Chapter 8 Ashoka who gave up war

Ch 8 History

Ashoka, the Emperor Who gave up war

Q1. Keywords-

1)   Carved – To cut stones in order to make an object or put a pattern of writing.

2)   Inscription- Words that are written on rock and pillars.

3)   Dynasty: A family whose members become rulers one after the other.

4)   Provincial: Related with one of the large areas that the same countries are divided into.

5)   Tribute: Something that you say or do to show that you respect or admire something.

Q2. Answer the following questions briefly:

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

Ans: List of occupation of the Mauryan people:

a.   Agriculture.

b.   Artisans.

c.    Herdsmen.

d.   Carpenters.

e.   Soldiers.

f.      Government officials.

2.   What were the problems that Ashoka wanted to solve by introducing Dhamma?

Ans: The problems that are solved by ashoka by introducing Dhamma are:-

a.   The different religions followed by people leading to conflicts.

b.   Sacrifices of animals during religious rituals.

c.    The poor treatment given to slaves and servants.

d.   Quarrels in families and amongst neighbours.

3.   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 to place teaching people about Dhamma.

b.   Ashoka gave his messages by inscribing them on rpcks and pillars, instructing his officials to read his message to those who could not read themselves.

c.    Ashoka sent messengers to spread ideas about Dhamma to other land, such as Syria, Egypt, Greece and Sri Lanka..

4.   Why do you think that slaves and servants were ill treated? Do you think the order 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 them to some extent. Ashoka was a king who was loved by his subjects and they would have allowed him happily.

5.   Write a short paragraph explaining why the lions are shown on our currency notes. List atleast one other object on which you see it.

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 great king of India, Ashoka. Lion is also a symbol of bravery and strength.

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

6.   Suppose you have the power to inscribe your orders, what four commands would you like to issue?

Ans: I would like to issue the following commands:

a.   All humans will be treated equally.

b.   No animal will be harmed for religious purpose.

c.    There will be respect and regards for all religions.

d.   Education will be compulsory for all.

7.   How did Kalinga war bring about a change in the Ashoka’ s attitude towards war?

Ans: Kalinga was the only war that Ashoka fought in his life. About one lakh people were kiiled in this war. He heard the cries of the women and children. He was fiiled with sorrow and remorse when he saw a huge carnage of people and animals. So Ashoka decided to give up warfare and decided to observe  and spread Dhamma.

Q8. In what ways do you think Ashoka’ s attitude towards neighbouring people was different from that of the Chinese emperors?

Ans: Ashoka’ s attitude towards the neighbouring people was totally different from the contemporary Chinese emperors. For example, the Chinese emperors constructed wall to protect the northern frontier of the empire from the pastoral people. Ashoka expanded his empire of Dhamma by sending officials to spread the message of non- violence and love. The example presents the open mindedness of Ashoka.

A9. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India wrote:

Ans: In his message Ashoka spoke about

a.   Respecting the elders.

b.   Treating all creatures with compassion.

c.    Respecting all religious.

d.   These ideas and messages are followed even today. We respect our elders, specially our parents and teachers. We have international organizations like SPCA(Society for prevention of cruelty to animals) and other societies like PETA(People for Ethical treatment of Animals). These organizations spread the message of compassion to animals. Secularism is part of our constitution. It means that there is no state religion. In other words, it means we must respect for all religions.

Q11. In what ways pataliputra is different from Mohanjodaro?

Ans:

	PATALIPUTRA	MOHANJODARO
1.	Kings palaces were made of wood and decorated with stones.	There was no king, so no palace was there.
2.	The whole city was surrounded by the walls.	The city was divided into two parts citadel and Lower town.
3.	Houses were of two or three floors.	Houses were of maximum two floors.
4.	Houses were made of wood, mud and bricks.	Houses were made of brunt bricks.

Q10. Why do you think that the king had special servants to taste food he ate?

Ans: During time of Chandragupt Maurya there were frequent wars to conquer more areas. The other kings sent their spies to know more about the king. The king was always afraid that his life was in danger, so he had special sersvants who tasted food before he eat so that nobody can mix poison in it.