| A | B |
|---|
| subcontinent | large landmass that is smaller than a continent |
| monsoons | seasonal wind patterns that cause wet and dry seasons |
| Sanskrit | the most important language of ancient India |
| caste system | divided Indian society into groups based on a person's birth, wealth, or occupation |
| Brahmins | priests |
| Kshatriyas | rulers and warriors |
| Vaisyas | farmers, craftspeople, and traders |
| Sudras | laborers and non-Aryans |
| Hinduism | the largest religion in India today |
| reincarnation | the process of rebirth |
| karma | the effects that good or bad actions have on a person's soul |
| Jainism | based the the teachings of a man named Mahavira, who is believed to have been born around 599 BC |
| nonviolence | the avoidance of violent actions |
| Sikhism | has its roots in the teachings of the Guru Nanak, who lived in the AD 1400s |
| fasting | going without food |
| meditation | the focusing of the mind on spiritual ideas |
| Buddha | means 'the enlightened one' |
| Buddhism | a religion based on the teachings of the Buddha |
| nirvana | a state of perfect peace |
| missionaries | people who work to spread their religious beliefs |
