CLASS 6 · NCERT HISTORY · CH 7: NEW QUESTIONS AND NEW IDEAS (NCERT CLASS 6 — OUR PASTS I)
When and where was the Buddha born?
SIDDHARTHA GAUTAMA — born ~563 BCE at LUMBINI (today in Nepal, near the Indian border). Son of Shuddhodhana, king of the SHAKYA clan (a small republican gana of Kapilavastu).
Where did he attain enlightenment?
At BODH GAYA (Bihar), under the BODHI TREE (a peepal tree); after 6 years of severe asceticism + meditation; aged ~35.
Where was the FIRST SERMON delivered?
At SARNATH (Deer Park, near Varanasi); to his five former companions; first turning of the Wheel of Dharma — DHAMMA-CHAKRA-PRAVARTANA. Foundation of the Buddhist Sangha.
Where did the Buddha attain Mahaparinirvana?
At KUSHINAGAR (UP), at age 80 (~483 BCE) under sal trees. His relics were divided among 8 kingdoms and enshrined in 8 STUPAS — the original "Ashta Maha Sthanas" (Eight Great Places) of Buddhism.
Buddha's core teaching?
4 NOBLE TRUTHS: (i) life is dukkha (suffering); (ii) cause is craving (tanha); (iii) end of craving = end of suffering; (iv) the path is the EIGHTFOLD PATH (right view, intention, speech, action, livelihood, effort, mindfulness, concentration). Taught in PALI/Prakrit (people's language).
Match the Eight Great Sites of Buddhism with their significance: 1) Lumbini—Birth 2) Bodh Gaya—Enlightenment 3) Sarnath—First Sermon 4) Kushinagar—Mahaparinirvana. Which are correctly matched?
All four are correctly matched.
The four major events of Buddha's life and the four corresponding sites are:
Birth — Lumbini, Enlightenment — Bodh Gaya, First Sermon (Dharmachakra Pravartana) — Sarnath, Mahaparinirvana — Kushinagar.
The four supplementary Buddhist pilgrimage sites (apart from the four 'great') are:
Sravasti, Sankasya, Rajgir and Vaishali.
Match the four Buddhist Councils with venue/patron: 1) 1st—Rajgir (Ajatashatru) 2) 2nd—Vaishali (Kalashoka) 3) 3rd—Pataliputra (Ashoka) 4) 4th—Kashmir/Kundalvana (Kanishka). Which are correctly matched?
All four are correctly matched.
Which Buddhist Council led to the formal split between Hinayana and Mahayana?
The 4th Council, held under Kanishka in Kashmir (1st c. CE) — adopted Sanskrit for canonical writings, formalised Mahayana.
Consider the following: 1) Theravada is the older Buddhist school. 2) Vajrayana is associated with Tibet and Ladakh. 3) Yogachara school is associated with Asanga and Vasubandhu. Which are correct?
All three are correct.
'Madhyamika' school of Buddhism was founded by:
Nagarjuna (2nd c. CE) — propounded Shunyavada (doctrine of emptiness).
This topic is part of the NCERT Class 6 History syllabus, specifically the textbook Our Pasts I, drawn from the chapter Ch 7: New Questions and New Ideas (NCERT Class 6 — Our Pasts I). Content is cross-referenced against the latest NCERT textbook editions + standard reference works (Bipan Chandra, R.S. Sharma, Romila Thapar, Satish Chandra for history; G.C. Leong, Savindra Singh for geography; the UPSC Civil Services prelims + mains syllabus).
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