HIS 122
World History I
Dr. Hutton
Spring 2014
Weekly Assignment #4
Due: Thursday, Feb. 27
Read Tignor, Chaps. 4 & 5, pp. 152-173 (2nd ed. pp. 170-195) & answer these questions:
1.
2.
3.
4.
How was the Zhou dynasty different from the Shang dynasty which preceded it?
What was the mandate of heaven and how was it used as a political tool?
What were the groups in the social hierarchy of Zhou China?
How was Zhou power limited? Who were its biggest obstacles to centralization of
power?
5. Who was Confucius? How were his ideas preserved?
6. Make a chart listing the major beliefs of Confucius, Laozi (Daoism) and Xunzi
(Legalism). [Make a detailed chart; this counts as 3 questions]
Read Narayan, The Ramayana, pp. 74-89, 121-123, 132-149, and answer these questions:
7. When Soorpanaka told Ravana about Rama and Sita, what was the result?
8. Who was Mareecha and why wouldn’t he fight Rama?
9. How was Rama fooled by the golden deer?
10. How did Ravana disguise himself as he approached Sita? What did Ravana do to
Sita?
11. Who tried to stop Ravana?
In the chapters between pp. 89 and 121, Rama and Lakshmana met Sugreeva and
Hanuman, who were leaders of a monkey kingdom. After some adventures with the
monkeys, Hanuman joined Rama, and the monkeys became Rama’s army. Hanuman
went to Ravana’s kingdom in Lanka (Sri Lanka) to try to find Sita.
12. How did Hanuman find Sita? What was she doing? What did Hanuman tell Sita?
13. When Ravana discovered Hanuman, what did Hanuman do during his escape?
In the pages between 123 and 132, Ravana and Rama both held councils with their
followers in preparation for the great battle. Rama and his army prepared to cross the
ocean to attack Ravana in Lanka and save Sita.
14. How did Rama make it possible for his army to cross the ocean?
15. How did Indrajit (Ravana’s son) attack Rama and Lakshmana? Why was Sita afraid?
16. What help did Rama get from the gods?
17. List the magical weapons that Ravana and Rama used to fight each other.
18. How did Rama finally kill Ravana?
19. How did Rama treat Sita when she was freed?
20. How did Sita prove her purity?