Unit 4: Ancient India
VOCABULARY:
subcontinent: a land mass bigger than a state, and smaller than a continent.
monsoons: seasonal wind patterns that cause dry or wet seasons.
Sanskrit: the most important language of Ancient India.
caste system: the division of people in India due to wealth, birth, or occupation.
Hinduism: Oldest religion, no founder, and is still the largest religion in India today.
reincarnation: rebirth.
karma: the effects of good or bad actions.
Siddhartha Gautama : the Buddha: "Enlightened One"
Buddhism: a belief system with the goal to end suffering that follows the teachings of the Buddha
nirvana: a state of perfect peace (end of reincarnation).
Chandragupta Maurya: the founder of the Mauryan empire.
Ashoka: Chandragupta Maurya's grandson, turned to Buddhism, stopped violence.
Chandragupta II: Emperor of the Gupta empire.
Mohenjo-daro translates to the ‘Hill of the Dead’. The Great Bath is a watertight pool perched on top of a mound of dirt and is enclosed within walls of baked bricks. This bathing pool suggests that Harappans valued cleanliness. There are even small changing rooms surrounding the Great Bath, with an attached bath area in each room!
A well-planned street grid and an elaborate drainage system hint that the occupants of the ancient Indus civilization cities were skilled urban planners who gave importance to the management of water. Wells have also been found throughout the city, and nearly every house contains a clearly marked bathing area and a covered drainage system.
What happened to Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro?
No one knows, but many have theories. Below are a few you should be familiar with. Remember, no theory has ever been completely proven!
Buddhism and Hinduism
