| A | B |
|---|
| Himalayas | the highest mountain range in the world |
| Everest | the tallest mountain in the world |
| subcontinent | a large landmass that juts out from a continent |
| monsoon | strong winds that blow across the region at certain times of the year |
| Indus River | it crosses the Himalayas and empties into the Arabian Sea |
| Ganges River | it flows from the Himalayas into the Bay of Bengal |
| Mohenjo-daro | an ancient city on the banks of the Indus River in southern Pakistan |
| citidel | a fortress in a city |
| Aryans | newcomers to India which means "noble" or "highborn" |
| migrate | to move from one place to settle in another area |
| Vedas | religious books of Aryan life- means "Knowledge" |
| Brahman | an Aryan priest |
| caste | a social class of people |
| Hinduism | a religion developed in India (by the Aryans) mixing cultures and uses the sacred texts Vedas and Upanishads |
| brahman | a single spiritual power that Hindus believe lives in everything |
| avatar | a representation of a Hindu god or goddess in human or animal form |
| Brahma | the creator- a god born from a golden egg |
| Vishnu | the preserver- a god who cares about the welfare of humans |
| Shiva | the destroyer- a god who is powerful |
| reincarnation | the rebirth of the soul in the body of another living being |
| dharma | the religious and moral duties of Hindus |
| ahimsa | the Hindu idea of non-violence |
| yoga | a physical activity which help free the soul from cares of the world- means "union" |
| Siddhartha Gautama | a prince who left his family and gave up his wealth to try to find the cause of human suffering- founder of Buddhism |
| Buddhism | a religion based on the teachings of Gautama to find causes for human suffering |
| meditate | to focus the mind inward in order to find spiritual awareness or relaxation |
| Buddha | "the enlightened one" |
| nirvana | the lasting peace that Buddhists seek by giving up selfish desires |
| missionary | a person who spreads his or her religious beliefs to others |
| Maurya Empire | Indian empire founded by Chandragupta from NE India to central India |
| convert | to change one's beliefs from one religion to another; a person who changes beliefs |
| tolerance | freedom from prejudice |
| Eightfold Path | Practice of Buddhists also known as the Middle Way |
| Chandragupta | ruler of great army, great economic success, feared for his life, became a monk |
| Asoka | Warlike ruler who had a turning point in his life after the Battle at Kalinga |
| Gupta Empire | developed philosophy schools, had a rich culture, and created the decimal system |
| India | the present day country which is called a subcontinent |
| Pakistan | the present day country west of India |
| New Delhi | the present day capital of India |
| Bay of Bengal | the body of water east of India |
| Arabian Sea | the body of water west of India |
| Indian Ocean | the body of water south of India |
| Hindu Kush | the mountain range separating India from western asia |
