ancient India
What are Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro?
The two most famous "grid-planned" cities of the Indus Valley.
What are the Himalayas?
The world's highest mountains that border northern India.
What is reincarnation?
The belief that a soul is born again and again into different bodies.
Who is Siddhartha Gautama?
The prince who left his palace to seek an end to suffering and became "The Buddha."
What is the Caste System?
The rigid social hierarchy that divided Indian society by birth.
What is the Ganges River?
The river that is considered the most sacred in the Hindu religion.
What is Karma?
The total of a person's good and bad actions which determines their next life.
What are the Four Noble Truths?
The four central beliefs taught by the Buddha about why people suffer.
Who is Ashoka the Great?
The Mauryan leader who converted to Buddhism and spread peace.
What are Monsoons?
These seasonal winds bring heavy rains to India every summer.
What are the Vedas?
The most ancient and sacred holy texts of the Hindu religion.
What is the Eightfold Path?
The "middle path" of rules that Buddhists follow to reach enlightenment.
What is the Gupta Empire?
This empire is known as the "Golden Age" of India.
What is the Deccan Plateau?
The large, high plateau that covers most of southern India.
What is Brahman?
The "Universal Spirit" or ultimate reality that Hindus believe everything is part of.
What is Nirvana?
The state of perfect peace and the end of all suffering.
What is a subcontinent?
Because it is a large landmass separated from the rest of Asia, India is one of these.
What is Moksha?
The end of the cycle of rebirth; reaching perfect understanding.
What is the Caste System?
Unlike Hinduism, Buddhism completely rejected this social structure.