India's Maurya and Gupta empires, and the number zero

Grade 6 Social Studies Worksheet - Building Confidence

Circle the best answer.

1. Read this first

   Maurya and Gupta empires

   Part	Maurya Empire	Gupta Empire
   Founder	?	Chandra Gupta I
   Began	about 321 BCE	about 320 CE
   Ended	about 185 BCE	about 550 CE
   Capital	Pataliputra	Pataliputra
   Land ruled	most of the Indian subcontinent, joined into one empire	much of northern India
   Known for	Ashoka's messages cut into rocks and pillars	advances in mathematics and astronomy

   The cell marked ? is blank. Below the chart: Pataliputra is today the city of Patna. All dates are approximate; some sources give 322 BCE for the start of the Maurya Empire.

2. 1.

   Ren's chart has a blank: who founded the Maurya Empire?

   • Ashoka
   • Chandragupta Maurya
   • Cyrus the Great
   • Chandra Gupta I
3. 2.

   Tala's chart has a blank: when did the Gupta Empire begin?

   • About 550 CE
   • About 321 BCE
   • About 320 BCE
   • About 320 CE
4. 3.

   Zee's chart has a blank: what was the capital of the Maurya Empire?

   • Mohenjo-daro
   • Pataliputra
   • Ujjain
   • Delhi

5. Maurya and Gupta empires

   Part	Maurya Empire	Gupta Empire
   Founder	Chandragupta Maurya	Chandra Gupta I
   Began	about 321 BCE	about 320 CE
   Ended	about 185 BCE	about 550 CE
   Capital	Pataliputra	Pataliputra
   Land ruled	most of the Indian subcontinent, joined into one empire	much of northern India
   Known for	Ashoka's messages cut into rocks and pillars	advances in mathematics and astronomy

   Below the chart: Pataliputra is today the city of Patna. All dates are approximate; some sources give 322 BCE for the start of the Maurya Empire.

6. 4.

   Ari reads that Ashoka's messages were inscriptions. What is an inscription?

   • A map drawn on cloth
   • A message sent by rider
   • Words written in ink on paper
   • Words cut into stone
7. 5.

   Esme reads the words Indian subcontinent. What is a subcontinent?

   • A city built beside a river
   • A large part of a continent
   • A small island in the sea
   • A mountain range between lands
8. 6.

   Joined most of the Indian subcontinent into one empire. Does that describe the Maurya or the Gupta Empire, Jun asks?

   • Gupta Empire
   • Maurya Empire
   • Neither empire
   • Both empires
9. 7.

   Advances in mathematics and astronomy. Does that describe the Maurya or the Gupta Empire, Kira asks?

   • Both empires
   • Maurya Empire
   • Neither empire
   • Gupta Empire
10. 8.

    Chandragupta Maurya and Chandra Gupta I have almost the same name. Which pair matches the chart, Luz asks?

    • Maurya: Chandragupta Maurya; Gupta: Chandra Gupta I
    • Maurya: Chandra Gupta I; Gupta: Chandragupta Maurya
    • Maurya: Chandra Gupta I; Gupta: Chandra Gupta I
    • Maurya: Chandragupta Maurya; Gupta: Chandragupta Maurya
11. 9.

    About how many years did the Maurya Empire last, from about 321 BCE to about 185 BCE, Milo asks?

    • About 1,360 years
    • About 506 years
    • About 36 years
    • About 136 years
12. 10.

    Why does the chart say about 321 BCE, Pia asks?

    • It is a CE date
    • Sources differ by a year or so
    • It is an exact day, known from records
    • The year 321 BCE is in the future