Sources of History & Linguistic History Flashcards
(160 cards)
1
Q
What is Prehistory?
A
Period for which there are no written sources.
2
Q
Prehistoric sources of history
A
- Fossils
- Stone tools
- Located in river terraces and hill slopes
3
Q
What is a Mound?
A
Elevated portion of land covering the remains of previous habitation
4
Q
Types of Mounds
A
- Single Culture
- Major Culture
- Multi Culture
5
Q
Types of Mound Excavation
A
- Vertical Excavation
- Horizontal Excavation
6
Q
What is vertical excavation ?
A
- Length-wise digging to uncover period-wise sequence of cultures
- Less expensive
- More precise
- Chronological View
7
Q
What is horizontal excavation
A
- Lengthwise excavation of a shallower portion of the mound
- Gives holistic idea of all the cultures that lived there through time
- More expensive
- Fewer such instances
- Gives idea of how structures spread across / utilised their environment
8
Q
Fewer archaeological remains preserved in:
1. Rajasthan
2. Uttar Pradesh
3. North West India
4. Gangetic Plains
A
Gangetic Plains
the moist and humid climate of the Gangetic Plains corrodes even iron
RS Sharma
9
Q
What is a megalith ?
A
Burial sites complete with belongings, encircled by giant stones
Anything with giant stones
10
Q
Most reliable method of deterimining age of artefacts
A
Carbon Dating
11
Q
Method of determining history of climate and vegetation
A
Pollen Analysis
12
Q
Study of Coins
A
Numismatics
13
Q
Types of Coins found in India
A
- Copper
- Silver
- Gold
- Lead
- Potin
- Bronze
- Cowry shells
14
Q
True or False: Burnt brick coin moulds were present in Post-Gupta era.
A
False
The burnt brick moulds disappeared in the Post Gupta era
15
Q
Most burnt brick coin moulds are from which era?
A
Kushan period (0-300 AD)
16
Q
The largest number of coins are from which era?
A
Post- Maurya
17
Q
Which era issued the most gold coins?
A
Post-Maurya to Gupta
18
Q
True or False: Cowry shells (cowries) were of greater value than other coins
A
False
19
Q
What is the study of inscriptions called?
A
Epigraphy
20
Q
What is paleography?
A
study of writing within old inscriptions
21
Q
What are the medium for inscriptions found across history?
A
- Copperplate
- Stone
- Seals
- Stone pillars
- Temple walls
- Wooden tablets
- Bricks
- Images
22
Q
On which of the following will you not find an inscription in indian history?
A. Copperplate
B. Stone Pillars
C. Steel tablets
D. Bricks
A
C. Steel Tablets
23
Q
Which ancient Indian language has not been deciphered yet?
A
Harappan script
24
Q
Harappan script was written in which direction?
A
Right to Left
25
Earliest deciphered inscriptions in India are in which language
Brahmi script, Prakrit language
26
Who first deciphered Prakrit (Brahmi script)
James Prinsep
27
True or False: Prakrit literature can be found in Central Asia
True
28
What does the Rig Veda contain
Prayers
29
What do the Yajur and Atharva Vedas contain
1. Prayers
2. Rituals
3. Magic
4. Mythological stories
30
What do the Upanishads contain
Philosophical speculations
31
What are the Vedangas
Lit. limbs of the Vedas - supplements comprising
1. Phonetics
2. Rituals
3. Grammar
4. Etymology
5. Metrics
6. Astronomy
32
What is the Shiksha Vedanga
Phonetics
33
What is the Kalpa Vedanga
Ritual
34
What is the Vyakarana Vedanga
Grammar
35
What is the Nirukta Vedanga
Etymology
36
What is the Chhanda Vedanga
Metrics
37
What is the Jyotisha Vedanga
Astronomy
38
What is a Sutra
A brief precept in prose
39
Who was the famous author of a Grammar book (supplement) to the Vedas in 450 BC
Panini
40
Who is Mahabharata's authorship attributed to ?
Vyasa
41
How many verses did Mahabharata originally have?
8800
42
What's the evolution of Mahabharata verses and their names?
