SS Ch4 - Ancient India

Question 1

A climate of monsoons

Answer 1

1. India’s climate is dominated by monsoons.

2. Summer monsoons pick up moisture from the ocean.

Question 2

Barriers and Pathways

Answer 2

1. Passes through the Hindu Kush mountain range have served as Highways for migration and invasion.
2. The Indus River crosses the Himalayas and empties into the Arabian Sea.
3. The Ganges River flows from the Himalayas into the Bay of Bengal.
4. They make arming possible in the river valleys.

Question 3

Ancient City Planners

Answer 3

1. Mohenjo-Daro’s ruins show how carefully the city was planned.
2. The city’s highest point served as the citadel.
3. Mohenjo-Daro had a drainage system.

Question 4

Life in Mohenjo-Daro

Answer 4

1. Merchants and artisans sold their wares from shops that lined the streets.
2. The citizens of Mohenjo-Daro lived in homes that opened into courtyards.
3. The language, form of government, and religion of the people are still a mystery.

Question 5

A Mystery Decline

Answer 5

1. Around 2000 B.C. Indus Valley farmers began to abandon their land.
2. People began to leave the cities.
3. Newcomers from the north entered the valley and eventually gained power throughout the region.

Question 6

Aryan Culture Spreads

Answer 6

1. By 800 B.C. people of northern India learned to make tools and weapons from iron.
2. They cleared forests to build farms, villages, and cities,

Question 7

Aryan Life

Answer 7

1. Most of what we know of Aryan life comes from religious books called Vedas.
2. The earliest Aryans were herders and warriors who were on the move.
3. Aryans had three classes: Priests called Brahmans; Warriors and nobles; Artisans and merchants.
4. A low-ranking fourth class made up of farm workers. laborers, and servants was formed.

Question 8

The Social Worker

Answer 8

1. By 500 B.C., there was a strict division of classes called the caste system.
2. People always had to stay in the caste of their parents.
3. The caste system still exists in present-day India, but it is not as strict.

Question 9

A Blend of Religions

Answer 9

1. Hinduism absorbed many beliefs from other religions.
2. Hindus believe that since people are different, they need many different ways of approaching god.
3. Hinduism is one of the world’s major religions.
4. Hindus worship many gods and goddesses.
5. They believe in one single spiritual power called Brahman.

Question 10

Hindu Gods and Goddesses

Answer 10

1. The gods and goddesses of Hinduism stand for different parts of the Brahman.
2. The most important Hindu gods are Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva.
3. Hindu gods take many different forms called avatars.
4. Hindu teachings say that Brahma, the creator, was born from a golden egg. He created Earth and everything on it.
5. Hindus believe that Vishnu, the Protector, guides humans or protects them from disaster.
6. Shiva, the Destroyer, is responsible for the creative and destructive forces of the universe.
7. Shiva developed from the god Rudra.

Question 11

The Upanishades

Answer 11

1. One of the Hindu religious texts is the Upanishads.

2. It is in the form of questions and answers.

Question 12

Reincarnation

Answer 12

1. Hindus believe that when a person dies, the soul s reborn in the body of another living thing.
2. The actions of a person in life affect his or her fate in the next life.
3. Good behavior is rewarded. Bad behavior is always punished.
4. Faithful followers will be reborn into a higher position.
5. Those who have been bad may be born into a lower caste or may return as an animal.

Question 13

The Yogas

Answer 13

1. Hindus believe yoga exercises help free the soul from the cares of the world.
2. The word yoga means union.
3. Selfless deeds, knowledge, and devotion are the other yogas that are paths to brahma.

Question 14

Private Devotion

Answer 14

1. Hindus show devotion by praying and performing rituals at temples and at home.
2. Hindus choose a personal god and honor that god by offering food, gift, and prayer at home altar.

Question 15

The Search for Understanding

Answer 15

1. Siddhartha Gautama discovered Buddhism.
2. Gautama decided to mediate to find the cause of suffering.
3. Gautama traveled across India for forty-five years to share his knowledge.
4. His followers called him the Buddha or “Enlightened One.”

Question 16

The Middle Way

Answer 16

1. Buddhism teaches people to follow the Eightfold Path.

2. To overcome selfish desire, Buddhists must learn to be wise, behave correctly, and to develop their minds.

Question 17

Release from Reincarnation

Answer 17

1. The Buddha taught if people follow his path, their suffering will end, and they will find nirvana.

Question 18

Followers of Buddhism

Answer 18

1. Buddhism taught that all people are equal.
2. Buddhism has priests, and Buddha encouraged his followers to establish monasteries.
3. Buddha also urged monks to be missionaries.

Question 19

Hindus and Buddhists: Shared Beliefs

Answer 19

1. For many years, Hinduism and Buddhism coexisted in India.
2. Both religions believe it was wrong to harm other living things.
3. Both value nonviolence and believe in dharma and the cycle of rebirth.

Question 20

Buddhism Spreads to Other Countries

Answer 20

1. Missionaries and traders carried the Buddha’s message throughout Asia.
2. Today, Buddhism is part of the culture of such countries as Japan, the Koreas, China, and Vietnam.

Question 21

Absolute Rule

Answer 21

1. Chandragupta believed that a ruler must have absolute power.
2. Under Chandragupta, the empire had a great economic success.
3. Most of the wealth came from farming.
4. The Mauryas Empire also built up trade with Greece, Rome, and China.
5. Chandragupta became fearful for his life.
6. He made servants taste food, and he slept in a different room every night.
7. He starved himself to death.

Question 22

Chandragupta’s Legacy

Answer 22

1. Chandragupta used his wreath to improve his empire.
2. New irrigation systems bought water to farmers, and more food was produced.
3. Government officials prompted crafts and mining.
4. A network of roads made it easier for Maurya traders to exchange goods with foreign lands.
5. Chandragupta’s leadership brought order and peace to his people.

Question 23

The Battle of Kalinga

Answer 23

1. Chandragupta’s grandson, Asoka, gained power in 273 B.C.
2. Asoka further expanded Chandragupta’s empire, and by the end of his rule he built the greatest empire India had ever seen.
3. Asoka ruled an empire that included much of the Indian subcontinent.
4. During the first years of his rule, Asoka was as warlike as his grandfather.
5. Asoka led his army into the state of Kalinga. He won a bloody battle in which thousands of people were injured or died.
6. The great slaughter at Kalinga was a turning point in Asoka’s life.
7. Asoka gave up war and violence. He converted to Buddhism.

Question 24

The Buddhist Ruler

Answer 24

1. Asoka practiced and preached the teachings of the Buddha.
2. Asoka thought of his people as his children and was concerned about their welfare.
3. Asoka was also concerned with his people’s moral and spiritual life.

Question 25

Buddhism Outside of India

Answer 25

1. Asoka practiced religious tolerance toward the Hindus.
2. Many of the Buddha’s teachings became part of Hinduism.
3. Asoka sent missionaries to China, Sri Lanka, Egypt, Greece, and North Africa to spread his message.
4. After Asoka’s death the Maurya Empire declined.
5. His territories became divided. It took almost 600 years before India was united again.