Chpt. 3, Classical India Flashcards
monsoons
seasonal winds that sweep across the Indian subcontinent; they are important for agriculture because during the summer, when the wind is blowing in from the sea, they would bring lots of rain along with them
Aryans
during the Vedic and Epic Ages, these (Indo-European) migrants entered India from the north and made it their home, populating the Indus and Ganges river valley regions
castes
the Hindu social stratification system by which people are relegated to a specific class and status based on their birth
untouchables, aka pariahs
the very lowest caste; they lie below the sudras, who are menial laborers, perform tasks such as burying the dead, and are considered so low that to touch one would prevent a person from being successfully reborn into a higher caste
Vedas
are Aryan hymns originally transmitted orally but eventually written down in the 6th century B.C.E.; they constitute Hindu holy texts
Brahmin
the priest class in the Hindu caste system, and while originally lower than the warriors, they eventually were recognized as the highest caste, revealing the importance accorded to religion in India
dharma
under Hinduism, it is a person’s duty, based on his caste; if a person leads a good life and successfully fulfills his it, then he will be reincarnated into a higher caste; Hindus also refer to Hinduism as this, and it means “moral path”
karma
under Hinduism, it is worldly pleasures, the pursuit of which according to Hindu doctrines is compatible with fulfilling one’s dharma and reaching moksha
Four Noble Truths
Buddhism is defined by these. The first is that there is suffering in the world, and that to live is to suffer (Dukkha). The second is that the cause of suffering is self-centered desire and attachment (Tanha). The third is that to eliminate desire and attachment is the way to achieve nirvana, or spiritual enlightenment and fulfillment. The fourth is that to eliminate desire and attachments and achieve nirvana, one must follow the Eightfold Path (basically to live a virtuous life with right thoughts and actions).
Brahma
the basic essence that Hindus believe constitute all things in the world; every living creature participates in this principle
Upanishads
created during the Epic Age, the these are epic poems with a more mystical religious flavor
jati
the subgroups into which the basic castes of the Indian caste system were divided, and each had distinctive occupations, and were tied to social station by birth
Siddartha Gautama, aka the Buddha
creator of a major Indian and Asian religion; born in the 6th century BC 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
Alexander the Great
successor of Philip 2; successfully conquered the Persian Empire prior to his death in 323 BC; attempted to combine Greek and Persian cultures
Himalayas
a mountain region marking the northern border of the Indian subcontinent; site of the Aryan settlements that formed small kingdoms or warrior republics
