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Traditions & Encounters A Global Perspective on the Past 5th Edition by Jerry Bentley – Test Bank
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Chapter 2
Early Societies in Southwest Asia
and the Indo-European Migrations
MULTIPLE CHOICE
- Gilgamesh was associated with what city?
- Jerusalem.
- Kish.
- Uruk.
- Lagash.
- Ur.
Answer: c
Page: 27
- The earliest urban societies known so far emerged in the
- first millennium B.C.E.
- third millennium B.C.E.
- sixth millennium B.C.E.
- second millennium B.C.E.
- fourth millennium B.C.E.
Answer: e
Page: 27
- With few precedents to guide them, the population of Mesopotamia adapted and created
- social organization.
- writing.
- agricultural cultivation.
- the development of religion.
- competition amongst different groups.
Answer: a
Page: 27-28
- The word Mesopotamia means
- the “pure land.”
- the “land of the strong.”
- “the blood of Gilgamesh.”
- “wedge-shaped.”
- “the land between the rivers.”
Answer: e
Page: 26
- Which of the following is NOT a Semitic language?
- Hebrew
- Phoenician
- Aramaic
- Sumerian
- Akkadian
Answer: d
Page: 26
- The first complex society was developed in the southern Mesopotamian land of
- Akkad.
- Assyria.
- Sumer.
- Babylonia.
- Palestine.
Answer: c
Page: 26-27
- Eridu, Ur, Uruk, Lagash, Nippur, and Kish were all associated with
- Egypt.
- Nubia.
- Phoenicia.
- Mesopotamia.
- Jerusalem.
Answer: d
Page: 27
- A Mesopotamian stepped pyramid is known as a
- coptic.
- eridu.
- lugal.
- lex talionis.
- ziggurat.
Answer: e
Page: 27
- After 3000 B.C.E. all Sumerian cities were ruled by what form of government?
- monarchy
- councils of elders
- dictators
- assemblies of citizens
- military governors
Answer: a
Page: 28
- The creator of the first empire in Mesopotamia was
- Hammurabi.
- Moses.
- Sargon of Akkad.
- Gilgamesh.
- Nebuchadnezzar.
Answer: c
Page: 29
- What individual believed that the gods had chosen him to “promote the welfare of the people . . . [and] to cause justice to prevail in the land”?
- Moses
- Nebuchadnezzar
- Hammurabi
- Sargon of Akkad
- Gilgamesh
Answer: c
Page: 29
- While Hammurabi’s code was based on the concept of lex talionis, it was also shaped by
- social standing.
- the will of the Mesopotamian gods as expressed by the priestly class.
- the language spoken by the accused perpetrator.
- the age of the accused perpetrator.
- the religion of the victim.
Answer: a
Page: 30
- The Babylonians eventually fell in 1595 B.C.E. to the
- Egyptians.
- Hittites.
- Sumerians.
- Hebrews.
- Akkadians.
Answer: b
Page: 30
- The later Mesopotamian people who built a large empire based on a powerful army with iron weapons and who made extensive use of terror were the
- Hittites.
- Hyksos.
- Assyrians.
- Babylonians.
- Hebrews.
Answer: c
Page: 30-31
- A Babylonian resurgence of power was led in the sixth century B.C.E. by
- Nebuchadnezzar.
- Ashurbanipal.
- Solomon.
- Sargon.
- Hammurabi.
Answer: a
Page: 31-32
- Mesopotamian metalworkers discovered that if they alloyed copper and tin they could produce
- obsidian.
- steel.
- iron.
- silver.
- bronze.
Answer: e
Page: 32
- Iron metallurgy came to Mesopotamia from the
- Hebrews.
- Hittites.
- Phoenicians.
- Egyptians.
- Assyrians.
Answer: b
Page: 32
- The first people in the world to use wheeled vehicles were the
- Sumerians.
- Assyrians.
- Egyptians.
- Phoenicians.
- Hebrews.
Answer: a
Page: 33
- Evidence shows that the Mesopotamians
- traded extensively with peoples as far away as Anatolia, Egypt, and India.
- lived an isolated existence and did not trade.
- traded exclusively with the Egyptians.
- traded extensively until the time of the Assyrians, when trade dropped to nothing.
- traded exclusively with the Phoenicians.
Answer: a
Page: 33
- In Mesopotamia, prisoners of war, convicted criminals, and heavily indebted individuals were the three main sources for
- slaves.
- indentured servants.
- dependent clients.
- mercenary soldiers.
