exam cram t2 Flashcards
List the two sources on the age of the guptas
Accounts of Fa-hien, Allahabad Pillar inscriptions
during whose reign did fa-hien visit india
chandragupta II
list 4 places fa-hien visited while on pilgrimage
mathura, kanauj, pataliputra, kashi
list 4 observations made by fa-hien
- Magadha was a prosperous country with large towns who had wealthy populations
- Pataliputra was a flourishing city with charitable institutions and a hospital endowed by citizens
- The penal code was not strict and offences were only punished with fines
- Hindu gods and goddesses were depicted on coins, sculptures and paintings
name the 4 main religions in the gupta age according to fa hien
shaivism, buddhism, jainism, vaishnavism.
what can we infer from fa hiens accounts
we can infer that the gupta empire was prosperous and governed on enlightened principle
what is the allahabad pillar also called
prayaga prashasti
who wrote the allahabad pillar inscriptions
harisena
list 4 points on the allahabad pillar
- it is written in praise of samudragupta
- it describes gupta reign in india.
- it provides a list of kings and tribal republics conquered by samudragupta
- it indicates the geopolitics of india by highlighting prominent figures in india during the 4th century AD
how did the gupta era originate
-it originated with the reign of chandragupta I
what was chandragupta I title, what does it mean?
maharajadhiraja, ‘the king of kings”
how did chandragupta I gain his title
he gained it after declaring his independence in magadha
how did chandragupta-I extend his empire
he did it through a matrimonial alliance by marrying a lichchhavi princess, kumaradevi
who was the son of chandragupta I
samudragupta
list 3 qualities of samudragupta as a ruler
- great conqueror
- able statesman
- patron of the arts
what was the extent of samudraguptas empire
from brahmaputra in the east to rivers yamuna and chambal in the west
- from himalayas in the north to narmada in the south
what is samudragupta called and why
- He is called the napoleon of india
- this is because of his bravery and generalship
how did samudragupta extend his empire
he extended it upto the chambal river by defeating the naga kings of
- mathura
- gwalior
- ahichhatra
Explain samudraguptas deccan campaign in three points
- He covered more than 3000 miles through dense forests.
- He defeated many rulers but did not annex their territories.
- He made the southern kings accept his authority and allowed them to rule
list the four different kinds of rulers and samudraguptas policies towards them
- The nine rulers of aryavarta were made a part of samudraguptas empire
- The twelve rulers of dakshinpatha who surrendered were liberated and allowed to rule again
- the inner circle of neighboring states including assam, coastal bengal, nepal and a number of gana sanghas in the north-west paid tribute, followed his orders and attended his court
- The rulers of outlying areas submitted to him and offered their daughters in marriage
what do the following terms mean
- dakshinpatha
- gana sanghas
- South India
2. organisation of many kings
name the horse sacrifice performed by samudragupta
ashvamedha yajna
explain in 2 points why samudragupta was a musician and a poet
- in one of his coins, he is shown playing the veena
- his court was full of great scholars and literary persons.
list 2 points on samudraguptas coins
- he issued eight types of coins
- the coins were made of gold
list 3 points on samudraguptas religious beliefs
- he was a follower of brahmanism and worshipped lord vishnu
- he also had faith in vedic sacrifices
- he was tolerant towards other religions
what was Chandragupta II other names
Vikramaditya, Sakari
How did Chandragupta II extend his empire
he extended it by annexing the Saka territories of Malwa, Gujarat and Saurashtra.
What does Sakari mean
conquerer of sakas
List 2 benefits of chandragupta II saka annexations
- The provinces conquered were wealthy and fertile.
- He gained access to ports on the western coast which put him in touch with the seaborne commerce of egypt and europe.
list a difference and a similarity between samudragupta and vikramadityas coins
- on some coins chandragupta II was decpicted to be slaying a lion with the legend simha-vikrama
- whereas samudragupta is shown slaying a tiger
- both were made of gold
list a special characteristic of vikramadityas court
- His court was adorned by ‘nine gems’ including Kalidasa
during which gupta rulers rule did the huns attack for the first time
kumaragupta
which gupta ruler defeated the huns
skandagupta
the gupta period saw the gradual disappearance of which type of government
republican form of government
List 2 points on Divinity of Kings during the gupta period
- The theory of divinity of kings became popular during the gupta age
- The gupta kings were compared to different gods
List 4 gods, the gupta kings were compared to
yama, varuna, indra, kubera
why were the gupta kings compared to vishnu
They were compared as regards their function of protecting and preserving their people.
which god appeared on multiple gupta coins
Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity
List 4 powers possessed by the gupta kings
- they were the commanders-in-chief of the army
- the kings appointed all governers. military and civil officers,
- The governors and their officers and the central secretariat had to work under the guidance of the king.
