The Rise of Empires — Quiz

Q1. A teacher writes three Sanskrit titles on the board — samraj, adhiraja, rajadhiraja. Which one literally means 'king of kings'?

• A. samraj
• B. adhiraja
• C. rajadhiraja
• D. janapada

Q2. Why did every empire need a large body of officials, as listed in the 'Features of an empire' chart?

• A. To perform religious rituals in the emperor's name across the empire.
• B. To replace the tributary kings of the smaller territories.
• C. To act as soldiers in the emperor's personal bodyguard.
• D. To manage territories, collect taxes and maintain law and order across vast lands.

Q3. Which BEST explains why an emperor issued common currencies and standard weights and measures across the empire?

• A. To force tributary kings to abandon their own languages.
• B. To replace the role of guilds in local markets.
• C. To reduce the size of the army needed at the borders.
• D. To make trade easier and tax collection uniform across distant territories.

Q4. Why did ancient Indian rulers try hard to control rivers and trade networks?

• A. Rivers were the only sites where temples could be built.
• B. It allowed them to prevent farmers from growing crops.
• C. Rivers were used mainly to mark religious boundaries.
• D. Control gave them access to precious resources and tax revenue from trade.

Q5. An ancient text quoted in the chapter says cultivators, traders, herdsmen, moneylenders and artisans had authority to lay down rules for their classes. What does this BEST illustrate?

• A. The king strictly controlled every trade decision in the empire.
• B. Only the emperor could decide market prices for all goods.
• C. Traders were forbidden from organising themselves into associations.
• D. Guilds had the autonomy to make their own internal rules, and the king did not interfere.

Q6. If Priya reads that maintaining a Mauryan army required feeding, clothing, paying soldiers and caring for horses and elephants, which conclusion follows MOST directly?

• A. Armies could be maintained without any economic base.
• B. Maintaining elephants cost nothing because they were taken from forests.
• C. Soldiers paid for their own food and horses.
• D. Strong economic activity and tax revenue were essential to sustain an empire's army.

Q7. How did the Ganga and Son rivers help Magadha rise to power?

• A. They created natural deserts that protected Magadha's borders.
• B. They were the only source of iron ore for the empire.
• C. They blocked all enemies from entering Magadha's territory.
• D. They provided a geographical advantage for trade by being usable for transportation.

Q8. Ravi reads that iron ploughs increased agricultural produce in Magadha. Which BEST explains why this surplus helped Magadha become an empire?

• A. Surplus food grains allowed more people to focus on crafts and arts, and supported a larger army.
• B. Surplus food made farmers unhappy because they had no buyers.
• C. Surplus food forced the king to give up taxes on agriculture.
• D. Surplus food meant guilds had to be banned in the kingdom.

Q9. According to the chapter, why did the Nanda empire pave the way for its conquest by the Mauryas?

• A. Its last emperor Dhana Nanda was very rich and became highly unpopular by oppressing his people.
• B. Mahapadma Nanda voluntarily handed his throne to Chandragupta Maurya.
• C. The Nandas refused to issue any coins, weakening the economy.
• D. Panini's Ashtadhyayi advised the people to overthrow the Nandas.

Q10. Between 327 and 325 BCE, Alexander pushed east and defeated which Indian king in Punjab?

• A. Ajatashatru
• B. Dhana Nanda
• C. Porus, king of the Pauravas
• D. Chandragupta Maurya

Q11. Why, according to the chapter, did Alexander turn back from India without advancing to the Ganga River?

• A. He had been killed in the battle with Porus.
• B. He received a written treaty from Magadha forbidding him to advance.
• C. He decided to settle peacefully in Punjab and rule as a local king.
• D. He was tired and homesick, and his soldiers lost the will to fight and refused to move deeper into India.

Q12. According to one account in the chapter, when Alexander asked the Gymnosophists 'Which is stronger, life or death?', one sage replied

• A. Death, because all kings finally die.
• B. Neither, because only the gods are truly strong.
• C. Both are equally strong and cannot be compared.
• D. Life, because it endures while death does not.

Q13. In Kautilya's saptanga, the first limb 'swami' refers to

• A. The councillors and high officials
• B. The allies of the kingdom
• C. The treasury of the kingdom
• D. The king

Q14. Kautilya wrote that a king must place his subjects' interests above his own. Which of these BEST captures his central philosophy in the chapter?

• A. A king should treat as good only what pleases him personally.
• B. A king should let his ministers decide everything about the kingdom.
• C. A king should expand his kingdom even at the cost of his people's welfare.
• D. In the happiness of his subjects lies the king's happiness; their welfare is his welfare.

Q15. Aarti reads that after seeing the death and destruction of the Kalinga war, Ashoka changed the path of his life. What change did he adopt?

• A. He gave up the throne and became a wandering Gymnosophist.
• B. He abandoned the Maurya empire and joined the Greek satraps.
• C. He gave up violence and, to the greatest extent possible, adopted the path of peace and non-violence taught by the Buddha.
• D. He banned all forms of trade across his empire.