Traders, Kings and Pilgrims

Q23. Who were the earliest rulers of the subcontinent to issue gold coins?

Ans. The Kushanas were amongst the earliest rulers of the subcontinent to issue gold coins.

Q24. How do we come to know about the dangers faced by the piligrims in their travels?

Ans. Chinese Buddhists pilgrims wrote about the dangers they encountered on their travels.

Q25. Who were known as lords of the dakshinapatha?

Ans. Gautamiputra Shri Satakarni and other Satavahana rulers were known as lords of the dakshinapatha.

Q26. What makes silk highly valued fabric in most societies?

Ans. The rich, glossy colours of silk, as well as its smooth texture, make it a highly valued fabric in most societies.

Q27. Discuss the reasons why the Chinese pilgrims came to India.

Ans. They came to visit places associated with the life of the Buddha as well as famous monasteries.

Q28. Who was Appar? Which community he belonged to?

Ans. Appar was Tamil poet-saint and a devotee of Shiva. He belonged to vellala community.

Q29. Who were the rulers, who ruled over central Asia and north-west India around 2000 years ago?

Ans. Kushanas were the rulers, who ruled over central Asia and north-west India around 2000 years ago.

Q30. Name the regions where Bodhisattvas became very popular.

Ans. The worship of Bodhisattvas became very popular, and spread throughout Central Asia, China, and later to Korea and Japan.

Q31. How did the chiefs use the tribute that they collected from neighbouring areas?

Ans. They kept some of the wealth and distributed the rest amongst their supporters, including members of their family, soldiers, and poets.

Q32. What do you know about Syrian Christians?

Ans. The Christians of Kerala, known as Syrian Christians because they probably came from West Asia, are amongst the oldest Christian communities in the world.

Q33. Why do you think ordinary people were attracted to Bhakti?

Ans. Ordinary people were attracted to Bhakti because it emphasised devotion and individual worship of a god or goddess, rather than the performance of elaborate sacrifices.

Q34. Making silk is a complicated process. Why?

Ans. Making silk is a complicated process because raw silk has to be extracted from the cocoons of silk worms, spun into thread and then woven into cloth.

Q35. From where is the word ‘Hindu’ derived?

Ans. The word ‘Hindu’, like the term ‘India’ is derived from the river Indus. It was used by Arabs and Iranians to refer to people who lived to the east of the river, and to their cultural practices, including religious beliefs.

Q36. Why did kings want to control the Silk Route?

Ans. The kings want to control the Silk Route because they could benefit from taxes, tributes and gifts that were brought by traders travelling along the route.

Q37. Who was Kanishka?

Ans. The most famous Kushana ruler was Kanishka, who ruled around 1900 years ago. He organized a Buddhist council, where scholars met and discussed important matters.

Q38. Who were bodhisattvas in Buddhism?

Ans. Bodhisattvas were supposed to be persons who had attained enlightenment. Once they attained enlightenment, they could live in complete  isolation and meditate in peace.

Q39. What was emphasized under the system of bhakti?

Ans. Those who followed the system of Bhakti emphasised devotion and individual worship of a god or goddess, rather than the performance of elaborate sacrifices.