Unit 9 Study Guide - Modern MENA/Early India Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms, historical figures, and religious concepts from the Modern MENA and Early India lecture notes.

Jihad

fight for Islam

Mujahideen

fighters for Islam

Dharma

duty

Karma

actions = consequences

Varna

caste (class)

Samsara

reincarnation

Sulahkul

religious tolerance promoted by Akbar the Great

Din-i ilahi

blending religions promoted by Akbar the Great

Zamindar

landowners that rule; also a component of taxation under Akbar the Great

Reza Shah

Ruler of Iran associated with modernization under British imperial influence

Mohammad Reza Shah

Ruler of Iran associated with the white revolution and division

Ayatollah Khomeini

Leader of the Islamic revolution in $1979$ that established a republic in Iran

Ayatollah Khamenei

Leader killed in recent US-Israeli attack according to the transcript

Hostage crises

Incidents where Americans were taken hostage in $1979$ and $1985$

Hezbollah

Islamic Lebanese militant group backed by Iran promoting resistance against western forces

Iran-Iraq War

Territorial and ideological conflict beginning when Iraq invaded Iran in $1980$ and ending in a stalemate in $1988$

Ba’ath Party

Political party of Saddam Hussein in Iraq focused on unity and secularization

Persian Gulf War

Territorial conflict where Iraq invaded Kuwait in $1990$ and withdrew in $1991$

American War on Terror

Conflict that targeted Iraq over suspicions of WMDs

Menachem Begin

Leader of the Likud Party in Israel

Yasser Arafat

Leader of the Fatah Movement in Palestine

PLO/PA

Organizations that officially represent Palestine in a cooperative manner

Hamas

Organization representing alternative Palestinian interests characterized as anti-west

1st/2nd Intifadas

Rebellions against Israeli rule

Oslo Accords

An unpopular attempt at resolution in $1993$

Assassination of Rabin

Event that occurred in $1995$ following the Oslo Accords

Great Game

Imperial control struggle associated with Afghanistan history

Ahmad Shah Durrani

Afghan leader who established a kingdom and provided centralization and stability

Amanullah Khan

Afghan leader known for reform

Zahir Shah

Afghan leader who reversed reforms, established a constitutional monarchy, and was ousted in a coup

Taliban

Group that took over Afghanistan in $1996$

Osama bin Laden

Leader of al Qaeda associated with the events in Afghanistan

Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan

$1979$ conflict over control of Afghanistan

9/11

al Qaeda terrorist attacks on the United States in $2001$

US Withdrawal from Afghanistan

Event that took place in $2021$ after the US terrorism invasion in $2001$

Indus River Valley Civilization

Early settlement including sites like Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro

Indo-Aryan invaders

European group that entered through Kyber Pass in $600\,BC$ and instituted new social and religious structures

Brahmin

Caste level consisting of priests and academics

Kshatriya

Caste level consisting of warriors and nobles

Vaishya

Caste level consisting of artisans and merchants

Sudra

Caste level consisting of peasants and farmers

Untouchables

Group performing hard, filthy labor that is not technically part of the caste system

Chandragupta Maurya

Leader of the Mauryan Empire who established unity

Ashoka

Mauryan ruler known for expansion and unity

Gupta Empire

Referred to as the Golden Age under Chandra Gupta I involving reunification

Babur

Founder of the Mughal Empire

Akbar the Great

Mughal ruler who managed taxation via jizya and zamindar, and promoted peace through sulahkul and din i ilahi

Shah Jahan

Mughal ruler who built the Taj Mahal

Aurangzeb

The last and largest Mughal ruler who implemented Sharia law

Moksha

Release or liberation from the cycle and unity with Brahman in Hinduism

Four Noble Truths

Buddhist concepts involving the fulfillment of the Eightfold Path

Nirvana

Release or liberation in Buddhism

Guru Nanak

Founder of Sikhism

Guru Granth Sahib

The sacred scripture of Sikhism

Three Golden Rules

Sikh principles regarding God, service, equality, and sharing

Mukti

Release, liberation, and unity with Waheguru in Sikhism