ICSE Class 9 · Chapter 6

Jainism and Buddhism ICSE Class 9: Rise and Teachings

Updated 15 October 2026 · Fact-checked

Jainism and Buddhism grew in the 6th century B.C. as reactions against costly rituals, Brahmana dominance and a rigid varna order. ICSE Class 9 tests their sources (Angas, Tripitakas, Jatakas), the causes of their rise, the Jain doctrines of Tri-ratnas, Karma, Equality and Moksha, and the Buddhist Four Noble Truths, Eightfold Path and Nirvana.

What Jainism and Buddhism is about

The 6th century B.C. was a time of intellectual ferment in north India. Iron tools had spread agriculture in the Ganga valley, towns and trade were growing, and kingdoms were becoming larger. At the same time Vedic religion had become dominated by elaborate sacrifices performed by Brahmana priests in Sanskrit. Many teachers questioned this order. Two of them founded lasting religions: Vardhamana Mahavira, the 24th Tirthankara of Jainism, and Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism.

The CISCE syllabus asks for a brief mention of the sources (the Jain Angas, the Buddhist Tripitakas and the Jatakas); the causes of the rise of both religions; and their main doctrines: for Jainism the Tri-ratnas, Karma, Equality and Moksha; for Buddhism the Four Noble Truths, the Eightfold Path and Nirvana.

Both faiths rejected animal sacrifice and Brahmana monopoly and stressed right conduct, but they differ in detail. Questions often ask you to explain one doctrine, list causes, or compare the two. Write respectfully and precisely: use the correct terms and explain them in plain words.

Weightage: CISCE publishes no chapter weightage and no question-paper layout for ICSE Class 9 History and Civics. Class IX is examined by your school: one 80-mark paper of 2 hours plus 20 marks of internal assessment. Jainism and Buddhism is History topic 3 of the 2028 syllabus.Source: CISCE ICSE 2028 History and Civics syllabus, Class IX

Key concepts

Sources: Angas, Tripitakas and Jatakas

Angas: the twelve Angas are the main sacred texts of the Jains. They contain the teachings of Mahavira and rules of conduct for monks and lay followers. They were written in Prakrit (Ardhamagadhi) and compiled long after Mahavira's death.

Tripitakas ('three baskets'): the sacred texts of Buddhism, in Pali:
1. Vinaya Pitaka: rules of discipline for monks and nuns in the Sangha.
2. Sutta Pitaka: the Buddha's sermons and dialogues.
3. Abhidhamma Pitaka: philosophical analysis of the teachings.

Jatakas: several hundred stories about the previous births of the Buddha, in which he appears as a human or an animal practising virtues. They also give glimpses of social and economic life, such as trade, crafts and towns.

Worked example

(3 marks) Name the three Pitakas and state what each contains.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Vinaya Pitaka: rules for monks and nuns - 1 mark.
Sutta Pitaka: sermons and teachings of the Buddha - 1 mark.
Abhidhamma Pitaka: philosophy of the teachings - 1 mark.

Answer: The Vinaya Pitaka contains the rules of discipline for the Sangha; the Sutta Pitaka contains the Buddha's sermons; the Abhidhamma Pitaka contains the philosophical explanation of his teachings.

Causes for the rise of Jainism and Buddhism

1. Complex and costly rituals: Vedic religion had become a matter of elaborate sacrifices that only the rich could afford and only priests could perform.
2. Dominance of the Brahmanas: priests claimed special privileges and a monopoly over religion and learning.
3. Rigid varna system: the Shudras and lower groups were denied rights and respect; both new faiths welcomed all.
4. Language: Vedic rituals were in Sanskrit, which ordinary people did not understand; Mahavira and Buddha preached in the people's languages (Prakrit, Pali).
5. New agricultural economy: with iron ploughs, cattle were needed for farming, but sacrifices killed many animals; the doctrine of non-violence appealed to farmers.
6. Rise of traders: Vaishyas grew wealthy through trade but were given a low social rank; they supported faiths that did not look down on them.
7. Kshatriya resentment: Kshatriyas resented Brahmana claims of superiority; both founders were Kshatriyas.
8. Simple teachings and royal patronage: clear moral teachings attracted people, and rulers of the time supported the new faiths.

Worked example

(4 marks) Explain four causes for the rise of Jainism and Buddhism in the 6th century B.C.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Costly and complicated rituals and sacrifices - 1 mark.
Domination of the Brahmanas and rigidity of the varna system - 1 mark.
Use of Sanskrit, not understood by common people; new faiths used Prakrit and Pali - 1 mark.
Spread of agriculture needing cattle, opposed to animal sacrifice / support of traders - 1 mark.

