Practice

New Beginnings: Cities and States — Practice

15 questions 15 min Recall + understand

Q1. The new phase of urbanisation that began in the 1st millennium BCE in the Ganga plains and neighbouring regions is called India's
- A. First Urbanisation
- B. Second Urbanisation
- C. Third Urbanisation
- D. Vedic Urbanisation
Q2. In Sanskrit, the word 'janapada' literally means
- A. A kingdom ruled by many kings
- B. Where the people (jana) have set foot (pada)
- C. A large fortified city
- D. A council of village elders
Q3. According to the more frequent list in ancient texts, how many mahajanapadas existed in the 1st millennium BCE?
- A. 10
- B. 12
- C. 16
- D. 20
Q4. Aarti's class teacher tells them that the ruins of Rajagriha, capital of one of the most powerful mahajanapadas, lie in modern Rajgir. To which mahajanapada did Rajagriha belong?
- A. Kosala
- B. Magadha
- C. Vatsa
- D. Avanti
Q5. Ujjayini was the capital of which mahajanapada, located in present-day Madhya Pradesh?
- A. Vatsa
- B. Kosala
- C. Avanti
- D. Magadha
Q6. The assembly or council in each janapada, where matters concerning the clan were discussed, was called
- A. sabha or samiti
- B. rajya or rashtra
- C. gana or sangha
- D. varna or jati
Q7. Which two mahajanapadas are described in the chapter as gana or sangha — what scholars often call 'early republics'?
- A. Magadha and Kosala
- B. Vatsa and Avanti
- C. Vajji (Vrijji) and Malla
- D. Gandhara and Kamboja
Q8. In the chapter, a 'moat' is defined as
- A. A tall watchtower at the gateway of a fort
- B. A deep, wide ditch surrounding a fort or fortified city, filled with water
- C. A narrow underground passage for escape from the palace
- D. A broad straight street running through a fortified city
Q9. The ruins of a complex at Kaushambi, shown in the chapter, are the remains of the capital of which mahajanapada?
- A. Magadha
- B. Vatsa
- C. Panchala
- D. Anga
Q10. According to the chapter, the first Indian coins were made of which metal?
- A. Copper
- B. Gold
- C. Silver
- D. Iron
Q11. According to the chapter, by which period had iron tools become widespread in India, facilitating agriculture on a bigger scale?
- A. 5th century CE
- B. 10th century CE
- C. Early 2nd millennium BCE
- D. Late 2nd millennium BCE
Q12. The Uttarapatha trade route mentioned in the chapter connected
- A. The northwest regions to the Ganga plains, all the way to eastern India
- B. Kaushambi southwards across the Vindhya Range
- C. The eastern ports to the Cholas, Cheras and Pandyas
- D. Gandhara to overseas kingdoms in Southeast Asia
Q13. According to the chapter, the four varnas that emerged from Vedic texts were Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and
- A. Jatis
- B. Shudras
- C. Sangha
- D. Sabha members
Q14. The English word 'caste' is said to have come from a word in which language, used by travellers to India in the 16th century CE?
- A. Persian
- B. Arabic
- C. Portuguese
- D. Latin
Q15. The opening quotation of the chapter — describing how a kingdom should be protected by fortifying its capital and frontier towns — is attributed to which ancient text and author?
- A. Manusmriti by Manu
- B. Arthashastra by Kautilya
- C. Rigveda by Vyasa
- D. Mahabharata by Vyasa

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