EXERCISES
Short Answer Questions
1. State any two sources of information about the Mauryan Empire.
2. Who wrote Arthashastra? What is its importance?
3. What is the importance of Ashoka's edicts?
4. Who wrote the Indika? What does it contain?
5. What is a stupa? Name one stupa built by Ashoka.
6. How did Chandragupta Maurya establish the Mauryan dynasty?
7. What is the importance of the Kalinga war in the personal life of Ashoka?
8. What was the impact of Ashoka embracing the policy of Dhammagosha?
9. Name the two taxes mentioned in the Edicts of Ashoka.
10. How did the king keep himself abreast with whatever was happening in his kingdom
11. Name two officials who assisted the Mauryan king and in which capacity.
12. What is meant by Ashoka's Dhamma?
13. Give the basic principles of Ashoka's Dhamma.
14. What was the impact of Dhamma on Ashoka's policies?
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Answers
Answer:
1. Literary and architecture. The literary sources include Kautilya's Arthasastra, Visakha Datta's Mudra Rakshasa , Megasthenese's Indica, Buddhist literature and Puranas.
2. Chanakya.It is a treatise on artha written about 2,300 years ago and attributed to a person named Kautilya.
3. Importance of Asoka's edicts are: They are a main source of information about the reign of Ashoka. These edicts and inscriptions contained instructions on religious matters especially Buddhism. Rules for conduct of Bhikshuks are also found on some rock inscriptions.
4. Arrian wrote his Indica in the Ionic dialect, taking Herodotus for his literary mode. Arrian was born in 86 CE, did not visit the Indian subcontinent, and the book is based on a variety of legends and texts known to Arrian, such as the Indica by Megasthenes.
5. A dome-shaped building erected as a Buddhist shrine. Sanchi Stupa.
6. The Maurya Empire was founded in 322 BCE by Chandragupta Maurya, who had overthrown the Nanda Dynasty and rapidly expanded his power westward across central and western India in order to take advantage of the disruptions of local powers in the wake of the withdrawal by Alexander the Great 's armies.
7. The Kalinga War was a war fought between the Mauryan Empire and the state of Kalinga. Kalinga was an important kingdom because it controlled the trade routes with Southeast Asia. Because of this, Ashoka, the Mauryan king, wanted to capture it. Therefore he lead his huge army to Kalinga in 261 BC.
8. There has been some discussion among historians about the results Ashoka's propagation of Dhamma. Some historians believe that Ashoka's ban of sacrifices and the favour that he showed to Buddhism led to a Brahmanical reaction, which in turn led to the decline of Mauryan empire.
9. Two kinds of taxes, namely Bali and Bhaga are mentioned in the Edicts of Ashoka.
10. He constructed a road and planted many trees on both sides of the road. He didn't care whatever happening in his Kingdom but he always thought about the benefit people and kept himself abreast.
11. These officials include the two important official that is senapati who is commander in chief of Army, who used to maintain the army and akshaptal adhyaksha who is used to look after the economic status in the form of currency and accounts. Hence the council of ministers and senapati form the assisted the king.
12. Dhamma is a set of edicts that formed a policy of the Mauryan emperor Ashoka, who succeeded to the Mauryan throne in modern-day India around 269 C.E. He is considered as one of the greatest kings of ancient India for his policies of public welfare.
13. the main principles of Ashoka's dhamma: People should live in peace and harmony. Everyone should practise the principle of ahimsa, i.e. non-violence and non-injury to all living beings. People should love one another and display respect and tolerance towards other religious faiths.
14. Ashoka pleaded for tolerance of different religious sects in an attempt to create a sense of harmony. The policy of Dhamma also laid stress on non-violence, which was to be practiced by giving up war and conquests and also as a restraint on the killing of animals.