Key Concepts in Ancient Indian and Chinese Societies

Varnas

name given by Aryans in ancient India to a group of people in what was believed to be an ideal social structure of four groups

Caste system

a rigid social structure in ancient India that determine a person's occupation and economic potential, as well as their position in society, based partly on skin color

Hinduism

the major Indian religious system, which had its origins in the religious beliefs of the Aryans who settled in India after 1500 B.C.

Yoga

a method of training developed by the Hindus that is supposed to lead to oneness with Brahman

Reincarnation

Hindu tradition meaning 'rebirth' of an individual's soul in a different form after death

Karma

Hindu belief in the premise of action-and-consequence, actions determine how a person will be reborn in the next life

Dharma

Hindu teaching emphasizing 'order, truth, duty, law,' the divine law that rules karma

Buddhism

a religious doctrine introduced in northern India in the 6th century B.C. by Siddhartha Gautama, known as the Buddha, or 'Enlightened One'

Nirvana

in Buddhism, ultimate reality, the end of the self and a reunion with the Great World Soul

Silk Road

trade network between the Roman Empire and China, named for Chinese silk (China's most valuable product)

Pilgrims

people who travel to religious places

Vedas

India's earliest surviving literature consisting of hymns which praise divinities and stories, originally passed down orally then written down in Sanskrit

Confucianism

the system of political and ethical ideas formulated by the Chinese philosopher Confucius during the Zhou dynasty, intended to help restore order to a society that was in a state of confusion

Daoism

a system of ideas based on the teachings of Laozi, believes that the will of Heaven is best followed through inaction so that nature is allowed to take its course

Legalism

popular philosophy in China during the Zhou dynasty, proposes that human beings are evil by nature and can be brought to the correct path only by harsh laws

Civil Service

the administrative service of a government, not including the armed forces, in which appointments are determined by competitive examinations

Bureaucracy

A government system in which decisions are made by appointed officials or departments rather than by elected representatives.

Empire

A group of states or countries, typically different cultures and regions, united under a single ruler

Monumental Architecture

A structure created to commemorate a historically important person or event.

Feudalism

System in which people were given land and protection by people of higher rank, and worked and fought for them in return

Dynasty

A line of hereditary rulers from the same family who controlled a country