Chapter 10

Reaching Out to Distant Lands

TEXTBOOK EXERCISES

1. Fill in the blanks with appropriate words-:

(a)three; (b) Cholas, Pandyas; (c) Chola; (d) fish; (e) Silk Route

2. Choose the correct answer-:

(a) (i); (b) (iii); (c) (ii); (d) (iii); (e) (i)

3. Match the rows-:

(a) (v); (b) (i); (c) (ii); (d) (iii); (e) iv

4. Write true or false-:

(a) True; (b) False. Korkai was the chief port of the Cholas; (c) False. Gondophernes was succeeded by his
nephew Abdagases; (d) True; (e) True

** Notebook exercises **

5. Answer the following questions in one or two sentences-:

(a) What does the Sangam age refer to?

Ans. Between 200 BCE and 300 CE, Tamil scholars and poets had gathered at Madurai in South India to
publish their works in Tamil. Such a gathering was called the Sangam, and the period during which the
work of these scholars was published, is known as the Sangam Age.
(b) What is the mean feature of the Gandhara school of Art?

Ans. The Gandhara School of Art was a blend ofIndian and foreign influences. The art was Buddhist in
theme but Graeco-Roman in style.
(c) What is the silk route?

Ans The routes taken by the Chinese traders to carry their silk to foreign lands came to be known as the
Silk Route. The Silk Route was a route that stretched for about 7,000 miles, from China to Rome. It
passed through West Asia.
(d)Why were the Kushanas able to make a profit from the trade with Central Asia?

Ans.The Kushans were able to make a profit fromthe trade with Central Asia because they collected
taxes from the traders, and also received gold coins from the Roman trade.
(e)What were the main items that the ancient South Indians traded with the Roman empire?

Ans.The main items that ancient South Indians imported from the Roman empire were coral, wine and
olive oil, besides metals such as gold and silver. In turn, the main exports were gemstones, silk, cotton,
ivory, spices, sandalwood and peacocks.

(f) Why did Fa Hein visit India?

Ans. Fa Hien visited India to learn Sanskrit as well as the teachings of the Buddha. He stayed at
Pataliputra for three years to do so.

6. Answer the following questions in four or five sentences-:

(a) Why was Karikala Chola called so ? Mention some of his important achievements.

Ans.Karikala Chola was called Karikala because he had a charred leg. It is believed that the king had lost
one of his legs in an accident in his early childhood. Some of his notable achievements include extensive
conquests at the battle of Venni, where he defeated the Pandyas and the Cheras. He is also regarded as
the first Tamil king to have conquered Sri Lanka.
(b) Who were the Indo- Greeks?Why is their rule important in the history of India?Ans Following the
decline of the Mauryas in the 2nd century BCE, India was invaded by many foreigners from the north-
west. Among the first invaders were the Greeks, who ruled a region in northern Afghanistan known as
Bactria. The Greeks who settled down in India were known as the Indo-Greeks. Their rule is very
important because they were the first rulers to issue coins bearing the portraits of kings. Their rule was
also important because it was then that a new style of art called the Gandhara School ofArt, which
blended Indian and foreign influences, emerged.
(c)Write a note on the reign and achievements of Kanishka?

Ans. The Kushanas reached the height of their glory under Kanishka. In 78 CE, he started the Saka Era,
which is now used by the Indian government. Kanishka patronized Buddhism. He had a huge stupa built
at Purushapura, and held the fourth Buddhist council in Kashmir to discuss the teachings of the Buddha.
Kanishka also encouraged art and Sanskrit literature. Ashvaghosha, a famous Sanskrit scholar, was one
of the subjects in his court.
(d)What was the impact of the invasions from the north -west on the cultural life of India

Ans. As new groups came into India, they brought with them a new culture. This influenced the trade,
technology and art forms of India. They brought with them the cap, helmet and riding boots necessary
for horse riding. Art and architecture also flourished as the new rulers patronized art and architecture.A
new style of art, called the Gandhara School ofArt, emerged.
(e) Write a note on the spread of the Buddhism during this period.

