| A | B |
|---|
| What are the two major rivers along which early Indian civilization arose? | Indus and Ganges |
| What two north mountain ranges protected India? | Hindu Kush and Himalaya |
| What are two main cities of the Indus Valley civilization? | Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa |
| What body of water is the western boundary of India? | Arabian Sea |
| What body of water is the eastern boundary of India? | Bay of Bengal |
| What are the seasonal winds that affect agriculture and trade in India? | Monsoons |
| Indus cities all had the same street plan and indoor plumbing. What does this tell us about the political organization? | There must have been a strong central government. |
| What invaders came from the Caucasus Mountain steppes into India around 1500 B.C.? | Aryans |
| What language did the Aryans speak? | Indo-European |
| What is a word for skin color that also meant caste? | Varna |
| What were the many subcastes called? | Jati |
| What caste were the seers, religious leaders (and now doctors)? | Brahmins |
| What caste was a warrior and administrator or leader caste? | Kshatriya |
| What caste had the producers (artisans and craftsmen or traders)? | Vaisyas |
| What caste had the followers (workers and peasants)? | Sudras |
| Later on a new caste of outcasts was added to do work forbidden to higher castes. What was it? | Untouchables |
| What is the code of conduct specific to each caste? | Dharma |
| What are three ways the caste system is maintained? | Heredity, bans on inter-marriage and inter-dining, and desire for upper castes to maintain status quo |
| What is the idea that the soul hs one life through birth and rebirth in different bodies? | reincarnation or transmigration of souls |
| What is the cosmic law of cause and effect? What you do now affects your future rebirth. | Karma |
| What are the four yogas - or paths to higher being? | Knowledge, love, work and psychological exercises |
| What are the two paths of desire? | Pleasure and success |
| What are the two paths of renunciation? | Duty and deepest desires for total joy, knowledge and being |
| What are the three main Hindu dieties? | Brahman, Vishnu, Shiva |
| What are the sacred Hindu books? | Vedas |
| What is the sacred Hindu written language? | Sanskrit |
| What holy book of 100 hymns is the most sacred? | Rig Veda |
| Name two Hindu religious epics. | Mahabharata and Ramayana. |
| Why don't we know why Indus civilization declined so quickly? | The pictograms have not been decoded. |
| What are avatars? | Manifestations of god as earthly beings, like Lord Rama |
| What is the goal of release from the cycle of birth and rebirth? | Moksha |
| What new religions developed in India in the Sixth Century? | Buddhism and Jainism |
| Who founded Jainism? | Mahavira |
| What is the main idea of Jainism? | All life has souls and must not be hurt. |
| Who founded Buddhism? | Siddhartha Guatama |
| What does "Buddha" mean? | Enlightened One |
| What are the Buddhist explanations for pain and suffering in the world? | Four Noble Truths. |
| What does a Buddhist follow to reach englightment and release from the reincarnation cycle? | Eightfold Path |
| What wasn't Buddhism widely accepted in India? | It rejected the caste system. |
| How did Buddhism spread its message eastward? | By missionaries and trade routes. |
| What was the first Aryan kingdom of India (c.3rd century B.C.)? | Magadha |
| What Empire did Chandragupta unite in North India? | Mauryan |
| How did Chandragupta feed his army? | High taxes |
| How did Mauryan kings maintain control over their empire? | Provincial bureaucracy and a spy system |
| What enlightened Indian ruler converted to Buddhism after being repulsed by huge battle deaths? | Asoka |
| What changes did Asoka make in India? | He wanted non-violence (ahimsa) and religious tolerance |
| What happened when Asoka died? | India reverted back into ittle kingdoms and buddhism failed to gain a base |
| What southern Indian people are fiercely independent? | Tamil |
| What ruler came to power by marriage and founded the Gupta empire and called himself "king of kings"? | Chandra Gupta |
| What is the basis of Indian economic life? | Farming |
| What is the traditional center of Indian life? | village |
| What leader brought the Gupta empire to its greatest extent? | Chandra Gupta II |
