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Class VI SS T3 The Post-Mauryan India Textbook Solutions
The Post-Mauryan India
Exercises
I. Choose the correct answer
1. The last Mauryan emperor was killed by_________.
a) Pushyamitra b) Agnimitra
c) Vasudeva d) Narayana
Ans:a) Pushyamitra
2. _________ was the founder of Satavahana dynasty.
a) Simuka b) Satakarani
c) Kanha d) Sivasvati
Ans:a) Simuka
3. _________ was the greatest of all the Kushana emperors.
a) Kanishka b) Kadphises I
c) Kadphises II d) Pan-Chiang
Ans:a) Kanishka
4. The Kantara School of Sanskrit flourished in the _________ during 2nd century BC.
a) Deccan b) north-west India
c) Punjab d) Gangetic valley
Ans:b) north-west India
5. Sakas ruled over Gandhara region _____________ as their capital.
a) Sirkap b) Taxila
c) Mathura d) Purushpura
Ans:a) Sirkap
II. Match the statement with the reason and tick the appropriate answer
1. Assertion (A): Colonies of Indo-Greeks and Indo-Parthians were established along the north-western part of India.
Reason (R): The Bactrian and Parthian settlers gradually intermarried and intermixed with the indigenous population.
a) Both A and R are correct and R is the correct explanation of A.
b) Both A and R are correct but R is not the correct explanation of A.
c) A is correct but R is not correct.
d) A is not correct but R is correct.
Ans:a) Both A and R are correct and R is the correct explanation of A.
2. Statement I: Indo-Greek rulers introduced die system and produced coins with inscription and symbols, engraving figures on them.
Statement II: Indo-Greek rule was ended by the Kushanas.
a) Statement I is wrong, but statement II is correct.
b) Statement II is wrong, but statement I is correct
c) Both the statements are correct.
d) Both the statements are wrong.
Ans:b) Statement II is wrong, but statement I is correct
3.Circle the odd one
Pushyamitra, Vasudeva, Simuka, Kanishka
Ans:Kanishka
4.Answer the following in a word
1. Who was the last Sunga ruler?
Ans:Devabhtu
2. Who was the most important and famous king of Sakas?
Ans:Vasudeva
3. Who established Kanva dynasty in Magadha?
Ans:Vasudeva
4. Who converted Gondophernes into Christianity?
Ans:St.Thomas
III. Fill in the blanks
1._________ was the founder of Indo-Parthian Kingdom.
Ans:Gonduphres
2.In the South, Satavahanas became independent after ________ death.
Ans:Ashoka’s
3.Hala is famous as the author of ____________.
Ans:Sattasai
4.___________ was the last ruler of Kanva dynasty.
Ans:Susarma
5.Kushana's later capital was___________.
Ans:Peshavar/ Purushpura
IV. State whether True or False
1. Magadha continued to be a great centre of Buddhist culture even after the fall of the Mauryan Empire.
Ans:True
2. We get much information about Kharavela from Hathigumba inscription.
Ans:True
3. Simuka was the founder of Satavahana dynasty.
Ans:True
4. Buddhacharita was written by Asvaghosha.
Ans:True
V.Match the following
i) Patanjali - 1. Kalinga
ii) Agnimitra - 2. Indo-Greek
iii) King Kharavela - 3. Indo-Parthians
iv) Demetrius - 4. Second grammarian
v) Gondophernes - 5. Malavikagnimitra
a) 4 3 2 1 5
b) 3 4 5 1 2
c) 1 5 3 4 2
d) 2 5 3 1 4
Ans:b) 3 4 5 1 2
VI. Find out the wrong statement from the following
1. The Kushanas formed a section of the yueh-chi tribes who inhabited north-western China.
2. Kanishka made Jainism the state religion and built many monasteries.
3. The Great Stupa of Sanchi and the railings which enclose it belong to the Sunga period.
4. Pan-Chiang was the Chinese general defeated by Kanishka.
Ans:2. Kanishka made Jainism the state religion and built many monasteries.
VII. Answer in one or two sentences
1.What happened to the last Mauryan emperor?
The last Mauryan emperor, Brihadratha, was assassinated by his own general, Pushyamitra Sunga, who established his Sunga dynasty in Magadha.
2.Write a note on Kalidasa’s Malavikagnimitra.
Malavikagnimitra is a drama of Kalidasa. Agnimitra is said to be the hero of the drama. The drama also refers to the victory of Vasumitra, Agnimitra’s son, over the Greeks.
3.Name the ruler of Kanva dynasty.
The Kanva rulers were
Vasudeva
Bhumi Mitra
Narayana
Susarman
4.Highlight the literary achievements of Satavahanas.
