India- Test One
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Created by:
eyubogluev on April 21, 2011
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64 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 Manmohan Singh | Prime Minister of India, takes credit for indias strong economic recovery following the 08-09 recession. |
| Lok Sabha | The lower house of parliament. UPA has struggled to pass several forms of legislation because of their lack of a reliable working majority. |
| Rajya Sabha | The upper house of Parliament. UPA has struggled to pass several forms of legislation because of their minority in this house. |
| Arunchal Pradesh | An indian state near China. China has issued Visas to residents here (implying that residents have different status to other indian nationals. |
| Jammu and Kashmir | Indian states near China. China has issued Visas to residents here (implying that residents have different status to other indian nationals.) China claims part of the indian-administered sections of these states while india says China is illegally occupying these states. |
| Hindus | These are the people that practice Hinduism. They come from mainly India. A huge population in Nepal. And minorities in Bangladesh, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Fiji, Guyana, Africa, Great Britain, Canada, and the United States. Hindus share a core of rich poetic and complex traditions. |
| Hinduism | One of the oldest religions in existence. Third largest religion. 950 million followers mainly in india. Unlike Christianity, Islam, and many other world Religions, Hinduism was not founded by one individual but rather a product of many religious beliefs and schools coming together. Early Hinduism combined the religions of the Indus Valley with that of Aryan migrants from persia. Hinduism developed a more solid foundation through the writings and interpretations of the great Hindu Scriptures. India was invaded and occupied several times and these unique cultures greatly affected the ideas and principles of Hinduism. Hinduism is at first glance, a Polytheistic religion with an estimated thousand 1000 gods. But at the heart of Hinduism there is really only one true god, Brahman, the One, the Ultimate Reality, teh World Soul. Hinduism has no single holy book but an enormous body of sacred literature. |
| Nepal | The only OfficialHindu country. 89 percent of population is hindu. |
| Hindu | This is the adj. form of Hinduism. Like Christian and Christianity. The name originated from the river Sindhu. The people that lived near this river were called hindus. Muslims used the term to call the people of India who did not practice islam. |
| Brahman | The One, the ultimate reality, and the World Soul. It is sorta like their god. |
| Shruti | The category of Hindu scriptures "that which is heard", it consists of the Aranyakas, the Vedas, the Brahmanas, the Upanishads. Each of the Shruti texts provides and important part of the foundation of Hinduism. |
| Rishis | Ancient Sages who revealed to humankind sacred writings. |
| Four Vedas | Shruti scriptures. They are the oldest of the texts and are the primary scriptures of Hinduism. One contains hymns, chants, and praises to the gods. Another serves as a guidebook for rituals and priestly behavior. A third offers information on magic and charms that can be used as blessings or curses. |
| Brahamanas | Shruti scriptures.They were texts composed after the vedas. They gave details of the routines to be followed during fire sacrifices. |
| Upanishads | The latest of the shruti scriptures. written around 700-500 BCE. One meaning for the word is "sitting down near" a guru. They were comprised mainly of dialogues between student and teachers. Some of its concepts are karma, samsara, and moksha. It treated questions about the nature of both atman and brahman. |
| Guru | A spiritual master |
| Aranyakas | Shruti scriptures. The forest book, they were composed after the Brahmanas and emphasize the meaning behind the rituals of fire sacrifices. |
| Karma | an idea of the Upanishads. The idea that ones deeds will later have an effect in this life in another life. |
| Atman | The soul of the individual, as opposed to Brahman (universal soul) |
| Smriti | The second category of Hindu scriptures. "That which is remembered". There are two great Smriti epics which are the Mahabharata and the Ramayana. |
| Mahabharata | An epic in the Smriti scriptures. It consists of 90,000 stanzas and is probably the longest in history. According to tradition, the sage Vyasa dictated it to Ganesha. Tells the story of two families engaged in war. It contains the Bhagavad Gita. It addresses the meaning and purpose of life and the nature of the indestructible soul. It emphasizes the love between God and humanity. |
| Ramayana | An epic in the Smriti scriptures. "The adventures of Rama" tells the tale of Rama, the seventh incarnation of the god Vishnu. It depicts the ideals of faithfulness to marraige vows, brotherly affection, and loyalty. |
| Bhagavad Gita | Probably the single most influential text in contemporary Hinduism and was a major factor historically in shaping Hindu devotion. It is a sacred text spoken by the god krishna to the hero Arjuna who is about to go into battle. |
| Puranas | Smriti scriptures. Literally means "something very old". Written in sanskrit these texts tell the stories of Hindu gods and the lives of ancient heroes. They speak the end and recreation of the earth. They are referred to as the Vedas of the common people. |
