Test Bank: A History of World Societies, Combined Volume, 10e John McKay, Patricia Buckley Ebrey, Roger Beck, Merry Wiesner Hanks, Jerry Davila, Clare Haru Crowston |All Chapters |Updated Version 2025 A+

Test Bank: A History of World Societies, Combined Volume, 10e John McKay, Patricia Buckley Ebrey, Roger Beck, Merry Wiesner Hanks, Jerry Davila, Clare Haru Crowston |All Chapters |Updated Version 2025 A+ Page 1 Test Bank: A History of World Societies, Combined Volume, 10e John McKay, Patricia Buckley Ebrey, Roger Beck, Merry Wiesner Hanks, Jerry Davila, Clare Haru Crowston (Answers At The End Of Each Chapter) Chapter 01_Essay Answer each of the following questions with an essay. Be sure to include specific examples that support your thesis and conclusions. 1. What are some of the problems in using evidence from contemporary gatherer societies to study early humans? 2. How did early Homo erectus spread out of East Africa into other parts of the world? Where did they go, and how early did they reach those places? 3. What were the key features of Paleolithic food attainment and Paleolithic diets? 4. What are some of the theories about gender relationships in Paleolithic societies? What changed in those relationships in the Neolithic period? What kinds of evidence are used in supporting or arguing against these theories? 5. What is the relationship between pastoralism, disease, and humans? 6. How did material goods create, define, and perpetuate social hierarchies in Neolithic societies? Page 2 Answer Key 1. Answer would ideally include:  Because the earliest humans did not leave behind written evidence, scientists have studied more recent societies that lived by similar gathering means. However, most evidence about recent gatherer societies was written by external sources and thus includes their biases and expectations, such as the inferiority of foraging as a lifestyle. Furthermore, few modern foragers or gatherers are truly isolated from the influence of other agricultural or industrial cultures. Also, this approach assumes that gatherer societies are somehow static and remain unchanged over many centuries, which ignores the evidence of how adaptable such societies really are. 2. Answer would ideally include:  Homo erectus migrated out of East Africa into central Africa, and then into northern Africa. This migration took place 2 million years ago. As early as 1.8 million years ago, Homo erectus had spread to Asia, reaching China and Java by 1.5 million years ago. These migrations took place over land, along coastline routes. Because sea levels were lower then, individuals could cross from the mainland of China to Java on foot. Homo erectus also moved northward from Africa, into Spain by 800,000 years ago and into Germany 500,000 years ago. In each of these places, they adapted hunting and gathering techniques to the local environment. 3. Answer would ideally include:  The Paleolithic diet consisted of a combination of plants and animal protein. Paleolithic peoples foraged for their food, engaging in what we would consider a combination of hunting, scavenging, and gathering. Most of what they ate were plants. Animal protein often came from scavenged foods like insects and shellfish rather than being hunted directly. It is unknown as to whether labor was divided between genders, but in today's foraging societies, there is some division, with men engaging in hunting large animals and women responsible for gathering plants and small animals. It took between ten and twenty hours per week to gather food, but this number varied depending on environmental factors and group decisions. Because Paleolithic peoples had to forage for their diet, they expended energy and, in general, avoided diseases common in sedentary societies. Life spans were kept in check by accidents, injuries, and infections. 4. Answer would ideally include:  Studies of more recent foraging societies suggest that women were valued for their labor, which was recognized as equal to the work of men. Both men and women foraged for food, and both participated in hunting. Other scholars theorize that even in Paleolithic society one person may have emerged as a leader, perhaps based on personal skill, and that this person was almost always a man. It is more certain that by the Neolithic period, after the invention of plow agriculture, society became more hierarchical and men took on more of a public, elite status. Women were limited to the home or enclosed spaces, and land inheritance favored men over women. Evidence for Page 3 gender roles in the Neolithic period comes from later written traditions. 5. Answer would ideally include:  Pastoralism is the herding and raising of livestock. It requires humans to live in close contact with their herd animals, thus exposing humans to various animal-borne diseases, such as smallpox. Initially, exposure to diseases may have caused higher mortality rates in pastoralist societies, but over time, humans would have developed some resistance to them. Foragers were not exposed to these diseases and thus did not develop any resistance to them. When a pastoralist society encountered a forager society, this might have led the former to expose the latter to deadly pathogens. 6. Answer would ideally include:  The possession of material goods—such as livestock, dwelling structures, plows, carts, and pots—indicated that some individuals had control over more labor. Labor was used to acquire material goods. The more material goods one had, the more labor one controlled. This indicated status; to control labor was to have a higher status than others. Having material goods gave one the ability to acquire yet more material goods and to continue to acquire status. Material goods, along with land, could also constitute an inheritance, and thus perpetuate status into the next generation. Page 1 Chapter 01_Matching Use the following to answer questions 1-15: Select the word or phrase from the Terms section that best matches the definition or example provided in the Definitions section. Terms a. pastoralism b. Neanderthals c. division of labor d. animism e. social hierarchies f. patriarchy g. Paleolithic era h. Agricultural Revolution g. foraging h. shamans i. Neolithic era j. hominids k. horticulture l. megafaunal extinction m. domesticated 1. Period during which humans used tools of stone, bone, and wood and obtained food by gathering and hunting. Roughly 250,000–9,000 B.C.E. 2. Dramatic transformation in human history resulting from the change from foraging to raising crops and animals. 3. Period beginning in 9000 B.C.E. during which humans obtained food by raising crops and animals and continued to use tools primarily of stone, bone, and wood. 4. Members of the family Hominidae that contains humans, chimpanzees, gorillas, and orangutans. 5. Die-off of large animals in many parts of the world about 15,000–10,000 B.C.E., caused by climate change and perhaps human hunting. Page 2 6. Divisions between rich and poor, elites and common people, that have been a central feature of human society since the Neolithic era. 7. A style of life in which people gain food by gathering plant products, trapping or catching small animals and birds, and hunting larger prey. 8. Idea that people, animals, plants, natural occurrences, and other parts of the physical world have spirits. 9. Differentiation of tasks by gender, age, training, status, or other social distinction. 10. Social system in which men have more power and access to resources than women and some men are dominant over other men. 11. Group of Homo erectus with brains as large as those of modern humans that flourished in Europe and western Asia between 150,000 and 30,000 years ago. 12. Crop raising done with hand tools and human power. 13. An economic system based on herding flocks of goats, sheep, cattle, or other animals. 14. Plants and animals modified by selective breeding so as to serve human needs; these animals will behave in specific ways and breed in captivity. 