The Satavahana king Hala was himself a great scholar of Sanskrit. The Kantara school of Sanskrit flourished in the Deccan in second century B.C. Hala is famous as the author of Sattasai (Saptasati), 700 stanzas in Prakrit.
5.Name the places where Satavahana’s monuments are situated.
Gandhara, Madhura, Amaravati, Bodh Gaya, Sanchi and Bharhut were known for splendid monuments and art.
The Mathura School of Sculpture produced images and life-size statues of the Buddhist, Brahmanical and Jain deities.
6.Give an account of the achievements of Kadphises I.
Kadphises I was the first famous military and political leader of the Kushanas. He overthrew the Indo-Greek and Indo-Parthian rulers and established himself as a sovereign ruler of Bactria. He extended his power in Kabul, Gandhara and up to the Indus.
7.Name the Buddhist saints and scholars who adorned the court of Kanishka.
Kanishka was an ardent Buddhist. His court was adorned with a number of Buddhist saints and scholars, like Asvaghosha, Vasumitra and Nagarjuna.
VIII.Answer the following
1.Who invaded India after the decline of the Mauryan empire?
The break-up of Mauryan Empire resulted in the invasions of Sakas, Scythians, Parthians, Indo-Greeks or Bactrian Greeks and Kushanas from the north-west.
In the south, Satavahanas became independent after Asoka’s death.
There were Sungas and Kanvas in the north before the emergence of the Gupta dynasty. Chedis (Kalinga) declared their independence.
Though Magadha ceased to be the premier state of India, it continued to be a great centre of Buddhist culture.
2.Give an account of the conquests of Pushyamitra Sunga.
Pushyamitra Sunga, who established his Sunga dynasty in Magadha.
Pushyamitra’s kingdom extended westward to include Ujjain and Vidisha.
He successfully repulsed the invasion of the Bactria king, Menander.
He also conquered Vidarba.
3.Write a note on Gautamiputra Satakarni.
Gautamiputra Satakarni was the greatest ruler of the family.
In the Nasik eulogy, published by his mother GautamiBalasri, Gautamiputra Satakarni is described as the destroyer of Sakas, Yavanas (Greeks) and Pahlavas (Parthians).
The extent of the empire is also mentioned in the record.
Their domain included Maharashtra, north Konkan, Berar, Gujarat, Kathiawar and Malwa.
His ship coins are suggestive of Andhras’ skill in seafaring and their naval power.
The Bogor inscriptions suggest that South India played an important role in the process of early state formation in Southeast Asia.
4.What do you know of Gondopharid dynasty?
The Gondopharid or Indo-Parthian kingdom dynasty was founded by Gondophernes.
The domain of Indo-Parthians comprised Kabul and Gandhara.
The name of Gondophernes is associated with the Christian apostle St.Thomas.
He came to India and according to Christian tradition, visited the court of Gondophernes and embraced Christianity.
5.Who was considered the best known Indo-Greek King.Why?
Menander was one of the best known Indo-Greek kings.
He is said to have ruled a large kingdom in the north-west of the country.
His coins were found over an extensive area ranging from Kabul valley and Indus river to western Uttar Pradesh.
MilindaPanha, a Buddhist text, is a discourse between Bactrian king Milinda and the learned Buddhist scholar Nagasena.
This Milinda is identified with Menander. Menander is believed to have become a Buddhist and promoted Buddhism.
6.Who were Sakas?
The Indo-Greek rule in India was ended by the Sakas.
Sakas as nomads came in huge numbers and spread all over northern and western India.
The Sakas were against the tribe of Turki nomads.
Sakas were Scythians, nomadic ancient Iranians, and known as Sakas in Sanskrit.
Saka rule was founded by Maos or Mogain in the Gandhara region and his capital was ‘Sirkap’. His name is mentioned in Mora inscription. His coins bear images of Buddha and Siva.
Rudradaman was the most important and famous king of Sakas.
In India, the Sakas were assimilated into Indian society.
They began to adopt Indian names and practise Indian religious beliefs.
The Sakas appointed kshatrapas or satraps as provincial governors to administer their territories.
7.Give an account of the religious policy of Kanishka.
Religious Policy
Kanishka was an ardent Buddhist. Kanishka’s empire was a Buddhist empire.
Kanishka adopted Buddhism under the influence of Asvaghosha, a celebrated monk from Pataliputra.
Kanishka made Buddhism as the state religion and built many stupas and monasteries in Mathura, Taxila and many other parts of his kingdom.
He sent Buddhist missionaries to Tibet, China and many countries of Central Asia for the propagation of Buddha’s gospel.
He organised the fourth Buddhist Council at Kundalavana near Srinagar to sort out the differences between the various schools of Buddhism.
It was only in this council that Buddhism was split into Hinayana and Mahayana.
