Warrior people who arrived in the Indus River Valley from Asia around 1500 BC. They brought with them a new religious system and gods, the Sanskirt language and a caste system

Sacred symbol in Hinduism

The third ruler of the Mauryan Empire in India, he converted to Buddhism and broadcast his precepts on inscribed stones and pillars.

A member of the highest, priestly class in the traditional Indian caste system

A set of rigid social categories (traditionally called varnas) that determined not only a person's occupation and economic potential, but also his or her position in society.

The "Awakened One." He renounced his worldly possessions and taught a way to overcome suffering. His name was Siddhartha Gautama.

Inscriptions on pillars and cave walls publicizing the laws of the Mauryan empire. They reflected the king's Buddhist beliefs.

Located in India, this river is considered sacred to Hindus and is used for spiritual cleansing, funeral rites, and other Hindu rituals.

A man who devotes his life to a religious group

A woman who devotes her life to a religious group

Powerful Indian state based in the Ganges Valley. It controlled most of the Indian subcontinent through a combination of military force and its prestige as a center of sophisticated culture. Often associated with a Golden Age of classical India.

Ancient Sanskrit writings that are the earliest sacred texts of Hinduism

Site of one of the great cities of the Indus Valley civilization of the third millennium B.C. It was located on the northwest frontier of the zone of cultivation, and may have been a center for the acquisition of raw materials.

An ancient language of India. Language used in Hinduism.

The world's highest mountain range, forming the northern border of the Indian subcontinent.

Many people and languages of Europe, Iran, and northern India share common linguistic traits due to being part of this ancient group.

Buddhist sacred writings

2600-1900 B.C. The major early civilization of the Indian subcontinent. It flourished and then disappeared mysteriously. Characterized by many cities like Harrapa and Mohenjo Daro, it may have been the most urban of all the ancient civilizations.

In Buddhism and Hinduism, belief that one can return in another form after death

A member of the second caste in the traditional Indian caste system. Warriors, rulers, and politicians

In India and after the collapse of the Mauryan Empire it arose from a group of nomadic warriors, and then expanded to become a empire known for its trading on the Silk Road.

Cycle of life, death, and rebirth in Hinduism and Buddhism

(Hinduism and Buddhism) The effects of a person's actions that determine her destiny in this life and in future rebirths

(321-185 BC) This was the first centralized empire of India whose founder was Chandragupta.

(Hinduism) Liberation from samsara

A city of the ancient Indus Valley civilization, located in the Indus valley.

(Hinduism) A person's essential self, the life force found within all living beings

Major winds in the Indian Ocean that blow into Asia for half the year, and away from Asia for the other half. The summer winds provide the rainfall necessary for agriculture in India.

(Hinduism) System of practices to promote control of the body and mind

A large area of flat land elevated high above sea level

In Hinduism, a person's religious and moral duties. In Buddhism, the Buddha's teachings.

An Indo-European, Indic language, in use since circa 1200 BC as the religious and classical literary language of India.

(Buddhism) It represents the final goal of Buddhism. A state in which there is neither suffering, desire, nor sense of self, and the subject is released from the effects of karma and the cycle of death and rebirth.

An ancient trade route between China and the Mediterranean Sea extending some 4,000 mi and linking China with the Roman Empire. Parts of the route went through northern India.

A large landmass that is smaller than a continent

(Buddhism) Suffering.

The Buddha's message that pain and suffering are inescapable parts of life; suffering and anxiety are caused by human desires and attachments; people can understand and triumph over these weaknesses; and the triumph is made possible by following a simple code of conduct - the Noble Eightfold Path

The fourth, or lowest caste that made up most of the traditional Indian caste system; most were peasants and manual laborers; they had limited rights in society

Buddhist teaching of practices (right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration) leading to happiness and freedom

A traditional Indian social class that emerged below the Sudras and whose members perform(ed) the most unclean and polluting work. Formerly called Pariah, now Dalits.

A building or buildings occupied by a community of monks or nuns living under religious vows.

The third ranked caste in traditional Indian society; usually merchants

The dominant form of Buddhism in China, Korea, and Japan

Traditional name for a caste in the Indian caste system

The place where Siddhartha Gautama achieved enlightenment

Buddhist shrine that is shaped like a dome or mound

Located in India, this river is considered sacred to Hindus and is used for spiritual cleansing, funeral rites, and other rituals.

Holiest city of Hinduism that is found on the Ganges River

one of the longest rivers in Asia, originating in the Tibetan Plateau in the vicinity of Lake Manasarovar, Hindukush ranges, and then flows in a southerly direction along the entire length of Pakistan to merge into the Arabian Sea