15. Spiritually adept men and women who communicated with the unseen world. Page 3 Answer Key 1. g. Paleolithic era 2. h. Agricultural Revolution 3. i. Neolithic era 4. j. hominids 5. l. megafaunal extinction 6. e. social hierarchies 7. g. foraging 8. d. animism 9. c. division of labor 10. f. patriarchy 11. b. Neanderthals 12. k. horticulture 13. a. pastoralism 14. m. domesticated 15. h. shamans Page 1 Chapter 01_MCQ,s Choose the letter of the best answer. 1. How is the term species generally defined? A) A group of organisms that can communicate with one another B) A group of organisms that will share food with one another C) A group of organisms that can mate and produce fertile offspring of both sexes D) A group of organisms that originate from a different ancestor 2. During which of the following periods did the ancestor common to both chimpanzees and humans probably live? A) 3 to 5 million years ago B) 5 to 7 million years ago C) 10 to 12 million years ago D) 12 to 14 million years ago 3. Scientists used which of the following to label the first periods of human history? A) The material used for tools B) The height of the human form C) Language ability and skill level D) The location of human settlements 4. Although the date varies by location, when did the shift to agriculture first occur? A) 3000 B.C.E. B) 15,000 B.C.E. C) 9000 B.C.E. D) 1000 B.C.E. 5. What term is used for the first fully bipedal hominid known to paleontologists? A) Ardipithecus B) Homo habilis C) Australopithecus D) Homo sapiens Page 2 6. Where have the majority of Australopithecus skeletal remains been found? A) The Sahara Desert B) The Great Rift Valley C) Jericho Valley D) The Island of Java 7. How did Homo erectus differ from modern humans? A) Homo erectus had a slightly smaller brain size than modern humans. B) Homo erectus had no capacity for making and using tools. C) Homo erectus lived in larger groups than modern humans. D) Homo erectus shared food preparations and gathering. 8. How Homo erectus migrate from China about 1.5 million years ago to settle on Java? A) By sailing woven grass boats B) By walking over land C) By floating on planks D) By paddling canoes 9. Where did Homo sapiens first evolve? A) The Black Sea region B) The Nile Valley C) China D) East Africa 10. Why were better social skills especially important for early human females? A) They needed help with food gathering. B) They needed help with home building. C) They needed help attracting a mate. D) They needed help with child rearing. 11. Which of the following skills did Homo sapiens acquire around 25,000 years ago? A) The capacity to weave cloth B) The capacity to make tools from stone C) The capacity to domesticate sheep D) The capacity to use fire for warmth Page 3 12. Which of the following is evidence that Neanderthals understood death to have a symbolic meaning? A) They drew pictures of the dead on walls. B) They buried the dead with symbolic objects. C) They wrote stories about the meaning of death. D) They built large funerary monuments. 13. The Neanderthals of Europe were a branch of what hominid group? A) Homo sapiens B) Homo habilis C) Australopithecus D) Homo erectus 14. Between 1 and 4 percent of the DNA in modern humans is shared with what early hominid? A) Homo sapiens B) Cro-Magnon C) Neanderthals D) Australopithecus 15. Which of the following allowed Homo sapiens to migrate to Australia and New Guinea? A) Simple rafts B) Land bridges C) Large boats D) Swimming 16. What was one of the results of endogamy? A) An increase in fertility B) A lack of diversity of languages C) The inability of Homo sapiens to mate with one another D) Differences in physical features and spoken language 17. The term forager is now used by historians instead of what traditional term? A) Hunter-gatherer B) Stone-age man C) Caveman D) First people Page 4 18. Which of the following foods dominated the diet of Paleolithic foragers? A) Trapped animals B) Fish C) Hunted animals D) Plants 19. Paleolithic humans may have encouraged the growth of new plants by doing what? A) Planting seeds B) Hunting large game C) Harvesting crops D) Setting fires 20. How many hours a week did early foragers generally spend gathering food? A) One to three hours B) Forty hours C) Fifty hours or more D) Ten to twenty hours 21. Which of the following is true of Paleolithic mating patterns? A) Most Paleolithic humans sought mates from outside their kinship groups. B) Mates were usually selected from within the same kinship group. C) Most mates were purchased from a distant tribal group. D) Mates were generally people taken captive in conflict. 22. The burial sites of Paleolithic humans reveal that they believed that all things and natural occurrences had which of the following? A) Meaning B) Economic value C) Danger D) Spirits 23. What did Paleolithic peoples believe about dead members of their kinship groups? A) That the dead were gone forever B) That deceased family members were still with them C) That the dead became new gods D) That the dead would return one day Page 5 24. Who in Paleolithic society was believed to regularly receive messages from the spirit world? A) The chief B) The shaman C) The king D) The warriors 25. What was one of the shaman's primary duties? A) Healing the sick B) Leading the war band C) Harvesting crops D) Leading building projects in urban areas 26. What discovery marks the transition from Paleolithic to Neolithic? A) Stone tools B) Religion C) Burial D) Agriculture 27. What major climate change occurred about 15,000 years ago? A) Temperatures warmed and glaciers melted. B) Monsoon patterns began. C) Temperatures became slightly colder. D) El Niño wind patterns first developed. 28. What term describes a crop that has been modified by selective breeding? A) Trained B) Marketed C) Domesticated D) Husbanded 29. Horticulture refers to the growing of plants using what tool? A) Clubs B) Plows C) Digging sticks D) Sickles Page 6 30. Beginning about 9000 B.C.E., people in the Fertile Crescent began to domesticate what crop? A) Yams B) Wheat C) Squash D) Rice 31. How did women's work change as a result of settled agriculture? A) Women were responsible for working the fields while their husbands hunted. B) Women became merchants because they now had time to produce things to sell. C) Women continued to be quite mobile and continued to add to family diet through foraging. D) Women likely began to spend more time tending to household needs. 32. How did the amount of labor required for horticulture compare to that for foraging? A) Horticulture required less time and labor than foraging. B) Horticulture required more time and labor than foraging. C) Horticulture required the same amount of time and labor as foraging. D) Horticulture required more time and labor than foraging, but only during harvesting season. 33. By 4000 B.C.E., how far north of the Fertile Crescent had horticulture spread? A) To Britain B) To Scandinavia C) To Ethiopia D) To Russia 34. Potatoes and quinoa were domesticated by 3000 B.C.E. in what region? A) Indus Valley B) Western United States C) Andes Mountains D) Fertile Crescent 35. What species of animal did humans domesticate around 15,000 years ago? A) Sheep B) Dogs C) Cattle D) Horses Page 7 36. Which of the following was a consequence of humans living in close proximity with animals? A) Humans had an easier time domesticating animals. B) Humans spread disease to animals, leading to the extinction of some species. C) Humans were exposed to more pathogens. D) Humans began to consider animals as property. 