History Ch. 7 - Jainism and Buddhism

 

Chapter Name - Jainism and Buddhism

 

Q1. Choose the appropriate option.

a. Asteya means not to steal.

b. Karma means sum of a person action in this and previous birth.

c. Agam Sutra are the sacred books of the Jainism.

 

Q2. Fill in the blanks

a. A Tirthankara is an enlightened soul who is born as human being an

intense perfection through intense meditation.

b. The founder of Jainism was Rishabhadev.

c. A Buddhist monk is also known as Bhikshus.

 

Q3. Match the columns

 

Column A	Column B
a) Chandragupt Maurya	Jainism
b) Vinay Pitaka	Basket of discipline
c) Lumbini	Birth Place of Buddhism
d) Shvetambara	Sects of Jainism

                                  

Q4. Answer the following question in 10 to 20 words

a) Which languages were adopted by the Mahayana and Hinayana sects.

Ans. Hinayana adopted Pali language and Mahayana adopted Sanskrit

language.

b) What were the Upanishads initially known as?

Ans. The Upanishads were initially known as Vedanta, which literally

means the conclusion to the Vedas.

c) Which event is called as the ‘Turning of the Wheel of Law’?

Ans. Gautama Buddha delivered his first sermon in the Pali language at

Sarnath, which is called the ‘Turning of the Wheel of Law’.

 

Q5. Answer the following questions in 50 to 70 words.

a) Write a brief note on the Upanishads.

Ans. The term Upanishad literally means ‘approaching and sitting near’, In Sanskrit, ‘upa’ means near; ‘ni’ means down and ‘sad’ means to sit. The Upanishads were initially known as Vedanta, which literally means the conclusion to the Vedas. There were various Upanishads such as Isha, Kena, Katha, Parsha, Mundaka, Koushik, Taittiriya, Aitareya, Chandogya and Brihadaranyaka.

 

b) Discuss the teachings of Jainism.

Ans. Teachings of Jainism

The five principles of Jainism are:

❖ Ahimsa: not to injure any living being

❖ Satya: not to speak lies

❖ Asteya: not to steal

❖ Tyag: not to own property

❖ Brahmacharya: observance of celibacy

 

c) What were the factors responsible for the rise of Jainism and

Buddhism?

Ans. The rigidity in the caste system saw great opposition, which later on gave rise to new religions.

❖ The caste system gave importance to the three upper castes; Brahmins, Kshatriyas and Vaishyas. The Shudras were looked down upon.

❖ As trade was increasing, the economic conditions of the Vaishyas improved. However, they were

considered lower in the social ladder as compared to Brahmins and Kshatriyas. This became the reason for their dissatisfaction.

❖ People were forced to follow elaborate and costly rituals as subscribed by the Brahmins. Animal sacrifice became common.

❖ Importance was given to Sanskrit which was not understood by the masses. All these factors led to religious unrest in India.

❖ People wanted a simple religion in a language known to them. These were fulfilled by the teachings of Gautama Buddha and Vardhaman Mahavira.

 

d) Write about the Four Noble Truths.

Ans. The Four Noble Truths are as follows:

❖ The world is full of suffering and sorrow.

❖ The cause of suffering and sorrow is human desire.

❖ The sufferings can be ended by conquering desires.

❖ Desires can be conquered and freedom from the cycle of birth and death can be attained by nirvana. The Eightfold Path or the Ashtangika Marga leads to nirvana.

 

Q6. Give reasons.

a. Buddhism spread nationally and internationally.

Ans. The spread of Buddhisn was due to two main things, The

support of common people and state patronage. Ashoka promoted

Buddhism to Sri Lanka, later the Mahayana sect of Buddhism reached

South-East Asia and China. In the 6th century CE, it extended to

Cambodia and in the 4th century CE to Thailand. The influence of

Buddhism also established its root in countries and regions such as

Myanmar, Nepal, Tibet, Central Asia and Japan.

 

b) Very few people followed Jainism.

Ans very few people followed Jainism because farmers found it difficult to follow the rules by the

religion, they had to kill insects to protect their crops. Jainism was largely supported by the

traders.