Ancient India Flashcards
subcontinent
a large landmass smaller than a continent
monsoon
seasonal wind patterns that cause wet and dry seasons
Sanskrit
ancient India’s most influential language
caste system
a division of Indian society into groups based on a person’s birth, wealth or occupation
Hinduism
the most widespread religion in India today
reincarnation
the belief that the soul, once a person dies, is reborn in another person
karma
the effects that good or bad actions have on a person’s soul
Jainism
a nonviolent religion based on the teachings of Mahavira
nonviolence
the avoidance of violent actions
fasting
going without food
meditation
focusing the mind on spiritual ideas
the Buddha
the “Enlightened One”
nirvana
a state of perfect peace
missionaries
people who spread and teach religious beliefs
Candragupta Maurya
Indian military leader who first unified India and founded the Mauryan Empire
Asoka
Candragupta’s grandson and last ruler of the Mauryan Empire
Candra Gupta II
ruler who brought great prosperity and stability to India
metallurgy
the science of working with metals
alloy
a mixture of two or more metals
Hindu-Arabic numerals
the numbering system invented by Indian mathematicians and brought to Europe by Arabs; the numbers we use today
inoculation
a method of injecting a person with a small dose of a virus to help him or her build up defenses to a disease
astronomy
the study of stars and planets
