Unit 3: Chapter 6 Test

The varnas, which were groups in the caste system.

The varnas were considered as Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and Sudras. The Dalits were not actually part of the varnas. The three highest varnas were considered as "twice-born," and the four highest varnas thought of the Dalits as "untouchables."

The stories of the Vedas.

The Vedas are hundreds of collections of sacred hymns that the Aryans composed.

Why did the Indus Valley civilization disappear?

There is no known cause of why and how the Indus Valley disappeared.

The mysterious citadels of Ancient India.

A citadel is a large fortified area. The citadels of Ancient India were meant to protect the Indus Valley from floods or attackers.

What do scholars know for certain about the Indus Valley?

Artifacts and ruins from old buildings in the Indus Valley provided information for scholars about the Indus Valley civilization. Little information was known about the Indus Valley rulers, religion, writing, and disappearance. Though, scholars are sure that the people of the Indus Valley were very well organized and had a central government.

Dharma.

Dharma is a person's duty or what is right for him or her.

Hindu leaders and their names.

Hindu leaders include gods such as Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. Brahma is the creator of the universe, Vishnu preserves and maintains creation, and Shiva is the god of power, change, creation, and destruction.

Hinduism.

Hinduism has been the main religion of India. It used to be known as Brahmanism, but the name changed to Hinduism. Hinduism means "the religion of the people of India."

How Hinduism spread throughout India and Southeast Asia.

Hinduism spread throughout India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and even parts of Malaysia and Indonesia! Hinduism accepted many gods, and people who changed to Hinduism did not have to give up their own religion. Hinduism's flexibility, freedom to do any religious services at any time they want, and the acceptance to pray at shrines in their own homes helped the spread of Hinduism increase.

Karma.

Karma is the effect of a person's actions in this and in previous lives.

The people of the Indus Valley traded with other regions such as ________________.

Mesopotamia, Sumer, Egypt, etc.

Monsoons during winter, summer, etc.

Monsoons are seasonal winds, and mostly happen in the winter and summer. The Indus Valley depended on the summer monsoons so their crops would grow and they would be able to grow food.

Reincarnation.

Reincarnation is the rebirth of a soul in a new body. Reincarnation was a Hinduism and Buddhism belief, and was mentioned and explained in the Bhagavad-Gita.

Siddhartha Gautama (The Buddha).

Siddhartha Gautama, or The Buddha, used to be a prince with a lot of wealth. His mother hoped that one day, Siddhartha would become a religious leader and help people in need. His father, though, wanted him to become a ruler. To prevent Siddhartha from being a religious leader, he banned him to look at anything disturbing. One day, Siddhartha rode out of the palace without permission, and saw people who were dead and people who had diseases and sicknesses. He started to study with Hindu gurus, so he could learn about life and death. One day he meditated under a fig tree, which became known as the Bodhi Tree, or the Tree of Knowledge, for 49 days. Soon, Siddhartha had reached enlightenment, and became the Buddha, a religious leader. He shared his message with everyone for the next 45 years.

Why is the Indus Valley an advanced civilization?

The Indus Valley had advanced techniques, which made them an advanced civilization. The Indus Valley invented the most advanced technology in their time, and they used irrigation channels to supply water from the Indus River. They kept their surplus crops in granaries and were rich in resources for trade.

The Mahayana Buddhists.

The Mahayana Buddhists were people who thought The Buddha's greatest achievement was returning from nirvana and sharing his wisdom with others.

The Theravada Buddhists.

The Theravada Buddhists were people who thought The Buddha's greatest achievement was gaining enlightenment and reaching nirvana.

Famous scriptures of the Aryan religion.

The Vedas are famous scriptures that the Aryans composed, and they were famous in the Indo-Aryan religion. Other scriptures are called the Mahabharata and the Ramayana. The Mahabharata was about two families at war for controlling a kingdom. The Ramayana was about when Rama rescued Sita from Ravana.

The three theories about how the Indo-Aryans entered the Indus Valley.

The first theory of how the Indo-Aryans entered the Indus Valley was that they were nomadic warriors who had crossed the mountains into India, and had used iron weapons to defeat the local people. The second theory was that the Indo-Aryans were India's original inhabitants. The third, and most believed theory is that the Indo-Aryans were once nomads raising cattle in what is now Afghanistan and Central Asia.

The four noble truths of Buddhism.

The four noble truths of Buddhism are these: 1) All of life involves suffering. 2) Suffering is caused by selfish desires. 3) The way to end suffering is to overcome selfish desires. 4) The way to overcome selfish desires is to follow the Eightfold Path.

What was the Vedic Age?

The reason why it was named the Vedic Age was because since the Aryans came to India during that time period and expressed their beliefs in the Vedas, the time period was called the Vedic Age.

What is the caste system?

There are five castes in the caste system: Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, Sudras, and Dalits. Brahmins included priests, Kshatriyas included rulers and warriors, Vaishyas included landowners, bankers, and merchants, Sudras included farmers, laborers, and servants, and Dalits included people who performed dirty jobs. The Aryans developed specialized jobs for the Kshatriyas and Vaishyas.

Indian cities (where they began, how they began, etc.).

Two main Indian cities that archaeologists found out about was Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro. Harappa is located in the north of the Indus Valley, while Mohenjo-Daro is located in the west of the Indus Valley. Archaeologists found many ancient ruins in these cities. Based on the map, some Indian cities in the Indus Valley are Harappa, Mohenjo-Daro, Chanhu-Daro, Kalibangan, Lothal, and Rojadi.

How the Indo-Aryan culture was spread.

When the Aryans settled into the Indus Valley, they adopted local beliefs, and local people adopted the Indo-Aryan language and religion. Some of them referred to themselves as Aryans. The Aryans composed the Vedas, and the Vedas were passed down generation to generation in Sanskrit.