Name: ___________________________________
Period: _____
Chapter 3 Test:
Ancient Civilizations in India and China
Mrs. Haussermann
Part I (1.5 points each)
Match Column I to Column II. All answer must go on the scantron provided.
Column I
Column II
1. Landmass that juts out from a continent
2. River that gives India its name
3.Dry, triangular plateau that projects into the Indian Ocean
4. One of two great cities of the Indus Valley Civilization
5. Strong seasonal winds
a. Deccan
b. Harappa
c. Indus
d. monsoon
e. subcontinent
Column I
Column II
6. People who are born into a specific ________ cannot
change their social group.
7. The __________ became the leader of the Aryans when they
traveled through the mountains
8. The Aryan notion of a single spiritual power called ________
was believed to reside in all things.
9. Aryan priests began recording their sacred texts in the new written
language called ________.
10. A person who devotes his or her life to seeking spiritual truth is
known as a ___________.
a. brahman
b. caste
c. mystic
d. rajah
e. Sanskrit
Column I
Column II
11. The rise and fall of dynasties
12. Yellow soil that gives the Huang He its name
13. Art form of finely styled handwriting
14. Government where local lords governed their own lands
but also owed support to their rules
15. A symbol used in writing to express an abstract idea
a. calligraphy
b. dynastic cycle
c. feudalism
d. ideograph
e. loess
Column I
Column II
16. In order to reach _____________ Buddhists must commit to follow
the Eightfold Path.
17. ___________ is the rebirth of the soul
18. A person’s essential self is called _____________.
19. People with good ____________ are reborn at a higher level.
20. ___________ grew out of the principle of ahimsa
a. atman
b. Jainism
c. karma
d. nirvana
e. reincarnation
Part II(1.5 points each)
Answer the following multiple choice questions on scantron. Choose the best answer.
21. The people in the Indus Valley were the first to
a. cultivate cotton and weave its fibers into cloth
c. leave a written account of their society
b. worship one god
d. write epic literature
22. In Aryan society, people were organized into castes according to
a. occupation
c. religion
b. age
d. gender
23. What is one reason that we know so little about the civilization that arose in the Indus Valley in 2500 BC?
a. It was not a large or advanced civilization
b. The Indus Valley people did not trade goods or ideas with other cultures
c. The Indus Valley people had no system of writing and left no written artifacts
d. Archaeologists have not fully uncovered many Indus Valley sites
24. From ancient times to the present, Indians have depended on the summer rains, brought by severe winds called
a. rajahs
b. mystics
c. monsoons
d. brahmans
25. What was one characteristic of the Indus Valley civilization?
a. The cities were very well planned
c. The religion was monotheistic
b. The economy was based on money
d. The people traded with the Aryans
26. The Vedas are a written collection of prayers, hymns, and other religious teachings of the
a. Dravidians
b. Zhou Dynasty
c. Shang
d. Aryans
27. From evidence found at Harappa and Mohenjo Daro, archaeologists have concluded that Indus Valley cities
a. were fairly small and poorly organized
b. had a well-organized government
c. had a difficult time providing enough food for their residents
d. evolved with very little planning
28. Scholars believe the Indus Valley cities may have fallen into decline when
a. many people migrated north out of the region
b. the city residents revolted against high taxes and government fell
c. traders from Sumer invaded and overthrew the cities
d. an ecological disaster, such as a volcanic eruption, occurred.
29. Arjuna is one of the heroes in the great Indian epic
a. Ramayana
b. The Epic of Gilgamesh
c. The Vedas
d. Mahabharata
30. Why is the Huang He referred to as the “River of Sorrows”?
a. The yellow soil made the river water undrinkable
b. The river stopped flowing as it filled up with silt
c. Swift-moving water prevented the people from using the river for transportation
d. Floods, caused by the loess-clogged river, destroyed crops and led to mass starvation
31. Which statement best describes what government was like under the Shang?
a. Shang kings maintained control over vast areas of land
b. Princes and nobles loyal to the Shang dynasty governed most of the land
c. Women dominated the government during the Shang Dynasty
d. Individual city-states, led by merchants, vied for control of the government.
32. Which of the following two water bodies influenced early Indian civilization?
a. Yellow and Yangzi River
b. Indus and Ganges River
c. Arabian and Mediterranean Sea
d. Tigris and Euphrates River
33. During the Vedic Age, the Aryans changed
a. from nomads to farmers
c. from servants to rulers
b. from warriors to merchants
d. from farmers to nomads
34. Which of the following is contained in the Mahabharata?
a. a blend of Indian history, mythology, and religion
c. the story of Rama and Sita
b. Aryan laws
d. the Ramayana
35. The Mandate of Heaven is the idea behind which of the following?
a. the feudal system
b. the dynastic cycle
c. ancestor worship
d. the Shang social order
36. The nickname “River of Sorrows” refers to the
a. Indus
b. Huang He
d. Brahmaputra
c. Ganges
37. Under the Zhou dynasty,
a. the Chinese were not given the opportunity to use money
b. people fled to the Huang He heartland
c. economic expansion was limited to a few individuals
d. China developed into a feudal state.
38. In 1027 BC, the Zhou people claimed that they had the Mandate of Heaven and
a. overthrew the Shang
b. made themselves the religious leaders
c. invaded Tibet
d. enslaved the peasants
39. South Asia was the birthplace of Hinduism and
a. Islam
b. Christianity
c. Buddhism
d. Judaism
40. China was more isolated from the rest of the world than other early civilizations because
a. it is an island
b. it is surrounded by mountains, jungles, deserts and an ocean
c. Chinese rulers forbade travel
d. China had little to offer in trade
41. The Chinese believed that the universe reflected a delicate balance between the following two forces
a. loess and the dynastic cycle
b. Shujing and Zhongguo
c. yin and yang
d. rajah and caste
42. According to Hinduism, what is the ultimate goal of existence?
a. to become a priest
c. to achieve union with brahman
b. to be reincarnated
d. to obey one’s dharma
43. Why do Hindus believe it is important to follow the path of nonviolence?
a. Practicing nonviolence allows them to escape the wheel of fate
b. It reinforces the importance of duty
c. All people and things are aspects of Brahman and should be respected
d. Practicing nonviolence improves meditation
44. According to the Buddha, how do you overcome the desire for things like riches?
a. by following the Eightfold Path
b. by fasting for days
c. by seeking out the wisdom of other holy men and scholars
d. by praying to the gods
45. In addition to gaining union with the oneness of the universe, what do you achieve by reaching nirvana?
a. power over other people
b. sorrow, pain and suffering
c. long life
d. release from the cycle of rebirth
46. What sect of Buddhism is easier for ordinary people to follow?
a. Jainism
b. Mahayana
c. Theravada
d. Siddharta Gautama