India Vocabulary
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29 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 ahimsa | principle of nonviolence |
| ascetics | relates to Buddhism; people who practiced self-denial to achieve an understanding of ultimate reality |
| bhajan | devotional song, hymn |
| bindi | dot, point on the forehead (painted-on or stick-on); focus on the context of a beauty spot |
| Brahmans | one of the varnas in the Hindu caste system; the PRIESTLY CLASS (in charge of the religious ceremonies that were so important in Indian society) |
| caste system | a set of rigid social categories that determined not only a person's occupation, but also his/her position in society |
| Buddhism | religious doctrine initially appeared in northern India... became a rival of Hinduism; founded by Siddhartha Gautama (known as the Buddha) |
| chamar | cobbler, leatherworker |
| devadasi | temple dancer |
| dharma | known as "divine law;" this required all people to do their duty |
| gotra | local kin group whose members trace descent through the male line to an ancestral figure |
| Harrappa | major city in ancient India |
| Hinduism | religious doctrine of the Aryan people who settled in India after 1500 B.C.; evidence comes from the Vedas |
| karma | the force generated by a person's actions that determines how the person will be reborn in the next life |
| Kshatriyas | second level of the varnas in the Hindu caste system; WARRIORS |
| linga | a stone that symbolizes Hindu god Shiva (or Siva) |
| mahatma | great soul |
| mandala | a magical circle or set of concentric circles |
| Mohenjo-Daro | major cty in ancient India (archaeologists regerred to as the "City of the Dead" |
| monsoons | seasonal wind pattern in souther Asia; a primary feature of India's climate |
| mubarak | term meaning blessings |
| nirvana | when you have achieved the ultimate reality- the end of self and a reunion with the Great World Soul |
| rajas | India was a world of warring kingdoms... Aryan leaders; a term for princes |
| reincarnation | belief that the individual soul is reborn in a different form after death |
| Sanskrit | a writing system developed by the Aryans |
| Shudras or Sudras | fourth level of the varnas in the Hindu caste system; tthis group made up the bulk of the Indian population; PEASANTS...PEOPLE WHO PERFORMED VARIOUS FORMS OF MANUAL LABOR |
| Untouchables | LOWEST LEVEL OF INDIAN SOCIETY; not considered a real part of the caste system; often given degrading jobs; their life was extremely difficult |
| Vaisyas | third level of the varnas in the Hindu caste system; identifies merchants who engaged in commerce; COMMONDERS |
| varna | a basic subdivision of humanity in the Hindu caste system |
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