A. Tick the correct option.
1. The founder of Mauryan dynasty was-
Answer: Chandragupta Maurya
2. Who wrote Arthashastra?
Answer: Kautilya
3. The ambassador sent by Seleucus Nicator to the court of Chandragupta Maurya was-
Answer: Megasthenes
4. The last Nanda ruler was-
Answer: Ghananand
5. The Mauryan kings were assisted by-
Answer: Mantri Parishad
B. Fill in the blanks.
1. Alexander was the son of King ___________ of ___________.
2. Chandragupta Maurya invaded Magadha with the help of ___________
3. During Ashoka’s rule ___________ was the main base of village economy.
4. The city administration during the Mauryan period was under ___________.
5. The Chinese traveller ___________ was astonished to see the Mauryan Palace.
Answer: (1) Philip, Macedonia (2) Chanakya (3) agriculture (4) Nagradhyaksh (5) Fa-hien.
C. Match the following:
Answer: (1) d (2) e (3) a (4) b (5) c.
D. Answer the following questions in brief.
1. Who was Seleucus Nicator?
Answer: Seleucus Nicator was the Greek ruler and the commander of Alexander.
2. List the main sources of information about Mauryan dynasty.
Answer: The main sources of information is Indica by Megasthenes, Kautilya’s Arthashastra, Puranas, Buddhist and Jain literature, etc.
3. Which Lake was built by Chandragupta Maurya and why?
Answer: Sudarshan Lake was built by Chandragupta Maurya for irrigation.
4. Name the languages in which Ashoka’s teachings were engraved.
Answer: The languages in which Ashoka’s teachings where engraved were Prakrit, Greek and Aramaic.
5. What advice was given by Ashoka to his sons and grandsons?
Answer: Ashoka advised his sons and grandsons not to conquer new countries. They were advised to go in for Dharma Vijay i.e., winning the hearts of the people.
E. Answer the following questions.
1. Describe the finest examples of the architecture of the Mauryan period.
Answer: The finest examples of architecture can be seen in the form of stone pillars with shining surfaces. The pillars were crowned with animal figures and Dharma Chakra. The top of a stone pillar with four lions and Dharma Chakra has been adopted as our national emblem.
2. Explain the main features of Ashoka’s Dhamma related to social and ethical code of conduct.
Answer: Two main features of Ashoka’s Dhamma related to social and ethical code of conduct are:
- Everybody should serve parents; care and love all living creatures and animals; follow and adopt the path of truth; be kind to slaves, servants and workers, respect all elders, brahmins, teachers, monks; follow non-violence; have tolerance and peace.
- Everybody should avoid arrogance, enemity, sacrifice of animals, fighting for religion and land. He wanted that his people should live in harmony with each other. He respected and patronised all religions.
3. What did Ashoka do for the welfare of his people?
Answer: Ashoka was an emperor who placed his people before everything. He planted trees beside the roads and constructed rest houses for the travelers. He constructed wells and adopted new techniques for agriculture.
4. Describe briefly, the social and economic life of the people during the Mauryan period.
Answer: During Mauryan period people lived peacefully and harmoniously with each other and obeyed laws. Agriculture was the basis of the village economy. Economics condition was also good at that time.
5. How did the Kalinga War prove to be a turning point in the life of Ashoka?
Answer: In the Kalinga War, many people died. Ashoka saw this and his heart melted. So, he gave up war and propagated Dhamma and Buddhism. Hence, the Kalinga war proves to be a turning point in the life of Ashoka.