| A | B |
|---|
| Subcontinent | Part of larger, Asian continent |
| Himalaya Mountains | Highest mountains in the world; separates Indian subcontinent from the rest of Asia |
| Ganges River | Flows from Himalaya Mountains into Bay of Bengal, in northeast of India |
| Indus River | Flows from Himalaya Mountains into Arabian Sea, in northwest of India |
| Monsoons | Seasonal winds that bring seasonal rains |
| Harappa | One of two early Indian civilizations; city of 35,000 people built around fortress near Indus River |
| Mohenjo-Daro | One of two early Indian civilizations; city of 35,000 people built around fortress near the Indus River |
| Sanskrit | Written language of the Aryans |
| Raja | An Aryan prince and leader |
| Caste | A social class that a person is born into and cannot change |
| Brahmans | Top social class of the caste system (priests) |
| Guru | Teacher |
| Hinduism | Originally the Aryan religion; polytheistic; gods/goddesses control all forces of nature |
| Brahman | Universal spirit of Hinduism |
| Reincarnation | The idea of passing through many lives to reach the Brahman |
| Dharma | The Hindu divine law requiring people to perform their duties of their caste (jati) |
| Karma | The consequences of how a person lives |
| Buddhism | Religion that believes the only way to find truth about the world is to give up desires |
| Siddhartha Gautama | The original Buddha and founder of Buddhism |
| Nepal | The region / kingdom where Buddhism was established (in Himalayan Mountains) |
| Nirvana | A state of wisdom, giving up all desires |
| Tibet | A Mahayana Buddhist, theocratic kingdom in the Himalayan Mountains |
| Theocracy | When religion leaders head the government |
| Dalai Lama | Head of the Tibetan government and a spiritual leader |
| Chandragupta Mauya | Indian prince who conquered a large area in the Ganges River valley |
| Dynasty | a series of rulers from the same family |
| Pataliputra | the capital of the Mauryan Empire |
| Asoka | Greatest Mauryan ruler; Grandson of Chandragupta Mauya |
| Stupas | Buddhist shires that have the shape of a dome or mound |
| Pilgrims | people who travel to a religious shrine. These pilgrims often use trade routes for their pilgrimage |
| Kalidasa | one of India’s best known authors; wrote love stories, plays, poems, comedies; lived in Gupta dynasty |
