(i) Xuan Zang visited and studied in the Buddhist monastery at Nalanda.
(ii) No, it was very difficult to enter this Monastery. New entrants were asked difficult questions by the gatekeeper. Only those who gave correct answers were allowed to enter. Mostly seven or eight out of ten were not able to answer the questions asked by him.
(iii) Men of the highest ability and talent taught in this monastery.

(i) The term 'Bhakti' is derived from the Sanskrit word 'bhaj', which means 'to divide or share'.
(ii) Bhagavat means God. It also means one who possesses and shares bhaga.
(iii) The devotee shares an intimate, two-way relationship with the deity.
(iv) The devotee, known as the bhakta or the bhagavata, shares the bhaga of his or her chosen deity.

The places where Theravade Buddhism had a strong hold were Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand and Indonesia.

(i) Earlier, Buddha's presence was shown in sculptures by using certain signs. Now, statues of Buddha are made.
(ii) The second change was a belief in Bodhisattvas. They were supposed to be persons who attained enlightenment' and remained in the world to teach and help other people.

(i) The best-known of the rulers who controlled the Silk Route were the Kushanas, who ruled over Central Asia and North-West India around 2000 years ago.
(ii) During there rule, a branch of the Silk Route was extended from Central Asia down to the seaports at the mouth of the river Indus, from where silk was shipped westwards to the Roman Empire.
(iii)The Kushanas were amongst the earliest rulers of the sub-continent to issue gold coins. These were used by traders along the' Silk Route.

Some kings tried to control large portions of the Silks Route because they could benefit from taxes, tributes and gifts that were brought by traders travelling along the route. In return, they protected the traders who passed through their kingdoms from attacks by robbers.

Making silk is a complicated process. Raw silk has to be extracted from the cocoons of silk worms, spun into thread and then woven into cloth. Techniques of making silk were first invented in China around 7000 years ago.

About 2000 years ago, wearing silk became the fashion amongst rulers and rich people in Rome because:
(i) It was very expensive, as it had to be brought all the way from China along dangerous roads, through mountains and deserts.
(ii) People living along the route often demanded payments for allowing traders to pass through.

(i) Around 200 years later a dynasty known as the Satavahanas became powerful in Western India.
(ii) The most important ruler of the Satavahanas was Gautamiputra Shri Satakarni. (They all) He and other were known as Lords of the Dakshinapatha.

Traders carried many goods to Rome in ships, across the sea, and by land in caravans. Traders explored several sea routes and followed the coasts. The sailors took advantage of the monsoon winds to cross the seas more quickly.

The word 'Hindu', like the term 'India' is derived from the river Indus. It was used by Arabs and Iranians to refer to the people who lived to the East of the river and their cultural practices, including religious beliefs.

The pilgrims who came to visit India left an account of their journeys. They wrote about the dangers they faced during their travels. They also had explained about the countries and the monasteries that they had visited and the books they had carried back with them.

'Muvendar' is a Tamil word which means three chiefs, used for the heads of the three ruling families of South India. They were the Cholas, Cheras and Pandyas, who became powerful around 2300 years ago.

Technique of making silk was first introduced in China around 7000 years ago. And the making of silk was kept secret for thousands of years. In order to make silk, raw silk has to be extracted from the cocoons of silk worms and then spun into thread and lastly woven into cloth. The process of making silk is quite complicated.

The chiefs did not collect regular taxes instead they:
• demanded and received gifts from people.
• went on military expeditions and collected tribute from neighbouring areas.
• kept some wealth and distributed the rest between supporters, family members, poets etc.