37. Animal domestication led to humans becoming able to digest which of the following? A) Milk B) Meat C) Grain D) Minerals 38. The natural herding instinct of what animal paved the way for pastoralism? A) Pigs B) Yaks C) Humans D) Sheep 39. Beginning in the sixth millennium B.C.E., people attached wooden sticks to frames and pack animals to use as a simple version of what developing technology? A) Weapons B) Fences to mark boundaries of territory C) Early threshers D) Plows 40. How did the moldboard plow aid early farmers? A) It turned over soil, breaking it up for easier planting. B) It planted seeds as it moved through the soil. C) It helped to harvest crops. D) It made straighter furrows. 41. In most Neolithic communities, which group of people were the first to work out written codes of law? A) Craftsmen B) Priests C) Warriors D) Farmers Page 8 42. Every society that has left a written record was organized around what important hierarchical system? A) Patriarchy B) Theocracy C) Pastoralism D) Matriarchy 43. What is depicted in the earliest Egyptian hieroglyph for weaving? A) Children weaving B) A loom and shuttle C) Sheep being sheared D) A woman with a shuttle 44. Which of the following was an important feature of the houses of Çatal Hüyük? A) They were constructed without roofs. B) Elites lived in round houses with two doors. C) They were made of mud brick. D) They were spaced far apart to combat disease. 45. For what did Neolithic peoples use obsidian? A) It was melted to construct plow blades. B) It was used to make knives and blades. C) It was easily carved into storage jars. D) It was woven into carpets to make them stronger. 46. What alloy is created by mixing copper with another metal such as arsenic? A) Iron B) Steel C) Tin D) Bronze 47. Why did Neolithic peoples build circular structures? A) It helped them to predict where best to herd their animals. B) Circular structures were believed to predict the movements of the stars. C) Circular structures were believed to possess magical powers to help people know where to migrate next. D) Priests taught their populations that building large circular structures would ensure a large harvest for years to come. Page 9 48. What characteristics did the gods of polytheistic Neolithic societies develop? A) They took on social hierarchies and had specific labor responsibilities. B) They were originally believed to resemble people but later were depicted as animals. C) They were always depicted as strong animals. D) They were seen as heavenly creatures with wings. 49. As Neolithic religious structures became more hierarchical, what was the purpose of the most important religious practice? A) Ensuring military success B) Granting a special skill C) Foretelling the future D) Ensuring fertility 50. By what time was the Bronze Age well under way? A) 10,000 B.C.E. B) 7500 B.C.E. C) 5000 B.C.E. D) 2500 B.C.E. Page 10 Answer Key 1. C 2. B 3. A 4. C 5. C 6. B 7. A 8. B 9. D 10. D 11. A 12. B 13. D 14. C 15. A 16. D 17. A 18. D 19. D 20. D 21. A 22. D 23. B 24. B 25. A 26. D 27. A 28. C 29. C 30. B 31. D 32. B 33. A 34. C 35. B 36. C 37. A 38. D 39. D 40. A 41. B 42. A 43. D 44. C Page 11 45. B 46. D 47. B 48. A 49. D 50. D Page 1 Chapter 01_Short QA Answer each question with three or four sentences. 1. What evidence and characteristics do scientists use to place animals, such as humans, in a particular classification, such as a kingdom, order, or family? 2. How did climate affect the development of human cultures during the Pleistocene epoch? 3. What are the advantages and disadvantages to Homo sapiens in having a larger forebrain? 4. Historians used to call Paleolithic peoples hunter-gatherers but now prefer the term foragers. What does this terminology shift indicate about Paleolithic peoples' daily lives? 5. What kinds of animals were lost in the megafaunal extinctions at the end of the last Ice Age, and what role did humans play in those extinctions? 6. What effect did the domestication of plants have on human population growth? 7. What advantages did the domestication of dogs provide to both dogs and humans? 8. What did humans learn about selective breeding from the domestication of sheep around 9000 B.C.E.? 9. What kinds of goods were created and traded at Çatal Hüyük? What do these goods indicate about Neolithic culture? 10. What kinds of religious rituals did Neolithic people develop? Who performed them? Page 2 Answer Key 1. Answer would ideally include:  In order to classify an animal, scientists originally used evidence from externally visible characteristics, such as body elements, how these elements are used, and what other animals that animal resembles. A final important division results from the ability to interbreed. Recently, scientists have added DNA testing and other genetic evidence. 2. Answer would ideally include:  The Pleistocene epoch, which began about 2.5 million years ago and ended 12,000 years ago, was the last major Ice Age. Glaciers and ice sheets covered much of the earth. Sea levels lowered, and what are now oceans were land masses that humans and other animals were able to cross, although they could not cross the ice sheets themselves. The ability to cross from one continent to another encouraged human migration into new environments; this in turn shaped how humans developed physically and culturally. 3. Answer would ideally include:  Having a larger forebrain gave Homo sapiens greater capacity for conscious thought, the ability to think reflectively and to create a symbolic language, greater intelligence overall, and the ability to manipulate their immediate world. Homo sapiens could understand and explain the surrounding world and organize socially. Larger brains were a disadvantage in that they required more energy (or food) and made childbirth more difficult for bipedal mammals. Infants were born earlier and required more care after birth. 4. Answer would ideally include:  Hunter-gatherer implies that the majority of food came from hunting and that the majority of time was spent hunting. In truth, Paleolithic peoples' diet may have depended more on gathered foods than hunted meat. This would indicate that more time was spent gathering than hunting. Foraging goes a step further and indicates how flexible and adaptable Paleolithic peoples were in searching for food. Foragers gathered plants, scavenged, and hunted. 5. Answer would ideally include:  Most of the animals lost in the megafaunal extinction of 10,000 to 15,000 years ago were large mammals: wooly mammoths, mastodons, wooly rhinos, camels, horses, sloths, giant kangaroos, and wombats. Some animals became completely extinct, but others became extinct only in certain areas. Humans may have played a role in their extinction by hunting them, although a warming trend also contributed. 6. Answer would ideally include:  The domestication of plants increased human population growth by providing infants with an alternative food source (crops yielding soft cereals gave infants a food source beyond breast milk alone). Not having to breast-feed for as long allowed women to have Page 3 more pregnancies as they lost the birth-control effect of breast-feeding. More food meant decreased child mortality and longer life spans generally, increasing periods of fertility and leading to higher population growth. 7. Answer would ideally include:  Dogs gained new food sources by sharing food with humans and safer surroundings as they came under the protection of humans. Humans gained assistance with hunting from the dogs' abilities to smell and track prey and extra body warmth from the dogs. Both dogs and humans also gained companionship. 8. Answer would ideally include:  From observation and experimentation, humans learned that particular traits—such as size, temperament, strength, production of milk, and coat quality—could be manipulated by breeding those animals that had the desired characteristics. Humans learned that such characteristics were passed down from one generation of animals to the next. 9. Answer would ideally include:  The people at Çatal Hüyük made textiles, pots, figurines, baskets, carpets, beads, and other decorative goods. Çatal Hüyük traded obsidian—which was used for knives, blades, and mirrors—with other towns for sea shells and flint. They also traded copper, which was used for jewelry and tools. All of these goods, plus the diversity of agricultural goods, indicate that Neolithic culture was sophisticated and not that different from modern culture. People made practical tools and objects, such as pots, but also purely decorative objects, such as beads. 