India Flashcards
Where is India located and what is it close to?
India is located in South Asia and is right next to the Indian Ocean
What’s important to know about India’s geography?
The northern part of India is covered with mountains.
These aren’t just any mountains though! These mountains are the BIGGEST and TALLEST in the entire world! They are called the Himalayan Mountains!
The biggest of the mountains in the Himalayan Mountains is called Mount Everest
What is a monsoon?
A monsoon is when there is REALLY BIG changes in wind direction.
Which might not seem like a big deal, but is a REALLY BIG FLIPPING DEAL.
Wind direction is actually why we have rain at all.
What does the Summer monsoon look like in India?
In India, during the summer, the wind blows FROM the Indian Ocean to India. This wind also carries lots of clouds and rains to India itself. The summer monsoons are always wet and rainy in India!
What does the Winter Monsoon look like in India?
In India, during the winter, the wind blows FROM India itself. This wind, because its coming from the land of India, is carrying all of the clouds that are in India itself to the Indian Ocean. Because all of the clouds are leaving India, no rain gets to fall. The winter monsoons are always dry in India!
Who were the first peoples to settle India?
The Harappan
pronounced: HUH-RAA-PIN
Where did the first peoples settle in India?
The first peoples (Harappan) settled in the Indus River Valley
What were some major accomplishments of the Harappans?
They were the first civilization to have aqueducts that carried running water into the city, in addition to having indoor toilets.
They were the first civilization to also have “standard” weights and measurements.
What caused the decline of the Harappan Civilization?
Climate Change
India’s Summer Monsoon rains stopped, which led to waaaay less water available, which meant that the people who lived in the big Harappan cities had to move to other smaller villages.
Which civilization came after the Harappans?
The Aryans migrated from central Asia to India.
They intermarried with the descendants of the Harappans, producing mixed babies.
What did the Aryans bring with them?
The Aryans brought with them their religious beliefs.
Over time, the Aryans religious beliefs turned into an official religion called Hinduism.
What are the major ideas of Hinduism?
- Reincarnation
- Dharma
- Karma
- Caste System
What is karma?
Karma means that the actions you take in this life can and will affect your future existence
What is Dharma?
Dharma refers to a Hindu’s religious duty.
A major religious duty for Hindus was to follow the Caste System.
By NOT following your Dharma, you risked getting BAD KARMA, which could mean you end up getting reincarnated as a lower being on the caste system, or a non-human
What is reincarnation?
Reincarnation is the belief that after you die, you are re-born again into the world, either in human or animal form
What is the Caste System?
The Caste System is the way Indian society was organized for 2,000-3,000 years.
Whatever caste you were born into, is the caste you had to stay for the rest of your life.
Making friends with, or marrying someone from a different caste would be violating your DHARMA, or religious duty.
What is Buddhism?
It’s a religion that was started by Sidhartha Guatama
The major parts of Buddhism are the four noble truths and the 8 fold path
What is the purpose of the 4 noble truths?
To inform that suffering is bad but that it can be avoided
What is the purpose of the 8 fold path?
The 8 things you must do in order to stop suffering
How are Hinduism and Buddhism similar?
Hinduism and Buddhism both emphasize the ideas of reincarnation and karma.
Both of these religions came out of India
Who founded the Mauryan Empire?
Chandragupta Maurya
What kind of things are the Mauryans known for?
The Mauryans had the largest standing military force during its existence, with over 600,000 soldiers.
They were the first to establish a single currency in India
They established a bureaucracy, with government workers who provided justice and security for merchants and farmers
How did people in the Mauryan Empire know about the laws?
The Mauryan Emperor, Ashoka, made laws clear by making rock and pillar edicts.
Rock and pillar edicts were large stones that altered citizens to the rules that governed them
How did the Mauryan Empire help merchants sell things, and what were things sold in the Mauryan Empire
In order to help trade, the Mauryan Empire under Ashoka built canals and roads.
The things that merchants and traders would sell would be silk, textiles, and spices.
What did the Mauryan Emperor Ashoka do that was different from previous Emperors?
He converted himself to Buddhism and promoted the Buddhism religion so that more people could become Buddhists.
He converted because he felt bad for all the people he killed.
To show how bad he felt, he would construct Stupas, which were Buddhist statues.
Why did the Mauryan Empire collapse?
After the death of Ashoka, the Mauryan Empire was unable to hold itself together as people fought for control over the empire.
As a result, India separated into smaller kingdoms, and would remain that way until the rise of a new Empire, the Gupta Empire.