Deck 5: Classical Societies in Southern and Central Asia, 600 Bce-600 C.E.

Question 1

Which of the following forms of Buddhism aligned most closely with Buddha's original vision for the religion?

A) Mahayana
B) Hinduism
C) Theravada

Answer 1

Theravada

Question 2

Where did the Sinhalese society emerge?

A) Madurai
B) Sri Lanka
C) Afghanistan

Answer 2

Sri Lanka

Question 3

Which of the following generally describes the Gupta era?

A) Immigrants and foreign cultural influences reshaped ancient Indian society.
B) Conservative forces exercised tight control over maintaining ancient Indian societal practices.
C) Though not an economically prosperous period, it is marked by significant cultural changes.

Answer 3

Immigrants and foreign cultural influences reshaped ancient Indian society.

Question 4

Which of the following generally describes the cultural makeup of the Kushan Empire?

A) A broad mix of cultures
B) Two competing cultures
C) A single, unified culture

Question 5

Which of the following best describes the power structure of the Gupta Empire in North India?

A) Centralized, with the Gupta family ruling from the capital of the empire
B) Decentralized, with local rulers accepting Gupta overlordship
C) Decentralized, with the caveat that only members of the Gupta family could rule various localities

Question 6

The Malagasy people emerged after Indonesians and Africans mixed on which of the following islands?

A) Guam
B) Madagascar
C) Papua New Guinea

Question 7

What role did the individuals known as the "nine gems" play in Indian society during the Gupta era?

A) They were knowledge producers for the empire.
B) They were jewelers to the ruling family.
C) They were mathematicians devoted to defining the concept of zero.

Question 8

Which span of years comprises the Gupta era in India?

A) 563-483 BCE
B) 50-250 CE
C) 320-550 CE

Question 9

Which group was typically seen as religious authorities in Hindu religions?

A) Brahmans
B) Pariahs
C) Vedas

Question 10

Which of the following statements about the place of untouchables during the Gupta era is most accurate?

A) Gupta rulers did not provide untouchables with any additional social benefits.
B) Gupta rulers allowed untouchables to climb the social ladder in a way other empires did not.
C) Gupta rulers erased all social distinctions associated with untouchables.

Question 11

Which of the following best describes the post-Mauryan era?

A) India turned inward and avoided contact with other societies.
B) India became a central hub for both trade and communication.
C) India engaged in a robust trade network but avoided any cultural transmissions.

Question 12

What function did the Code of Manu serve?

A) It formalized rules regarding caste relations.
B) It provided the framework for criminal justice reform in India.
C) It established an economic theory upon which Indians conducted trade.

Question 13

The Kushans from Central Asia ruled between what years?

A) 563-483 BCE
B) 322-185 BCE
C) 50-250 CE

Question 14

How many years passed before another empire rose in place of the collapsed Mauryan Empire?

A) 500 years
B) 1,200 years
C) 2,000 years

Question 15

Which of the following statements about women in India is true?

A) In regions of India, goddess worship enjoyed more popularity, whereas women enjoyed less freedom.
B) In regions of India, goddess worship enjoyed more popularity, whereas women enjoyed more freedom.
C) I n regions of India, goddess worship enjoyed less popularity, whereas women enjoyed more freedom.

Question 16

During the Gupta era, India led the world in which of the following exports?

A) Textiles
B) Tobacco
C) Aluminum

Question 17

What happened to Buddhism in India over time?

A) It gradually gave way to Christian dominance.
B) It gradually assimilated into Hinduism.
C) It gradually became the dominant religion.

Question 18

Which of the following third-century CE texts served as a sexual handbook with a relatively liberal approach to sexual freedom and homosexuality?

A) The Upanishads
B) The Mahabharata
C) The Kama Sutra

Question 19

Which of the following generally describes the atmosphere of religious toleration during the Gupta era?

A) Gupta rulers promoted Buddhism as the official state religion and banned all others.
B) Gupta rulers promoted Hinduism but did not allow for official discrimination against Buddhists or Jains.
C) Gupta rulers promoted Christianity and did not allow for the practice of Hinduism or Jainism.

Question 20

Which of the following schools of Buddhism flourished in Central Asia after spreading along trade routes?

A) Mahayana
B) Hinduism
C) Theravada

Question 21

What is the relationship between Jainism and Hinduism?

Question 22

Describe Siddhartha Gautama.

Question 23

What do some historians find problematic about the term "Indianization," which describes the influence of Indian culture and ideas on other Southeast Asian peoples?

A) The term implies a one-way dissemination rather than collaborative exchange.
B) The term removes agency from the Indians.
C) The term carries no weight because meaningful exchanges have not been identified.

Question 24

Which of the following is true of women in Southeast Asia as opposed to those in China, India, and the Middle East?

A) They enjoyed less freedom and a lower status than their counterparts.
B) They enjoyed no freedoms or socially acknowledged statuses unlike their counterparts.
C) They enjoyed more freedom and a higher status than their counterparts.

Question 25

Which of the following did China conquer and annex in 111 BCE?

