CHAPTER- 8 Ashoka, The Emperor Who Gave Up War | Important Questions & MCQs | CLASS 6th | Social Science History | NCERT| EDUGROWN

Very Short Answer Type

Question 1.
Write an important historical event which took place more than 2300 years ago.
Answer:
Mauryan empire began more than 2300 years ago.

Question 2.
Name the countries where Ashokan inscriptions have been found.
Answer:

• (Modern) Afghanistan
• (Modern) Pakistan
• India
• Sri Lanka
• Syria
• Egypt
• Greece

Question 3.
Name the Indian states which were outside the Mauryan empire during the reign of Ashoka.
Answer:

• A part of modern Tamil Nadu or Chola empire.
• Chera empire or modern Kerala.

Question 4.
Who founded the Mauryan empire and when?
Answer:
Chandragupta Maurya (the grandfather of Ashoka) founded the Mauryan empire. He did so more than 2300 years ago.

Question 5.
Who supported Chandragupta?
Answer:
Chandragupta was supported by a wise man named Chanakya (or Kautilya).

Question 6.
Who wrote Arthashastra?
Answer:
Chanakya (or Kautilya) wrote Arthashastra.

Question 7.
What were written down in Arthashastra?
Answer:
Many of Chanakya’s ideas were written down in Arthashastra.

Question 8.
Explain the meaning of word ‘Dynasty’.
Answer:
Dynasty. When members of the same family become rulers one after another, the family is generally called a dynasty. For example, the Mauryan dynasty or the Gupta dynasty.

Question 9.
Write the names of three rulers of the Mauryan dynasty.
Answer:

1. Chandragupta
2. Bindusara, and
3. Ashoka.

Question 10.
Write the name of the Mauryan capital.
Answer:
Pataliputra.

Question 11.
Make a list of important cities of the Mauryan empire.
Answer:

• Pataliputra (the capital town),
• Taxila, and
• Ujjain.

Question 12.
How is an empire different from other kingdoms?
Answer:
Differences between an Empire and other Kingdoms:

• Emperors need more resources than kings as empires are larger including several
  kingdoms and need to be protected by big armies.
• Emperors also have to have a larger number of officials who collect taxes

Question 13.
Who was Megasthenese? Write one reason for which he is known even today.
Answer:

• Megasthenese was an ambassador who was sent to the court of Chandragupta by the Greek ruler of West Asia named Seleucus Nicator.
• Reason of Popularity. Megasthenese wrote an account about what he saw. His description got the form of a book entitled ‘Indica’. Nowadays this book does not exist in its original form.

Question 14.
Write an important event related with the following date:
More than 2300 years ago.
Answer:
This date is related with the beginning of the Mauryan empire. Question 15. Why are the following dates important?

1. 327 – 26 B.C.
2. 323 B.C.
3. 321 B.C.
4. 305 B.C.
5. 269 B.C.
6. 260 B.C.
7. 185 B.C.

Answer:

Question 16.
Which important event took place in China about 2400 years ago?
Answer:
Emperors in China began building the Great Wall about 2400 years ago.

Ashoka, The Emperor Who Gave Up War Class 6 Extra Questions Short Answer Type

Question 1.
Mention any three big or prominent cities of the Mauryan empire. Why were these cities popular (or famous)?
Answer:

1. Pataliputra, the capital town of the Mauryan empire. It was main centre of all political activities and administration.
2. Taxila (nowadays in modem Pakistan) was a gateway to the northwest, including Central Asia.
3. Ujjain lay on the route from north (India) to south India. Merchants, officials and crafts persons probably lived in all the above mentioned three cities.

Question 2.
Write three main features of life of the people of the Mauryan empire.
Answer:
The main features of life of the people of the Mauryan empire were:

• There were several cities in the empire. Mainly emperor and his other family members along with important officials of the kingdom lived in capital. Merchants, officials and crafts person probably lived in cities.
• In other areas (other than cities), there were villages of farmers and herders.
• In some areas, such as central India, there were forests, where people gathered forest produce and hunted animals for food.
• People in different parts of the empire spoke in different languages. They probably ate different kinds of food and wore different kinds of clothes as well.
• Besides, there were the forest regions. People living in these areas were probably more or less independent, but may have been expected to provide elephants, timber, honey and wax to Mauryan officials.