- indentured priests.
Answer: a
Page: 34
- Mesopotamia developed into
- a strict patriarchal society.
- a society where the sexes enjoyed relative equality.
- a predominantly matriarchal society.
- a society with few social distinctions.
- a society dominated by a growing mercantile middle class.
Answer: a
Page: 35
- Conditions for women in Mesopotamia
- increased dramatically over the centuries.
- reached their high point during the time of the Assyrians.
- grew increasingly worse over time.
- improved dramatically when women were allowed to do away with the veil.
- were always very good; women had tremendous personal freedoms.
Answer: c
Page: 35
- The Mesopotamian style of writing was known as
- demotic.
- cuneiform.
- hieroglyphs.
- Coptic.
- alphabetic.
Answer: b
Page: 35
- Enkidu was/is
- the Sumerian god of wisdom.
- a leading Sumerian city-state.
- the most powerful Babylonian king.
- Gilgamesh’s friend.
- the Hebrew word for “holy.”
Answer: d
Page: 25, 37
- Ethical monotheism was in the tradition of the
- Mesopotamians.
- Egyptians.
- Assyrians.
- Hebrews.
- Phoenicians.
Answer: d
Page: 38
- Hebrew monotheism has its origins with
- Abraham.
- Moses.
- Joseph.
- David.
- Solomon.
Answer: b
Page: 38
- The first simplified alphabet, containing only twenty-two letters, was created by the
- Mesopotamians.
- Assyrians.
- Hebrews.
- Phoenicians.
- Babylonians.
Answer: d
Page: 41
- Which of the following languages is NOT of Indo-European origin?
- Egyptian.
- Sanskrit.
- Old Persian.
- Greek.
- Latin.
Answer: a
Page: 42
- The original homeland of the Indo-European speakers was
- Mesopotamia.
- northern Germany.
- southern Russia.
- India.
- Egypt.
Answer: c
Page: 42-43
- The most influential ancient Indo-European migrants into southwest Asia were the
- Assyrians.
- Aryans.
- Hebrews.
- Babylonians.
- Hittites.
Answer: e
Page: 43
- Horse-drawn chariots were first invented by the
- Egyptians.
- Assyrians.
- Hittites.
- Babylonians.
- Hyksos.
Answer: c
Page: 43-44
TRUE/FALSE
- The Hebrew god was known as Yahweh.
Answer: True
Page: 38
- The Phoenicians invented the horse-drawn chariot.
Answer: False
Page: 43-44
- Nebuchadnezzar was the first conqueror to unite all of Mesopotamia.
Answer: False
Page: 29
- Lex talionis was a legal principle, the “law of retaliation.”
Answer: True
Page: 30
- The first alphabet was created by the Phoenicians.
Answer: True
Page: 41
- The Assyrians constructed the largest empire of the Mesopotamian societies.
Answer: True
Page: 31
- Gilgamesh is the hero of the oldest known epic.
Answer: True
Page: 25, 37
- The powerful Babylonian king who formulated a sophisticated law code was Hammurabi.
Answer: True
Page: 29-30
ESSAY
- Are there drawbacks to the rise of complex societies? In other words, is every aspect of civilization good? Are there still problems today that stretch back to the rise of civilization?
- Examine the profound changes brought about by the discovery of agriculture. How did this seemingly simple discovery change the course of human history?
- Examine the history of the Hebrews. Why did they have so much trouble uniting into a powerful political force? How did their wanderings and misfortune affect the development of Judaism?
- Examine the rise of the Mesopotamians. What were the political and cultural foundations of their society? Who were the most important leaders?
- Examine the reign of Hammurabi. In what ways was his reign the high point of Mesopotamian history? Explain the significance of his code.
- What role did the Indo-Europeans play in history? What were their main contributions?
- Examine the social structure of the Mesopotamians. Were there great divisions between the different social classes? How had the social distinctions changed since the period of prehistory?
- What role did technological innovations and trade play in the rise of the Mesopotamians? What innovations led to turning points in the histories of these societies? How widely did they trade?
- What were the major achievements of the Mesopotamians? How did these achievements influence later societies?
- Examine the creation of early methods of writing. How did this innovation influence the lives of the peoples of the ancient world?
- What does the Epic of Gilgamesh tell us about the worldview of the Mesopotamians? Why might there not be an Egyptian equivalent?
- Compare and contrast the religious beliefs of the Mesopotamians, Egyptians, Hebrews, and Assyrians. What do the differences tell us about these societies?
