Ancient India Study Guide 1
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36 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 Manu | First king of India. Title of a few Indian kings. Carried to India by a flood |
| The Khyber Pass | In central Asia, a gap in the Northern Mountains (32 mile long pass) |
| Ganga (Ganges River) | Major river, the two rivers that formed the Indus Valley Civilization |
| Indus River | In the northwest, flows through India |
| Harrapa | Harrapan city (possibly most powerful), traded with Ur, located on the Ravi River, city in the Indus Valley Civilization |
| Mohenjo-Daro | Harrapan city, south, located on the Indus River, "mounds of the dead" |
| Lothal | Harrapan city, capital of the southern providence, port city |
| Aryans | Indo-European pastoral nomadic group who invaded India, made the Vedas, gambling, horsemanship, and fighting, migrated from Russia |
| Bharatas | One of the strongest Aryan tribes |
| Bharat | India; named after the Bharatas tribe |
| Vedic Age | Named after the Vedas, 1500-1000 BCE |
| Vedas | A four book collection of sacred texts by the Aryans |
| Arya | Pure or noble |
| Rajas | Chief |
| Maharajas | Great chief |
| Veda (literal definition) | Knowledge |
| Rig Veda | Section in the Vedas |
| Janapada | Tribes with land |
| Krishna | Sage/god, impregnates the queens two daughters, takes on two forms: Arjuna and Vyasa |
| Arjuna | Arjuna- Middle brother of the Pandavas, known for his might, skilled in archery |
| Mahabharata | Story of a great civil war among several Aryan tribes, Indian epic, longest epic, Pandavas vs. Kauravas |
| Epic Age | Named after the two epics: Mahabharata and Ramayana, 1000-500 BCE |
| Vira | Herioc Warrior |
| Bhagavad Gita | Famous section of the Mahabharata, means "song of the lord", conversation between Arjuna and Krishna about dharma (duty) |
| Megasthenes | Greek ambassador, wrote on Brahmins |
| Purusha | A cosmic man, parts of his body became the world- the head was where the Brahmins came from, |
| Deccan | The dry plateau below the Vindhya and Satpura mountain ranges |
| Magadha | The state below the curve of the Ganga |
| Brahmins | Priests that were responsible for the rituals and maintaining the cultural tradition |
| Kshatriyas | Rulers and warriors |
| Vaishyas | Traders, farmers, craftsmen |
| Shudras | Servants (served the twice-born) |
| Varnas | Four varnas: kshatriyas, Brahmins, vaishyas, and shudras |
| Twice Born | Allowed to wear the sacred thread and participate in special religious rituals and promised an afterlife in heaven |
| Jana | Tribe |
| Mahajanapada | 16 kingdoms, "great tribes with land" |
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