SAST Midterm Flashcards
Define: “Environment”
world alive & related to a living centre
What is the function of humans w/ regards to limits set by nature?
man transgresses limits set by nature w/ his tools & his vision; man creates specific environment & makes history
What is the relationship between ecological changes and stages of development in humans?
ecological conditions which may appear hostile to man at one stage of evolution may appear attractive & inviting at another stage
In Baluchistan stone walls were built. What was their function?
retain sediments of the annual inundation (retain soil but not water)
How do we know that rainfall increases around 3000 BCE?
Palaeobotantical research
Which areas was known for being important to trade?
Ghaggar Valley (Harappa & Mohenjo Daro)
When did the climate along the Indus become dryer?
1700 BC
What changes took place for the Yamuna River in ancient times?
Yamuna, which now parallels the Ganga, is supposed to have flowed thorough the Ghaggar Valley until an upheaval in the foothills of the Himalayas
What was the possible cause for the submerging of Mohenjo Daro?
Tectonic upheavals at mouth of Indus River
What is one theory mentioned in your book for the demise of the Indus civilization?
Drying up of the Ghajjar & blocking of the lower Indus
In what other area of the sub-continent did the Indus Valley civilization take hold?
Kathiwar peninsula of Gujarat
How did Rojdi get its millet for cultivation?
Maritime trade via Oman
How wide spread was the Indus Valley Civilization
Went from Daimabad (Maharashtra) -> Shortugai (Afghanistan)
Where was the most northern site found of the Indus Valley civilization?
Shortugai in Badakshan, Afghanistan
Upon entering India, how did the Aryans clear the forest?
Burned it down
What were the two types of specializations that Brahmins engaged in?
- Royal priest or advisor (rajpurohit, rajguru)
2. The Sage (rishi)
The Sanskrit word for “east” means what?
“what was before them”
What was the general southernmost expansion of the Aryans?
Deccan Lava Trap (rich black soil)
Which grain is the most demanding?
Rice
What was an early method of the kings to show authority over a region?
The more powerful chief amongst them let a sacrificial horse roam around for a year vowing he would defeat anyone who dared to obstruct its free movement. If challenger appeared, he was attacked; if no one showed up, it was presumed that the kings authority was not questioed
What changed the political landscape for the petty kings?
Major kingdoms arose in east which annexed kingdom of west
Where did one great civilization develop in India based in growing grain?
Baluchistan, Indus Valley
What type of environment did Stone Age hunter-gathers prefer?
Edge of forests, near the plains or in open river valleys, areas which were less attractive to the settled peasant who cut the trees and reclaimed the fertile soil
Why were early cultivators attracted to lighter soils
They did not have sturdy ploughs and animals to cope with heavy soils
When did grain cultivation begin in South Asia?
7000 BC
In Baluchistan the early settlers experimented with what?
cultivating alluvial lands
What does the Mohenjo Daro system of water supply and sewerage tells us?
They were masters of water management. Organizational centres for seasonal operations.
What type of ecology did the Aryans find when they arrived in the North Western area of India?
Plains of Panjab provided rich pastures for their cattle.
What was one way that the Brahmins gained more power during the time of settlement of India?
Crossing the river and being welcomed because they didn’t force them to have kings.
The original Aryans had what type of tribal organization?
Egalitarian tribal organization.
The lack of courtly Brahminism in Eastern India allowed for two major developments. Which of the following was one of these?
Buddhism and Jainism
The lack of steadfast royal institutions in Gangetic India allowed for what to develop?
monastic order (sangha) of the Buddhists
What was a factor in the Eastern region that allowed for greater military potential?
imperial control of trade and land revenue
What factor allowed for Buddhist monasteries to flourish in the East?
Rice
The first empire in India had its capital where?
Magadha
Who were the 1st victims of the new expanding empire in the East?
tribal republics in the Trans-Gandak region
What was one factor in the downfall of the first empire?
internal conflicts and the onslaught of new invaders
Two major invading groups arrived in the India in the waning years before the current era. What was the name of one of those invaders?
Shakas, and Kushanas
One can speculate that by the time of the Kushana invasion the beginning invasion the beginnings of modern Hinduism was to be found based on what evidence?
