Ancient India - Part 1

The earliest complex society or civilization in India developed

• in the Indus River valley beginning around 3000 BCE.

• along the Ganges River beginning around 1000 BCE.

• only after the migration of Indo-Europeans into the Indian subcontinent around 1700 BCE.

• in the mountainous regions of the Himalayas and the Hindu Kush.

Much of Harappan history remains a mystery primarily because

• constant political turmoil in the Indus region has prevented substantial excavation of Harappan sites.

• the written language of the Harappan people has yet to be translated.

• their capital city, and most Harappan written records, were destroyed during Alexander’s invasion.

• the Aryans undertook a systematic destruction of Harappan written records upon their arrival in India.

Which of the following best describes what is known about Harappan political structure?

• the Harappan Empire was highly centralized and relied on an extensive bureaucracy to govern its dominions

• the Harappans were a loosely-organized confederation of city states

• the Harappans shared a common culture but there is little evidence regarding their exact political structure

• the Harappans lived in large city states that were constantly at war with one another

All of the following were true of Harappan society except

• many of their dwellings featured indoor plumbing.

• they engaged in maritime traded with the ancient Mesopotamians and Egyptians

• their material culture and cities show evidence of social stratification

• they were monotheists who worshipped the god Indra

The most likely reason for the decline of Harappan civilization after 1500 BCE was

• a devastating plague that decimated the population.

• the shifting and drying-up of rivers in the Punjab region due to changes in the monsoons.

• an organized military invasion by a vast army of Aryan cavalry.

• a massive civil war between various Harappan city-states.

All of the following were characteristics of the ancient Aryans at the time they first entered India EXCEPT

• they were organized as tribal chiefdoms of pastoral nomads

• they entered India as an organized military force bent on conquest and plunder

• they prized horses and cattle and used four-wheeled carts in battle

• they were a violent people who worshipped a powerful storm god as their chief deity

The most important aspect of Aryan religion during the early Vedic Era (1500-1000 BCE) was

• the proper performance of rituals and sacrifices by a priestly elite.

• an strict ethical code of conduct to be followed by all Aryan people.

• a highly personalized religion emphasizing the worship of ancestors by family patriarchs.

• a strict monotheism devoted to the worship of an unknowable heavenly power.

Which of the following reflects the early Aryan varna or caste hierarchy from highest rank to lowest rank?

• brahmins, kshatriyas, shudras, vaishyas

• brahmins, kshatriyas, vaishyas, shudras

• kshatriyas, brahmins, vaishyas, shudras

• kshatriyas, vaishyas, brahmins, shudras

Which of the following best describes the general progression of historical events in northern India in the late Vedic Age (between 1000 and 500 BCE)?

• Aryan expansion eastward into the Ganges Valley eventually saw the rise of numerous large city-states across that region

• Aryan religious practices became increasingly ritualistic and devoid of any spiritual or ethical meaning for the common people

• general peace prevailed across the region as the powerful Aryan empire successfully kept rival chiefdoms at bay

• the Harappans rallied and launched a successful campaign to drive the Aryan invaders out of India

Means “land of the five rivers”

• Maghda

• Gandhara

• Punjab

• Ganges