Ashoka The Emperor Who Gave Up War

I. MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS

Choose the correct option to complete the statements given below:
(i)The founder of the Mauiya empire was …………. ,
(a) Ashoka                                       (b) Chandragupta
(c) Bimbisara                                  (d) Chanakya.
(ii)The capital of the Mauryan empire was………….
(a) Pataliputra                                   (b) Rajagriha
(c) Ujjain                                        (d) Taxila.
(iii) According to the Arthashastra, blankets of………… India were famous.
(a) north                                         (b) north-west
(c) south                                         (d) north-east.
(iv) The script used for inscription was ……………
(a) Brahmi                                      (b) Prakrit
(c) Tamil                                       (d) Roman.
(v) Ashoka was a
(a) Hindu                                          (b) Jaina
(c) Buddhist                                   (d) None of these.
Ans. (i)—(b), (ii)—(a), (iii)—(b), (iv)—(a), (v)—(c).

II. FILL IN THE BLANKS

Fill in the blanks with appropriate words to complete each sentence.
(i) Ashoka was Chandragupta’s ……………………………….
(ii) Chanakya was …….. ’s minister.
(iii) The Arthashastra was written by………….
(iv)……… was the gateway to the northwest of the empire.
(v)………. were sent as governors to other provincial capitals.
(vi) South India was important for ………….
(vii) Ashoka gave up war after winning over…………
(viii) ‘Dhamma’ is the Prakrit word for the Sanskrit word
(ix) Ashoka appointed ……..  to spread ‘dhamma’.
Ans: (i) grandson                                   (ii)   Chandragupta
(iii) Chanakya                                       (iv) Taxila
(v) Royal princes                                   (vi)   gold and other precious stones
(vii) Kalinga                                         (viii)     ‘Dharma’
(ix) officials.

III. TRUE/FALSE
State whether these sentences are true (T) or false IF).
(i) The lions on the currency notes come from the Rampurwa bull capital,
(ii) Ashoka founded the Mauiyan empire.
(iii) Royal princes were sent as governors to provinces.                      •
(iv)Ashoka gave up war after losing in Kalinga.
(v) Ashoka himself went from place to place to preach ‘dhamma’.
(vi) The ‘dhamma’ also reached other countries.
Ans. (i)—F, (ii)—F, (iii)—T, (iv)—F, (v)—F, (vi)—T.

IV. MATCHING SKILL

Match the items in column A correctly with those given in column B.

V.VERY SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

1. Who was Chanakya?
Ans:  Chanakya (or Kantilya) was a wise man who served Chandragupta Mauiya.

2. Who lived in the Mauryan cities?

Ans: Merchants, officials and crafts persons lived in Mauryan cities.

3. Giue one point of difference between empires and kingdoms.

Ans:  Empires need more resources than kingdoms do as they are larger,

4. Give one point of information given by the Arthashastra

Ans:  The Arthashastra tells that the north west of the Mauryan empire was important for
blankets, and south for stones,

5. What all was given as tribute by people in forested areas?

Ans: People living in the forested areas gave elephants, timber, honey, wax, etc. as tribute.

6. What was special about Ashoka as a ruler?  [V. Imp.]

Ans: Ashoka was the first ruler who tried to take his message to his subject through
inscriptions.

7. What change came upon Ashoka after the Kalinga war?[V. Imp.]
Ans: Ashoka saw that there was a lot of violence in the war and many people were killed. So
he decided he would not fight any more wars,

8.What was the purpose of Ashoka’s ‘dhamma’?       [V. Imp.]

Ans:  Ashoka wished to instruct his subjects, for which he introduced his ‘dhamma’.

9. Name some countries where Ashoka spread his ‘dhamma’.

Ans: Ashoka’s ‘dhamma’ reached Syria, Egypt, Greece and Sri Lanka among other
sounds.          ,

10. Where has the Rampurwa Bull been placed now?

Ans:  The Rampurwa Bull is now In the Rashtrapati Bhavan.                    •

IV.SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

1. Write a short note to describe the Mauryan people.
Ans:  The Mauryan cities had mainly merchants, officials and crafts persons. In village
farmers and herders lived. In forested areas, people gathered forest produce and hunted
animals for food. People in different parts of the empire used various different languages.
They also probably ate diverse kinds of food and same can be said about the clothes they
wore.
2. How was Ashoka unique? [V. Imp.]
Ans:  Ashoka was the most famous Mauryan ruler. He was known to take his message
amongst the people through inscriptions. His inscriptions were in the people’s language
Prakrit. Ashoka also remains the only king in history who gave up war after winning one. This
he did after he observed the violence in the Kalinga war. Ashoka then became a Buddhist
and got the idea of the ‘dhamma’.

