Deck 3: Societies and Beliefs of Early India, to 500 Ce

Question 1

What is the name of the highlands region of southern India?

A) the Deccan
B) the Ganges
C) the Hindu Kush
D) the Himalayas

Answer 1

the Deccan

Question 2

Which of these describe the concept of dharma?

A) a person's fate according to Buddhist doctrine
B) reincarnation, according to Hindu principles
C) performance of the duties appropriate to one's position
D) the upward path promised by samsara

Answer 2

performance of the duties appropriate to one's position

Question 3

The untouchables tolerated their treatment by the Aryans because

A) their military was unable to defend them.
B) they were afraid of bad karma.
C) they didn't want to fulfill their dharma.
D) they believed the teachings of Siddhartha.

Answer 3

they were afraid of bad karma.

Question 4

Which of the following descriptions accurately reflects the landscape and climate of India?

A) India has great geographic diversity.
B) The southern region of the country is home to the world's tallest mountains.
C) Because of the monsoons, India rarely experiences drought.
D) The southern region of the country receives heavy snowfall from summer to fall.

Question 5

What is the major source for information about Aryan India?

A) the Vedas
B) archaeological remains
C) Harappan cities
D) legal texts

Question 6

Which of these is True of Harappan and later Indian civilizations?

A) Harappan culture continued uninterrupted until about 100 C.E.
B) Harappan culture disappeared, with no legacy for later Indian civilization.
C) Harappan civilization disappeared, but left a cultural legacy.
D) Harappan civilization is essentially the culture of modern India and Pakistan.

Question 7

Upon which of the following basic doctrines did Jains and Buddhists agree?

A) The concept of reincarnation is a myth.
B) All souls should strive to attain moksha.
C) The caste system should be rejected.
D) There is only one god.

Question 8

Which of these was NOT a shared trait of early Harappan and Mesopotamian civilizations?

A) brick-walled cities
B) cuneiform
C) raised citadels
D) origins along a major river

Question 9

A Kshatriya who fulfilled his dharma and had good karma would likely be reborn as a(n)

A) Dravidian.
B) Shudra.
C) untouchable.
D) Brahmin.

Question 10

Rajahs were the leaders of

A) farming communities
B) small kingdoms
C) large empires
D) villages

Question 11

Which of the following statements regarding the caste system is NOT accurate?

A) Initially, the warrior class was at the top of the social scale.
B) Initially, classes were not rigidly defined and social mobility was highly possible.
C) The Shudras were the most privileged class.
D) The Brahmins were believed to possess the ability to communicate with the gods.

Question 12

Which of these best describes the Vedas?

A) literary epics
B) religious hymns
C) law codes
D) historical narratives

Question 13

The peoples that created Vedic India were part of what larger group?

A) the Sea Peoples
B) the Persians
C) the Neanderthals
D) the Indo-Europeans

Question 14

In the Hindu caste system, the Kshatriyas were

A) merchants.
B) untouchables.
C) peasants.
D) warriors.

Question 15

By about what date did agricultural communities appear in the Indus Valley?

A) 10,000 B.C.E.
B) 2000 B.C.E.
C) 7000 B.C.E.
D) 300 B.C.E.

Question 16

India is separated from Tibet by the

A) Indus River Valley.
B) Himalaya Mountains.
C) Hindu Kush.
D) Deccan Plateau.

Question 17

In the Hindu caste system, the Shudras were

A) merchants.
B) untouchables.
C) servants.
D) warriors.

Question 18

Which of these was the main food crop in the Indus Valley civilization?

A) corn
B) barley
C) rice
D) wheat

Question 19

The early Aryans differed from the Harappan peoples in being

A) pastoral nomads.
B) farmers.
C) traders.
D) hunter-gatherers.

Question 20

In the Hindu caste system, the Brahmins were

A) merchants.
B) priests.
C) peasants.
D) warriors.

Question 21

What was the focus of the monotheistic aspect of Hinduism?

A) Brahman
B) Shiva
C) Vishnu
D) Krishna

Question 22

The Ganges river is sacred to

A) Buddhists.
B) Jains.
C) Ashoka.
D) Hindus.