- Examine the question of monotheism. Why was it such an unusual religious view in the ancient world?
- What does the Epic of Gilgamesh tell us about the culture in which it emerged?
- What was the significance of the need for irrigation to the political development of Mesopotamia?
- What were the underlying principles of Hammurabi’s code of laws and what does the law code tell us about the kind of society that existed in Mesopotamia at the time?
- Why were the Assyrians such formidable conquerors?
- What were the social strata in ancient Mesopotamia and, in general, what roles did women play?
Chapter 4
Early Societies in South Asia
MULTIPLE CHOICE
- The chief god of the early Aryans was
- Enlil.
- a mother goddess.
- Varuna.
- Indra.
- Manu.
Answer: d
Page: 71
- After the Aryans and Dravidians mixed and intermingled,
- Indra still remained the leading god.
- Indra disappeared completely.
- Amon-Re replaced Indra as the ruler of the gods.
- the worship of Indra evolved into a monotheistic religion.
- Indra receded into the background.
Answer: e
Page: 71-72
- Archaeologists in India have discovered that between 8000 and 5000 B.C.E.,
- the Aryan migration took place.
- the Aryans worshipped Indra.
- a war was fought between the Dravidians and the Mesopotamians.
- cultivators built a neolithic society west of the Indus River.
- an active trading network existed with the Chinese.
Answer: d
Page: 72
- The earliest known urban society in India was the
- Bantu.
- Indo-European.
- Harappan.
- Sumerian.
- Hindu.
Answer: c
Page: 72
- Much of early Harappan history remains a mystery because
- the archaeological remains are under water.
- they lacked a written language.
- their records were destroyed by a Mesopotamian invasion.
- the Aryans undertook a systematic destruction of Harappan written records.
- None of these answers is correct.
Answer: a
Page: 72
- If the Greek historian Herodotus had known of the Harappan society, he might have used the phrase “the gift of the ________” to describe it.
- Nile
- Tigris
- Indus
- Yangtze
- Euphrates
Answer: c
Page: 72
- Chickens were first domesticated in
- China.
- Mesopotamia.
- Greece.
- Egypt.
- India.
Answer: e
Page: 73
- Mohenjo-daro was
- the mother goddess of the earliest Indian society.
- an important early thinker in the rise of Hinduism.
- one of the two main cities of the Harappan society.
- a collection of early Indian religious texts.
- the combination of two Indian sun gods.
Answer: c
Page: 73
- Based on archaeological evidence from early Indian history, historians believe that
- Harappa and Mohenjo-daro served as economic and political centers.
- the Harappan world was one of constant civil war.
- the Chinese were a constant influence.
- there was little true culture in India before the arrival of the Indo-Europeans.
- early Indian cities remained small and unsophisticated by comparison to other ancient cities.
Answer: a
Page: 73
- At its height, the population of Mohenjo-daro reached
- 10,000.
- 20,000.
- 40,000.
- 75,000.
- 100,000.
Answer: c
Page: 73
- Evidence relating to trade indicates that Harappan India
- was isolated and did not trade.
- traded exclusively with China.
- traded exclusively with Egypt.
- imported substantially more than they exported.
- traded with the Mesopotamians.
Answer: e
Page: 73-74
- Which statement about Harappan society is FALSE?
- Most of their houses featured private showers and toilets.
- They traded extensively with the Mesopotamians.
- They had social distinctions.
- Their writings have provided a wealth of information for historians.
- They produced representational art.
Answer: d
Page: 73-74
- Harappan religion
- focused on the worship of the sun.
- was strongly monotheistic.
- reflected a strong concern for fertility.
- focused on the worship of the moon.
- is the same as Hinduism.
Answer: c
Page: 75
- Some scholars believe that, after the collapse of the Harappan society, Harappan deities
- disappeared completely.
- quickly became the only gods of the Indo-Europeans.
- survived and found a place in the Hindu pantheon.
- survived in southeast Asia after the Harappan migration.
- were transformed into destructive dragons by the Aryans.
Answer: c
Page: 75
- One of the biggest reasons for the decline of the Harappan society was likely
- a devastating plague.
- ecological degradation.
- a Chinese invasion.
- a Mesopotamian invasion.
- a bloody civil war.
Answer: b
Page: 75
- The Indo-Europeans who entered India called themselves Aryans, which means
- “agents of the lord king.”
- “horse masters.”
- “noble people.”
- “people of Indra.”
- “the pure.”
