Social Science

Grade 6
Chapter 7: The First Empire, Class 2

CLASS NOTES-ANSWERS

I. Tick the correct option.

1. Chanakya, the advisor to Chandragupta Maurya was also known as

a. Rakshasa b. Purugupta c. Kautilya

Answer:c. Kautilya
2. One of the world’s earliest treaties on political thought and social order

is the

a. Arthashatra b. Dharmashastra c. Rajashastra

Answer:a. Arthashastra
3. In Mauryan times, tax on water was called

a.shat bhaga b. bali c. udakabhaga

Answer:c. udakabhaga
4. The oldest India script, which is also the source of many modern Indian

scripts, is

a. Kharosthi b. Pali c. Brahmi

Answer:c. Brahmi
5. The last Mauryan king was

a. Brihadratha b. Chandragupta c. Ashoka

Answer:a. Brihadratha

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Chapter 7: The First Empire, Class 2

II. State whether the following statements are true or false. Rewrite the

statements to correct them.

1. Ashoka conquered Kalinga after a bitter

battle.
Answer:TRUE

2. Bindusara was the son of Ashoka.

Answer:FALSE. Bindusara was the son of
Chandragupta Maurya.

3. Seleucus was a general of Alexander.

Answer:TRUE

4. Ashoka’s edicts were written in Sanskrit.

Answer:FALSE. Ashoka’s edicts were written in
Prakrit.

5. The capital of the Mauryas was at Nalanda.

Answer:FALSE. The capital of the Maurya’s was at
Pataliputra.

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 Social Science
Grade 6
Chapter 7: The First Empire, Class 2

III - Answer the following questions in one sentence.

1. What are the two literary sources that gives us information on the
Mauryan Empire?

Answer: Indica by Megasthenes and Arthashastra by Kautilya are

the two sources which give us information about the Mauryan

Empire.

2. Why did Ashoka attack Kalinga?

Answer: Kalinga was the only kingdom that was not controlled by the

Mauryas. It was important as it controlled the routes to south India

and South-east Asia by land and sea. This is why it was attacked by

Ashoka.

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 Social Science
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Chapter 7: The First Empire, Class 2

3. What did Ashoka do to make the life of his people comfortable?

Answer: Ashoka treated his subjects as his own children and worked

for their welfare. He built roads, rest houses, hospitals for animals

and human beings, planted trees and got wells dug so that his people

could be comfortable and happy.

4. What are edicts?

Answer: Edicts are royal orders or proclamations issued by a ruler

5. Which script and language was used to write most of the Ashokan

edicts?

Answer: Ashoka’s edicts were usually written in Prakrit, i.e., the language

of the common people. They were also written in Greek, Kharosthi and

Aramaic in north-west India.

IV. Answer the following questions in brief.

1. How did the battle of Kalinga affect Ashoka?

Answer: Battle of Kalinga changed Ashoka’s life. Though Kalinga was

conquered, there was a huge loss of human lives. It impacted Ashoka

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 Social Science
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Chapter 7: The First Empire, Class 2

so much that he decided not to fight wars anymore. He became a

follower of the Buddha and devoted the rest of his life to his

Dhamma.

2. Write a note on the Ashokan edicts?

Answer: Ashoka was the first ruler to communicate to his subjects

through edicts. To spread his ideas, Ashoka inscribed his messages

on stone pillars, caves, boulders and rocks so that people could

read them. These edicts were widely spread throughout his empire

and placed on important routes at strategic locations. They conveyed

Ashoka’s ideas on administration, religion and behaviour of people

towards one another and their elders. Ashoka’s edicts were usually

written in Prakrit, i.e., the language of the common people. They were

also written in Greek, Kharosthi, and Aramaic in north-west India

3. What were the main principles of Ashoka’s Dhamma?

Answer: Though inspired by Buddhism, Ashoka’s Dhamma was essentially

his ideas on society and governance. He saw himself as a father to his

subjects and felt that he had a moral duty to instil good values in his
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 Social Science
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Chapter 7: The First Empire, Class 2

people. He spoke directly to his people through his edicts. Through

Dhamma, Ashoka encouraged his subjects to be non-violent, truthful and

tolerant and respectful towards others’ religious beliefs. The Dhamma also

instructed that one should be respectful towards one’s elders and kind and

charitable to all.

