1. Match the following:
Muvendar Mahayana Buddhism
Lords of the dakshinapatha Buddhacharita
Ashvaghosha Satavahana rulers
Bodhisattvas Chinese pilgrim
Chinese pilgrim Cholas, Cheras and Pandyas
Answer
Muvendar Cholas, Cheras and Pandyas
Lords of the dakshinapatha Satavahana rulers
Ashvaghosha Buddhacharita
Bodhisattvas Mahayana Buddhism
Chinese pilgrim Chinese pilgrim
2. Why did kings want to control the Silk Route?
Answer
The kings wanted to control the silk route because they believed that they would
benefit from taxes, tributes and gifts that were brought by the traders
travelling along the route.
3. What kinds of evidence do historians use to find out about trade and trade
routes?
Answer
To find about trade and trade routes, historians use evidence present in the
literature of the period like sangam poems and Sangam literature. Also,
historians use objects like pottery, bowls and plates, found from several
archaeological sites as evidence. South India was famous for gold, spices,
especially pepper, and precious stones which were carried by ships, across the
sea, and by land in caravans to Rome. Many Roman gold coins have been found in
south India which proved the trade relations between ancient India and Rome.
4. What were the main features of Bhakti?
Answer
The main features of Bhakti were:
• It emphasised devotion and individual worship of a god or goddess, rather than
the performance of
elaborate sacrifices.
• According to system of belief, if a devotee worships the chosen deity with a
pure heart, the deity will appear in the form in which he or she may desire.
• The deities were special, these images of the deity were often placed within
special homes, places that we describe as temples.
5. Discuss the reasons why the Chinese pilgrims came to India.
Answer
The Chinese pilgrims such as Fa Xian, Xuan Zang, I-Qing came to India to visit
places associated with the life and teachings of the Buddha as well as famous
monasteries.
Some like Xuan Zang spent time studying in Nalanda the most famous Buddhist
monastery of
the period.
6. Why do you think ordinary people were attracted to Bhakti?
Answer
Ordinary people were attracted to Bhakti because anybody, whether rich or poor,
belonging to the so-called ‘high’ or ‘low’ castes, man or woman, could follow
the path of Bhakti.