Chapter 03 Self-Assessment

. Archeological remains of Harappan culture were first identified:

During work on an extension of the East India Railway.

In a bazaar in northern India, being sold as paperweights.

As a base for construction of a large bridge across the Ravi River.

In Buddhist temples where they were being protected as ancient religious symbols.

. An important pattern in the history of both northern India and Mesopotamia is:

A long history of political unity and conquest of neighboring societies.

Ghettoization of conquered peoples, prohibiting cultural or biological assimilation.

Regular rhythms of migration and invasion.

Accurate accounts and records that tell us much about their religion and philosophy.

. The land area occupied by the Harappans:

Included only the city of Harappa and a circular area about 500 meters wide.

Was much smaller than Egypt's Old Kingdom or Sargon's Mesopotamia.

Shows no signs of having participated in any trading networks.

Was the largest cultural area of the third millennium BCE.

. All of the following are characteristic of the monsoon winds of the South Asian subcontinent EXCEPT:

The monsoon winds make rainfall seasonally predictable, although even minor variations in timing can cause disasters such as floods and famine.

During the wet cycle, the winds from Africa, flowing from southwest to northeast, cause heavy rainfall.

During the dry cycle, the winds reverse and bring hot, dry air from Central Asia, and the subcontinent becomes arid.

The heaviest rainfall generally occurs in the north and in the plain of Sind, leaving much of the south comparatively arid year round.

. Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro, the two major cities of Harappan culture,:

Are laid out according to a meticulously planned grid.

Were built on high plateaus, simplifying both defense and water drainage.

Show a cultural variation much greater than the cities of Old Kingdom Egypt.

Were deficient in sanitary provisions, such as drains and gutters.

. Archeological and anthropological analysis of the Harappan economy indicates all of the following EXCEPT:

They may have been the first people to cultivate cotton for use in clothing.

Their diet staples included wheat, barley, peas, melons, figs, and sesame.

Cattle appear to have been the most important domestic animals.

They seem never to have domesticated and bred dogs.

. The following are indications that Harappan society included merchants and/or traders, EXCEPT:

A large number of items that seem to have been imported from Egypt.

Evidence in Mesopotamian records from about 2300 BCE.

Harappan seals found at Ur in Mesopotamia.

Elaborate port facilities.

. Religious symbols found in Harappan archeological evidence indicate:

That the "swastika" only appeared in Buddhist-influenced cultures.

A clearly-delineated cosmological system among them.

That they may have believed in a life after death.

That there was a renegade fertility cult outside the scope of the official religion.

. The signs of a decline in the major cities of Harappa include:

The construction of structures of inferior quality over earlier buildings.

A sharp rise in migration from outlying towns and villages to the large cities, as they were probably seeking protection from invaders.

The construction of many large dams, apparently in an attempt to control the tributaries of the Indus.

The complete disappearance of all Harappan villages and towns by 2000 BCE.

. The Indo-Europeans migrated into northern India during the period:

2500-2200 BCE

1500-1200 BCE

2100-1800 BCE

1000-800 BCE

. The Vedas were composed:

During the year 1003 BCE.

Between 1400 and 800 BCE.

By the Harappan priesthood some time during 1700-1300 BCE.

By Indo-Europeans sometime after 400 BCE.

. A society calling themselves "Aryans":

Conquered northern India in a series of ferocious battles beginning around 1200 BCE.

Attacked the subcontinent by sea and swept up along the coastlines before pushing toward the Indian interior.

Entered South Asia through the Khyber Pass and spread across Punjab over a 300 year period, with evidence of some battles, but longer periods of peaceful migration.

Captured all of the major Harappan cities and either killed or enslaved the native population.

. The Vedas:

Can be trusted by historians and archeologists because they were accounts of events which were written as they occurred.

Were written down after 600 BCE, but grew from an oral tradition composed between about 1400 and 900 BCE.

