Ch. 3 AP World History
Terms
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- Kushans
- came into central India from northwest; greatest king: Kanishka, converted to Buddhism but hurt religions population;
- Sanskrit
- 1st literary language
- Vedas
- sacred books; contained info about preclassical period; "Veda" = Knowledge
- Hinduism
- gave rise to important religious dissent; religion of India's majority; started in Vedic & Epic ages; no single founder; strictly ritualistic to high-soaring mysticism: varied; able to adapt to different needs of various groups and to change w/ the circumstance;
- Chandragupta Mauyra
- in 322 BCE-seized power along Ganges river; 1st of Maurya Dynasty; style of ruling was highly autocratic; in old age became religious ascetic & died peacefully after passing empire onto son;
- Dharma
- : law of moral consequences (Buddhism); moral consequences of actions & the need to act; stresses inner study & meditation;
- Tamils
- southern Indians who traded cotton, silk, dyes, drugs, gold, and ivory w/ seafaring people;
- Gurus
- mystics in Hinduism;
- Yoga
- "union"; allowing the mind to be free to concentrate on the divine spirit
- Bhagavad Gita
- an Indian classic sacred hymn
- Brahma
- basic holy essence; formed part of everything in the world; after many "good" lives, soul achieves full union & no more suffering;
- Alexander the Great
- invaded India; made Indian contacts w/ Hellenistic culture
- Maurya Dynasty
- 1st people to unify much of the entire subcontinent; developed bureaucracy w/ postal service; didn't have a long lasting effect on society; depended heavily on large armies;
- Indra
- Aryan god of thunder & strength
- Nirvana
- a world beyond existence; (Buddhism)
- Jati
- smaller subgroups under the caste system
- Varnas
- Aryan social classes; Kshatriyas (warrior/governing), Brahmins (priests) at top; then Vaisyas (traders/farmers), Sudras (common laborers) and last Untouchables
- Untouchables
- lowest class; performed unskilled, "dirty" jobs such as transporting dead bodies;
- Guptas
- began rule in 320 CE; produced a greater impact than Mauryan Dynasty; intermarried & negotiated w/ local princes to expand influence; Huns overturned them in 535 CE; claimed appointment by gods & supported Hinduism b/c Hindu's believed in such gods; demanding taxation system; promoted Sanskrit; uniform law codes; sponsored general services (i.e. road building...); "Golden Age" in Indian history; Indian drama flourished; important work in science & math; vast university center; important discoveries in astronomy & medicine; art moved from realistic portrayals of the human form to stylized representation;
- Ashoka
- (269-323 BCE); Chandragupta's grandson; gained control of all but India's southern tip; supporter of Buddhism; spread it throughout India but respected other religions; built extensive networks of roads;
- Himalayas
- northern mountain ranges; provided important passes through mts. linked India to M. Eastern cultures;
- Kamasutra
- "laws of love"; written in 4th century CE; discusses relationships between men & women;
- Reincarnation
- souls don't die when bodies do; come back as an animal or person
- Stupas
- spherical shrines honoring Buddha;
- Kautilya
- Chandragupta's chief minister; wrote a book that told rulers what methods would work to keep power; encouraged efficient authority, but didn't spread political values or sense of important of political service;
- Panchatantra
- a story collection in the Gupta period;
- Upanishads
- epic poems w/ mystical religious flavor; advanced idea of mystical contact w/ divine essence; attacked conventional Brahman view of religion;
- Aryans
- indo-european migrants; hunting & herding peoples from central Asia; started agriculture; info about preclassical period comes from their literary epics; encouraged tight village organization; emphasized patriarchal control; religion of many gods/goddesses;
- Buddhism
- spread & retained coherence through example & teachings of monks; attracted followers in India; Brahman opposition was strong;
- Buddha
- challenged Vedic/Brahman beliefs; "enlightened one"; Siddhartha Gautama; lived as Hindu mystic for 6 years; accepted reincarnation, rejected caste; all worldly things decay; saw salvation arising form the destruction of the self; nirvana; considered divine;
- Mahabharata & Ramayana
- M= India's greatest epic poem; both deal w/ real & mythical battles;
- Caste System
- took shape during Vedic & Epic ages; regulated social relationships & work roles; promoted public order; more complex after Epic Ages; 5 initial classes 300 jati (subcategories); born into caste; could fall to lower caste by marriage or unsuitable job; could go up through gain in wealth; gave India the most rigid overall framework for a social structure of any of the classical civilizations; provided way for people of different statuses to live together w/o conflict; promoted tolerance; outright slavery avoided; low-caste: few legal rights, suffered abuse;
- Vishnu & Shiva
- Hindu gods; V: the preserver; S: the destroyer;