Questions, Activities and Projects
1. Meaning of the Quotation
Question: Discuss what could be the meaning of the quotation at the start of the chapter?
“In India at a very early time the spiritual and cultural unity was made complete…” — Sri Aurobindo
Answer: Sri Aurobindo suggests that India’s unity is not just political or administrative, but deeply spiritual and cultural. Long before modern borders were defined, the people living between the Himalayas and the seas shared a common way of life, values, and cultural surge that bound them together as one entity.
2. True or False?
a) The Ṛig Veda describes the entire geography of India.
- False. The Rig Veda primarily focuses on the northwest region called ‘Sapta Sindhava’.
b) The Viṣhṇu Purāṇa describes the entire Subcontinent.
- True. It defines the land between the snowy mountains (Himalayas) and the ocean.
c) In Aśhoka’s time, ‘Jambudvīpa’ included what is today India, parts of Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan.
- True. Ashoka’s inscriptions use Jambudvīpa to refer to his vast empire.
d) The Mahābhārata lists many regions, including Kashmir, Kutch, and Kerala.
- True. It mentions Kāshmīra, Kaccha, and Kerala among others.
e) The term ‘Hindustān’ first appeared in a Greek inscription more than 2,000 years ago.
- False. It first appeared in a Persian inscription about 1,800 years ago.
f) In ancient Persian, the word ‘Hindu’ refers to the Hindu religion.
- False. It was a geographical term derived from the River Sindhu.
g) ‘Bhārata’ is a name given to India by foreign travellers.
- False. It is an indigenous name found in ancient Indian texts like the Mahabharata and Puranas.
3. Creative Thinking
Question: If you were born some 2,000 years ago and had the chance to name our country, what name or names might you have chosen, and why?
Answer: (Student’s imagination) Example: “I might have named it ‘Nadi-Matruka’ (Land Mothered by Rivers) because life in ancient times revolved entirely around the great river systems like the Sindhu, Ganga, and Sarasvati which provided water, transport, and fertile soil.”
4. Motivations for Travel
Question: Why did people travel to India from various parts of the world in ancient times? What could be their motivations?
Answer: People traveled to India for several key reasons:
- Trade: India was famous for spices, textiles (muslin), and precious stones.
- Education: Famous universities like Nalanda and Taxila attracted scholars.
- Religion/Spirituality: Pilgrims (like Xuanzang) came to visit the land of the Buddha and collect sacred texts.
- Conquest: Emperors and invaders came to expand their territories and access India’s wealth.
- Diplomacy: Rulers sent ambassadors to establish political ties with Indian kingdoms.