Question 3.
Discuss the ruling system of the Mauryan empire.
Or
Mention main features of administrative system of the Mauryan empire.
Answer:
The ruling system (or Administration) of the Mauryan Empire was:

• As the Mauryan empire was very large, its different parts were ruled differently.
• The area around Pataliputra was under the direct control of the emperor. This meant that officials were appointed to collect taxes from farmers, herders, crafts persons and traders in villages and towns in the area.
• Mauryan government’s officials also punished those who disobeyed the ruler’s order.
• Some of the Mauryan officials were given salaries.
• Messengers went to and fro, and spies kept a watch on the officials.
• The Mauryan emperor supervised all officials, species, ambassadors etc. probably with the help of members of the royal family and senior ministers.

Question 4.
Write three or four sentences about provinces and the administration of the Maury an Empire.
Answer:

1. There were several provinces in the Mauryan empire.
2. Each province was ruled from a provincial capital such as Taxila or Ujjain.
3. Although there was some amount of control from Pataliputra and royal princes were often sent to provinces as governors.
4. In provinces local customs and rules were probably followed.

Question 5.
Why was control of roads and rivers considered important during the Mauryan Age?
Answer:
The Mauryas tried to control roads and rivers. These were important for transport w and to collect whatever resources were available as tax and tribute. For example, the Arthashastra (the famous literary work of Kautilaya or Chanakya) tells us that the north¬west was important for blankets and south India for its gold and precious stones.

Question 6.
Explain the following terms:

1. Tribute
2. The Brahmi script

Answer:
1. Tribute. Unlike taxes, which were collected on a regular basis, tribute was collected as and when it was possible from people who gave a variety of things, more or less willingly.
2. The Brahmi script. The most of the modem Indian scripts have developed from the Brahmi script.

Question 7.
Who was the most famous ruler of the Mauryan dynasty? How did he try to teach his message to the people?
Answer:

• The most famous Mauryan ruler was Ashoka.
• Ashoka was the first ruler who tried to teach his message to the people through inscriptions.
• The most of Ashoka’s inscriptions were written in Prakrit.

Ashoka, The Emperor Who Gave Up War Class 6 Extra Questions Long Answer Type

Question 1.
Describe in your own words what Megasthenese had written about the Mauryan Emperor and about the Capital City of the Mauryan Empire?
Answer:
Here is a part of Megasthenese’s description about the Mauryan Emperor and the Capital City: (Pataliputra or modem Patna)
1. The Emperor

• The occasions on which the emperor appears in public are celebrated with grand royal processions. He is carried in a golden palanquin (Palankeen).
• Emperor’s guards rode elephants decorated with gold and silver. Some of the guards carried trees on which live birds, including a flock of trained parrots circled about the head of the emperor.
• The king (or the emperor) was normally surrounded by armed women. He was afraid that someone might try to kill him.
• The emperor had special servants to taste the food before he ate. He never slept in the same bedroom for two nights.

2. The Capital City or Pataliputra (or modern Patna)

• The Capital City of the Mauryan empire was Pataliputra (modern Patna). It was a large and beautiful city. It was surrounded by a massive wall. It had 570 towers and 64 gates.
• The houses (of capital city), of two and three storeys were built from wood and mud bricks.
• The emperor’s palace was made of wood and decorated with stone carvings. It was surrounded with gardens and enclosures for keeping birds.

Question 2.
Discuss Ashoka’s war in Kalinga.
Or
Discuss main events of Ashoka’s war in Kalinga. What were effects of this war on him?
Answer:
1. Ashoka’s War in Kalinga. Kalinga is the ancient name of coastal Orissa. Ashoka fought a war to conquer Kalinga. About a lakh and a half people were captured and more than a lakh of people were killed. He conquered Kalinga after eight years. In this way, he became the emperor of almost whole of India.

2.. Impact of Ashoka’s War in Kalinga

• Ashoka was very horrified when he saw the result of violence and bloodshed. He decided not to fight any more wars.
• Ashoka was very sad and decided to observe dhamma, and to teach others about it as well.
• He believed after this victory in war that winning people over through dhamma was much better than conquering them through force (or threat).
• He inscribed his message of peace and love for the future, so that his son and grandson after him should not think about war. Instead, they should try to think about how to spread dhamma.

