03: Classical Civilization: India

Question 0

Alexander the Great

Answer 0

• Successor of Phillip II; successfully conquered Persian Empire prior to his death in 323 BCE; attempted to combine Greek and Persian cultures.
• Brought Hellenistic influences to India
• Changes the SPICEs of classical India

Question 1

Buddha

Answer 1

• Creator of major Indian and Asian religion; born in 6th century BCE as son of local ruler among Aryan tribes located near Himalayas; became an ascetic; found enlightenment under bo tree; taught that enlightenment could be achieved only by abandoning desires for all earthly things.
• Founded Buddhism, one of the great world religions
• Buddhism influenced much of the world, especially East Asia

Question 2

Himalayas

Answer 2

• Mountain region marking the northern border of the Indian subcontinent; site of the Aryan settlements that formed small kingdoms or warrior republics.
• Separated India from East Asia but linked India to Middle East via passes.
• Influenced India’s SPICEs, particularly culture and economy.

Question 3

Monsoons

Answer 3

• Seasonal winds crossing Indian subcontinent and southeast Asia during summer bring rains.
• Brought the needed moisture for India’s farming economy
• Culture was affected by the monsoons because people had to adapt.

Question 4

Aryans

Answer 4

• European nomadic pastoralists who replaced Harappan civilization; militarized society.
• Brought agriculture and iron tools to India
• Completely changed all the SPICESs of India

Question 5

Sanskrit

Answer 5

• The sacred and classical Indian language
• First literary language of India
• Most of what we know of early India was written in sanskrit.

Question 6

Vedas

Answer 6

• Aryan hymns originally transmitted orally but written down in sacred books from the 6th century BCE.
• Told us about much of preclassical Indian culture.
• Able to learn about early Indian history.

Question 7

Mahabharata

Answer 7

• Indian epic of war, princely honor, love, and social duty; written down in the last centuries BCE; previously handed down in oral form.
• Shows more settled agricultural society 7 better organized political units
• Showed development of SPICEs in India

Question 8

Ramayana

Answer 8

• On of the great epic tales from classical India; traces of adventures of King Rama and his wife, Sita; written 4th to 2nd centuries BCE.
• Shows more settled agricultural society 7 better organized political units
• Showed development of SPICEs in India

Question 9

Varnas

Answer 9

• Clusters of caste groups in Aryan society; four social castes-Brahmans (priests), warriors, merchants, and peasants; beneath four Aryan castes was a group of socially untouchable Dasas.
• Structure of society in India still lasting through today
• Controlled most SPICEs

Question 10

Untouchables

Answer 10

• Low social caste in Hindu culture; performed tasks that were considered polluting—- street sweeping, removal of human waste and tanning.
• Lowest caste in Indian society to this day.
• Helped influence how India works socially.

Question 11

Indra

Answer 11

• Chief deity of the Aryans; depicted as a colossal, hard-drinking warrior
• Main god of early Indian culture.
• Shows what early Indian culture believed in and was centered around.

Question 12

Chandragupta Maurya

Answer 12

-Founder of Maurya dynasty; established 1st empire in Indian subcontinent; 1st centralized government since Harappan
civilization.
-First ruler to unify most of subcontinent.
-Brought about first example of widespread unity and politics.

Question 13

Mauryan

Answer 13

• Dynasty established in Indian subcontinent in 4th century BCE following invasion by Alexander the Great.
• First dynasty to unify most of subcontinent.
• Brought about first example of widespread unity and politics.

Question 14

Ashoka

Answer 14

• Grandson of Chandragupta Maurya; completed conquests of Indian subcontinent; converted to Buddhism and sponsored spread of new religion throughout his empire.
• Spread Buddhism through India and sent out missionaries
• Missionaries sent caused the widespread adaptation and conversion of Buddhism in China

Question 15

Dharma

Answer 15

• The caste position and career determined by a person’s birth; Hindu culture required that one accept one’s social position and perform occupation to the best of one’s bility in order to have a better situation in the nest life.
• Brought unity to people.
• Allowed the differing Indian peoples to live in relative harmony.

Question 16

Kushans

Answer 16

• People from Kush, an African state that developed along the Nile c. 1000 BCE; conquered Egypt and ruled it for several centuries
• One ruler converted to Buddhism and promoted it in India
• Lessened Buddhism’s influence in India because of the association of foreign rule.

Question 17

Guptas

Answer 17

• Dynasty that succeded the Kushans in the 3rd century CE, built empire that extended to all but the southern regions of Indian subcontinent; less centralized than Mauryan empire.
• Brought unity to subconinent once again with great impact.
• Brought greatest period of political stability in India.

Question 18

Kautilya

Answer 18

• Political advisor to Chandragupta Maurya; one of the authors of Arthashastra; believed the the scientific application of warfare.
• Wrote important treatise on politics.
• Influences India’s political SPICE.

Question 19

Gurus

Answer 19

• Originally referred to as Brahmans who served as teacher for the princes of the imperial court of the Guptas.
• Helped formalize Hinduism.
• Helped bring common beliefs to many Indians.

Question 20

Vishnu

Answer 20

• The Brahman, later Hindu, god of sacrifice; widely worshipped.
• Manifested the aspects of brahman.
• Helped further Hindu formalization.

Question 21

Shiva

Answer 21

• Hindu god of destruction and reproduction;worshipped as the personification of cosmic forces of change.
• Manifested the aspects of brahman.
• Helped further Hindu formalization.

Question 22

Reincarnation

Answer 22

• The successive attachment of the soul to some animate form according to merits earned in previous lives.
• Helped keep the caste system in place.
• Kept lower castes from rebelling from the unfair system of classes.

Question 23

Nirvana

Answer 23

• The Buddhist state of enlightenment, a state of tranquility.
• The state that Buddhists strive to achieve.
• Brought lower caste members to Buddhism because it was not as daunting and as long a task.

Question 24

Kamasutra

Answer 24

• Written by Vatsayana during Gupta era; offered instructions on all aspects of life for higher-caste males, including grooming, hygiene, etiquette, selection of wives, and lovemaking.
• Showed much of what was important to Classical Indian society.
• Showed the cultural and social SPICEs of Classical India.

Question 25

Stupas

Answer 25

• Stone shrines built to house pieces of bone or hair and personal possessions said to be relics of the Buddha; preserved Buddhist architectural forms.
• Some indian art that was not destroyed later in time
• shows indian culture SPICE

Question 26

Scholar-Gentry

Answer 26

-Chinese Class created by the marital linkage of the local land-holding aristocracy with the office-holding shi; superseded shi as governors of China.