VII. LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

1. Describe governance in the Mauryan empire. [V. Imp.]
Ans:  The Mauryan empire consisted of severed different parts which were ruled over
differently.

 The Empire’s capital. The areas adjacent to Pataliputra, the capital of the

empire, was under the direct control of the emperor. Officials were supposed
to collect taxes from the inhabitants in strict obedience of the ruler’s order.
 The Provincial capitals. There were provinces with their own capitals, e.g.
Taxila and Ujjain in the north west and central India respectively. There was
obviously some amount of control from the emperor in Pataliputra: Royal
princes were sent as governors.
 Other areas. In the other areas, the Mauryans controlled roads and rivers, ,
which were vital for transport. Resources, whatever available, were collected as
tribute.

VIII. MAP WORK

1.On the outline map of India Locate and label the following Mauryan cities/regions.
(i) Pataliputra  (ii) Ujjain   (iii) Taxila   (iv) Sanchi   (v) Samath  (vi) Lumbini  (vii) Rampurwa  
(viii) Kaushambi           (ix) Meerut    (x)Kalinga.
Ans: 

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Question 1:

Make a list of the occupations of the people who lived within the Mauryan empire.

Answer:

People who lived within the Mauryan empire undertook the following occupations − trade,
handicrafts, farming, herding and hunting-gathering.

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Question 2:

Complete the following sentences:

(a) Officials collected __________from the area under the direct control of the ruler.
(b) Royal princes often went to the provinces as __________.

(c) The Mauryan rulers tried to control ____________and ___________which were

important for transport.

(d) People in forested regions provided the Mauryan officials with _____________.

Answer:

(a) Officials collected tax from the area under the direct control of the ruler.

(b) Royal princes often went to the provinces as governors.

(c) The Mauryan rulers tried to control roads and rivers which were important for transport.

(d) People in forested regions provided the Mauryan officials with elephants, timber, honey
and wax.

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Question 4:

What were the problems that Ashoka wanted to solve by introducing dhamma?

Answer:

By introducing dhamma, Ashoka wanted to solve the problems of religious conflict, animal
sacrifice, ill-treatment of slaves and servants and quarrels between his subjects.

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Question 5:

What were the means adopted by Ashoka to spread the message of dhamma?

Answer:

To spread the message of dhamma, Ashoka appointed officials, known as the dhamma
mahamatta who went from place to place teaching people about the dhamma. Besides,
Ashoka got his messages inscribed on rocks and pillars and instructed his officials to read it
to those who could not read.

Page No 83:

Question 6:

Why do you think slaves and servants were ill − treated? Do you think the orders of the
emperor would have improved their condition? Give reasons for your answer.
Answer:

The slaves and servants were mostly prisoners of wars, that is why they were ill-treated. Yes, we
think the order of the emperor would have improved their condition as he was the head of the
empire. He could issue a law of punishment regarding this, so that people followed the order.

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Question 3:

State whether true or false:

(a) Ujjain was the gateway to the north − west.

(b) Chandragupta’s ideas were written down in the Arthashastra.

(c) Kalinga was the ancient name of Bengal.

(d) Most Ashokan inscriptions are in the Brahmi script.

Answer:

(a) Ujjain was the gateway to the north − west. False

(b) Chandragupta’s ideas were written down in the Arthashastra. False

(c) Kalinga was the ancient name of Bengal. False

(d) Most Ashokan inscriptions are in the Brahmi script. True

What is the Mauryan empire famous for?

The Mauryan empire had fully occupied Northwestern India in 320 BCE.

Who was King Ashoka?

Ashoka was the third emperor of the Mauryan dynasty, grandson of its founder Chandragupta
and son of the second emperor, Bindusara.

What is ‘Ashoka’s dhamma’?

Ashoka’s dhamma is a set of edicts that formed a policy of the Mauryan emperor Ashoka.

