World Civilizations Module 1 Quiz Questions
Jainism
A major religion that was founded by Mahavira in the sixth century was _____.
c. rejection of the rigid caste system
A significant difference between Buddhism and Brahmanism was a. the focus on Buddha as a divine figure b. embracing of severe austerity and poverty c. rejection of the rigid caste system d. rejection of shrines and monasteries e. its emphasis on ritual divination
b. could seek a divorce.
According to the Arthasastra, a woman who had been deserted by her husband: a. had no recourse. b. could seek a divorce. c. was immediately freed from all marital commitments. d. was entitled to the return of double her dowry. e. could never remarry.
d. the king was expected to rule in a compassionate and effective manner because he was selected by the gods to rule in order to maintain the order of the universe.
According to the Zhou concept of the Mandate of Heaven, a. the chief priest was the supreme ruler. b. the king, as a god, was the arbiter of the use of power on earth. c. the gods ruled that all must obey the king without question. d. the king was expected to rule in a compassionate and effective manner because he was selected by the gods to rule in order to maintain the order of the universe. e. territorial chieftains chose kings from the members of the Grand Assemblage.
b. included the development of the idea that the earth was a sphere.
Ancient Indian scientific activities a. were notably lacking in astronomical interest. b. included the development of the idea that the earth was a sphere. c. were based on ideas much like those of Arabia. d. were much more significant than Indian religious innovations. e. caused the Indian scientists to be renowned for their world domination in alchemy.
b. changed his personal values and governmental policies after becoming a Buddhist.
Ashoka a. sent Buddhist missionaries to China and Japan to instruct the people. b. changed his personal values and governmental policies after becoming a Buddhist. c. was the only Indian emperor who tried to foster trade. d. was a vaisya. e. was the founder of Jainism.
e. his conversion to Buddhism and facilitated its spread through India
Ashoka was most notable for overthrowing the Mauryan empire b. conquoring the Tamil portion of India c. fighting an extensive war against Alexander the Great d. None of these. e. his conversion to Buddhism and facilitated its spread through India
d. political and ethical behavior
Confucian philosophy was most concerned with a. explaining the metaphysical world b. maintaining order in the universe c. appeasing Shang Di in accordance with the Mandate of Heaven d. political and ethical behavior e. ritual ceremonies to achieve a balance between Yin and Yang
a. assumed that all humans had their own Dao.
Confucius a. assumed that all humans had their own Dao. b. was a Qin emperor. c. was deified by the Chinese government within five years after his death. d. followed a Legalist philosophy. e. was a cousin of Siddhartha Gautama.
b. created a great Persian Empire.
Cyrus the Great a. established the Ptolemaic Dynasty. b. created a great Persian Empire. c. used merciless policies that caused him to be hated by the people he conquered. d. permanently conquered Greece. e. enslaved the Jews.
b. has the Dao De Jing as its primary document.
Daoism a. has the same view of the nature and meaning of life as Confucianism. b. has the Dao De Jing as its primary document. c. counseled hard work and determined purposefulness for its followers. d. was first established by Mencius. e. became the philosophy of government under the Qin Dynasty.
a. many upper-class Israelites were deported to Babylonia.
During the Babylonian Captivity a. many upper-class Israelites were deported to Babylonia. b. the Persians gave up control of the Kingdom of Judah. c. the Chaldeans were able to conquer the Persians. d. the Hittites were held as slaves by the Babylonians. e. Egypt freed the Hebrews.
hunting and gathering
During the Old Stone Age, ______ and ______ was the way most people supported themselves.
d. large-scale water control programs were undertaken to regulate the flow of rivers and distribute water to the fields.
During the Zhou dynasty, China a. was conquered by the Aryans. b. continued to consider merchants as the property of the Buddhist monasteries. c. abolished slavery in order to increase agricultural production. d. large-scale water control programs were undertaken to regulate the flow of rivers and distribute water to the fields. e. moved from a largely agricultural to an industrial society.
Hieroglyphics
Egyptian __________ used sacred characters as picture signs.
c. following the "Middle Path."
Gautama said that the way to avoid suffering was to end desire by a. practicing karma exercises. b. practicing excessive asceticism. c. following the "Middle Path." d. avoiding agricultural projects. e. permanently isolating oneself from the rest of humanity.
e. Confucianism.
If the government seeks to rule by decree, and to maintain order by the use of punishment, the people will seek to evade punishment and have no sense of shame. But if the government leads by virtue and governs through the rules of propriety, the people will feel shame and seek to correct their mistakes." This statement reflects the ideas of a. Zhouism. b. Doaism. c. Legalism. d. Qin Shi Huangdi. e. Confucianism.
a. the sun as the yang and the moon as the yin.
In early China, it was believed that the universe was divided between two primary forces, a. the sun as the yang and the moon as the yin. b. the sun as the tin and the moon as the tang. c. the sun as the tang and the moon as the tin. d. the sun as the yin and the moon as the yang. e. heaven as the qing and earth as the ming.
e. the Mandate of Heaven
Justification for overthrowing Shang dynasty rulers was known as a. veneration of the king b. the will of Di c. legitimate revolt d. Divine retribution e. the Mandate of Heaven
d. controlled all of the Middle East.
