CLASS-12, THINKERS BELIEF AND BUILDING

 CLASS-12

CHAPTER-4

Thinkers, Beliefs and Buildings (Cultural Developments)

Question 1.

Name the Begum of Bhopal who provided manely for the preservation of Sachi Stupa?

Answer:

Shahjehan Begum and her successor Sultan Jahan Begum.

Question 2.

Which thinkers emerged in the world during the mid-first millennium BCE?

Answer:

Zarathustra in Iran, Kong Zi in China, Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle in Greece, and Mahavira and Gautam Budha in India.

Question 3.

When was Rigveda compiled?

Answer:

Between C. 1500 and 1000 BCE.

Question 4.

What is Rigveda consist of?

Answer:

Rigveda consists of hymns in praise of many deities such as Indra and Soma.

Question 5.

Who performed rajasuya and Ashvamedha sacrifices?

Answer:

They were performed by Chiefs and Kings with the help of Brahmins.

Question 6.

What is meant by Kutagarashala?

Answer:

A hut with a pointed roof.

Question 7.

Who questioned the authority of the Vedas?

Answer:

Mahavira and the Buddha questioned the authority of the Vedas.

Question 8.

Who started Jainism?

Answer:

Rishabdev was the first Tirthankar and Mahavira was the 24th Tirthankar of Jainism.

Question 9.

Name the religious texts of Jainism.

Answer:

Angas are the religious texts of Jainism.

Question 10.

Where did Buddhism spread?

Answer:

India, China, Korea, Japan, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, and Indonesia.

Question 11.

What was the name given to Buddha at the time of his birth?

Answer:

Siddhartha.

Question 12.

Who was called the Enlightened One?

Answer:

Gautama Buddha was called the Enlightened one.

Question 13.

What is the world according to Buddhist philosophy?

Answer:

The world is transient and constantly changing.

Question 14.

What was Sangha?

Answer:

Sangha was an organization of monks of Buddhism who became teachers of Dhamma.

Question 15.

What names were given to males and females who entered Sanghas?

Answer:

Bhikkhus and Bhikkhunis.

Question 16.

Except for Sanchi, where was another stupa of Buddhism?

Answer:

At Amravati.

Question 17.

Which sources are used by historians to reconstruct the exciting world of ideas and believes from 600 B.C.E. up to 600 CE.

Answer:

• Buddhist, Jaina, and Brahmanical texts.

• Large and impressive body of material remains including monuments and inscriptions.

Question 18.

Where is the stupa of Sanchi situated? Explain any one of its features.

Answer:

The Sanchi stupa is a wonderful ancient building in the state of Bhopal. It is situated in a village named Sanchi Kanakhera. This village is on the top of a hill. In fact, the stupa is nearly twenty miles north-east of Bhopal and looks like a crown.

Question 19.

What was the daily routine of the Buddhist monks?

Answer:

• The Buddhist monks led a simple life.

• They depended on offerings and alms. They kept only a bowl with them to accept food.

Question 20.

Why did Siddhartha adopt the path of Sanyas or renunciation?

Answer:

Having seen an old man, a sick man, and a dead man, Siddhartha (Buddha) realized that this world was a home of sorrows and sufferings. He realized that the decay and destruction of the human body was inevitable. However, he felt relieved when he saw a homeless mendicant. He decided that he would also adopt the same path. So, he left his palace and set out in search of truth and enlightenment.

Question 21.

How was the internal functioning of the Buddhist sangha?

Or

Mention the internal functioning of the Buddhist sanghas. 

Answer:

The internal functioning of the Buddhist sangha was based on the traditions of ganas and sanghas. According to this, the consensus was arrived at through mutual discussions. If they were unable to reach a consensus then decisions were taken by a vote on the subject.

Question 22.

In the primitive times, what places were considered sacred by the people? Give three points.

Answer: From the earliest times, people regarded those places as sacred that had the following features:

1. The sites with special trees.

2. The sites with unique rocks.

3. The sites having awe-inspiring beauty.

Question 23.

What are stupas?

Answer:

The stupas are the sacred mounds associated with Buddha. It is a Sanskrit word, which means a heap. It is a simple semi-circular mound of Earth. Later on, it was called anda.

Question 24.

Name any two features of the stupa at Amaravati.

Answer:

1. The stupa at Amaravati was the largest and the most magnificent stupa of the Buddhists.

2. It had high gateways and beautiful statues.

Question 25.

What is meant by Hagiography?

Answer:

Hagiography is a biography of a saint or religious leader. It generally praises the saint’s achievement and may not always be literally accurate. They are important because they tell us about the beliefs of the followers of that particular tradition.

Question 26.

What type of thinking did archaeologist H.H. Cole had about the shifting of ancient monuments?

Answer:

Cole was totally against taking away ancient monuments. He considered this loot as suicidal. He was of the view that museums should have plaster-caste facsimiles of the sculpture whereas the originals should remain at their actual place.

Question 27.

When was the stupa of Sanchi discovered? What was the condition of its gateways at that time?

Answer:

Stupa of Sanchi has discovered in 1818 C.E. It had four gateways. Three of these gateways were in good condition but the fourth gateway was lying scattered at its actual place.

Question 28.

What differences of opinions were there among the historians regarding the sculpture of a woman surrounded by the lotuses and the elephants found at Sanchi?

Answer:

Some historians believed that this is the figure of Maya, the mother of Buddha, while some identify her with a popular goddess, Gaja Lakshmi. Gaja Lakshmi was the goddess of good fortune who is associated with elephants.

Question 29.

Define garbhagriha and Shikhar.