10. Answer would ideally include:  Neolithic societies had religious specialists—priests or shamans—who performed the rituals. Many of these involved giving the gods community-produced goods, whether agricultural, pastoral, or manufactured. In exchange for the goods, the gods were asked for favors, particularly concerning the fertility of the community, or were asked to ward off death and destruction. Page 1 Chapter 02_Essay Answer each of the following questions with an essay. Be sure to include specific examples that support your thesis and conclusions. 1. Describe some of the changes brought to Mesopotamian societies by the introduction of sustained agriculture. 2. Mesopotamia and Egypt were both sites of ancient civilizations. Describe each civilization in terms of its political structure, religion, society, and culture. How can we account for the similarities and differences between them? 3. Explain the differences and similarities between Phoenician, Mesopotamian, and Egyptian writing systems. Why was writing important to the development of each of these civilizations? 4. How did the worship of Yahweh by the Hebrews compare with how the Mesopotamians, Egyptians, and Persians worshiped their gods? 5. Explain the roles of women in Egyptian and Hebrew societies. Discuss similarities and differences. Page 2 Answer Key 1. Answer would ideally include:  Sustained agriculture in Mesopotamia required the building of irrigation canals for the crops, and thus required people to settle and defend one location. A division of labor followed. The concentration of populations led to the development of cities, with defensive walls, marketplaces, and public gathering sites such as assembly areas and temples. The emergent class system privileged priests, and a writing system was created to keep accounts. 2. Answer would ideally include:  For politics, this description should include governmental organization, political and geographic unity, the role of the military, and the role of the priesthood. For religion, it should include the role and power of the priesthood, types and attitudes of the gods, and view of the afterlife. For society, it should address social structure, slavery, family, and gender. The description of culture should include such things as art and folktales. The similarities and differences between each should be explained based on such factors as historical development and geography. 3. Answer would ideally include:  Phoenician scribes produced the first completely phonetic (i.e., sound-based) system of writing. At the core of this system was the first alphabet, which served as a foundation for many Western writing systems, including Greek and Roman. Scribes in Mesopotamia and Egypt did incorporate some symbols that represented sounds, but these were always used as part of a much larger system of ideograms. Answers should include some information on each specific writing system and, in the second part of the question, information on the importance of writing to religion, commerce, laws, and government administration. 4. Answer would ideally include:  The essay will probably start with the most obvious difference in how the four religions thought about gods—that the Hebrews are monotheistic and believe that Yahweh is the only god, whereas the other three religions are polytheistic and worship many different gods. Although all four religions incorporate animal sacrifice in worship, the Hebrews also worship their god through their treatment of one another, following a specified moral code. 5. Answer would ideally include:  Good essays will find that women in both societies had domestic obligations and economic opportunities. Most will note that women were never viewed as being as important as men. Some will likely mention the unusual role of Hatshepsut. Good essays will also compare the importance of marriage and fertility. While women in Egypt were frequently portrayed as companions to men, women in Hebrew society had a particularly important role in educating their children. Page 1 Chapter 02_Matching Use the following to answer questions 1-10: Select the word or phrase from the Terms section that best matches the definition or example provided in the Definitions section. Terms a. Iron Age b. Yahweh c. cuneiform d. Zoroastrianism e. epic poem f. Indo-European languages g. polytheism h. Phoenicians i. pharaoh j. Hammurabi's law code 1. Sumerian form of writing; the term describes the wedge-shaped marks made by a stylus. 2. An oral or written narration of the achievements and sometimes the failures of heroes that embodies peoples' ideas about themselves. 3. A proclamation issued by Babylonian king Hammurabi to establish laws regulating many aspects of life. 4. The worship of many gods and goddesses. 5. A large family of languages that includes English, most of the languages of modern Europe, ancient Greek, Latin, Persian, Hindi, Bengali, and Sanskrit, the sacred tongue of ancient India. 6. Period beginning about 1100 B.C.E. when iron became the most important material for weapons and tools in some parts of the world. Page 2 7. All-powerful god of the Hebrew people and the basis for the enduring religious traditions of Judaism. 8. Religion based on the teachings of Zoroaster that emphasized the individual's responsibility to choose between good and evil. 9. People of the prosperous city-states in what is now Lebanon who traded and founded colonies throughout the Mediterranean and spread the phonetic alphabet. 10. The title given to the king of Egypt in the New Kingdom, from a word that meant “great house.” Page 3 Answer Key 1. c. cuneiform 2. e. epic poem 3. j. Hammurabi's law code 4. g. polytheism 5. f. Indo-European languages 6. 1. Iron Age 7. b. Yahweh 8. d. Zoroastrianism 9. h. Phoenicians 10. i. pharaoh Page 1 Chapter 02_MCQ,s Choose the letter of the best answer. 1. What material was used for writing in Mesopotamia? A) Animal bones B) Papyrus C) Soft clay D) Parchment 2. How did papyrus compare with clay tablets as a writing material? A) It was less prone to disintegration. B) It was more fragile and less likely to survive. C) It required a stylus to carve the symbols. D) It was more difficult to write on. 3. In general, how did residents of ancient cities tend to view residents of rural areas? A) City dwellers viewed themselves as more sophisticated. B) City dwellers saw themselves as equal to the farmers. C) City dwellers looked up to and envied those who lived in the country. D) City dwellers tried to imitate the people of the rural areas. 