Study Guide: Ancient India Flashcards
Hinduism
A major religion of India, they believed in many gods and goddesses
Ganesha
Is one of the most beloved and worshiped gods in Hindu religion, has the head of an elephant
Sanskrit
Sanskirt is the writing of the ancient Indian people.
Rajas
A prince from ancient India: they fought each other for land and goods.
Aryans
Around 1500 B.C., these people settled in India.
Caste
The way that people were organized into levels of society.
Caste System
Each person was born into a certain into a certain level according to their family’s wealth and status.
Varnas
The four major classes in the caste system.
Brahmins
Indian priests: the top level in the caste system.
Kshatriyas
The warrior level of the caste system.
Vaisyas
The commoner class of the caste system
*Merchants and farmers.
Sudras
The largest group in the caste system: the peasants
Untouchables
The very lowest level in Indian society who were treated very poorly.
Reincarnation
The belief that a person’s soul is reborn in a different form after death.
Monsoon
The season winds in India’s climate that brings A TON of rain every season.
Karma
The idea that a person’s actions determine what their next life will be when they are reborn.
Dharma
Divine law that requires people to do their duty. More is expected of the higher caste members.
Buddhism
A religion started by Prince Siddhartha Gautama (the Buddha); started AFTER Hinduism.
Nirvana
The idea of achieving wisdom and being and PEACE inside.
Rank the main groups of the caste system in order of importance (with 1 being the highest and 4 being the lowest): Brahmins, Sudras, Kshatriyas, Vaisyas.
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4
Rank the main groups of the caste system in order of importance (with 1 being the highest and 4 being the lowest): Brahmins, Sudras, Kshatriyas, Vaisyas.
- Brahmins
- Kshatriyas
- Vaisyas
- Sudras
The belief in many gods
Polytheism
The duties and laws of each caste that are to be followed
Dharma
People who did not belong to a caste and were outcasts of society
Untouchables
Ancient India’s most influential language
Sanskrit
Seasonal wind patterns that cause wet and dry seasons
Monsoons
A large landmass smaller than a continent
Subcontinent
The effects that good or bad actions have on a person’s soul
Karma
The belief that the soul, once a person dies, is reborn again
Reincarnation