Standard 3 Study Guide: Ancient India & China

Vocabulary flashcards covering core terms, religions, philosophies, and political concepts from Ancient India and Ancient China.

Reincarnation

The Hindu and Buddhist belief in the cycle of a soul's rebirth.

Siddhartha Gautama

The founder of Buddhism who taught the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path to Nirvana.

Caste system

A strict social class system that developed on the Indian subcontinent.

Oracle bones

Items used in ancient China to communicate with the gods, which hold the oldest written records in China today.

Enlightenment

A state of perfect understanding of all things.

Mandate of Heaven

An idea developed by the Zhou Dynasty holding that when a ruling dynasty loses favor with the gods, they should be overthrown and replaced by a new accepted dynasty.

Migration

The movement of a people from one region to another.

Aryans

Indo-European people who migrated to the Indus River Valley of India.

Dynastic cycle

The pattern of the rise and fall of dynasties in China.

Polytheism

The belief in many gods.

Monotheism

The belief in one God.

Sanskrit

The sacred language of Hinduism.

Daoism

A philosophy that stresses simple living and harmony with nature.

Yin and Yang

A concept that symbolizes the balance of opposing forces, harmony, and order.

Shi Huangdi

Emperor of Qin China who doubled its size, built a wall to keep out invaders, and imposed order by burning books and attacking scholars.

Legalism

A philosophy that uses harsh punishments and strict laws to restore order and control populations.

Autocracy

A government in which the ruler has unlimited power.

Merit

Showing high quality; the basis of a bureaucracy where officials prove their worth, usually through state administration exams, to gain government positions.

Empire

A political unit created when the borders of one nation expand to take in previously independent people.

Confucianism

A philosophy that stresses morality, education, and strong personal relationships.

Filial piety

Respect for elders and ancestors, heavily stressed in Chinese culture.