CHAPTER 5: THE RISE OF EMPIRES
1. What does the word “empire” mean in the chapter?
A. A small village ruled by a council
B. A collection of smaller kingdoms or territories under a powerful ruler
C. A trading association
D. A religious community
Answer: B. A collection of smaller kingdoms or territories under a powerful ruler
2. From which Latin word is “empire” derived?
A. Imperium
B. Imperator
C. Imperia
D. Imperialis
Answer: A. Imperium
3. What is the meaning of the Latin word “imperium”?
A. Trade
B. Supreme power
C. Agriculture
D. Justice
Answer: B. Supreme power
4. What were smaller territories under an emperor generally called?
A. Tributaries
B. Guilds
C. Republics
D. Monasteries
Answer: A. Tributaries
5. What did tributary kingdoms generally provide to an emperor?
A. Only soldiers from foreign countries
B. Tribute and loyalty
C. Free education for everyone
D. Religious books
Answer: B. Tribute and loyalty
6. Which Sanskrit term mentioned in the chapter means “king of kings”?
A. Samiti
B. Rājādhirāja
C. Janapada
D. Śhrenī
Answer: B. Rājādhirāja
7. Which of the following was an important feature of an empire?
A. Maintaining an army
B. Avoiding all administration
C. Stopping trade
D. Abandoning communication networks
Answer: A. Maintaining an army
8. Why did emperors maintain armies?
A. To control tributary states, expand their empires and defend them
B. To replace all traders
C. To prevent agriculture
D. To close all roads
Answer: A. To control tributary states, expand their empires and defend them
9. What responsibilities did an empire’s administration perform?
A. Collecting taxes and maintaining law and order
B. Only organising festivals
C. Preventing all forms of trade
D. Replacing all local communities
Answer: A. Collecting taxes and maintaining law and order
10. Why did emperors want to expand their kingdoms?
A. To gain fame, power, wealth and access to resources
B. To reduce their access to resources
C. To eliminate all economic activity
D. To make communication impossible
Answer: A. To gain fame, power, wealth and access to resources
11. What did emperors generally allow regional kings to do in return for tribute and loyalty?
A. Continue governing their own areas
B. Become independent of all authority immediately
C. Stop collecting any revenue
D. Abandon their territories
Answer: A. Continue governing their own areas
12. Why were trade routes important for an empire?
A. They increased the movement of goods and helped generate income and taxes
B. They prevented people from travelling
C. They ended the need for production
D. They were used only for military parades
Answer: A. They increased the movement of goods and helped generate income and taxes
