Question | Answer |
citadel | Each city had a fortified citadel and a large granary |
harappan | Harappan society |
venerated | Harappans venerated gods and goddesses whom they associated with creation and procreation respect |
pantheon | Many scholars believe, however, that some Harappan deities survived the col- lapse of the larger society and found places later in the Hindu pantheon |
aryans | aryans society |
rig veda | One of the later hymns of the Rig Veda offers a brief account of the world’s creation and the origin of the four castes (varnas) |
indra | War god, Indra |
raja | Most chiefdoms had leader raja, king |
caste system | Those distinctions became the foundation of the caste system, which largely determined the places that individuals and groups oc- cupied in society |
varnas | Four main varnas, recognized after 1000 B.C.E.: brahmins (priests), kshatriyas (warriors and aristocrats), vaishyas (cultivators, artisans, and merchants), shudras (landless peasants and serfs) |
brahmins | priests, Members are subdivided into numerous communities known as gotras |
kshatriyas | warrior, ruler |
vaishyas | Their role lay in productive labour, in agricultural and pastoral tasks, and in trading |
shudras | Shudra is the fourth varna |
law book of manu | Lawbook of Manu definition: guidelines formed based on Hindu beliefs
significance: set of laws to bring order, first ones to be based on religion |
brahman | the Universal spirit of which we are all made |
doctrine | a belief or set of beliefs held and taught by a church, political party, or other group |
karma | demonstrates thought and questions in after-life and creation |
dravidian | a settled, well-organized people who built cities in India |