Answer: (1) Vedic religion had become a costly system of sacrifices. (2) Brahmanas dominated religion, and the rigid varna system denied respect to lower groups. (3) Rituals were in Sanskrit, which common people did not understand, whereas the new teachers used Prakrit and Pali. (4) Farmers needed cattle for ploughing and resented their slaughter in sacrifices; traders, too, supported faiths that gave them dignity.

Jain doctrines: Tri-ratnas and Karma

Mahavira (Vardhamana) is regarded as the 24th and last Tirthankara of Jainism; the 23rd was Parshvanatha. He attained kevala jnana (supreme knowledge) and was called Jina (conqueror), from which the word Jain comes.

Tri-ratnas (three jewels), the path to liberation:
1. Right faith (samyak darshana): belief in the teachings of the Tirthankaras.
2. Right knowledge (samyak jnana): true understanding of the teachings.
3. Right conduct (samyak charitra): living by five vows: ahimsa (non-violence), satya (truth), asteya (not stealing), aparigraha (non-possession) and brahmacharya (chastity). Mahavira added the fifth vow to the four of Parshvanatha.

Karma: every soul is bound by the effects of its own actions (karma). Good and bad deeds determine the soul's future births. Karma is the cause of the cycle of birth and death. Through right conduct, penance and the Tri-ratnas a person can stop new karma and destroy past karma.

Worked example

(3 marks) What are the Tri-ratnas of Jainism? Name the five vows included in right conduct.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Right faith - 1 mark (with right knowledge).
Right knowledge and right conduct - 1 mark.
Five vows: ahimsa, satya, asteya, aparigraha, brahmacharya - 1 mark.

Answer: The Tri-ratnas are right faith, right knowledge and right conduct. Right conduct means keeping the five vows: ahimsa (non-violence), satya (truth), asteya (not stealing), aparigraha (non-possession) and brahmacharya (chastity).

Jain doctrines: Equality and Moksha

Equality: Mahavira rejected the idea that birth decided a person's worth. He opposed the varna system and the claims of Brahmanas, and taught that anyone, of any varna, man or woman, could follow the path to liberation. Jainism also extends respect to all living beings, since all have souls; this is the basis of strict ahimsa.

Moksha: the final goal of life is moksha, the liberation of the soul from the bondage of karma and from the cycle of birth and death. It is attained by following the Tri-ratnas, practising strict non-violence, self-discipline and penance. A liberated soul enjoys infinite knowledge and bliss.

Worked example

(2 marks) What is meant by moksha in Jainism? How can it be attained?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Moksha: freedom of the soul from karma and from the cycle of birth and death - 1 mark.
Attained by following the Tri-ratnas, non-violence and penance - 1 mark.

Answer: Moksha is the liberation of the soul from the bondage of karma and the cycle of rebirth. It is attained by following right faith, right knowledge and right conduct, with strict non-violence and self-discipline.

Buddhism: the Four Noble Truths

Siddhartha Gautama, a Kshatriya prince of the Shakya clan, was born at Lumbini. Moved by the sight of old age, sickness and death, he left home in search of truth and attained enlightenment under a pipal tree at Bodh Gaya, becoming the Buddha (the Enlightened One). He gave his first sermon at Sarnath near Varanasi and died at Kushinagar.

The Four Noble Truths (Arya Satya):
1. Life is full of suffering (dukkha): birth, old age, sickness and death bring sorrow.
2. Suffering has a cause: desire or craving (tanha) for pleasure, possessions and life.
3. Suffering can be ended by ending desire.
4. There is a path to end suffering: the Eightfold Path.
The Buddha taught a Middle Path between a life of luxury and extreme self-torture.

Worked example

(4 marks) State the Four Noble Truths of Buddhism.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

The world is full of suffering - 1 mark.
Desire is the cause of suffering - 1 mark.
Suffering can be ended by giving up desire - 1 mark.
The way to end it is the Eightfold Path - 1 mark.

Answer: (1) Life is full of suffering. (2) The cause of suffering is desire or craving. (3) Suffering ends when desire ends. (4) Desire can be ended by following the Eightfold Path.

Buddhism: the Eightfold Path and Nirvana

The Eightfold Path (Ashtangika Marga) is the Buddha's practical guide to ending desire:
1. Right understanding (view)
2. Right thought (intention)
3. Right speech
4. Right action
5. Right livelihood
6. Right effort
7. Right mindfulness
8. Right concentration
These are often grouped as wisdom (1-2), moral conduct (3-5) and mental discipline (6-8).