- The King was the source of all honours and titles
list three of the kings pompous titles, what do they indicate
- parameshvara
- maharajadhiraja
- parambhattaraka
It indicates the presence of lesser princes and chiefs who helped with management
what kept a check on royal power in the gupta age
the brahmans as the chief custodians and interpreters of law
what was the gupta council of ministers called
Mantri-Parishad
explain the members of the mantri parishad
it consisted of
- the prince
- the feudatories
- the high officials including
. Kumaramatya
. sandhivigrahika
. other civil officials such as amatyas and kumaramatyas
. shaulkika
. officers connected with land transaction
. around a dozen other officers engaged in managing military, fiscal and rural matters
`list 2 points on functions of the kumaramatyas
- kumaramatyas formed the chief cadre for recruiting high functionaries
- some of them functioned in their own right and maintained their regular office.
where did the office of sandhivigrahika first appear and who occupied it
- under the rule of samudragupta.
- occupied by harisena
List two points on sandhivigrahikas functions
- they were the minister of peace and war
- their main duty was to deal with the feudatories
how do we know cavalry was becoming more important in the gupta age
- it was supported by seals and inscriptions
what was the function of civil officials, 1 point
- they performed military functions or were promoted to the rank of high military officers
list one points on functions of officers connected with land transactions
- some mantained records of land, sales and other records connected with land
list two points on revenue collection in the gupta age
- it was mostly collected in kind
- rich peasants probably paid in cash
what was the function of the shaulkika
they were connected with the collection of tolls on commodities
list 3 points on how directly governed territory was divided during the gupta age
- the empire was divided into bhuktis
- the bhuktis were divided into vishayas
- the vishayas were divided into smaller units
name the governor of bhuktis
uparika
name who was in charge of vishayas
vishayapati
how was territory divided outside direct governance
outside, there existed different fiscal and administrative units such as desa, mandala, bhoga especially in central and west india
list 3 points on gupta village administration
- administration was managed by the village headman
- there was participation of leading local elements in their administration
- no land transactions could be effected without their consent
what were villages and small towns called in the gupta age
vithis
state 1 difference between gupta and maurya village administration
mauryan times- villages were managed from above
gupta times- managed from grassroot level
what is the golden age of indian culture
the gupta period
why is the gupta period known was the golden age of indian culture, list 3 points
- Because of the high level of civilization and culture of this period
- Hinduism was revived.
- creative fields such as education, literature, arts, architecture, science thrived
how do we know that during the gupta age, education was given the utmost importance
we can infer this from that the intellectual output in various fields like maths, science etc.
list 3 cities which were a center of learning in the gupta age
ayodhya, pataliputra, nasik
who were teachers and list 3 titles they possessed
- they were learned brahmanas
- acharyas, upadhyaya, bhattas
how were teachers supported
-they were given grants called the agraharas given by gupta rulers and charities by the public
what were disciples called in the gupta age
shishyas
what did disciples learn gupta
- fourteen sections of science (chaturdasavidya)
- 4 vedas, six vedangas, the puranas, mimansa, nyaya, dharma besides vyakarana and the satasahashri-samhita
what was the vyakarana also called
ashtadhyayi of panini
what was the satasahashru-samhita
the mahabharata
how long were students admitted in buddhist monasteries
10 years
how did learning evolve in monasteries
it started off as the oral method and shifted to the reading of literary texts
how were monasteries maintained
by grants from kings and the rich mercantile class
what special structure did the monastery have and what was its purpose
they had libraries where important manusripts were copied and stored
from which foreign places did monasteries receive students from
other countries like china and south east asia
did gupta monasteries attract scholars? if so give an example, where he studied and what he did
yes
fa hien studied buddhist religious books at the monastery in pataliputra
how do we know that higher education was given equal importance in the gupta period
we know this from the fact that a number of univesities existed during that time
list 2 universities which existed during gupta period
nalanda and takshila university
who is our source of the nalanda university and during which kings reign did he visit
hieuen tsang, harshavardhana
where is nalanda university located
nalanda in rajagriha in bihar
List 4 points on the nalanda university
- there were atleast eight colleges built,
- There more than 10,000 students and teachers,
- the subjects were the 4 vedas, logic, grammar, medicine, sankya, yoga, nyaya and buddhist works of different schools
- it was a post graduate institution where admission was hard, only 20% passed the entrace examination
how many total libraries were there in the nalanda university, name them
3, ratnasagar, ratnodadhi, ratnaranjak
which 7 countries were nalanda students from
korea, mongolia, japan, china, tibet, ceylon and many parts of india
when was the nalanda university destroyed (century), who destroyed it and who was he working for
it was destroyed in the 12th century ad
it was destroyed by mohammed-bin bhaktiyar khilji who was a general of mohammad ghori
list 2 great astronomers in the gupta age other than aryabhatta
varahmihira
brahmagupta
list 2 points on varahmihiras scientific aptitude
- he proved that the moon rotates around the earth and the earth rotates around the sun
- the brihat samhita of varahmihira deals with astronomy, botany, natural history and physical geography
what were aryabhattas contributons in the field of science
- he said the earth moves around the sun centuries before the europeans
- he discovered the rule for finding the area of a triangle
- he calculated the exact value of pi, the credit for trigo should go to him
- he was acquainted with the decimal system and use of zero
what did surya siddhanta talk about
he explained the exact causes of solar and lunar eclipses
why did indian culture flourish in the gupta empire 2 points
- the gupta empire had a succession of good rulers.
