Deck 7: India and Southeast Asia

Question 1

The Brahmins may have delayed the introduction of writing because

A)religious rituals depended on the performance of incantations.
B)oral tradition had survived so long that they did not have a written form of Sanskrit until much later.
C)they were trying to protect their status within society as the keepers of knowledge.
D)they were opposed to the introduction of foreign technology.
E)they didn't oppose writing; we just haven't translated it yet.

Answer 1

they were trying to protect their status within society as the keepers of knowledge.

Question 2

The Hindu word moksha means

A)reincarnation.
B)love.
C)peace.
D)liberation.
E)wisdom.

Answer 2

liberation.

Question 3

The "Eightfold Path" of right views includes all of the following EXCEPT

A)speech.
B)conduct.
C)meditation.
D)effort.
E)critical thought.

Answer 3

critical thought.

Question 4

Jainism founder Mahavira and his followers practiced strict

A)agriculture.
B)nonviolence.
C)sexuality.
D)polygamy.
E)All of these are correct.

Question 5

The collection of Indian detailed prose descriptions of procedures for ritual and sacrifice is the

A)Rig Veda.
B)Upanishads.
C)Dammapada.
D)Brahmanas .
E)Bhagavad Gita .

Question 6

The seasonal winds in the Indian Ocean caused by the differences in temperature between the rapidly heating and cooling landmasses of Africa and Asia and the slowly changing ocean waters are called

A)tsunamis.
B)waterspouts.
C)monsoons.
D)typhoons.
E)hurricanes.

Question 7

A persistent discrimination problem in Indian society is traceable to the Vedic Age, which placed on the top of its social ladder

A)Aryas, who spoke Dravidian and were pushed into the south.
B)Aryas, who were Indo-European and lighter skinned.
C)Dasas, who spoke Indo-European and lived in the north.
D)Dasas, who spoke an unrelated dialect that hasn't been translated.
E)a distraction allowed the Tamils to overthrow both.

Question 8

Which class controlled Indian ritual sacrifices?

A)Shudra
B)Brahmin
C)Vaishya
D)Kshatriya
E)None of these is correct.

Question 9

The ultimate spiritual reward in Buddhism is

A)material wealth.
B)nirvana.
C)everlasting life in heaven.
D)union with the ancestors.
E)union with the gods.

Question 10

The varna system developed in order to create

A)a uniform legal code in India.
B)social order between groups.
C)standardized religious beliefs.
D)an integrated economic system to aid merchants.
E)a trained army of citizen soldiers.

Question 11

Religious texts are the main source of information about what historical period?

A)The Vedic Age
B)The Monsoon Years
C)The Indus Period
D)The Ganges Era
E)The Mauryan Empire.

Question 12

In Indian culture, a person's immortal essence is called their

A)karma.
B)jati.
C)varna.
D)atman.
E)grace.

Question 13

The meaning of the word Buddha is

A)"Moderation."
B)"Middle Path."
C)"Wheel of the Law."
D)"Enlightened One."
E)"Snuffing out the Flame."

Question 14

Buddhism and Jainism gained popularity in the late Vedic period because

A)they tapped into the wellspring of popular discontent with the status and ranking of Brahmins.
B)there was more trade going on with China and missionaries were sent.
C)naturalistic religions were felt to be more in keeping with the sky-gods of old.
D)they offered insight or enlightenment as a path to salvation instead of rituals.
E)each posited polygamy as an option.

Question 15

In both length and breadth, the Indian "subcontinent" is roughly how large?

A)500 miles
B)1000 miles
C)1500 miles
D)2000 miles
E)2500 miles

Question 16

Three harvests each year have been possible in some parts of India because of

A)the volcanic nature of the Indian soil.
B)the conservative crops grown in India.
C)high rainfall from the monsoons.
D)traditionally advanced agricultural techniques.
E)the construction of aqueducts for irrigation.

Question 17

Siddhartha Gautama articulated the "Four Noble Truths," which taught that life is suffering, that suffering is caused by desire, that the solution to suffering is curbing one's desires, and that

A)desire can be curbed by following the Eightfold Path.
B)life is mystical and ephemeral.
C)the meaning of life can be understood by worshiping a plethora of gods and deities.
D)humanity is sinful by nature.
E)the worship of God is the highest calling of man.

Question 18

Which of the following is not a way women are depicted in Vedic literature?

