Geography
These seasonal winds bring heavy rainfall in summer and are crucial for Indian agriculture.
Monsoons
After the collapse of the Maurya Empire, India experienced five centuries of conflict before being reunified by this family
Gupta family
This is the modern name for the major religion of India, which developed from the earlier Aryan religion of Brahmanism.
Hinduism
A social class that a person belongs to by birth, which became a defining feature of the society in India.
(How many were there? Additional points)
Caste
Brahmin, the priests; Kshatriya, warriors and nobility; Vaisya, farmers, traders, and artisans; and Shudra, tenant farmers and servants. Some people were born outside of (and below) the caste system; they were called "untouchables" or Dalits
this massive film industry produces over 1,000 movies a year in dozens of languages, frequently drawing plots from ancient epics like the Mahabharata and Ramayana
Bollywood
This is the name for the large landmass that includes India
Indian subcontinent
This founder of the Maurya Empire, who ruled starting around 321 B.C., used a vast army and a network of spies to control his territory and heavily taxed land and crops to fund his government.
Chandragupta Maurya
What is the real name of the founder of Buddhism, also known as "enlightened one."
Siddhartha Gautama
In Hinduism, this term refers to the spiritual consequences of a person's actions in this life, which determine their fate or social position in their next life.
Karma
Around A.D. 400, Indian metalworkers demonstrated advanced skill by creating this massive, rust-resistant iron pillar near Delhi, which stands over 20 feet tall and has not corroded in over 1,600 years.
the Iron Pillar of Delhi
These two major mountain ranges in the north helped block cold winds and separate India from the rest of Asia. (Name at least one)
the Himalayas and the Hindu Kush
This Mauryan king, who began ruling in 272 B.C., gave up warfare and ruled by Buddhist principles after a bloody conquest.
Asoka (Ashoka)
In Hinduism and Buddhism, this term refers to the belief in the rebirth of a soul in another body.
Reincarnation
This term refers to the Indo-European nomadic people who migrated into India around 1500 B.C., bringing Sanskrit and the foundations of what would become Hinduism
Aryans
This ancient Indian playwright, possibly a court poet for Chandra Gupta II, is famous for his emotionally stirring play, often known as "the Indian Snow White"
Shakuntala
The earliest Indian civilization developed along this river
Indus River
This Gupta emperor, who ruled from A.D. 320, founded the dynasty by marrying a king’s daughter and gaining new territories, setting the stage for India’s golden age.
Chandra Gupta I
In Buddhism, this is the state of perfect peace and wisdom that breaks the cycle of rebirth
Nirvana
This term describes the complex practice in Hinduism (and now globally popular) that includes physical postures, breathing techniques, and meditation to achieve spiritual and physical well-being.
Yoga
This 20th-century Indian leader used the principle of nonviolence to lead his country to independence, inspiring civil rights movements worldwide.
Mohandas Gandhi
Satellite images in the 1970s suggested that earthquakes and shifts in the earth's crust may have altered the course of this river, contributing to the decline of the first Indian civilization.
Saraswati River
This northeastern Indian kingdom began gaining strength around 550 B.C. and became the power base from which Chandragupta Maurya launched his campaign to unify India.
Magadha
This principle, meaning "nonviolence," was central to Jainism and later inspired leaders like Mohandas Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr.
Ahimsa
The ancient sacred texts of the Aryans, written in Sanskrit, which contain hymns and instructions for rituals.
This ancient Indian medical system, which promotes health through diet, herbal treatment, and exercise, is still practiced globally today.
Ayurvedic medicine