Studied by 1 person
subcontinent
a smaller piece of land that is part of a larger continent
monsoon
strong, violent wind storms that change directions based on the season
can bring floodings
harappa
a city
very well developed but was abandoned for unknown reasons
mohenjo-daro
one of the largest settlements in Indus valley
very well developed
vedas
religious text
outlines all aspects of aryan society and life
collection of hymns, chants, ritual instruction and other religious teachings
rajah
warrior king
varnas
social groups
brahmins
“those who learn”
priests and teachers
highest in the social class (besides god)
understood dharma
kshatriyas
“those who accumulate power”
warriors and rulers
2nd highest
ran the government
vaishyas
“those who produced goods”
common people, merchants, artisans, farmers
sudras
“those who serve”
servants
untouchables
given unclean jobs
not considered of the varnas,
usually people who migrated there and are unwelcomed
henotheism
belief in one supreme deity (god) composed of many secondary deities
brahman
the supreme deity
devas
secondary deities
main ones:
brahma - the creatorr
vishnu - the preserver
shiva - the destroyer
reincarnation (samsara)
the rebirth of a soul in a new body, repeats over and over
karma
sum effect of one’s actions in a lifetime
dharma
one’s purpose in life
the set of obligations/duties one must fulfill in a lifetime
based on one’s varna
ahimsa
non violence
all people/things are aspects of Brahman and should be respected
atman
the eventual goal to achieve in hinduism
piece of brahman in every human - the essential self, the soul, breaks the reincarnation cycle and returns to brahman
moksha
the eventual goal to achieve in hinduism
oneness with brahman
caste system
the system aryans used to categorize people
siddhartha gautama
the person who started buddhism
also known as budda
four noble truths
suffering is a part of human life. no one can escape suffering while alive.
suffering comes from people’s desires for pleasures and material goods
overcoming these desires during life eventually brings peace
desires can be overcome by following the eightfold path
eightfold path
the middle way to live
1. right view - accepting the four noble truths
2. right attitude - striving for moderation in all things
3. right speech - no lies, bragging, or hurtful words
4. right action - treat other people fairly
5. right livelihood - avoid jobs that bring harm to others
6. right effort - always try to improve oneself
7. right mindfulness - put others before yourself
8. right concentration - ignoring temptation and discomfort while meditating
nirvana
if ones follows the four noble truths and eightfold path one will achieve nirvana
-dhammapadaperfect peace
dhammapada
the recorded words of Siddhartha gautama written down after he died by his follwers
pail canon (tripitaka)
oldest buddhist writings, written in the pali language
chandragupta maurya
established the mauryan empire
began conquering different kingdoms
very strict, controlling rule
great economy during this time
arthasatra
text on government policy
emperor ashoka
converted to Buddhism after seeing the lives lost as he fought wars
supported buddhist missionaries
adopted religious toleration
opposite rule of his grandfather, chandragupta maurya
missionaries
a person/group of people sent on religious missions to promote the religion in different countries and territories
chandra gupta I
founder of the gupta empire
strict laws
chandra gupta II
ruled during the height of the gupta empire
strict laws
silk road
connected Mediterranean sea to eastern Asia - markets from Africa, Europe, middle east, and China linked
golden age
a period of time where everything is thriving and in peace
law code of manu
defined proper behavior for people or different varnas and castes
kalidasa
a poet and playwright
wrote sakuntala (first Indian drama to be translated into a western language)
aryabhata
a mathematician & astronomer
found out:
earth rotates on an axis and revolves around sun
calculated circumference of earth
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Flashcard (61)