Ancient India Test Review

Archaeologists have found ruins of many cities along the Indus River. They date these cities back to about 2000 B.C. The largest cities were Mohenjo Daro and Harappa. These cities were laid out along a precise grid with a fortified citadel and a separate section for residential housing. Engineers provided indoor plumbing and sewer systems so that most houses had private bathrooms and toilets.

What made the cities along the Indus unusual for their time?

• They had walls for protection.
• They were located next to the Indus River.
• They had indoor plumbing and sewer systems.
• They had housing for the people.

"Whoever honors his own [religion] and insults another man's whether from blind loyalty or with the intention of showing his own [religion] in a favorable light, does his own [religion] the greatest possible harm. Acceptance is best, with each hearing and respecting the other's teachings. It is the wish of the [king] that members of all religions should learn from one another and should teach virtue." —From the Edicts of Asoka (268 B.C.)
What did the Mauryan ruler, Asoka, say about how people from different religions should treat each other?

• They should not accept other religions.
• They should respect other religions.
• They should disrespect other religions.
• They should not believe in any religions.

Based on the map, what seem to be the effects of Asoka’s edicts (laws) on Buddhism  throughout Asia?

• Buddhism did not spread anywhere.
• Asoka’s edicts prevented the spread of Buddhism.
• Asoka’s edicts helped the spread of Buddhism.
• Asoka’s edicts had no effect on the spread of Buddhism.

To Hindus every person has an essential self or atman. Some view it as the same as Brahman and others as a form of Brahman. The ultimate goal of existence, Hindus believe, is achieving moksha, or union with Brahman. To do that, individuals must free themselves from selfish desires that separate them from Brahman. Most people cannot achieve moksha in one lifetime, but Hindus believe in reincarnation, or the rebirth of the soul in another bodily form. Reincarnation allows people to continue toward achieving moksha through several lifetimes.
 5.  According to this excerpt, what is the purpose of reincarnation?.

• To live as many lives as possible.
• To achieve as many desires in their lifetime as possible.
• To be reborn into the soul of a great king.
• To become one with Brahman

Based on the chart, what percentage of people in the world today practice Buddhism?

• 25%
• 6%
• 4%
• 12%

One such civilization was the Harappan civilization that developed in the Indus River Valley thousands of years ago. It was not until the 1920s that the world learned of the existence of this civilization. In 1922, a team of archaeologists uncovered one of the cities from the civilization.  A vast region including present-day Pakistan and northern India made up the territory controlled by the Harappan civilization. Rich farmlands provided food for the people in over a hundred cities and towns. Goods were transported to and from the farms by means of a series of canals.  Life was good in this civilization. The people had mastered reading, writing, and arithmetic. People in the cities enjoyed such modern conveniences as indoor plumbing, sewage systems, and heated public baths.
According to the reading, why was life good in Ancient Harappan civilization?

• There were over a hundred cities and towns.
• The ruins were uncovered in the 1920’s.
• The people had indoor plumbing, sewage systems, and heated baths.
• It developed thousands of years ago.

1. "This is the noble truth of [suffering]: birth is [suffering], aging is [suffering], illness is [suffering], death is [suffering]; sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief and despair are [suffering]; union with what is displeasing is [suffering]; separation from what is pleasing is [suffering]; not to get what one wants is [suffering]; in brief, the five aggregates subject to clinging are [suffering]."
2. "This is the noble truth of the origin of [suffering]: it is this craving which leads to renewed existence, accompanied by delight, seeking delight here and there, that is, craving for [physical] pleasures, craving for existence, craving for extermination."
3. "This is the noble truth of the cessation of [suffering]: it is the remainder-less fading away and cessation of that same craving, the giving up and relinquishing of it, freedom from it, no- reliance on it."
4. "This is the noble truth of the way leading to the cessation of [suffering]: it is the Noble Eightfold Path; that is, right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness and right concentration." --Adapted from Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta, translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu
According to the Siddhartha Gautama (the Buddha), what is the origin of people's  suffering?

• seeking delight and craving physical pleasures
• right speech, right action, right effort, and right concentration
• birth, aging, illness, and death
• the Eightfold Path

Which of the following represents a similarity in Hinduism and Buddhism?

• reincarnation
• karma
• moksha
• caste system

What affect did India's mountains and surrounding water have on its early development?

• They provided easy contact with other Asian lands.
• They limited contact between India and the rest of the world.
• They provided unlimited contact with countries to the east and the west.
• They encouraged invasions by other civilizations.

According to the map, where did Buddhism spread before AD 100? 

• across India and into Central Asia
• to Sumatra and Java 
• China, Korea, and Japan
• primarily into Southeast Asia