Nirvana is the final goal: the state in which desire is extinguished, suffering ends and the person is freed from the cycle of rebirth. The Buddha taught that it could be reached in this life through the Eightfold Path, without sacrifices, priests or extreme penance.

Comparison with Jainism: both seek release from rebirth and stress karma and non-violence; Jainism insists on strict penance and extreme ahimsa, while Buddhism follows the Middle Path.

Worked example

(3 marks) What is Nirvana? Name any four steps of the Eightfold Path.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Nirvana: extinction of desire and freedom from suffering and rebirth - 1 mark.
Any two steps, e.g. right understanding, right speech - 1 mark.
Any two more, e.g. right action, right livelihood - 1 mark.

Answer: Nirvana is the state in which all desire is extinguished, so suffering ends and the cycle of rebirth stops. Four steps of the Eightfold Path: right understanding, right speech, right action and right livelihood (others: right thought, effort, mindfulness, concentration).

Jainism and Buddhism in real life

Each concept, met in an everyday situation. Read the situation, answer the question in your own words, then compare with the model answer. The one-line hook is what to remember.

Desire as the cause of suffering

Suppose a student keeps wanting the newest phone; each time he gets one, he is happy for a week and then unhappy again when a newer model appears.

Explain his experience using two of the Four Noble Truths.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

The second Noble Truth: the cause of suffering is desire or craving.
His repeated wanting produces repeated dissatisfaction.
The third Noble Truth: suffering ends when craving ends, not when it is fed.

Answer: His unhappiness comes from craving (the second Truth). Feeding the craving only renews it; according to the third Truth, the suffering would end only when he stops the craving itself.

Memory hook: Feed a desire and it grows hungrier.

Ahimsa and the five vows

Imagine a Jain shopkeeper who sweeps the path before walking, refuses to sell leather goods and gives away extra stock instead of hoarding it.

Identify two of the five vows shown in his behaviour.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Sweeping the path and refusing leather avoid harm to living beings: ahimsa.
Giving away extra stock rather than hoarding: aparigraha (non-possession).
Both form part of right conduct, one of the Tri-ratnas.

Answer: Ahimsa (non-violence), shown by avoiding harm to living beings, and aparigraha (non-possession), shown by not hoarding goods.

Memory hook: Harm none, hoard none.

Language and the spread of ideas

Suppose a health message is printed only in a classical language few people read, while a second campaign uses the local language and simple stories.

Which campaign would reach more people, and which cause of the rise of Buddhism and Jainism does this illustrate?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

People understand and remember messages in their own language.
Vedic rituals were in Sanskrit, which most people did not understand.
Mahavira and Buddha preached in Prakrit and Pali, the people's languages.

Answer: The local-language campaign. It illustrates why the new faiths spread: they preached in Prakrit and Pali rather than Sanskrit, so ordinary people understood them.

Memory hook: Speak the people's tongue, win the people's hearts.

Topics in this chapter

Teachings of Mahavira and the Buddha

Jainism and Buddhism: key facts

Period of rise: 6th century B.C.; Iron, agriculture, towns and trade expanding.
Mahavira: 24th Tirthankara; Jina; 23rd: Parshvanatha. Added the fifth vow (brahmacharya).
Tri-ratnas: Right faith + right knowledge + right conduct; Path to moksha.
Buddha's life: Born Lumbini; enlightened Bodh Gaya; first sermon Sarnath; died Kushinagar; Shakya clan.
Tripitakas: Vinaya (rules), Sutta (sermons), Abhidhamma (philosophy); In Pali.
Jain canon: 12 Angas, in Prakrit; Teachings of Mahavira.

How the school exam asks Jainism and Buddhism

The question patterns to expect, and the method that works for each.

Question type	How it is asked	Method
Sources (1-2 marks)	What are the Jatakas? Name the Tripitakas.	One line each: what it is and which faith it belongs to.
Causes (4 marks)	Explain the causes for the rise of Jainism and Buddhism.	Four separate causes: ritual, Brahmana dominance/varna, language, economy.
Doctrines (3-4 marks)	Explain the Tri-ratnas / Karma / the Four Noble Truths / the Eightfold Path.	Name each item with its Sanskrit/Pali term and a short meaning.
Compare (3-4 marks)	Similarities and differences between Jainism and Buddhism.	Similarities: anti-ritual, anti-varna, karma, non-violence. Differences: penance vs Middle Path, extent of ahimsa.

