India and China Flashcards
Monsoon
A seasonal wind pattern in southern Asia.
Sanskrit
The Aryan’s first writing system based on their language.
Raja
Aryan princes who ruled small states.
Caste System
An ancient Indian social system that determined a person’s occupation, economic potential, and societal position.
Varnas
The four major social classes in the Caste system.
Caste
The Portuguese word for the Indian word jati. A jati is based upon a person’s occupation and extended family network.
Hinduism
The belief in the existence of a single god, Brahman. The belief in reincarnation, karma, dharma, and the practice of yoga are also Hindu beliefs. Hinduism existed in India but many ordinary Indians couldn’t relate to it so they believed in many human-like gods instead of Brahman.
Reincarnation
The belief that the individual soul is reborn in a different form after death. After a number of existences in the earthly world, the soul reaches its final goal in a union with Brahman.
Karma
The force generated by a person’s actions that determines how the person will be reborn in the next life. According to this idea, what people do in their current lives determines what they will be in their next lives.
Dharma
The divine law that rules the concept of karma. Dharma requires people to do their duty according to their societal status. More is expected from members ranked higher on the social scale than of the lower castes.
Yoga
A method of training designed to lead to a union with Brahman. The word yoga means “union.” The goal of yoga was to leave behind the earthly life and achieve union with Brahman.
Buddhism
The rival of Hinduism founded by Siddhartha Gautama (the Buddha–(Enlightened One)). Buddhism denies the reality of the material world and believes that any pain or sorrow that afflicts human beings is caused by attachment to physical things of the world. Buddhism believed that one should strive to reach Nirvana by acquiring Bodhi (wisdom).
The Budda’s teachings
- Ordinary life is full of suffering
- This suffering is caused by our desire to satisfy our physical selves
- The way to end suffering is to end desire for selfish goals and to see others as extensions of ourselves
- The way to end desire is to follow the Middle Path
Buddhism vs. Hinduism
Buddhism accepted the idea of reincarnation but rejected the idea that people are divided into different social levels. They believed that any human being could reach Nirvana which made it appealing to more people.
Additionally, Buddhism is more of a philosophy than a religion. It’s very simple and believes in only one god
Ascetics
People who practiced self-denial in order to achieve an understanding of ultimate reality. They abused their physical bodies.
Nirvana
ultimate reality– the end of the self and a reunion with the great world soul.
Aryans
A group of nomadic peoples who, at one point, controlled most of India. The Aryans were Indo-Europeans, not a racial or ethnic group. At first, they were pastoral people who had strong warriors, but eventually, they became farmers. The Aryan’s basic crops were wheat, barley, millet, rice, grain, vegetables, cotton, and spices. The Aryans invented Sanskrit. Small Aryan states were run by rajas and the states often fought each other.
Brahmans
The priests who were at the top of the caste system.
Kshatriyas
Warriors who were on the 2nd highest ranked position in the caste system
Vaisyas
Commoners who were merchants or farmers
Sudras
Peasants and laborers who had limited rights in society. Sudras made-up most of the Indian population.
Untouchables
Lowlifes who weren’t even ranked on the varna system. They were given degrading jobs and were looked down upon by the Indian society.
Siddharta Gautama (The Buddha) (The Enlightened One)
A privileged man who gave up his wonderful life to try to get rid of worldly problems such as sickness and death. He set out on a journey to find the meaning of life. At first, he went to the Ascetics, but, due to physical abuse of his body, he abandoned asceticism and began a period of meditation. One evening, the Buddha became enlightened and spent the rest of his life preaching the true meaning of life.
Indian Subcontinent
A triangular shaped piece of land composed of many mountain ranges, river valleys, a dry interior plateau, and fertile coastal plains.
Himalaya
The highest mountains in the world
Ganges River
A chief region of Indian culture that is located south of the Himalaya
Deccan
A plateau that extends from the Ganges Valley to the southern tip of India. It is located South of the Ganges and Indus River Valleys.
The Persian Gulf
A body of water in which trade was transported in.
The Hindu Kush
A mountain range in the plains of northern India where the Aryans moved through.
The Silk Road
A road that extended through a lot of lands and transported much trade, mainly between the Roman Empire and China. It was named the Silk Road because silk was China’s most valuable product. Some of the Silk Road passed through the mountains northwest of India.
