Indian Civilization Vocabulary

Front 1

Monsoons

Back 1

seasonal winds named for the direction in which they blow or the season in which it occurs. The term comes from the Arabic word mawsim, meaning “season.”

Front 2

Citadel

Back 2

strong central fortress. This term comes from the Latin civitas, meaning “city.”

Front 3

Animism

Back 3

ancient religion characterized by belief that spirits inhabited all things. The Latin word anima, meaning “soul”, and the suffix –ism, meaning “a doctrine, practice, theory, or system of belief, combine to form this word.

Front 4

Brahmins

Back 4

Important priests in the Vedic religion. In the Indian language called Sanskrit, brahmana means, “having to do with prayers.”

Front 5

Raja

Back 5

Prince who ruled an Aryan city-state.

Front 6

Epics

Back 6

long poems describing heroes and great events. The Latin word epos means “word, speech, or poem.”

Front 7

Caste System

Back 7

social organization of India composed of four classes.

Front 8

Monism

Back 8

Hindu belief that God and human beings are one.

Front 9

Reincarnation

Back 9

Hindu belief in rebirth of the soul. The belief that a soul is reborn - meaning that it passes from a deceased person to another being.

Front 10

Dharma

Back 10

Hindu belief in fulfilment of moral duty so that the soul can progress toward deliverance from punishment in the next life.

Front 11

Karma

Back 11

Hindu belief that the present condition of a person’s life reflects what a person did during a previous life.

Front 12

Yoga

Back 12

Hindu religious practice of physical and mental discipline that harmonizes the body with the soul.

Front 13

Nirvana

Back 13

Buddhist belief of attaining perfect peace by freeing the soul from the endless cycle of reincarnation.

Front 14

Suttee

Back 14

ritual suicide by Indian widows.

Front 15

Stupa

Back 15

hemispherical or dome-shaped shrine that held objects associated with the Buddha.