Question 1

The first urban society in India developed in

Accepted Answer

The Indus River Valley, specifically in the cities of Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro, is where the first urban society in India developed around 2600 BCE.

Question 2

The Indus Valley Civilization traded with the city of Ur,based on the evidence of

Accepted Answer

The presence of an Indus seal in Ur is the most conclusive evidence of trade between the two civilizations.

Question 3

How many periods of rain did the monsoon patterns bring each year?

Accepted Answer

The monsoon patterns typically bring two periods of rain each year, which occur in the summer and the winter.

Question 4

The earliest Indian farmers planted

Accepted Answer

According to historical records, the earliest Indian farmers primarily planted wheat and barley. While other crops such as rice and millet were also cultivated, these two grains were the most important staples in ancient India.

Question 5

What is the source of India's main rivers,the Indus and the Ganges?

Accepted Answer

The Himalayan Mountains are the source of both the Indus and the Ganges rivers.

Question 6

The concept of dharma occurs repeatedly in Ashoka's inscriptions.He uses the word to mean the teachings of the Buddha who asked what of each individual follower?

Accepted Answer

Ashoka uses the concept of dharma to refer to the teachings of the Buddha, which included following correct conduct according to the laws and customs of society. The other options are not consistent with the Buddhist teachings that Ashoka emphasized.

Question 7

How did Ashoka travel around his empire?

Accepted Answer

Ashoka traveled around his empire on elephants. He is known to have had a vast number of elephants, which he used not only for transportation but also in battle.

Question 8

India is surrounded by major bodies of water,which include the

Accepted Answer

India is surrounded by the Bay of Bengal on the east and the Arabian Sea on the west.

Question 9

In exchange for shells,Mesopotamia imported what trade good from the Indus Valley?

Accepted Answer

The answer of  In exchange for shells,Mesopotamia imported what trade...

Question 10

Under Ashoka's rule,despite having a history of being disunited,what concept provided a major unifying force?

Accepted Answer

Under Ashoka's rule, religion, specifically Buddhism, provided a major unifying force. Ashoka was a devout Buddhist and his policies encouraged the spread of Buddhism throughout his empire, which helped to unite people of different regions and castes under a common faith.

Question 11

Harappan buildings were made of

Accepted Answer

Harappan buildings were mostly made of mud brick, also known as baked brick. This is because of the abundance of clay in the region and the lack of other suitable building materials. Some buildings, such as public structures, were also constructed using sandstone and other stones, but this was not as common compared to mud brick.

Question 12

Which of the following factors has limited the information available to scholars studying the Harappan society?

Accepted Answer

The Harappan script, also known as the Indus script, has not been deciphered yet, which limits scholars' understanding of the written records left behind by the Harappan society. Other factors such as building materials, invasions, national turmoil, and limited scholarly comparisons may also contribute to the limited information available, but none of them are as significant as the undeciphered script.

Question 13

Indo-European languages are believed to have spread from herding peoples originally from this region:

Accepted Answer

The Pontic Steppe, also known as the Eurasian Steppe, is a vast grassland region stretching from Ukraine to Mongolia. It is believed to be the original homeland of the Indo-European language family, from which many modern languages, such as English, Spanish, Hindi, and Russian, evolved. Herding peoples who lived in this region around 4000-2500 BCE are thought to have originated the expansion of Indo-European languages.

Question 14

In addition to chronicling his thoughts,ideas and movements,Ashoka spread the word of the Buddha by

Accepted Answer

Ashoka spread the word of the Buddha by having inscriptions and texts carved into stone pillars which were placed throughout his empire. These pillars were written in several different languages and provided information about Buddhist teachings, morality and ethics, and Ashoka's own conversion to Buddhism. They were a unique way of promoting Buddhism without force, as they were accessible to all but could be ignored by those who were not interested.

Question 15

Even though his armies were victorious,why did Ashoka feel remorse after the Battle of Kalinga?

Accepted Answer

Ashoka felt remorse after the Battle of Kalinga because the massive slaughter on both sides weighed heavily on his mind, despite his armies being victorious.

Question 16

Other than the stone pillars of Ashoka,what did Indians write on before the third century B.C.E.?

Accepted Answer

Before the third century B.C.E., Indians wrote on palm leaves which were bound together to form books.

Question 17

Sanskrit made the study of South Asia more comprehensible because it

Accepted Answer

Sanskrit is an Indo-European language and shares many core vocabulary words with other Indo-European languages such as Latin, Greek, and English. This makes the study of South Asia more comprehensible for scholars who have a foundation in these languages. It is not related to Arabic or Semitic languages, nor is it related to Chinese or the Harappan language.

Question 18

The modern inhabitants of north India speak an Indo-European language descended from Sanskrit called

Accepted Answer

The modern inhabitants of north India speak Hindi, which is an Indo-European language descended from Sanskrit. Sanskrit heavily influenced the development of Hindi and many other modern Indian languages. Greek and Egyptian are not related to Hindi or Sanskrit, and while Dravidian languages are spoken in southern India, they are not related to Hindi or Sanskrit.

Question 19

Since Harappan writing has not been translated,scholars have studied other sources existing at the same time and have concluded that among their more important trading partners were the

Accepted Answer

Scholars have studied correspondence exchanged between Harappan cities and Mesopotamian cities, as well as artifacts and goods from Mesopotamia found in Harappan sites. This suggests that Mesopotamia was a significant trading partner during the Harappan civilization.

Question 20

Since there is no written evidence available,what other evidence have scholars used to explain the social stratification of the Harappan Era society?

Accepted Answer

Archaeologists have studied the residences of different sizes and complexity, which indicates classes based on wealth. This is the most reliable evidence available to explain the social stratification of the Harappan Era society since there is no written evidence available. Assumptions based on other contemporary societies or those that existed after the Harappan are not as reliable as evidence based on the actual remains of the society itself.

Quiz 3: Ancient India and the Rise of Buddhism, 2600 BCE- 100 Ce