Indus River Valley Civilizations + Ancient India
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37 terms
Terms | Definitions |
|---|---|
 Subcontinent: | A large, triangular -shaped land-mass that juts into the Indian Ocean. |
| Monsoon (Winter & Summer) : | Seasonal winds Winter: Blows from November to March Summer: Blows from June to September |
| Mohenjo-Daro: | An important Harappan City located near the Arabian Sea |
| Citadel: | A fortress built on a brick platform, overlooking each city. |
| Harappan Civilization (life,language,religion): | Most Harappan people worked the land. They grew wheat, barley,cotton,and rice. Inscribed Pictograms on packages. |
| Aryans: | An indo-european group from areas north of the Black and Caspian Seas. |
| Rajah: | A chief of the Aryan nomadic tribes. |
| Sanskrit: | The spoken language of the Aryans---- evolved slowly and became a major language in India. |
| Epic: | A long poem celebrating their heroes. |
| Vedas: | Holy books, "Books of Knowledge" that held hymns, poems, legends, and religious rituals. |
| The Four Different Varnas: | -The warriors (Kshatriyas) -The Priests (Brahmans) - Merchants, artisans, and farmers (Vaisyas) -Unskilled laborers and servants (Sudras) |
| Varnas: | A system of four main social classes. |
| Jati: | The smaller groups that the varnas were divided into. Formed based on occupation. |
| The Caste System: | The name of the Indian system founded by Europeans. People were born into a group that can't be changed. |
| Pariahs: | Did the work that was considered unclean. Lived outside the villages, "Outcastes" |
| Dharma: | The duties of the male that belonged to each Varna. |
| India's Two Epics: | Ramayana and Mahabharata |
| Beginning of Hinduism: | Believed in many Deities and thought gods had power over forces of nature. National Religion of India. |
| Universal Spirit: | Hinduism is based on different beliefes and practices. Complex religion of many deities..... Shown in all living things. |
| Three Main Hindu Gods: | Brahma (the creator) -Vishnu (the preserver) -Siva (the destroyer) |
| Upanishads: | Personal searches and philosophies reflected in religious writings. |
| Reincarnation: | The rebirth of a soul. |
| Karma: | A cycle of rebirth. -how a person lives his or her life determines what form the person will take in their next life. |
| Ahimsa: | Practice that requires the believer to protect humans, animals, insects, and plants. |
| Moksha: | Release from the pain and suffering of rebirth. |
| Jainism & it's Founder: | Founded by Mahavira. - a new religion that rejected sacrifices and rigid Hindu social divisions. |
| The Buddha: | Siddhartha Guatama (founder of Buddhism) Close friends began calling him the Buddha, or the "Enlightened One" |
| Four Noble Truths: | 1. All people suffer and know sorrow. 2. people suffer b/c their desires bind them to the cycle of rebirth 3. could end suffering by elimination desires. 4. follow Eightfold Path |
| Eightfold Path | -Know the truth -Resist evil - Say nothing to hurt others - respect life - work for the good of others - free minds from evil -control thoughts -Meditate |
| Nirvana: | A state of freedom from the cycle of rebirth. A state of extinction. |
| Stupta: | Large stone mounds built over the bones of Buddhist and holy people. |
| Chandrapgupta Maurya and Mauryan Empire: | Military officer who overthrew the Magadhan king and proclaimed himself ruler. Mauryan Kingdom was in most of Northern & Central India. |
| Asoka: | Chandragupta's grandson. Rule began in 247 BC. Promoted Buddhism and allowed his subjects to practice Hinduism. |
| Gupta Empire: | Ruled Northern India for more than 200 years. Later called India's Golden Age. |
| Arabic Numerals: | The symbols they devised for the #'s 1-9. Adapted by traders in the mid-east. |
| Chandragupta I | Built empire in AD 310. Introduced Gupta. |
| Chandragupta II | Ruled from AD 375 - AD 415 Gave people more freedom. |
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