WorksheetsAncient India
Total questions: 16
Worksheet time: 32mins
The lowest __________, or social grouping based on skill, identified in the Vedas was the __________.
varna; Brahmins
jati; Kshatriyas
varna; Sudras
jati; Vaishyas
Which of the following did the Indian scientist Aryabhata discover? Choose the TWO correct answers.
The motion of Earth and the moon cause eclipses.
The Ayurvedic medical system effectively treats many diseases.
The moon shines because it reflects sunlight.
Metal can be extracted from ore to create useful objects.
The strength of the Maurya empire depended on which of the following?
the happiness of the empire’s people
the power and authority of the ruler
the efficiency of the bureaucracy
the money collected in taxes
Scholars believe that Indus Valley people used granaries to
store surplus crops.
make cloth from cotton.
hold religious ceremonies.
defend their villages.
Most historians think that Indo-Aryan culture spread through India by
rapid conquest.
overland trade.
gradual mixing.
forceful integration.
According to the Four Noble Truths of Buddhism, what must be overcome to end suffering?
all forms of desire
all selfish desires
nirvana
anger
Read the following excerpt from the Bhagavad Gita.
“For the soul there is neither birth nor death at any time. He has not come into being, does not come into being, and will not come into being. He is unborn, eternal [unending], ever-existing and primeval [ancient and original]. He is not slain [killed] when the body is slain.”
What central part of Hinduism does this quote illustrate?
ahimsa
reincarnation
dharma
karma
Why do scholars believe that the Indus Valley had a highly developed civilization?
It left behind many written records.
Its cities show a high level of planning.
It had a highly organized religion.
Its royal tombs hold many artifacts.
What is the correct order of cultures and empires in ancient India?
Vedic, Indus, Gupta, Maurya
Indus, Vedic, Maurya, Gupta
Indus, Vedic, Gupta, Maurya
Maurya, Gupta, Indus, Vedic
Which of the following statements about modern Buddhism is accurate?
Buddhism is still widely practiced in India.
Few Buddhists live in Asia.
Most Buddhists live in monasteries.
More than two million Buddhists live in the United States.
A popular form of literature during the Gupta empire was the fable, which was
a short story with a moral at the end written in Sanskrit
based on Buddhist and Hindu writings.
the world’s first novel.
In Hinduism, a person’s duty to do what is right is called
ahimsa.
dharma.
karma.
moksha.
What is the main focus of Mahayana Buddhists?
Buddha’s good deeds
Buddha’s commitment to a life of poverty
Buddha’s compassion
Buddha’s writings
Chandra Gupta I
founded the Maurya empire.
conquered all of India.
was the father of Asoka.
founded the Gupta empire.
What strategy did Chandragupta use to conquer Magadha?
cause so much destruction that people will be forced to flee
seize the capital, and then the rest of the kingdom will fall
follow Buddhism’s teachings and Magadha will eventually surrender
attack the borders first, then the capital city
Beginning with the earliest, what is the correct order of Indian emperors?
Asoka, Chandra Gupta I, Samudra Gupta, Chandra Gupta II
Chandra Gupta I, Chandra Gupta II, Samudra Gupta, Asoka
Chandra Gupta I, Samudra Gupta, Chandra Gupta II, Asoka
Asoka, Chandra Gupta I, Chandra Gupta II, Samudra Gupta
