Help
Options
Didn't know it?
click below
click below
Knew it?
click below
click below
Don't Know
Remaining cards (0)
Know
retry
shuffle
restart
0:00
Embed Code - If you would like this activity on your web page, copy the script below and paste it into your web page.
Normal Size Small Size show me how
Normal Size Small Size show me how
india vocab
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Aryans | Indo-European speaking nomads who entered India from the Central Asian steppes between 1500 and 1000 BC and greatly affected Indian society. |
| Asceticism | the idea of self denial, self sacrifice, even self mutilation that was done to communicate with the gods and began to take the place of sacrifice in ancient India |
| Atman | the individual soul |
| Ashoka | a ruler of the Mauryan Empire who converted to Buddhism |
| Bhagavad Gita | a portion of the long poem Mahabharata (see below) that contains the story of Arjuna (above) that include a lesson on dharma or duty |
| Bodhisattva | a person who has attained enlightenment but who has postponed Nirvana in order to help others achieve enlightenment |
| Brahmins | the priestly caste who led ceremonies |
| Brahman | the Universal Soul or Great Life force (Hinduism) |
| Brahma | one of the main three gods in Hinduism; he was the Creator |
| Buddhism | a religion that was started by Siddhartha Gautama, who is also known as Buddha and whose purpose was to stop suffering |
| Bodhi | means wisdom; Bodhi is achieved when worldly matters are abandoned, and is the source of the term “Buddhism.” Bodhi is a key step on the way to nirvana |
| Caste | Western name for India’s rigid social system in which all members of that society are assigned by birth to specific ranks and inherit specific roles and privileges |
| Dharma | duty |
| Dharma | Teachings of the Buddha |
| Ganges | a river in India that flows into the Bay of Bengal; in Hinduism, it is known as a sacred river |
| Harappan | a civilization that based itself on the Indus River |
| Hinduism | the main religion in India, it emphasizes reincarnation, based on the results of the previous life, and the desirability of escaping this cycle. |
| Indus | a river in Pakistan that flows into the Arabian Sea |
| Jati | sub castes; were groups of people within each caste that usually worked together in a similar job |
| Karma | consequences of actions that determine reincarnation |
| Kshatriya | the warrior caste |
| Maharaja | an Indian king or prince that was ranked higher than a raja |
| Mohenjo-Daro | a city in the Harappan civilization that is located on the Indus River |
| Monsoon | strong winds that change with the seasons. Monsoons symbolize the great god Indra. |
| Mahabharata | one of the two Sanskrit epics of Ancient India. It is the longest epic poem in the world. It is translated as “Great India” and is primarily about wars |
| Moksha | in Hinduism, it is seen as the liberation of the soul from the body |
| Nirvana | The Buddhist belief of the extinction of desire and individual consciousness, also spiritual enlightenment |
| Pariahs | the name of the group of people outside the caste system; they were the outcasts of society and untouchables and were not considered a part of Indian society or the caste system |
| Raja | the title given in India to a king or prince |
| Ramayana | A Hindu epic written in Sanskrit that describes the adventures of the king Rama and his queen |
| Rigveda | one of the Vedas, a sacred writing of Hinduism that contained a collection of Hindu poems and hymns that were used for religious reasons |
| Samsara | the Hindu cycle of death and rebirth |
| Sanskrit | an Indo-European language that was the language of the Vedas |
| Shakyamuni | another name for Siddhartha Gautama; it means Sage of the Shakya clan |
| Shiva | an important Hindu deity who in the trinity of gods was the Destroyer |
| Siddhartha Gautama | founder of Buddhism who achieved enlightenment of the meaning of life while sitting under a tree and later preached his conclusions that came to be known as Buddhism |
| Stupas | religious buildings that originally housed Buddha relics. Stupas developed into familiar Buddhist architecture |
| Sudras | the lowest of the castes (but not as low as the pariahs or untouchables) in the Indian social system; they were not twice born; consisted of peasants and artisans, which was most of the Indian population |
| Upanishads | commentaries on the Vedas that are considered sacred texts in the Hindu religion |
| Vaisya | the third highest caste that was made up of merchants and commoners, twice born |
| Varnas | Indian word for social groups that we know as castes |
| Vedas | sacred texts in the Hindu religion, they are a set of four collections of hymns and religious ceremonies transmitted by memory through the centuries by Aryan priests |
| Vishnu | Vishnu is a Hindu god who, in the trinity of gods, is the Preserver |
Created by:
jessewessie1
Popular World History sets