India, That Is Bharat — Hard

Q1. Consider the statements. (i) 'Sapta Sindhava' named the northwest region of the Subcontinent. (ii) 'Sindhava' is derived from 'Sindhu'. Which is/are correct?

• A. (i) only
• B. (ii) only
• C. Both (i) and (ii)
• D. Neither (i) nor (ii)

Q2. The map of regions listed in the Mahabharata (Fig. 5.4) is used in the chapter mainly to show that

• A. Students must memorise every region's name
• B. These regions together cover the entire geography of the Subcontinent
• C. The Mahabharata was written by Ashoka
• D. All regions lay only in the northwest

Q3. Which sequence correctly shows how the Greek name for India developed, as given in the chapter?

• A. Sindhu → Hindhu → Indoi/Indike
• B. Sindhu → Yindu → Indoi
• C. Bharata → Hindu → Indike
• D. Hindu → Sindhu → Indoi

Q4. According to the chapter, the Chinese word 'Yindu' developed through which chain from 'Sindhu'?

• A. Sindhu → Hindhu → Indu → Yindu
• B. Sindhu → Indoi → Indike → Yindu
• C. Sindhu → Bharata → Hindu → Yindu
• D. Sindhu → Hindustan → Indu → Yindu

Q5. Arrange in the order the names became prominent for the Subcontinent, as per the chapter: (P) Sapta Sindhava (Q) Bharata (general use) (R) Bharatavarsha in the Mahabharata.

• A. P → R → Q
• B. Q → P → R
• C. R → P → Q
• D. P → Q → R

Q6. In the 6th century BCE, why did a Persian emperor gain control of the Indus region, leading Persians to call India 'Hind'?

• A. He launched a military campaign over the region of the Indus River
• B. He married an Indian princess
• C. He was invited by Ashoka
• D. He came as a Buddhist pilgrim

Q7. Looking at the physical map (Fig. 5.2), which natural feature forms the great northern boundary of the Indian Subcontinent?

• A. The Arabian Sea
• B. The Himalayas and Hindu Kush
• C. The Bay of Bengal
• D. The River Brahmaputra

Q8. The Tamil poem and the Vishnu Purana both describe India using a similar northern marker. What is it?

• A. The ocean
• B. The great snowy mountain in the north
• C. The seven rivers
• D. Cape Kumari

Q9. Consider: (i) The Constitution was first written in English. (ii) Its English version uses 'India, that is Bharat'. Which is/are correct?

• A. (i) only
• B. (ii) only
• C. Both (i) and (ii)
• D. Neither (i) nor (ii)

Q10. Identify the FALSE statement about the term 'Hindustan'.

• A. It was first used in a Persian inscription about 1,800 years ago
• B. It later became the term used by most invaders of India
• C. It first appeared in a Greek inscription
• D. It is a comparatively more recent term for the Subcontinent

Q11. Which pair of terms does the Mahabharata use for the Indian Subcontinent, with scholars dating the poem from a few centuries BCE onward?

• A. Bharatavarsha and Jambudvipa
• B. Sapta Sindhava and Hind
• C. Indoi and Indike
• D. Hindustan and Tianzhu

Q12. Why are Ashoka's inscriptions described as a 'good clue' about the name 'Jambudvipa'?

• A. Because they were written in Greek
• B. Because in one of them he used 'Jambudvipa' to describe the whole of India
• C. Because they list the seven rivers
• D. Because they quote the Vishnu Purana

Q13. The Tamil poem praises a king known from Cape Kumari to the great mountain and from the oceans on east and west. What does the chapter conclude from this?

• A. Tamil kings ruled the whole of India
• B. Ancient Indians knew their geography well
• C. The poem was written by Ashoka
• D. Cape Kumari lies in the north

Q14. Both Xuanzang's journey and the word 'Tianzhu' point to a common attitude of the ancient Chinese towards India. What was it?

• A. Fear of Indian armies
• B. Respect for India as the land of the Buddha
• C. Desire to colonise India
• D. Interest only in Indian spices

Q15. The English name 'India' is most directly descended from which of the following?

• A. The Indian 'Bharata'
• B. The Greek 'Indoi/Indike'
• C. The Chinese 'Yindu'
• D. The Vedic 'Sapta Sindhava'