Asian Worlds All Keyterms

Yellow River

Second Longest River in China, also known as the Huang He, located in Northern China

Loess Plateau

Plateau in China that the Yellow River runs through; loess is the silty, dusty, highly-erodible soil that gives the Yellow River its yellow color

China's Sorrow

Nickname for the Yellow River due to its frequent flooding.

Levees

Artificial embankments built along rivers to prevent flooding.

Yangtze River

The longest river in Asia located in Southern China

Grand Canal

A man-made waterway in China that connects the Yellow and Yangtze Rivers.

Pearl River

The third longest river in China and flows through Southern Hills

Tibetan Plateau

A vast elevated plateau in Central Asia, often called the 'Roof of the World.

North China Plain

A large plain in northern China, known for its fertile soil.

Gobi Desert

A large desert region in northern China and southern Mongolia.

Taklamakan Desert

A desert in northwest China, known for its shifting sand dunes.

Hexi Corridor

A narrow strip of land in northwest China, connecting the Gobi Desert and the Tibetan Plateau.

Manchuria

A region in northeast China, known for its harsh climate and rich natural resources.

Steppes

a vast stretch of grassland running from Eastern Europe over the top of Central Asia and China into Mongolia

Pastoralism/Nomadism

A way of life centered around herding animals, often practiced by nomadic communities.

Sedentary

Refers to a settled lifestyle, with permanent residence in one place.

Great Wall

A series of fortifications built across northern China to protect against invasions.

Irrigation

The artificial application of water to land for the purpose of agriculture.

Wet rice agriculture

A method of rice cultivation that involves flooding the fields.

Hu Line

A geographical line that divides China into two regions based on climate and agriculture.

Han Chinese

The majority ethnic group in China, making up over 90% of the population.

South China Hills

A hilly region in southern China, known for its scenic landscapes.

Yellow Sea

A marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean, located between China and Korea.

South China Sea

A marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean, located south of China and east of Vietnam.

East China Sea

A marginal sea of the Pacific Ocean, located between China and Japan.

Buffer zones

Areas of land that serve as a protective barrier between two regions or countries.

Indus River

A major river in South Asia that flows from Tibet, through the Himalayas and Hindu Kush into the Arabian Sea

Hindu Kush

A mountain range in Central Asia, located mostly in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Ganges River

River located in India is considered sacred to Hindus and is used for spiritual cleansing, funeral rites, and other Hindu rituals.

Gangetic Plain

A fertile plain in northern India, formed by the Ganges and its tributaries.

Magadha

kingdom that emerged as a result of strife for land and power among minor kings; occupied almost all of the Indian subcontinent in the second century BC

Himalayas

A mountain range in South Asia, separating the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan Plateau.

Eastern and Western Ghats

Two mountain ranges in India, running parallel to the western and eastern coasts.

Deccan Plateau

Plateau in the central region of the Indian peninsula located between the two Ghats

Khyber Pass

A mountain pass connecting between the Himalayas and Hindu Kush

Sri Lanka

An island country in South Asia, located southeast of India.

Bay of Bengal

A large bay in the northeastern part of the Indian Ocean.

Indian Ocean

The third largest ocean in the world, located between Africa, Asia, and Australia.

Arabian Sea

A region of the northern Indian Ocean, located between India and the Arabian Peninsula.

Monsoons

Seasonal winds that bring heavy rainfall to the Indian subcontinent.

Thar Desert

A large desert in northwestern India and southeastern Pakistan.

Adivasi

Indigenous people of India, often living in remote and forested areas.

Indus Valley / Harappan Civilization

An ancient civilization that thrived in the Indus Valley around 2500 BCE.

Aryans

A group of Indo-European people who migrated to the Indian subcontinent around 1500 BCE.

Aryan Migration

The migration of the Aryans from Central Asia to the Indian subcontinent.

Dravidians

The indigenous people of South India, who had a distinct culture and language.

Laws of Manu

Ancient Hindu texts that outline social and moral codes for different castes.

Varnas

The four main social classes in ancient Indian society: Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and Shudras.

Brahmins

The highest social class in the varna system, consisting of priests and scholars.

Kshatriyas

The second highest social class in the varna system, consisting of warriors and rulers.

Vaishyas

The third highest social class in the varna system, consisting of merchants and farmers.

Shudras

The lowest social class in the varna system, consisting of laborers and servants.

Vedas

Ancient Hindu scriptures, considered the oldest religious texts in the world.

