History

Historical Writing Systems

1,793 Questions

Historical writing systems represent the early methods of human communication and record keeping. This topic covers ancient scripts like Cuneiform, Brahmi, and Egyptian hieroglyphs, along with their historical usage. Knowledge of these scripts is essential for history and art culture preparation.

Ancient Indian scriptsCuneiform writingEgyptian hieroglyphsPhoenician alphabetGupta script

Historical Writing Systems Questions

Multiple choice

What is not true about 'script' in Indus Valley civilization?

  1. script is not yet deciphered

  2. script is not alphabetical but pictographic

  3. script is not pictographic but alphabetical

  4. script is pictographic
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The Indus script is widely accepted by scholars as being pictographic or logographic in nature, not alphabetical. Therefore, the statement that it is 'not pictographic but alphabetical' is false.

Multiple choice

What is not true about ‘script’ in Indus Valley Civilization?

  1. Script is pictographic

  2. Script is not pictographic but alphabetical

  3. Script is not alphabetical but pictographic

  4. Script is not yet deciphered
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The fact which is not true about ‘script’ in Indus Valley Civilization is that script is not pictographic but alphabetical. The writing system is largely pictorial but includes many abstract signs as well. The script is thought to have been mostly written from right to left, but sometimes follows a boustrophedon style.  

Multiple choice

Asokan inscription were first deciphered by:

  1. A. Cunningham

  2. J. Prinsep

  3. V. A. Smith

  4. J. Fleet
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Asokan inscription were first deciphered by J. Prinsep. In 1837, James Prinsep succeeded in deciphering an ancient inscription on a large stone pillar in Delhi.  Prinsep's inscription proved to be a series of edicts issued by a king calling himself Beloved-of-the-Gods. 

Multiple choice

In “Boustrophedon” the style of script is

  1. Always written from right to left

  2. Left to right in first line and right to left in the second

  3. Always written from left to right

  4. Written from right to left in first line and left to right in second line
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

In “Boustrophedon” the style of script is written from right to left in first line and left to right in second line. Rather than going left-to-right as in modern English, or right-to-left as in Arabic, alternate lines in boustrophedon must be read in opposite directions. The individual characters are reversed or mirrored in it.

Multiple choice

The oldest Aryan language is

  1. Greek

  2. Persian

  3. Sanskrit

  4. Latin
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Sanskrit is considered one of the oldest attested Indo-Aryan languages. It is the liturgical language of Hinduism and holds a foundational place in linguistic history.

Multiple choice

Most of the edicts of Asoka are written in which script?

  1. Magadhi

  2. Sanskrit

  3. Brahmi

  4. Aramic and Greek
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The second sentence of the passage answers this, Most of them are written in Brahmi script from which all Indian scripts and many of those used in Southeast Asia later developed.

Multiple choice

How have Asoka`s edicts survived throughout the centuries?

  1. Because they comprise the earliest decipherable corpus of written documents from India.

  2. Because they were written on metal alloy pillars.

  3. Because they were written on rocks and stone pillars.

  4. Because both the pillars and the capitals exhibit a remarkable mirror-like polish that has survived despite centuries of exposure to the elements.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The fifth sentence answers this. Asokas edicts survived throughout the centuries because they are written on rocks and stone pillars.`

Multiple choice

What word best describes Sequoyah's early life in the eyes of historians? There is nothing that is known about the early life of Sequoyah � A Cherokee silversmith. It is believed that he grew up in Tennessee and was abandoned by his father. Around 1809 Seqouyah shifted to the village of Willstown, Alabama and established himself as a silversmith. There he created the written Cherokee language. His alphabets took 12 years to finish. In the Cherokee alphabets each syllable had a special character. In total, the alphabets had 86 varied characters. The Cherokee Nation was quick to adopt Sequoyah�s alphabet and made it the official language in 1825. From 1828 to 1834, this language was used in the official newspaper of the Cherokee Nation - Cherokee Phoenix.

  1. Sad

  2. Unknown

  3. Interesting

  4. Exciting

  5. -
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

There is nothing that is known about the early life of Sequoyah - A Cherokee silversmith.

