Consider the following statements regarding the intellectual climate in the mid-first millennium BCE: 1. Thinkers like Zarathustra in Iran and Kong Zi in China emerged during this period. 2. The Upanishads show that people were curious about the meaning of life and the possibility of life after death. 3. Mahavira and the Buddha accepted the authority of the Vedas but questioned the efficacy of sacrifices. 4. The debates were recorded in the royal courts, never in places like the kutagarashala. Which of the statements given above are correct?

The correct option is 1 and 2 only . Explanation The mid-first millennium BCE is recognized as a pivotal era in world history, often termed the "Axial Age." It was characterized by the simultaneous emergence of new philosophical thinkers and religious movements across Persia, China, Greece, and India, marking a shift towards inquiry into the nature of existence and ethics. Statement-wise Analysis: - Statement 1 is Correct: This period witnessed the rise of thinkers such as Zarathustra in Iran, Kong Zi (Confucius) in China, Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle in Greece, and Mahavira and Gautama Buddha in India. These thinkers sought to understand the mysteries of existence and the relationship between human beings and the cosmic order. - Statement 2 is Correct: The Upanishads, composed during the later Vedic and post-Vedic periods, reflect a transition from ritualism to philosophy. They record the curiosity of people regarding the meaning of life, the nature of the self (Atman), the ultimate reality (Brahman), and the possibility of life after death and rebirth. - Statement 3 is Incorrect: A fundamental distinction of the heterodox sects (Shramana tradition), including Jainism and Buddhism, was the rejection of the authority of the Vedas and the supremacy of the Brahmins. While they did question the efficacy of sacrifices, they did not accept Vedic authority; this distinguishes them from the orthodox (Astika) schools. - Statement 4 is Incorrect: Intellectual debates were not confined to royal courts. Buddhist texts frequently mention the kutagarashala (a hut with a pointed roof) and groves where traveling mendicants halted. These locations served as vibrant centers for debates and discussions among teachers of various sects. Key Takeaway: The mid-first millennium BCE was a period of global intellectual awakening. In India, this involved the rise of Upanishadic inquiry and Heterodox sects (Buddhism and Jainism), the latter of which explicitly rejected Vedic authority and engaged in debates in public spaces like kutagarashalas.

Consider the following statements regarding the in... - NCERT Class 12 History MCQ

Solution

The correct option is

1 and 2 only

Explanation

The mid-first millennium BCE is recognized as a pivotal era in world history, often termed the "Axial Age." It was characterized by the simultaneous emergence of new philosophical thinkers and religious movements across Persia, China, Greece, and India, marking a shift towards inquiry into the nature of existence and ethics.

Statement-wise Analysis:

Statement 1 is Correct: This period witnessed the rise of thinkers such as Zarathustra in Iran, Kong Zi (Confucius) in China, Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle in Greece, and Mahavira and Gautama Buddha in India. These thinkers sought to understand the mysteries of existence and the relationship between human beings and the cosmic order.
Statement 2 is Correct: The Upanishads, composed during the later Vedic and post-Vedic periods, reflect a transition from ritualism to philosophy. They record the curiosity of people regarding the meaning of life, the nature of the self (Atman), the ultimate reality (Brahman), and the possibility of life after death and rebirth.
Statement 3 is Incorrect: A fundamental distinction of the heterodox sects (Shramana tradition), including Jainism and Buddhism, was the rejection of the authority of the Vedas and the supremacy of the Brahmins. While they did question the efficacy of sacrifices, they did not accept Vedic authority; this distinguishes them from the orthodox (Astika) schools.
Statement 4 is Incorrect: Intellectual debates were not confined to royal courts. Buddhist texts frequently mention the kutagarashala (a hut with a pointed roof) and groves where traveling mendicants halted. These locations served as vibrant centers for debates and discussions among teachers of various sects.

Key Takeaway:
The mid-first millennium BCE was a period of global intellectual awakening. In India, this involved the rise of Upanishadic inquiry and Heterodox sects (Buddhism and Jainism), the latter of which explicitly rejected Vedic authority and engaged in debates in public spaces like kutagarashalas.

NCERT Class 12 History — Chapter 4: Thinkers, Beliefs and Buildings - Cultural Developments (c. 600 BCE - 600 CE)

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