Ancient India Final Quiz

How did the subcontinent affect civilization in ancient India?

• The subcontinent was next to the Indian Ocean, which was the most important FRESHWATER source.
• The subcontinent was a small area of land, which led to overcrowding in early cities.
• The subcontinent was surrounded by natural barriers, which separated it from other civilizations.
• The subcontinent was at the tip of South Asia, which resulted in freezing cold temperatures.

Why were the monsoons important in the lives of the ancient Indians?

• The monsoons brought freezing wind chills to India, so farmers needed to avoid growing and harvesting crops during monsoon season.
• The monsoons brought heavy amounts of rainfall to India for agriculture, but also could lead to dangerous floods.
• The monsoons brought large amounts of warm air, which increased temperatures across India and improved quality of life.
• The monsoons led to the formation of tornadoes, which could injure people and cause property destruction around India.

What similarity in the geography of India, Egypt, and Mesopotamia allowed all three ancient civilizations to support large populations?

• They were all located in deserts.
• They were all located around forests.
• They were all located by mountains.
• They were all located near rivers.

How do historians know that the Indus Valley Civilization created a successful trading economy?

• Archeologists discovered documents aboard Indus boats with records of large shipping quantities to Egypt.
• Archeologists examined massive warehouses designed for mass production of cotton in Harappa.
• Archeologists found several Harappan artifacts, such as their trading seals, in Mesopotamia.
• Archeologists uncovered numerous Chinese artifacts in multiple buildings at Mohenjo-Daro.

Why do historians have many questions about the history of the Indus Valley Civilization?

• The monsoons destroyed all of their cities and artifacts.
• The people were nomads and lived in several places.
• The trading seals contain several pieces to a treasure map.
• The writing system cannot be translated today.

What was a major achievement of the Indus Valley Civilization?

• They created cities that were organized into grid patterns and equipped with drainage systems including baths and flush toilets.
• They created the idea of varnas to divide labor among the people and run an organized society.
• They united the Indian subcontinent under a single ruler and created the first empire in South Asia.
• They wrote religious texts, such as the Vedas and Upanishads, which contained the beliefs and ideas of early Hinduism.

List the eras of ancient Indian history in chronological order.

• Indus Valley Civilization, Mauryan Empire, Vedic Period, Gupta Empire
• Indus Valley Civilization, Vedic Period, Mauryan Empire, Gupta Empire
• Vedic Period, Gupta Empire, Indus Valley Civilization, Mauryan Empire
• Vedic Period, Indus Valley Civilization, Gupta Empire, Mauryan Empire

Why is Chandragupta Maurya considered an important figure in world history?

• He introduced the practice of meditation to the Indian subcontinent.
• He invented the concept of zero and the decimal system that improved mathematics.
• He performed one of the first medical surgeries that used vaccines in the treatment.
• He united nearly all of India and formed the first empire across the subcontinent.

Why is Ashoka considered an important figure in world history?

• He was the architect that designed Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro in the Indus Valley.
• He was an emperor who gave up conquest and actively encouraged the spread of Buddhism across South Asia.
• He was the first guru to teach others across South Asia about the benefits of a daily yoga routine.
• He was a metalworker who created new techniques in metallurgy, which can be seen in artifacts such as the Iron Pillar.

What empire did Ashoka rule over?

• The Persian Empire
• The Mauryan Empire
• The Gupta Empire
• The Assyrian Empire