Chapter 3 Quiz

. 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 have a significant impact on Asian agriculture, 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

. The Harappan diet included all of the following EXCEPT:

Barley

Peas

Sesame

Onions

. 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

Evidence of Harappan merchandise being traded in central Asia

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

. One of the causes for the decline of the major cities of Harappan civilization was:

Ecological collapse.

Outside invasion.

The spread of disease.

Volcanic activity.

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

2500-2200 BCE

1700-1400 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 Vedic peoples utilized _____________ in warfare.

bronze weapons and armor

horse-drawn wagons and chariots

Chinese weaponry

camels and compound bows

. 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 300 BCE.

It was composed between about 1400 and 900 BCE.

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 the sixth book 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 combination of state power and religion

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.

habitually sacrifice his own needs for those of his family and dependents

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 "asceticism" describes:

The full or partial renunciation of the material world.

The idea that one can unify with brahman by doing an extreme form of yoga.

The belief that rituals are more important than dharma.

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

. The rebirth of the soul into a new body is called ______________.

dharma

karma

varna

samsara

.

A photo of a long view shot of the Dockyard at Lothal.

The image above shows Lothal's dockyard which was important for Harappan long-distance trade. Lothal was also an important center of:

regional government.

manufacturing

religion

grain production.

.

A physical map of India traces the various monsoon cycles. Typically, the summer monsoon wind flows from the southwest direction. The onset of summer monsoon at multiple dates is given as follows: Winds pass through Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and Myanmar through the Bay of Bengal on the first of June. From Karnataka, winds flow through Maharashtra and the Himalayas on the fifth of June, and along the rivers Narmada and Mahanadi on the tenth of June. From Gujarat, the winds flow through the Yamuna river and the Himalayas on the fifteenth of June. Winds from Rajasthan flow through the Thar Desert and Kashmir on the first of July. Summer winds from the Sulaiman range pass through Kyber pass on the fifteenth of July. Winter monsoon winds flow from the northeast across regions like the Thar Desert, central India, and in the Bay of Bengal.

The map above shows the monsoonal weather patterns in India. During which months does the monsoonal flow come off the Indian Ocean?

January through June

August through December

April through June

June through October

.

A photo of a group of Brahmins or Indian priests with white powder stripes over the body and forehead. Each wears a sacred thread across the chest.

The image above shows the Brahmans whose ritual position and occupations status are at the top of the caste system. What are the other castes in the social system?

Shudra

Kshatriya

Smriti

Vaishya

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