1. Jaya (victory) - 8800 verses
2. Bharata - 24,000 verses
3. Mahabharata - 100,000 verses
43
Another name of the Mahabharata
Shatasahasri Samhita
44
When is the Kaurava - Pandava conflict estimated to have actually happened?
Later Vedic period
45
What's the evolution of Ramanayana verses?
From 6000 - 12,000 - 24,000
46
Which was written first? Ramayana or Mahabharata?
Mahabharata
47
What do the Shrautasutras contain?
Grand public sacrifices by princes and men of substance of the 3 higher varnas
48
What do the Grihyasutras contain?
Domestic rituals of birth, naming, sacred thread investiture, marriage, funerals
49
Language of the earliest Buddhist texts?
Pali
50
Where was Pali spoken?
Magadha/ South Bihar
51
Which of the following languages did Pali descend from:
1. Prakrit
2. Sanskrit
3. Brahmi
4. Hindustani
1. Prakrit
52
Which work of literature describe the previous births of Gautam Buddha?
Jataka Tales
53
What is the body of secular Hindu literature called?
Dharmashastras
54
What are the elements of the Dharmashastras?
1. Smritis
2. Dharmasutras
3. Commentaries
55
How many volumes in Kautilya's Arthashastra?
15
56
Author of Abhijnanashakuntalam?
Kalidasa
57
How many lines of poetry in Sangam Literature
30,000
58
What is Ettuttokai
the 8 anthologies of sangam literature
59
True or False: Sangam Literature is religious in nature
False
| They are similar to the heroic poetry of the Homeric age
60
Who was Prince Sandrokottas
Chandragupta Maurya
61
Who wrote Indika
Megasthenes
62
Who wrote Naturalis Historia
Pliny the Elder
63
Author of Christian Topography
Kosmos Indikopleustes
64
How many Puranas are there?
18
65
How many ages do the Puranas speak of? What are they?
4
1. Krita
2. Treta
3. Dvapara
4. Kali
66
How many years did Ashoka rule for?
37
67
What is the Hathigumpha inscription
Record of a large number of events by Kharavela of Kalinga
68
Who wrote Ramacharita
Sandhakara Nandi
69
What did Bilhana write
Vikramankadevacharita - achievements of Vikramaditya VI, Chalukya King of Kalyan
70
What did Atula write
Mushika Vamsha - account of Mushika dynasty in Northern Kerala
71
What did Kalhana write
Rajatarangini - stream of kings - string of biographies of the kings of Kashmir
72
How many ancient historical sites have been excavated
Nearly 200
73
True or False: Epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata do not show evidence of stages of social evolution
False
74
How many anthologies in Sangam Literature? What are they known as?
8. Ettutokai
75
The Sangam Literature poems are collected in groups of ____?
Hundreds
76
What is Puraneru?
One group of 400 poems in Sangam Literature - The 400 of the exterior
77
The 2 main groups of poems in Sangam Literature are:
1. Patinenkil Kanakku - Eighteen Lower Collection
2. Pattupattu - The 10 songs
78
what archaeological phenomenon is used to corroborate the dating of Rig Vedic texts?
Gandhara grave culture
79
To when does Gandhara grave culture date the Rig Veda
2000 BC
80
which archaeological feature corroborates the date of early Pali texts?
Northern Black Polished Ware (NBPW)
81
At what date does Puranic culture put Lord Ram?
2000 BC
82
TRUE OR FALSE: The events of the Ramayana are archaeologically corroborated to have taken place in 2000 BC
False - no archaeological settlements found in Ayodhya from that period
83
True or False: There is archaeological evidence of Krishna in Mathura from 300-200 BC
false
84
To when does the Mahabharata epic date Krishna?
300-200 BC
85
How many languages are spoken in India according to Grierson
180
86
How many Indian dialects according to Grierson
550
87
Who is Grierson ?
Editor and compiler of Linguistic Survey of India
88
What are the 4 linguistic groups that Indian languages belong to?
1. Austro-Asiatic
2. Tibeto-Burman
3. Dravidian
4. Indo-Aryan
89
Which are the earliest group of languages to appear in India
Austro - Asiatic languages
90
Munda language belongs to which linguistic group
Austro-Asiatic
91
What are the sub groups of the Austric language family?
