NCERT Class 6 Social Science Chapter 8 Ashoka, The Emperor Who Gave Up War

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NCERT Class 6 Social Science Chapter 8 Ashoka, The Emperor Who Gave Up War

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Also, you can read the NCERT book online in these sections Solutions by Expert Teachers as per Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) Book guidelines. CBSE Class 6 Social Science Solutions are part of All Subject Solutions. Here we have given NCERT Class 6 Social Science Chapter 8 Ashoka, The Emperor Who Gave Up War, NCERT Class 6 Social Science Textbook of Our Pasts – I: History, The Earth – Our Habitat: Geography, Social and political Life: Civics. for All Chapters, You can practice these here.

Ashoka, The Emperor Who Gave Up War

Chapter: 8

OUR PASTS – I [HISTORY]

NCERT TEXTBOOK QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS

LET’S RECALL

Q. 1. Make a list of the occupations of the people who lived within the Mauryan empire.

Ans. List of the occupations of the people who lived within the Mauryan empire: 

(a) Agriculture.

(b) Artisans.

(c) Herdsmen.

(d) Carpenters.

(e) Many people employed in royal army.

(f) Government officials.

Q. 2. Complete the following sentences:

(a) Officials collected ________from the area under the direct control of the ruler.

Ans. Taxes.

(b) Royal princes often went to the provinces as __________.

Ans. Governors.

(c) The Mauryan rulers tried to control _______and _________which were important for transport.

Ans. Roads, rivers.

(d) People in forested regions provided the Mauryan officials with _________.

Ans. elephants, timber, honey and wax. 

Q. 3. State whether true or false:

(a) Ujjain was the gateway to the north-west. 

Ans. False.

(b) Chandragupta’s ideas were written down in the Arthashastra.

Ans. False.

(c) Kalinga was the ancient name of Bengal.

Ans. False.

(d) Most Ashokan inscriptions are in the Brahmi script. 

Ans. True.

LET’S DISCUSS

Q. 4 What were the problems that Ashoka wanted to solve by introducing dhamma?

Ans. The problems that Ashoka wanted to solve by introducing dhamma were:

(a) The different religions followed by people led to conflicts.

(b) Sacrifice of animals for religion.

(c) Ill-treatment given to slaves and servants.

(d) Quarrels in families and amongst neighbors. 

Q.5. What were the means adopted by Ashoka to spread the message of dhamma?

Ans. The means adopted by Ashoka to spread the message of dhamma are:

(a) Ashoka appointed officials, known as the dhamma mahamatta who went from place t place teaching people about dhamma. 

(b) Ashoka got his messages inscribed on rocks and pillars, instructing his officials to read his message to those who could not read it themselves. 

(c) Ashoka sent messengers to spread ideas about dhamma to other lands, such as Syria, Egypt Greece and Sri Lanka. 

Q. 6. Why do you think slaves and servants were ill-treated? Do you think the orders of the emperor would have improved their condition? Give reasons for your answer.

Ans. Yes, slaves and servants were ill-treated in the society because their masters felt superior to them. The masters treated them as animals. It was because of the old Varna’ system. The emperor’s orders might have helped to some extent. Ashoka was a king who was loved by his subjects. Moreover, his dhammas was a realistic innovation.

LET’S DO

Q. 7. Write a short paragraph explaining to Roshan why the lions are shown on our currency notes. List at least one other object on which you see them.

Ans. Lion capital at Sarnath has four lions. After India became free this Ashokan capital became India’s National emblem. These lions are shown on our currency notes in honour of the greatest King of India, Ashoka. Lion is the bravest and a beautiful animal. It inspires us for bravery.

The lion can be seen on the coins and stamp paper also.

Q. 8. Suppose you had the power to inscribe your orders, what four commands would you like to issue?

Ans. I would like to issue the following four commands:

(a) Slavery be abolished.

(b) Animals sacrifice be banned.

(c) Respect and regard for the other religions. 