4. Give an account of the Mauryan administration.

Answer: The Mauryan administration was well-defined. The king held

supreme power. He took important decisions only after consulting his

ministers (mantri parishad) and other members of the royal family. The

empire was divided into provinces, which were ruled by governors who

were usually royal princes or Kumaras. Provinces were further divided into

districts, which comprised several towns or villages. Each village had a

headman called the gramika. Pataliputra, the capital city, and its

surrounding territories were regarded as the core area and were directly

administered by the emperor with the help of officials appointed by him,

who were responsible to him. Taxes were levied on providing water for

irrigation. The other sources of revenue were land revenue, taxes on trade
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Chapter 7: The First Empire, Class 2

and crafts, forest produce, output from mines as well as fines.

5. What were the reasons for the decline of the Mauryan empire?

Answer: The Mauryan Empire declined mainly because the successors of

Ashoka were weak. They could not efficiently manage the huge

expenditure on the army. What added to the disorder were invasions in

the north-western border of India. Some historians also feel that

Ashoka’s pacifist policy was responsible for the decline of the Mauryan

Empire

V. Answer the following questions in detail.

1. What do you know about Alexander? How did his presence impact the

Indian subcontinent?

Answer: Alexander, the ruler of Macedonia who attacked north-western

India and defeated several republican states. Though he wanted to cross

the Indus, and continue eastwards into the north Indian heartland, his army

was deterred by the powerful army of the Nanda dynasty. So, Alexander

appointed governors in India to look after the territories he had conquered,

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Chapter 7: The First Empire, Class 2

and left for Greece. Alexander’s invasions weakened the small tribes and

states of north India. This enabled the Mauryas to establish control over

these territories and build an empire.

2. Distinguish between democratic and dictatorial forms of government.

Answer: Chanakya, also known as Kautilya or Vishnugupta, was the

mastermind behind Chandragupta’s rise to power. Chandragupta

Maurya overthrew the Nandas and established the Mauryan Empire

with Chanakya’s help. Chanakya is regarded as a great political thinker

and economist, and a kingmaker. Chanakya wrote Arthashastra that

contain guidelines on how to run a government. It is one of the world’s

earliest treatises on political thought and social order.

3. Who was Chandragupta Maurya? Why is he an important character

in the history of ancient Indian subcontinent?

Answer: Chandragupta Maurya overthrew the Nandas and established

the Mauryan Empire. After consolidating his position in Magadha,

Chandragupta conquered the Punjab and other parts of north India. In

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Chapter 7: The First Empire, Class 2

the north-west, Chandragupta concluded a marriage alliance with the

daughter of Seleucus Nicator, Alexander’s general. Territories, covering

modern Afghanistan, were given to Chandragupta through this

marriage. His empire extended from the Hindu Kush in the northwest to

Bengal in the east and Himalayas in the north to the Narmada in the

south. Towards the end of his life, he became a follower of Mahavira. He

abdicated his throne and joined a group of Jaina monks led by

Bhadrabahu and travelled to Shravana Belagola in Karnataka. There, he

fasted unto death, in keeping with the Jaina spiritual tradition .

4. Write a note on Bindusara’s reign.

Answer: Bindusara, Chandragupta’s son, succeeded him to the throne.

During Bindusara’s reign, the Mauryan Empire extended as far as

Mysore in the south. Only the region of Kalinga (in present-day Odisha)

and the kingdoms on the extreme south of India were not part of his

empire. Bindusara maintained friendly relations with Greek governors in

Asia and Africa. Bindusara was succeeded by his son Ashoka, who is

considered as the greatest ruler of the dynasty.

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Chapter 7: The First Empire, Class 2

5.What were the achievements in the field of art and architecture in the

Mauryan rule?

Answer: Most of the information that we have about the Mauryan period

comes from the Ashokan edicts, viharas, pillars and stupas. The earliest

viharas were rock-cut caves made during this period. These were carved

out of granite hills. Ashoka built over 84,000 stupas throughout the

kingdom, of which the Sanchi stupa is one of the most famous. The

highly polished monolithic pillars are a cause of wonder even today. The

Ashoka Chakra found on the Indian flag is taken from the Lion Capital of

Ashoka. The Mauryan ruler also built many impressive palaces.

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