1. Austro-Asiatic (spoken in Indian subcontinent)
2. Austronesian (spoken in Australia and SE Asia
92
Sub families of Austro-Asiatic language family
1. Munda
2. Mon-Khmer
93
Which Indian language represents the Mon-Khmer language family in India?
Khasi
94
In which areas is Khasi spoken
1. Khasi and Jantia hills in Meghalaya
2. Nicobar islands
95
Which tribal groups speak Munda or Mundari
1. Mundas
2. Santhals
3. Hoes
96
In which areas is munda/ Mundari spoken?
1. Jharkhand
2. Bihar
3. West Bengal
4. Orissa
5. Himalayan regions
97
To which language family does Tibeto-Burman belong?
Sino-Tibetan
98
Approximately how many languages in the Sino-Tibetan family?
300
99
In which countries are Sino-Tibetan languages found?
1. China
2. Tibet
3. Myanmar (Burma)
4. India
100
Where in India are Tibeto-Burman language(s) spoken?
1. Along the Himalayas from NE Assam to NE Punjab
2. Tripura
3. Sikkim
4. Assam
5. Meghalaya
6. Arunachal
7. Nagaland
8. Mizoram
9. Manipur
10. Darjeeling, W. Bengal
101
How many Tibeto-Burman dialects are spoken?
116
102
True or False: Austric and Dravidian languages are much older than Indo-Aryan and Tibeto-Burman
False
| Austric and Tibeto Burman are older than Indo Aryan and Dravidian
103
True or False: A considerable body of literature exists for Tibeto-Burman languages
False
| There is no literature for Austric and Tibeto-Burman languages
104
True or False: Austric languages developed writing
False
105
Tibeto-Burman oral legends and traditions are first recorded by
Christian Missionaries (19th c. AD)
106
In what regions are Dravidian languages spoken?
1. Almost the whole of South India
2. North Eastern Sri Lanka
107
What's the earliest form of Dravidian speech?
Brahui
108
Where is Brahui found?
Pakistan
109
How many Dravidian languages are spoken in the subcontinent?
20+
110
What are the 2 theories of linguistic migration of Dravidian langugages?
1. That Dravidian speaking people came into India around 30,000 years ago from the Middle East
2. That they came from Elam in SW Iran around 6000 years ago.
111
Where is the Dravidian language Oraon spoken
Oraon/ Kurukh is spoken in Jharkand, mainly by members of the oraon tribe
112
Where are Indo Aryan speakers from?
Steppes of Central Asia
113
Which family of languages is the indo Aryan sub family descended from?
Indo European
114
How many subfamilies of Indo European family are in existence today
## Footnote
As per Wikipedia
8
## Footnote
SOURCE: Wikipedia
115
Name the subfamilies of Indo European family that are in existence today
| There is a difference in classification between RS Sharma and Wikipedia
## Footnote
As per Wikipedia
1. Albanian
2. Armenian
3. Balto-Slavic
4. Celtic
5. Germanic
6. Hellenic
7. Indo-Iranian
8. Italic
## Footnote
SOURCE: Wikipedia
116
How many subfamilies did the Indo European linguistic family originally have?
17
## Footnote
SOURCE: Wikipedia
117
How many Indo European linguistic subfamilies have gone extinct?
9
## Footnote
Source: Wikipedia
118
How many branches did the Eastern (Aryan) side of the Indo-European family split into? What are they?
| There is a difference in classification between RS Sharma and Wikipedia
## Footnote
As per RS Sharma
3 branches
1. Indo-Iranian
2. Indo-Aryan
3. Dardic
## Footnote
source: RS Sharma
119
What are the subfamillies of Indo-Iranian linguistic subgroup?
## Footnote
As per Wikipedia
1. Indo-Aryan
2. Iranian
3. Nuristani
4. Badeshi (unclassified language)
| Badeshi doesn't fall into any of the subfamilies - a separate language
## Footnote
Source: Wikipedia
120
Where is Indo Iranian spoken?
