Ancient India

Candra Gupta II

(375 AD) Guptas rule reached its heigh during this time. Empire grew and stretched across northern india. Economy strengthened and grew. Created fine works of art and literature. People outside of India admired him. he considered the caste system an important part of Indian society. All Gupta rulers supported the religious beliefs of Buddhism and Jainism

Four Noble Truths

1) All life is full of suffering, pain, and sorrow. 2) The cause of suffering is non-virtue, or negative deeds and mindsets such as hated and desire. 3) The only cure for suffering is to overcome non-virtue. 4) The way to overcome non-virtue is to follow the Eightfold Path

Leaders of Ancient India

1. Siddhartha Gautama 2. Chandragupta Maurya 3. Emperor Asoka

Mandir

A Hindu temple

Language Family

A collection of languages related to each other through a common ancestor long before recorded history.

Theocracy

A government controlled by religious leaders

Pilgrimage

A journey to a place considered sacred for religious purposes.

Buddhism

A religion in which Buddha's teachings that life is permeated with suffering caused by desire and suffering ceases when desire ceases. Enlightenment obtained through right conduct, wisdom, and meditation releases one from desire, suffering, and rebirth (reincarnation). contains Buddha's Eight-fold Path

Ganges River

A river of South Asia that flows southeast from the Himalayas to the Bay of Bengal.

Dynasty

A series of rulers from the same family

Samudra Gupta

All Gupta rulers supported the religious beliefs of Buddhism and Jainism Son of Candra, brilliant military leader, continued conquest and expansion, controlled nearly all Ganges River Valley by death

Mahayana Buddhism

Also known as popular Buddhism, is allows people more ways to reach enlightenment and bodhisattvas can help you reach enlightenment.

Caste

An Indian social class whose members are restricted in the jobs they may take and in their association with members of other castes

Plateau

An area of high, flat land

Hindu's main gods

Brahma: the creator Siva: the destroyer Vishnu: the preserver

Varnas: Social class (caste system of India)

Brahmins: Priest Kshatriyas: Rulers and warriors Vaisyas: farmers, craft people and traders Sudras: laborers and servants Untouchables: outcast of society

Stupa

Buddhist shrine that is shaped like a dome or mound

Vedas

Collections of hymns, songs, prayers, and rituals honoring the various gods of the Aryans. Ancient Sanskrit writings that are the earliest sacred texts of Hinduism.

Hindu-Arabic numerals

Created by Indian scholars; during the Gupta empire; and brought to Europe by Arabs. The numbers we used today (1-9).

Indian Achievement

Developed 2 major religions: Hinduism and Buddhism Created the concept of Zero Believed that the Earth revolved around the sun. Algorithms Gold Coins Metal mirrors Plastic surgery Chess

Caste system

Divided Indian society into groups based on a person's birth, wealth, or occupation

Asoka (or Ashoka)

Emperor of the Mauryan Dynasty. He ruled nearly the entire subcontinent of India. He also was instrumental in the spread of Buddhism after his conversion. He known for his tolerance and for his pillars of his sayings that he put up around his empire. They are often compared to the Twelve Tables of Rome. He was the strongest of all Mauryan emperors.

Candragupta Maurya

Founded the Mauryan Empire in the 320's Bc he took control of northern India. He rules with a complex government. Used a network of spies and an army of 600,00 soldiers. The army included war elephants and chariots. Farmers paid heavy taxes in order to be protected by the army. He became a Jainist monk in 301BC , so he gave up the throne and his son gained the throne. The son expanded empire and the Mauryans ruled all of northern and much of central India.

Mahavira

Founder of Jainism

The first civilization of India

Harappa and its two cities: Harappa and Mohenjio-Daro

Ahimsa

Hindu belief in nonviolence and reverence for all life

Eightfold Path

In Buddhism, the basic rules of behavior and belief leading to an end of suffering

Dharma

In Hindu belief, a person's religious and moral duties

Grupta Empire

India's golden age of learning and culture

Geographic features of India

Indus river Ganges river Himalaya Mtn. Deccan Plateau Subcontinent Arabian Sea Bay of Bengal Indian Ocean Brahmaputra

inoculation

Injecting a person with a small dose of a virus to help him or her build up defenses to a disease

Huns

Invaded India from the NW (northwest) and drained the Grupta empire of their power and wealth. They were from Central Asia.

Subcontinent

Is a large landmass that is smaller than a continent

Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa

Major cities of the Indus Valley civilization; both of which flourished around 2000 B.C.E.

Sikhism

Monotheistic religion based on the teachings of Guru Nanak. Blended ideas from Hinduism with ideas from Islam and other religions. The ultimate goal is to be reunited with god after death. To achieve this one MUST mediate for spiritual enlightenment. They believe in reincarnation. Sikhs wear five items (long hair, special undergarment, steel bracelet, a small comb, and a sword) at all times and pray several times a day.

Jainism

Monotheistic religion based on the teachings of a man named Mahavira, who is believed to have been born around 599 BC, He though Hinduism put too much emphasis on rituals. Contains four basic principals: injure no life, tell the truth, do not steal, and own no property. Jains practice nonviolence and are vegan.

Candra Gupta I

Not related to Candragupta Maurya. The first Gupta King. He conquered most of Northern India. He was Hindu, so it became the major religion of India. All Gupta rulers supported the religious beliefs of Buddhism and Jainism

Nonviolence

Or the avoidance of violent actions

Literature

Religious epics: Mahabharata and Ramayana Vedas of India Upanishads

Monsoons

Seasonal wind patterns that cause wet and dry seasons

Guru

Teacher

Thervada

Teaching of the elders; oldest serving branch of Buddhism; more conservative

Buddha

The Enlightened One

Karma

The effects that good or bad actions have on a person's soul

Siddhartha Gautama

The founder of Buddhism; born a prince; left his father's wealth to find the cause of human suffering; also know as Buddha

Hinduism

The largest religion in India today

Sanskirt

The most important language of Ancient India

Bhagavad Gita

The most important work (EPIC) of Indian sacred literature (the Mahabharata; best-known section), a dialogue between the great warrior Arjuna and the god Krishna on duty and the fate of the spirit.

Reincarnation

The process of rebirth

astronomy

The study of the moon, stars, and other objects in space.

Brahman

The term for The Universal Soul in Hinduism that lives in everything

process

a series of steps by which a task is accomplished

nirvana

a state of perfect peace

Mauryan Dynasty

first ruler was Chandragupta Maurya; unified much of the entire subcontinent; large armies with thousands of chariots and elephant borne troops; developed a substantial bureaucracy with a postal service; autocratic government

fasting

going without food

alloys

mixtures of two or more metals

Pilgrims

people on a religious journey

missionaries

people who work to spread their religious beliefs, to other kingdoms in Asia.

Raja

prince who led an Aryan tribe in India

meditation

the focusing of the mind on spiritual ideas

metallurgy

the science of working with metals

Emerge

to become known

Migrate

to move from one place to another

establish

to set up or create