A)as slaves to men
B)as strong and resourceful
C)as property owners
D)as composers of religious hymns
E)as students of sacred lore

Question 19

The underlying message of the cycle of reincarnation is that you are where you deserve to be, and the only way to improve your lot in the next cycle of existence is to

A)strive for economic success.
B)be the best and strongest human being you can be.
C)accept your current situation and its attendant duties.
D)always work to change your life and the world around you.
E)Enlightenment is the right of all of humanity.

Question 20

Calling into question the priests exclusive hold on salvation, which of the following was a way that individuals sought an alternative path to salvation?

A)practicing yoga
B)practicing meditation
C)eating a special diet
D)moving to the forest
E)All of these are correct.

Question 21

The major reason the Mauryan Empire collapsed was

A)overextension.
B)demand for resources by the army and bureaucracy.
C)the nonmaterialist part of Buddhism as espoused by Ashoka, which caused economic collapse.
D)conquest by the Mongols.
E)religious revolts against Buddhism led by Brahmins eager to regain their power.

Question 22

"Arabic numerals" were actually developed in

A)Arabia.
B)Persia.
C)China.
D)India.
E)Europe.

Question 23

Buddhists who had found enlightenment and were on the eve of nirvana but who chose to be reborn into a new body in order to help others along the path of salvation were called

A)kshatria.
B)bodhisattva.
C)stupas.
D)skyclad.
E)red-hat.

Question 24

Which Hindu deity is most popular in the Dravidian south of India?

A)Shiva
B)Deva
C)Vishnu
D)Krishna
E)Kali

Question 25

Hinduism can be described as an evolution of the Vedic religions because it had roots in Buddhism and south Indian religious practices, and

A)it adapted its notions of eternal time to be closer to those of Buddhism and therefore attract more followers.
B)it focused on fewer gods and became a more organized religion.
C)it was based on the Vedas, but these were finally written down in an orthodox form with prescribed formats.
D)it combined Aryan and Dravidian elements.
E)unlike Buddhism, Hinduism argues that the atman evolves into an enlightened spirit that retains the self.

Question 26

Which ritual required a woman to cremate herself on her husband's funeral pyre?

A)Satyagraha
B)Sati
C)Shudra
D)Sutra
E)None of these is correct.

Question 27

One of the most sacred places for pilgrimage in Hinduism is

A)the Deccan plain.
B)Shiva's temple in Bengal.
C)the Khyber pass.
D)the top of the Himalayas.
E)the Ganges River.

Question 28

One of the most important contributions made by Gupta intellectuals was the development of the

A)the concept of zero.
B)an astronomical telescope.
C)a written Indian language.
D)a maritime compass.
E)gunpowder.

Question 29

The most important form of Indian sacred literature is the

A)the Iliad and the Odyssey .
B)the Vedas and the Upanishads.
C)The Tripitaka and The Collected Works of Nagarjuna .
D)The Epic of Gilgamesh and The Laws of Manu .
E)Bhagavad Gita.

Question 30

One of the most common forms of worship in Hinduism is doing service to a deity by bathing, clothing, or feeding its statue is called

A)puja.
B)avataras.
C)stupas.
D)bodhisattvas.
E)theravada.

Question 31

What was the greatest advantage of the Gupta Empire army?

A)Trebuchets
B)A well-armed cavalry
C)An elaborate spy network
D)Gunpowder from the Xiongnu
E)The imperial road system

Question 32

The idea of gods having avatars is demonstrated in Devi/Kali, who represents

A)fertility and old age.
B)planting and harvesting.
C)fire and water.
D)creation and destruction.
E)chaos and order.

Question 33

Why is the Gupta Empire described as a "theater-state"?

A)It used actors as administrative officials.
B)It hired foreign armies to enforce policies.
C)It shared the wealth of the empire with all equally.
D)The splendor and ceremonies of court advertised the benefits of empire.
E)They sacrificed their enemies in an open theater.

Question 34

The mandala (circle)theory of foreign policy may be summarized as follows:

A)"Peace in our time."
B)"Strike first."
C)"My enemy's enemy is my friend."
D)"It is better to be feared than loved."
E)"An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind."

Question 35

Which of the following has not been a factor in India's habitual political fragmentation?

A)the extremely varied Indian landscape
B)the many different forms of economic activity
C)India's complex social hierarchy
D)many languages and cultural practices
E)repeated interference by China in Indian affairs

Question 36

Ashoka converted to Buddhism and became a unique leader because

A)of his visions and revelations.
B)of his lifetime dedication to nonviolence, morality, and moderation.
C)of Buddhist support for his government policies.
D)he was overwhelmed by the brutality of his early conquests.
E)of his abdication in favor of Siddhartha Gautama.

