| A | B |
|---|
| subcontinent | a large landmass that juts out from a continent |
| Hindu Kush Mountains | In northwest, separate the subcontinent of India from Central Asia [present day Pakistan] |
| Himalaya Mountains | In north, separate the subcontinent of India from continental Asia & China |
| Himalaya & Hindu Kush mountain ranges | limited contacts between India and other lands and helped India's people develop a distinct culture |
| monsoon | (seasonal wind), a defining feature of Indian life; SUMMER MONSOONS bring rains that are used to water the crops; If the trains are late, starvation or famine can occur |
| Deccan Plateau | Interior highland of India between the coastal plains [east & west] & the Northern Plain |
| Indus River | area where India's earliest civilization settled [in the northwest] |
| Ganges River | area where Aryan people moved in northeast India & built a civilization; also SACRED RIVER of HINDUISM |
| Aryans | a warlike Indo-European people who migrated across Europe & Asia, seeking water & pasture for their horses & cattle |
| Vedas | a collection of hymns, prayers, and religious teachings of the Aryans |
| Vedic Age | 1500 BC – 500 BC; time when Aryan Priests memorized and recited the Vedas for 1,000 years before they were written down |
| caste system | a set of rigid social classes that determined a person’s occupation and his/her position in society |
| Hinduism | religion founded in India, based on many of the religious ideas of the Aryans |
| Brahman | In Hinduism, the unchanging, powerful spiritual force |
| moksha | The ultimate goal of Hinduism, union with Brahman, the spiritual force all Hindus believe in |
| reincarnation | the idea that a person’s soul is reborn into a new body in the next life |
| karma | a person’s actions that determine his fate in the next life [reincarnation] |
| dharma | religious and moral duties of an individual [you must do your dharma to get good karma |
| ahimsa | nonviolence |
| polytheistic | belief in many gods |
| Shiva | a main god in Hinduism, the Destroyer |
| Vishnu | a main god in Hinduism, the Preserver |
| Brahma | a main god in Hinduism, the Creator |
| Upanishads | holy books of Hinduism that include discussions about Hindu beliefs |
| Buddhism | religion founded in India to search for the meaning of human suffering |
| Siddhartha Guatama | founder of Buddhism |
| Buddha | name earned by Siddhartha which means “Enlightened One” after he found the answer to suffering |
| Four Noble Truths: | Key teaching of Buddhism: 1. · All life is suffering; 2. · Suffering is caused by desire for things that are illusions [such as power, wealth, fame]; 3. · To eliminate suffering, you must eliminate desire; 4. · Following the Eightfold Path will help people overcome desire |
| The Eightfold Path | Behavior Code for Buddhism |
| Tripitaka | Book into which Buddha’s teachings were collected |
| Gupta Dynasty | ruling family in India under whose rule India had a Golden Age with many achievements in math, science, technology, etc. |
| Golden Age | Period of peace and prosperity that allows for achievements in the arts, sciences & technology |
| Cultural Diffusion | the exchange of goods, ideas and customs between peoples |
| Silk Road | a trade route that extended from China to the Middle East |
