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Unit 4 Document Based Questions (DBQ)

Document 1: The following is an excerpt from the Mahabharata, an Ancient Indian Epic from about 400 B.C.

Enjoy the pleasure bestowed on your,

and bear the pain bestowed on you,

wait patiently for what time brings,

as does the farmer with the fruit.

Let us overcome the angry man with gentleness,

the miser with generosity

the liar with truth

1. List one lesson “The Mahabharata” teaches about Hindu life.

2. What characteristics of an advanced civilization did ancient India possess? Document 2: The following is the Four Noble Truths taken from a Buddhist canon text.

1. The Nature of Suffering: “This is the noble truth of suffering: birth is suffering, aging is suffering, illness is suffering, death is suffering; sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief and despare are suffering; union with what is displeasing is suffering; separation from what is pleasing is suffering; not to get what one ones is suffering; in brief, the five aggregates subject to clinging are suffering.” 2. Suffering’s Origin “This is the noble truth of the origin of suffering: it is this craving which leads to renewed existence, accompanied by delight and lust, seeking delight here and there, that is, craving for sensual pleasures, craving for existence, craving for extermination.” 3. Suffering’s Cessation (end) “This is the noble truth of the cessation of suffering: it is the remainderless fading away and cessation of that same craving, the giving up and relinquishing of it, freedom from it, nonreliance on it.” 4. The Way Leading to the Cessation of Suffering: “This is the noble truth of the way leading to the cessation of suffering: it is the Noble Eightfold Path; that is, right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration.”

1. According to the Four Noble Truths, what is the cause of suffering and how does one end it? Document 3: The following depicts the origins of the Hindu Caste system.

1. What group makes up the Sudra class?

2. Why might the caste of Brahmins be associated with the mouth?

Document 4: An excerpt from The Edicts of Asoka from the Maurya Empire.

"Whoever honors his own [religion] and disparages another man's whether from blind loyalty or with the intention of showing his own [religion] in a favorable light, does his own [religion] the greatest possible harm. Concord is best, with each hearing and respecting the other's teachings. It is the wish of the [king] that members of all religions should be learned and should teach virtue." —From the Edicts of Asoka (268 B.C.)

1. What did the Mauryan ruler, Asoka, say about religious tolerance? Document 5: Empires of Ancient India

Maurya Gupta Dates 321 B.C.–185 B.C. A.D. 320–550 Location Northern and southern India Northern India Government  Harsh rule  Mild rule  Organized  Organized government government  Officials collect  Villages and cities had taxes power

 Government- owned factories Learning  Schools and libraries  Golden age of learning in capital  Number system we use today, decimal system  Missionaries spread  Plastic surgery, vaccines Buddhism for smallpox

 Carvings of gods and animals 1. What contributions were made in math and science during the Gupta Empire? Document 6: This excerpt, about Gupta India’s medical achievements, is from the textbook World History: Connections to Today.

By Gupta times, Indian physicians had pioneered the use of herbs and other remedies to treat illness. Surgeons were skilled in setting bones and in simple plastic surgery to repair facial injuries. Doctors also began vaccinating people against smallpox about 1,000 years before this practice was used in Europe.

1. Identify two advancements made by Gupta physicians in the treatment of wounds and illness.