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Ancient India

Terms in this set (17)

Indus River
like the Nile, the Indus river in India proved their water and soil that enabled a thriving agricultural society to take root there 7,000 B.C.E.
Aryans
Indo Europeans who arrived in India c.1500 B.C.E and overthrew the previous cultures in the Indus Valley.
Hindi
language of Northern India. Descended from the Indo European language.
Rig Veda
one of four collections of 1,000 hymns dedicated to the Aryan gods. Written down in 1400 B.C.E, but probably much older. Among the oldest of the Hindu texts.
Vedic Age
(1500-500 B.C.E) The oral history of conflict and interaction between the Aryans and the Dravidian people. Indra, the Aryan god of war, feature prominently in these histories.
brahmin
the class of priests, teachers, and protects of sacred oral histories.
Brahman
the "universal soul" and "ultimate reality" in Hindu religion
Dharma
Hindu concept of obedience to religious and moral laws.
Karma
Hindu concept that the sum of good and bad in a person's life will determine who (or what) they are in the next life
Moksha
Hindu concept of salvation of the soul
Sanskirt
sacred language of the Aryans. The Vedas were originally composed in Sanskrit
Upanishads
compilation of basic Hindu concepts; sometimes related in a dialogue between brahmin and student
-The Upanishads explore the concept of reincarnation.
Dravidians
people who created the Harrapan society in the Indus Valley c. 2500 B.C.E
Harrapan
Earliest civilization in India
Mohenjo Darro
Sophisticated city state complex of the Dravidian people c. 2500 B.C.E
caste
well defined social distinction in ancient India that became the basis for rank in society.
caste
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