Deck 2: Ancient India

Question 1

The third-ranked caste, usually viewed as the merchant caste, was the

A) kshatriya.
B) pariah.
C) brahmins.
D) vaisya.
E) sudras.

Answer 1

vaisya.

Question 2

What do archeologists believe about Harappan civilization?

A) That it was ruled by a series of kings
B) That its inhabitants lacked the ability to write
C) That it was a monarchical society
D) That it was the birthplace of Buddhism
E) That it was a primitive culture

Answer 2

That it was a monarchical society

Question 3

People in India belonged to a class not as individuals but as members of a kinship group known as the

A) jati.
B) varna.
C) guru.
D) sati.
E) boyar.

Answer 3

jati.

Question 4

What was the role of the board of censors during the Mauryan Empire?

A) To function as the secret police
B) To prevent corruption and investigate incompetence within the government
C) To monitor and prevent criticism of the Mauryan ruler
D) To oust any remaining Greeks affiliated with Alexander the Great
E) To punish insurgents

Question 5

The southern area of the Indian subcontinent, a region of hills and upland plateau, is called the

A) Ganges River Valley.
B) Indus River Valley.
C) Deccan Plateau.
D) Kara Korum.
E) Hindu Kush.

Question 6

What was true of marriage in ancient India?

A) Unhappy couples could easily divorce.
B) Polygamy was common.
C) Even when there were no sons, women could not inherit property.
D) Widows were revered.
E) Child marriage was not unusual for girls.

Question 7

What were the three "twice-born" castes?

A) Sikh, Hamar and Maltese
B) Sudra, brahmin and kshatriya
C) Vaisya, kshatriya and brahmin
D) Brahmin, bodhi and mahayana
E) Sudra, ashakan and pariah

Question 8

Which statement correctly describes Harappan civilization?

A) It showed no similarity to the civilizations of ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia.
B) Its culture never attained the status of a true civilization.
C) It was much more agricultural than its contemporaries in Egypt and Mesopotamia.
D) It was a collection of over fifteen hundred towns and cities, ruled by landlords and rich merchants.
E) It never developed an urban center of over 3,000 people.

Question 9

The transition the Aryans made from pastoral to primarily agricultural pursuits was aided by the introduction of which of the following?

A) Political decentralization
B) New weapons of warfare
C) Iron
D) Seafaring
E) Trade

Question 10

The members of the caste known as the untouchables, or pariahs, were

A) so holy that they would be contaminated if touched even by high priests.
B) given extensive opportunity to achieve social mobility.
C) required to have a minimum of five children during their lifetimes.
D) composed primarily of priests and financial planners.
E) given jobs such as handling dead bodies or collecting trash.

Question 11

The Indian warrior caste was known as the

A) kshatriya.
B) pariah.
C) brahmin.
D) vaisya.
E) jati.

Question 12

Most scholars believe that the Aryans migrated to ancient India from which region of the world?

A) The steppes north and east of the Black and Caspian Seas
B) The central regions of Mongolia
C) The southern Chinese Highlands
D) The northeastern African Savannah
E) The Nile Valley

Question 13

The Indian priestly caste was known as the

A) kshatriya.
B) pariah.
C) brahmin.
D) vaisya.
E) volcana.

Question 14

What were the Harappan most likely the first to do?

A) Leave written records.
B) Master the cultivation of cotton.
C) Domesticate animals for farming.
D) Create a sustainable navy.
E) Introduce a vital trade network into India.

Question 15

How many social classes existed in India?

A) Two
B) Three
C) Four
D) Five
E) Six

Question 16

Which leader drove Alexander the Great's Greek administrators from India?

A) Ashoka
B) Siddhartha Gautama
C) Xiongnu
D) Chandragupta Maurya
E) Megasthenes

Question 17

Why did Chandragupta Maurya worry that he may be assassinated?

A) He had many enemies in the army of Alexander the Great.
B) He had seized power by violence.
C) He was constantly in conflict with a co-ruler.
D) He learned of a plot by his secret police.
E) He had previously eaten tainted food.

Question 18

Why did the jati class system survive for so many centuries?

A) Indian society could not function without it.
B) It served as a denunciation of any form of welfare.
C) It provided an identity for individuals in a highly hierarchical society where they could always find someone lower in status
D) Indian society could not untangle class status from religious beliefs.
E) It was embraced and reinforced by each succeeding ruler.