- the good leadership lead to political stability so trade and commerce flourished which allowed people to pursue the arts and literature.
list a difference between gupta temples and previous indian temples
previously they were built with perishable materials like wood, in the gupta period they used solid materials like bricks and stone.
what is the gupta vishnu temples other name
dakshavatara temple
where is the gupta vishnu temple located
125km from jhansi in uttar pradesh
explain the state of metallurgy during the gupta period with one example
metallurgy had reached an advanced period
- iron pillar in mehrauli near qutub minar
list 4 architectural features of the vishnu temple at deogarh
- first north indian temple with a shikhara
- it was completely made of stone and bricks
- four stairways outside the platform provide access to the temple
- the entrance and pillars were adorned with paintings and carvings
how is vishnu depicted at the vishnu temple
he is shown asleep on the coil of the giant serpent called sheshnaga
list 3 points on the evolution of sanskrit during the gupta age
- it replaced prakrit in inscriptions, religious and philosophical literature.
- Sanskrit was made the official language for administrative purposes and used in official documents and inscriptions,
- Sanskrit literature produced during the gupta age consisted of epics, poetry, drama, lyrics and prose
list three prominent gupta writers
kalidasa, harisena, bhasa
list two of kalidasas poetic works
megadhuta, raghuvamsa
list 2 of kalidasas dramatic works
malavikagnimitram, abhijnanashakuntalam
list 2 points on kalidasas works as a source
- they provide reliable information about the government, society and religion of the gupta period
- they contain traces of political history
which people inhabited the southern part of the indian peninsula south of the krishna river
the dravidians
name the three south indian kingdoms. which was most powerful
cheras, cholas, pandyas. the cholas were most powerful
how did the cholas conquer a large part of the peninsula, 2 points
- they had a powerful navy which enabled sea trade in the Indian Ocean and allowed them to conquer sri lanka and the maldive islands.
- by the end of the 9th century, they defeated the pallavas of kanchi and weakened the Pandyans bringing the tamil country under their control
what was tamil country called in tamil
tondamandala
tell the main source of the cholas
large number of inscription from that period
which chola king conceived the idea of using inscriptions
Rajaraja I
give 2 points on the chola inscriptions structure
- the inscriptions are in the form of copper-plate grants, stone inscriptions and inscriptions made on the walls and pillars of temples.
- The copper plate grants known was Anbil and Karandi as well as the KanyaKumari stone inscriptions give a long list of rulers indicating the dynastys origin.
List 4 points on the information provided by chola inscriptions
- they tell us about the chola administration, for example the uttaramerur inscriptions gives information on the village administration, taxation and land revenue.
- they record gifts and endowments to temples and brahmanas. Copper plate inscriptions are the records of grants of villages, plots of land or other priviliges to individuals or institutions. Eg- Leyden grant of parantaka chola
- they inform us about the construction of a temple or the setting up of a new image of the diety
- some inscriptions have royal orders on taxation, land revenue, resolutions of village assemblies, judgements delivered against persons guilty of crimes
which ruler established chola ruler, what was his capital and which century was it
Vijayalaya. thanjavur, 9th century AD
list 3 of parantaka Is military conquests
he conquered madurai, defeated the pandyas and rulers of lanka
which century did chola power reach the height of its glory
11th century AD
who were the 2 most prominent chola rulers
Rajara I, Rajendra Chola
List 3 points on the military conquests of Rajaraja I
- He attacked the pandyas and chera as well as parts of mysore and took travancore and coorg from their territory,
- He also annexed parts of deccan and overran vengi to prove the cholas strength.