Ans. Buddhism spread to many parts of the world due to the patronage of kings, who sent ambassadors
and scholars far and wide. Kanishka gathered about 500 monks to write extensive commentaries on the
higher teachings of the Buddha at the fourth Buddhist council in Kashmir. Missionary activity grew
during his reign, and Buddhist monks started travelling to Central Asia and China. A Buddhist centre of
learning was established at Nalanda, which became the most famous university of the kind in course of
time. Many Chinese pilgrims and monks came to India to visit places related to the life of Buddha.
CentralAsia was also heavily influenced by Buddhism and the Silk Route, which served as a meeting
point for tradersfrom CentralAsia,India and Persia, was lined with monasteries and stupas.
(f) What were the main features of Bhakti? Why did it become popular?

Ans.The main features of Bhakti were that people who practised Bhakti gave more importance to
devotion and individual worship of gods or goddesses rather than rituals and elaborate sacrifices. Gods
like Shiva, Vishnu and goddesses like Durga were being worshipped. Image and idol worship in temples
began and Hindu temples were built for the first time during this period. This form of worship gradually
spread to different parts of the country and became popular because religion became the concern of
not only a select few but of anyone who chose to practice bhakti. The popular form of Hinduism and its
teachings were brought to the people through popular epics like the Ramayana and the Mahabharata,
Vishnu Purana and other texts.

## Additional##

Questions and Answers.

1. What do we know about the Chera capital of Karur?

Ans. The Tamil epic, Silappadikaram, mentions that the Chera King Senguttuvan ruled from Karur.
Archaeological finds from the area have revealed pottery, bricks, mud toys and Roman and Chera coins.
The Greek scholar Ptolemy mentions Korevora (Karur) as a very famous inland trading centre.

2. Why were the Satavahanas called the Lords of the Dakshinapatha?

Ans. The Satavahanas were called the Lords of the Dakshinapatha or ‘the route leading to the south’.
They had a flourishing internal and external trade. As they had ports on the eastern and western coasts,
they traded with Rome, Iran, Egypt andArabia in the west and Burma and Malaya in the east.
3. Who were the Sakas?

Ans. The Sakas were the nomadic tribes of Central Asia who came to India after being forced out of their
homeland. They gradually gained supremacy over the north and north-western parts ofIndia after
defeating the Indo-Greeks.We get a lot of information of the Sakas from the Mahabhasya and the
Puranas.
4. How was the control of the Silk Route beneficial to the Kushans?

Ans. The Romans were very fond of Chinese silk. The Chinese traded their silk with the
Indians for precious stones and metals and the Indians traded the silk with the Roman
empire. As the Kushans controlled the Silk Route, they were able to collect taxes from traders. They also
received gold coins from the Roman trade.
5. How did Fa Hien spread the message of Buddhism?

Ans. Many Chinese pilgrims and monks came to India to visit places related to Buddha. One
of them was Fa Hien who came to India in the 5th century BCE. He was a scholar who stayed at
Pataliputra for 3 years and learnt Sanskrit. When he returned to China, he translated some of the
Buddhist texts that he had brought from India.
6. What was the Sangam?

Ans. The word sangam is derived from the word sangha meaning assembly. Between 200
BCE and 300 CE, Tamil scholars and poets gathered at Madurai to publish their works in Tamil, this
gathering was called the Sangam.
7. What is meant by the term muvendar?

Ans. During the Sangam Age, South India was ruled by several dynasties such as th

Cheras, the Cholas, the Pandyas and the Satavahanas. The three ruling chiefs of the Cheras, Cholas and
the Pandyas were known as the muvendar.
8. How do we know that the Pandya kingdom was prosperous?

Ans. The Greek and the Roman texts mention that the Pandyas had flourishing trade relations with the
Greeks and the Romans. Pearl fishery was also common. This shows that the Pandya kingdom was a
prosperous kingdom.
9. What is the significance of the coins issued by the Indo-Greeks?

Ans. The Indo-Greeks were the first rulers to issue coins bearing the portraits of kings. These coins are
very significant as they tell us a lot about the reign of the period.