Geography and Early Civilizations
What word describes a large landmass that is smaller than a continent, like South Asia?
Subcontinent
What were the major social classes in ancient India called?
What is the cycle of rebirth called in Hinduism and Buddhism?
Reincarnation
What was South Asia like politically before the Mauryan Empire united much of the region?
It was divided into many small warring kingdoms
Name the three major rivers tied to early South Asian civilization.
Indus, Ganges, and Brahmaputra
What term was used for people outside the caste system?
Dalits
What is the difference between Brahman and Brahma?
Brahman is the universal spirit; Brahma is the creator deity
What was the Silk Road?
A network of trade routes connecting lands from China to Rome
What were the two best-known cities of the Indus Valley Civilization?
Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa
Which group in the caste system included priests and religious leaders?
Brahmins
According to Buddhist teachings, what causes much of human suffering?
Desire for worldly things
What change took place in Ashoka’s rule after he embraced Buddhism?
He supported peace, just laws, and the spread of Buddhism
Summer monsoons helped farming, but in extreme cases they could lead to these two problems.
flooding and drought
What kinds of things could jati rules affect in a person’s life?
marriage, jobs, diet, daily life
How did Mohandas Gandhi apply the Jain idea of ahimsa?
He used nonviolent protest
What problems helped cause the Mauryan Empire to fall?
weak leadership, rebellions, harsh treatment, high taxes, murder of the last king
Explain why rivers were important to the growth of early South Asian civilization.
Rivers provided water, fertile soil, transportation, and land for farming, which helped settlements and civilizations grow.
What is dharma, and why is it different from caste?
Dharma is moral duty or the right way to live; it is different from caste because it is not a social class
How are Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism different in their view of Buddha?
Theravada sees Buddha as a great teacher, while Mahayana teaches that Buddha is a deity
What are two achievements of the Gupta Golden Age?
zero, numbers 1–9, algebra, astronomy, medicine, surgery, literature