| Bhakti | A popular form of scripture. These devotional songs sang praises to hindu gods and goddesses in the languages of the common people. Tjeu were produced in both the north and south by teachers who emphasized the love of those devoted to a personal god or goddess and the love returned by a god or goddess. |
| Moksha | Hindus recognize that many different and individual paths may lead to the one ultimate goal of Hinduism, ____. The release from the attachment people have to this material world. All three paths of hinduism lead to this. |
| Puja | To worship the divine, Hindus perform this in a sacred section of a worship room of the home. This ritual keeps Hindus aware of their gods and mindful of their duties as individuals. |
| The Caste System | Hindu society has been roughly divided into four levels based on occupation, this is known as the Caste System. Each caste had a certain duty within society. To neglect these duties was considered a sin and disrupted the balance of the universe. The castes are: Brahmin (priests, Kshatriya (warriors), Vaishya (common people), and Shudra (servant classes). A fifth class also emerged called the Dalits or untouchables, this was the worst. The indian constitution outlaws Caste, however it may take centuries to completely abolish them. |
| Dharma | Supports the Caste System. Early religious laws of duty. It insisted that particular castes had certain duties within the society. |
| Samskara | The four stages of life. Childhood, Youth, Middle age, and old age. Hindus practice this to mark these important transitions. Traditional rites of passage. |
| Karmayoga | Working for the sake of Ultimate Reality. Taught in Bhagavad Gita. Means to work according to one's duty but without attachment to the result. |
| Dalit/Untouchables | India's poorest and least educated people. The caste system is drearily evident in their lives. |
| Honour Killings | Families avenge inter-caste marriages and liasons |
| Mecca | In this city, a trader named Mohammed declared himself to be the chosen prophet of Allah, and implored his people to give up their pagan gods and follow him. It was a meeting place for men of many nations as it lay in Arabia. It was famous for its markets and was also a center of pilgrimage where people worship pagan gods of the sky and earth. Today, Millions of muslims make the pilgrimage here in the twelfth month to gain a place in the elct of Allah. Allah decreed that all muslims should come here once in their lifetime |
| Mohammed | declared himself to be the chosen prophet of Allah, and implored his people to give up their pagan gods and follow him. Was born in A.D. 570 in the Koreish tribe (which ruled Mecca). He lived a childhood of sadness and poverty (He was orphaned and raised by wandering sheperds and his grandfather). When he grew up he went to work for a rich widow named Khadija. He met many jews and christians and came to respect their belief in one god. At 25 he married Khadija, when she died he married 8 more times in desperate attempt to bear a son to carry on his work. When he was forty he began having dreams and visions and decided he was getting messages from god. He retreated into a cave outside Mecca to meditate where he was visited by the archangel Gabriel who recited to him the words of god. He passed on these revelations until he died, and eventually the were compiled into the Koran. He proclaimed he was a messenger of God. People jeered at his new faith. His message was clear: "There is no god but Allah. All others are false and their idols must be destroyed." He never claimed any divinity for himself he acted simply as a humble prophet. Most of his tribes refused to follow him but he preached every day to his family and a few followers. These people were known as muslims. In 622he took his followers to Medina to escape the ridicule and persecution in Mecca. This migration is known as Hjira. A few years after he made many converts in Medina. He and a small army returned to Mecca and took the city and rededicated Kaaba. He displayed determination, talent for statesmanship, and personal magnetism that made him famous. He recruited men to his cause who were both loyal and obedient and was named the uncrowned king. In the end, Islam was spread out of Arabia in the holy wars. |
| Allah | The One Almighty God. Mohammed declared himself to be the prophet of him. |
| Kaaba | An ancient cube-shaped building in Mecca were people sacrificed animals on a sacred Black Stone. |
| Arabian Desert | Populated by a bunch of tribesmen who feuded. There was no unity between them (until the coming of Mohammed) and the only time that they set apart their differences was in the month of pilgrimage to Mecca. |
| Khadija | A rich widow who mohammed went to work for. He later married her. |
| Muslims | Followers of Mohammed and his faith |
| Medina | In 622 Mohammed took his followers to this city to escape the ridicule and persecution in Mecca. |
| Hjira | "The departure". The migration when In 622 Mohammed took his followers to Medina to escape the ridicule and persecution in Mecca. It marks the beginning of the Islamic era.The muslim calendar begins with this. |
| Islam | It is a word meaning "submission to the will of god". It is the religion formed by Mohammed. It has no priesthood. Muslim women have traditionally a small rights. Its holy book is the Koran. Today, there are 1.57 billion Muslims in the world and they are spread out. The word is also rooted back to peace. Peace is the essence of the religion. It shares many of the same beliefs as Christianity and Judaism, like traceing its lineage to Abraham. When europe was entering the middle ages Muslim scholars were creating a world center of Islamic learning sutdying all things from physics and chem. to geography and agronomy. At the end of the end of the first millenium Islam was tested by western Europe as Christian luanched a series of armed crusades to wrest the holy land from Muslim control. Muslims defeated the christians. This blood soaked legacy lives on in the minds of middle easterns to this day. Most muslim nations are poor, although a few are very rich from oil. Muslims today have a a rather large hate of U.S. pop culture |
