Q 1. What is an empire?
A. An empire is a very large land made of many smaller kingdoms. One powerful ruler, called an emperor, controls all of them from one capital city.
Q 2. How did empires rise and shape Indian civilisation?
A. Strong kings joined nearby kingdoms through war, smart plans, and good trade. When the land stayed together under one ruler, roads, coins, markets, ideas, and art grew quickly and shaped India’s culture.
Q 3. What factors helped the change from kingdoms to empires?
A. Plenty of iron for tools and weapons, fertile river plains for extra food, busy trade routes for money, and clever advisers who planned taxes and armies all helped small kingdoms join into big empires.
Q 4. What was life like from the 6ᵗʰ to the 2ⁿᵈ century BCE?
A. Cities such as Pāṭaliputra were lively with traders, craftsmen, and tall wooden houses. Farmers used iron ploughs, soldiers rode elephants, and travellers saw new roads, markets, temples, and stone pillars.
“Let’s Explore”, “Think About It”, and other in-text activities
(Questions appear in order; numbers are for easy reading only.)
About ruling a wide empire (p 88 – 89)
Q 5. Empires had many peoples with different languages and customs. How could emperors keep them peaceful?
A. They set clear laws, allowed local kings to keep their own rules, built good roads for trade, used one common coin, and sent kind officers to solve problems fairly.
Q 6. Why did some kings want to turn a kingdom into an empire? Give more reasons.
A. They wished for fame in history, more gold and food taxes, safer borders, and bigger markets. They also wanted rare goods like spices, gems, and war-elephants.
Ways to expand without war (p 91)
Q 7. Besides fighting, what other methods could rulers use to grow an empire?
A. They could:
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arrange marriage alliances,
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send gifts and form friendships,
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help neighbours in floods or famines and then ask for loyalty,
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promise safe trade routes so towns joined them willingly.
Map work on trade routes (p 92)
Q 8. Which land features helped traders travel?
A. Flat river valleys like the Ganga, coastal plains, low mountain passes, and the long Dakṣiṇāpatha* road all guided caravans safely.
Q 9. What transport was used then?
A. Bullock carts, horse carts, pack-oxen, camels in dry areas, river boats, and sail-boats along the sea coast.
Studying the battle panel (p 94)
Q 10. How many weapon types can you spot and what iron tools are shown?
A. Swords, spears, bows, shields, and arrows—all likely made sharper by iron. Iron nails also strengthened elephant and horse gear.
Q 11. Why is a parasol (umbrella) over the relic casket?
A. In ancient India a parasol was a royal sign of honour and respect. It shows the relics were treated like a king.
About powerful satraps (p 97)
Q 12. How could Greek satraps stay so powerful far from their king?
A. They commanded local armies, collected taxes, and were far away, so the main king could not watch them closely. They often kept local support by fair rule.
Alexander’s dream (p 97)
Q 13. Why did Alexander wish to rule “the whole world”?
A. He wanted glory, rich lands, and to spread Greek ideas everywhere. Many ancient rulers believed great fame made them like heroes.
Caring for the countryside (p 103)
Q 14. Why did Kauṭilya say the king must look after villages especially well?
A. Villages grew the food, paid most taxes, and filled the army. If farmers were happy, the whole kingdom stayed strong.
Comparing empires and modern nations (p 103)
Q 15. One difference and one likeness between Kauṭilya’s empire and India today.
A. Difference: Today leaders are elected; ancient emperors were not. Likeness: Both have ministers, laws, and taxes to serve the people.
Ashoka’s honesty about Kalinga (p 104)
Q 16. Why did Aśhoka admit the cruel Kalinga war in his edict?
A. He wished people to learn that violence brings sorrow and to show his own heart had changed toward peace.
Fair officials (p 107)
Q 17. Would Aśhoka’s plan—sending kind officers every five years—help fairness?
A. Yes. Regular checks and clear orders warned bad officials and comforted ordinary people that the king cared.
Artefact study (p 109–111)
Q 18. What do the terracotta figures tell us about Mauryan life?
A. People loved music, dance, fancy jewellery, horse riding, and mother-goddess worship. Craftsmen could shape fine clay toys and idols.
Coin symbols (p 112)
Q 19. Guess one meaning of a symbol on Mauryan punch-marked coins.
A. A sun mark may show royal power or wealth that shines on all, while a six-armed star may stand for the king’s control over six directions.
End-of-Chapter “Questions and Activities” (p 114-115)
Q 20 (1). What are the features of an empire, and how is it different from a kingdom?
A. An empire is bigger, has many smaller rulers under one emperor, keeps a large army, uses one set of coins, and often rules people who speak many languages. A kingdom is smaller and ruled by one king over one main people.
Q 21 (2). What helped kingdoms turn into empires?
A. Better iron weapons, surplus crops, busy trade guilds, strong roads and rivers for moving troops, and kings who dreamed big.
Q 22 (3). Why is Alexander important in world history?
A. He built one of the largest empires ever by age 32, spread Greek ideas across three continents, and linked Europe, Asia, and Africa.
Q 23 (4). Why are the Mauryas important in early India?
A. They united most of the subcontinent, set up strong roads and taxes, spread Buddhism, built stūpas and pillars, and left clear records on stone.
Q 24 (5). Name two key ideas of Kauṭilya that we still see today.
A. (i) Government must protect farmers because farming feeds all.
(ii) Honest officials and anti-corruption rules are needed for good administration.
Q 25 (6). What unusual things about Aśhoka still influence India? (about 250 words, short version)
A. Aśhoka turned from war to peace after Kalinga, promoted non-violence, planted trees and wells, and carved edicts in simple language so everyone could read them. His lion capital is India’s national emblem, and his dharma-wheel stands on our flag, showing that truth and kindness remain core values.
Q 26 (7). Was Aśhoka tolerant of other religions?
A. Yes. He appointed officers to serve Buddhists, Brahmins, Jains, Ājīvikas, and others, asking each group to respect the rest.
Q 27 (8). What is the Brahmi script?
A. Brahmi is an old Indian writing system, first seen on Aśhoka’s pillars. It later grew into most Indian scripts like Devanagari and Tamil.
Q 28 (9). How would you travel from Kauśhāmbī to Kāveripattinam in the 3ʳᵈ century BCE and how long?
A. I would ride a bullock cart south-east to the Dakṣiṇāpatha road, join a traders’ caravan past Ujjayinī and Pratiṣṭhāna, then follow the coast by boat to Kāveripattinam. Moving 25 km per day on land and resting, the 2 000 km trip might take about three months.