13. Which of the following groups of goods was commonly traded in ancient India, according to the chapter?
A. Textiles, spices, agricultural produce, gems and handicrafts
B. Cars, aeroplanes and computers
C. Plastic toys and electronic devices
D. Only books and musical instruments
Answer: A. Textiles, spices, agricultural produce, gems and handicrafts
14. What were guilds, also known as śhrenīs?
A. Associations of traders, craftsmen, moneylenders or agriculturists
B. Groups of royal soldiers only
C. Assemblies of foreign emperors
D. Religious monuments
Answer: A. Associations of traders, craftsmen, moneylenders or agriculturists
15. Who usually headed a guild, according to the chapter?
A. An elected head
B. A foreign emperor
C. A hereditary army commander in every case
D. A village child
Answer: A. An elected head
16. What was one major advantage of guilds?
A. They allowed members to share information and resources
B. They stopped all cooperation between traders
C. They prevented members from creating rules
D. They prohibited trade between regions
Answer: A. They allowed members to share information and resources
17. What did guilds have the autonomy to do?
A. Create their own internal rules
B. Control every kingdom in India
C. Appoint all emperors
D. Abolish all trade routes
Answer: A. Create their own internal rules
18. During which period did Magadha rise in importance?
A. Between the sixth and fourth centuries BCE
B. Between the tenth and twelfth centuries CE
C. During the nineteenth century CE
D. During the third millennium CE
Answer: A. Between the sixth and fourth centuries BCE
19. In which present-day region was Magadha mainly located?
A. South Bihar and adjoining areas
B. Western Rajasthan only
C. Coastal Kerala only
D. Northern Kashmir only
Answer: A. South Bihar and adjoining areas
20. Which ruler played an important role in establishing Magadha as a dominant centre of power?
A. Ajātaśhatru
B. Alexander
C. Porus
D. Megasthenes
Answer: A. Ajātaśhatru
21. Which natural resources contributed to Magadha’s rise?
A. Fertile land, forests, elephants and nearby iron ore
B. Only deserts and salt flats
C. Only snow-covered mountains
D. A complete absence of minerals
Answer: A. Fertile land, forests, elephants and nearby iron ore
22. How did iron ploughs help Magadha?
A. They increased agricultural production
B. They prevented cultivation
C. They reduced the amount of farmland
D. They replaced all forms of transport
Answer: A. They increased agricultural production
23. Which rivers provided geographical advantages for trade in Magadha?
A. Ganga and Son
B. Narmada and Tapi only
C. Krishna and Kaveri only
D. Indus and Jhelum only
Answer: A. Ganga and Son
24. Who founded the Nanda dynasty, according to the chapter?
A. Mahāpadma Nanda
B. Chandragupta Maurya
C. Aśhoka
D. Porus
Answer: A. Mahāpadma Nanda
25. What does the chapter state about Dhana Nanda?
A. He became unpopular because he oppressed and exploited his people.
B. He founded the Maurya Empire.
C. He was a Greek historian.
D. He was known for abandoning all wealth.
Answer: A. He became unpopular because he oppressed and exploited his people.
26. Which Greek king campaigned against the Persian Empire and later entered northwestern India?
A. Alexander
B. Porus
C. Ajātaśhatru
D. Mahāpadma Nanda
Answer: A. Alexander
27. Which kingdom in northwestern India was ruled by Porus?
A. The Pauravas
B. The Nandas
C. The Mauryas
D. The Cholas
Answer: A. The Pauravas
28. What happened when Alexander’s soldiers refused to advance farther into India?
A. Alexander and part of his army retreated towards Persia.
B. Alexander immediately conquered the entire Indian Subcontinent.
C. The soldiers established the Maurya dynasty.
D. Alexander moved his army to China permanently.
Answer: A. Alexander and part of his army retreated towards Persia.
29. What happened to Alexander’s empire after his death?
A. It was divided among his generals and satraps.
B. It became the Maurya Empire.
C. It remained united under Alexander.
D. It disappeared without any successor territories.
Answer: A. It was divided among his generals and satraps.
