On the given political outline map of India, five Buddhist sites are marked as 1 to 5. Identify them and write the names on the lines marked near them.

1. Lumbini, 2. Sanchi, 3. Karle, 4. Nagarjunakonda, 5. Amaravati.

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On the given political outline map of India mark and label the following kingdoms and towns: Satavahanas, Cholas, Ujjayini, Rajgir, Mathura.

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The anguish of the king

When the king Devanampiya Piyadassi had been ruling for eight years, the (country of the) Kalingas (present day coastal Orissa) was conquered by (him).

One hundred and fifty thousand men were deported, a hundred thousand were killed, and many more died.

After that, now that (the country of ) the Kalingas has been taken, Devanampiya (is devoted) to an intense study of Dhamma, to the love of Dhamma, and to instructing (the people) in Dhamma.

This is the repentance of Devanampiya on account of his conquest of the (country of the ) Kalingas.

For this is considered very painful and deplorable by Devanampiya that, while one is conquering an unconquered (country) slaughter, death and deportation of people (take place) there...
A. Who was called, ‘Devanampiya Piyadassi? Give his brief description.
B. Mention the importance and limitations of inscriptions.
C. Explain the effects of war of Kalinga on Ashoka.
D. Why did the king repent after the war of Kalinga?

A. Ashoka, the great ruler of the Maurya Dynasty was called Devanampiya Piyadassi. Ashoka is the earliest known ruler to have inscribed his messages to his subjects and officials on stone surface natural rocks as well as polished pillars. When the king Devanampiya Piyadassi had been ruling for eight years, the (country of the) Kalinga (present day coastal Orissa) was conquered by (him). One hundred and fifty thousand men were deported, a hundred thousand were killed, and much more died.

B. Importance of inscriptions:

Inscriptions are very important as they describe about major political centers, rulers, the extent of empires, date of events etc. Some of these inscriptions were on stone, but most were on copper plates which were probably given to those who received the land, as a record of the transaction.

Limitations of Inscriptions:

By now it is probably evident that there are limits to what epigraphy can reveal. Sometimes, there are technical limitations. Letters are very faintly engraved, and reconstructions are uncertain. Also inscriptions may be damaged, and letters missing. Although several thousand inscriptions have been discovered, not all have been deciphered, published and translated. Besides, many more inscriptions must have existed, which have not survived the ravages of time. So, what is available at present is probably only a fraction of what was inscribed.

C. (a) Dharam Vijaya: He shattered his dreams for gaining victory over the world. He rather proceeded on the path of religious victory. Now, he realized that the highest world victory consists of the victory over human hearts.

(b) Accepting Buddhism: The Kalinga war opened his eyes and he accepted Buddhism. Had he not indulged in this war he would never have possibly accepted Buddhism.

(c) Change in lifestyle: Like his predecessors, Asoka too fought the battles, indulged in hunting, ate flesh and led a life of luxury before the Kalinga war. But this war changed the very stream of his life. Now, he had turned into the priest (adherent) of non-violence, supporter of the poor and helpless to the extent that he attended to the call of the poor leaving aside his sleep and food. It appeared as if a perential stream of compassions had started flowing through his heart.

D. The causes responsible for the repent of the King Asoka: In this war, one hundred and fifty thousand men were deported, a hundred thousand were killed and many of more died. This is the repentance of Devanampiya. This is considered very painful and deplorable by Devanampiya that, while one is conquering an unconquered (country) slaughter, death and deportation of people (take place) there...

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What the king’s officials did?

Here is an excerpt from the account of Megasthenes:

Of the great officers of state, some ... superintend the rivers, measure the land, as is done in Egypt, and inspect the sluices by which water is let out from the main canals into their branches, so that every one may have an equal supply of it. The same persons have charge also of the huntsmen, and are entrusted with the power of rewarding or punishing them according to their deserts. They collect the taxes, and superintend the occupations connected with land; as those of the woodcutters, the carpenters, the blacksmiths and the miners.
A. List the jobs done by the officers of the state.
B. Give any three features of the Mauryan administration under Asoka.
C. To what extent does this extract help us to understand about the Mauryan Empire?
D. What are some of the other sources for studying this Empire? Give four of them.

A. Superintend the rivers, measure the land, inspect the sluices by which water is let out of the main canal into their branches so that every one may have an equal supply of it.

B. 1. Administrative control: The empire was divided into five major political centres—the capital Pataliputra and the provincial centres Taxila, Ujjayini, Tosali and Suvarnagiri.

2. Administrative control was strongest in areas around the capital and provincial centres as Taxila and Ujjayini were situated on important long-distance trade routes and Suvarnagiri was important for tapping the gold mines of Karnataka.

3. Strong Army committee with six sub-committees for coordinating military activity.

4. Propagating dhamma the principles of which were simple and universally applicable which would ensure the well being of people in this world and the next.

C. The extract helps us to understand the Mauryan empire is that the empire was very vast and the administration was controlled by various officers who supervised various occupation groups.

D. 1. Archaeological finds like sculptures

2. Account of Megasthenes

3. Arthashastra

4. The inscriptions of Asoka

396 Views

In praise of Samudragupta

[This is an excerpt from the Prayaga Prashasti]

He was without an antagonist on earth; he, by the overflowing of the multitude of (his) many good qualities adorned by hundreds of good actions, has wiped off the fame of other kings with the soles of (his) feet; (he is) Purusha (the Supreme Being), being the cause of the prosperity of the good and the destruction of the bad (he is) incomprehensible; (he is) one whose tender heart can be captured only by devotion and humility; (he is) possessed of compassion; (he is) the giver of many hundred thousands of cows; (his) mind has received ceremonial initiation for the uplift of the miserable, the poor, the forlorn and the suffering; (he is) resplendent and embodied kindness to mankind; (he is) equal to (the gods) Kubera (the god of wealth), Varuna (the god of the ocean), Indra (the god of rains) and Yama (the god of death)...
A. What is a Prashasti? Who wrote the above Prashasti?
B. Give any four qualities of the rulers as mentioned in this Prashasti.
C. Why did rulers identify themselves with a variety of deities?
D. Name two other sources for studying about the Guptas.

A. (a) Prashasti is a composition in the praise of kings in particular and patrons in general by poets.

(b) The above Prashasti is composed by Harishena, a court poet of Samudragupta.

B. 1. incomprehensible 2. compassion 3. Purusha, the supreme being, 4. kindness to mankind

C. The rulers identified themselves with a variety of deities because they considered themselves god-like and adopted the title of devaputra or “son of god”, and was also means of claiming high status by identifying with a variety of deities.

D. Literature, coins and inscriptions.

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