4. What method did early states use to control their populace? A) Exemption from taxation B) Promises of wealth C) Threats of violence D) Offers of free food 5. Social hierarchies in early states were usually heightened by the introduction of what state mechanism? A) Written laws B) Economic records C) Written religious texts D) Coinage Page 2 6. In what region did the first known states develop? A) Egypt B) India C) Persia D) Mesopotamia 7. What natural feature in Sumer helped settled agriculture develop there first? A) Naturally occurring irrigation ditches that helped water the crops B) Rivers that brought new soil with annual floods C) Constant annual rainfall that irrigated the fields D) An abundance of labor to work the fields 8. What role did the first rulers of Ur, Uruk, and other Sumerian city-states play? A) Priests B) Merchants C) Farmers D) Scribes 9. Where did Sumerians build their large ziggurat temples? A) On the outskirts of the cities B) In the middle of crop fields C) On man-made islands in the river D) In the center of the city 10. Which of the following best describes a ziggurat-style temple? A) Underground cavern B) Floating island C) Beehive-shaped dome D) Stepped pyramid 11. Why did Sumerians likely begin a system of taxation? A) To pay for establishing a public school system B) To pay for the construction of temples and the expenses of temple officials C) To pay for the construction of libraries to hold cuneiform tablets D) To encourage economic growth and the development of market squares for traders Page 3 12. To counter the temples' power, military leaders who became kings began to build what kinds of structures? A) Rival temples to worship war gods B) Public cemeteries to honor war dead as heroes C) Palaces to demonstrate the king's strength D) Marketplaces to highlight goods from conquered territories 13. Who were known as “clients” in Sumer? A) Free people who were dependent on the nobility B) Household slaves C) Destitute persons supported by the city temple D) Indentured servants who had contracts with local nobles 14. Who worked the land owned by the king, nobles, and temples in ancient Sumer? A) Hired laborers B) Priests in training C) Client farmers and slaves D) Scribes and soldiers 15. Why did older men have the most power in the Mesopotamian social system? A) Mesopotamian societies were patriarchal. B) The most important value in Mesopotamian society was reverence for elders. C) Older men tended to form political alliances with powerful priests. D) Older men presided over important ancestor-worship rituals. 16. Which of the following describes the earliest Sumerian writings? A) They were ideograms in which each sign symbolized an idea. B) They were pictographs in which each sign pictured an object. C) Each symbol represented a sound in the spoken language. D) They were written using the first known alphabet. 17. How did Sumerian scribes learn the cuneiform writing system? A) They were taught at special schools. B) Their fathers taught them at home. C) Priests were solely responsible for this important teaching. D) They were taught as part of their mandated training as members of the army. Page 4 18. Sumerian scribes were trained largely to do what? A) To record religious texts and ritual manuals B) To write tax documents and legal cases C) To write official histories of royal families D) To keep property and wealth records 19. What is the key theme of the Epic of Gilgamesh? A) The duty of a soldier to serve the king B) The constant battle between good and evil C) The idea that men and women were created by magic D) Humanity's search for immortality 20. The Sumerian mathematical system was based on units of sixty, ten, and six and survives in what modern system? A) Calculus B) Musical notation C) Time measurement D) Square roots 21. Around 2300 B.C.E., what chieftain conquered Sumer and created an empire? A) Hammurabi B) Menes C) Akhenaten D) Sargon 22. How did Sargon reinforce his rule in Mesopotamia? A) He converted all the people to his Semitic religion. B) He tore down the defensive walls of major cities and appointed his own sons as rulers. C) He wrote the first law code. D) He claimed to be a descendant of the god Marduk. 23. How did religion contribute to Hammurabi's political success? A) He demonstrated his strength by forcing the exile of all Sumerian priests. B) He partitioned all of Mesopotamia into small political units governed by priests. C) He destroyed all existing Mesopotamian religions and forced acceptance of his Babylonian faith. D) He claimed that divine authority stood behind the laws that he established. Page 5 24. What was the intended function of Hammurabi's code? A) To regulate the relationships among his people and promote their welfare B) To intimidate the common people in order to prevent social upheaval C) To protect the position of nobles and priests at the expense of the commoners D) To increase the nobility's power over the priesthood 25. According to Hammurabi's code, who controlled a woman's dowry after she married? A) A judge B) The woman's husband C) The woman's father D) The woman herself 26. What geographic feature had the largest impact on Egyptian culture and prosperity? A) The Sinai Desert B) The Nile River C) The Red Sea D) The Mediterranean Sea 27. How did Egyptians view the afterlife? A) As bleak and very frightening B) As pleasant C) As a place of punishment D) As a fictional realm that nonetheless inspired great wonder 28. According to Egyptian belief, the Nile's rise and fall was dictated by A) tides. B) Ra. C) the pharaoh. D) priests. 29. One of the earliest deities Egyptians worshiped was Amon, god of A) the sky. B) the underworld. C) the dead. D) fertility. Page 6 30. For which of the following was a pharaoh believed to be responsible? A) Achieving integration between gods and humans B) Ruling over earth and sky C) Ensuring his people's safe passage to the afterlife D) Organizing Egypt's agricultural system 31. Egyptian hieroglyphs were recorded on papyrus sheets and on what else? A) Clay tablets B) Glass items C) Walls of tombs D) Clay pots 32. How did Egyptian and Mesopotamian women compare in terms of their ability to own and control property? A) Neither culture allowed women to own or control property independently. B) Mesopotamian women owned and controlled more property than Egyptian women. C) In both cultures, women were able to own and control property freely. D) Egyptian women owned and controlled more property than Mesopotamian women. 33. During what period did slavery become widespread in Egypt? A) Second Intermediate Period B) Old Kingdom C) New Kingdom D) First Intermediate Period 34. What important contribution did the Hyksos make to Egyptian society? A) They encouraged Egyptians to worship the god Amon. B) Their bronze technology and weaponry was adopted by Egyptians. C) As naval pioneers, they introduced the center-stern rudder to Egyptian ships. D) Their mathematicians introduced the abacus to Egypt. 35. How was the New Kingdom different from the previous Middle and Old Kingdoms? A) Pharaohs increasingly tried to ensure peace because they realized war was too expensive. B) In response to multiple social problems, pharaohs encouraged more religious activities. C) Egyptians now focused more on trade than on farming because the Nile became unpredictable. D) Egyptians now focused more on conquest of new territories and created the first Egyptian empire. Page 7 36. Which of the following contributed to the expansion of slavery in the New Kingdom period? A) Economic problems forced families to sell children into slavery to pay off debts. B) As the Egyptian population diminished, the agricultural system required more laborers to maintain farming efficiency. C) Power struggles within the royal family led to more people becoming slaves. D) Focus on the conquest of other peoples resulted in slaves being brought back to Egypt from conquered territories. 37. Why was Akhenaten's interest in worship of a new sun-god Aten ultimately a failure? A) The elaborate worship rituals were too confusing. B) The hated and corrupt priesthood endorsed it. C) It was imposed from above and failed to find a place among the people. D) It attempted to do away with worship of the widely popular sun-god. 38. Why did the Hittites and Egyptians conclude a peace treaty in 1258 B.C.E.? A) Both sides were exhausted by war. B) The Egyptians signed to avoid a total defeat by the Hittites. C) The Hittites brutally conquered the Egyptians. D) Both sides recognized the impossibility of defeating the other. 39. Which civilization produced some of the best iron products in the world? A) India B) Sumer C) Meroë D) Persia 40. In 727 B.C.E., King Piye conquered and unified Egypt from his home kingdom of A) Kush. B) Phoenicia. C) Persia. D) Babylonia. 