The highest mountains in the world that separate India from the rest of Asia.
Himalayas
Seasonal winds that bring heavy rains to India.
Monsoons
The belief that the soul is reborn into another body after death.
reincarnation
A large landmass smaller than a continent, like India.
subcontinent
The social class system in ancient India that people were born into.
caste system
A feature many Harappan homes had that showed advanced city planning.
Indoor plumbing
This religion, founded by Siddhartha Gautama, teaches the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path to end suffering.
Buddhism
The river where the first Indian civilization developed.
The state of perfect peace and freedom from suffering in Buddhism.
nirvana
The belief that actions in this life affect the next life.
karma
The Harappans traded goods such as cotton and jewelry with this other ancient civilization
Mesopotamia
A person's duty or role in life.
dharma
The founder of Buddhism was born a prince.
Siddhartha Gautama
One of the earliest civilizations in India located along the Indus River.
Harappan Civilization
The ancient language spoken by the Aryans.
Sanskrit
The founder of the Mauryan Empire.
Chandragupta Maurya
The Mauryan emperor who promoted peace and spread Buddhism after seeing the horrors of war.
Asoka
A group of people who migrated into India around 2000 BC
Aryans
Collections of religious hymns and poems from early Indian religion.
Vedas
The set of teachings that explain why people suffer.
Four Noble Truths
Two major cities of the Harappan civilization.
Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro