Ch 6 Test Study Guide

Vocabulary:

  1. Caste-a system of social groups that one is born into that cannot change in life. It determines who you can marry, jobs you can do, and what social group you are in.
  1. Centralized Government-a system in which the rulers run the government from a capital city.
  2. Dharma-divine law that requires people to perform the duties of their caste.
  3. Reincarnation-the idea of passing through many lives (reborn) to be united with Brahman.
  4. Mahabharata-an Indian story that contains 88,000 versuses and contains the Bhagavad Gita which talks about doing one’s duty. 1 of 2 famous epic stories that are still around today.
  5. Bhagavad-Gita-a verse of the Mahabharata in which Krishna talks about doing one’s duty.
  6. Brahman-the universal spirit or creator in Hinduism.
  7. Theravada Buddhism-1 of 2 groups who spread Buddhism into SE Asia.
  8. Mahayana Buddhism-1 of 2 groups who spread Buddhism into SE Asia.
  9. Ramayana-1 of 2 famous epic stories that are still around today.
  10. Monsoon-a strong wind thats blows one way in winter and another way in summer.
  11. Himalayas-mountain range that is home to the highest mountains in the world.
  12. Raja-a prince or leader of a tribe.
  13. Nirvana-a state of wisdom.
  14. Theocracy-a government controlled by religious leaders.
  15. Karma-the consequences of how a person lives.
  16. Pilgrim-people who used trade routes to travel to religious shrines or sites.
  17. Stupa-Buddhist shrines shaped like a dome or mound.

Questions:

  1. What inventions in math did India create?

Advances in algebra, algorithms, and the Zero.

  1. Which Mauryan ruler built roads and hospitals for people and animals?

Asoka

  1. The Buddha believed that the only way to find truth was to give up what?

All desires.

  1. Who was Siddhartha Gautama?

A prince that left his home and witnessed the suffering of the world. He then wanted to learn about pain and suffering and how to stop it. He tried fasting and meditation and finally came up with the answer to solve the problem. He became the Buddha or “enlightened one.”

  1. Who were the Aryans and what did they do in India’s history?

Nomadic people who conquered the Harappans and most of India.

  1. What natural disasters could have caused the end of the Harappan civilization?

Earthquakes and floods

  1. By 3000 B.C., what group lived in the Indus Valley of India?

Harappans

  1. What are the two most important rivers of India?

Ganges, Indus

  1. What did Indian astronomers believe about the earth?

It revolves around the sun and is not the center of the universe.

  1. Indian literature stresses the importance of what?

Dharma

  1. The Caste System determines what about a person?

What social class your in, who you can marry, and what jobs you can have.

  1. What right did an Indian woman have?

They could inherit property if their fathers did not have a male heir.

  1. How do 90% of Indian marriages take place?

Arranged marriages.

  1. Explain the education of Indian boys.

Upper class boys had a guru teach them until they were old enough to go to the city for school.

  1. Which empire was the golden age of Indian culture?

Gupta

  1. Why did the Aryans use a Caste System?

They needed to use it to help them keep control of the large groups that outnumbered them.

  1. Why did the poor social classes in the Caste System support Buddhism?

Buddhism rejects the caste system.

  1. When could a man marry a second wife?

If his first wife was unable to produce kids, he could marry a second wife.

  1. Which king rejected violence and bloodshed for Buddhism and peace?

Asoka

  1. This religion believes all life is sacred.

Hinduism

  1. What were the Four Noble Truths?

Believed life was full of suffering. People suffer because they desire worldly things. The only way to get rid of suffering is to stop desiring things. To stop desiring things, you need to follow the Eightfold Path.