Question 23

Siddhartha tried to live a life of strict ahimsa and self-denial. What conclusion did he draw about such a lifestyle?

A) That self-denial was the only True way to end suffering.
B) That extreme self-denial was no more fulfilling than a life of indulgence.
C) That True satisfaction came from allowing oneself to experience earthly pleasures.
D) That the Hindu priests were suffering needlessly.

Question 24

What benefit resulted from the Persian presence in India?

A) Indian unification
B) unprecedented trade connections
C) Indian independence
D) agricultural advancements

Question 25

The ultimate goal of Buddhism is

A) moksha.
B) samsara.
C) dharma.
D) nirvana.

Question 26

Which of the following statements about Buddhism is NOT True?

A) Buddhists believe in following the Eightfold Path.
B) Buddhists are monotheistic.
C) Buddhists follow the teachings of Siddhartha.
D) Buddhists believe in living a righteous, peaceful life.

Question 27

Which of these was the religion of the Vedic age that became most prominent in the Post-Vedic age?

A) Theravada Buddhism
B) Mahayana Buddhism
C) Jainism
D) Hinduism

Question 28

Which of these provided the most important influence on Ashoka's rule?

A) Sikhism
B) Hinduism
C) Jainism
D) Buddhism

Question 29

Depictions of Siddhartha seated in the meditation position originated during the empire of

A) Ashoka.
B) Chandragupta.
C) Kanishka.
D) Mahavira.

Question 30

The prophet and founder of Jainism was

A) Siddhartha.
B) Ashoka.
C) Mahavira.
D) Ashvaghosha.

Question 31

The most distinctive doctrine of Jainism is

A) monotheism.
B) nirvana.
C) samsara.
D) ahimsa.

Question 32

Which of the following did NOT occur during the reign of Ashoka?

A) Hospitals were established.
B) The size of the army was reduced.
C) Numerous roads were constructed.
D) Wells were dug for water.

Question 33

Which of the following did NOT occur under the Mauryan Empire?

A) Chandragupta developed a huge army.
B) Chandragupta employed a network of spies.
C) Chandragupta developed an impressive system of roads.
D) Chandragupta rejected all Persian and Macedonian customs in an effort to retain elements of traditional culture.

Question 34

Which of the following statements about the Buddha is INCORRECT?

A) His real name was Siddhartha.
B) He was raised as a Jain.
C) He believed that suffering could be eradicated by controlling desires.
D) He believed that following the "Eightfold Path" would result in a life of righteousness.

Question 35

Which of the following was NOT a contributing factor to the collapse of the Mauryan Empire?

A) the death of Ashoka
B) financial difficulties
C) government corruption
D) a reduced military

Question 36

Which of the following was NOT a contributing factor to Chandragupta Maurya's rise to power?

A) Alexander's death
B) the expansion of the Persian Empire
C) adoption of Macedonian military tactics
D) an agreement between Maurya and his former lieutenant

Question 37

Which of these remained a minority in India in the Post-Vedic age?

A) Theravada Buddhism
B) Mahayana Buddhism
C) Jainism
D) Hinduism

Question 38

Ashoka did all of the following EXCEPT

A) defeat his brother in a civil war.
B) expand his empire through force.
C) send family members to Sri Lanka to spread Buddhism.
D) close Jain and Hindu places of worship.

Question 39

Which of the following doctrines do Jains, Buddhists, and Hindus share?

A) respect for all life forms
B) adherence to the caste system
C) practice of extreme self-denial
D) attainment of moksha

Question 40

Which of the following doctrines do Buddhists and Hindus share?

A) reincarnation
B) moksha
C) caste system
D) nirvana

Question 41

Which of these was supported by the Code of Manu?

A) the caste system
B) the Harappan law code
C) Jainism
D) Buddhism

Question 42

Ancient India differed from ancient China, Persia, and Rome in that India

A) was more religious.
B) never amassed a large army.
C) was unable to build a long lasting empire.
D) was more philosophical and less concerned with government.

Question 43

During post-Vedic India, the practice of women cremating themselves on their dead husbands' funeral pyres became more prevalent. This practice is called

A) karma.
B) dharma.
C) sati.
D) moksha.

