In what ways are the books we read today different from the Rigveda?

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?

List the crafts persons who would have been present in both villages and cities.

In what ways are present-day elections different from the ways in which rulers were chosen in janapadas?

Which of the iron tools shown on page 79 would have been important for agriculture? What would the other tools have been used for?

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

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.

What were the questions that Upanishadic thinkers wanted to answer?

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.