Vishnu and Shiva
What was one of the first religious events performed by the Shatavahanas?
Horse sacrifice
One periodization scheme in the Study of India uses three divisions. What are the divisions?
Hindu, Islamic, and British periods
What is the definition of a “chakravartin”?
the ruler who tried to conquer the entire world
What was the name of the last Indian empire in using the ancient Indian political organization model?
Gupta empire
What was the pattern of Indian governance in the medieval period?
concentric states w/ a royal centre in the core region & a periphery in which the influence of competitors also made itself felt
What gave the Aryans military superiority?
swift chariots
When were war elephants first used?
500 BC
Chandragupta’s gift to the Greek king Seleukos Nikator was a major military transaction. What was the gift?
500 elephants
Chess was invented in India. What does it reflect?
Battlefield, Indian military strategy
In chess why is the king’s movement limited to one square at a time?
If he dies, army vanquished
What area of land was needed to maintain a regional ruler in India?
100-200m
Why was the region of Delhi important in ancient times?
controls entrance to fertile Ganga-Yamuna Doab
Which pattern of territorial control was most common in India over the centuries?
3 major regions subdivided into 4 smaller subdivisions
Where were the foundations for the granaries at Mohenjo-Daro located?
acropolis
Which of the following items indicates that the Indus Valley civilization was engaging in international trade?
articles made of coppers and ornaments with precious stones
In which millennium BCE was the oldest layer of settlement at Mehrgarh dated ?
sixth millennium BCE
What type of animal bones were found in the oldest strata at Mehrgarh?
antelopes, wild goats & wild sheep
What was one technical innovation introduced at Mehrgarh in the 5th-4th millennium BCE?
drill moved by means of a bow
What is the dating of the earliest settlement at Amri?
4th millenium
What did the rise in Mohenjo-Daro mean for the settlement of Amri?
decline/abandonment of mounds
What feature of a city is first found in Kalibangan and later became a standard feature in the Indus Valley civilization?
rectangle shape, about 750 ft long, following north-south axis, fortified, house constructed of adobe bricks 10x20x30 cm; sewerage system constructed w/ regular bricks fired in kiln
How can we tell which streets in the ruins of Kalibangan were important?
Various widths, 12, 18, 24 ft
What ubiquitous figure was missing from Kalibangan that was found all other Indus Valley sites?
Mother goddess figurines
What was a unique city feature found at Lothal?
Large basin
What would indicate wars about 2500 BCE in the Indus Valley?
Uniformity between Mohenjo-Daro, Harappa, and Kalibangan. Sudden extinction of early Kalibangan and reconstruction in uniform Harappa style
When did the Indus Valley civilization decline?
1800-1700 BCE
What are the two most likely reasons for the decline in the Indus Valley civilization?
Change in environmental conditions, change in tectonic plates, and change in rainfall; Agricultural production declined
Who discovered that Sanskrit is a sister language to Greek and Latin?
Sir William Jones
What is the first historic evidence on the Vedic Aryans?
1380 BC treaty
Which rivers are mentioned in the early Vedic hymns?
Kubha, Suvasta (now called Kabul and Swat) in Afghanistan and Pakistan
Which division of Vedic literature does your author say is “commentaries on the sacrificial rituals”?
Brahmana
Max Muller thought the Upanishads were written in which period?
800-600 BC
Most Indologists accept the dating of the Rig Veda to be approximately which period?
1300-1000 BC
How many hymns are in the Rig Veda?
1028
What prominent Dasa is considered the enemy of Indra in the Veda?
Dasa Shambara
How many times does the Rig Veda mention the Ganges River?
Once
The area around the Saraswati River was the early heartland of Vedic culture. What are of India was this?
Kalibangan
What did the introduction of iron technology allow in the Gangetic plain?
Extension of regular cultivation
Which of the following changes noted in your readings was important in the Late Vedic age?
hierarchical order of estates which reflected a division of labour among various social classes
What does the change in meaning of the Sanskrit “grama” illustrate for us?
Transition from semi-nomadic life to settled agriculture; Grama means village
In the myth of the sacrifice of Purusha what part became the Shudra caste?
