Golden Age of India Quiz

How did Cyrus the Great maintain authority over his vast empire?

• He required governors to return to his capital city of Pasagardae once a year.

• He heavily taxed the territories and then redistributed the wealth depending on his favor.

• He installed regional satraps to govern territories in his place.

What led to the decline of the Gupta Empire?

• an internal military coup against the last ruler, Skandagupta

• Purugupta failed to resist the invasions of the Chinese from the east.

• the relentless invasion of the Huns (Huna) from the northwest

What was the Khyber Pass?

• It promoted public works projects along the road.

• It protected the Maurya Empire against invading armies.

• It became a religious destination for Buddhists.

• It connected the Greek Kingdoms with the trade opportunities in Asia.

Who founded the Maurya Empire?

• the prime minister Rakshasa

• the Bahmin teacher Chanakya

• the king Dhana Nanda

• the king Chandragupta Maurya

What was the Sramana movement?

• the rejection of the Vedic rituals and the pursuit of an ascetic lifestyle

• the revival of the ancient traditions from the Indus Valley Civilization

• the repeating cycle of birth, life, and death

• the extension of Vedic rituals

What led to the decline of the Maurya Empire?

• Several territories rebelled when Buddhism lost royal favor.

• Weak kings followed the rule of Ashoka the Great, leading to a military coup.

• The last 50 years of Maurya rulers caused an economic collapse, leading to the empire’s dissolution.

• The Mongols invaded from the north, slowly encroaching on Maurya territory.

Why was the Gupta Empire called the Golden Age of India?

• The Chinese traveler Fa Xien called it the 'Golden Age' in his journal.

• It was marked by discoveries in science, technology, literature, mathematics, and philosophy.

• It was dominated by Hinduism, while Buddhists and Jains were persecuted.

• Many of the temples, shrines, and monasteries built during this period were accented with gold leaf.

Why was the Achaemenid Empire described as the world's first global empire?

• Cyrus the Great conquered multiple time zones.

• The empire spread monotheistic religion.

• The empire ruled over almost half of the world's population.

• Darius the Great conquered and assimilated other empires.