Ancient India and China Flashcards

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering key terms, rulers, religions, and philosophical concepts from Ancient India and Ancient China.

Indus River

The river along which Ancient India developed.

Aryans

Nomads with no homeland or written language who lived in a class-based society and conquered Ancient India.

Caste

The term for a social class in India.

Brahmins

Priests in the Indian caste system.

Kshatriya

Warriors and nobles in the Indian caste system.

Vaishya

Merchants, cattle herders, and farmers in the Indian caste system.

Shudra

Laborers and craftsmen in the Indian caste system.

Untouchables

The lowest caste in India, responsible for doing the unwanted and most despised jobs.

Chandragupta Maurya

Ruler who created the 1st Indian empire.

Ashoka

Chandragupta's grandson and the greatest Maurya emperor, who converted to Buddhism and rejected violence after a bloody war.

Gupta family

The ruling family that replaced the Maurya Empire and initiated India's "Golden Age".

Hinduism

India's largest religion, centered on the belief that "God is one but many".

Vedas

Sacred Hindu texts and scriptures.

Upanishads

Hindu philosophical writings.

Brahma

The Creator god in Hinduism.

Shiva

The Destroyer god in Hinduism.

Vishnu

The Savior god in Hinduism.

Dharma

The Hindu goal of life concerning moral behavior and proper living.

Kama

The Hindu goal of life focused on pleasure, sensuality, affection, and love.

Artha

The Hindu goal of life concerning skills, career, work, money, and prosperity.

Moksha

Freedom from the cycle of death and rebirth and freedom from ignorance in Hinduism.

Reincarnation

The rebirth of the spirit.

Atman

A person's true self or soul in Hinduism.

Karma

Actions and deeds that determine the path of a person's life.

Ahimsa

The principle of doing no harm to others.

Shakti

Creative energy that Hindus believe is possessed mostly by women and completes a man's being.

Siddhartha Gautama

The founder of Buddhism who went on a pilgrimage to understand suffering and became the Buddha (The Enlightened One).

Four Noble Truths

The foundational Buddhist teachings stating that life involves suffering, suffering comes from desires, overcoming desires ends suffering, and desires are overcome by the Eightfold Path.

The Eightfold Path

The eight-step practical guide in Buddhism (including Right view, attitude, speech, action, livelihood, effort, mindfulness, and concentration) to overcome desires.

The Middle Way

The Buddhist rule to live in moderation and avoid extremes in comfort and discomfort.

Nirvana

A state of perfect peace and freedom from suffering achieved by following the Eightfold Path.

Theravada

A division of Buddhism teaching that the best way to achieve Nirvana is to become a monk or nun and spend one's life meditating.

Mahayana

A division of Buddhism teaching that anyone can achieve Nirvana with help without having to be a monk or nun.

Tibetan

A division of Buddhism whose followers believe they can use spiritual energy to achieve Nirvana in one lifetime.

Huang He (Yellow) River

The river along which Ancient China developed.

Zhongguo

Ancient China's name for itself, meaning "Middle Kingdom".

Xia

China's first dynasty.

Yu the Great

The legendary founder of the Xia Dynasty.

Tang of Shang

Ruler who overthrew the Xia and founded the Shang Dynasty, which created China's 1st written language.

Wu of Zhou

Founder of the Zhou Dynasty, China's longest lasting dynasty.

Mandate of Heaven

The belief that gods will support a just ruler but will not allow a corrupt person to rule.

Shi Huangdi

China's 1st emperor and founder of the Qin Dynasty, who began construction of the Great Wall of China.

Confucius

Teacher who emphasized mutual respect, love, social harmony, and just governance through concepts like the Five Bonds and Filial Duty.

The Five Bonds

The five central relationships outlined by Confucius: Ruler and Subject, Father and Son, Husband and Wife, Older Brother and Younger Brother, and Friendship.

Filial Duty

The Confucian principle of respect for parents, elders, and ancestors.

Laozi

The creator of Taoism (Daoism).

Tao (Dao)

Meaning "The Way," it is the unexplainable force that connects all things in nature.

Yin and Yang

The two sides in Taoism that must be kept balanced to maintain peace and harmony.