Represent the authors' best efforts to convey accurate information to future generations rather than being in any way allegorical or mythological.

Were lost for centuries, but discovered and translated by archeologist Sir Arthur Murphy in 1925.

. All of these statements about the Rig-Veda are true EXCEPT:

It appears to be the oldest of the Vedas, dating to an oral tradition passed down from priest to priest until after 1400 CE.

It contains more than a thousand verses.

It maintains that the Aryans descended from a matriarchal society somewhere near the Black Sea.

It depicts a society broken down into four social divisions or varnas: priests, warriors, merchants, and commoners.

. Which of the following might represent evidence that the Aryans were agents of technological transmission?

Their introduction of chariots to the Xia and Shang societies of China.

The introduction of the horse to South Asia.

The diffusion of iron.

Maps and detailed information about Chinese and Persian society in the Rig-Veda.

. After the disappearance of Harappan cities, the re-urbanization of northern India was in large part supported by:

Aryan use of slave labor.

The coordinated effort to desalinate the Indus River.

The cultivation of rice.

Indra's commands in the Rig-Veda.

. The Mahabharata:

Is the world's longest poem, only slightly shorter than the Christian New Testament.

Provides guidance to those struggling with conflicting civil, social, and religious duties.

Was not intended as a source of religious doctrine.

Was designed primarily to give comfort to the "forest dwellers," those who had removed themselves from society in order to devote themselves to meditation.

. All of the following statements about the Bhagavad Gita are true EXCEPT:

It is one of the 18 books of the Mahabharata.

The protagonist, a warrior named Arjuna, is conflicted about going into battle against friends and family members.

The god Krishna leads the warrior Arjuna to the realization that the human duty to support and protect one's family outweighs all other considerations.

It maintains that humans are required to put aside their personal reservations and fulfill their duty whether or not it appeals to them.

. By about 600 BCE, the largest northern Indian states, particularly Magadha and Kosala:

Developed ideologies of kingship based on a common religious understanding.

Realized that they had extended beyond the practical limits of their ability to govern and maintain administrative control of additional societies.

Had nearly destroyed each other by constant warfare.

Realized that prosperity can only be achieved through peaceful interaction.

. One of the most important concepts in the Vedas was that of dharma, which refers to:

Diligently fulfilling required duties in accordance with one's place in society.

One's duty to pursue peace at any cost.

The importance of sexual purity and asceticism.

The obligation to act in accordance with one's own conscience, regardless of social standing.

. By 600 BCE, a male householder of the upper class was expected to:

Rule the entire extended family, with no restrictions on his behavior.

See that all people present including children, married daughters, the elderly and sick, guests and servants were fed before he and his wife ate.

Force his wife to commit ritual suicide should he even have a suspicion that she has committed any act of sexual infidelity.

Make sure that no sexually explicit materials entered the household.

. The term "Hinduism":

Was an Indo-European word used to describe Harappan religious rites.

Was derived from the Persian word hindu, taken from the Sanskrit word sindhu, or "rivers."

Was derived from the term Harappans used to describe the duties of priests.

Came into use after the Indo-European invasion to describe the religious practices of the conquered Harappan societies.

. The term "formalism" is used to describe:

The belief that only the pure and proper forms of rituals were effective.

The belief that the formulas for rituals were always effective, as long as the speaker was sincere.

The belief that the Brahmans were responsible for training the other varnas in the best forms.

The notion that wearing proper robes and headgear was necessary to perform rituals effectively.

. All of the following are true of the practice, understanding, or goals of yoga EXCEPT that:

The practice is based on the belief that mastery of the body allows one to leave the restrictions of the material world.

The body is constantly changing, and the practice of yoga allows one to go beyond the physical to that which is unchanging.

The discipline of postures, breathing, and meditation help the practitioner to go beyond the limitations of the material world.

Through intense practice and discipline, one can move the body to a state of unchanging grace.

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