Chapter 5: “Ancient India”
(Study and Review Guide for Unit 4)
Section One: “Geography and early India”
1. What makes India a subcontinent?
2. How is the Indus River Valley similar to that of Egypt and Mesopotamia?
3. Describe monsoons. How did monsoons affect India’s climate?
4. What helped archaeologists learn about the Harappan civilization?
5. Describe the cities of Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro.
6. List some advances in art and technology in Harappan civilization.
7. What are two things about Harappan civilization that scholars do not know or
understand?
8. How were Aryans and Hyksos (people who conquered Lower Egypt) similar?
9. Describe the Vedas?
10. Write your description of nomads.
11. What was the language of the Aryans?
Section Two: “Origins of Hinduism”
12. List the four levels of the Varnas. How is this similar to the Egyptian social pyramid?
13. What is the name of the Aryan social hierarchy?
14. What are some rules of the caste system?
15. What is the largest religion in India today?
16. Are the Hindus monotheistic or polytheistic?
17. Describe the process of reincarnation.
18. How does Karma effect the process of reincarnation?
19. What did people have to do in order to obey their dharma?
20. How were women treated differently than men in Hinduism?
Section Three: “Origins of Buddhism”
21. What made Siddhartha Gautama begin to ask questions about the meaning of life?
22. What did Siddhartha Gautama do to “free his mind”?
23. What did Siddhartha Gautama believe caused human suffering?
24. What does ‘Buddha’ mean?
25. What are the Four Noble Truths?
26. List the eight parts of the Eightfold Path.
27. Use the Venn diagram below to show the differences/ similarities of Hinduism and
Buddhism.
28. How did Buddhism spread after Buddha’s death and where did it spread?
Section Four: “Indian Empires”
29. How did the Mauryans gain control of most of India?
30. What was the Gupta dynasty’s position on religion?
Section Five: “Indian Achievements”
31. How did religion influence ancient Indian art?
32. What types of literature did writers of ancient India create?