Question 37

The three Tamil kingdoms were known for which intellectual output?

A)Standardization of Sanskrit
B)Development of iron technology
C)Great literary and artistic productivity
D)A scientific center of astronomy
E)Building the first university in India

Question 38

What was India's first centralized empire?

A)Arthashastra
B)Mauryan
C)Brahmin
D)Kushan
E)Gupta

Question 39

Buddhists who followed the original teachings of the Buddha were called practitioners of Theravada, while those who followed more popular newer features were called

A)practitioners of Aryanism.
B)"embracers of the new concepts."
C)Yogacarans.
D)practitioners of Mahayana.
E)the School of the Lightning Bolt.

Question 40

Over time, the old Vedic religion transformed into

A)Buddhism.
B)Hinduism.
C)Jainism.
D)All of these are correct.
E)None of these is correct.

Question 41

Discuss the effects of polytheism and the lack of unification in India prior to Ashoka.

Question 42

Instructions: Answer the following question(s).
The chapter opener takes an excerpt from the Bhagavad Gita . How is the story of Arjuna and Krishna an apt metaphor for understanding the meaning of God in Hinduism as well as the importance of karma and reincarnation?

Question 43

During the Gupta period, India developed an extensive land and sea-trading network by exporting what products largely in exchange for Chinese silk and Indonesian spices?

A)bricks, spices, and porcelain
B)cotton cloth, ivory, metalwork, and animals
C)slaves, sugar, and lapis lazuli
D)cattle, blue dye, and sandalwood
E)religious implements, incense, and paraffin

Question 44

What was the condition of Indian women during the Gupta Empire? What important factors affected women's lives?

Question 45

The Bhagavad Gita is a renowned sacred text, and it contains one of the most compelling attempts to .

Question 46

Most of Southeast Asia's early commerce was conducted with

A)India and China.
B)the Sasanid Empire.
C)Egypt.
D)Armenia.
E)the Scythians.

Question 47

The Srivijayan kingdom is renowned for allying with Buddhists to build one of the most famous temples in

A)Sri Lanka.
B)Singapore.
C)Borobodur.
D)Funan.
E)Malacca.

Question 48

Southeast Asia is described as a "geologically active zone," meaning that

A)it has open plains that are excellent for herding animals.
B)it has river valleys mixed with a warm dry climate, perfect for agriculture.
C)it has dry, rocky soil and heavy rainfall, which promote microorganisms.
D)the islands are the tops of a chain of volcanoes.
E)it suffers plate tectonic activity.

Question 49

Which of the following are not among the plant and animal species that thrive in Southeast Asia?

A)rice and soybeans
B)coconuts, bananas, and sugar cane
C)chickens and pigs
D)yams and cocoyams
E)wheat and maize

Question 50

What has been the role of the monsoon on the Indian subcontinent?

Question 51

Malay rulers borrowed what Sanskrit term for king, reflecting the important influence of Indian culture?

A)Swidden
B)Kushan
C)Arthashastra
D)Maharaja
E)Malacca

Question 52

The first major Southeast Asian center, Funan, dominated what key location for trade?

A)Hong Kong
B)Bo Hai
C)The Isthmus of Kra
D)Indonesia
E)The South China Sea

Question 53

Which of the following were Hindu-Buddhist influences from India into the Malay region?

A)models of bureaucracy
B)ceremonial practices
C)forms of artistic representation
D)employed priests and scribes
E)All of these are correct.

Question 54

Describe the agricultural and navigational practices of the Malay peoples in Southeast Asia.

Question 55

Why is India referred to as a subcontinent?

Question 56

The Gupta Empire collapsed in 550 CE

A)when Emperor Gupta was charged with corruption.
B)when the Mandate of Heaven signaled the end of the dynasty.
C)after invasions by the Huns of Central Asia.
D)when popular sovereignty became the will of the people.
E)due to overspending on temple construction.

Question 57

Describe the rise and importance of the Mauryan Empire.

Question 58

Describe the aftermath of the collapse of the Indus River Valley civilization and the advent of the Vedic Age in terms of geography, technology, and class divisions.

Question 59

At the end of the Vedic period, the authority of the Brahmins was challenged by individuals seeking new spiritual answers. What was the result of this challenge?

Question 60

The strategic importance of Southeast Asia was due to regional natural resources and the region first rose to prominence because

A)it was safe from Mongol and Chinese invasions.
B)of its high population density.
C)it was an intermediary in regional trade.
D)of plentiful rainfall and tropical temperatures.
E)of abundant natural resources.

Question 61

When the Buddha died, he urged his followers to .