These DAV Class 6 Social Science Book Solutions and DAV Class 6 SST Chapter 13 Question Answer – The Mauryan Dynasty are thoughtfully prepared by experienced teachers.
DAV Class 6 SST Ch 13 Question Answer – The Mauryan Dynasty
DAV Public School Class 6 SST Chapter 13 Question Answer – The Mauryan Dynasty
Something To Know
A. Tick (✓) the correct option.
Question 1.
The founder of Mauryan dynasty was
(a) Chandragupta Maurya
(b) Ghananand
(c) Kumara Gupta
(d) Samudra Gupta
Answer:
(a) Chandragupta Maurya
Question 2.
Who wrote Arthashastra?
(a) Megasthenes
(b) Harisena
(c) Kautilya
(d) Aswaghosa
Answer:
(c) Kautilya
Question 3.
The ambassador sent by Seleucus Nicator to the court of Chandragupta Maurya was
(a) Fa-hien
(b) Itsing
(c) Megasthenes
(d) Bernier
Answer:
(c) Megasthenes
Question 4.
The last Nanda ruler was
(a) Dhana Nanda
(b) Maha Padmananda
(c) Ghananand
(d) Dayananda
Answer:
(c) Ghananand
Question 5.
The Mauryan kings were assisted by
(a) Mantri
(b) Mahamatra
(c) Mantri Parishad
(d) Adhyaksha
Answer:
(c) Mantri Parishad
B. Fill in the blanks.
1. Alexander was the son of King ……………. of …………….
2. Chandragupta Maurya invaded Magadha with the help of …………….
3. During Ashoka’s rule ……………… was the main base of village economy.
4. The city administration during the Mauryan period was under …………….
5. The Chinese traveller ………………. was astonished to see the Mauryan Palace.
Answer:
1. Philip; Macedonia
2. Kautilya
3. agriculture
4. Nagradhyaksh or Nagrik (like mayor)
5. Fa-hien
C. Match the following;
| 1. Barabar | (a) Textile centre |
| 2. Odisha | (b) Rock edict |
| 3. Madurai | (c) Stupa |
| 4. Sahasrama | (d) Caves |
| 5. Sanchi | (e) Kalinga |
Answer:
| 1. Barabar | (d) Caves |
| 2. Odisha | (e) Kalinga |
| 3. Madurai | (a) Textile centre |
| 4. Sahasrama | (b) Rock edict |
| 5. Sanchi | (c) Stupa |
D. Answer the following questions in brief.
Question 1.
Who was Seleucus Nicator?
Answer:
Commander of Alexander.
Question 2.
List the main sources of information about Mauryan dynasty.
Answer:
The main source of information about the Mauryan period is Indica by Megasthenes, who was an ambassador of the Greek ruler Seleucus in the court of Chandragupta Mauiya.
The other sources are –
Puranas, Buddhist and Jain literature, Kautilya’s Arthashastra, Ashoka’s edicts or insciptions on rock and stone pillars and remains of the monuments.
Question 3.
Which lake was built by Chandra¬gupta Maurya and why?
Answer:
Sudarshan lake was built by Chandragupta Mauiya for irrigation.
Question 4.
Name the languages in which Ashoka’s teachings were engraved.
Answer:
Ashoka got his teachings engraved on rocks and stone pillars in local languages like Kharoshthi, Prakrit, Greek and Aramaic.
Question 5.
What advice was given by Ashoka to his sons and grandsons?
Answer:
Ashoka advised his sons and grandsons not to conquer new territories.
E. Answer the following questions.
Question 1.
Describe the finest examples of the architecture of the Mauiyan period.
Answer:
The Mauryan architecture included palaces, stupas, caves, pillars and rock edicts.
- The palace of Ashoka was extremely beautiful.
- The stupa of Sanchi and its gateway is the best example of the architecture of that period.
- The Mauryan rulers built caves for the monks to live in. Such caves have been found in Barabar and Nagarjuna hills and Yakshi at Didargunj near Patna.
- The stone pillars with shining surfaces are the finest examples of the Mauryan architecture. These pillars were crowned with animal figures and Dharmachakra. The top of a stone pillar, with four lions and a Dharmachakra has been adopted as our National Emblem. Ashoka’s pillars have been found in Feroz Shah Kotla, Topra, Sarnath, etc.