His feet
Who were the rajanya?
Lower nobility
Various craftsmen were looked down upon in Vedic culture. How was trade looked upon?
Not considered impure
In the early Vedic period how was the king’s power kept in check?
Consult w/ council
Why did the Brahmins support the new idea of kingship in the late Vedic age?
Brahmins supported because priest made it legit
What did the rajasuya ceremony highlight?
magnificent royal sacrifices
What is one of India’s great epics?
Mahabharata
In the great epic what did the victory of the Pandavas mean?
They had the support of Krishna
The Upanishads were written during which period?
750-500 BC
What is the famous formula from the Upanishads?
“tat tvam asi” ‘that thou are’
What was one of the early passages to the Gangetic plain in the East?
Along the foothills
Which two events happened in the late seventh to the fifth centuries BCE?
First territorial kingdoms were established in the central part of the Gangetic plains, northern India urbanisation & Gautama Buddha stepped into limelight of history
One of the new features in urban centers on the Gangetic plain was which of the following?
system of fortification
How long between the Indus Valley use of bricks do we find bricks being used in India a second time?
a millennium
Which of the following is solid evidence of writing in India in the 3rd century BCE?
Ashoka’s inscriptions
Who is the first provable historic figure in Indian history?
Buddha
Who else besides the Buddha was a reformer in the Ganges valley?
Mahavira
What was the first Indian scientific treatise?
Panini’s grammar
Which tribe did the Buddha belong to?
Sakhya
Where did the Buddha gain his enlightenment?
Bodh Gaya
Where was the second Buddhist council held?
Vaishali
Where was the eastern border of the Persian Empire in the 5th and 6th centuries BCE?
The river Indus
What did the Greek historian Herodotus tell us about India?
Indoi regions provided the greatest amount of revenue to the Persian empire
Around the time of the Buddha three major mahajanapadas emerged in the water shed of the Yamuna and Ganges. One was Magadha what were the other two according to your readings?
Khoshala and Vatsa
Bimbisara was the founder of the Magadha extraordinary growth. How did he die?
Son (Ajatashatru) imprisoned and starved him
Koshala attacked the tribal republics. Which tribe did they destroy and how is this connected with the Buddha?
The tribe of the Shakya which Buddha belonged to
Who first used catapults in the war for control of the Gangetic water shed?
Magadha
Which kingdom was the last to challenge Magadha’s hegemony?
Nandas
Why does your author call the development of Magadha an “autochthonous evolution”?
A three phase development, first two phases not due to external influences
Who was the major competitor to Magadha early empire building?
Anga
What is the title of an early book on State craft?
Kautalya’s Arthashastra
Which kingdom did Shishunaga conquer?
Prayota dynasty of Avanti
Who helped kill King Shishunaga?
The queen
What caste was the greatest ruler of India before the Mauryas?
Shudra
How large was the Nandas’ standing army according to Greeks and Romans?
200, 000 infantrymen, 20, 000 horsemen, 200 chariots drawn by 4 horses each, 3000 elephants
Whose name became a byword for avarice in later Indian Literature?
Nandas
Where in India did Alexander the Great’s progress end?
River Hyphasis (Beas)
Who were some of the last people that Alexander the Great fought in S. Asia?
Malloi, King Poros, etc.
What brought an end to Hellenistic integration of India?
Alex’s death, division of his empire
When was the last Greek outpost in India given up?
317 BC
What was one of the consequences of Alexander’s conquest of part of India?
Main sources about Western knowledge about India, development of Indian art, evolution of sciences such as astronomy
Who fought the Greeks and later became the king of Magadha?
Chandragupta
What crafty Brahmin authored the Arthashastra?
Brahmin Kautalya
Who stopped Seleukos Nikator’s advance into India?
Chandragupta
What gift from Candragupta helped Seleukos defeat Antigonos?
500 war elephants
How many miles around was Pataliputra according the Megasthenes?
21 miles
What did Megasthenes call the Brahmin caste?
philosophers
According to Megasthenes who provided the livelihood for artists in India?
The State
Why can’t we accept the Arthashastra as an accurate picture of the Mauryan state?