Answer:

Garbhagriha: It was an early temple (small square room) where the image of the deity was kept. Worshippers entered from its single doorway to offer worship to the image.

Shikhar: A tall structure built over the central shrine was known as Shikhar.

Question 30.

What were Upanishads? Which ideas were found in them to show that people were curious?

Answer:

Upanishads were texts of deep ideas associated with life, death, and almighty. They tell us that people were curious about the meaning of life, the possibility of life after death and rebirth. They also wanted to know what is the relation between rebirth and past actions.

Question 31.

How Buddha’s and Mahavira’s ideas about trials and tribulations of worldly existence were in contrast to that of Brahmanical ideas?

Answer:

According to Brahmanism, an individual’s existence was determined by his or her birth in a specific caste or gender. His trials and tribulations were associated with it. On contrary to it, Buddha and Mahavira suggested that men and women themselves should try to attain liberation from trials and tribulations of worldly existence.

Question 32.

Who were Tirthankaras?

Answer:

According to Jaina traditions, there were twenty-three other teachers, before Mahavira, which were known as Tirthankaras. It literally means those who guide individuals across the river of existence.

Question 33.

How did Buddha attain true enlightenment?

Answer:

Buddha left pleasures of life at a young age in search of true enlightenment. He wandered about for years and kept discussing with different thinkers. In the end, he himself decided to find his way. He meditated for several days under a Banyan tree at Bodh Gaya. In the end, he attained enlightenment and came to be known as the Buddha.

Question 34.

Who was Vardhman Mahavira? How was he enlightened?

Answer:

Vardhman Mahavira was the most important teacher of Jainism. He was a Kshatriya prince. He was related to the Licchavi clan of Vajji sangha. He left his home at the age of 30, started to live in forests, and meditated for 12 years. Then, he got enlightened.

Question 35.

What do you mean by the concept of Trideva’s or three deities in Hinduism?

Answer:

The meaning of Trideva in Hinduism is by three deities out of which the first one is the creator, the second one is the sustainer and the third one is the destroyer. These three are the natural rules of the whole universe. Brahma is the creator of the universe, Vishnu takes care of it and Mahesha is the destroyer of evil.

Question 36.

Why did European scholars consider the images of the Buddha and Bodhisattvas as the best examples of Indian art of sculptures?

Answer:

Buddha and Bodhisatta images were very much similar to Greek images. European scholars were very much familiar with Greek traditions which is why they considered these images as the best example of the Indian art of sculpture.

Question 37.

Why Buddhism became popular?

Answer:

• Buddhism was a simple religion that had no place for superstitions and other rituals.

• Buddhism was propagated in the Prakrit language used by common masses.

• Many kings became patrons of Buddhism.

• Buddhist Bhikkhus were individuals with great character.

Question 38.

Who was Ajivikas?

Answer:

Ajivikas were the supporters of materialism. They started fatalism in Buddhism and were given financial help by Ashoka the Great.

Question 39.

Mention how, according to Jainism, one can free himself from the cycle of Karma. 

Answer:

According to Jainism, the cycle of birth and rebirth is shaped through Karma. If one is to escape this cycle of Karma, one must practice asceticism and penance. It is only possible if one renounces the world. So, one has to live in a monastery to attain salvation.

Question 40.

Mention any four social groups from which the followers of Buddha came. 

Answer:

1. Kings

2. Wealthy men

3. Grihapatis

4. Humbler folk: workers, slaves, craftspeople.

Question 41.

Mention the contents of Jatakas. What do they depict? )

Answer:

Jatakas contain several animal stories. These were used as symbols of human attributes. Actually, Jatakas are the stories of earlier birth (Boddhitsava) of Mahatma Buddha.

Question 42.

Mention any two ways through which the Gandatindu Jatakas describe the political relations between the King and his subsubject.

Answer:

1. The story indicates that the relations between the King and his subjects could often be strained due to the demand for high taxes from them.

2. Escaping into the forest by the subjects remained an option as reflected in the jataka story.

Question 43.

From which language does the word Stupa come?

Answer:

Sanskrit

Question 44.

Who got the Sanchi Stupa built?

Answer:

Asoka

Question 45.

Who used to organize the Ashwamedha Yagas?

Answer:

Kings

Question 46.

In which language was the Vedas written?

Answer:

Sanskrit

Question 47.

Where was Buddha born?

Answer:

Lumbini

Question 48.

Where was Mahavira born?

Answer:

Kundagramam

Question 49..

Which was the first venue where Buddha began to teach?

Answer:

Saranath

Question 51..

With which religion are the 4 Arya Satyas connected?

Answer:

Buddhism

Question 52..

Which is the book that contains the laws of Buddha Sangha?

Answer:

Sutta Pitaka

Question 53.

Who was the first woman who was admitted to Buddhism?

Answer:

Mahaprajapati Gomati

Question 54.

The caves that were carved out in rocks for Buddha Bikshustolive?

Answer:

Viharas

Question 55.

In which year was Buddha born?

Answer:

563BC

Question 56.

Match the items in Column A with the items in Column B.

A B

Iran Socrates

China Buddha

Greece Confucius

India Zarathurashtra

Answer:

A B

Iran Zarathurashtra

China Confucius

Greece Socrates

India Buddha

Question 57.

A         B

The birth place of Buddha Saranath

The place of Buddha’s Enlightenment Lumbini

The place where Buddha preached first Kushinagaram

The place where Buddha achieved Nirvana Buddhagaya

Answer:

A B

The birth place of Buddha Lumbini

The place of Buddha’s enlightenment Buddhagaya

The place where Buddha preached first Saranath

The place where Buddha achieved Nirvana Kushinagaram