Tricks to remember Jainism and Buddhism

Short memory aids. Say each one aloud once, then use it on a question the same day.

Faith, Know, Do
Tri-ratnas = believe rightly, know rightly, act rightly.
Use it when: Three jewels in order.
S-C-E-P
Suffering, Cause (desire), End possible, Path (Eightfold).
Use it when: Four Noble Truths in order.
V-S-A: Very Simple Answers
Vinaya (rules), Sutta (sermons), Abhidhamma (analysis).
Use it when: Three Pitakas.

Jainism and Buddhism: exam-level solved questions

Ordered from exam level to HOTS. Cover the solution, write your own, then compare step by step.

Example 1: Jatakas · 1 mark · MCQExam level

The Jatakas are:
(a) rules for Jain monks
(b) stories of the previous births of the Buddha
(c) the twelve sacred books of the Jains
(d) hymns of the Rig Veda

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

The Angas are Jain texts; the Jatakas are Buddhist.
They narrate the Buddha's earlier lives.

Answer: (b) stories of the previous births of the Buddha.

Example 2: Assertion and reason: language · 1 mark · Assertion-reasonHarder exam level

Assertion (A): Buddhism became popular among ordinary people.
Reason (R): The Buddha preached in Pali, the language of the common people.
(a) Both A and R are true and R explains A
(b) Both A and R are true but R does not explain A
(c) A is true but R is false
(d) A is false but R is true

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Buddhism did spread widely among ordinary people.
Preaching in Pali made the teachings understandable; R is a valid explanation.

Answer: (a) Both A and R are true and R explains A.

Example 3: Karma in Jainism · 3 marks · Short answerHarder exam level

Explain the Jain doctrine of Karma and its connection with Moksha.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Every action produces karma that binds the soul.
Karma decides future births and keeps the soul in the cycle of birth and death.
Moksha comes when, through the Tri-ratnas and penance, new karma is stopped and old karma destroyed.

Answer: Jains believe every action leaves karma that clings to the soul and decides its future births, keeping it in the cycle of rebirth. Moksha is reached when, by right faith, knowledge and conduct and by penance, no new karma is formed and past karma is destroyed, freeing the soul.

Example 4: The Middle Path · 2 marks · Short answerExam level

What was the Middle Path? Why did the Buddha recommend it?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

The Middle Path avoids both a life of luxury and extreme self-torture.
The Buddha had tried severe penance and found it did not lead to enlightenment.

Answer: The Middle Path is a balanced life that avoids both indulgence and extreme self-mortification. The Buddha recommended it because his own severe fasting had weakened him without bringing wisdom; enlightenment came through moderation and meditation.

Example 5: Comparing two faiths · 4 marks · Long answerHarder exam level

State two similarities and two differences between Jainism and Buddhism.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Similarity 1: both rejected Vedic sacrifices and the authority of the Brahmanas.
Similarity 2: both believed in karma and rebirth, aimed at release from rebirth and stressed non-violence and right conduct.
Difference 1: Jainism stresses severe penance and fasting; Buddhism follows the Middle Path.
Difference 2: Jain ahimsa is extreme, extending to all living things; the goal is called moksha in Jainism and nirvana in Buddhism.

Answer: Similarities: both rejected sacrifices and Brahmana dominance; both accepted karma and rebirth and sought liberation through right conduct and non-violence. Differences: Jainism prescribes severe penance while Buddhism follows the Middle Path; Jain non-violence is far stricter, and the goal is termed moksha in Jainism and nirvana in Buddhism.

Example 6: Economic causes · 3 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency

Historians say that changes in the economy helped the rise of Jainism and Buddhism. Explain this with two examples.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Agriculture with iron ploughs needed cattle; animal sacrifices wasted cattle, so non-violence appealed to farmers.
Traders (Vaishyas) became wealthy but were given low status; the new faiths gave them respect and they supported them.
The new faiths also discouraged war and violence, suiting traders who needed peace for commerce.

Answer: Farmers using iron ploughs needed cattle, and the slaughter of animals in sacrifices hurt them; the new faiths' non-violence suited them. Wealthy traders, ranked low in the varna order, found respect in the new faiths, which also favoured peace, good for trade. So economic change created followers and patrons for both religions.

Example 7: Equality in Jainism · 3 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency

How did the Jain idea of equality challenge the society of the 6th century B.C.?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

Society was organised by a rigid varna order with Brahmanas at the top.
Mahavira taught that birth did not decide a person's worth and that anyone could attain moksha.
This undermined Brahmana privilege and attracted lower varnas and women to the faith.

