What were the questions that Upanishadic thinkers wanted to answer?
They wanted to answer the following question :
- What is the true meaning of life?
- What happens in the afterlife?
Why do you think ordinary men and women did not generally keep records of what they did?
Read the story on page 122. In what ways is the monkey king similar to or different from the kings you read about in Chapters 5 and 10?
What kind of evidence from burials do archaeologists use to find out whether there were social differences amongst those who were buried?
What were the new administrative arrangements during this period?
Match the following:
Narmada Valley The first big kingdom
Magadha Hunting and gathering
Garo hills Cities about 2500 years ago
Indus and its tributaries Early agriculture
Ganga Valley The first cities
What changes do you find in the army at this time?
What were the means adopted by Ashoka to spread the message of dhamma?
What were the problems that Ashoka wanted to solve by introducing dhamma?
Describe the functions of the gramabhojaka. Why do you think he was powerful?
Why did kings want to control the Silk Route?
1. State whether true or false:
(a) Harishena composed a prashasti in praise of Gautamiputra Shri Satakarni.
(b) The rulers of Aryavarta brought tribute for Samudragupta.
(c) There were twelve rulers in Dakshinapatha.
(d) Taxila and Madurai were important centres under the control of the Gupta rulers.
(e) Aihole was the capital of the Pallavas.
(f) Local assemblies functioned for several centuries in south India.
Match the following
Stupa Place where the image of the deity is installed
Shikhara Mound
Mandapa Circular path around the stupa
Garbhagriha Place in temples where people could assemble
Pradakshina patha Tower
Why do you think ordinary men and women did not generally keep records of what they did?
Do you think that the life of farmers and herders who supplied food to the Harappan cities was different from that of the farmers and herders you read about in Chapter 2? Give reasons for your answer.
Why do you think ordinary people were attracted to Bhakti?
Do you think it would have been easy for slaves to join the sangha? Give reasons for your answer.
How do archaeologists know that cloth was used in the Harappan civilisation?
What were the main teachings of the Mahavira?
Fill in the blanks:
(a) ———————— was a great astronomer.
(b) Stories about gods and goddesses are found in the ————————
(c) ———————— is recognised as the author of the Sanskrit Ramayana.
(d) ———————— and ———————— are two Tamil epics.
Match the following:
Muvendar Mahayana Buddhism
Lords of the dakshinapatha Buddhacharita
Ashvaghosha Satavahana rulers
Bodhisattvas Chinese pilgrim
Xuan Zang Cholas, Cheras and Pandyas