chapter 3 vocab: Mr.Perez
Upanishads-
A group of writings sacred in Hinduism concerning the relations of humans, God, and the universe.
Buddha-
Creator of a major Indian and Asian religion; born in Sixth century BCE. As son of a local ruler among the Aryan tribes located near Himalayas; became an ascetic; found enlightenment under a bo tree; taught that enlightenment could be achieved only by abandoning desires for all earthly things.
Guptas-
Dynasty that succeeded the Kushans in the 3rd century CE Built Empire that extended to all but the southern regions of Indian subcontinent less centralized than Mauryan Empire.
Chandragupta Maurya-
Founder of Maurya dynasty; established first empire in Indian subcontinent; first centralized government since Harappan civilization.
Ashoka-
Grandson of Chandragupta Maurya, completed conquest of Indian subcontinent, converted to Buddhism and sponsored spread of new religion throughout his empire
Mahabharata-
Indian epic of war, princely honor, love and social duty ran down the last century. Specie previously handed down in oral form
Himalayas-
Mountain region marking the northern border of the Indian subcontinent. Site of the Aryan settlements that form small kingdoms or warrior republics.
Ramayana-
One of the great epic tales from classical India; traces of adventures of King Rama and his wife Sita; written 4th to 2nd centuries BCE.
Gurus-
Originally referred to as Brahmans who served as teachers for the Princes of the Imperial Court of the Guptas.
Kautilya-
Political adviser to Chandragupta Maurya, one of the authors of the Arthashastra; believed in scientific application of warfare.
Arthashastra-
The Arthashastra is an Ancient Indian Sanskrit treatise on statecraft, political science, economic policy and military strategy. Kautilya wrote it.
Nirvana-
The Buddhist state of enlightenment, a state of tranquility.
Reincarnation-
The successive attachment of the soul to some animate form according to merits earned in previous lives. Die and come back
Kamasutra-
Written by Vatsyana during the Gupta era; offered instructions on all aspects of life for higher caste males including grooming, hygiene, etiquette, selection of wives and love making.
Kushans-
a member of an Iranian dynasty which invaded the Indian subcontinent and established a powerful empire in the northwest between the 1st and 3rd centuries AD.
Nalanda-
an acclaimed Mahavihara, a large Buddhist monastery in the ancient kingdom of Magadha (modern-day Bihar) in India
Mauryas-
dynasty established in Indian Subcontinent in 4th century BCE following invasion by Alexander the Great
Untouchables-
low social caste in Hindu culture; performed tasks that were considered polluting- street sweeping, removal of human waste, and tanning
Tamil-
people who traded on the Indian Ocean. Nalanda university city.
Stupas-
stone shrines built to house pieces of bone or hair and personal possessions said to be relics of the Buddha, preserved Buddhist architectural forms.
Dharma-
the eternal and inherent nature of reality, regarded in Hinduism as a cosmic law underlying right behavior and social order.
Sanskrit-
the sacred and classical Indian language.
Karma-
the sum of a person's actions in this and previous states of existence, viewed as deciding their fate in future existences.
