Geography
Religion
Achievements
Politics
Economics/Social Structure
100
India is separated from the rest of Asia by the Himalaya and Hindu Kush mountains.
FACT! The Himalayas and the Hindu Kush form physical barriers around India.
100
The earliest religious texts in India are called the Vedas, which are a collection of forty-five books.
FIB! There are four Vedas—the Rig-Veda, the Sama-Veda, the Yajur-Veda, and the Atharva-Veda. Each is a collection of hundreds or even thousands of sacred hymns.
100
The Indus Valley people developed the world's first system of weights and measures.
FACT! They were very precise with their trade measurements, which helped increase trade.
100
The Indus Valley civilization had a single, powerful king whose name we know today.
FIB! The Indus Valley civilization had a writing system, but we don't know the names of Indus leaders because we can't read their writing yet!
100
In ancient India, a person was born into their social group and could never change it.
FACT! The social structure in ancient India was rigid. This institution is known as the caste system.
100
The Ganges River was the location of India's first civilization.
FIB! India's first civilization was in the Indus River Valley.
100
Both Hindus and Buddhists believe in the concept of Karma.
FACT! Karma is the belief that your intentions and actions directly affect your destiny. Both religions believe that what people do will affect their futures.
100
The ancient Indians created the concept of "zero" and the symbols for numbers 1 through 9.
FACT! This is known as the Hindu-Arabic numeral system. Arabs were credited for creating the actual numerals 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 0.
100
Chandragupta Maurya was the leader who first united northern India into an empire.
FACT! Chandragupta Maurya founded the Maurya Empire, which was the largest ancient Indian empire. He was known for his paranoia.
100
Most people in the Indus Valley were merchants who traveled to Mesopotamia.
FIB! In the Indus River valley, most people were farmers.
100
Winter monsoons bring heavy rains that help farmers grow crops.
FIB! The summer monsoons bring the rain; winter monsoons are dry.
100
Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, taught that the way to end suffering was to gain more wealth.
FIB! The Buddha taught that the way to end suffering was to let go of desire.
100
Urdu was the spoken and written language used to record the Vedas.
FIB! The Vedas were written in Sanskrit, the classical language of India.
100
Asoka the Great ruled by force and violence throughout his entire life.
FIB! Asoka had a violent path toward power (legend says he killed his brothers for the throne), but he turned to non-violence and Buddhism after witnessing the vast suffering and slaughter during a conquest.
100
The "Untouchables" were the highest caste in Indian society, consisting of priests.
The priests are at the top; the "Untouchables" were considered outside of the system and are treated as second-class citizens.
100
The Deccan Plateau is a dry, high region located in the southern part of India.
FACT! The Deccan Plateau is the large triangle-shaped plateau in the south.
100
Hindus believe in reincarnation, which is the rebirth of a soul in a new body.
FACT! This is a core belief of Hinduism and other Indian religions. However, Abrahamic religions do not believe in reincarnation.
100
The city of Mohenjo-Daro was famous for its advanced drainage and sewer systems.
FACT! The plumbing system in Mohenjo-Daro was more advanced than most civilizations for centuries.
100
Though he was tolerant of all religions, Asoka sent missionaries to spread Buddhism across Asia.
FACT! Asoka's missionaries helped Buddhism become a major world religion.
100
Trade flourished under the Gupta Empire, making it a "Golden Age" for India.
FACT! During the era of the Guptas, India experienced a massive increase in wealth and art.
100
India is considered a subcontinent.
FACT! A subcontinent is a large landmass that is set apart from the rest of the continent.
100
The "Middle Way" is a Buddhist guideline that encourages people to live a life of extreme hardship and self-denial.
FIB! False. The "Middle Way" teaches balance—avoiding both extreme luxury and extreme hardship.
100
Under the Gupta Empire, chess was invented.
FACT! From India, the game moved along trade routes both east (to the rest of Asia) and west (to the Middle East and Europe).
100
Under the Gupta Empire, local provinces were given a lot of independence and were often ruled by local councils.
FACT! Unlike the Mauryas, who had a very centralized government, the Guptas allowed more local control, which helped their empire thrive.
100
The caste system originates from the Vedas.
FACT! The Vedas describe the four varnas, or ranks in society.