Question 19

The two major cities of the Harappan civilization were

A) Gujarat and Panini.
B) both located near the Indian Ocean coast.
C) comprised of over 500,000 inhabitants each.
D) Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa.
E) established on the bank of the Ganges River.

Question 20

According to the Arthasastra,

A) the king was required to rule solely in a despotic manner.
B) the king must choose practical politics over sacred law when the two are in conflict.
C) the king must embrace egalitarian use of political power in the society.
D) the peasants should be given a limited form of self-rule.
E) the rulers were to be morally flawless.

Question 21

Which of the following was a set of commentaries on the Vedas that emphasized spiritual meditation?

A) Upanishads
B) Kamasutra
C) Rig Veda
D) Mahabharata
E) Epistularias

Question 22

Asceticism in ancient Indian religion

A) served as a substitute for sacrificial practices as a means to placate and communicate with the gods.
B) enabled priests to facilitate communication between believers and the gods.
C) was the practice of self-mutilation to communicate with the gods.
D) provided means of firmly establishing one's experiences apart from the realm of spiritual meditative processes.
E) reduced food consumption, as desired by Ashoka.

Question 23

The purpose of the Vedas was to provide

A) an unchanging theological dogma for Hindus.
B) hymns and ritual sacrifices for tribal Aryan religious ceremonies.
C) the historical legacy of the Hindu tradition.
D) commentaries on the tribal Aryan religious beliefs.
E) a story of the decline of Harappa.

Question 24

Gautama said that the way to avoid suffering was to end desire by

A) permanently isolating oneself from the rest of humanity.
B) practicing excessive asceticism.
C) following the "Middle Path."
D) practicing karma exercises.
E) avoiding agricultural projects.

Question 25

The earliest of the Vedas was the

A) Brahmans.
B) Upanishads.
C) Rig Veda.
D) Ramayana.
E) Bodhiyara.

Question 26

Why do historians believe that India was unable to maintain a unified empire?

A) India was unable to profit from its agricultural system.
B) India lacked a dynamic leader.
C) India's declining regional trade fueled the growth of smaller kingdoms and a shift toward agriculture.
D) India's diverse religions divided the people and made unity impossible.
E) India's complex geography made it difficult to unify far-flung sections.

Question 27

Under what conditions could a man legitimately take a second wife in ancient India?

A) If his first wife had an extramarital affair
B) If his first wife was unable to have children
C) If his first wife had little or no dowry
D) If his first wife was unable to perform household chores
E) If his first wife refused to practice sati

Question 28

What did Mahavira, founder of Jainism, preach to his followers?

A) That they follow the "middle way"
B) That they abandon their possessions and become beggars
C) That they practice sati
D) That they embrace education for women
E) That they erect stone pillars in honor of the Buddha

Question 29

The founder of Buddhism was

A) Chandragupta Maurya.
B) Siddhartha Gautama.
C) Mahauira Krishna.
D) Ashoka Gupta.
E) Mahavira.

Question 30

"The Rule of the Fishes" refers to the

A) statement of Buddha about the need to abstain from killing reptiles.
B) view that warfare is glorious and was the primary activity of kings and aristocrats.
C) development of a major marine fishery program under Ashoka.
D) desire of Hindus to eat fish rather than cattle.
E) invasion of the Ganges basis by the Sea Peoples from South Asia.

Question 31

Modern yoga can trace its origins to the ancient practice of

A) karma.
B) dharma.
C) asceticism.
D) sati.
E) samsara.

Question 32

On a practical level, what function did the notion of reincarnation serve?

A) It destroyed the caste system.
B) It provided hope for the lower class.
C) It prevented the assimilation of the poor into Indian society.
D) It weakened the authority of Jainism.
E) It increased the popularity of Buddhism.

Question 33

A key difference between Hinduism and Buddhism was that Buddhism

A) claimed that each individual possessed a unique soul, capable of reincarnation.
B) believed in an unyielding caste structure.
C) was simpler and rejected the numerous Hindu gods.
D) required belief in a different, two-tier caste system.
E) originated in Mongolia, Siddhartha's birthplace.

Question 34

What happened after Ashoka's conversion to Buddhism?

A) He founded Jainism.
B) He attempted to foster a system of fair trade with neighboring regions.
C) He had trees planted and shelters built to provide respite for travelers.
D) He brought Buddhism to Sri Lanka.
E) He made Hinduism illegal.

Question 35

Which statement about the relationship between the Indus River and Aryan cultures is correct?