Pilgrim
People who travel to religious places
Asoka
The greatest ruler in the history of India. A kind, prosperous, generous Buddhist king who ruled based on Buddhist ideas. He set up hospitals and shelters and really cared for the people. He was the grandson of Chandragupta Maurya. He ruled the Mauryan Empire.
Faxian
A Chinese traveler who spent much time in the Gupta Empire and reported the greatness of its culture under the rule of Chandragupta II. He was a Buddhist monk and he admired the Gupta rulers, their tolerance of Buddhism, and the prosperity of the country.
Huns
A nomadic people from the northwest of the Gupta Empire who invaded the Empire and reduced its power. There was an attempt which briefly revived the empire, but right afterward, it fell completely apart and was not reunited for hundreds of years.
Kalidasa
An ancient Indian author who lived during the Gupta dynasty. He wrote the poem “The Cloud Messenger” which remains one of the most popular poems written in Sanskrit.
Aryabhata
The most famous mathematician in the Gupta Empire who was one of the first scientists to use algebra.
Persia
A middle-eastern country to the west of India that was the first kingdom to wage war with India. The Persians extended their empire into western India.
Changan
A city in China which was part of the Silk Road.
Antioch
A port city in Syria on the Mediterranean Sea.
The Mediterranean Sea
The imperative sea that connected Europe, Asia, and Africa.
Aristocracy
An upper class whose wealth is based on land and whose power is passed on from one generation to another.
Mandate of Heaven
The Zhou Dynasty’s belief that heaven rules the world through the Zhou king.
Dao
The proper “way” for a king to rule.
Filial Piety
The duty of family members to subordinate their needs and desires to those of the male head of the family. Each family member had a place. Filial Piety is an important concept in Confucianism.
Confucianism
The philosophy of Confucian ideas. Confucious founded Confucianism and traveled around China attempting to persuade political leaders to follow his ideas. Confucious’s ideas were political and ethical, not spiritual. He believed that humans acting in harmony and behaving in accordance with the Dao was of key importance. The 2 most important things were duty and humanity. Followers of Confucianism believe that people must work hard to improve life on earth.
Daoism
A philosophy of ideas based on the teachings of Laozi. The main goal of Daoism is to set forth proper forms of behavior for human beings on Earth. Daoists believed that the true way to follow the will of Heaven is by not acting and living in harmony by the way of the Dao.
Legalism
A philosophy that proposed that humans are naturally evil and they could only follow the correct path by harsh laws and punishments. They believed that strong rulers were required to create an orderly society and that people could not become good. They obeyed everything said by the ruler out of fear of punishment. The rulers showed no compassion.
Confucious (Master Kung)
Confucious was the First Teacher in China. He lived in a time of confusion and violence and traveled around China in attempt to persuade political leaders to follow his ideas. His main teachings were not spiritual but the need for humans to behave in accordance with the Dao. This included humanity and duty.
Laozi (The Old Master)
Laozi was a contemporary of Confucious whose opinion on life differed from Confucious. He believed that humans should go with the flow and live in harmony while Confucious believed that people should work and improve as much as they can.
Huang He
The Yellow River which stretches across China and carries its rich yellow silt from Mongolia to the Pacific Ocean.
Chang Jiang
The Yangtze River which is very long. It flows across China and empties into the Yellow Sea.
Regime
The government in power
Censorate
One of the 3 central bureaucracies in the Qin dynasty. It had inspectors who checked on government officials to make sure they were doing their jobs.
Qin Shihuangdi (the first Qin emperor)
The first emperor of Qin who was very ambitious and came to the throne at age 13. He defeated all of Qin’s rivals and founded a new dynasty, the Qin Dynasty, with him as emperor. He built the Great Wall of China.
Xiongnu
A nomadic people in the Gobi who were horseback fighters and who posed a threat to many Chinese including the Qin Dynasty. The Great Wall of China was built to keep them away.
Liu Bang (Han Gaozu) (Exalted Emperor of Han)
The founder and leader of the powerful Han Dynasty.
Han Wudi (Martial Emperor of Han)
An emperor who added the southern regions below the Yellow River into the empire.
Bureaucracy
A system of government in which most of the important decisions are made by state officials rather than by elected representatives.