(d) Respect the elders and love the youngsters.

SOME OTHER IMPORTANT QUESTIONS FOR EXAMINATION

VERY SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Q. 1. Name the greatest ruler of history. 

Ans. The greatest ruler of history was Ashoka.

Q. 2. Who was the grandfather of King Ashoka?

Ans. The grandfather of King Ashoka was Chandragupta Maurya.

Q. 3. Name the wise man of Chandragupta period.

Ans. The wise man of Chandragupta period was Chanakya or Kautilya.

Q. 4. Name the book in which Chanakya’s ideas were written.

Ans. The book in which Chanakya’s ideas were written down is called the Arthashastra.

Q. 5. Name a few important cities of the Mauryan Empire. 

Ans. A few important cities of the Mauryan Empire were Pataliputra, Taxila and Ujjain.

Q. 6. Who was the guide and philosopher of Chandragupta?

Ans. Chanakya was the guide and philosopher of Chandragupta. 

Q.7. When was the Kalinga war fought?

Ans. Kalinga war was fought in 261 BC. 

Q. 8. Who has been described as the first emperor of India?

Ans. King Ashoka has been described as the first great emperor of India.

Q. 9. Name the three great rulers of the Mauryan dynasty.

Ans. Three great rulers of Mauryan dynasty are: 

(a) Chandragupta Maurya.

(b) Chandragupta Maurya’s son Bindusara.

(c) Bindusara’s son-Ashoka.

Q. 10. What was Ashoka’s Dhamma based on?

Ans. Ashoka’s dhamma was based on the principles of tolerance, non-violence, compassion, peace and respect for elders.

SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS 

Q. 1. Name the cities included in the Ashoka’s empire. Where are Taxila and Ujjain located?

Ans. There were several cities in the empire. These included the capital Pataliputra, Taxila and Ujjain. Taxila was a gateway to the north west, including Central Asia, while Ujjain lay the route from north to south India. Merchants, officials and crafts persons probably lived in these cities. 

Q. 2. How are empires different from kingdoms?

Ans. Empires are different from kingdoms in the following manner:

(a) Empires need more resources than Kingdoms because empires are larger than kingdoms and need to be protected by big armies.

(b) The empires also need a larger number of officials who collected taxes.

Q. 3. What has been mentioned in the Arthashastra about north-west and South India?

Ans. The Arthashastra tells us that the north-west was important for blankets and south India for its gold and precious stones. It is possible that these resources were collected as tribute.

Q. 4. What do Indika and Arthashastra tell us about the Mauryas? 

Ans. The Indika tells us about the political, social and economic conditions of life during the Mauryan period. The Arthashastra deals with how to govern an empire. It describes the administration of the Mauryas.

Q. 5. What was the extent of the Mauryan empire? 

Ans. The empire covered a large part of India which included Bihar, Odisha, Bengal, Western and North-Western India and parts of Deccan. Excluding Kerala, TamilNadu and parts of North-Eastern India, Mauryas ruled over the whole of the Indian subcontinent. 

Q. 6. How did Chandragupta Maurya gain control of territories across the river Indus?

Ans. Chandragupta Maurya gained control of territories across the river Indus in following ways: 

(a) Chandragupta Maurya defeated Seleucus Nicator, Alexander’s general. 

(b) He also made a gift of 500 elephants to the Greek general and obtained the territory across the river Indus.

Q. 7. What was the objective of Ashoka’s Dhamma?

Ans. The objective of Ashoka’s Dhamma was to preserve social order and harmony. 

Q. 8. Give reasons why Taxila and Ujjain were important cities of the Mauryan empire?

Ans. Taxila was a gateway to the north-west, including Central Asia while Ujjain lay co the route to south India. Merchants, officials and craftsperson probably lived in these cities.

LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS

Q. 1. How was Pataliputra administered?

Ans. The area around Pataliputra was under the direct control of the emperor. 

