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CBSE · Class 7 · Social Science

The Rise of Empires

Standard difficulty · 20 questions · 40 marks

Name: Date: Score: ____ / 40

Write full answers in Sections B and C. Answers are on the last page — try every question first!

Section A — Choose the correct answer8 × 1 = 8 marks
1.
The Maurya Empire was founded by:
  1. Dhana Nanda
  2. Porus
  3. Ashoka
  4. Chandragupta Maurya
2.
Who was Megasthenes?
  1. Greek envoy who wrote the Indika
  2. a ruler who fought Alexander
  3. son of Chandragupta and father of Ashoka
  4. the last Nanda king of Magadha
3.
In Kautilya’s saptanga, “mitra” means:
  1. the treasury
  2. the ministers
  3. the forts
  4. the allies
4.
Sarnath is known for:
  1. the Maurya capital
  2. the centre of learning where Kautilya taught
  3. an Ashokan edict in Greek and Aramaic
  4. the lion capital, now India’s emblem
5.
Alexander turned back from the northwest in about 325 BCE; Chandragupta founded the Maurya Empire in about 321 BCE. How many years apart were these? (In BCE, bigger numbers are earlier.)
  1. 4 years
  2. 14 years
  3. 646 years
  4. 8 years
6.
Which of these did Ashoka do after the Kalinga war?
  1. conquered more lands by war
  2. closed the wells along roads
  3. had wells dug and trees planted along roads
  4. raised taxes on the poor
7.
A royal messenger on a Mauryan road covers 40 km a day. How far does he travel in 15 days?
  1. 600 km
  2. 1,200 km
  3. 640 km
  4. 55 km
8.
Ashoka’s reign began in about 268 BCE. In about which year BCE was the 3rd year of his reign? (BCE years count down.)
  1. 266
  2. 271
  3. 270
  4. 268
Section B — Short answer8 × 2 = 16 marks
9.
What is an empire?
10.
Who was each? (a) Dhana Nanda (b) Chandragupta Maurya
11.
What does each part of the saptanga mean? (a) durga (b) kosha
12.
What is each place known for? (a) Dhauli (b) Takshashila
13.
Suppose an edict of 21 lines is carved on each of 4 pillars. How many lines are carved in all, and why did Ashoka put edicts in public places?
14.
Which happened first, and how many years earlier? (a) Ashoka’s reign ended (about 232 BCE) (b) Ashoka’s reign began (about 268 BCE)
15.
Write one line about each: (a) Dhana Nanda (b) Alexander
16.
Suppose a farmer pays one-fifth of a 4,000 kg harvest as tax to the treasury (kosha). How much does the farmer pay and keep?
Section C — Longer answers4 × 4 = 16 marks
17.
Describe how Magadha grew into the Maurya Empire.
18.
Match each with its description: (a) Bindusara (b) Alexander (c) Dhana Nanda. Choose from: son of Chandragupta and father of Ashoka; Macedonian king who reached the northwest; the last Nanda king of Magadha.
19.
Kautilya listed seven parts of a kingdom. Explain durga, amatya, mitra, and say why the treasury mattered to the king.
20.
A Mauryan official sets out from Pataliputra to a province 850 km away, covering 25 km a day. (a) How many days does the journey take? (b) How many days for the return trip as well? (c) Why were good roads important for running a large empire?
AmbifulWorksheets
Practice that never repeats
CBSE · Class 7 · Social Science

Answer key

The Rise of Empires · AW-7SS-ROE-2026-V1 · For parents — fold back or tear off before handing the sheet to your child.

QAnswerWorking
1(d) Chandragupta Maurya—
2(a) Greek envoy who wrote the Indika—
3(d) the allies—
4(d) the lion capital, now India’s emblem—
5(a) 4 years325 − 321 = 4
6(c) had wells dug and trees planted along roads—
7(a) 600 km40 × 15
8(a) 266268 − 2 = 266
9A large state in which one ruler controls many smaller kingdoms or territories.—
10(a) the last Nanda king of Magadha (b) founder of the Maurya Empire—
11(a) the forts (b) the treasury—
12(a) an Ashokan rock edict near Kalinga (b) the centre of learning where Kautilya taught—
1384 lines; so that people across the empire could hear and read his message.4 × 21
14Ashoka’s reign began, 36 years earlier268 − 232
15(a) the last Nanda king of Magadha (b) Macedonian king who reached the northwest—
16pays 800 kg, keeps 3,200 kg4,000 ÷ 5
17Magadha rose between the 6th and 4th centuries BCE under rulers like Ajatashatru and the Nandas; around 321 BCE Chandragupta Maurya overthrew the last Nanda and built a vast empire with its capital at Pataliputra.—
18(a) son of Chandragupta and father of Ashoka (b) Macedonian king who reached the northwest (c) the last Nanda king of Magadha—
19durga: the forts; amatya: the ministers; mitra: the allies. The treasury paid for the army, officials and public works.—
20(a) 34 days (b) 68 days (c) Officials, soldiers, messages and trade goods could move quickly, keeping the empire connected.850 ÷ 25