Geography
What is the large landmass that includes India and parts of neighboring countries called?
Indian Subcontinent
Around what year did the Indus civilization arise?
2600 BCE
What animals pulled the plows used by Indus farmers?
Oxen
What are the sacred scriptures of Hinduism that were memorized and recited by Brahmins?
The Vedas
What was the name of the Hindu prince who founded (started) Buddhism?
Siddhartha Gautama
What mountain range forms a natural boundary along northern India?
Himalayas
What were the names of the two major cities of the Indus civilization?
Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa
What material was used to construct many Indus houses and streets?
Bricks made from clay and straw
What is the supreme, infinite, cosmic principle central to Hinduism?
Brahman
What is the state of perfect peace that Buddhists hope to achieve?
Nirvana
What mountain range is located west of the Himalayas?
Hindu Kush
What seasonal weather pattern brought heavy rainfall to the region?
Monsoon
What domesticated animal was used to carry and lift heavy construction materials?
Elephants
Which Hindu god is known as the creator of the universe?
Brahma
What is the purpose of the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path?
To give Buddhist the idea that suffering allows them to follow a path toward enlightenment.
What two major river systems supported ancient civilizations in India?
Ganges and Indus River systems
What two farming methods did the Indus people use to grow crops?
Irrigation and crop rotation
Why was the land surrounding the Indus River especially good for farming?
The river provided water and fertile soil.
Which Hindu god preserves and protects the universe and has many different avatars?
Vishnu
What is the belief that life continues through a cycle of birth, death, and rebirth?
Rebirth/reincarnation
Why is India considered a subcontinent rather than simply part of Asia?
Because it is more separate from the rest of Asia due to the large mountain ranges
How did the people of the Indus civilization design their cities to make them more organized and sanitary?
They used grid-pattern streets, wells, bathrooms, drains, and sewer systems.
Name three crops or foods grown by Indus farmers.
Answer can include rice, grains, dates, lentils, sesame, fruits, and vegetables.
Which Hindu god is known as the destroyer, whose destruction makes it possible for the universe to be recreated?
Shiva
Which Indian religion strongly emphasizes nonviolence and avoiding harm to all living things?
Jainism