Answer: c
Page: 76
- The Aryans were
- the priestly class of the Harappan society.
- Chinese merchants.
- the political remnants of the Harappan kings.
- Indo-Europeans.
- Germanic invaders.
Answer: d
Page: 76
- The Aryans came into India
- in a centuries-long migration.
- as part of a violent, organized military campaign.
- as religious pilgrims.
- after fleeing persecution in China.
- as a slave class that eventually rebelled against Harappan repression.
Answer: a
Page: 76
- Which of the following statements about the Aryans is NOT true?
- They might have been the first people to domesticate horses, hitching them to carts and wagons.
- They spread variations of their language from India to Europe.
- Their original homeland was probably the Ukraine and southern Russia.
- They brought the first written language to India.
- They consumed both dairy products and beef.
Answer: d
Page: 76
- The biggest military advantage of the Indo-Europeans was
- their horses.
- their use of bronze weapons.
- their use of iron weapons.
- their use of battering rams.
- their camels.
Answer: a
Page: 76
- Most of our information about the early Aryans comes from the
- Upanishads.
- Vedas.
- Dasas.
- Rajas.
- Book of Songs.
Answer: b
Page: 76
- The Aryans referred to social classes by the term
- karmas.
- varnas.
- moksha.
- samsara.
- rajas.
Answer: b
Page: 78
- Which of the following social classes in the caste system is associated with warriors and aristocrats?
- shudras
- kshatriyas
- vaishyas
- brahmins
- dasas
Answer: b
Page: 78
- The task of butchering animals or handling dead bodies usually fell to the
- untouchables.
- shudras.
- vaishyas.
- jati.
- kshatriyas.
Answer: a
Page: 78
- Which of the following answers reflects the early varna hierarchy from highest to lowest?
- brahmins, kshatriyas, vaishyas, shudras
- kshatriyas, brahmins, vaishyas, shudras
- brahmins, kshatriyas, shudras, vaishyas
- kshatriyas, vaishyas, brahmins, shudras
- kshatriyas, brahmins, shudras, vaishyas
Answer: a
Page: 78
- A jati is
- a subcaste.
- a serf in the caste system.
- another name for the transmigration of the soul.
- a priest in the caste system.
- an untouchable.
Answer: a
Page: 78
- The first century B.C.E. work that dealt with moral behavior and social relationships was the
- Upanishads.
- Rig Veda.
- Varna.
- Lawbook of Manu.
- Book of Songs.
Answer: d
Page: 79-80
- When a Hindu widow voluntarily threw herself on her dead husband’s funeral pyre it was known as
- a. jati.
- manu.
- samsara.
- sati.
- dasa.
Answer: d
Page: 80
- Vedic society was
- strongly matriarchal.
- marked by equality of the sexes.
- strongly patriarchal.
- alternately patriarchal and matriarchal, depending upon which god was in power.
- strongly patriarchal until the creation of the Lawbook of Manu changed gender rules.
Answer: c
Page: 80
- What Aryan god was associated with war and rain?
- Varuna
- Indra
- Agni
- Krishna
- Inanna
Answer: b
Page: 80
- The Aryans believed that Varuna
- was the founder of India.
- represented war and rain.
- oversaw the behavior of mortals and preserved the cosmic order.
- determined the caste that souls entered into as part of transmigration.
- wrote the Lawbook of Manu.
Answer: c
Page: 80
- The most important aspect of the Aryan religion during the early Vedic times was
- the proper performance of ritual sacrifices.
- an ethical code of conduct.
- a tightly-structured monotheism.
- the acceptance of Indra as the redeemer.
- the enlightenment of the Buddha.
Answer: a
Page: 80
- The hallucinogenic concoction drunk by Aryans during ritual sacrifices was known as
- Varuna.
- soma.
- agni.
- sati.
- dasa.
Answer: b
Page: 80
- The “World of the Fathers”
- is a term associated with the brahmin caste.
- is the concept which best expresses the patriarchal nature of Indian society.
- represents the hierarchical nature of the caste system.
- was the Aryan heaven.
- was the goal of adolescent boys as they underwent ritualistic circumcision.
Answer: d
Page: 80
- The Upanishads were
- the priestly class from the caste system.
- a branch of the Indo-Europeans who settled in northern India.
- commentaries and reflections on the Vedas.
- warriors.
- the untouchables.
Answer: c
Page: 81
- In Hinduism the highest goal of the individual soul was to
- follow the Four Noble Truths.
