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17 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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monsoon |
seasonal winds in the Indian Ocean caused by temperature difference of land and ocean waters |
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Vedas |
Early Indian sacred "knowledge", long preserved and communicated orally by Brahim priests; main source of information about the Vedic period |
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varna/jati |
-Two categories of social identity of great importance in Indian History -Varna are the major major social divisions -Within the system of Varna were jati, regional groups of people who have a common occupational sphere and interact with each other |
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karma |
-the residue of deeds performed in past and present lives adheres to [your] "spirit" and determines what forms it will assumes in its next life cycle -used by the elite to encourage people to accept their social position and do their duty |
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moksha |
-Hindu concept of the spirit's "liberation" from the endless cycle of rebirths -Various avenues (meditation, physical discipline, etc.) by which the spirit can distance itself from the desire for the things of this world and be merged with the divine force that animates the universe. |
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Buddha |
-Indian prince named Siddhartha Gautama who renounced his social position -After becoming enlightened, he enunciated the principles of Buddhism which spread throughout India and Asia |
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Mahayana Buddhism |
-"Great Vehicle" branch of Buddhism -the focus is on reverence for Buddha and for the bodhisattvas, enlightened persons who have postponed nirvana to help others attain enlightment |
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Theravada Buddhism |
-"Way of the elder's branch of Buddhism -Remains close to the original principles set forth by the Buddha; down plays the importance of gods and emphasizes austerity and the individuals search for enlightment
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Hinduism |
-general term for a wide variety of beliefs and ritual practices that have developed in the Indian subcontinent -Hinduism has roots in ancient Vedic, Buddhist, and south Indian religious concepts and practices |
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Mauryan Empire |
-The first state to unify most of the Indian subcontinent -From its capital at Pataliputra in the Ganges Valley it grew wealthy from taxes on agriculture, iron mining, and control of trade routes |
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Ashoka |
-Third ruler of the Mauryan Empire -He converted to Buddhism and broadcast his precepts on inscribed stone pillars, earliest surviving Indian writing |
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Mahabharata |
A vast epic chronicling the events leading up to a cataclysmic battle between related kinship groups; includes Bhagavad-Gita |
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Bhagavad-Gita |
The most important work of Indian sacred literature, a dialogue between the great warrior Arjuna and the god Krishna on duty and the fate of the spirit |
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Tamil Kingdoms |
-Kingdoms of southern India which developed in partial isolation, and somewhat differently from the Arya north -Produced epics, poetry, and performance art -Elements of Tamil religous beliefs were merged into the Hindu synthesis |
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Gupta Empire |
-A powerful Indian state based on a capital at Pataliputra -Controlled most of the Indian subcontinent through a combination of military force and its prestige as a center of sophisticated culture |
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theater-state |
term for a state that acquires prestige and power by developing attractive cultural forms and staging elaborate public ceremonies to attract and bind subjects to the center |
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Funan |
An early complex society in Southeast Asia; was centered in a rich rice-growing region and it controlled the passage of trade [spanning from India to China] |