- He showed his naval strength along the coasts of south india so he attacked sri lanka and the maldive islands, he conquered the northern half of sri lanka.
Why did Rajaraja war against sri lanka and the maldives
- Their costs had become rich through the overseas trade which was active there, india sent textiles, spices and precious stones to the arab merchants who came from west asian countries, they exchanged money for goods and brought wealth to india through their trade.
which temple did Rajaraja build, list one architectural feature of it
he built the rajareshwara temple of lord shiva at thanjavur, Rajaraja I works are inscribed on its walls.
List three points on Rajendra Cholas military conquests
- He continued his fathers policy and annexed the entirety of sri lanka who werent free for another 50 years.
- He marched to the east coast of India through odisha to the ganga river. He himself lead the army till godavari from where his generals took over. The army defeated Mahipala, the king of bengal
- His most daring campaign was in south-east asia, for centuries indian merchants had been trading with parts of south east asia and china through the strait of malacca occupied by the kingdom of shrivijaya (indonesia), the shrivijayan merchants created problems for the indian merchants who appealed to rajendra chola for help, he then sent a huge navy to defeat the shrivijay king and thus trade continued.
How did rajendra chola commemerate his victory in bengal
he adopted the title gangaikonda and built a new capital called gangaikonda-cholapuram
list rajendra cholas one architectural project
he built magnificent palaces and beautiful temples in his new capital, gangaikonda-cholapuram
List 4 points on function of chola central government
- All authority was vested in the king who was assisted by his council of ministers
- The king went on tours to keep a check on the administration.
- the officers were paid by giving them assignments in revenue bearing lands.
- The princes were associated with the ruling sovereigns and actively employed in peace and war.
what did the chola central government look after
external defence, internal peace and order, promotion of general prosperity and cultural progress of the empire.
list 3 points on chola provincial government
- the empire was divided into mandalams or provinces
- mandalams were divided into valanadus or nadus
- princes of the royal family were appointed as governors.
who carried out administration in chola villages
the villagers
name the three types of village assemblies
the ur, sabha, nagaram
what is our main source of information about the ur and sabha
walls of some village temples
explain the organisation of the three chola village assemblies as well as 2 points on their activities and importance
Ur- The common type of village assemblies where land was held by all classes of people who were members of the local assembly
Sabha - an exclusively brahmin assembly of the villages where all land belonged to brahmins
Nagaram- assembly of merchants and belonged to localities where traders and merchants were in a dominant position.
The life and the work of the villages were discussed in these councils.
This was a source of unity for the people, all affairs concerning the village such as collection of taxes, settlement of disputes and allocation of water were looked after by the committee.
List 4 points on temples in the chola kingdom not including education
- Temples in the chola kingdom were not only a place of worship but a centre of social activity too.
- Some temples owned huge lands and participate in inland as well as oversea trade.
- Temples received lands as donations known as devadaya or devadana, in some cases land revenue of some villages was assigned instead of lands and the concerned villagers were instructed to pay land-revenue in produce and gold.
- The temples were also the second biggest employer, they took care of the workers welfare by providing work, food, clothing, housing, education and healthcare in the form of hospitals.
List 3 points on temple education in the chola kingdom
- the temple was also a centre for education where the schools were housed in the temple courtyard.
- The priests were the local teachers as there were no separate schools.
- The students learnt their lessons in sanskrit and tamil, religious texts like the vedas were in sanskrit and had to be studied. The students learnt tamil as it was widely spoken in the kingdom and influenced sanskrit.
List the three sources of chola revenue
taxes on land
taxes on produce of land
tax on trade
who collected taxes on land chola
officials from village councils
how was revenue spent in the chola kingdom, 4 points
- Part of the revenue was kept for the king
- public works such as building of roads and tanks
- on salaries of officials
- on upkeep of the army.
give an example of chola images of gods and describe it
Nataraja- The bronze image of lord shiva as the lord of dance
what is the cultural epitome of the chola period
nataraja
why were the turks able to achieve quick victories in north india
- multiple small kingdoms had emerged and led to the absence of a powerful central government, these kingdoms were constantly at conflict with each other and this led to the lack of political unity making it easy for the turks.
which period is called the delhi sultanate
the period between 1206 and 1526 when 5 dynasties ruled from delhi succesfully, it was called a sultanate because the rulers of this dynasties were called sultans