| A | B |
|---|
| subcontinent | large mass of land; part of a continent but separate because of physical features like high mountains |
| monsoon | strong wind that blows one direction in winter and the opposite direction in summer |
| Sanskrit | written language developed by the Aryans |
| raja | prince who led an Aryan tribe in India |
| caste | social group that a person is born into and cannot change |
| guru | religious teacher and spiritual guides in Hinduism |
| Hinduism | one of the oldest religions in the world; has thousands of deities that are part of a universal spirit |
| Brahman | the universal spirit |
| reincarnation | the idea of living many different lives |
| dharma | divine law; requires people to perform duties of their caste |
| karma | the consequences of how a person lives; if you live a good life, you have good karma |
| Buddhism | a religion founded by Siddhartha Gautama based on Hinduism |
| nirvana | a state of wisdom; achieved after giving up all desires |
| theocracy | a government led by religious leaders |
| dynasty | line of rulers from the same family |
| stupa | Buddhist shrine that is shaped like a dome or mound |
| pilgrim | person who travels to a religious shrine or site |
| Himalaya | the highest mountains in the world located in southern Asia |
| Ganges & Indus River | two fertile river valleys |
| Harappa & Mohenjo-Daro | large, well-planned cities in ancient India |
| Aryans | group of people from central Asia who invaded the Indus River valley and conquered the Harappans |
| Dalai Lama | lama who headed the government |
| Pataliputra | this city was the capital of the first Indian empire |
| Chandragupta Maurya | an Indian prince and founder of the Mauryan dynasty; created the first empire in India and set up a centralized government |
| Asoka | considered to be the Mauryan dynasty's greatest king |
| Kalidasa | one of India's best-known ancient writers |
| Siddhartha Gautama | founder of Buddhism |
| Vedas | sacred writings |
| Bodhisattvas | enlightened people who postpone going to heaven to help others and do good deeds |
| Ramayana & Mahabharata | sacred text that tells about brave warriors and their heroic deeds |
| Buddha | the "Enlightened One" |
| Theravada | means "teachings of the elders"; sees Buddha as a teacher not a god |
| Mahayana | teaches that Buddha is a god who came to save people; believe that following the Eightfold Path is too hard for most people in this world |
