| A | B |
|---|
| Deccan | dry, triangular plateau that projects into the Indian Ocean |
| Harappa | one of two great cities of the Indus Valley Civilization |
| Indus | river that gives India its name |
| monsoon | strong seasonal wind |
| subcontinent | landmass that juts out from a continent |
| brahman | the Aryan notion of a single spiritual power who was believed to reside in all things |
| caste | people were born into a specific social classes based on occupation |
| mystic | a person who devotes his or her life to seeking spiritual truth |
| rajah | leader elected to his position by an assembly of warriors |
| Sanskrit | written language used by Aryan priests to record sacred texts |
| calligraphy | art form of finely styled handwriting |
| dynastic cycle | the rise and fall of dynasties; linked to the Mandate of Heaven |
| feudalism | government where local lords governed their own lands but also owed support to their ruler |
| ideograph | a sign that expresses an abstract idea |
| loess | yellow soil that gives the Huang He (Yellow River) its name |
| Mahabharata | India's greatest epic poem which taught important religious beliefs |
| Vedas | a collection of prayers, hymns and other religious writings |
| Aryans | a group of Indo-European people who migrated across Europe and Asia |
| Zhongguo | the name Chinese used for their land; The Middle Kingdom |
| clan | a group of families |
| yin and yang | two forces Chinese believed must be in balance |
| oracle bone | bones used by Shang priests to predict the future |
| Mandate of Heaven | support of the Gods given for a ruling family |
