| A | B |
|---|
| Subcontinent | large landmass jutting from a continent |
| Plateau | raised area of level land |
| acculturation | blending of two or more cultures |
| Veneration | term meaning special regard for |
| Brahmin | term for Hindu priest |
| Indra | god of war |
| Brahman | Hindu word meaning all powerful spiritual force |
| Mystic | people who devote their life to spiritual truth |
| Dravidians | Descendants of the original Indus Valley inhabitants |
| Mahabarata | an epic poem from the Aryan people that described epic battles |
| Bhagavad Gita | sacred song reflects important Hindu religious beliefs about the immortality of the soul and the value of performing one’s duty. |
| Ramayana | “an epic poem from the Aryan people that described the story of daring hero and his beautiful wife; it describes the virtues of an ideal king and his loyal obedient wife” |
| Sanscrit | written language of the Aryans |
| Atman | the essential self in Hinduism |
| Moksha | union with Brahman in Hinduism |
| Dharma | the religious and moral duties of a person |
| Jainism | “a religion that grew from Hindu traditions founded by Mahavira; his teachings emphasized meditationself-denial, and extreme ahimsa” |
| Buddhism | “a religion that grew from Hindu traditions founded by Siddhartha Gautama; his teachings emphasized following the Four Noble Truths and the Eight Fold Path” |
| Eight-Fold Path | “right views right aspirations, right speech, right conduct, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right contemplation” |
| Sect | smaller groups |
| Maurya | the first Indian empire to unite most of the Indian subcontinent together |
| Dissent | differing or opposing opinions |
| Gupta | an Indian empire that is considered a Golden Age |
| golden age | a period of great cultural achievement |
| mural | wall paintings |
| monsoon | seasonal winds |
| Aryans | nomadic people who entered India around 1500 B.C. |
| Rajah | the chief of an Aryan tribe |
| Reincarnation | rebirth of the soul into another bodily form |
| Ahisma | nonviolence |
| Karma | the actions of a person’s life that affect his or her fate in the next life |
| Nirvana | union with the universe and release from cycle of rebirth |
| Hinduism | a ancient Indian religion that has no founder and no single sacred scripture |
| Stupa | large domed shrines that housed the sacred remains of the Buddha or other holy person |
| Dowry | payment to the bridegroom from the bride’s family |
| Caste | social groups into which people are born and cannot change |
| Harappa | an ancient Indus Valley city |
| Veda | “a collection of prayers, hymns, and other religious teachings |
| Vedic Age | period of time from 1500-500 B.C. |
| Mahavira | the founder of Jainism |
| Siddhartha Gautama | an Indian Prince who after discovering suffering went on a search for enlightenment and founded Buddhism |
| Four Noble Truths | teachings that stand at the heart of Buddhism and teach about suffering |
| Mahayana Buddhism | a form of Buddhism that was easier for ordinary people to follow and worshipped Buddha as a god. |
| Theravada Buddhism | a form of Buddhism that was strict and usually followed by monks and nuns |
| Chandragupta | “the first leader of Maurya Empire; he was harsh and crushed dissent” |
| Asoka | a great Maurya Emperor who is remembered for his conversion to Buddhism and how that transformed his leadership into being more focused on the benefit of others |
| missionaries | people sent on a religious mission |
| Tamil Kingdom | the kingdom located on the Deccan Plateau |
| decimal system | number system based on the number 10 |
| Kalidasa | great Indian poet who wrote Shakuntala |
| University of Nalanda | a Buddhist University that attracted students from all over Asia |
| Untouchables | dalit level of caste that is considered impure |
