Ancient and Classical India Notes

Notes on the vocabulary for India

Varna

Social class, caste in Indian caste system

Vedas

Holy books for Hindus, origin of caste system

Aryans

Light skinned invaders to Indus River Valley., 1500 BC

Brahman

1: Highest caste; priests
2: Name for universal spirit

Untouchables

Sudras; not even a caste, with worst jobs. Seen as unclean and counted as outcasts

Sanskrit

Language of Aryan invaders and of India

Hinduism

Main religion in India. Beliefs include: Many Gods, Dharma, Karma, Ahisma, and reincarnation. River Ganges is viewed as a holy river or god.

Caste

Rigid class system, with duties (dharma) attached to each. Universal Spirit-place where Hindu spirits go when they escape the cycle of reincarnation. It is like an ocean or outer space made of one great soul. It goes on endlessly.

Dharma

Your duty (based on age and caste)

Karma

Energy (positive or negative) generated by your actions

Reincarnation

Cycle of rebirth into another body. Based on karma from your last life

Moksha

Release from cycle of reincarnation into the Universal Spirit

Ahimsa

Non-violence

Gupta Dynasty

Indian dynasty that invented the concepts of zero and infinity

Buddhism

Founded by Siddhartha Gautama in 541 BC. Beliefs include: The Four Noble Truths, meditation, reincarnation, Enlightenment, and Nirvana. The religion tries to end suffering

Siddhartha Gautama

The Buddha, The Enlightened One

Asoka

Buddhist Emperor of Maurya Dynasty 269 BC who built the Rock Edicts

Rock Edicts

Pillars that spoke of the importance of dharma to advance peace and unity for the kingdom

Enlightenment

State of bliss and absence of suffering reached on earth through meditation. Very few Buddhists reach Enlightenment, but they try!

Nirvana

Buddhists souls reach Nirvana after they attain Enlightenment. It is like disappearing, or like a candle going out. It is not a place, more like a state of matter. Buddhist afterlife.