Cultures of India,
Persia, and China
SOL Quiz
Version A
In India's caste system, the top position is held
by the
a)
b)
c)
d)
shudras.
shoguns.
brahmans.
caliphs.
Which religion replaces the question mark?
a)
b)
c)
d)
Buddhism
Hinduism
Shintoism
Taoism
A belief in reincarnation, karma, many forms of one
major deity, and a caste system are characteristics of
which of the following religions?
a)
b)
c)
d)
Buddhism
Hinduism
Judaism
Zoroastrianism
What major religion teaches both
reincarnation and the conformity to a caste
system?
a)
b)
c)
d)
Hinduism
Taoism
Christianity
Buddhism
Belief in many forms of one major deity is
characteristic of
a)
b)
c)
d)
Buddhism.
Taoism.
Shintoism.
Hinduism
The Aryans, a light-skinned people probably related
to the Persians, crossed the mountain passes and
invaded the plains, abruptly destroying the highly
advanced culture they encountered there.
This passage best describes the fate of
a) Ancient Egypt
b) Early Chinese settlements along the Huang He
River.
c) The Hebrews after leaving Egypt.
d) Harappan (Indus River) civilization.
The following is a sacred writing of
Hinduism:
a)
b)
c)
d)
Ten Commandments
Code of Hammurabi
Upanishads
Koran
A characteristic of the Aryan society of India was
a)
b)
c)
d)
a rigid caste system.
development of a sophisticated alphabet.
Buddhism as a religion.
tolerance of conquered peoples.
This statue
represents
Siddhartha
Gautama the
founder of —
a)Shintoism
b)Buddhism
c)Hinduism
d)Confucianism
Which best describes nirvana as a goal of
Buddhists?
a) the forgiveness of sins granted by Buddhist priests for
performing religious rituals
b) the eternal bliss the soul experiences when it escapes from the
cycle of death and rebirth
c) the respect received by peers for following the Eightfold Path
d) the peace of mind that one experiences after spending a year in
a Buddhist monastery
The founder of Buddhism was
a)
b)
c)
d)
Liu Bang.
Siddhartha Gautama.
Shi Huangdi.
Chandragupta Maurya.
Siddhartha Gautama explained his new faith as
a) a return to ceremonies and rituals that had been
neglected.
b) a search for answers to life’s mysteries that he
had not found in Hinduism.
c) rejection of the idea of a code of moral behavior
aimed at harmony with nature.
d) the perfect mixing of Hinduism and Shintoism.
Which best describes the origin of the
religion of Buddhism?
a) It was brought by the Aryans from Central Asia.
b) It was developed by Siddhartha Gautama as a reform of
Hinduism.
c) It was based on traditional Dravidian beliefs.
d) It was the religion of the early civilizations of the Indus
Valley.
Which of the following was associated with
construction of the Great Wall?
a)
b)
c)
d)
Asoka
Confucius
Qin Shi Huangdi
Siddhartha Gautama
China’s leaders received the right to rule by
a)
b)
c)
d)
Mandate of Heaven.
an elder chieftain.
a high priest.
military leaders.
In China, to rule by the Mandate of Heaven meant
a) following the astrological signs.
b) ruling fairly so that heaven would grant
prosperity.
c) strictly adhering to Buddhist religious principles.
Which statement accurately compares the
development of Buddhism with that of Hinduism?
a) Both began in India, and Hinduism has thrived
there, while Buddhism has a larger following in
other places.
b) Buddhism came to India from China, while
Hinduism began in India and dispersed to China.
c) Hinduism began in China and was exported though
Japan to India, while Buddhism emerged in India
and spread throughout Asia.
d) Both began in India, and both are highly popular
religions there today.
All of the following ideas are attributed to
Confucius except
a) the best approach to social problems is inaction;
nature must take its course.
b) respect for the ancestors is a fundamental
obligation.
c) happiness of the people is more important than
the privileges of the rulers.
d) rulers must be fair and just if the country is to
prosper.
The balance of the opposing forces of Yin and
Yang (good and evil, light and dark) are central to
a)
b)
c)
d)
Hinduism.
Buddhism.
Confucianism.
Taoism.
Which of the following civilizations
contributed a civil service system, paper,
porcelain, and silk?
a)
b)
c)
d)
Indus
Gupta
China
Egypt
The jagged line of
the map to the right
represents the
a) Great Wall of
China.
b) route of Marco
Polo.
c) Silk Road.
d) border of modern
China.
•Respect for elders
•Civil service examinations
•Ancestor worship
The characteristics listed apply to which society?
a)
b)
c)
d)
Ancient India
The Muslim Empire
Ancient China
The Persian Empire
The attitude of respect and devotion to
one's family observed in Chinese society,
especially in the Imperial era, is known as
a)
b)
c)
d)
animism
ethnocentrism
reincarnation
filial piety
Zoroastrianism existed in which civilization?
a)
b)
c)
d)
Phoenician
Persian
Egyptian
Assyrian
This Persian Emperor built the Royal Road to
facilitate rapid communication throughout his
very large empire
a)
b)
c)
d)
Cyrus.
Cambyses.
Darius.
Xerxes.
Which city did Cambyses add to the Persian
Empire?
a) Memphis
b) Odessus
c) Nineveh
d) Taxila
Which of these best replaces the question mark?
a) Caste system
b) Ancestor worship
c) Code of politeness
d) Imperial bureaucracy
Which civilization was not associated with a large
and efficient civil service?
a)
b)
c)
d)
Periclean Athens
the Persian empire under Darius
the Han dynasty of China
the Roman empire