Answer: In a society ranked rigidly by varna, Mahavira's teaching that the path to liberation was open to all, whatever their birth, and his admission of women as well as men to the order, challenged Brahmana privilege and drew people of lower status to Jainism.

Case-study practice (Section B style)

Read the situation, then answer every part. In a school exam set on the board pattern this is a 10-mark question split into 3 + 3 + 4 marks.

The deer park sermon

Read the passage and answer the questions.

'In a deer park near Varanasi, a teacher who had recently found enlightenment under a tree spoke to five former companions. He told them that neither luxury nor self-torture would free them, and explained what causes sorrow and how it may end.'

(i) · 3 marks
Identify the teacher, the place of the sermon and the place of enlightenment.
Answer
Answer: Gautama Buddha; Sarnath; Bodh Gaya.
1 mark each.
(ii) · 3 marks
What path did he recommend between 'luxury' and 'self-torture'? State the Four Noble Truths he explained.
Answer
Answer: The Middle Path. Truths: life is full of suffering; desire is its cause; suffering ends when desire ends; the Eightfold Path leads to its end.
1 mark for Middle Path, 2 marks for the four truths.
(iii) · 4 marks
Name the Buddhist texts that record such sermons and the rules of the order. What are the Jatakas?
Answer
Answer: The Tripitakas: the Sutta Pitaka records sermons, the Vinaya Pitaka the rules of the Sangha (and the Abhidhamma Pitaka philosophy). The Jatakas are stories of the Buddha's previous births.
1 mark for Tripitakas, 1 each for Sutta and Vinaya, 1 for Jatakas.

Where the marks are

How a typical answer is split into step marks. Show every step: a right final answer alone rarely earns full marks.

What is Nirvana? How can it be attained? (2 marks) (2 marks)

Step	Marks
Freedom from desire, suffering and rebirth.	1
By following the Eightfold Path.	1

Explain the Tri-ratnas. (3 marks) (3 marks)

Step	Marks
Right faith.	1
Right knowledge.	1
Right conduct with the five vows.	1

State the Four Noble Truths. (4 marks) (4 marks)

Step	Marks
Life is suffering.	1
Desire is the cause.	1
Ending desire ends suffering.	1
The Eightfold Path is the way.	1

Where students lose marks in Jainism and Buddhism

The slips examiners see most often, and what to write instead.

Mistake: Mixing up the Angas and Tripitakas
Both are lists of sacred texts.
Wrong working
The Angas are Buddhist texts in Pali.
Right working
Angas: Jain, Prakrit. Tripitakas: Buddhist, Pali.
Do this: Angas = Jain; Pitakas = Buddhist.
Usually costs: 1 mark.
Mistake: Listing the Eightfold Path as the Four Noble Truths
Students merge the two doctrines.
Do this: Truths explain the problem (suffering, cause, end, path); the Path is the eight steps of the fourth truth.
Usually costs: Up to 4 marks.
Mistake: Calling Mahavira the founder of Jainism without qualification
Jain tradition has 24 Tirthankaras.
Do this: Write 'Mahavira, the 24th Tirthankara' (Parshvanatha the 23rd).
Usually costs: 1 mark.
Mistake: Giving vague causes like 'people were unhappy'
No specific reason stated.
Do this: Name the cause: costly rituals, Brahmana dominance, rigid varna, Sanskrit, cattle and agriculture, traders.
Usually costs: 1 mark per cause.

Practice questions on Jainism and Buddhism

Write each answer on paper first. Open the hint only if you are stuck, and the answer only when you have finished.