A) The incoming Aryan culture destroyed the native Indus culture and its heritage.
B) Elements of both cultures provided creative impulses for ancient Indian civilization.
C) Both groups lived in harmony together, after the establishment of a strong central government.
D) Both groups assisted each other militarily to ward off a common threat from outside.
E) The two cultures were constantly at war.

Question 36

Which belief stated that the status of an individual's soul was the result of actions that soul committed in a previous existence?

A) Satya
B) Dharma
C) Karma
D) Sati
E) Khalid

Question 37

After the decline of the Mauryan Empire, the new kingdom that was founded by nomadic warriors in Bactria was the

A) Macedonian Empire.
B) Chan Empire.
C) Kushan Kingdom.
D) Shungas Republic.
E) Xiongnu Empire.

Question 38

The ultimate goal of all Hindus is to

A) attain a blissful, eternal afterlife.
B) attain an ultimate spiritual reunion with Brahman and escape the cycle of existence.
C) attain eternal life by exchanging one's karma for Atman.
D) be reborn again and again.
E) achieve enlightenment in the Western Paradise.

Question 39

What was the hallmark of gender relationships in ancient Indian society?

A) Men and women were only equal in education and religious service.
B) Male superiority over females touched every aspect of marital life.
C) Marriage was eternal; neither partner could remarry if widowed.
D) Descent was matrilineal.
E) Women and men contributed equally to the family income.

Question 40

Women who did not consent to sati were

A) unknown.
B) disgraced.
C) widely praised.
D) forced to do so by husbands.
E) banned from the Buddhist faith.

Question 41

After the decline of the Mauryan Empire, the new kingdom that was founded by nomadic warriors in Bactria was the

A) Macedonian Empire.
B) Chan Empire.
C) Kushan Kingdom.
D) Shungas Republic.
E) Xiongnu Empire.

Question 42

The main trio of the polytheistic gods in India are

A) Shiva the Destroyer, Vishnu the Preserver, and Brahman the Creator
B) Shiva the Destroyer, Indra the Creator, and Agni the Fire God.
C) Varuna the Almighty, Krishna the Warrior, and Siddartha Gautuma.
D) Ganesha of good fortune, Kali of Death, and Zuul the gatekeeper.
E) None of these are correct.

Question 43

The founder of Buddhism was

A) Chandragupta Maurya.
B) Siddhartha Gautama.
C) Mahauira Krishna.
D) Ashoka Gupta.
E) Mahavira.

Question 44

Why don't historians know much about the organization of Indus society?

A) They have been unable to decipher the writing system.
B) There is scant archaeological evidence.
C) The organization is so different from other cultures, it has created confusion.
D) There appears to have been little organization in Indus society.
E) Historians have traditionally not studied Indus society until recently.

Question 45

Which of these items was NOT exported by India?

A) Spices
B) Teakwood
C) Perfume
D) Wild animals
E) Gold

Question 46

The purpose of Ashoka's great polished sandstone pillars was to

A) commemorate events in Buddha's life.
B) mark pilgrim routes to Daoist holy places.
C) warn aliens to leave India.
D) provide propaganda for Kautilya's government.
E) celebrate his victories over Alexander the Great.

Question 47

The three major forms of architecture in ancient India had which of the following in common?

A) They were largely formulaic and followed a set pattern.
B) They are embellished with figures that give them a sense of nature and the vitality of life.
C) They forbid the representation of people and animals.
D) They reflected the philosophies of Buddhism but not other religions.
E) They were largely developed as secular monuments by kings.

Question 48

The Mahabharata

A) describes the peaceful relations between Aryan cousins.
B) details the activities of Hindu rulers.
C) serves as a tale of moral confrontation and ethics..
D) contains Krishna's sermon in which he advocates the value of success or failure as the paramount objective in all activities.
E) sharply attacks belief in karma as irrational.

Question 49

The Indian term dharma referred to laws setting behavioral standards for which groups in Indian society?

A) bodhis and kshatriyas.
B) rajas and maharajas.
C) the Dao.
D) the untouchables.
E) all inhabitants of India, of all classes.

Question 50

Asceticism in ancient Indian religion

A) served as a substitute for sacrificial practices as a means to placate and communicate with the gods.
B) enabled priests to facilitate communication between believers and the gods.
C) enhanced sacrificial practices.
D) provided means of firmly establishing one's experiences apart from the realm of spiritual meditative processes.
E) reduced food consumption, as desired by Ashoka.

