action of worship.
B)It is a philosophical system.
C)It has been the foundation of all of India's former political systems.
D)It contains a set of doctrines to follow, to achieve eternal life.
E)It is a reflection of the Aryans' patriarchal society.

Question 21

The oldest and most important of the Vedas is the ____________________.

Question 22

Which of the following characteristics is associated with the rule of Ashoka?

A)He discouraged the spread of Buddhism.
B)He is known for being bloodthirsty.
C)He had successors stronger than himself.
D)He was the greatest of the Mauryan rulers.
E)He left behind no real writing.

Question 23

The ____________________ was a complex, immobile and highly stratified social system introduced to India by the Aryan invaders.

Question 24

The founder of Buddhism was named ____________________.  He was born an Indian aristocrat and later became known as the Buddha, or the Enlightened One.

Question 25

The Buddhist concept of nirvana, and the Hindu equivalent of moksha, is achieved when a person has lived a life of perfection and can then break the cycle of ____________________.

Question 26

What is the meaning of karma?

A)the soul.
B)release from earthly cycles.
C)the uppermost caste in Hindu society.
D)the tally of good and bad acts in a person's life.
E)the code of morals for one's caste.

Question 27

Which of the following religions of India emphasizes above all the sacred nature of all life?

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

Question 28

One of King Ashoka's contributions to the Mauryan Dynasty was which of the following?

A)organized religion.
B)social equality.
C)religious toleration.
D)codified laws.
E)caste divisions.

Question 29

The decline of the Indus Valley civilization was sped up by an invasion of nomads called ____________________.

Question 30

Good karma, it was believed, resulted in birth into a(n)____________________ class.

Question 31

The major cities of the Indus Valley culture were ____________________ and ____________________.

Question 32

The great dynasty of early India is the ____________________, whose greatest emperor was ____________________.

Question 33

What is the main difference between Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism?

A)Mahayana Buddhists reject the belief that there are many acceptable paths to salvation.
B)The world contains more Theravada than Mahayana adherents.
C)Theravada Buddhism is stronger in Vietnam, China, Japan, and Korea.
D)Mahayana Buddhists believe that many other Buddhas will appear in time.
E)Theravada Buddhism is the more literal of the two groups.

Question 34

What is the meaning of "purdah"?

A)A woman's isolation from non-family males.
B)A widow's ritual suicide.
C)A woman's subservient role.
D)Female involvement in marital sexual relations.
E)A women's high status within her family.

Question 35

The ancient Central Asian civilization of Bactria was located in an advantageous area for trade because the western end of the ____________________ was also located in that region.

Question 36

What is the most significant export from India to Central and East Asia in ancient times?

A)salt.
B)the Buddhist faith.
C)slaves and warriors.
D)silk.
E)language and writing systems.

Question 37

What were some of the discoveries made by archaeologists in the ancient Indus Valley farming sites?

A)grid-like streets and flood control systems.
B)rigid social structure.
C)a monotheistic society.
D)an easily decipherable writing system.
E)a supernatural polytheistic belief system.

Question 38

According to the Buddha, what causes all suffering?

A)sin.
B)desires for power and happiness.
C)covetousness of his neighbor's goods.
D)disobedience to Buddha's teachings.
E)unconcern for others.

Question 39

The concept of democracy of spirit, which attracted many followers to Buddhism, means that ____________________ can become followers of the Buddhist philosophy.

Question 40

What was Siddhartha Gautama's status before he became the Buddha?

A)He was a king.
B)He was wealthy.
C)He was poor.
D)He was known for his conquest of other countries.
E)He was a merchant-seaman.

Question 41

Term for identification: Silk Road

Question 42

What are some of the unique aspects of the Central Asian societies and why was nomadism preferred over a more sedentary lifestyle and society?

Question 43

Term for identification: Bactria

Question 44

Elaborate on the role of the environment and geography in Indian history.

Question 45

Term for identification: Aryans

Question 46

Trace the development of Hinduism in India elaborating on its concepts, application and global significance.

Question 47

Based on archaeology and other historical sources such as the ancient Veda texts, discuss the impact on the Dravidian civilization from the Aryan invasions and the development of the caste system.

Question 48

Describe and explain the major by-products of Indian-Chinese contacts.

Question 49

Describe the background, basic tenets and development of early Buddhism highlighting its significance.

Question 50

Term for identification: Brahmins

Question 51

Term for identification: Laws of Manu

Question 52

Term for identification: Shiva

Question 53

Term for identification: Jati

Question 54

Term for identification: Theravada

Question 55

Term for identification: The Great Wheel

Question 56

Term for identification: Vedas