Ancient India

Subcontinent: a large part of a continent

Monsoon: a wind pattern that influences the climate and leads to wet and dry seasons

Mohenjo-Daro: one of the largest Harappan cities

Harappa: India’s first civilization, located along the Indus River

Vedas: a collection of religious poems, myths, and hymns that influenced Hinduism

Aryans: a group from Central Asia who moved into India and established Vedic society

Sanskrit: an important language of Ancient India

Caste System: a social order that has determined one’s place in Indian society

Hinduism: a major world religion that developed in India from the Vedas

Reincarnation: the rebirth of one’s soul

Karma: the effect a person’s actions have on their soul

Ahimsa: nonviolence and respect for living things

Dharma: one’s spiritual duties

Moksha: achieved when one is released from the cycle of rebirth

Buddhism: a religion centered around the teachings of the Buddha

Meditation: focusing one’s mind on spiritual ideas

Nirvana: a state of peace that is free from suffering and desire

Siddhartha Gautama: a prince who discovered enlightenment and became known as the Buddha or the “Enlightened One”

Jainism: a religion founded in India by Mahavira that promotes nonviolence

Sikhism: a monotheistic religion founded by Guru Nanak that promotes honesty and equality

Chandragupta Maurya: a military leader who founded the Mauryan Empire

Ashoka: Mauryan king who extended his rule across most of India and prioritized the well-being of his people

Chandra Gupta II: leader who expanded the Gupta empire and strengthened the economy

Metallurgy: the science of working with metals, which was founded in Ancient India