| A | B |
| subcontinent | a large land mass that is smaller than a continent |
| Indus | means river |
| monsoon | A seasonal wind that dominates the climate of South Asia |
| dialect | regional version of a language with its own words |
| decipher | determine the meaning of |
| varna | four classes of the Aryan People |
| rajahs | hereditary chiefs |
| caste | rigid system of social class based on birth |
| Hindi | most widely spoken language in India |
| Aryan sacrifices | centered around sacrifices to the gods |
| Ramayana & Mahabharata | famous Hindu epics |
| brahman | Hindu- a single supreme force |
| atman | essential self |
| moksha | freeing of the soul from the body so the soul can unite w/ brahman |
| karma | comes from a Sanskrit word meaning "to do" |
| dharma | duties and obligations |
| sikhism | religion that combines Hinduism & Islam |
| ahisma | nonviolence |
| dynasty | ruling family |
| Jainism | emphasized ahisma- vegetarians |
| stupas | shrines containing remains of Buddha |
| Kalidasa | poet & playwright |
| Shakuntala | Kalidasa's play |
| sultan | rulers |
| purdah | complete seclusion |
| monopoly | complete control over a market or product |
| Sepoys | Indian troops that served in the British Army |
| Robert Clive | Administrator of the East India Company |
| Tamerlane | Mongol leader in 1398 |
| Asoka | Chandragupta's grandson- led Maurya Empire |
| satyagraha | "truth force" |
| civil disobedience | refusal to obey unjust laws |
| parliamentary democracy | System based on the British form of government |
| coalition | several parties join to rule |
| secular | no official religion |
| tenant farmers | people that rent land from large landowners |
| land reform | redistributing land |
| cottage industries | small businesses run from home |
| infant mortality | rate at which babies die |
| Ceylon | changed its name to Sri Lanka |
| Operation Flood | a successful program to produce milk |
| The Salt March | Gandhi led Indians on 200 mile march to the coast to make salt from sea water |
| Gandhi | won support by stressing India's rich heritage |
| Amritsar Massacre | this incident deepened distrust of the British and led to increased violence |