Study Guide (Topics: Hinduism, Buddhism, and Ancient China)

Silk Road

A network of trades connecting civilizations in the East to the West.

Ganges River

A river which Hindus believe bathing in will give them salvation.

Ancient China’s Geography

Taklamakan Desert, Gobi Desert, Yellow Sea, Huang He River, Yangtze (Chang River), East China Sea, South China Sea, Himalayan Mountains, The Silk Road, Pacific Ocean.

India Geography

Indus River, Hindu Kush, Himalayan Mountains, Brahmaputra River, Bay of Bengal, Deccan Plateau, Eastern Ghats, Western Ghats, Vindhyas mountains, Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean, Ganges River

Confucius

Founder of Confucianism, he thought the vinegar was sour cause he viewed the outside world as polluted.

Laozi

Founder of Daoism

Samsara

Sanskrit for “Wandering”, an endless or repetitive cycle of existence

Moksha

A state of breaking free from the Samsara Cycle

Vedas

Old texts of Hinduism, derived from the Aryan Culture

Dharma

Fulfilling your duties (eg. a farmer farming)

Upanishads

a series of Hindu books written in Sanskrit that add onto, or explained, the Vedas.

Aryans

Migrants who settled in the Indus River Valley originating from Central Asia

Buddha

The founder of Buddhism, Siddhartha Gautama

Siddhartha

The Founder of Buddhism, alive during the 5th century BCE

Untouchables

The lowest group in the caste system

Shudras

Workers , fourth in the caste system

Kshatriya

Warriors or Royalty

Brahmins

Priests or Teachers

Vaishyas

Merchants or Business people (3rd, above Shudra)

Caste System

A societal hierarchy which the Hindus instated determining your role and status.

Karma

The returning consequences or rewards from your actions.

Nirvana

The end goal of Buddhism where you release all the suffering and attachments.

Polytheism

A religion believing in multiple gods.

Monotheism

A religion believing in a singular God.

Sanskrit

The language Hindu scriptures are written in.

Brahman

The highest state of transcendence in Hinduism

Shiva

God of Destruction

Vishnu

Preserver

Om Symbol

A symbol for meditation , representative of the Samsara Cycle.

Caste System & Origin Story

Karma (Buddhist)

Nirvana

Mara

3 Poisons

Gupta

Eightfold Path

Reincarnation

Ashoka

Tripitaka

Cultural Diffusion

Four Sights

Bodhisattva

Sermon of Sarnath

Origin Story of Siddhartha

Chinas Inventions

Dynastic Cycle

Mandate of Heaven

Sui Dynasty

Tang Dynasty

Song Dynasty

Warring Times