- Rock edicts were found in Rupnath, Sahasrama and Bairat.
Question 2.
Explain the main features of Ashoka’s Dhamma related to social and ethical code of conduct.
Answer:
Ashoka’s Dhamma is code of moral values which is little different from classical Buddhism. Its main features are related to general code of conduct –
- Everybody should serve parents, care and love all living creatures and animals, follow and adopt the path of truth, be kind to slaves, servants and workers, respect all elders, Brahmins, teachers, monks, follow non-violence, have tolerance and peace.
- Eveiybody should avoid arrogance, enemity, sacrifice of animals, fighting for religion and land.
Question 3.
What did Ashoka do for the welfare of his people?
Answer:
Ashoka did a lot of welfare work in his state. He treated his people as father would treat his children.
- Trees were planted on both the sides of the roads.
- Wells were dug, hospitals were established for people as well as animals.
- Orphanages and old age homes were also established during his kingdom.
Question 4.
Describe briefly, the social and economic life of the people during the Mauiyan period.
Answer:
Social life. The social life of the people of the Mauryan period was prosperous and peaceful. Caste system existed and people married within their own caste. They followed their parental trade or profession. People led harmonious life. They obeyed laws. Economic life. Agriculture was the base of economic life.
There were dams and lakes and canals which provided irrigational facilities. The state gave financial help to the cultivators and traders. Natural resources and wildlife were considered as public property and protected by the state laws. The Mauryas also promoted trade. Cotton, wool, silk and jute products were the main items of internal and foreign trade.
Question 5.
How did the Kalinga War prove to be a turning point in the life of Ashoka?
Answer:
Ashoka got horrified to see the violence and bloodshed in the Kalinga war. The casuality which he had inflicted upon the people in war filled his heart upon sorrow and regret. The horror of the war and cries of the widows and children deeply moved him. He pledged not to fight any more wars. He adopted Buddhism after this war and spent the rest of his life in propagating and preaching it in India as well as in other countries of the world.
Value-Based Question
Effects of Kalinga War on Ashoka – The invasion of Kalinga was a big milestone in the history of Magadha (India). It had many consequences. It had incredible influence on the personal life and policy of Ashoka. The despair and casualty which he had inflicted upon the people of Kalinga filled his heart with deep sorrow and regret.
The wails of the women, the tears of the children, the terrifying suffering of the dying men transformed his heart and mind. He found solace in Buddhism. As he was repenting his deeds, consequently he embraced Buddhism and took a vow of inculcating the virtues of the dhamma all over the world. King Ashoka left behind the policy of Digvijaya and adopted a policy of Dhamma-vijaya.
There were significant changes in the state policy. Hence, it is said that Kalinga War ended the policy of Magadha imperialism. A new policy of peace and non-violence began to be adopted in the realm of inter-state relations. Thus, the thirsty tyrant became a lover of mankind and started preaching non-violence. Relate this story with the Principles advocated by Mahatma Gandhi and try to establish the similarity between the two.
Answer:
Do yourself with the help of internet and other sources.
Map Skill
Question 1.
Show the extent of Ashoka’s empire and the places of famous edicts on the outline political map of India.
Answer:
Something To Do
Question 1.
Write details of Sanchi Stupa and the Iron Pillar near Qutub Minar in Delhi with regard to their architectural gloiy.
Answer:
Do yourself.
Question 2.
Collect the pictures of all the five types of architectural monuments and classify them under the heads
(i) Palaces
(ii) Stupas
(iii) Caves
(iv) Pillars
(v) Rock Edicts.
Answer:
Do yourself.
DAV Class 6 Social Science Chapter 13 Question Answer – The Mauryan Dynasty
A. Tick (✓) the correct option.
Question 1.
Ghana and was a
(a) popular ruler
(b) unpopular ruler
(c) brave ruler
(d) intelligent ruler
Answer:
(b) unpopular ruler
Question 2.
Which of the following sentences is not correct about Chanakya?
(a) He was a Brahmin teacher.
(b) He was also known as Kautifya.
(c) He supported Chandragupta Maurya in overthrowing Ghananand.
(d) He vowed to destroy the empire of the Mauryas.
Answer:
(d) He vowed to destroy the empire of the Mauryas.
Question 3.
