ancient India Flashcards
(36 cards)
Subcontinent
a large part of a continent
Monsoon
Very heavy rain and winds
Caste
a hereditary system that decides who you marry, what your job is, and even the food you eat.
Brahman 2
part of upper class both priests and scholars
Kshatriyas
part of upper class included rulers and warriors
vaisyas
part of middle class merchants, traders, and farmers
sudras
part of the lower class considered peasants
outcastes
part of the lower class also known as the untouchables.
Aryans
nomadic people who brought new things to India such as there religion.
Sanskrit
the Aryan language
Vedas
The Vedas are sacred texts containing hymns and Brahmanism’s rituals.
Dharma
a person’s moral duty, the virtuous path the should follow in their life time.
karma
what you put in the world will come back to you.
samsara/reincarnation
the cycle of dying and being reborn. the self is eternal.
Moksha
permanent state of freedom from suffering and ignorance. freedom from the cycle of reincarnation.
Diwali
festival of light
Buddha
means enlightened one or awakened one.
four noble truths
life is suffering. The cause of suffering is selfish desire. the end of selfishness will end suffering. The way to end selfish desire is through the eightfold path. the purpose of the four noble truths is to promote a balanced life between happiness and self denial.
Siddhartha Gautama
Siddhartha Gautama was a boy born in present-day Nepal. He wanted to learn how to live a good life. He wanted life over death, health over sickness, and youth over old age. He wanted to learn how to avoid these negatives. To do this he meditated sitting under tree.
nirvana
a state of bliss or the end of suffering caused by the cycle of rebirth
Empire
a group of different lands governed by one ruler.
Dharma
the totality of the Buddha teachings.
Brahma
God in Hinduism
Chandragupta Maurya
King of Magadha. believed to be a soldier. established a strong central government. surprisingly gave up the throne and became a monk.