| Five Pillars | Foundations of Islam. They are faith, prayer, almsgiving, fasting, and pilgrimage. Almsgiving:Everyone is obliged to contribute to the upkeep of Mosques and help the unfortunate and needy. Charity is a stepping stone on the road to paradise. Fasting: there are strict rules Pilgrimage: All muslims should visit Mecca at least once in their lives. |
| Mosque | Holy Buildings of islam. They are dedicated to prayer as the word mosque literally means prostration. They have minarets on which the Muezzin calls out. The holy sanctuary in them faces Mecca. There are no statues and no altar |
| Muezzin | The guy in the minaret. He summoned the faithful to prayer. Five times a day. |
| Ramadan | A month of exact fasting. Muslims are not allowed to eat, drink, orr smoke from the first gleam of sunlight until darkness falls. Its the fifth month of the Muslim calendar. it is a stern test of obedience and self-control. |
| Koran | Holy Book of Islam, The words of allah spoken to his prophet. It was originally written in Arabic. Consists of 114 suras or chapters and covers everything from the nature of God to laws governing the mundane affairs of men. Its underlying message is a prescription for harmony in everyday life. However verses of the bible can be pulled out of context and made subject to distortion. Such interpretations cannot be overruled because there is no hierarchy to cancel out heretics. ; |
| Abraham | Muslims trace their heritage through this man |
| Caliphs | When mohammed died these people were his successorsi and ruled the islamic empire, the arab armies fighting for Faith, went from victory to victory. |
| Sunni | A branch of Islam. At the death of Mohammed, there was a dispute in Saudi Arabia over the question of Succession. They believed that leadership should fall to the person who was deemed by the elite of the community to be best able to lead the community.This is opposed to the Shia who believed it should stay in the family. The violence and war that followed this dispute split the community of Muslims into two branches that would never be reunited. |
| Shi'a | A branch of Islam. They comprise 10-15 percent of the Muslim population. They are concentrated in Iran, southern Iraq and Southern Lebanon. Although the split with the Sunni was violent they lived in peacefully together for long periods of time. At the death of Mohammed, there was a dispute in Saudi Arabia over the question of Succession. They believed that leadership should stay within the family of the prophet. They wanted Ali to because he was Mohammed cousin and son in law married to Fatimah. This is opposed to the Sunni. The violence and war that followed this dispute split the community of Muslims into two branches that would never be reunited. The Sunnis eventually prevailed however and chose a successor to be the first caliph. Hussain, son of Ali led the Shia and rejected the rule of the Caliph at the time, he stood up to one big one and him and 72 members of his family were massacred. |
| Hussain | Son of ali, Led the Shia and rejected the rule of the Caliph at the time, he stood up to one big one and him and 72 members of his family were massacred. he was decapitated and his head was carried in tribute to the Sunni caliph in damascus. It is the symbolism of his death that holds so much spiritual power for Shia. |
| Ali | The cousin and son in law of Mohammed, the Shia wanted him to be the successor. He was married to Fatimah. He was chosen as the fourth Caliph after violent conflict. He was then killed in fighting in Kufa. |
| Imam | What the shia called their leaders. Ali was their first. It is one of the fundamental differences that seperate them from Sunni's. |
| Ashura | A public ritual of self-beating and mourning to commemorate Husseins death every year. (Shia) |
| Twelfth Imam | Known as the hidden imam. In the tenth century he went into Occultation. Shiites believe god took him into hiding and he will come back at the end of time. He is known as the Mahdi or Messiah. People who believe in him are called Twelvers. |
| Twelvers | Those who belive in the Twelfth or hidden Imam. They comprise the majority of the Shia world today. It is based on a creed that the full word and meaning of the Koran and the Prophet Mohammed's message will only be made manifest upon the return of the twelfth Imam. |
| Safavid dynasty | In 1500 persia (iran) was a seat of Sunni learning. But with the arive of the azeri conquerers this dynasty was established also making it Shiite. They were a turkic dynasty originating from turkey. The Shiism in persia held it together and distinguished it from the Ottoman Empire which was Sunni. |
| Ottoman Empire | An empire in the middle east. it was sunni. It was created in the late 1200's. It fell at the conclusion of the first world war resulting in the countries that exist in the middle east today. |
| Jihad | Struggle against the enemies of God. Holy war. |
| Hajj | the pilgrimage to mecca |
| Sharia | Koranic laws and teachings. Some Muslim nations like Iran and Suadi Arabia base their governments on this. |
| Fundamentalism | Muslims looking to religion for answers to problems of poverty and powerlessness |
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