Question 1.
Write an important historical event which took place more than 2300 years ago.
Answer:
Mauryan empire began more than 2300 years ago.
Question 2.
Name the countries where Ashokan inscriptions have been found.
Answer:

 (Modern) Afghanistan
 (Modern) Pakistan
 India
 Sri Lanka
 Syria
 Egypt
 Greece

Question 3.
Name the Indian states which were outside the Mauryan empire during the reign of Ashoka.
Answer:

 A part of modern Tamil Nadu or Chola empire.

 Chera empire or modern Kerala.

Question 4.
Who founded the Mauryan empire and when?
Answer:
Chandragupta Maurya (the grandfather of Ashoka) founded the Mauryan empire. He did so
more than 2300 years ago.

Question 5.
Who supported Chandragupta?
Answer:
Chandragupta was supported by a wise man named Chanakya (or Kautilya).

Question 6.
Who wrote Arthashastra?
Answer:
Chanakya (or Kautilya) wrote Arthashastra.

Question 7.
What were written down in Arthashastra?
Answer:
Many of Chanakya’s ideas were written down in Arthashastra.

Question 8.
Explain the meaning of word ‘Dynasty’.
Answer:
Dynasty. When members of the same family become rulers one after another, the family is
generally called a dynasty. For example, the Mauryan dynasty or the Gupta dynasty.

Question 9.
Write the names of three rulers of the Mauryan dynasty.
Answer:
 1. Chandragupta
2. Bindusara, and
3. Ashoka.

Question 10.
Write the name of the Mauryan capital.
Answer:
Pataliputra.

Question 11.
Make a list of important cities of the Mauryan empire.
Answer:

 Pataliputra (the capital town),

 Taxila, and
 Ujjain.

Question 12.
How is an empire different from other kingdoms?
Answer:
Differences between an Empire and other Kingdoms:

 Emperors need more resources than kings as empires are larger including several
kingdoms and need to be protected by big armies.
 Emperors also have to have a larger number of officials who collect taxes

Question 13.
Who was Megasthenese? Write one reason for which he is known even today.
Answer:

 Megasthenese was an ambassador who was sent to the court of Chandragupta by the
Greek ruler of West Asia named Seleucus Nicator.
 Reason of Popularity. Megasthenese wrote an account about what he saw. His
description got the form of a book entitled ‘Indica’. Nowadays this book does not
exist in its original form.

Question 14.
Write an important event related with the following date:
More than 2300 years ago.
Answer:
This date is related with the beginning of the Mauryan empire. Question 15. Why are the
following dates important?

1. 327 – 26 B.C.
2. 323 B.C.
3. 321 B.C.
4. 305 B.C.
5. 269 B.C.
6. 260 B.C.
7. 185 B.C.
Answer:

Date Event
(1) 327 – 26 B.C. Alexander invaded India
(2) 323 B.C. Alexander passed away
(3) 321 B.C. Chandragupta Maurya set up the Mauryan Empire
(4) 305 B.C. Chandragupta Maurya defeated Seleucus
(5) 269 B.C. Ashoka came on the throne
(6) 260 B.C. War of Kalinga took place
(7) 185 B.C. Fall of the Mauryan Empire

Question 16.
Which important event took place in China about 2400 years ago?
Answer:
Emperors in China began building the Great Wall about 2400 years ago.

Extra Questions Short Answer Type

Question 1.
Mention any three big or prominent cities of the Mauryan empire. Why were these cities
popular (or famous)?
Answer:

1. Pataliputra, the capital town of the Mauryan empire. It was main centre of all political
activities and administration.
2. Taxila (nowadays in modem Pakistan) was a gateway to the northwest, including
Central Asia.
3. Ujjain lay on the route from north (India) to south India. Merchants, officials and
crafts persons probably lived in all the above mentioned three cities.