Q1 · 1 mark · MCQExam level
The 24th Tirthankara of the Jains was:
(a) Rishabhanatha
(b) Parshvanatha
(c) Mahavira
(d) Gautama
Hint
Vardhamana.
Answer
(c) Mahavira.
Q2 · 1 mark · MCQHarder exam level
Which of the following is NOT part of the Eightfold Path?
(a) Right speech
(b) Right livelihood
(c) Right sacrifice
(d) Right effort
Hint
Buddha rejected rituals.
Answer
(c) Right sacrifice.
Q3 · 1 mark · Very short answerExam level
In which language are the Tripitakas written?
Hint
Language of the Buddha's preaching.
Answer
Pali.
Q4 · 2 marks · Very short answerExam level
What are the Angas?
Hint
Twelve.
Answer
The twelve main sacred texts of the Jains, in Prakrit, containing Mahavira's teachings and rules of conduct.
Q5 · 2 marks · Very short answerHarder exam level
Why did the Vaishyas support the new religions?
Hint
Wealth but low status.
Answer
They had grown wealthy through trade but were given a low social status by the varna order; the new religions did not look down on them, and their emphasis on non-violence and peace suited trade.
Q6 · 2 marks · Very short answerHarder exam level
Name the fifth vow added by Mahavira and the four vows of Parshvanatha.
Hint
Chastity.
Answer
Mahavira added brahmacharya (chastity) to Parshvanatha's four vows: ahimsa, satya, asteya and aparigraha.
Q7 · 2 marks · Very short answerHOTS / competency
Why are the Jatakas useful to a historian studying the economy of the period?
Hint
Background details.
Answer
Although they are moral stories, the Jatakas describe merchants, caravans, crafts, towns and markets as background, giving incidental evidence of economic life.
Q8 · 3 marks · Short answerExam level
Explain the Tri-ratnas of Jainism.
Hint
Faith, knowledge, conduct.
Answer
Right faith: belief in the Tirthankaras' teachings. Right knowledge: correct understanding of those teachings. Right conduct: living by the five vows of non-violence, truth, not stealing, non-possession and chastity. Together they lead to moksha.
Q9 · 3 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency
'The Eightfold Path is a guide to ethical living as much as a religious path.' Justify with three steps of the path.
Hint
Speech, action, livelihood.
Answer
Right speech asks us not to lie or hurt others; right action asks us not to kill or steal; right livelihood asks us to earn without harming others. These are moral rules for daily life, not rituals, which supports the statement.
Q10 · 3 marks · Short answerHarder exam level
How did the dominance of the Brahmanas lead to the rise of new religions?
Hint
Privilege, rituals, Kshatriyas.
Answer
Brahmanas claimed the highest status and a monopoly over rituals and learning, demanding large fees for sacrifices. Other groups, especially Kshatriyas (both founders were Kshatriyas) and Vaishyas, resented this, and welcomed faiths that rejected priestly privilege and offered liberation through personal conduct.

Test your recall

Answer in your head or on paper first, then open the card. Pulling an answer out of memory makes it stick far better than re-reading.

1.Where did the Buddha attain enlightenment?Show answer
Bodh Gaya.
2.Where was the first sermon given?Show answer
Sarnath.
3.What are the three jewels of Jainism?Show answer
Right faith, right knowledge, right conduct.
4.What is the cause of suffering according to the Buddha?Show answer
Desire (craving).
5.Which Pitaka contains rules for monks?Show answer
Vinaya Pitaka.
6.How many Angas are there?Show answer
Twelve.

Best order to study it

Learn the sources in one line each.
Learn eight causes and choose four strong ones for answers.
Learn the Jain doctrines: Tri-ratnas with five vows, Karma, Equality, Moksha.
Learn the Four Noble Truths, then the eight steps, then Nirvana.
Finish with a comparison of the two faiths.

Quick revision checklist

The night before the exam: can you do each of these without looking?

Sources: 12 Angas (Jain, Prakrit); Tripitakas: Vinaya, Sutta, Abhidhamma (Buddhist, Pali); Jatakas: Buddha's previous births.
Causes: costly rituals, Brahmana dominance, rigid varna, Sanskrit, cattle needed for farming, rising traders, Kshatriya resentment.
Mahavira: 24th Tirthankara; Tri-ratnas: right faith, knowledge, conduct; five vows.
Karma binds the soul; Moksha = liberation from karma and rebirth; Equality: open to all.
Buddha: Lumbini, Bodh Gaya, Sarnath, Kushinagar.
Four Noble Truths: suffering, desire, ending desire, Eightfold Path; Nirvana = end of desire and rebirth.

Jainism and Buddhism: frequently asked questions

How much detail on the sources does the syllabus want?

Only a brief mention: what the Angas, Tripitakas and Jatakas are and to which faith they belong. The main weight is on causes and doctrines.

Are dates of Mahavira and Buddha needed?

The syllabus places both in the 6th century B.C. Exact birth years are debated, so knowing the century and the key places is enough.

Is the Middle Path a separate doctrine?

It is the Buddha's general approach of avoiding extremes; the Eightfold Path is its practical form.

Based on: CISCE ICSE 2028 History, Civics and Geography (50): History and Civics syllabus (Classes IX and X); CISCE Regulations for ICSE Examination Year 2028