Question 44

The Mahabharata is the world's longest epic poem.

Question 45

In Vedic India, limited social mobility was possible within one's own caste.

Question 46

There is evidence to suggest that the Indus Valley peoples had connections with Mesopotamians.

Question 47

Which of the following does NOT apply to the bodhisattvas?

A) They had already gained enlightenment.
B) Having achieved nirvana, they refused to help others.
C) They were saintly figures.
D) They were revered by Mahayana Buddhists.

Question 48

Which of the following does NOT apply to the reign of Kanishka?

A) His reign marked the high point of Kushan power.
B) His reign facilitated the spread of Jainism.
C) His reign promoted the extension of the empire southward.
D) His reign marked the high point of Buddhist influence in India.

Question 49

What did Kanishka and Ashoka have in common?

A) Both were ruthless dictators.
B) Both were Hindu.
C) Both were Buddhist converts.
D) Both practiced the caste system.

Question 50

Which of the following statements accurately portrays Theravada Buddhism?

A) It promotes a focus on righteous living and enlightenment.
B) It focuses on Buddha as a god.
C) It requires a reliance on the bodhisattvas.
D) It exists as the main belief system in Southeast Asia today.

Question 51

The basic scriptures for the Hindu faith are found in the

A) Bhagavad-Gita.
B) Upanishads.
C) Epic of Gilgamesh.
D) Qur'an.

Question 52

Which of the following does NOT accurately describe gender roles for women during post-Vedic India?

A) Women were expected to remain confined to the home after the death of the spouse.
B) Girls were often betrothed before the age of 10.
C) Girls often married older men upon the onset of puberty.
D) Women retained an equal role in religion.

Question 53

Jainism evolved into a major religion in Asia.

Question 54

Which branch of Buddhism is most widely practiced in China, Korea, and Japan?

A) Mahayana
B) Hinayana
C) Theravada
D) Theistic

Question 55

Stupas were

A) miniature statues of the Buddha.
B) shrines for Hindu gods.
C) domed structures built to house Buddhist relics.
D) alters used for animal sacrifices.

Question 56

The earliest civilization of India was Harappan.

Question 57

Which of the following developments did NOT occur in ancient India?

A) the creation of a number system based on ten
B) the discovery that the earth is a globe revolving on its axis
C) the discovery of the planets' paths
D) the discovery of the 360-degree circle

Question 58

The people most likely to embrace Mahayana Buddhism were

A) monks.
B) merchants.
C) Buddhist elders.
D) people who rejected the Fourth Great Council.

Question 59

Harappan civilization continued virtually unchanged in the Vedic Age.

Question 60

Which of these is a literary epic?

A) the Life of Buddha
B) the Code of Manu
C) the Mahabharata
D) the Rig Veda

Question 61

The Mauryan Empire arose at the time of the Aryan migrations into India.

Question 62

Whose death made possible the rise of Chandragupta Maurya?

Question 63

How did India's religious beliefs differ from the basic religious beliefs of other ancient societies?

Question 64

Evaluate the changes in Ashoka's reign brought about by his conversion to Buddhism.

Question 65

What were the main changes in Indian society and civilization brought about by the Aryan migrations?

Question 66

What were the main lines of Buddhist development both in India and beyond?

Question 67

Which people settled in the Indus River valley near the end of the Harappan civilization?

Question 68

What was the name of the earliest Indian society?

Question 69

The ultimate goal of Buddhism is to attain nirvana.

Question 70

Who were the rajahs?

Question 71

Though a Buddhist, Ashoka practiced religious toleration.

Question 72

What are the main scripture for the Hindu religion?

Question 73

Compare Harappan and Mesopotamian civilization.

Question 74

What part of India was covered by the Gupta Empire?

Question 75

What spurred the development of caste in India?

Question 76

In general, women lost status and personal freedom in the post-Vedic age.

Question 77

Identify Shiva.

Question 78

Which religion emphasized the belief that even insects have souls?

Question 79

Compare and contrast gender roles in Vedic and post-Vedic society.

Question 80

Compare and contrast Hinduism and Buddhism.