After the Kalinga war, Ashoka adopted
(a) Buddhism
(b) Jainism
(c) Hinduism
(d) none of these
Answer:
(a) Buddhism
Question 4.
The main item/items of internal and external trade was/were
(a) cotton
(b) cotton and jute
(c) wool and silk
(d) cotton, wool, silk and jute
Answer:
(d) cotton, wool, silk and jute
Question 5.
Kaushambi is located in
(a) Ambala
(b) Allahabad
(c) Patna
(d) Bhopal
Answer:
(b) Allahabad
Question 6.
A stupa is a
(a) Hindu temple
(b) Jain temple
(c) Buddhist temple
(d) Sikh temple
Answer:
(c) Buddhist temple
B. Fill in the blanks.
1. Alexander invaded India in …………….. BCE.
2. Our main source of information about Chandragupta is …………..
3. ……………… was the first ruler of Mauryan empire.
4. Seleucus was the ……………… of Alexander.
5. …………….. was the last ruler of the Mauryan dynasty.
Answer:
1. 326
2. Indica
3. Chandragupta Maurya
4. Commander
5. Brihadratha
Match the following:
| A | B |
| 1. Ashoka | (a) Textile centre |
| 2. Agriculture | (b) Sahasrama |
| 3. Madura | (c) Stupa |
| 4. Rock edicts | (d) Orphanages |
| 5. Sanchi | (e) Village economy |
Answer:
| A | B |
| 1. Ashoka | (d) Orphanages |
| 2. Agriculture | (e) Village economy |
| 3. Madura | (a) Textile centre |
| 4. Rock edicts | (b) Sahasrama |
| 5. Sanchi | (c) Stupa |
D. Write True or False for the following statements.
1. Mauryas promoted exports.
2. Nagradhyaksh was helped by 29 members.
3. Ghananand was very a popular ruler of Magadha.
4. Indica was a book written by Megasthenes.
5. Ashoka’s Buddhism is different from the classical Buddhism.
Answer:
1. True
2. False
3. False
4. True
5. True
E. Answer the following questions.
Question 1.
What was the main cause of foreign invasions on India?
Answer:
The disunity among the small kingdoms was the main cause of foreign invasions of India.
Question 2.
Who was Chanakya?
Answer:
He was Chandragupta’s guru as well as his Prime Minister. He wrote Arthashatra, a famous book, on political administration.
Question 3.
Why did Chanakya vow to destroy the empire of the Nandas?
Answer:
Chanakya vowed to destroy the empire of the Nandas because he was insulted by the Nanda ruler Ghanananda.
Question 4.
Who was Megasthenes?
Answer:
He was an ambassador of the Greek ruler Seleucus in the court of Chandragupta Maurya.
Question 5.
Where did Chandragupta establish his capital?
Answer:
He established his capital at Pataliputra.
Question 6.
Who was Ashoka’s father?
Answer:
Ashoka’s father was Bindusar.
Question 7.
When did Ashoka succeed his father?
Answer:
Ashoka succeeded his father in 272 BCE.
Question 8.
When was Ashoka crowned?
Answer:
Ashoka was crowned in 269 BCE.
Question 9.
Which state was conquered by Ashoka?
Answer:
The state of Kalinga (modern Orissa) was conquered by Ashoka.
Question 10.
Ashoka advised his sons and grandsons to go in for Dharma vijaya. What does Dharma vijaya mean?
Answer:
It means winning the hearts of the people.
Question 11.
How did Ashoka treat his people?
Answer:
He treated his people as a father would treat his children.
Question 12.
Name some places where Ashoka’s rock edicts were found in India.
Answer:
Ashoka’s rock edicts were found in Rupnath in Central Province, Sahasrama in Bihar and Bairat in Rajasthan.
Question 13.
What were the duties of the officers who looked after the village administration?
Answer:
They kept records of the people, collected taxes and maintained law and order in their village.
Question 14.
Name the main centres of textiles.
Answer:
Kashi, Kalinga and Madura.
Question 15.
Who was defeated by Alexander in 326 BCE?
Answer:
King Porus, popularly known as Puru, was defeated by Alexender in 326 BCE.
Question 16.
Name the lake built by Chandragupta Maurya.
Answer:
Sudarshan Lake.
Question 17.
Name the capital of the Mauryas.
Answer:
Pataliputra.
Question 18.