41. What was the Phoenicians' greatest cultural achievement? A) They developed settled agriculture. B) They developed the first sun-based calendar. C) They created the first fully phonetic alphabet. D) They were responsible for the composition of The Iliad. Page 8 42. What remains our most important source of knowledge about ancient Jews? A) Archaeological excavations B) The Hebrew Bible C) Governmental records D) Oral epic histories 43. The Hebrews created a monarchy with Saul as leader by fighting what other Palestinian people in the eleventh century B.C.E.? A) Philistines B) Phoenicians C) Egyptians D) Assyrians 44. Which Hebrew leader captured the city of Jerusalem? A) Judah B) David C) Saul D) Solomon 45. What happened to the Hebrew kingdom after Solomon's death? A) Its leaders continued to consolidate politically. B) Conflict led to its split into two separate kingdoms. C) The kingdom was largely destroyed by an internal power struggle. D) Leaders gained the military protection of the Assyrians. 46. How did the Hebrew religion change as a result of the Babylonian Captivity? A) It was redefined and established as the law of Yahweh. B) It almost disappeared. C) It was exposed to Zoroastrianism. D) It was adopted by the Chaldeans. 47. How were children educated in ancient Israel? A) Education was left up to the father. B) Education took place in organized schools. C) Boys and girls attended school at the local temple. D) Education was a responsibility of both parents. Page 9 48. Which of the following was true of the Assyrians? A) They were one of the most warlike people in history. B) They used shrewd diplomacy to carve out an empire. C) They united the small kingdoms of Phoenicia and the Jews to defeat Egypt. D) They were nomadic fighters who did not build or live in permanent towns. 49. In addition to his concept of empire, what was another characteristic that made Cyrus a remarkable warrior-king? A) His concern for economic development B) His effective assimilation of nomadic invaders into his kingdom C) His benevolence and humanity as a ruler D) His ability to coordinate an efficient bureaucracy over a vast region 50. Which of the following was an important teaching of Zoroaster? A) Human actions were the result of manipulation by the gods. B) People possessed free will and were accountable for their actions. C) People's eternal fate was determined by the depth of their religious faith. D) All gods embodied good and truth, whereas only humans could be hateful or evil. Page 10 Answer Key 1. C 2. B 3. A 4. C 5. A 6. D 7. B 8. A 9. D 10. D 11. B 12. C 13. A 14. C 15. A 16. B 17. A 18. D 19. D 20. C 21. D 22. B 23. D 24. A 25. D 26. B 27. B 28. C 29. A 30. A 31. C 32. D 33. C 34. B 35. D 36. D 37. C 38. D 39. C 40. A 41. C 42. B 43. A 44. B Page 11 45. B 46. A 47. D 48. A 49. C 50. B Page 1 Chapter 02_Short QA Answer each question with three or four sentences. 1. What are some of the difficulties in using ancient writing as historical evidence? 2. What do different writing materials—clay tablets, bones, bamboo, etc.—reveal about the respective culture that used them? 3. How did historians of the eighteenth century define “civilization,” and what lasting problems has this created? 4. How did Sumer's geography influence the religious system created there? 5. How did a hereditary kingship and aristocracy develop in Sumer? 6. What factors helped Sargon and Hammurabi create some of the first empires? 7. What geographical factors shaped Egyptian civilization? 8. Describe the complex role of the pharaoh in Egyptian politics and religion. 9. Describe the relationship between Egypt and Nubia. 10. Explain why the Persians created a system of roads and how these roads benefited their empire. Page 2 Answer Key 1. Answer would ideally include:  The answer should discuss the difficulties in translation and in discovering the meaning behind written symbols. Many of the works survive only in copies of the original, and these copies might have been corrupted or changed in transcription. Additionally, because only texts that were at some point deemed important would have been copied multiple times—documents referring to political or military events, records of religious traditions, or writing from individuals achieving notoriety—what survives to today is a very selective sample of writing from any historical period. Written documents dealing with everyday life—particularly women's texts—are much rarer. 2. Answer would ideally include:  The material used presents historians with much information about what materials were available to a culture locally and sometimes indicates something of the trade relations between cultures. Some writing materials are more “permanent” than others, so the kind of material used will also determine how much writing survives. Sometimes the permanence was intended (inscriptions in stone), and sometimes it was accidental (clay tablets that hardened). 3. Answer would ideally include:  Eighteenth-century historians defined civilizations as societies with large-scale and complex organizations of law, politics, economics, and culture. This definition has created the concept of civilization as a natural progression from simple to complex. The earliest places that writing and cities developed were referred to as the “cradle of civilization.” These ideas also led to the assumption that all societies must go through the same stages and that any society that developed in a different way was therefore less advanced or less valued. This perspective resulted in a privileging of the Western model of societal development over other regional models. 4. Answer would ideally include:  The geography of Sumer, as with all of Mesopotamia, made for an unpredictable climate. The Sumerians perceived violent flooding, extreme droughts, and other dangerous weather conditions as punishments meted out by mercurial and easily angered gods. Therefore, they used gifts and prayers as a means to appease the gods and maintain order. 5. Answer would ideally include:  When Sumerian city-states faced military or environmental threats, they often turned to priests or military leaders to defend city walls against invaders or mobilize armies against the elements. Gradually these leaders became permanent and tried to establish hereditary dynasties; some formed alliances with other warriors, who also created dynasties. Power thus became hereditary. 6. Answer would ideally include: Page 3  Both kings unified Mesopotamia by creating standing armies that could be used for both defense and conquest and formed alliances with other rulers when necessary. Sargon appointed family members to serve as religious administrators. Hammurabi also used religious justifications for his power, by claiming that his code came from his god. Both promoted uniform administration and trade within their city-states and with other cities. 7. Answer would ideally include:  Egyptian civilization was shaped by the Nile River, although a particularly good answer might also mention the deserts. The Nile provided a path for communication and trade, as well as water to irrigate crops. The deserts protected Egypt from invasion. The predictability of the Nile's flooding helped to create stability in the Egyptian state. The Nile was viewed as a creative and comforting force. 8. Answer would ideally include:  The pharaoh was seen as a living god-king and served as the focus of religious and political life during the Old Kingdom period (2660–2180 B.C.E.). He was one of many gods honored by the polytheistic Egyptians. One of his chief roles was to control the Nile's rise and fall. He was also responsible for the integration between the gods and humans. Like other humans, he was expected to have an afterlife. As a king, however, his afterlife needed the trappings of a king, which gave rise to the pyramids. 