Later additions and revisions
Which of the following is one of the exceptions to the rajamandala model as stated in the Arthashastra?
Middle King (Madhyama) powerful enough that he could either maintain armed neutrality in a conflict of his neighbours…
What is the main aim of the Arthashastra?
instruct King on how to improve qualities…
According to the Arthashastra how much should a royal high priest be paid?
48, 000 panas
When did Ashoka assume the throne?
268 BC
What is the importance of Ashoka’s lion pillar?
Indian Republic uses as emblem of state
How many people died in the conquering of Kalinga?
100, 000+
What was the main cause of Ashoka’s conversion to Buddhism?
Due to war
What was the job of the Dhamma-Mahamatras under Ashoka?
Break resistance and intensify teachings of right conduct. Teach right conduct and supervise ppl
To which of the following king/emperor did Ashoka send ambassadors?
Cholas, Pandyas, Satyaputras, Keralaputras, Tambapani (Sri Lanka), King Antiyoka (Syria)
Who first started teaching (Buddhist) right conduct in Sri Lanka?
Mahinda
Which dynasty followed the Mauryan dynasty?
Shunga
Who were the “Indo-Greeks”?
Greeks of Bactria - successors of Euthydemos
Who were the shakas?
New invaders from central Asia
Who was the greatest Kushana emperor?
Kaniska
In the formation of the sub-continent of S. Asia, what direction did the lad mass move?
North
What type of people settled first in the Sub-contentment?
Australoid
When did the first Indus Valley civilization’s villages exist?
4, 000 BCE
When did the Aryans begin moving into S. Asia?
1500 BCE
What language did the Aryans speak?
Sanskrit
Which Veda is the youngest and has magic formula?
Arthava Veda
The god of sun is called?
Surya
Another name for Dyaus piter would be?
Jupiter
One of the most important goddesses to the Aryans was which of the following?
Saraswathi, Rati, Dhara, Ushas
The Upanishads are books dealing with which topic?
Yoga and philosophy
The cycle of reincarnation is called what in India?
Samsara
The ultimate object or cause is called what in Sanskrit?
Prakriti
Which of the following is a quality of Prakriti?
Self manifestation, motion, and inertia
Which of the following is a Binding Force according to the Yoga School
Ignorance, Ego Force, Infatuation, Aversion, Will to Live Forever
Which is one of the 8 limbs of yoga?
Morality, Higher Morality, Positions, Breath Control, Withdrawal the Senses, Concentration, Meditation, Samadhi
According to Nyana, which of the following is a means of knowing?
Perception, Inference, Analogy, Testimony
When were the great kingdoms of the iron age established in S. Asia?
1500 BCE-500 BCE
The kingdom of Kashi capital was called?
Varanasi
The founder of Jainism was?
Parsavanath and Mahavira
What is considered the highest teachings in Jainism?
non-violence
One of the Jain schools is named?
Digambara and Svetambara
The “sky-clad” branch of Jainsim is called what in Sanskrit?
Digambara
When did the Jain community move to Maharashtra?
4th century BCE
How many levels of practice are found in Jainism?
14
What is the highest level of practice a lay person can reach in Jainism?
5
What is the highest level of practice in Jainsim?
fast to death
The rule for monks and nuns in Jainism is to not have sex. What is the rule of lay women?
same but more lenient
What was the final event of Shakyamuni’s life?
entering parinirvana
Small Vehicle Buddhism is called what in Sanskrit?
Hinayana
Shakyamuni’s personal name was?
Siddhartha Gautama Shakya
One of the Three Teachings is which of the following?
ethics, concentrations, higher wisdom
The final Noble Truth is which of the following?
The end is found in the 8 fold path
The only surviving Small vehicle school is which of the following?
Therevada
One of the major Mahayana schools was called?
Madhyamaka, Yogacara
The Buddhist original Tripitaka consists of early Sutras, Vinaya and which of the following?
Abhidharma
The Maurya Empire was founded in which year?
322 BCE
Which Buddhist stupa was built by Ashoka?
Sanchi, Sarnath, Bharhut, Deorkothar, Butkara