- escape the cycle of birth and rebirth and enter into permanent union with Brahman.
- enter into permanent union with Indra and thus escape the cycle of permanent rebirth.
- fulfill the individual’s special destiny as spelled out in the process of predestination.
- perform sati.
Answer: b
Page: 81-82
- This passage from the Upanishads explains what Hindu concept? “Now as a man is like this or like that, according as he acts and according as he behaves, so will he be: a man of good acts will become good, a man of bad acts, bad.”
- dharma
- b. samsara
- c. varna
- d. karma
- e. moksha
Answer: d
Page: 81
- The two principal means to achieve the goal of moksha are
- righteous battle and conquest.
- asceticism and meditation.
- intellectual stimulation and hedonistic pleasure.
- artistic expression and logical intellectual progression.
- blood-letting and human sacrifice.
Answer: b
Page: 82
TRUE/FALSE
- Dasas is the Aryan term for the Dravidians.
Answer: True
Page: 76
- Severing all ties with the physical world and identifying oneself with the ultimate reality of the world spirit is moksha.
Answer: True
Page: 82-83
- Indra was the Aryan god who preserved the cosmic order.
Answer: False
Page: 80
- Aryans used the term varnas to refer to the major social classes.
Answer: True
Page: 78
- Varuna was the chief god of the Aryans, associated with rain and war.
Answer: False
Page: 80
- The priests were called brahmins.
Answer: True
Page: 78
- The Rig Veda is a collection of hymns that provides the best information about the Aryans.
Answer: True
Page: 80
- Moksha is the transmigration of the soul.
Answer: False
Page: 83
- The Upanishads are reflections and commentaries on the Vedas.
Answer: True
Page: 81
- The sum of good and evil in a life is known as karma.
Answer: True
Page: 81-82
ESSAY
- In the Rig Veda, the following lines relate to the sacrifice of the primeval being Purusha: “The brahmin was his mouth, of both his arms was the kshatriya made. His thighs became the vaishya, from his feet the shudra was produced.” What do these words mean? What is the significance of the association with the various body parts? What does the preeminence of a god such as Indra say about the Aryans at the time of their arrival in India? What happened to the view of Indra as India evolved?
- What were the advantages and disadvantages of the caste system? How did the caste system reflect Indian society?
- Compare and contrast the political, religious, and social characteristics of Harappan society to those of Mesopotamia and Egypt.
- How are the Upanishads different from the Vedas? What might these differences tell us about the evolution of Indian religious thought?
- Discuss the nature of Harappan society. What makes this society so unique? Compare it to other contemporary ancient societies.
- Examine the changing role of women in ancient India. How does the Lawbook of Manu reflect this transformation?
- Examine the journeys and nature of the Indo-Europeans. How did they influence India? How did they influence the rest of the ancient world?
- Examine the political world of ancient India. Why was India politically fragmented? How did this lack of political unity influence the course of Indian history?
- Examine the changing social structure of ancient India. How did Hinduism mirror the social complexity of India? What role did the caste system play?
- Look at the aerial view of the city of Mohenjo-daro on page 74. What features of the city are most noticeable? What can the remains of a city such as this one tell the modern viewer about the political or social world of its builders?
- Look at the carving of a mother and child on page 80. What can the carving tell us about the status of women in ancient India? How does the Lawbook of Manu relate to the carving?
- Look at the statue and carving from Mohenjo-daro on page 75. What can this artwork tell you about the political and social structures of the Harappans? What unique traits of Harappan society can be related to these works of art?
- Examine the section from the Rig Veda on the division of Purusha (see Textbook: Sources from the Past: The Rig Veda on the Origin of the Castes). What does this tell us about the creation and nature of the different castes? How does the excerpt from the Rig Veda reflect the importance of the caste system in ancient India? How did this original concept change over the centuries?
- Based on the Mundaka Upanishad (see Textbook: Sources from the Past: The Mundaka Upanishad on the Nature of Brahman), describe Brahman.
- Trace the origins of the caste system, making sure to include a discussion of varna and jati.
- Discuss the nature of patriarchy in early Indian societies. What is the Lawbook of Manu, and how does it relate to gender roles?
- What are the Vedas and what do they teach us about early Indian societies?
- What are the fundamental religious teachings of the Upanishads?
- How did the religious beliefs as expressed in the Upanishads dovetail with the social order during the Vedic age?
- In what ways did the religion of the Upanishads include an ethical system?
- How did the Dravidian and Aryan cultures blend during this period?
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