Question 51

Indian farmers faced all of the following problems EXCEPT

A) high taxes for land-owners.
B) the unpredictability of the climate.
C) government control of crop prices.
D) heavy rents for sharecroppers.
E) the whims of the marketplace.

Question 52

Ancient Indian scientific activities

A) were based on ideas much like those of Arabia.
B) were notably lacking in astronomical interest.
C) included the development of the idea that the earth was a sphere.
D) were much more significant than Indian religious innovations.
E) caused the Indian scientists to be renowned for their world domination in alchemy.

Question 53

Ashoka was most notable for

A) his conversion to Buddhism and facilitating its spread through India.
B) conquering the Tamil portion of India.
C) overseeing the writing of the Vedas.
D) fighting an extensive war against Alexander the Great.
E) None of these are correct.

Question 54

Which of the following was the most significant factor of Chandragupta Maurya's reign?

A) His alliance with Alexander the Great.
B) His adoption of Buddhism and making it the official religion of the kingdom.
C) His centralization of the first dynasty to control much of India.
D) His production of sacred texts including the Upanishads.
E) His engagement in long-distance trade with the Roman Empire.

Question 55

The first money system in India probably came into existence from

A) coins of gold and copper from the Middle East
B) cowrie shells
C) the occupation of Alexander the Great
D) the Aryan migration
E) the Mauryan government's centralized control of silver mines

Question 56

What was the major purpose of Sanskrit after it declined as a spoken language?

A) To serve as a base for the languages that developed afterward.
B) To issue edicts of law, particularly religious law.
C) To be spoken by the elites as a form of their status.
D) To be used as the language of bureaucracy and literary expression.
E) To serve as the main language for religious ritual.

Question 57

What were stupas originally intended to be?

A) A place to house a relic of Ashoka
B) A place to house a relic of the Buddha
C) A site where creative arts, such as painting, could develop
D) A home for Vishnu
E) A site honoring Hindu gods

Question 58

The Ramayana

A) is a presentation of Indian values such as duty over self-indulgence.
B) ignores the relationship of gods and animals in human life.
C) is a realistic depiction of Indian life.
D) describes an Aryan attack on Delhi.
E) is the name of the warrior caste.

Question 59

The numerical system we know as 'Arabic numerals' was

A) devised in ancient India.
B) unknown in ancient India.
C) imported and used by ancient Indians.
D) imported and used only by modern Indians.
E) adapted from Sanskrit numbering systems.

Question 60

Why did Ashoka construct the rock chambers?

A) To house monks and wandering ascetics
B) To find a creative use for mountain rock
C) To make a sacrifice to the gods
D) To emulate similar structures in Rome
E) To have a central location for the practice of sati

Question 61

After the fall of the Mauryan dynasty, the Indian subcontinent was immediately reunified under the Gupta dynasty.

Question 62

The Arthasastra has been compared to Machiavelli's The Prince for its emphasis on the ends rather than the means.

Question 63

The caste system was in part a reflection of the light-skinned Aryans conquest of the dark-skinned Dravidians.

Question 64

The caste system created by the Aryans most reflected an informal division of labor.

Question 65

Most of what is known today about the Aryans in India comes from the Rig Veda.

Question 66

Siddartha taught that the ultimate reality of the physical world was an illusion that had to be transcended.

Question 67

Asceticism was practiced in Christianity, Islam, and Hinduism.

Question 68

Harappan civilization evolved along the Ganges River.

Question 69

The Law of Manu describes women's complete subordination to men in ancient India.

Question 70

The inhabitants of Harappan culture left no written record.

Question 71

Two of the world's major religions, Hinduism and Zoroastrianism, originated in India.

Question 72

The Bhagavad Gita is a sermon which argues that moral rightness must be the only motivation for any action.

Question 73

The language of the Vedas was Prakrit, the language of bureaucracy and literary expression.

Question 74

The Indus Valley economy was based primarily on agriculture.

Question 75

Archaeologists have discovered the remains of over one thousand small agriculture settlements in the Indus River Valley.

Question 76

The Aryans introduced agriculture to the Indian subcontinent.

Question 77

Most researchers today agree that Aryans were a people originally indigenous to Ancient India.

Question 78

In comparison to Hinduism, Buddhism was much less egalitarian.

Question 79

After the fall of the Mauryan dynasty, the Indian subcontinent was immediately reunified under the Gupta dynasty.

Question 80

In comparison to Hinduism, Buddhism was much less egalitarian and accepted class differences.