India, Nations in the northwest of the Indian Subcontinent and China
Short Questions
1. What was the primary vehicle for the spread of Indian culture beyond the Hindukush mountains?
Answer: The spread of Buddhism.
2. Which ancient text mentions the port city of Sopara as ‘Ophir’?
Answer: The Old Testament (Bible).
3. Who was the Greek navigator that mapped ports on the Erythrean Sea?
Answer: Hippalus.
4. What was the name of the first Buddhist temple built in China?
Answer: White Horse Temple.
5. Which Kushana emperor’s coins bore the image of Gautama Buddha?
Answer: Kanishka.
6. What is the modern name of the ancient city Nagarhar in Afghanistan?
Answer: Hadda.
7. Which World Cultural Heritage site in Pakistan features a vihara complex?
Answer: Takht-i-Bahi.
8. What material was used to plaster the Bamiyan Buddha statues?
Answer: Mud mixed with straw.
9. Which Chinese dynasty facilitated the spread of Buddhism in the 1st century C.E.?
Answer: Han dynasty.
10. What is the Serendian art style influenced by?
Answer: Gandhara art.
11. Which Chinese province is home to the Mogao Caves?
Answer: Dunhuang.
12. What was the name of the trade route linking Asia and Europe?
Answer: Silk Route.
13. Which Roman emperor paid one million gold coins for an Indian emerald chalice?
Answer: Nero.
14. What was the name of the box containing Gautama Buddha’s remains at Shahji-ki-Dheri?
Answer: Karandaka.
15. Who conducted the first archaeological survey of the Silk Route?
Answer: Sir Aurel Stein.
Long Questions
1. How did Indian merchants contribute to cultural exchanges in ancient times?
Answer: Indian merchants, as described in texts like Kathasaritsagara and Jataka Stories, traveled to distant lands like Babylon, engaging in trade without imposing their culture. They exported goods like sandalwood, ivory, and spices, fostering mutual cultural enrichment. Their interactions, such as donations by Yavanas in Maharashtra, strengthened ties with local communities.
2. What role did the Silk Route play in connecting India and China?
Answer: The Silk Route, a complex network of trade lines, linked India and China via routes from Xinjiang to Taxila, facilitating the exchange of goods like silk and spices. It provided oasis cities for accommodation and markets, enhancing economic ties. This route also enabled the spread of Buddhism to China, deepening cultural connections.
3. Why was Gandhara significant in India’s cultural interactions?
Answer: Gandhara, located on the trade route linking India and Central Asia, was a hub for cultural exchanges due to its strategic position. It hosted Buddhist sites like Shahji-ki-Dheri and Takht-i-Bahi, reflecting India’s influence through Ashoka’s edicts and Kanishka’s patronage. The region’s Hindu artifacts, like the Ganesha image, further highlight its cultural ties with India.
4. How did Emperor Ashoka promote Buddhism in Afghanistan?
Answer: Ashoka sent Buddhist missionaries like Thera Mahyantika to Afghanistan, as noted in his 13th edict, which mentioned Greek kings adopting his Dhammavijaya. His Kandahar edict, written in Greek and Aramaic, shows Afghanistan’s integration into his empire. These efforts established Buddhism, evident in later Gandhara stupas and viharas.
5. What evidence supports the Indo-Roman trade in ancient India?
Answer: Archaeological finds, like Roman gold coins in Tamilnadu and amphorae near Bet Dwaraka, confirm Indo-Roman trade. Texts like Periplus of Erythrean Sea and Pliny’s Naturalis Historia detail trade in Indian spices, pearls, and textiles for Roman goods like wine and corals. Maharashtra’s trading centers, such as Paithan and Kolhapur, further validate this exchange.
6. What was the significance of the Bamiyan Buddhas in Afghanistan?
Answer: The Bamiyan Buddhas, 53m and 38m statues carved into a cliff, were monumental Buddhist artworks surrounded by 750 caves with murals, as described by Yuan Chwang. Destroyed in 2001, they are a World Cultural Heritage site, with restoration efforts revealing a 19m Mahaparinibbana image. They symbolize India’s Buddhist influence in Gandhara before Islam.
7. How did Buddhism spread to China during the Kushana period?
Answer: During the Kushana period, Emperor Kanishka’s control of the Silk Route facilitated Buddhist expansion to China, with his coins depicting Buddha. Monks like Kashyapa Matang and Dharmaraksha traveled to China in 67 C.E., translating texts and establishing the White Horse Temple. This laid the foundation for Buddhism’s growth in China by the 6th century C.E.
8. What are the key features of the Serendian art style?
Answer: The Serendian art style, originating in Xinjiang, blends Greek, Persian, and Chinese elements with Gandhara art, influenced by Mahayana Buddhist monks. It features sculptures of Buddha and Bodhisattvas, as uncovered by Sir Aurel Stein. This style shaped Chinese Buddhist art, evident in Dunhuang’s Mogao Caves.
9. Why did merchants avoid the shorter northern line of the Silk Route?
Answer: The shorter northern line of the Silk Route, crossing the steppes, was rarely used due to threats from pastoral tribes, making it unsafe. It lacked accommodation and food facilities, unlike the main route’s oasis cities. Merchants preferred the safer, well-equipped main route for trade and travel.
10. What is the historical importance of Shahji-ki-Dheri in Pakistan?
Answer: Shahji-ki-Dheri, near Peshawar, is home to Kanishka’s Stupa, built during the Kushana period, containing Gautama Buddha’s remains in a karandaka box. The box’s inscription mentions Agnishala, the supervisor of the Kanishka Vihara, highlighting its Buddhist significance. Preserved in the Peshawar Museum, it underscores India’s cultural influence in Gandhara.
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