This meant that:

(a) Officials were appointed to collect taxes from farmers, herders, crafts persons and traders who lived in villages and towns in the area.

(b) Officials also punished those who disobeyed the ruler’s orders.

(c) Many of these officials were given salaries. 

(d) Messengers went to and fro and spies kept a watch on the officials. 

(e) The emperor supervised them all with the help of members of the royal family and senior ministers. 

Q. 2. Who was Megasthenes? What did he describe about the court occasions? 

Ans. Megasthenes was an ambassador who was sent to the court of Chandragupta by the Greek ruler of West Asia named Seleucus Nicator. 

He described the following things about court occasions:

(a) The occasions on which the emperor appears in public are celebrated with grand royal processions. 

(b) He was carried in a golden palanquin. His guards rode elephants decorated with gold and silver. 

(c) Some of the guards carry trees on which live birds, including a flock of trained parrots, circle about the head of the emperor. 

(d) The king was normally surrounded by armed women. 

(e) He was afraid that some one may try to kill him. He had special servants to taste the food before he eats. 

(f) He never sleeps in the same bedroom for two nights. 

Q. 3. What message did Ashoka give to his subjects? 

Ans. The message Ashoka gave to his subjects were as follows:

(a) Being gentle with slaves and servants. 

(b) Respecting one’s elders.

(c) Treating all creatures with compassion. 

(d) Giving gifts to brahmins and monks.

(e) It is both wrong to praise one’s own religion or criticize another’s.

(f) Each one should respect the other’s religion. If one praises one’s own religion while criticizing another’s one is actually doing greater harm to one’s own religion. Therefor one should try to understand the main ideas of another’s religion and respect it.

Q. 4. What did Ashoka do to spread Buddhism?

Ans. He undertook the following steps to spread Buddhism: 

(a) He sent his son Mahendra and daughter Sanghamitra to Sri Lanka to spread the message of Buddhism.

(b) He also sent learned scholars to far-off places to spread Buddhism.

(c) He built a number of stupas and viharas for Buddhist monks. 

(d) He also held the third Buddhist council at Pataliputra and visited all the places related to Buddha. 

Q. 5. Why was Kalinga war a turning point in Ashoka’s life?

Ans. Kalinga war was a turning point in the life of Ashoka because the loss of life affected him greatly and he was really disturbed after the war. After conquering Kalinga, Ashoka gave up the policy of war and became a Buddhist and devoted the rest of his life in serving people.

Q. 6. Why did Ashoka attack Kalinga? 

Ans. Ashoka attacked Kalinga because:

(a) Kalinga was a powerful kingdom. Kalinga had access to the sea and controlled the land and sea route to South India and South East Asia. 

(b) He wanted to conquer Kalinga to complete the unification of his empire and become the unrivaled ruler of the entire country.

HIGH ORDER THINKING SKILLS

Q. 1. What was the work of dhamma mahamatta?

Ans. Dhamma mahamatta went from place to place teaching people about dhamma. Ashoka got his messages inscribed on rocks and pillars, instructing his officials to read his messages to those who could not read it themselves.

Q. 2. Why was Ashoka called a unique ruler?

Ans. Ashoka was called as a unique ruler because he is the only king in the history of the world who gave up conquest after winning a war (Kalinga War).

Q. 3. Write two principles of Ashoka’s Dhamma. 

Ans. Two principles of Ashoka’s Dhamma are:

(a) People should love one another and respect all religions.

(b) People should be truthful, kind and generous towards all.

VALUE BASED QUESTIONS

Q. 1. Why did the Mauryan empire decline?

Ans. Mauryan empire declined because of the following reasons: 

(a) Ashoka’s successors were weak and could not control such a large empire. 

(b) Enough taxes could not be collected to maintain a large away.

(c) A series of attacks from the north also weakened the empire.

(d) The last Mauryan emperor Brihadratha was killed by his Commander-in-chief, Pushyamitra Shunga in 185 BC and the Mauryan empire came to an end. 

