Ashoka: The Emperor Who Gave Up War

Q1. Fill in the blanks.

                         i.        Officials collected taxes from the area under the direct control of the ruler.

                        ii.        Royal princes often went to the provinces as governors.

                       iii.        The Mauryan rulers tried to control roads and rivers which were important for transport.

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

                        v.        The Arthashastra tells us that the north-west was important for blankets.

                      vi.        Ashoka was inspired by the teachings of Buddha.

Q2. True/False

                          i.        Ujjain was the gateway to the north-west. False

                         ii.        Chandragupta’s ideas were written down in the Arthashastra. True

                        iii.        Kalinga was the ancient name of Bengal. False

                        iv.        Most Ashokan inscriptions are in the Brahmi script. True

                          v.        The Arthashastra tells us that south India for its gold and precious stones. True

                        vi.        The empire that Ashoka ruled was founded by his father. False

         vii.        Ashoka appointed special officials who were known as the Dhamma Mahamatta. True

Q3. How did Ashoka convey his message to the people?

Ans. He conveyed his message to the people through inscriptions.

Q4. Who built Great Wall of China?

Ans. Emperors in China built the Great Wall.

Q5. Who wrote Arthashashtra?

Ans. Chanakya wrote Arthashashtra.

Q6. What is the ancient name of coastal Orissa?

Ans. Kalinga is the ancient name of coastal Orissa.

Q7. Name some cities of Mauryan Empire.

Ans. Pataliputra, Taxila, and Ujjain.

Q8. Name the book in which the ideas of Kautilya were written down.

Ans. Chanakya’s ideas were written down in a book called the Arthashastra.

Q9. What is dhamma?

Ans. ‘Dhamma’ is the Prakrit word for the Sanskrit term ‘Dharma’.

Q10. Name the provincial capital of Mauryan Empire.

Ans. Taxila or Ujjain

Q11. Who was Seleucus Nicator?

Ans. He was a Greek ruler of West Asia.

Q12. Which the region that was popular for the production of blanket during Maurya period?

Ans. north-west

Q13. Who was Chanakya?

Ans. Chandragupta was supported by a wise man named Chanakya or Kautilya.

Q14. Why was the Great Wall of China made?

Ans. It was built to protect the northern frontier of the empire from pastoral people.

Q15. Which script was used in the Ashoka’s inscriptions?

Ans. Most of Ashoka’s inscriptions were in Prakrit and were written in the Brahmi script.

Q16. Who founded the Mauryan Empire?

Ans. Mauryan Empire was founded by Chandragupta Maurya more than 2300 years ago.

Q17. Name the capital of Mauryan Empire. In which current state of India is it located?

Ans. Pataliputra (modern Patna) in Bihar

Q18. Name some countries where Ashoka propagated ‘Dhamma’.

Ans. Ashoka sent messengers to spread ideas about dhamma to other lands, such as Syria, Egypt, Greece and Sri Lanka.

Q19. Where did the lions on the currency come from?

Ans. The lions that we see on our notes and coins have a long history. They were carved in stone, and placed on top of a massive stone pillar at Sarnath.