9. Answer would ideally include:  The relationship between Egypt and Nubia was based on political control and trade. From Nubia, Egypt acquired ivory, gold, ebony, and other products from sub-Saharan Africa. During the New Kingdom, Egypt took over northern Nubia and introduced Egyptian religion and culture. In 727 B.C.E., the Nubian kingdom of Kush conquered Egypt and ruled there until the Kushites were driven out by the Assyrians in the seventh century B.C.E. 10. Answer would ideally include:  The Persians built roads to aid trade and communication throughout the large empire. Roads linked the capital of Persepolis to all parts of the empire and made it easier for Persian rulers to administer to all parts of the empire and move troops for defense. The flow of trade encouraged further development and connection to the Red Sea and Nile River. Page 1 Chapter 03_Essay Answer each of the following questions with an essay. Be sure to include specific examples that support your thesis and conclusions. 1. India was both protected from invasions and yet open to trade with other civilizations. Which geographical features provided protection from invasions, and which fostered trade with other civilizations? 2. What are possible theories about the cause of the Harappan civilization's collapse? 3. Why might the Aryans have been able to assume authority in northern India? 4. Describe the essential teachings of Buddha. How did Buddhism modify Hinduism? How can we explain the appeal of Buddhism? 5. In what ways did Indian civilizations interact with those outside India? What impact did contact with other civilizations have on the development of Indian civilization? Page 2 Answer Key 1. Answer would ideally include:  Oceans to the south surround the subcontinent of India. To the north are the Himalayas and dense forests or large deserts. These features helped to protect India as a region from invaders. However, the oceans, long coastlines, and predictable wind patterns also allowed for trade with other civilizations such as Mesopotamians, Persians, Greeks, and Romans. India also occupied a central location in the trade routes for goods moving from Africa, the Middle East, and China. 2. Answer would ideally include:  Archaeological evidence indicates that the Harappan urban centers and the port of Lothal were abandoned or had greatly reduced populations by approximately 2000 B.C.E. Historians no longer believe powerful invaders brought the decline. Theories about what caused the decline include environmental disasters such as earthquake or drought, the collapse of agriculture owing to a buildup of salts from irrigation, the collapse of long-distance trade, a devastating outbreak of disease, or any combination of these factors. 3. Answer would ideally include:  Harappan society had been in decline for a number of generations. This, coupled with the Aryans' superior military technology, opened the door for a change in leadership. The Aryans most likely spread into the area over the course of several centuries. Additionally, the Aryans themselves were willing to make changes, as illustrated by their ready adoption of South Asian agricultural products and food. 4. Answer would ideally include:  Buddha offered a solution to the Vedic problem of the wheel of life and the process of rebirth and re-death. He identified four noble truths: that suffering is inescapable, that suffering is caused by desires and attachment to worldliness, that people can recognize their attachments and overcome them, and that following the Eightfold Path of “right” behaviors and conducts allows one to overcome desire and suffering. Unlike Hinduism, Buddhism rejected the caste system and thus presented a path to salvation open to all people. Also, Buddha did not believe that the individual's identity continued to exist after death. The Eightfold Path presented a “middle way” between extreme asceticism and worldly life. Buddha, too, did not distinguish between male and female; he argued that each could achieve enlightenment—a policy that also applied to one's socioeconomic status. Because his optimistic message was not extreme, many people were drawn to Buddhism. 5. Answer would ideally include:  Indian civilizations interacted with other civilizations via conquest and trade. The empires of both Persia and Alexander the Great both came into contact with the Indian civilization via their attempts to conquer parts of northern India. Both influenced the north by suggesting new ways to organize and administer an empire, such as the use of Page 3 provinces and governors, as well as methods of taxation. Greek art and culture were also very influential. Trade, particularly in the south through the port cities located along India's long coastline, brought in material items from other cultures (such as coins, silk, and spices). Page 1 Chapter 03_Matching Use the following to answer questions 1-16: Select the word or phrase from the Terms section that best matches the definition or example provided in the Definitions section. Terms a. Jainism b. bodhisattvas c. Eightfold Path d. Mauryan Empire e. samsara f. Code of Manu g. karma h. Aryans i. brahman j. Harappan k. Rig Veda l. Four Noble Truths m. Mahayana n. Brahmins o. dharma p. caste system 1. The Sanskrit word for moral law, central both to Buddhist and Hindu teachings. 2. The Indian system of dividing society into hereditary groups whose members interacted primarily within the group and especially married within the group. 3. Priests of the Aryans; they supported the growth of royal power in return for royal confirmation of their own religious rights, power, and status. 4. The transmigration of souls by a continual process of rebirth. 5. The first Indian civilization; also known as the Indus Valley civilization. Page 2 6. The earliest collection of Indian hymns, ritual texts, and philosophical treatises, it is the central source of information on early Aryans. 7. The tally of good and bad deeds that determines the status of an individual's next life. 8. Indian religion whose followers consider all life sacred and avoid destroying other life. 9. The “Great Vehicle,” a tradition of Buddhism that aspires to be more inclusive. 10. The Buddha's message that pain and suffering are inescapable parts of life; suffering and anxiety are caused by human desires and attachments; people can understand and triumph over these weaknesses; and the triumph is made possible by following a simple code of conduct. 11. The codification of early Indian law that lays down family, caste, and commercial law. 12. Buddhas-to-be who stayed in the world after enlightenment to help others on the path to salvation. 13. The dominant people in north India after the decline of the Indus Valley civilization; they spoke an early form of Sanskrit. 14. The unchanging ultimate reality, according to the Upanishads. 15. The first Indian empire founded by Chandragupta. 16. The code of conduct set forth by the Buddha in his first sermon, beginning with “right conduct” and ending with “right contemplation.” Page 3 Answer Key 1. o. dharma 2. p. caste system 3. n. Brahmins 4. e. samsara 5. j. Harappan 6. k. Rig Veda 7. g. karma 8. a. Jainism 9. m. Mahayana 10. l. Four Noble Truths 11. f. Code of Manu 12. b. bodhisattvas 13. h. Aryans 14. i. brahman 15. d. Mauryan Empire 16. c. Eightfold Path Page 1 Chapter 03_MCQ,s Choose the letter of the best answer. 1. The earliest Indian civilization developed along what river? A) Nile B) Euphrates C) Ganges D) Indus 2. In terms of India's geography, what regions have been home to its great empires? A) Fertile plains in the river valleys B) Forests at the foot of the Himalayas C) Deserts of the Rajasthan regions D) Jungles of the Vindhya Mountains 3. What was one of the first crops to be developed in India? A) Rice B) Lentils C) Cotton D) Wheat 4. The first Indian civilization—the Harappan civilization—is also known as which of the following? A) The Mauryan Empire B) The Indus Valley civilization C) The Indo-Aryan civilization D) Mesopotamia 5. What is unusual about the written language of the Harappan people? A) It consisted of only four hundred letters. B) It was very similar to Sumerian cuneiform. C) No one has yet deciphered it. D) It was written on papyrus and silk. Page 2 6. Compared to ancient Egyptian and Sumerian civilizations, what makes the Indus civilization unique? A) It was nearly twice as large in territory. B) It lasted less than three hundred years. C) Its people did not grow cotton. D) It was not a literate society. 