Ancient Civilizations of India and China

Chapter 4 (The Civilization of Ancient India)

1. What can we learn about Vedic society from its classical texts? What are their limitations as historical sources?
2. Why was the Mauryan king Ashoka successful in his rule over India's diverse populations?
3. How has the repeated conquest of northern India by foreign warriors contributed to the South Asian worldview?
4. What evidence shows that India was in regular contact with the West following the Invasion of Alexander the Great, in the Mauryan and post-Mauryan eras? What was the nature of these contacts, and what was their result--from both an Indian and a Western perspective?
5. Why is the Gupta era frequently regarded as India's "classical age?" What were the contributions of the Gupta era top Asian civilizations, both in India and beyond?

Chapter 5 (Ancient China)

1. What does the Shang era  contribute to the Chinese dynastic tradition? What changes in Chinese society took place during the Zhou era that followed?
2. How do the beliefs of Confucius and Mencius reflect the circumstances of their times?
3. What ere the Qin solutions to the divided political landscape if China? What did the Qin dynasty have such a brief reign? What was the legacy of the Qin to China's future?
4. What was the difference between Qin Legalism and the teachings of Confucius and Mencius? What aspects of Qin Legalism continued under the Han? What changed?
5. Han Wudi is often viewed as China's greatest emperor. Is this warranted? What were his accomplishments, and what was his legacy to China's future?
6. What might have changed had the Han and imperial Rome met?
7. What recurring problems in the Chinese imperial social system did Wang Mang try to address during his reign?
8. How does Chinese history in the period up to the fall of the Han compare to Indian history over the same period?