SS U3 C5 S1&2 Flashcards
What is India known as? Why?
It is known as a subcontinent because of how large it is.
What is a subcontinent?
a large landmass that is smaller than a continent
What separates India from the rest of the continent?
Mountains separate India from the rest of Asia
What are the highest mountains in the world called?
Himalayas (in northern India)
What lies to the west of the Himalayas?
Thar Dessert
What is the climate in India?
Most of India is hot and humid
What are monsoons?
A seasonal wind pattern that causes wet and dry seasons.
How do they affect climate in India?
In the summer, monsoon winds can blow into India from the Indian Ocean bringing heavy rains and causing flooding.
In the winter, the winds blow down from the mountains forcing moisture out of India and creating warm, dry winters.
Where was the Harappan Civilization formed>
In the Indus River Valley
During what time period did the Harappan civilization thrive?
2300-1700 BC
What were the two major cities of the Harrapan civilization?
The Harappa and Mahenjo Daro
How were the two major cities of Harrapan similar?
- Cities were next to a huge citadel (fortress) to help guard against invasions
- Cities had many public wells
- Streets were paved and well drained, meeting at right angles to create a grid.
Harappan Achievements
- Civilization was very advanced
- houses had bathrooms and indoor plumbing
- made excellent pottery, jewelry, ivory and cotton clothing
- developed India’s first writing system
Why don’t we know much about Harappan civilization?
Unable to read language
How did the Harappan civilization end?
No one really knows.
What group of people moved in after the end of the Harappan civilization?
Aryan
How do we know about the Aryan society?
From religious writings known as Vedas (collection of poems, hymns, myths and rituals)
Explain how the Aryan people changed the ways that they lived as time passed.
They were nomads but over time they settled in villages and began to farm.
How did the Aryan and the Harappan societies differ?
- The Harappan people lived in large cities, the Aryans did not
- Aryans lived in small communities based on family ties, no single ruling authority existed. Each group had its own leader
Describe the political system of the Aryans.
- Villages were governed by rajas (leader who ruled a village and the land around it).
True or false?
Groups of Aryans often fought each other?
True
What was the name of the language that most of the Vedas were translated?
Sanskrit
Most important language of Ancient India?
Sansrkit
Where did the Aryans come from?
Central Asia
How did the Aryan Societies separate?
As time passed, groups were organized by people’s occupations and strict rules developed about how the groups could interact
Could a member of the Aryan society just decide to be a warrior/leader?
No, they had to be born in to the noble family.
What were the four Varnas?
- Brahmins (priests)
- Kshatriyas (rulers/warriors)
- Vaisyas (farmers, craftspeople, traders)
- Sudras (laborers, non-Aryans)
Aryan Priests
Brahmins
Aryan Rulers/Warriors
Kshatriyas
Aryan Farmers, craftspeople and traders?
Vaisyas
Aryan laborers, and non Aryans
Sudras
Who were seen as the highest ranking?
Brahmins
What is a caste system?
Division of Indian Societies into groups based on ranks, wealth, or occupation.
How did the Aryan social class system form?
As time passed, the rules of the Varnas became stricter and new class systems formed- caste systems At one point there were over 3,000 separate castes.
What were the untouchables?
A segment of Indian Society that did not belong to any caste. People that broke the rules of the caste system would become banned and would become an untouchable
What was the name of the religion that Aryans practiced?
Brahmanism.
How did Hinduism develop?
It developed from Brahmanism
How many Vedas were there in Aryan religion?
4
What are the Verdic texts?
Compilation of texts describing their thoughts about Vedas (eg. Upanishads)
What is Hinduism?
the largest religion in India today, blending of ideas from different countries with the sacred Vertic texts.
Describe Hindu beliefs.
- They believe in many gods.
- Three of the main ones are Brahma (creator), Siva (destroyer) and Vishnu (preserver).
- All gods are believed to be a part of a single universal spirit called Brahman
- They believe in reincarnation
- They believed that the ultimate goal was for people to rejoin the Brahman, therefore it would possibly take many lifetimes.
What is reincarnation?
process of rebirth
What is an atman?
According to Hindu teachings, everyone has a soul or atman
What determines how a person would be reborn?
Each person dies and is reborn in a new form, the type of form depends upon his or her karma. Evil actions will build bad karma and will lead to the person being born into a lower caste or life form.
What is karma?
the effects that good or bad actions have a person’s soul
What is a dharma
A set of spiritual duties to fulfill
What are the two other main religious groups?
Jainism
Sikhism
Describe Jainism
- based on teachings of Mahavira
- did not believe in so many rituals as Hinduism
- believe that everything is alive and a part of a cycle
- did not believe in killing animals, they were vegitarians
- nonviolence (Sanskritt word is ahimsa)
Four main teachings of Jainism?
- injure no life
- tell the truth
- do not steal
- own no property
Describe Sikhism
- founded centuries later than Jainism
- teachings of Guru Nanak
- guru means teacher
- combined Hinduism with Islam
- believe in only one God
- ultimate goal was to be reunited with God after death by meditating to find spiritual enlightenment
- they believed that this would take many lifetimes so they also believed in reincarnation
What were the five items that Sakhism members always wore?
- long hair
- small comb
- steel bracelet
- sword
- special undergarments
How many Gods did people who believed in Sikhism believe in?
One god.
