Question
Read the source given below and answer the questions that follow.
It is interesting to note that different parts of the country adopted a similar definition for India. For instance, a poem of ancient Tamil literature, from about 2,000 years ago, praises a king whose name is known “from [Cape] Kumari in the South, from the great mountain in the North, from the oceans on the East and on the West…”
You can now recognise ‘the great mountain in the North’, and it should not be difficult to identify ‘Cape Kumari’. It looks like ancient Indians knew their geography well!
(i) What value is reflected in the ancient Tamil poem’s description of the king’s realm ?
(a) Military conquest
(b) Geographical unity
(c) Cultural diversity
(d) Economic prosperity
(ii) What does the poem reveal about ancient Indian culture’s attitude towards geography ?
(a) Indifference to geographical boundaries
(b) Importance of trade routes
(c) Value of geographical knowledge
(d) Focus on religious sites
(iii) What cultural value is showcased in the poem’s praise of the king’s widespread recognition ?
(a) Regionalism
(b) National pride
(c) Religious tolerance
(d) Social hierarchy
(iv) What does the ancient Tamil literature indicate about the knowledge of geography in ancient India ?
(a) Ancient Indians had limited geographical knowledge.
(b) Ancient Indians had a detailed and accurate understanding of their geography.
(c) Ancient Indians were unaware of their geographical boundaries.
(d) Ancient Indians confused the locations of various geographical features.
It is interesting to note that different parts of the country adopted a similar definition for India. For instance, a poem of ancient Tamil literature, from about 2,000 years ago, praises a king whose name is known “from [Cape] Kumari in the South, from the great mountain in the North, from the oceans on the East and on the West…”
You can now recognise ‘the great mountain in the North’, and it should not be difficult to identify ‘Cape Kumari’. It looks like ancient Indians knew their geography well!
(i) What value is reflected in the ancient Tamil poem’s description of the king’s realm ?
(a) Military conquest
(b) Geographical unity
(c) Cultural diversity
(d) Economic prosperity
(ii) What does the poem reveal about ancient Indian culture’s attitude towards geography ?
(a) Indifference to geographical boundaries
(b) Importance of trade routes
(c) Value of geographical knowledge
(d) Focus on religious sites
(iii) What cultural value is showcased in the poem’s praise of the king’s widespread recognition ?
(a) Regionalism
(b) National pride
(c) Religious tolerance
(d) Social hierarchy
(iv) What does the ancient Tamil literature indicate about the knowledge of geography in ancient India ?
(a) Ancient Indians had limited geographical knowledge.
(b) Ancient Indians had a detailed and accurate understanding of their geography.
(c) Ancient Indians were unaware of their geographical boundaries.
(d) Ancient Indians confused the locations of various geographical features.