Iran
121
Where is the earliest example of Indo Iranian found?
Zend Avesta
122
Where is Dardic spoken?
1. E. Afghanistan
2. N. Pakistan
3. Kashmir
123
Where is Indo Aryan spoken?
1. India
2. Pakistan
3. Bangladesh
4. Sri Lanka
5. Nepal
124
How many Indo aryan languages are spoken in North and Central India?
Nearly 500
125
Indo Aryan can be categorized on a historical basis into how many categories? What are they?
3 categories
1. Old Indo Aryan
2. Middle Indo Aryan
3. Modern Indo Aryan
126
What language is represented in the Old Indo Aryan category?
Vedic Sanksrit
127
Which languages fall into the Middle Indo Aryan categories?
1. Prakrit
2. Pali
3. Apabhramsa
128
Where did the Dravidian language family originate?
Elam, Iran
129
Where is the original Dravidian language still spoken?
1. Iran
2. Turkmenistan
3. Afghanistan
4. Baluchistan and Sindh, Pakistan
130
What are the main branches of Dravidian languages in India
1. Tamil
2. Malayalam
3. Telugu
4. Kannada
131
Which medieval Indo Aryan language is the ancester of modern languages such as Hindi, Bengali etc
Apabhramsa
132
Which modern Indo aryan languages have developed from Apabhramsa
1. Hindi
2. Bengali
3. Assamese
4. Oriya
5. Marathi
6. Gujarati
7. Punjabi
8. Sindhi
10. Kashmiri
11. Nepali
133
True or False: Kashmiri is Nuristani in origin
False
| Dardic, with Sanskrit and Prakrit influences
134
When did the process of words migrating between languages and language groups begin?
Vedic times
135
Words from which 2 other languages / language groups can be found in the Rig Veda ?
1. Munda
2. Dravidian
136
Which are the 4 ethnic groups of India, associated with the 4 linguistic families?
1. Negrito
2. Australoid
3. Mongoloid
4. Caucasoid
137
Which language family is associated with the Negrito ethnic group?
Austric/ Austro-Asiatic
138
Which ethnic group is associated with the Indo Aryan language family?
Caucasoid
139
Which ethnic group is associated with Tibeto-Burman languages in India?
Mongoloid
140
Which language family is associated with the Australoid ethnic group?
Munda (Austric)
141
Which ethnic group is associated with the Dravidian language family?
Caucasoid
142
Caucasoid ethnic group is associated with which language(s)?
1. Dravidian
2. Indo Aryan
143
Jain text describing the administration of Chandragupta Maurya
Kalpasutra
144
Text describing the 16 Mahajanapadas
Bhagwatisutra
145
# True or False
Manusmriti is a non-religious source of history
True
| Deals with law, not religion
146
# True or False
Dharmashastras are a religious source of history
False
| Non-religious
147
Non religious sources of history
1. Dharmashastras
2. Manusmriti
3. Arthashastra
4. Sangam literature
148
# True or False
First foreign individual to write about India was Megasthenes
False
| Herodotus describes India-Persia relations in Historica
149
Author of *Historica*
Herodotus
150
Which foreign literary source describes trade relations between India and Italy
*Naturalis Historia* by Pliny the Elder
| 1st c. AD
151
# True or False
*The Periplus of the Erythrean Sea* was written by Ptolemy
False
| Author unknown
152
Ancient foreign text that provides valuable data on ancient geography, trade and commerce
*Geographical Treatise on India* by Ptolemy
153
3 prominent Chinese writers who discussed ancient India
1. Fa-Hien
2. Hiuen Tsang
3. I-Tsing
154
Author of *Fokwo-ki*
Fa-Hien
155
Name of Hiuen Tsang's work
*Si-yu-ki*
156
Author of *Record of the Buddhist Religion as Practiced in India and the Malay Archipelago*
I-Tsing
157
I-Tsing came to India during the rule of
Harsha Dynasty
158
Works of Al-Biruni relating to ancient India
1. Kitab al-Hind
2. Tehrik-i-Hind (Chronicles of india)
159
Al-Biruni was a contemporary of whose rule?
Mahmud of Ghazni
160
