Unit 3 vocab Honors World History Quiz 1

Caste system 

Social Structure of Hinduism, defines both level of social acceptability and role to play in society  

Siddhartha Gautama 

a wealthy prince looking to understand human suffering​, founder of Buddhism  

karma  

Roles and functions assigned to all living things and each Hindu caste, the fulfillment of which leads to reincarnation as a higher form of life or a higher caste 

buddha  

Siddhartha Gautama; son of an Indian nobleman who attained Enlightenment after leaving home to discover the source of human suffering 

Torah  

Holy book of Judaism consisting of the first five books of the Old Testament which includes Mosaic law. 

Allah 

Arabic term for monotheistic God worshiped by the Abrahamic religions 

Coptic Christianity 

Christian sect of Egypt 

Mahayana 

“the Greater Cart”; predominant form of Buddhism found in China, Korea, and Japan including Chan and Zen traditions 

Shamanism  

Religious belief that focuses on people (often called medicine men) who are believed to have access and/or power over the spiritual world 

Untouchables 

Lowest social class in Hindu society who were not even considered part of the caste system. Performed tasks that were considered polluting such as street sweeping, etc. 

Zoroastrianism 

Monotheistic religion native to Persia, known for the balance between good and evil 

Moksha 

Peaceful escape from the cycle of reincarnation to merge with the Brahman.  

Pope 

Bishop of Rome, head of the Christian church in Western Europe.  

Stupas 

Buddhist temples constructed in India by Asoka to house relics of the Buddha  

Vedas 

Oral traditions of the Indo-Aryan tribes that were later recorded by Brahmins in Sanskrit which form the foundations of Hinduism 

Animism 

Traditional religious belief that natural objects have spirits 

Sanskrit 

Sacred language of Classical India in which Brahmins recorded the sacred texts of Hinduism 

Augustine 

Early Christian theologian and Church Father who wrote *The City of God* which defined the early theology of the Catholic Church 

Bodhisattvas 

Buddhist holy men whose prayers could aid others in achieving reflected enlightenment even after their death 

Jesus of Nazareth 

Founder of Christianity. Executed by the Romans c. 35CE for treason and whose death and resurrection is believed by Christians to bring salvation to believers 

Ancestor Worship 

Practice of venerating ancestors whose spirits protect their living relatives 

Reincarnation 

Hindu cycle of life, death, and rebirth before reaching nirvana or enlightenment  

Paul 

Early Christian apostle who wrote many letters to early Christian churches interpreting the meaning of the life, teachings, death, and resurrection of Jesus 

Islam 

a monotheistic religion with an ethical code consisting of the Five Pillars 

Devi 

Mother Goddess of ancient Indian Culture, later incorporated into Hinduism;  

Buddhism 

Religion focused on renouncing desire to find relief of suffering, follows the eightfold path.  

Hinduism 

Religion focused on increasing Karma and following current role and duty in society 

Dharma 

Current role, duty and purpose in society in Hinduism.  

Brahma 

Creator god in Hinduism, all other gods and goddess are extensions of it.  

Upanishads 

108 Hindu Religious teachings, start as commentary on the Vedas 

Bhagavad Gita 

epic poem about the god Krishna, a part of a larger work describing a war between two kings called the Mahabharata​ 

Nirvana 

peaceful release from suffering​ 

Abraham 

God spoke to them and told them to lead the Hebrew people to Canaan from Babylon 

Daoism 

philosophy based ideas of Lao Tzu, focuses on the energy of the universe and believes there is always light in darkness and darkness in light.  

Confucius 

Seeks to understand the political and social turmoil in the mid Zhou dynasty, his teachings will be the basis of morality for many Chinese dynasties.