| A | B |
|---|
| Himalaya | Highest mountains in the world |
| Ganges River | Runs south of the Himalaya and flows into the Indian Ocean |
| Indus River | Empties into the Arabian Sea |
| Monsoon | Strong wind that blows one direction in summer and the opposite direction in winter |
| Sanskrit | Written language developed by the Aryans in order to record songs, stories, poems, and prayers that Aryans had known for centuries |
| Raja | Means 'prince' |
| Caste | Social group that someone is born into and cannot change |
| Brahmans | One of the top two varnas and were priests- the only people who could perform religious ceremonies |
| Guru | Means 'teacher' |
| Hinduism | One of the oldest religions in the world, and today it is the third largest |
| Brahman | The universal spirit |
| Reincarnation | The idea of passing through many lives to reach the Brahman |
| Dharma | The divine law, must be performed in order to earn the reward of a better life in a Hindu's next life |
| Karma | The consequences of how a person lives |
| Nepal | Small kingdom near the Himalaya |
| Nirvana | State of wisdom a person reaches when he/she gives up all desires |
| Theocracy | When religious leaders head a government |
| Dalai Lama | The lama who headed the government |
| Chandragupta Maurya | Indian prince who conquered a large area in the Ganges River valley soon after Alexander invaded western India |
| Dynasty | Series of rulers from the same family |
| Stupas | Buddhist shrines that have the shape of a dome or mound |
| Pilgrims | Often used trade routes to travel to a religious shrine or site |
| Kalidasa | One of India's best known authors. Wrote plays, poems, love stories, and comedies. Wrote The Cloud Messenger |