30. Who founded the Maurya Empire around 321 BCE?
A. Chandragupta Maurya
B. Aśhoka
C. Porus
D. Dhana Nanda
Answer: A. Chandragupta Maurya
31. Which city became the capital of Chandragupta Maurya’s empire?
A. Pāṭaliputra
B. Taxila
C. Madurai
D. Dvāraka
Answer: A. Pāṭaliputra
32. Who helped Chandragupta Maurya with knowledge of politics, governance and economics?
A. Kauṭilya
B. Megasthenes
C. Porus
D. Alexander
Answer: A. Kauṭilya
33. Which book is associated with Kauṭilya’s ideas about governance and economics?
A. Arthaśhāstra
B. Indika
C. Aṣhṭādhyāyī
D. Aśhokavadana
Answer: A. Arthaśhāstra
34. Who wrote Indika, an account of his travels in India?
A. Megasthenes
B. Kauṭilya
C. Mahāpadma Nanda
D. Ajātaśhatru
Answer: A. Megasthenes
35. What does Kauṭilya’s concept of saptānga describe?
A. The seven parts that constitute a kingdom
B. Seven trade routes to foreign countries
C. Seven types of coins
D. Seven forms of religious worship
Answer: A. The seven parts that constitute a kingdom
36. Which of the following was one of the seven parts of a kingdom in Kauṭilya’s saptānga?
A. The treasury or wealth of the kingdom
B. A modern parliament
C. A railway network
D. An overseas colony
Answer: A. The treasury or wealth of the kingdom
37. Who was Aśhoka?
A. Chandragupta Maurya’s grandson
B. Alexander’s general
C. The founder of the Nanda dynasty
D. A Greek ambassador
Answer: A. Chandragupta Maurya’s grandson
38. Which war changed Aśhoka’s approach to violence, according to the chapter?
A. The Kalinga War
B. The Battle of Plassey
C. The Battle of Panipat
D. The Battle of Hydaspes
Answer: A. The Kalinga War
39. What did Aśhoka choose after witnessing the destruction caused by the Kalinga War?
A. To give up violence as far as possible and follow peace and non-violence
B. To abandon all administration
C. To end all communication with his subjects
D. To stop supporting public welfare
Answer: A. To give up violence as far as possible and follow peace and non-violence
40. What were Aśhoka’s edicts?
A. Messages engraved on rocks or pillars
B. Private letters written only to traders
C. Coins used exclusively in foreign markets
D. Stories written by Greek soldiers
Answer: A. Messages engraved on rocks or pillars
41. In which language were most of Aśhoka’s edicts inscribed, according to the chapter?
A. Prakrit
B. Latin
C. Greek
D. Persian
Answer: A. Prakrit
42. Which script was used for most of Aśhoka’s edicts?
A. Brahmi
B. Devanagari
C. Roman
D. Arabic
Answer: A. Brahmi
43. What did Aśhoka encourage people to follow through his edicts?
A. Dharma
B. Military conquest alone
C. Complete isolation from other communities
D. The abandonment of public welfare
Answer: A. Dharma
44. What public-welfare measures did Aśhoka claim to support?
A. Wells, rest houses and trees along roads
B. Closing all roads and stopping travel
C. Removing all water sources
D. Prohibiting all forms of medical care
Answer: A. Wells, rest houses and trees along roads
45. What does the chapter say about Aśhoka’s attitude towards animals?
A. He prohibited hunting and cruelty to animals and supported their medical treatment.
B. He prohibited all care for animals.
C. He encouraged cruelty towards animals.
D. He restricted medical care to royal horses only.
Answer: A. He prohibited hunting and cruelty to animals and supported their medical treatment.
46. What was one important feature of cities such as Pāṭaliputra during the Mauryan period?
A. They had public buildings, palaces and well-planned streets.
B. They had no administration or trade.
C. They were entirely uninhabited.
D. They lacked artisans and merchants.
Answer: A. They had public buildings, palaces and well-planned streets.
47. What does the Sohagaura copper plate inscription mention?
A. A granary established to store grain against possible famines
B. The construction of a modern railway
C. The conquest of Greece by the Mauryas
D. The invention of paper currency
Answer: A. A granary established to store grain against possible famines
48. What happened to the Maurya Empire after Aśhoka’s death?
A. It continued for about half a century, but many smaller kingdoms later became independent.
B. It immediately expanded to cover the entire world.
C. It remained unchanged for thousands of years.
D. It was taken over by Alexander.
Answer: A. It continued for about half a century, but many smaller kingdoms later became independent.
49. Which factor could weaken an empire, according to the chapter?
A. Economic crises, increasing demands for tribute and difficulty controlling distant territories
B. Strong trade routes and effective administration alone
C. Improved communication and public welfare
D. Cooperation among local institutions
Answer: A. Economic crises, increasing demands for tribute and difficulty controlling distant territories
50. What is the central paradox of empires explained in the chapter?
A. They can create political unity and prosperity, but are often established and maintained through war and repression.
B. They always prevent all conflict and never decline.
C. They depend entirely on villages and have no cities.
D. They cannot develop trade or administration.
Answer: A. They can create political unity and prosperity, but are often established and maintained through war and repression.