Multiple choice

Sequoyah was a _______________________. There is nothing that is known about the early life of Sequoyah � A Cherokee silversmith. It is believed that he grew up in Tennessee and was abandoned by his father. Around 1809 Seqouyah shifted to the village of Willstown, Alabama and established himself as a silversmith. There he created the written Cherokee language. His alphabets took 12 years to finish. In the Cherokee alphabets each syllable had a special character. In total, the alphabets had 86 varied characters. The Cherokee Nation was quick to adopt Sequoyah�s alphabet and made it the official language in 1825. From 1828 to 1834, this language was used in the official newspaper of the Cherokee Nation - Cherokee Phoenix.

  1. Goldsmith

  2. Painter

  3. Carpenter

  4. Silversmith

  5. -
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

There is nothing that is known about the early life of Sequoyah - A Cherokee silversmith.

Multiple choice

In Sequoyah's alphabet each ____________________ had a specific character. There is nothing that is known about the early life of Sequoyah � A Cherokee silversmith. It is believed that he grew up in Tennessee and was abandoned by his father. Around 1809 Seqouyah shifted to the village of Willstown, Alabama and established himself as a silversmith. There he created the written Cherokee language. His alphabets took 12 years to finish. In the Cherokee alphabets each syllable had a special character. In total, the alphabets had 86 varied characters. The Cherokee Nation was quick to adopt Sequoyah�s alphabet and made it the official language in 1825. From 1828 to 1834, this language was used in the official newspaper of the Cherokee Nation - Cherokee Phoenix.

  1. Sentence

  2. Syllable

  3. Letter

  4. Word

  5. -
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

In the Cherokee alphabets each syllable had a special character.

Multiple choice

What was the Cherokee Phoenix?

There is nothing that is known about the early life of Sequoyah – A Cherokee silversmith. It is believed that he grew up in Tennessee and was abandoned by his father. Around 1809 Seqouyah shifted to the village of Willstown, Alabama and established himself as a silversmith. There he created the written Cherokee language. His alphabets took 12 years to finish. In the Cherokee alphabets each syllable had a special character. In total, the alphabets had 86 varied characters. The Cherokee Nation was quick to adopt Sequoyah’s alphabet and made it the official language in 1825. From 1828 to 1834, this language was used in the official newspaper of the Cherokee Nation - Cherokee Phoenix.
 

  1. Cherokee Newspaper

  2. A Cherokee God

  3. A Cherokee Symbol

  4. A Cherokee Celebration

  5. -
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

From 1828 to 1834, this language was used in the official newspaper of the Cherokee Nation - Cherokee Phoenix.

Multiple choice

What did the Cherokee Nation think of Sequoyah's alphabet? There is nothing that is known about the early life of Sequoyah � A Cherokee silversmith. It is believed that he grew up in Tennessee and was abandoned by his father. Around 1809 Seqouyah shifted to the village of Willstown, Alabama and established himself as a silversmith. There he created the written Cherokee language. His alphabets took 12 years to finish. In the Cherokee alphabets each syllable had a special character. In total, the alphabets had 86 varied characters. The Cherokee Nation was quick to adopt Sequoyah�s alphabet and made it the official language in 1825. From 1828 to 1834, this language was used in the official newspaper of the Cherokee Nation - Cherokee Phoenix.

  1. They decided they did not need an alphabet.

  2. They eventually used it.

  3. They quickly used it.

  4. They refused to use it.

  5. -
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

The Cherokee Nation was quick to adopt Sequoyah's alphabet and made it the official language in 1825.

Multiple choice

There are striking similarities between the Indian civilization and the Sumerian civilization. During the Sumerian civilization, Cuneiform system of writing was developed. This was basically

  1. drawings and paintings on caves

  2. impressions by sun dried clay tablets

  3. writings on tree barks

  4. writings on stones
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

The greatest achievement of Sumerian civilization was their Cunieform ("wedge-shaped") system of writing. Using a reed stylus, they made wedge-shaped impressions on wet clay tablets which were then baked in the sun. Once dried, these tablets were virtually indestructible. Originally, Sumerian writing was pictographic, that is, scribes drew pictures of representations of objects.