Ancient India

The Aryan conquerors of the Indian subcontinent, established a social system most resembling which of the following?

• Slavery

• Social Equality

• Democracy

• Segregation

Which of the following most accurately explains why the Aryans chose to establish the caste system in ancient India?

• The Aryans wanted to create a government system in which every member of society – including the conquered – were given equal power and equal access.

• They created the caste system to ensure that major engineering projects – needed to ensure the success of the civilization -- could be completed in a timely manner.

• They established the caste system – an agricultural policy that ensured crops lands were not harvested too frequently – so that the population had a plentiful supply of food.

• The Aryans wanted to create a system to control the conquered populations of India, maintain order and keep them at the top of the social hierarchy.

Based on information presented in the text, with which of the following would the author most likely agree?

• Ashoka, though inspired by many of the influential men that preceded him, did very little to change or enhance life in ancient India.

• Ashoka, despite his many accomplishments, is most remembered for his military genius and his victories on the battlefield.

• Ashoka, building upon the accomplishments of preceding generations, fulfilled the goals of Chandragupta by creating a stronger, more stable, more prosperous Indian state.

• Ashoka, though given the title “Great,” did little to set himself apart from previous generations and even less to benefit ancient India.

Based on information presented in the text, which of the following would most accurately align [match] with Ashoka’s philosophies after the Battle of Kalinga?

• “I will destroy my rivals and bathe the land in their blood.”

• “This cannot continue, I must improve this land, make it prosperous and safe for all of my people.”

• “I will not let this happen again, I will relinquish my crown and give power to my rivals so that the bloodshed can end.”

• “I have committed so much injustice. I cannot hope to correct what I have done; therefore, I am leaving India forever to allow others to do what I could not.”

Which of the following most accurately describes the leadership philosophy of the Guptas?

• “To teach our rivals and our enemies of lesson, we must crush any who oppose us and enforce our will on all our subjects without hesitation and without mercy.”

• The Gupta state was a state where the leaders demanded absolute power and unquestioned obedience in all social, economic and political matters.

• The Gupta leaders, though fairly tolerant of their subjects, viewed themselves as superior to all and therefore required their subjects to worship them as living Gods.

• “We will allow our subjects to continue in their daily lives as they see fit, provided they pay their taxes and do not cause any social unrest within our kingdom.”

Based on information presented in the text, which of the following most accurately explains why so many Indians were reluctant to accept the teachings of Buddha?

• The Indian government actively persecuted Buddha and his followers.

• Buddhism required all believers to worship its founder Siddhartha Gautama.

• The Buddhist faith – which required believers to give away their possessions and deny the beliefs of one’s ancestors – was too radical [or extreme] for many.

• Buddhism demanded that believers, in an effort to reduce poverty, have no more than one child.

Using our classroom text as a source, what conclusion can be made about the ancient India?

• Women were considered equal to men in every way – political, economic and social.

• Because they could rise in society with ease, Indians paid little attention to the caste system.

• The people of ancient India, most loyal to their family and local rulers, favored traditional lifestyles regardless of the ruler in power.

• a. The people of ancient India put very little value on family or tradition.

What generalizations could be made about the nature of early civilizations from studying the Aryans and the Harappans?

• Early civilizations were not complex, they did not have arts or writing and as such, they fell into disrepair and disappeared.

• Early civilization, more than anything else, relied upon favorable weather and adequate rainfall in order to survive, without such, people would either die or be forced to relocate.

• Leaders of early civilizations understood how difficult survival was, therefore, much warfare between peoples was uncommon.

• The invention of farming made all early civilizations successful.

How did the reign of Ashoka affect the Mauryan Empire?

• Ashoka , a violent and cruel leader, tore his empire apart with constant warfare and violence.

• Ashoka’s reign as ruler brought stability to the Empire, allowing engineers to make improvements throughout the land.

• Ashoka, who founded the Mauryan Empire, was unable to achieve many goals as ruler.

• Ashoka, who converted to Christianity on the battlefield, preached the Christian message to his people and urged them to convert.

With this new focus on maintaining order, trade flourished and ideas spread across India.

The meaning of the underlined word most closely matches which of the following?

• prospered

• decreased

• ended

• flatlined