Ashoka, the Emperor Who Gave Up War Class 6 NCERT Solutions
These Ashoka, the Emperor Who Gave Up War Class 6 NCERT solutions cover all eight legacy exercise questions on the Mauryan Empire, Ashoka’s dhamma, administration, inscriptions, the Kalinga War and the Lion Capital. The answers below have been corrected where older online versions repeat historical errors or unsupported claims.
2026–27 learning note: this exercise belongs to the older NCERT Our Pasts–I sequence. The current Class VI Social Science textbook is Exploring Society: India and Beyond, which organises these themes differently. The legacy exercise remains useful for understanding empires, inscriptions, governance and historical evidence.
| Exercise focus | Key idea |
|---|---|
| Mauryan occupations | Farming, crafts, trade, herding, administration and forest-based work. |
| Administration | Taxes, governors, roads, rivers and resources from different regions. |
| Ashoka’s dhamma | Ethical conduct, welfare, restraint and respect among communities. |
| Inscriptions | Direct historical evidence from Ashoka’s reign. |
| Lion Capital | The Sarnath Lion Capital is the basis of India’s State Emblem. |
Watch & Learn: One English + One Hindi Lesson
English: Ashoka, the Emperor Who Gave Up War
This public Examrace lesson explains the Mauryan dynasty, Ashoka, Kalinga, dhamma, inscriptions and the structure of the empire. Use it before attempting the exercise answers below.
If the player does not load, open the English lesson on YouTube.
हिंदी: अशोक – एक अनोखा सम्राट जिसने युद्ध का त्याग किया
यह सार्वजनिक Ritesh Kumar Singh पाठ कक्षा 6 NCERT के अनुसार मौर्य साम्राज्य, अशोक, कलिंग युद्ध, धम्म, अभिलेख और अध्याय के मुख्य प्रश्नों को हिंदी में समझाता है।
यदि वीडियो लोड न हो, तो YouTube पर हिंदी पाठ खोलें.
NCERT Exercise Answers
Q1. List the occupations of people who lived within the Mauryan Empire
Solution: People living in the Mauryan Empire followed many occupations because the empire included cities, villages, pastoral areas and forests.
- farming and agricultural work;
- herding animals;
- craft production and handicrafts;
- trade and commerce;
- administrative and other work connected with towns and the state;
- hunting and gathering forest produce.
Q2. Complete the following sentences
- (a) Officials collected taxes from the area under the direct control of the ruler.
- (b) Royal princes often went to the provinces as governors.
- (c) The Mauryan rulers tried to control roads and rivers, which were important for transport.
- (d) People in forested regions provided Mauryan officials with resources such as elephants, timber, honey and wax.
Q3. State whether True or False
- (a) False. Taxila, not Ujjain, was the important gateway to the north-west.
- (b) False. The Arthashastra is traditionally associated with Kautilya (Chanakya), not Chandragupta as the author of its ideas.
- (c) False. Kalinga was an ancient region on the eastern coast, mainly associated with present-day Odisha and adjoining areas, not Bengal.
- (d) True. Most Ashokan inscriptions across much of the subcontinent were written in Brahmi script. Brahmi is a script, not a language; some north-western inscriptions used Kharosthi and a few in the Afghanistan region used Greek or Aramaic.
Q4. What problems did Ashoka want to address through dhamma?
Solution: Ashoka’s inscriptions suggest that he wanted to encourage more peaceful and responsible behaviour in a large, diverse empire. The problems included:
- conflict and lack of respect between different religious or social groups;
- cruelty toward servants, dependants and other people in weaker positions;
- unnecessary killing of animals and excessive sacrifice;
- quarrels within families and communities;
- lack of respect for parents, elders and teachers.
Remember: Ashoka’s dhamma was a broad ethical programme for a diverse empire. It should not be reduced to a simple synonym for Buddhism.
Q5. How did Ashoka spread the message of dhamma?
- He appointed special officials called Dhamma Mahamattas.
- He had messages engraved on rocks and pillars in different parts of the empire.
- Officials and messengers communicated these ideas to people across distant regions.
- His inscriptions refer to contacts and messages extending beyond the immediate heartland of the empire.
- Because many people could not read, public communication also depended on officials explaining or announcing royal messages.
Q6. Why might slaves and servants have been ill-treated? Could Ashoka’s orders improve their condition?
Solution: Slaves and servants often occupied dependent social positions and had less power than the households or officials who controlled their work. This unequal relationship could make mistreatment easier. We should not assume that all servants were prisoners of war or belonged to one social group; the evidence is more varied than that.
Ashoka’s orders may have improved conditions to some extent because the emperor publicly asked people to treat servants and dependants properly and instructed officials to promote dhamma. However, an inscription does not prove that every person immediately obeyed the order. Historians distinguish between what a ruler ordered and what happened in everyday life.
Q7. Why are the lions shown on Indian currency notes? Name another place where you see them
Solution: The lions come from the Lion Capital of Ashoka at Sarnath, which was adopted as the State Emblem of India on 26 January 1950. The original capital has four lions standing back-to-back; in the two-dimensional national emblem, three are visible. Below them is an abacus with animal figures and the Dharma Chakra.
Because the State Emblem represents the Republic of India, it appears on currency notes and many official government documents. Students may also see it on Indian passports, government letterheads, court documents and official seals.
Q8. If you could inscribe four orders, what would you command?
Sample answer: This is an open-ended activity, so students may write their own commands. One possible set is:
- Treat every person with dignity and do not discriminate.
- Protect water, forests, animals and public spaces.
- Resolve disagreements peacefully instead of using violence.
- Help children learn and support people who are elderly, ill or in need.
A strong answer should give commands that improve community life and briefly explain why each one matters.
Quick Revision Checklist
- Know the difference between an empire and a kingdom.
- Remember Taxila, Ujjain and Pataliputra as important Mauryan centres.
- Revise taxes, governors, roads, rivers and forest resources.
- Understand why Ashoka promoted dhamma after witnessing the suffering caused by conquest.
- Remember that Brahmi is a script, not a language.
- Connect the Sarnath Lion Capital with India’s State Emblem.
Quick Self-Test
- Which city was the gateway to the north-west?
- Who is traditionally associated with the Arthashastra?
- Name two means used by Ashoka to spread dhamma.
- Why are Ashoka’s inscriptions valuable historical evidence?
- Which Ashokan monument inspired India’s State Emblem?
Answers: (1) Taxila. (2) Kautilya or Chanakya. (3) Any two: Dhamma Mahamattas, rock/pillar inscriptions, officials and messengers. (4) They preserve public messages issued during Ashoka’s reign. (5) The Lion Capital of Ashoka at Sarnath.
Ashoka NCERT Solutions FAQs
Was Ashoka’s dhamma exactly the same as Buddhism?
No. Ashoka was associated with Buddhism, but his public dhamma promoted broad ethical behaviour such as restraint, respect, kindness, welfare and tolerance across different communities.
Why is Question 3(b) False?
The Arthashastra is traditionally associated with Kautilya (Chanakya). The statement incorrectly attributes those ideas to Chandragupta himself.
Why is the Lion Capital important today?
The Lion Capital at Sarnath was adopted as the basis of the State Emblem of India, which appears on currency notes, passports and many official documents.
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