Indian History Vocabulary

AP World history

Sanskirt

an ancient, hindu, classical Indo-Aryan language.

Indian Epics

India’s two main ancient Sanskrit epics are the Mahabharata and the Ramayana. They are long poems that tell great stories about gods, kings, and massive wars, while teaching important lessons about duty, truth, and right living. 

Hinduism

It has no single founder, no single central authority, and no single sacred text. Instead, it is a diverse family of traditions, philosophies, and daily practices. 

Polytheistic

Belief in or worship of more than one God (Hinduism).

Monotheistic

The doctrine or belief that there is only one God.

Allegory

A story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one. 

Maurya Empire

The first major empire to unify most of the Indian subcontinent under a single centralized government.

Gupta Empire

an ancient Indian state that ruled much of the northern Indian subcontinent from approximately 320 to 550 CE.

Dharma (Hinduism)

Dharma is the moral law governing individual conduct and one of the four main goals of human life. It changes depending on a person's age, social role, and life stage (also known as universal balance).

Dharma (Buddhism)

Dharma refers to the cosmic truth and the actual teachings and doctrines taught by the Buddha.

Karma

The universal law of cause and effect. 

Samsara

The Buddhist and Hindu concept of the repeating cycle of birth, life, death, and rebirth.

Buddhism

A major world religion and philosophy based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, known as the Buddha, who lived in ancient India during the 5th or 6th century BCE. 

Bhakit Movement

A powerful spiritual and social trend in medieval Hinduism that emphasized intense personal devotion and love for a personal god between the 7th and 17th centuries.

Siddharata Gautama

The founder of Buddhism, and was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher.

Theravada Buddhism

The oldest surviving school of Buddhism, meaning “The Way of Elders”.

Mahayana Buddhism

the “Great Vehicle”, representing one of the two branches of Buddhism that emerged in India during the 1st century CE.

Upanishads

Ancient Sanskirt texts that form the philosophical portion of the Verdas, the oldest sacred scriptures of Hinduism. 

Caste System

A strict social hierarchy where a person’s social status, occupation, and community standing are decided at birth and cannot be easily changed.