| A | B |
|---|
| Mughal Empire | an empire lasting from 1526 to 1761 covered most of the subcontinent of India; Muslim empire |
| Indian National Congress | in India, a congress formed in 1885 to provide a forum where Indians could discuss their problems |
| Muslim League | a group formed by Muslims in India in 1906 to protect their rights |
| Mohandas Gandhi | an Indian who encouraged his fellow citizens to protest the British using nonviolent methods |
| Taliban | a group of fundamentalist Muslims who took control of Afghanistan's government in 1996 |
| martial law | temporary military rule that occurs during a time of war or when the normal government has broken down |
| Dalits | a group of people in India, formerly known as the "untouchables," who were previously outside the caste system and considered lower than the lowest caste and who gained some rights under India's new constitution |
| Indira Gandhi | in 1966, she became India's first female prime minister |
| panchayat | a village council in India |
| jute | a fibrous plant used to make twine, bags, sacks and burlap |
| information technology | technology that includes computers, software, and the internet |
| Green Revolution | the introduction of genetically improved grains to farmers of developing nations, beginning in the late 1960's |
| Taj Mahal | the most famous building in India, which was built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in th 1640's CE |
| Mahabbarata | an epic poem about the growth of Hinduism that is one of two great works of world literature from India |
| dialect | a regional variety of a language |
| Indo-Aryan | related to the family of languages that includes all European and many Indian languages |
| Dravidian | an Indian language |
| dowry | money or property given by a bride to her new husband and his family |
| arable | ready to be cultivated for farming |
| epic poem | tells of the deeds of a great person or persons |
| republic | a government in which officials are elected by the people and represent them |
| Sanskrit | the ancient, classical language of India |
| subsistence farming | growing crops for survival |
| purdah | the practice of keeping women secluded |
