Samacheer Kalvi 6th term 2 Social guide History Unit 3: From Chiefdoms to Empires

Unit 3: From Chiefdoms to Empires

I. Choose the correct answer:

1. The kingdom which was most powerful among the four Mahajanapadas

1. Anga    b) Megadha    c) Kosala    d) Vajji

Ans: b) Magadha

2. Among the following who was the contemporary of Gautama Buddha?

1. Ajatasatru    b) Bindusara     c) Padmanabha Nanda    d) Brihadratha

Ans: a) Ajatasatru

3. Which of the following are the sources of Maruyan period?

1. Artha Sastra     b) Indica     c) Madrakashasa     d) All

Ans: d) all 

4. Chandra Gupta Maurya abdicated the thrown and went to Sravanbelagola along with Jaina Saint ______.

1. Badrabahu    b) Stulabahu    c) Parswanatha    d) Rushabhanatha

Ans: a) Badrabahu

5. __________ was the ambassador of Seleucus Nicator.

1. Ptolemy     b) Kautilya     c) Xerxes    d) Megasthenese

Ans: d) Megasthenese

6. Who was the last emperor of Mauryan Dynasty?

1. Chandragupta Maurya    b) Ashoka    c) Brihadratha     d) Bindusara

Ans: c) Brihadratha

II. Match the statement with the reason/Tick the appropriate answer. 

1. Statement(A): Ashoka is considered as one of India’s greatest rulers. 

Reason(R): He rules according to the principle of Dhamma. 

1. Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A. 

2. Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A. 

3. A is true but R is false. 

4. A is false but R is true. 

Ans: b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A. 

2. Which of the statements given below is/are correct?

Statement 1: Chandragupta Maurya was the first ruler who unified entire India under one political unit. 

Statement 2: The Arthashastra provides information about the Mauryan administration. 

1. Only 1    b) only 2    c) both 1 and 2     d) neither 1 nor 2

Ans: b) only 2

3. Consider the following statements and find out which of the following statement(s) is/are correct. 

1. Chandragupta Maurya was the first king of Magadha. 

2. Rajagriha was the capital of Magatha. 

1. Only 1     b) only 2    c) both 1 and 2    d) neither 1 nor 2

Ans: c) both 1 and 2

4. Arrange the following dynasties in chronological order. 

1. Nanda - Sishunaga - Haryanka - Maurya

2. Nanda - Sishunaga - Maurya - Haryanka

3. Haryanka - Sishunaga - Nanda - Maurya

4. Sishunaga - Maurya - Nanda - Haryanka

Ans: c) Haryanka - Sishunaga - Nanda - Maurya

5. Which of the following factors contributed to the rise of Megadhan Empire?

1. Strategic location

2. Thick forest supplied timber and elephant. 

3. Control over sea. 

4. Availability of rich deposits or iron ores. 

1. 1,2,and 3 only

2. 3 and 4 only

3. 1,2 and 4 only

4. All of these. 

Ans: c) 1,2 and 4 only

III. Fill in the blanks:

1. Rajagriha was the earliest capital of Magadha. 

2. Mudrarakshasa was written by Visakadatta. 

3. Ashoka was the son of Bindusara. 

4. The founder of the Maurya empire was Chndragupta Maurya.

5. Dhamma-Mahamattas were appointed to spread Dhamma all over the empire.  

VI. State True or False:

1. The title Devanam Piya was given to Chandragupta Maurya. False 

2. Ashoka gave up war after his defeat in Kalinga. False

3. Ashoka’s Dhamma was based on the principle of Buddhism. True

4. The lions on the currency notes is taken from the Rampurwa bull capital. False 

5. Buddha’s relics were placed in the centre of the Stupas. True 

V. Match the following. 

1. Gana - Arthasastra

2. Magasthenese - religious tours.

3. Chanakya - people

4. Dharmayatras - Indica

Ans: 

1. Gana - people

2. Magasthenese - Indica

3. Chanakya - Arthasastra

4. Dharmayatras - religious tours. 

VI. Answer in one or two sentences;
1. Mention any two literary sources of Mauryan period. 

Literary sources of mauryan period:

• Secular literature

• Religious Literature: Vedic, Jain, Buddhist texts and Puranas. 

2. What is a stupa?

• Stupa is a semi-spherical dome-like structure constructed on the brick or stone. 

• The Buddha’s relics were place in the centre of the dome. 

3. Name the dynasties of Magadha. 

• The Haryanka dynasty

• The Shishunaga dynasty

• The Nanda dynasty

• The Maurya dynasty

4. What were the sources of revenue during the Mauryan period?

• The land tax (Bhaga) collected was 1/6 of the total produce. 

• Revenue from taxes on forests, mines, salt and irrigation provided additional revenue to the government. 

5. Who assisted Nagarika in the administration of towns?

Sthanika and Gopa assisted Nagarika in the administration of towns. 

6. What do you know from the Rock Edicts II and XIII of Ashoka?

• The horror of the Kalinga war was described by the King himself in the Rock Edict XIII. 

• The Rock Edicts II and XIII of Ashoka refer to the names of the three dynasties namely Pandyas, Chola and the Keralaputras and the Sathyaputras. 

7. Which classical poetic works have the reference of Mauryans?

Mamulahar’s poem in Agananuru gives the references of Mauryans. 

VII. Answer the following:

1. What did Ashoka do to spread Buddhism? (Write any three points)

• Ashoka sent his son Mahinda and daughter Sanghamitta to Srilanka to propagate Buddhism. 

• The Dhamma- mahamattas was a new cadre of officials created by Ashoka to spread Dhamma all over the empire. 

• Ashoka held the third Buddhist council at his capital Pataliputra. 

2. Write any three causes for the rise of Magadha. 

• Magadha was located on the lower part of the Gangetic plain. 

• The plain was fertile which ensured the rich agricultural yield. 

• This provided regular and substantial income to the state. 

• The thick forest supplied timber for the construction of building and elephants for for the army.