chapter 5

Question 1

subcontinent

Answer 1

is a large landmass that is smaller than a continent

Question 2

monsoons

Answer 2

seasonal wind patterns that cause wet and dry seasons

Question 3

Sanskrit

Answer 3

the most important language of ancient India

Question 4

caste system

Answer 4

divided Indian society into groups based on a person’s birth, wealth or occupation

Question 5

Hinduism

Answer 5

the largest religion in India today

Question 6

reincarnation

Answer 6

This process of rebirth is called reincarnation

Question 7

karma

Answer 7

the effects that good or bad actions have on a person’s soul

Question 8

Jainism

Answer 8

was based on the teachings of a man named Mahavira

Question 9

nonviolence

Answer 9

or the avoidance of violent actions

Question 10

fasting

Answer 10

or going without food

Question 11

meditation

Answer 11

the focusing of the mind on spiritual ideas

Question 12

the Buddha

Answer 12

or the “Enlightened One”

Question 13

Buddhism

Answer 13

a religion based on the teachings of the Buddha

Question 14

nirvana

Answer 14

a state of perfect peace

Question 15

missionaries

Answer 15

or people who work to spread their religious beliefs

Question 16

Chandragupta Maurya

Answer 16

seized the entire northern part of India

Question 17

Asoka

Answer 17

became king

Question 18

Canda Gupta II

Answer 18

took the throne in India

Question 19

metallurgy

Answer 19

the science of working with metals

Question 20

alloys

Answer 20

mixtures of two or more metals

Question 21

Hindu-Arabic numerals

Answer 21

the very numbers we use today are called Hindu-Arabic numerals

Question 22

inoculation

Answer 22

or injecting a person with a small dose of a virus to help him or she build up defences to a disease

Question 23

astronomy

Answer 23

the study of stars and planets