1: In modern India, Hindutva is a form of:
(a) revolutionary Marxism
(b) materialism
(c) Islamic fundamentalism
(d) nativism
2: The Indus Valley Civilization was in which region?
- the North Indian Plain, near the city of Varanasi
- what are now western India and Pakistan
- the island of Sri Lanka
- southern India, around Chennai (Madras)
3: TRUE or FALSE: we know little about the Indus Valley civilization because its people did NOT have a writing system.
(a) True
(b) False
4: Why do archeologists suspect that cities such as Mohenjo Daro, a major site of the Indus Valley civilization, were relatively egalitarian?
- the largest buildings at the site were public bath houses
- a large building was discovered that looked like a legislature
- no religious artifacts have been found at Mohenjo Daro
- the ancient city contained many stalls for horses.
5: The people of northern India speak languages belonging to the Indo-European language group, but the people of southern India speak what kind of languages?
(a) Ural-Altaic
(b) Mon-Khmer
(c) Dravidian
(d) Austronesian
6: TRUE or FALSE: the Indo-Europeans or "Aryans" who invaded India in the 2nd millennium BCE rode on horseback, like the Mongols of Genghis Khan.
(a) True
(b) False
7: Mahatma Gandhi called it his "life guide," and this epic verse is perhaps the most well-known work in ancient Indian literature. What is it?
(a) Tripitaka
(b) Ramayana
(c) Upanishads
(d) Bhagavad Gita
8: Which of the following is NOT a "dharma" or "dharmic" religion?
(a) Zoroastrianism
(b) Jainism
(c) Buddhism
(d) Hinduism
9: TRUE or FALSE: Buddhists believe that Gautama Buddha was not the only Buddha.
(a) True
(b) False
10: In Hinduism and Buddhism, what does Karma mean?
(a) faith
(b) sin
(c) rebirth
(d) action
11: Most Indian religions from ancient times have assumed which of the following?
- God is unitary, and is a god of love
- There is no life after death
- Living things are reborn, or reincarnated
- When humans die, they go to Purgatory
12: TRUE or FALSE: The East Asian nations (China, Korea, Japan) are among the most ethnically diverse in the world.
(a) True
(b) False
13: Which of the following is a distinct characteristic of Chinese civilization from at least the 3rd century BCE?
(a) the institution of slavery
(b) a strong, centralized state
(c) a nomadic lifestyle
(d) matriarchy
14: What highly oppressive and painful custom was imposed on Chinese women during and after the medieval Song Dynasty?
(a) having their feet bound
(b) wearing tight corsets
(c) elongating their necks
(d) having plastic surgery
15: During which period of Chinese history did a full-fledged feudal system emerge?
(a) the Xia Dynasty
(b) the Shang Dynasty
(c) the Ming Dynasty
(d) the Zhou Dynasty
16: Which important historical figure in Chinese history said something like: "I am going to build a really HUGE, beautiful wall!"
(a) Qin Shi Huangdi
(b) Han Fei Zi
(c) Confucius
(d) the Yellow Emperor
17: In which school of ancient Chinese thought were the Five Relationships of great importance?
(a) Legalism
(b) Confucianism
(c) Daoism
(d) Mohism
18: TRUE or FALSE: the wall built by the figure in Q16, above, made the Chinese nice and safe for over 2,200 years.
(a) True
(b) False
19: Which river is known as "China's Sorrow"?
(a) the Huai River
(b) the Mekong River
(c) the Yangtze River
(d) the Yellow River
20: What was the most important role for a young woman in a traditional Chinese household?
- to cook all the meals
- to provide the family with a male heir
- to conduct rituals related to ancestor worship
- to take care of the family's livestock