India

monopoly

A market in which there are many buyers but only one seller.

Jawaharlal Nehru

1st prime minister of India that ruled till he died in office. He improved education and economy.

Brahma

creator god

Indus River Valley Civilization

A civilization that possibly had capitals Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro; well-organized government. (3000-1500 BCE)

Gupta Empire

The empire that emerged after the Mauryan Empire, and whose founder is Chandra Gupta. Golden-age (320-600 ACE)

Muslim League

an organization formed in 1906 to protect the interests of India's Muslims, which later proposed that India be divided into separate Muslim and Hindu nations

Kshatriyas

Somewhat educated; bureaucrats - Govt officials, military leaders, police.

Dravidians

Dark skinned native people of India. Organized Harappa and Mohenjo Daro.

Pakistan (East & West)

East became Bangladesh, West became Pakistan.

Caste System

A Hindu social class system that controlled every aspect of daily life.

Pariahs

Untouchables - deal with death, blood, and dirt.

Brahmans

Well educated; upper class; elite - Priests, religious leaders, scholars.

Maurya Empire

An Indian empire founded by Chandragupta with a strong central government. Asoka ruled during this time. (300-145 BCE)

East India Company

An English company formed in 1600 to develop trade with the new British colonies in India and southeastern Asia.

Pakistan

A country that was created after the Independence of India that was composed of all the country's Muslims. This was a move opposed by Gandhi, but was done so as to prevent fighting and segregation within India.

Vishnu

preserver god

Rajah

Small nations India was broken into during the time of confusion and British India.

purdah

Isolation of women in separate quarters

Akbar the Great

Blended Hindu & Muslim cultures because of his religious tolerance. The grandson of Babur who created a strong central government.

British Influence/India

In the 1600s the East India Company was given exclusive trading rights in India. The British controlled India until 1947.

Chandragupta I

A Hindu ruler who started the Gupta Empire. He named himself after Chandragupta Maurya.

Shiva

destroyer god

Mohandas Gandhi

An Indian philosopher who practiced nonviolent resistance, civil disobedience, and boycotts to gain independence from Britain.

salt march

Gandhi led a march over 240 miles to protest the British monopoly on salt in India

Himalayan Republics

Included Nepal and Bhutan. Two countries that resulted from partition. Less powerful and successful because they split from India

Indian Independence

Many protests such as Indian National Congress and the Muslim League occur. Gandhi perfects the resistance with non-violence. India declares itself independent in 1947 after WWII.

reincarnation

The rebirth of a soul in a new body

Mohammed Jinnah

Wants security for the Muslim minority and founded Pakistan. He was the leader of the Muslim League.

Vaisyas

Poorly educated but still members of society - merchants, businessmen.

civil disobedience

A nonviolent, public refusal to obey allegedly unjust laws.

Indian National Congress

A movement and political party founded in 1885 to demand greater Indian participation in government. Led after 1920 by Mohandas K. Gandhi, appealing to the poor.

Mughal Empire

A Muslim empire founded by Babur in the 1500s. There were a lot of conflicts between Hinduism and Islam. Akbar and Aurengzeb ruled during this time.

Sudras

Servants, manual laborers - maids, cooks, household servants.

Rajiv Gandhi

Indira Gandhi's son and successor as Prime Minister of India; killed by a car bomb while campaigning.

Aryans

Lighter-skinned nomads from Europe and Asia that migrated to India during the start of the Hindi period. (1500ish)

Sri Lanka

Small island nation off the southwest coast of India

sanskrit

The language brought to India by the Aryans

Chandragupta Maurya

Founder of the Maurya empire; trade prospered under his reign. He was very concerned about security for capital and himself.

karma

The belief that actions in this life, whether good or bad, will decide your place in the next life.

Deccan Plateau

A high area of land at the center of the Indian subcontinent.

Thar desert

India's longest desert that runs along India/Pakistan border

Asoka

A ruler of the Mauryan Empire in India, responsible for the spread of Buddhism throughout Asia. Harsh ruler, but later converted to Buddhism and ruled peacefully.

satyagraha

the form of nonviolent resistance initiated in India by Mahatma Gandhi in order to oppose British rule and to hasten political reforms

Indo-Gangetic Plain

a rich, fertile and ancient land encompassing most of northern and eastern India, the most populous parts of Pakistan, and virtually all of Bangladesh.

Babur

The founder of Mughal dynasty in India; conquered Afghanistan, most of northern India & modern Pakistan.

Indira Gandhi

Daughter of Jawaharlal Nehru and the first woman in South Asia to be a leader of a country. She helped India become a major world power. Was assassinated by her own guards.

Sepoy Rebellion

The revolt of Indian soldiers in 1857 against certain practices that violated religious customs; also known as the Sepoy Mutiny.

Sikhs

Members of an Indian religious minority

dowry

property or money brought by a bride to her husband on their marriage

monsoons

seasonal wind patterns that cause wet and dry seasons in India

dharma

In Hindu belief, a person's religious and moral duties

Upanishads/Gitas

Sacred Hindu texts