Chapter 4: Ancient India Flashcards
What is the Khyber Pass?
Allows entrance into India from north/rest of India
What are physical features that isolate India?
1) Arabian Sea
2) Indian Ocean
3) Bay of Bengal
4) Himalaya Mts
5) Karakoram Mts
6) Suleiman Range
7) Baluchistan Plateau
8) Hindu Kush
What were the 3 geographic regions of the Indian subcontinent?
1) Indo-Gangetic Plain
2) Coastal Plain
3) Deccan Plateau
What is the Indo-Gangetic Plain?
1) Has the three main rivers: Indus, Ganges, Brahmaputra
2) Most cultural, most agriculture, most population
What is the Coastal Plain?
Area with forests and jungles; moist, experiences most rainfall
What is the Deccan Plateau?
Area at high elevation, flat area ringed with mountains. Dry, poor agriculture.
What is a monsoon?
A very heavy rainfall that accounts for most of the annual rainfall of India. Occurs during a specific time of the year.
Where was the first civilization of India located?
the Indus Valley
What were the two main cities of the Indus Valley civilization?
Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro
Were the rivers of the Indus Valley reliable?
Yes, flooded reliably twice a year
Who were the Aryans?
Nomadic white people who entered India through the Khyber Pass. They were herders.
What were the Vedas books?
Recorded history of the Vedas age. Used to be oral but was later written down. Contains stories explaining main gods and concepts. Created the basic philosophy of Hinduism. Were usually prayers and hymns to the gods.
What did the Aryans do?
Were originally farmers and herders, but later conquered the northern plain (Indo-Gangetic)
What is Reincarnation?
Rebirth into a new life
What is Sanskrit?
Written language of the ancient Indians. Has common origins with Ancient Greek and Latin
What is a Brahmin?
a priest
What was the Epic Age?
Time that we know about because of books called epics. Rajahs fought for superiority.
What were the Upanishads?
Complex philosophical explanations of the Vedic religion
What were epics?
Long poems describing heroes and great events
What was the Bhagavad Gita?
chapters that stressed the idea that one should conduct themselves properly according to their status in life.
What happened between the Vedic and the Epic Age?
There was a shift in beliefs
Is Hinduism polytheistic?
No, since all gods are just different forms of the same entity
Who is Brahma?
the creator
Who is Vishnu?
most popular god, many forms
Who is Shiva?
the destroyer. Not “evil,” an energetic creator
Who is Ganesha?
Remover of obstacles
Who is Brahman?
Universal soul, an entity/idea that is infinite. All gods=Brahman
What is Maya?
Pain and sorrow due to separation
What is Atman?
Soul
What is monism?
really one with Brahman
What is Moksha?
ultimate goal of deliverance
What is dharma?
Right moral duty
What is karma?
Law of right moral consequence
How did Hinduism progress?
Went from a philosophy to a religion after the Epic Era
Who is a guru?
A spiritual teacher who has mastered inner spirituality
What is puja?
daily prayer
What is considered holy in Hinduism?
the Ganges, cows, idols
What is ahisma?
non-violence towards animals
Who runs an Aryan village?
Rajah
What is suttee?
A woman’s sacrifice/devotion to husband
What is purdah?
Covering up of a woman
What kind of society?
Patriarchal
Who was Siddharta Gautama?
“The Buddha.” Founded Buddhism. Also known as teacher, or the Enlightened One.
What are the Four Noble Truths?
1) Life means suffering
2) The origin of suffering is attachment
3) The cessation of suffering is attainable
4) The path to the cessation of suffering is the Eightfold path
What is Buddhism known as?
“The way of life”
Where were the first great empires of India?
Indus Valley, under city-state rule
Who was a part of the Maghda Kingdom?
The Aryans
Why did the Maghda Kingdom collapse?
Civil wars
What group of invaders had an effect on the art/culture of India?
The Greeks
Who established the Maurya Empire?
Chandragupta Maurya
What was the capital of the Maurya Empire?
Pataliputra
What were the actions of the Maurya empire?
1) collect taxes
2) improve justice system
3) divide provinces
4) increased army size
5) built roads
6) postal system
7) spy system
8) book on ruling
Who was Asoka?
1) Grandson if Chandragupta
2) attacks Kalinga, wipes it off of map
3) becomes sickened by violence and becomes a devoir Buddhist
4) Buddhism rises in popularity
5) sends missionaries out to the world
Who were the Bactrian Greeks?
People who invaded India. Their influence or conquest is shown by art of that period.
Who were the Kushians?
Kanishka invades and converts to Buddhism. Begins Mahayanna Buddhism and sends out missionaries
Who was the founder of the Gupta Empire?
Chandragupta 1
What was significant about the Gupta empire?
The Golden Age occurred. 200 years of peace and prosperity.
1) Hinduism becomes more popular, Buddhism becomes less popular bc Chan. was Hindu
2) Trade expands
3) Many innovations and advances
What were some mathematical innovations?
Understanding of pi, concept of 0
What was represented by Indian art?
Religion
What is yoga?
Connection with the world