King Solomon is associated with all of the following except a. his capital was Jerusalem. b. Israel was at the height of its powers. c. he ruled a united kingdom. d. controlled all of the Middle East. e. he built a temple.
e. carried out public book burnings.
The Qin dynasty a. developed the first direct democracy in human history. b. lasted exactly four hundred years. c. had a shy, highly religious Buddhist as its first ruler. d. permitted all philosophies to compete freely for public acceptance. e. carried out public book burnings.
a. trebuchets
Significant military technology assisting the decline of the late Zhou period included all of the following EXCEPT a. trebuchets b. cavalry c. seige warfare d. foot soldiers e. crossbows
e. ultimately became a place of devotion.
Stupas a. was the site where painting first developed in India. b. were believed to be the homes of Vishnu. c. were pillars, exactly fifty meters high and thirty meters deep. d. originally housed a relic of Ashoka. e. ultimately became a place of devotion.
e. was skilled at waging both conventional and guerrilla warfare.
The Assyrian Empire a. expanded northward from its original homeland to the Baltic Sea by 700 B.C.E. b. was the greatest trading center of the ancient world. c. briefly occupied southern Greece. d. developed in the central desert region of the Arabian peninsula. e. was skilled at waging both conventional and guerrilla warfare.
Nebuchadnezzar II
The Chaldean king who rebuilt Babylonia as the center of his empire was __________.
e. its unifying role within the society.
The Chinese written language maintained its unique quality because of a. the ambiguity of its characters. b. its rejection by the Koreans and Japanese. c. the isolationist nature of ancient China. d. its adoption by the peoples of northern India. e. its unifying role within the society.
brahmin
The Indian priestly caste was known as the ____.
karma
The Indian term that refers to the impact of one's actions in life on a later life after reincarnation is _____.
a. spoke related languages, among which are Sanskrit, Persian, and Greek.
The Indo-Europeans a. spoke related languages, among which are Sanskrit, Persian, and Greek. b. were the descendants of the Mongols and Turks. c. never penetrated Europe or India. d. originally lived in the western section of the Sahara. e. fought long and exhausting wars against the Hittites.
d. ended the "Babylonian Captivity" of the Jews during the reign of Cyrus the Great.
The Persian Empire a. remained strongly committed to its unique monotheistic beliefs for over two millennia. b. was very intolerant of the ideas and practices of the peoples it conquered. c. absorbed almost all of its cultural and administrative policies from Assyrian practices. d. ended the "Babylonian Captivity" of the Jews during the reign of Cyrus the Great. e. suffered from administrative corruption, and collapsed after the death of Cyrus.
a. enabled Egyptian civilization to thrive by leaving deposits of fertile silt.
The annual flooding of the Nile River a. enabled Egyptian civilization to thrive by leaving deposits of fertile silt. b. produced many large urban centers that served as havens from the raging waters. c. did not require an organized irrigation system.d. inhibited the evolution of civilization in ancient Egypt. e. was an unwanted event that occurred suddenly and generally without warning.
e. was applicable to every member of Indian society.
The caste system a. was a central element of Buddhist belief. b. originated in Macedonia. c. was unsuccessfully opposed by Aryan warriors' wives. d. was actually more flexible than the Egyptian social structure. e. was applicable to every member of Indian society.
Analects
The conversations between Confucius and his disciples are found in the _____.
Africa
The earliest hominids lived in ______.
e. base 60
The foundation of the Sumerian mathematical system was a. inclusive of a zero b. base 25 c. base 100 d. base 10 e. base 60
e. Siddhartha Gautama.
The founder of Buddhism was a. Ashoka Gupta. b. Chandragupta Maurya. c. Mahauira Krishna. d. Mahavira. e. Siddhartha Gautama.
a. Qin.
The first fully unified government in Chinese history was that of the a. Qin. b. Han. c. Mauryans. d. Zhou. e. Shang.
d. according to the Zend Avesta, stated that there was only one god.
The ideas of Zoroastrianism a. did not outlive the death of Zarathustra. b. were written down by Zoroaster in the seventh century B.C.E. c. are perhaps the best stated exposition of polytheism produced in the ancient world. d. according to the Zend Avesta, stated that there was only one god. e. influenced Hinduism and Buddhism.
Zhou
The lengthiest dynasty in Chinese history was the ____.
a. Shiva the Destroyer, Vishnu the Preserver, and Brahman the Creator
The main trio of the polytheistic gods in India are a. Shiva the Destroyer, Vishnu the Preserver, and Brahman the Creator b. Shiva the destroyer, Indra the Creator and Agni the Fire God. c. Varuna the Almighty, Krishna the Warrior, and Siddartha Gautuma. d. Ganesha of good fortune, Kali of Death, Zuul the gatekeeper. e. None of these
d. given jobs such as handling dead bodies or collecting trash.
The members of the caste known as the untouchables, or pariahs, were a. given extensive opportunity to achieve social mobility. b. composed primarily of priests and financial planners. c. so holy that they would be contaminated if touched even by high priests. d. given jobs such as handling dead bodies or collecting trash. e. required to have a minimum of five children during their lifetimes.
d. produced a feeling of Jewish separation from those who were not Jewish.