(e) A final blow to the weakening empire was given by a series of foreign invasions from the north-west led by Indo-Greeks, Shakas, Parthians and the Kushanas.

Q. 2. Name the sources that tell us about the Mauryan period. 

Ans. Following are the sources that tell us about the Mauryan period:

(a) The main sources of information on the Mauryas are the two books-indica by Megasthenese and Arthashastra by Kautilya.

(b) The rock and pillar edicts of emperor Ashoka are also a valuable source. 

(c) Coins and inscriptions are another important source. 

Q. 3. Explain the welfare measures adopted by Ashoka.

Ans. Ashoka undertook the following welfare measures:

(a) He built good roads and planted trees on both sides of the road. 

(b) He regularly went on tours and tried to solve the problems of his subjects,

(c) He constructed rest houses where travelers could rest.

(d) A large number of wells were dug.

(e) Ashoka also built many hospitals both for people and animals,

Q. 4. What do you know about Pataliputra? 

Ans. Pataliputra was the capital of the Mauryan empire. It had the following features:

(a) It was surrounded by a wooden wall which had 64 gates and 570 towers. 

(b) There was also a moat around the city to protect it from every attacks. 

(c) The king’s palace was of two and three storeyed and decorated with stone carvings. 

(d) King’s palace was surrounded by gardens and enclosures for keeping birds. 

(e) A committee of 30 members looked after the administration of the city.

PICTURE BASED QUESTIONS

Look at the picture and answer the questions that follows:

(a) Whose picture is given above? 

Ans. The picture is of the Rampurwa Bull. 

(b) This picture belong to whose part?

Ans. This was part of a Mauryan pillar found in Rampurwa Bihar.

(c) Where was this sculpture placed? 

Ans. This sculpture has now been placed in Rashtrapati Bhavan.

MAP BASED QUESTIONS 

On a Political Map of India mark the following cities:

(a) Lampaka.

(b) Bahapur.

(c) Kalinga. 

(d) Sopara.

Ans: Self Study.

OBJECTIVE TYPE QUESTIONS

l. MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS

Tick (✓) the correct option:

(a) Chandragupta was succeeded by which ruler? 

(i) Nanda.

(ii) Ashoka.

(iii) Bindusara.

Ans. (iii) Bindusara.

(b) _______were appointed to keep a watch over the officials.

(i) Rajukas. 

(ii) Yuktas.

(iii) All of these.

Ans. (iii) All of these.

(c) The script used for Ashoka’s Edicts was:

(i) Devanagari.

(ii) Brahmi.

(iii) Gurmukhi.

Ans. (i) Devanagari.

(d) Mudrarakshasa is a play written by:

(i) Vishakhadatta. 

(ii) Kautilya.

(iii) Justin.

Ans. (i) Vishakhadatta.

II. FILL IN THE BLANKS:

(a) Chanakya is also known as ________.

Ans. Kautilya. 

(b) Chandragupta Maurya became the first ruler of the Mauryan dynasty in ________.

Ans. 305 BC.

(c) Megasthenes was an ambassador to the court of _________.

Ans. Mauryans.

(d) Ashoka called his policy of peaceful conquest as __________. 

Ans. Dhammavijaya.

(e) The officers called __________spread the message of Dhamma.

Ans. Dhamma Mahamatras.

(f) Kalinga was in the modern state of ________is India.

Ans. Odisha.

(g) The script in which the Ashokan edits were written is known as ________script.

Ans. Brahmi.

III. WRITE TRUE OR FALSE:

(a) Chandragupta Maurya’s advisor was Panini.

Ans. False.

(b) Megasthenes was a Chinese pilgrim who came to the court of Chandragupta Maurya.

Ans. False.

(c) Kautilya was the mentor and guide of Ashoka.

Ans. True. 

(d) Ashokan pillar with Bull capital is at Sanchi.

Ans. False.