History 8 - Early India and Hinduism

Brahmans

a member of the highest Hindu caste, that of the priesthood

Dharma (Hinduism)

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

Monotheism

belief in only one God (ex: Jews, Christians, Muslims)

Polytheism

The belief in or worship of more than one god.

Sanskrit

(Hinduism) an ancient language of India (the language of the Vedas and of Hinduism)

Veda

Collection of hundreds of sacred hymns composed by the Aryans of ancient India

Primarry Source

An original document or artifact that provides direct evidence or firsthand information about a particular event, person, or topic.

Secondary Source

a document or account that interprets or analyzes primary sources.

Vedic faiths

Faiths that believe in reincarnation(Ex: Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism)

Dharma

The duty assigned based on one’s social position/life

Theism

The idea that there is a supreme distinct God/Goddess(who generates the cosmos, maintains it, and destroys it)

Vishnu

The transcendent Lord dwelling in the highest heaven. Many believe that Vishnu is the transcendent God that other gods are based on.

Vaishnavas

The name given to devotees of Vishnu

Avatars/Avatara

Incarnations of gods, specifically Vishnu

Shiva/Śiva

The god of ambiguity and paradox. Many believe that Shiva(Śiva) is the transcendent God that other gods are based on.

Shaivas/Śaivas

Devotees of Shiva/Śiva

The Great Goddess/Maha Devi

A contradictory figure who is wither associated with nature or destruction

Shaktas/Śaktas

The followers/devotees of the Goddess(Śakti)

Dravidian

A language family spoken mainly in central and southern India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Afghanistan.

Aryan

An ancient Indo-European people who migrated into the Indus Valley Civilization

Brahman(s)

A member of the highest Hindu caste, that of the priesthood

Indus Valley Civilization

An ancient urban civilization that thrived in the Indus River Valley.

Indo-European

A language family that includes many languages spoken in Europe, Iran, and the Indian subcontinent.

Daṇḍa

The way in which dharma is manifested upon the earth; Justice/ punishment in Hindu society

Saṃsāra

The reincarnation loop that the atman is trapped in

Ātman

The essence of a personal being; is connected to the brahman(essence of the universe)

Moksha/Mokṣa

Salvation/freedom from the samsara cycle

Karma

the law of moral causality; the result of one’s actions

Brahman

The essence of the universe