Question 2.
Write three main features of life of the people of the Mauryan empire.
Answer:
The main features of life of the people of the Mauryan empire were:

 There were several cities in the empire. Mainly emperor and his other family
members along with important officials of the kingdom lived in capital. Merchants,
officials and crafts person probably lived in cities.
 In other areas (other than cities), there were villages of farmers and herders.
 In some areas, such as central India, there were forests, where people gathered forest
produce and hunted animals for food.
 People in different parts of the empire spoke in different languages. They probably ate
different kinds of food and wore different kinds of clothes as well.
 Besides, there were the forest regions. People living in these areas were probably
more or less independent, but may have been expected to provide elephants, timber,
honey and wax to Mauryan officials.
Question 3.
Discuss the ruling system of the Mauryan empire.
Or
Mention main features of administrative system of the Mauryan empire.
Answer:
The ruling system (or Administration) of the Mauryan Empire was:

 As the Mauryan empire was very large, its different parts were ruled differently.
 The area around Pataliputra was under the direct control of the emperor. This meant
that officials were appointed to collect taxes from farmers, herders, crafts persons and
traders in villages and towns in the area.
 Mauryan government’s officials also punished those who disobeyed the ruler’s order.
 Some of the Mauryan officials were given salaries.
 Messengers went to and fro, and spies kept a watch on the officials.
 The Mauryan emperor supervised all officials, species, ambassadors etc. probably
with the help of members of the royal family and senior ministers.

Question 4.
Write three or four sentences about provinces and the administration of the Maury an Empire.
Answer:

1. There were several provinces in the Mauryan empire.

2. Each province was ruled from a provincial capital such as Taxila or Ujjain.
3. Although there was some amount of control from Pataliputra and royal princes were
often sent to provinces as governors.
4. In provinces local customs and rules were probably followed.

Question 5.
Why was control of roads and rivers considered important during the Mauryan Age?
Answer:
The Mauryas tried to control roads and rivers. These were important for transport w and to
collect whatever resources were available as tax and tribute. For example, the Arthashastra
(the famous literary work of Kautilaya or Chanakya) tells us that the north¬west was
important for blankets and south India for its gold and precious stones.

Question 6.
Explain the following terms:

1. Tribute
2. The Brahmi script

Answer:
1. Tribute. Unlike taxes, which were collected on a regular basis, tribute was collected as and
when it was possible from people who gave a variety of things, more or less willingly.

2. The Brahmi script. The most of the modem Indian scripts have developed from the Brahmi
script.
Question 7.
Who was the most famous ruler of the Mauryan dynasty? How did he try to teach his
message to the people?
Answer:

 The most famous Mauryan ruler was Ashoka.

 Ashoka was the first ruler who tried to teach his message to the people through
inscriptions.
 The most of Ashoka’s inscriptions were written in Prakrit.

Extra Questions Long Answer Type

Question 1.
Describe in your own words what Megasthenese had written about the Mauryan Emperor and
about the Capital City of the Mauryan Empire?
Answer:
Here is a part of Megasthenese’s description about the Mauryan Emperor and the Capital
City: (Pataliputra or modem Patna)
1. The Emperor

 The occasions on which the emperor appears in public are celebrated with grand royal
processions. He is carried in a golden palanquin (Palankeen).
 Emperor’s guards rode elephants decorated with gold and silver. Some of the guards
carried trees on which live birds, including a flock of trained parrots circled about the
head of the emperor.
 The king (or the emperor) was normally surrounded by armed women. He was afraid
that someone might try to kill him.
 The emperor had special servants to taste the food before he ate. He never slept in the
same bedroom for two nights.

2. The Capital City or Pataliputra (or modern Patna)

 The Capital City of the Mauryan empire was Pataliputra (modern Patna). It was a
large and beautiful city. It was surrounded by a massive wall. It had 570 towers and
64 gates.
 The houses (of capital city), of two and three storeys were built from wood and mud
bricks.
 The emperor’s palace was made of wood and decorated with stone carvings. It was
surrounded with gardens and enclosures for keeping birds.

Question 2.

Discuss Ashoka’s war in Kalinga.

Or
Discuss main events of Ashoka’s war in Kalinga. What were effects of this war on him?
Answer:
1. Ashoka’s War in Kalinga. Kalinga is the ancient name of coastal Orissa. Ashoka fought a
war to conquer Kalinga. About a lakh and a half people were captured and more than a lakh
of people were killed. He conquered Kalinga after eight years. In this way, he became the
emperor of almost whole of India.

