ancient world alexander the great

Bactria

Hellenistic kingdom in the Gandhara region (modern Pakistan) from c. 250-50 BCE that became independent around 200 BCE, with a major city at Aï Khanoum; its culture mixed Greek and Indian elements ('Indo-Greek').

bodhisattvas

In Mahayana Buddhism, enlightened beings who could enter nirvana but choose to remain in the world to help others reach it.

caravan cities

Cities along Silk Road land routes (such as Petra and Palmyra) that served as commercial and cultural hubs for long-distance trade.

cosmopolitans

'Citizens of the world'; inhabitants of large, multiethnic Hellenistic cities that served as major exchange centers.

Gandharan style

Artistic style from the Gandharan region (modern Pakistan) that blended Hellenistic influences with Buddhist subjects, especially in statuary.

Hellenism

The process by which earlier Greek city-states' distinct cultures blended into a shared culture emphasizing common Greek language, style, and political ideas across Afro-Eurasia.

Koine Greek

A simplified 'common Greek' dialect that became the international language of regions influenced by Hellenism, facilitating trade and communication.

Mahayana Buddhism

'Great Vehicle' Buddhism; a more accessible form that spread along the Silk Roads and taught a divine Buddha and the importance of bodhisattvas.

Mauryan Empire

(321-184 BCE) The first large South Asian empire, spanning from the Indus to the Ganges and nearly to India's southern tip; founded by Chandragupta Maurya and expanded under Aśoka.

nirvana

Literally 'nonexistence'; in Buddhism, the state of complete liberation from worldly concerns.

periplus

A 'sailing around' manual that recorded firsthand nautical knowledge, navigation strategies, and trade advice.

Silk Roads

Over 5,000 miles of interconnected trade routes linking China, Central Asia, and the Mediterranean, named for the silk traded along them but also carrying ideas, people, and many valuable goods.