The monotheism of the Jews a. provided a tolerance for the gods of outside conquerors. b. was a result of the Osiris movement. c. was a consequence of the spread of early Christianity. d. produced a feeling of Jewish separation from those who were not Jewish. e. was accessible only to the prophets.
c. commemorate events in Buddha's life.
The purpose of Ashoka's great polished sandstone pillars was to a. warn aliens to leave India. b. celebrate his victories over Alexander the Great. c. commemorate events in Buddha's life. d. provide propaganda for Kautilya's government. e. mark pilgrim routes to Daoist holy places.
a. hymns and ritual sacrifices for tribal Aryan religious ceremonies.
The purpose of the Vedas was to provide a. hymns and ritual sacrifices for tribal Aryan religious ceremonies. b. commentaries on the tribal Aryan religious beliefs. c. the story of the decline of Harappa. d. the historical legacy of the Hindu tradition. e. the unchanging theological dogma of Hinduism.
the Way
The term "the Dao" in China means ______.
Paleolithic
_______ peoples engaged in artistic activities, as indicated by surviving cave paintings.
c. huge expenditures that were devoted to afterlife preparation for the monarch.
The terra-cotta figures near the Qin First Emperor's burial mound demonstrate the a. freeing of the individual soul under the influence of Doaism. b. use of ceramics as a sculpture medium, replacing the ivory-casting of the Shang. c. huge expenditures that were devoted to afterlife preparation for the monarch. d. transience of human life. e. continuation of the Shang practices of human sacrifices.
c. attain an ultimate spiritual reunion with Brahman and escape the pain of living.
The ultimate goal of Hindus is to a. attain a blissful, eternal afterlife. b. attain eternal life by exchanging one's karma for Atman. c. attain an ultimate spiritual reunion with Brahman and escape the pain of living. d. achieve enlightenment in the Western Paradise. e. be reborn again and again.
The Epic of Gilgamesh
_________ was an epic poem from Mesopotamia dealing with the search for immortality.
Mummification
_________ was to help ensure that one could continue to live despite the death of the physical body.
c. Government depends on the will of the people.
What "modern" idea was advanced by Confucius over two thousand years ago? a. A virtuous government will sadly but inevitably make its people corrupt. b. Political democracy is the only form of government. c. Government depends on the will of the people. d. Barbarians must not be accepted but crushed by military power. e. To the victor go the spoils.
emphasis on good and evil
What do Zoroastrianism and Judaism have in common?
c. Those who liked an individualized approach to life that advocated a natural way of going along with the flow of events.
What types of people would have been most likely to prefer the philosophy of Daoism? a. Those who preferred a rigid dogma of rigid regulations and strict behavior patterns. b. Those who liked a community-oriented approach to living. c. Those who liked an individualized approach to life that advocated a natural way of going along with the flow of events. d. Those who wanted to strive for an improvement in the quality of communal life. e. Those who believed in multiple reincarnations.
c. All of these.
What were the duties of a Persian Satrap? a. Maintaining justice and security. b. Raising forces for the Royal army. c. All of these. d. Tax collection. e. Commanding military forces in their region.
a. assimilated with the Dravidians to form an egalitarian India.
Which of the following is NOT true about the Aryans : a. assimilated with the Dravidians to form an egalitarian India. b. They wrote the Rig Veda. c. They dominated ancient India after their arrival from the north. d. They organized in tribes led by a Raja. e. They spoke Sanskrit.
a. It used the Cyrillic alphabet.
Which of the following is not true about cuneiform? a. It used the Cyrillic alphabet. b. It was used for record keeping. c. It was used for teaching. d. It was used to record Mesopotamian literature. e. It was developed by the Sumerians.
e. His centralization of the first unified empire in India
Which of the following was the most significant factor of Chandragupta Maurya's reign? . His alliance with Alexander the Great b. His adoption of Buddhism c. His engagement in long-distance trade with the Roman Empire. d. His production of sacred texts including the Upanishads e. His centralization of the first unified empire in India
b. The king was viewed as an intermediary between heaven and earth.
Which of the following was true about Shang government? a. The local chieftains were responsible for defending the empire. b. The king was viewed as an intermediary between heaven and earth. c. The government was ruled by a king so powerful that he needed only a handful of officials to administer all of China. d. The king had an army of two million soldiers to help him govern. e. The territorial divisions of the empire were under the control of subordinate rulers who came from the Japanese islands.
c. Chinese.
Which of these ancient civilizations survived, intact, until the twentieth century? a. Hittite. b. Aryan. c. Chinese. d. Egyptian. e. Aztec.
c. were in theory required that a widow throw herself upon her dead husband's funeral pyre.
Women in ancient India a. were never permitted to study the Vedas or own land, but could often serve as gurus. b. were barred from even viewing the ritual of sati. c. were in theory required that a widow throw herself upon her dead husband's funeral pyre. d. never married before the age of twenty-one years. e. were legally owned by their husbands and male children.