2.. Impact of Ashoka’s War in Kalinga

 Ashoka was very horrified when he saw the result of violence and bloodshed. He
decided not to fight any more wars.
 Ashoka was very sad and decided to observe dhamma, and to teach others about it as
well.
 He believed after this victory in war that winning people over through dhamma was
much better than conquering them through force (or threat).
 He inscribed his message of peace and love for the future, so that his son and
grandson after him should not think about war. Instead, they should try to think about
how to spread dhamma.

Question 3.

What was Ashoka’s Dhamma? What did he do in this field?

Answer:
Ashoka’s Dhamma:
1. Dhamma is the Prakrit word for Sanskrit term Dharma. Ashoka’s dhamma did not involve
worship of a god, or performance of a sacrifice.

2. Ashoka felt that like a father, he had a duty to instruct his subject. He was greatly inspired
by the teachings of the Buddha.

3. There were numerous problems that troubled emperor Ashoka. People in the empire
followed different religions and this sometimes led to conflict. Animals were sacrificed.
Slaves and servants were ill-treated. Besides, there were quarrels in families and amongst
neighbours. Ashoka felt it was his duty to solve these problems, so, he appointed officials,
known as the Dhamma Mahamatta who went from place to place teaching people about
dhamma. Besides Ashoka got his messages inscribed on rocks and pillars, instructing his
officials to read the message to those who could not read it themselves.

4. He asked his people to give up useless rituals. He advised his subjects to be gentle with
slaves and servants. He asked them to respect their elders.

5. Ashoka asked his people to treat all creatures with compassion. They should give gifts to
brahmins and monks.

6. Ashoka asked that it was wrong to praise one’s own religion or criticize another’s. Each
one should respect the other’s religion. According to Ashoka if one praises one’s own
religion while criticising another’s, one was actually doing greater harm to one’s own
religion. Therefore, one should try to understand the main ideas of another’s religion and
respect it.
7. Ashoka sent messengers to spread ideas about dhamma to other lands, such as Syria,
Egypt, Greece and Sri Lanka.

8. Ashoka built roads, planted trees along these roads, dug wells and built rest houses.
Besides he arranged for medical treatment for both the human beings and the animals.

Extra Questions Multiple Choice Questions

Choose the correct answer:

Question 1.
Which are the animals shown in our national Emblem?
(a) Goats
(b) Lions
(c) Bulls
(d) None of these
Answer:
Lions

Question 2.
How many lions are shown in our national Emblem?
(a) Two
(b) Three
(c) Four
(d) Five
Answer:
Four

Question 3.
What was name of grandfather of Ashoka?
(a) Krishna
(b) Mahavira
(c) Sidhartha
(d) Chandragupta Maurya
Answer:
Chandragupta Maurya

Question 4.
In which book were Chanakya’s ideas written?
(a) Ramayana
(b) Mahabharata
(c) Arthashastra
(d) None of these
Answer:
Arthashastra

Question 5.
Who was supported by a wise man named Chanakya?
(a) Ashoka
(b) Bindusar
(c) Chandragupta
(d) All of these
Answer:
Chandragupta

Question 6.
Who was Bindusar’s son?
(a) Chandragupta
(b) Sidhartha
(c) Ashoka
(d) Ram Krishna Paramhans
Answer:
Ashoka

Question 7.
From which area was Taxila and Ujjain ruled?
(a) Pataliputra
(b) Bihar
(c) Delhi
(d) Agra
Answer:
Pataliputra

Question 8.
In which language were the Ashoka’s inscriptions written?
(a) Dev Nagari
(b) Sanskrit
(c) Tamil
(d) Brahmi Script
Answer:
Brahmi Script

Question 9.
What is the meaning of word Dhamma?
(a) Environment
(b) Dharma
(c) Both (a) and (b)
(d) None of these
Answer:
Both (a) and (b)

Question 10.
How many towers supported the massive wall of Pataliputra?
(a) 670
(b) 870
(c) 570
(d) 470
Answer:
570
Question 11.
How many people were killed in the war of Kalinga?
(a) More than 20,000
(b) More than 40,000
(c) More than 60,000
(d) More than one Lakh
Answer:
More than one Lakh

Question 12.
Which is the other animal on Mauryan Pillar?
(a)Lion
(b)Cat
(c) Dog
(d) Bull
Answer:
Bull

Question 13.
How can ‘a’ be written in Bengali?
(a) अ
(b) त्र
(c) ञ
(d) भ
Answer:
ञ