Question 3.
What was Ashoka’s Dhamma? What did he do in this field?
Answer:
Ashoka’s Dhamma:
1. Dhamma is the Prakrit word for Sanskrit term Dharma. Ashoka’s dhamma did not involve worship of a god, or performance of a sacrifice.

2. Ashoka felt that like a father, he had a duty to instruct his subject. He was greatly inspired by the teachings of the Buddha.

3. There were numerous problems that troubled emperor Ashoka. People in the empire followed different religions and this sometimes led to conflict. Animals were sacrificed. Slaves and servants were ill-treated. Besides, there were quarrels in families and amongst neighbours. Ashoka felt it was his duty to solve these problems, so, he appointed officials, known as the Dhamma Mahamatta who went from place to place teaching people about dhamma. Besides Ashoka got his messages inscribed on rocks and pillars, instructing his officials to read the message to those who could not read it themselves.

4. He asked his people to give up useless rituals. He advised his subjects to be gentle with slaves and servants. He asked them to respect their elders.

5. Ashoka asked his people to treat all creatures with compassion. They should give gifts to brahmins and monks.

6. Ashoka asked that it was wrong to praise one’s own religion or criticize another’s. Each one should respect the other’s religion. According to Ashoka if one praises one’s own religion while criticising another’s, one was actually doing greater harm to one’s own religion. Therefore, one should try to understand the main ideas of another’s religion and respect it.

7. Ashoka sent messengers to spread ideas about dhamma to other lands, such as Syria, Egypt, Greece and Sri Lanka.

8. Ashoka built roads, planted trees along these roads, dug wells and built rest houses. Besides he arranged for medical treatment for both the human beings and the animals.

Ashoka, The Emperor Who Gave Up War Class 6 Extra Questions Multiple Choice Questions

Choose the correct answer:

Question 1.
Which are the animals shown in our national Emblem?
(a) Goats
(b) Lions
(c) Bulls
(d) None of these
Answer:
Lions

Question 2.
How many lions are shown in our national Emblem?
(a) Two
(b) Three
(c) Four
(d) Five
Answer:
Four

Question 3.
What was name of grandfather of Ashoka?
(a) Krishna
(b) Mahavira
(c) Sidhartha
(d) Chandragupta Maurya
Answer:
Chandragupta Maurya

Question 4.
In which book were Chanakya’s ideas written?
(a) Ramayana
(b) Mahabharata
(c) Arthashastra
(d) None of these
Answer:
Arthashastra

Question 5.
Who was supported by a wise man named Chanakya?
(a) Ashoka
(b) Bindusar
(c) Chandragupta
(d) All of these
Answer:
Chandragupta

Question 6.
Who was Bindusar’s son?
(a) Chandragupta
(b) Sidhartha
(c) Ashoka
(d) Ram Krishna Paramhans
Answer:
Ashoka

Question 7.
From which area was Taxila and Ujjain ruled?
(a) Pataliputra
(b) Bihar
(c) Delhi
(d) Agra
Answer:
Pataliputra

Question 8.
In which language were the Ashoka’s inscriptions written?
(a) Dev Nagari
(b) Sanskrit
(c) Tamil
(d) Brahmi Script
Answer:
Brahmi Script

Question 9.
What is the meaning of word Dhamma?
(a) Environment
(b) Dharma
(c) Both (a) and (b)
(d) None of these
Answer:
Both (a) and (b)

Question 10.
How many towers supported the massive wall of Pataliputra?
(a) 670
(b) 870
(c) 570
(d) 470
Answer:
570

Question 11.
How many people were killed in the war of Kalinga?
(a) More than 20,000
(b) More than 40,000
(c) More than 60,000
(d) More than one Lakh
Answer:
More than one Lakh

Question 12.
Which is the other animal on Mauryan Pillar?
(a)Lion
(b)Cat
(c) Dog
(d) Bull
Answer:
Bull

Question 13.
How can ‘a’ be written in Bengali?
(a) अ
(b) त्र
(c) ञ
(d) भ
Answer:
ञ