History Unit 2 (Ancient India And China)

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subcontinent

Back 1

a large landmass that juts out from a continent

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plateau

Back 2

a raised area of level land

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monsoons

Back 3

seasonal winds that regularly blow from a certain direction for part of the year

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Harappa

Back 4

Indus city that might have been a capital or twin capital of Indus Civilization along with Mohenjo-Daro

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Mohenjo-Daro

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Indus city that might have been a capital or twin capital of Indus Civilization along with Harappa

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veneration

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special regard for

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acculturation

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blending of 2 or more cultures

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Vedas

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an Aryan collection of hymns, chants, ritual instructions, and religious teachings

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rajahs

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Aryan tribe chiefs who were electied by an assembly of warriors and were often the most skilled war leaders

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Indra

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chief Aryan deity, god of war

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brahman

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a single spiritual power that existed beyond the many gods of the Vedas and that resided in all things

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mystics

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people who seek direct communion with divine forces

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atman

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essential self (every person has one, some view it as the same as brahman and some view it as a form of brahman)

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moksha

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union with brahman, which is the ultimate goal of existence for Hindus

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reincarnation

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rebirth of the soul in another bodily form

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Karma

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refers to all the actions of a person's life that affect his or fate in the next life

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dharma

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the religious and moral duties of an individual

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ahimsa

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nonviolence, a key moral principle of Hinduism

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castes

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social groups into which people are born and which can rarely be changed

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Siddhartha Gautama

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a reformer whose teachings eventually spread across Asia and became the core beliefs of Buddhism (founder of Buddhism)

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Four Noble Truths

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lie at the heart of Buddhism. They are: 1. All life is full of suffering, pain, and sorrow. 2. The cause of suffering is nonvirtue, or negative deeds and mindsets such as hatred and desire. 3. The only cure for suffering is to overcome nonvirtue. 4. The way to overcome nonvirtue is to follow the Eightfold Path

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Eightfold Path

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way to overcome nonvirtue in Buddhism- "right views, right aspirations, right speech, right conduct, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right contemplation."

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nirvana

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union with the universe and release from the cycle of rebirth (final goal in Buddhism)

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Chandragupta Maurya

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a young adventurer who forged the first Indian empire. The Maurya dynasty ruled over a vast dynasty from 321b.c. to 185 b.c. He maintained a well organized bureaucracy. His ruling was effective but harsh.

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dissent

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ideas that opposed those fo the government (Chandragupta's had a secret police that reported on corruption, crime, and dissent)

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Asoka

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the most honored Maurya emperor who was Chandragupta's son who turned his back on conquest and converted to & promoted Buddhism. After his death the Maurya power declined.

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missionaries

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people sent on a religious mission (Asoka sent them to spread Buddhism across India and Sri Lanka)

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golden age

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a period of great cultural achievement. To have one there must be:peace, economic prosperity, cultural advancements, and stable government. There was a golden age during the Gupta dynasty in India

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decimal system

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system of numbers based on 10 digits which Indian mathemeticians developed

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joint family

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ideal family in India, where parents, children, and their offspring share a common dwelling

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dowry

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a payment to the bridegroom from a bride's family

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loess

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fine windblown yellow soil that the Huang river carries eastward from Siberia and Mongolia

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clan

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groups of families who claim a common ancestor

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feudalism

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a system of government in which local lords governed their own lands but owed military service and other forms of support to the ruler

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Confucius

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a thinker who put forward ideas on how to restore social order and maintain harmony with nature

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philosophy

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system of ideas

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oracle bones

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animal bones or turtle shells on which Shang priests wrote questions addressed to the gods or to the spirit of an ancestor and then heated the bone or shell and interpreted the pattern of the crack

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characters

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written symbols

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calligraphy

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an elegant writing art form

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dynastic cycle

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rise and fall of dynasties

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Laozi

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founder of Daoism

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filial piety

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respect for parents (Confucius put above all other duties)

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Shi Huangdi

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literally "First Emperor" who was a brutal ruler but ushered in China's classical age

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Wudi

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most famous Han emperor who strencthened the government and economy during his rusle from 141 b.c. to 87 b.c.

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monopoly

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complete control of a product or business by one person or group

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expansionism

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expanding a country's territory (Wudi followed this policy and by increasing the amt. of land under China's rule)

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civil servants

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officials in the government ( Han emperors adopted the idea that they should get their positions by merit, not family ties)

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warlords

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local military rulers

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acupuncture

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medical treatment in which the doctor inserts needles into the skin at specific points to relieve pain or treat various illnesses (developed about 2500 b.c. in China)