Chapter 6 - Early Civilizations in the Indian Subcontinent
How did using Aramaic as a standard language affect the Achaemenid Empire?
Their system of trade was more efficient and commodities were traded across the empire
What are the phases of the Indus Valley Civilization?
Early Harappan Phase, Mature Harappan Phase, and Late Harappan Phase
How did the caste system most likely originate?
From the social stratification of the gods as told in the Rig-Veda
How did Cyrus the Great maintain authority over his vast empire?
He installed regional satraps to govern territories in his stead
How did the Maurya Empire offer internal stability?
A standing army promoted peace and civil services provided justice
What is now accepted as the cause of the decline of the Indus Valley Civilization?
Climate change shifted the monsoons and the cities dissolved as people followed the rain eastward
What was the Khyber Pass?
It connected the Greek Kingdoms with the trade opportunities in Asia
Why was this period of time called the Golden Age of India?
It was marked by discoveries in science, technology, literature, mathematics, and philosophy.
How did the political stability in the Maurya Empire influence trade?
Merchants and farmers paid a national tax via a common economic system
Which roles were performed by the Brahmin caste?
Priest and scholars
The uniformity of Harappan artifacts suggested that:
The cities had a form of central authority and government
Why was the Achaemenid Empire described as the world's first global empire?
The empire ruled over almost half of the world's population
Who founded the Maurya Empire?
The king Chandragupta Maurya
What led to the decline of the Gupta Empire?
The relentless invasion of the Huns (Huna) from the northwest
How did Chandragupta II expand the Gupta Empire?
Through conquest and political marriages
What was probably the most important part of the Indus Valley Civilization's economy?
Trade
What is the Indus Script?
An ancient language that remains undiciphered
What is the primary and most important use for Sanskrit?
As the language of important religious literature
The discovery of the ancient sites of Harrapan and Mohenjo-daro was important because the sites:
Revealed a third, urbanized Bronze Age civilization (besides Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt)