Kings, Farmers and Towns


1. What happened in the Indian subcontinent after the Harappan civilization ended?

A. Several developments occurred, including the composition of the Rigveda, the emergence of agricultural settlements, and the presence of pastoral populations.


2. When did early states, empires, and kingdoms start to emerge in the Indian subcontinent?

A. Evidence suggests that early states, empires, and kingdoms began to emerge from the first millennium BCE.


3. What accompanied the rise of early states, empires, and kingdoms?

A. The rise of early states, empires, and kingdoms was accompanied by changes in agricultural production methods and the appearance of new towns.


4. What sources do historians use to understand the developments in the Indian subcontinent following the end of the Harappan civilization?

A. Historians rely on a variety of sources, including inscriptions, texts, coins, and visual material.


5. Is it possible to know the complete history of the Indian subcontinent following the end of the Harappan civilization?

A. No, the sources available to historians do not provide a complete picture of the past, so reconstructions of history must be carefully interpreted.


6. How long did the Mauryan Empire last, and what was its extent?

A. The Mauryan Empire lasted for about 150 years and did not encompass the entire subcontinent.


7. What sources have historians used to reconstruct the history of the Mauryan Empire?

A. Historians have used a variety of sources, including archaeological finds, contemporary works, and Asoka's inscriptions.


8. What was the significance of James Prinsep's decipherment of Brahmi and Kharosthi scripts?

A. It led to a new understanding of early Indian political history.


9. Who was Piyadassi, and how was he identified?

A. Piyadassi was a king mentioned in early inscriptions, later identified as Asoka, who ruled over a vast empire.


10. What is the significance of the Megasthenes' account?

A. Megasthenes' account provides a valuable source of information about the Mauryan Empire, including its administrative structure and military organization.


11. What principles did Asoka's inscriptions promote?

A. Asoka's inscriptions promoted the principles of dhamma, which emphasized respect for elders, generosity, kindness, and religious tolerance.


12. What happened after the decline of the Mauryan Empire?

A. New chiefdoms and kingdoms emerged in the Deccan and further south.


13. What are some of the early Tamil Sangam texts?

A. The early Tamil Sangam texts contain poems describing chiefs and the ways in which they ruled their territories.


14. What is the significance of the discovery of the copper hoard mentioned in the paragraph?

A. The discovery of the copper hoard provides evidence of trade networks between India and the Mediterranean world.

15. What is the significance of the Arthashastra?

A. The Arthashastra is a treatise on statecraft that provides insights into the political and economic thought of the Mauryan period.

16. What were land grants used for in the early centuries of the Common Era? A. Land grants were used to expand agriculture, reward allies, and project royal power. 17. What materials were used to make luxury goods enjoyed by urban elites? A. Luxury goods were made from a wide range of materials, including gold, silver, copper, bronze, ivory, glass, shell, and terracotta. 18. What were guilds and how did they play a role in urban economies? A. Guilds were organizations of craft producers and merchants that regulated production and marketed finished products. 19. What were the major trade routes that connected the subcontinent to other regions? A. The major trade routes included overland routes into Central Asia and overseas routes across the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal. 20. What were punch-marked coins and when were they used? A. Punch-marked coins were made of silver and copper and were among the earliest coins used in the subcontinent, from the 6th century BCE onwards. 21. Who were the Indo-Greeks and what was their significance? A. The Indo-Greeks were rulers who established control over the northwestern part of the subcontinent in the 2nd century BCE and issued the first coins to bear the names and images of rulers. 22. Who were the Kushanas and what was their contribution to coinage? A. The Kushanas were rulers who issued the largest hoards of gold coins in the subcontinent, from the 1st century CE onwards. 23. What happened to the use of gold coins from the 6th century CE onwards? A. The use of gold coins declined from the 6th century CE onwards, possibly due to a shift in trade patterns or new economic strategies. 24. What are some of the arguments for and against the idea that long-distance trade declined from the 6th century CE onwards? A. Some historians argue that the collapse of the Western Roman Empire led to a decline in long-distance trade, while others suggest that new trade networks emerged during this period. 25. What is the significance of the continued mention of coins in inscriptions and texts even after finds of coins become fewer from the 6th century CE onwards? A. The continued mention of coins in inscriptions and texts suggests that coins may have been in circulation rather than being hoarded during this period.



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