Upanishads

Philosophical sacred texts that explore the nature of reality and the self in Hinduism.

Atman-Brahman

The concept of the individual soul (atman) being connected to the universal soul (Brahman) in Hinduism.

Samsara

The cycle of birth, death, and rebirth in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism.

Karma

The law of cause and effect, where actions in one's life determine future consequences.

Moksha

The Hindu concept of the spirit's 'liberation' from the endless cycle of rebirths.

Nirvana

The state of enlightenment and liberation from suffering in Buddhism.

Buddhism

A religion founded by Siddhartha Gautama, emphasizing the path to enlightenment.

Siddhartha Gautama

The founder of Buddhism, also known as the Buddha.

Four Passing Sights

What Siddhartha Gautama encountered before renouncing his worldly life.

The Middle Way

The path of moderation and balance, avoiding extremes, as taught by the Buddha.

Four Noble Truths

The foundational teachings of Buddhism, addressing the nature of suffering and the path to liberation.

The Eightfold Path

The path one takes towards enlightenment in Buddhism

Sanskritization

The process of adopting higher caste practices and beliefs in Hindu society.

Bhagavad Gita

A sacred Hindu scripture that is part of the Indian epic Mahabharata.

Jnana Yoga

The path of knowledge and wisdom in Hinduism, seeking self-realization.

Karma Yoga

The path of selfless action and service in Hinduism.

Bhakti Yoga

The path of devotion and love for a personal god in Hinduism.

Brahma

The creator god in Hinduism, part of the Hindu trinity.

Vishnu

The preserver god in Hinduism, part of the Hindu trinity.

Krishna

An avatar of Vishnu, a central figure in Hindu mythology and the Bhagavad Gita.

Shiva

The destroyer god in Hinduism, part of the Hindu trinity.

Daoism

A religion in China which emphasizes the removal from society and to become one with nature.

Lao Tzu / Laozi

The legendary founder of Daoism and author of the Dao De Jing.

Chinese folk religion

The combination of Chinese Buddhism, Confucianism, and Daoism.

Golden and Silver Bridges

Concepts in Chinese folk religion representing the connection between the human and spirit worlds.

Golden Bridge

Path that you cross to either go to Heaven/Pure Land

Silver Bridge

The path that you cross after death to be reincarnated as a deity

Jade Emperor

The supreme deity in Chinese folk religion, believed to rule over heaven and earth.

Mahayana Buddhism

A branch of Buddhism that emphasizes compassion and the pursuit of enlightenment for the benefit of all beings.

Theravada Buddhism

A branch of Buddhism that focuses on individual liberation and the original teachings of the Buddha.

Tibetan Buddhism

A form of Buddhism practiced in Tibet, incorporating elements of Tibetan culture and Bon religion.

Dalai Lama

The spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism, believed to be the reincarnation of Avalokiteshvara.

Sinocization

The process of assimilating non-Chinese cultures into Chinese culture.

Pure Land

A denomination of Buddhism that taught that believers would be reborn in a blissful, pure land or paradise.

Bodhisattva

An enlightened being who postpones their own liberation to help others achieve enlightenment.

Guanyin

A bodhisattva associated with compassion and mercy, often depicted as a female figure.

Sutra

A sacred text or scripture in Buddhism.

Sima Qian

A Chinese scholar, astronomer, and historian of the Han Dynasty, author of the most important history of ancient China, known as the 'Father of Chinese History.

Dynastic System/Cycle

The pattern of rise, decline, and replacement of ruling dynasties in Chinese history.

Oracle Bones

Animal bones or turtle shells used in ancient China for divination and communication with ancestors.

Shang Dynasty

The first recorded dynasty in Chinese history, known for its bronze artifacts and oracle bone inscriptions.

Zhou Dynasty

The longest-lasting dynasty in Chinese history, known for its feudal system and the concept of the Mandate of Heaven.

Mandate of Heaven

The belief that the ruler of China is chosen by the heavens and has the divine right to rule.

Feudalism

A political system in which land is exchanged for loyalty and military service.

Warring States Period

A period of intense warfare and political instability in ancient China, following the decline of the Zhou Dynasty.

Confucius

A Chinese philosopher and teacher, also as Kong Fuzi, known for his teachings on ethics, morality, and social harmony, created one of the most influential philosophies in Chinese history

Confucianism

A philosophy that adheres to the teachings of the Chinese philosopher Confucius. It shows the way to ensure a stable government and an orderly society in the present world and stresses a moral code of conduct.