Who killed Brihadratha?
Answer:
Brihadratha was killed by his army chief, Pushya Mitra Sunga.
F. Short Answer Type Questions
Question 1.
How did Chanakya respond after being insulted by Ghanananda?
Answer:
Chanakya was a Brahmin teacher. Once, Ghanananda, an unpopular Nanda ruler of Magadha, insulted him. Chanakya instantly took a pledge to destroy the empire of the Nandas. He met Chandragupta Maurya. They collected a group of soldiers and captured Sindh and Punjab. Thereafter, they turned towards Magadha and defeated Ghanananda and established the Mauryan rule under Chandragupta in 324 BCE.
Question 2.
How was city administration run in the Mauryan empire?
Answer:
The city administration was kept under Nagradhyaksh or Nagrik. He was helped by 30 members who were divided into six boards of five members each. Each board was assigned different duties to be performed.
Question 3.
Give a brief description of the stone pillars built by Ashoka.
Answer:
The stone pillars built by Ashoka are the finest examples of architecture. These pillars are massive and have shining surfaces. They are crowned with animal figures and Dharmachakra. The top of a stone pillar, with four lions and a Dharmachakra has been adopted as our National Emblem, Ashuka’s pillars can be seen in Feroz bliah Kotla in Delhi, Topra in Ambala, Kaushambi in Allahabad, Loria in Nandgarh, Sarnath in UP and Sanchi in MP also have stone pillars.
Question 4.
How was Ashoka’s attitude towards his neighboring countries?
Answer:
Ashoka adopted a submissive attitude towards his neighboring countues. He travelled many countries and propagated and preached Buddhism. He advised iris sons and grandsons not to conquer new countries. He believed in establishing good relations . with neighboring counmes.
Question 5.
What do you know about die decline of the Mauryan empire?
Answer:
The death of Ashoka in 232 BCE starts the decline of the Mauryan empire. It is also said that Ashoka’s military policy of not waging any war was the main reason for the decline of his empire. Brihadraiha was the last tuler of the Mauryan dynasty. He was killed by his army chief, Pushya Mitra Sunga in 187 BCE. After tins, he (Pushya Mitra Sunga) captured the throne of the Mauryan dynasty.
G. Long Answer Type Questions
Question 1.
Write an account of the important rulers of the Mauryan empire.
Or
Write an account of the Mauryan empire under the rule of Chandragupta, Bindusar and Ashoka. .
Answer:
The Mauryan empire lasted for a long time and earned great name and fame under the rule of Chandragupta, Bindusar and Ashoka.
1. Chandragupta. It was Chandragupta who established the great Mauiyan empire with the help of his guru named Chanakya. His empire extended from north to south and east to west including Afghanistan and Balochistan. Chandragupta made Pataliputra his capital.
2. Bindusar. He succeeded Chandragupta in 297 BCE and ruled upto 272 BCE. He was a brave king. He protected the empire and developed good relations with the Greeks. He died in 272 BCE.
3. Ashoka. He succeeded his father Bindusar in 272 BCE but was crowned in 269 BCE. He is considered to be one of the greatest rulers in the world history. He conquered the state of Kalinga to present day Orissa, to complete his rule over almost the whole of India. However, this battle proved to be a great turning point in his life. He got horrrified to see the violence and bloodshed in the war and decided not to fight any more wars.
He adopted Buddhism after this war and spent the rest of his life in propagating and preaching it in India and the world. He got his teachings engraved on rocks and stone pillars in local languages like Brahmi, Kharosthi, Prakrit and Greek.
Question 2.
DescribetheMauryanadministration.
Answer:
For the first time, the Mauryan empire brought political unity and administrative uniformity to India. The king was the head of the state and enjoyed supreme powers of military, judiciary and civil administration. He had a council of ministers called Mantri Parishad to advise and assist him. These ministers were appointed on the basis of merit. There were lady bodyguards for the king. Amatya, Mahamatra Adhyaksha, Purohita, Senapati, Yuvraj were some of the officials in his court.
There was a very efficient espionage system. The empire was divided into smaller units for efficient administration. The city administration was under Nagradhyaksh or Nagrik who was helped by 30 members. They were divided into six boards of five members. Each board had it own duty to perform. The village administration was run by a group of officers who were assigned to collect taxes and maintain law and order in their village.