A) Vietnam
B) Japan
C) Korea

Question 26

How had Hinduism changed between early South Asian history and 600 BCE?

Question 27

The cultivation of which crop proved essential to the stability of states situated on the Southeast Asian mainland?

A) Cotton
B) Taro
C) Rice

Question 28

Southeast Asian societies could generally be described as what?

A) A blend of religions and cultures
B) A series of interconnected states ruled by one family
C) A group of loosely connected kingdoms largely intolerant of each other's religious practices

Question 29

What role do pariahs play in Hindu society?

A) They act as arbitrators to solve disputes between subcastes.
B) They perform tasks regarded as undesirable or unclean.
C) They interpret the dictates spelled out in the Code of Manu.

Question 30

Which of the following best describes the religious practice of many Southeast Asians following sustained contact with Indian culture?

A) They adopted Mahayana Buddhism and practiced it exclusively.
B) They embraced Hinduism as the one true religion.
C) They incorporated Buddhism and Hinduism, fusing them with local religions.

Question 31

Describe the ultimate goal of Buddhism.

Question 32

How did the Mauryan Empire govern its territory?

Question 33

Describe the four noble truths.

Question 34

Describe the caste system.

Question 35

What circumstances forged a strong cultural identity among the Vietnamese people?

A) Centuries of oppressive rule by the Japanese
B) A thousand years of Chinese colonial rule
C) 250 years of sustained Indianization efforts

Question 36

Describe Mauryan trade relationships.

Question 37

Which of the following traces its roots to a practice by Hindu holy men?

A) Vegetarianism
B) Yoga
C) Acupuncture

Question 38

What role did the secret police play in maintaining the Mauryan empire?

Question 39

Describe the Code of Manu.

Question 40

Which of the following states flourished in the Mekong Delta of southern Vietnam between 75 and 550 CE?

A) Zhenla
B) Funan
C) Champa

Question 41

What influence did Kushan have on religious practices in South and Central Asia?

Question 42

Describe Korea's relationship with China during this period.

Question 43

What were the most important factors in Gupta decline?

Question 44

Describe Vietnam's relationship with China in this period.

Question 45

How did the Yellow and Wei Rivers make human communities possible in ancient China?

Question 46

How did the Gupta dynasty govern their empire?

Question 47

How did the Yellow and Wei Rivers make human communities possible in ancient China?

Question 48

Based on historical evidence of contact between adherents of Hinduism and other peoples, Hinduism can generally be described as what?

A) Intolerant and rigidly orthodox
B) Tolerant and accepting of religious differences
C) Ambivalent toward all other people and religions

Question 49

How did Mauryan collapse affect Asian trade?

Question 50

How did the Yellow and Wei Rivers make human communities possible in ancient China?

Question 51

What was the relationship between Buddhism and Hinduism in classical South Asia?

Question 52

Which of the following religions did not spring forth from Hinduism?

A) Buddhism
B) Jainism
C) Daoism

Question 53

Why did the Gupta maintain direct control over production of key resources?

Question 54

What role did Central Asian trade routes play in facilitating trade and cultural links?

Question 55

Why did so many states flourish around the Mekong Delta in this period?

Question 56

Describe the origins of Sinhalese society.

Question 57

Why to scholars refer to a certain period as the Gupta "golden age"?

Question 58

What factors pushed people in the Indian Ocean to migrate frequently?

Question 59

Describe Japan's relationship with Japan in this period.

Question 60

What evidence exists to support the claim that many Southeast Asian kingdoms were Indianized?

Question 61

How did the Yellow and Wei Rivers make human communities possible in ancient China?

Question 62

How did China's relations with Vietnam promote a strong regional identity there?

Question 63

Which of the following Mauryan leaders sought to lead through "righteous" actions?

A) Chandragupta
B) Gandhi
C) Ashoka

Question 64

How did the Yellow and Wei Rivers make human communities possible in ancient China?

Question 65

Siddartha Gautama established which of the following religions?

A) Buddhism
B) Jainism
C) Hinduism

Question 66

What were the similarities and differences between Mahayana Buddhism and Theravada Buddhism?

Question 67

How were Gupta scientific achievements applied in industry, politics, and economics?

Question 68

Why was it so important for the Mauryan king to maintain control over the courts?

Question 69

How did the Yellow and Wei Rivers make human communities possible in ancient China?

Question 70

What role did Nalanda University serve in the Gupta Empire?

Question 71

Describe how Buddhism spread and interacted with other religious traditions in Japan, Korea, Vietnam, and Southeast Asia.

Question 72

According to Buddhists, why will following each of the four noble truths help them achieve their ultimate goal?

Question 73

Why did many kingdoms engage in piracy during this period?

Question 74

During what period did the Mauryan Empire rule?

A) 563-483 BCE
B) 50-250 CE
C) 322-185 BCE

Question 75

What was the relationship between politics and new Buddhist doctrines?

Question 76

Jains and Buddhists extolled the virtues of all of the following except

A) 7000-5000 BCE
B) 5000-3000 BCE
C) 3000-2200 BCE