7. Harappan craftsmen are the first known producers of what cloth? A) Wool B) Linen C) Cotton D) Silk 8. Harappan houses were built around what feature? A) A household shrine B) A burial site C) A cooking hearth D) A courtyard 9. What was one of the most unique features of Harappan cities? A) Assembly halls B) Wide roads C) Communal wells D) Drainage systems 10. On which of the following did the prosperity of the Indus (Harappan) civilization depend? A) Extensive trade with China B) Intensive cultivation of the fertile river valley C) The religious toleration shown to conquered peoples D) Their skill in making and trading jewelry 11. Like early Mesopotamian and Egyptian civilization, Harappan civilization depended on what annually? A) Visitation from the gods to provide for abundance during harvest B) A short but wet growing season C) Attending the Tigris River Valley seed market D) Floods and irrigation to sustain agriculture Page 3 12. The remnants of Harappan script have been preserved on what material? A) Clay tablets B) Linen paper C) Bronze discs D) Wood tablets 13. Which of the following was true of the Aryans? A) They were the native people of the Ganges Valley. B) They were a warrior people who destroyed the Indus civilization. C) They put an end to the strict Harappan caste system. D) They spoke an Indo-European language. 14. The Aryans spoke an early form of what language? A) Sanskrit B) Hindi C) Persian D) Tamil 15. What was the Rig Veda? A) An oral collection of military stories B) The name given to Harappan texts C) An oral collection of ritual texts, treatises, and hymns D) A collection of Greek epics borrowed by the Aryans 16. Who was at the head of each Aryan tribal group? A) A raja or chief B) A head priest C) An assembly of tribesmen D) A god-king 17. What did the Aryans use to ease the difficult task of clearing the jungle? A) Fire B) Iron tools C) Pesticides D) Wooden plows Page 4 18. What are priests referred to as in the Indian caste system? A) Brahmins B) Jains C) Buddhas D) Shudras 19. How was Indian slavery in the Vedic Age similar to slavery in Mesopotamia? A) Only men captured in warfare were enslaved. B) Men in the nobility were the only ones who could own slaves. C) Men might sell themselves and their families into slavery to pay debts. D) Slaves were the only people who could serve as butchers. 20. Who were the “untouchables” in the varna system? A) Women who belonged to the lowest caste B) Outsiders who were considered “impure” C) The nobility D) Child slaves 21. Which of the following statements is true about women in ancient Aryan society? A) Women could never remarry if widowed. B) Almost all females were married while they were still children. C) Women lived in patrilineal and patriarchal tribal groups. D) Women were economically equal to men and could hold property. 22. Who commonly performed the important ritual sacrifice of animals in Brahmanism? A) Untouchables B) Teenagers, because they were considered pure C) Male rulers only D) The priestly caste 23. With what sacred text did the Aryan religion shift to a more ascetic and philosophical religion? A) Rig Veda B) Sutras C) Upanishads D) Mahabharata Page 5 24. To what does the term asceticism refer? A) What Brahmans refer to as the individual soul B) The practice of severe self-discipline and self-denial C) The rejection of anthropomorphic gods D) All of the Brahman faith's sacrificial rites 25. According to the Upanishads, what is moksha? A) Human reincarnation as a lower animal B) A cleansing fire ritual for women after childbirth C) Release from the wheel of life and freedom from reincarnation D) The cosmic tally of one's deeds 26. How did the introduction of the concepts of samsara and karma from the Upanishads affect Indian society? A) It destabilized Indian society by undermining Brahmin privileges. B) It led society to consider the concepts part of the Hindu response to Buddhism and Jainism. C) It made Kshatriya fear that existing authority would be undermined. D) It stabilized Indian society by encouraging the poor to work hard, live righteously, and do good deeds. 27. Mahavira was the founder of what Indian religion? A) Jainism B) Buddhism C) Hinduism D) Sikhism 28. According to Mahavira, what kinds of objects have souls? A) Only human beings have souls. B) All objects, living or inanimate, have souls. C) Only living creatures, human and animal, have souls. D) All animate objects, but only some inanimate objects, have souls. 29. In response to their belief about souls and karma, Jains developed what kind of views about life forms? A) All souls are equally sacred, and to harm any is equally bad. B) Plant life is more vulnerable and thus more important. C) Humans are more important than plants but not other animals. D) Humans are the most sacred form of life. Page 6 30. What motivated the Jains' practice of radical nonviolence? A) A reaction to the brutality their founder had suffered from the Brahmins B) The desire to avoid the karmic consequences of harming other life forms C) The belief that nonviolence would put an end to class conflict D) The fear that a warrior class would dominate their small population 31. Buddha preached his sermons in what language, so as to reach the wisest possible audience? A) Sanskrit B) Tamil C) Magadhi D) Tamil 32. Buddha taught that individuals could triumph over human weakness by A) following an ascetic lifestyle. B) following the Eightfold Path. C) entering a monastery. D) properly observing the rituals of Hinduism. 33. What is the last step in Buddhism's Eightfold Path? A) Contemplation B) Conduct C) Awareness D) Endeavor 34. What are sutras in the Buddhist tradition? A) The steps on the Eightfold Path B) Animals sacrificed to the Buddha C) The written teachings of the Buddha D) Sacred names taken by monks 35. What was the main ritual performed in Buddhist monasteries? A) Extreme asceticism B) Pilgrimage to Nepal C) Growing one's own food D) Communal recitation of sutras Page 7 36. What qualified Bodhisattvas to help guide Buddhist believers to enlightenment? A) They had already achieved enlightenment. B) They were descendants of the Buddha himself. C) They were once Brahmin priests before converting. D) They could recite the most prayers from memory. 37. What is the ultimate goal of Hinduism? A) Wealth and earthly prosperity B) Becoming a priest C) Union with Brahman D) Physical immortality 38. What is the Hindu concept of dharma? A) The rejection of ritualism B) The belief in reincarnation C) The balance sheet of good and bad deeds D) The moral law that Hindus are to observe 39. What Hindu text urges action in this world? A) The Sutras B) Rig Veda C) Ramayana D) Bhagavad Gita 40. What enabled India to make contact with the outside world in the sixth century B.C.E.? A) Alexander the Great's conquest brought knowledge of the Mediterranean world. B) As the Persian Empire expanded, it made territorial conquests in the Indus Valley. C) Great expansion of overseas trade by Indian merchants and a new merchant fleet led to outside contact. D) Significant technological improvements in sailing led to greater communication and travel. 41. Contact with Persia brought many innovations into India, including what new economic technique? A) Printing paper money B) Minting silver coins C) Bank transfers D) Putting dates on coins Page 8 42. Who was Chandragupta? A) The leader of Buddhist reform in India B) The military leader who defeated Alexander the Great at Taxila C) The founder of the Mauryan Empire D) A famous Greek ambassador who was sent to the Mauryan court 43. What was the capital of Chandragupta's empire? A) Kalinga B) Taxila C) Pataliputra D) Guj