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KICS W1 (old) > 03 Ancient Indian Civilization > Flashcards

03 Ancient Indian Civilization Flashcards

1
Q

monsoon

A

a seasonal prevailing wind in the region of South and Southeast Asia, blowing from the southwest between May and September and bringing rain (the wet monsoon), or from the northeast between October and April (the dry monsoon)

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1
Q

citadel

A

a fortress, typically on high ground, protecting or dominating a city

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1
Q

When did the Indus Valley civilization arise?

A

circa 2500 BC

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1
Q

Sanskrit

A

the Indo-Aryan language

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1
Q

polygyny

A

marriage to more than one wife

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1
Q

polyandry

A

marriage to more than one husband

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2
Q

three northern mountain ranges of the Indian subcontinent

A

from west to east: Hindu Kush, Karakoram, Himalayas

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2
Q

Brahmins

A

priests in the Vedic religion

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2
Q

polygamy

A

marriage to more than one person

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3
Q

Vedas

A

the most ancient Hindu scriptures, written in early Sanskrit and containing hymns, philosophy, and guidance on ritual for the priests of Vedic religion

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4
Q

Vindhya Mountains

A

mountain range that separates northern and southern India

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4
Q

raja

A

a prince or king who ruled an Indo-Aryan city-state

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4
Q

suttee

A

ritual suicide of a widow by throwing herself on top of her husband’s flaming funeral pyre

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5
Q

Khyber Pass

A

a pass through the Hindu Kush; used by migrating or invading tribes

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5
Q

stupa

A

hemispherical (dome-shaped) shrine that held artifacts and objects associated with Buddha

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6
Q

Ganges River

A

flows southeast from the Himalayas through an immensely fertile valley

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7
Q

Indus River

A

flows southwest from the northern mountains through drier lands

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8
Q

Bay of Bengal

A

body of water off the eastern coast of India

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9
Q

Arabian Sea

A

body of water off the western coast of India

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10
Q

Indian Ocean

A

body of water to the south of India

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11
Q

famous twin cities of the Indus Valley civilization

A

Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa

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12
Q

Indo-Gangetic Plain

A

The three main geographic regions of India are the northern mountains, the _____, and the Deccan.

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13
Q

Hindu Kush

A

The three mountain ranges in northern India are the Himalaya, the Karakoram, and the _____.

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14
Q

three-quarters

A

In most of India, about _____ of the entire year’s rainfall comes between mid-June and early October.

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15
Q

Harappan

A

Scholars call the earliest Indus Valley civilization the _____ civilization.

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16
Q

bricks

A

Many Harappan dwellings were constructed of _____ that were baked in kilns.

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17
Q

earthquakes

A

Three possible scenarios advanced by scholars to explain the fall of the Harappan civilization are: invading conquerors, devastating floods, or _____.

18
Q

herding

A

The primary Indo-Aryan occupation was _____.

19
Q

wheat and barley

A

The principal crops of the Indo-Gangetic Plain were _____.

20
Q

by word of mouth

A

The Vedas were passed on from generation to generation _____.

21
Q

sacrifices

A

The Vedic religion valued the function of ritual _____ in hope of obtaining good health, long life, or wealth.

22
Q

The One

A

The Vedic religion, full of references to many gods, had one chief god, “_____”.

23
Q

Upanishads

A

complex philosophical explanations of the Vedic religion

24
Q

epics

A

long poems describing heroes and great events

25
Q

Mahabharata

A

one of the two great Sanskrit epics that describes the civil war waged between the five Pandava brothers and their 100 stepbrothers

26
Q

Ramayana

A

one of the two great Sanskrit epics that tells the story of two royal heroic figures, Rama and his wife Sita

27
Q

Bhagavad Gita

A

the last 18 chapters of the Mahabharata; stresses the idea that conducting oneself properly according to one’s status in life marks the highest fulfillment in life

28
Q

caste system

A

form of social organization based on varnas, or fixed social classes

29
Q

monism

A

the belief that God and human beings are one

30
Q

maya

A

the belief that the world known to our senses is merely an illusion

31
Q

reincarnation

A

the rebirth of the soul

32
Q

dharma

A

virtue, righteousness, and duty, especially social and caste duty in accord with the cosmic order

33
Q

karma

A

positive or negative force generated by a person’s actions, which will determine their status in the next life

34
Q

yoga

A

a physical and mental discipline designed to harmonize body with soul

35
Q

nirvana

A

the perfect peace that releases the soul from the endless cycle of reincarnation (Buddhism)

36
Q

moksha

A

release from the cycle of rebirth impelled by the law of karma (Hinduism)

37
Q

Siddhartha Gautama

A

founder of Buddhism who became known as the Buddha, or “the Enlightened One”

38
Q

Chandragupta Maurya

A

the powerful young adventurer that established the Mauryan Empire

39
Q

Asoka

A

one of the greatest rulers of the Mauryan Empire; conquered almost all of India and urged religious toleration

40
Q

Samudragupta

A

he set his triumphs and his boasts of victory on Asoka’s pillars, next to Asoka’s regrets and repentance

41
Q

Kumaragupta

A

son and successor of Chandragupta II; brought the empire to its peak

42
Q

Skandagupta

A

After the death of _____, invaders gained control of northern India.

43
Q

Pataliputra

A

the Gupta capital city

44
Q

Darius

A

The Persian ruler _____ conquered part of India in the 500s BC.

45
Q

Buddhist (Asoka)

A

Asoka became so sickened by the slaughter of battle that he renounced war and became a devout _____.

46
Q

stone pillars

A

Asoka set up _____ inscribed with his laws throughout the empire.

47
Q

intermarriage

A

The Guptas expanded their power greatly through _____ and conquest.

48
Q

Hinduism (Guptas)

A

Though the Guptas continued to support Buddhism, they favored _____, which became the dominant religion of India.

49
Q

golden age

A

India during the reign of the Guptas has been called a _____ because of the brilliant civilization that flourished at the time.

50
Q

Ajanta

A

The paintings in the caves at _____ are a valuable source of information about daily life during the Gupta period.

51
Q

Indo-Aryans

A

people who developed a caste system

52
Q

Susruta

A

Indian doctor who practiced strict cleanliness and disinfected wounds

53
Q

Aryabhata

A

Indian mathematician who computed the value of pi (π)

54
Q

Chandragupta I

A

built a small empire centered on the Ganges River

55
Q

Chandragupta II

A

society and the arts prospered during his reign

56
Q

Panchatantra

A

“Five Books”, a series of fables from the Gupta period

KICS W1 (old) (12 decks)

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