SAT II World History : Hinduism

Study concepts, example questions & explanations for SAT II World History

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Example Questions

Example Question #1 : Hinduism

The roots of Hindu religion were largely developed around 1400 BCE in the 

Possible Answers:

Arabian Peninsula.

Ganges River Valley.

Himalayan Mountain Range.

Indochina.

Indus River Valley.

Correct answer:

Indus River Valley.

Explanation:

The oldest religious documents in the world are the Rig Veda, the earliest scriptures in the Hindu tradition. These were composed somewhere between 2000 BCE and 1000 BCE in the Indus River Valley, in modern day Pakistan. The Vedic culture would come to dominate the northern Indian subcontinent by 1400 BCE, spreading the religion that would evolve into present forms of Hinduism.

Example Question #2 : Hinduism

The Mahabharata is an epic story about an ancient war that is a seminal text in

Possible Answers:

Islam.

Jainism.

Hinduism.

Buddhism.

Confucianism.

Correct answer:

Hinduism.

Explanation:

The Mahabharata is an epic poem that chronicles the Kurukshetra War between the Kaurava and Pandava princes. As well as being a history, the text contains many philosophical passages, including the Bhagavad Gita. These devotional texts make the Mahabharata an extremely important text for Hinduism.

Example Question #3 : Hinduism

Which of the following are two religions that share the belief in reincarnation?

Possible Answers:

Christianity and Buddhism

Confucianism and Daoism

Hinduism and Buddhism

Confucianism and Hinduism

Judaism and Christianity

Correct answer:

Hinduism and Buddhism

Explanation:

The idea of reincarnation—that people are reborn into different bodies after they die—is part of both Hinduism and Buddhism. All of the other answer choices are incorrect because they contain at least one religion that did not include the idea of reincarnation.

Example Question #2 : Hinduism

Rama and Krishna are religious figures in what religion?

Possible Answers:

Christianity

Buddhism

Zoroastrianism

Islam

Hinduism

Correct answer:

Hinduism

Explanation:

Rama and Krishna are avatars in the Hindu religion.

Example Question #4 : Hinduism

Mahabharata and Ramayana are two famous __________

Possible Answers:

Hindu temples along the Ganges River

Hindu spiritual figures of the third century B.C.E. credited with spreading Hinduism to South East Asia

rulers of India who converted much of the population to Hinduism. 

gods in the Hindu pantheon said to keep the world in constant balance between good and evil 

epic poems in the Indian Hindu tradiation 

Correct answer:

epic poems in the Indian Hindu tradiation 

Explanation:

Mahabharata and Ramayana are two very famous Indian Epic Poems written in approximately the fourth century B.C.E. that form an important part of Hindu religious and culutral tradition. The Epic of Rama remains particularly important in Indian society where Rama is often employed for political or economic motivations. 

Example Question #5 : Hinduism

What name is given to the four sacred books of Hinduism that provide guides for living ones life and for performing religious ceremonies? 

Possible Answers:

The Bhagavad Gita

The Vedas

The Brahman

The Sanskrits

The Abbasids

Correct answer:

The Vedas

Explanation:

The Vedas are four books that collectively serve as a guide for life and a manual for performing spiritual rituals in the Hindu religion. They were originally written in Sanskrit, the language of Ancient and Classical India. They remain widely influential to this day. 

Example Question #6 : Hinduism

The belief in reincarnation is central to which of these religions?

Possible Answers:

Hinduism

Islam

NONE of these religions

Christianity

Judaism

Correct answer:

Hinduism

Explanation:

Reincarnation is the belief that after you die your soul will move on to a new form, usually depending on what kind of life you have led. So in the Hindu tradition a very virtuous and righteous man might go to heaven, a good and honest man might return to Earth in the form of a new human, a dishonest and sinful man might return to Earth in the form of a plant or an animal, and a wicked and depraved man might be condemned to hell. All of the Abrahamic religions - Judaism, Christianity, and Islam - do not believe in the tenet of reincarnation. But, it is central to many other religions including Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism. 

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