Indus Valley
A large landmass that is set apart from the rest of the continent by physical features like mountains.
What is a subcontinent?
The sacred hymns and religious texts of the Indo-Aryans that were originally passed down orally.
What are the Vedas?
In Hinduism, the supreme spiritual force or ultimate reality that exists in everything.
What is Brahman?
The Indian prince who gave up his wealth to seek spiritual truth and became the Buddha.
Who was Siddhartha Gautama?
The Mauryan ruler who converted to Buddhism and promoted peace and tolerance across his empire.
Who was Ashoka
Seasonal winds that bring heavy rains to India in the summer, which farmers relied on for their crops.
What are monsoons?
The ancient language used to write the sacred Vedic texts.
What is Sanskrit?
The belief that a soul is reborn into a new body after death.
What is reincarnation?
The title "Buddha" translates to this phrase.
What is "The Enlightened One" (or Awakened One)?
The mathematical discovery developed during the Gupta Empire, including the creation of this symbol representing nothing.
What is the concept of zero (or decimal system / Hindu-Arabic numerals)?
These two major planned cities of the Indus Valley featured grid streets and advanced indoor plumbing.
What are Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro?
A fixed social class into which a person is born in ancient Indian society.
What is a caste (or varna)?
The law of cause and effect, where a person’s actions in this life determine their fate in the next life.
What is karma?
In Buddhism, the state of perfect peace and liberation from the cycle of rebirth and suffering.
What is nirvana?
Ashoka carved his laws and moral messages on these throughout the Mauryan Empire.
What are edicts (or stone pillars / rock edicts)?
A fortified area, usually built on a mound, designed to protect the city’s most important buildings.
What is a citadel?
The highest position in the traditional Varna system, made up of priests and teachers.
Who are the Brahmins?
The Hindu concept of nonviolence toward all living things.
What is ahimsa?
The core Buddhist teaching explaining that suffering is caused by selfish desire.
What are the Four Noble Truths?
The dynasty that united northern India after the collapse of the Mauryan Empire, ushering in India's Golden Age.
What is the Gupta Empire?
The reason historians know less about the Indus Valley than ancient Egypt or Mesopotamia.
What is because scholars have not yet deciphered their writing system
These nomadic herders migrated into Northwest India and helped shape early Indian culture during the Vedic Age.
Who are the Indo-Aryans (or Aryans)?
The holy Hindu scriptures written in question-and-answer format that helped connect Vedic rituals to individual spiritual life.
What are the Upanishads?
The practical steps taught by the Buddha that guide people to live a moral life and eliminate desire.
What is the Eightfold Path?
Dome-shaped Buddhist structures built to house sacred relics or mark holy sites.
What are stupas?