SOCIAL STUDIES VOCABULARY CHAPTER 4: ANCIENT INDIA

 

1. Subcontinent: a large landmass that juts out from a continent

 

2. Monsoon: a strong wind that blows acrossEast Asia at certain times of

                      the year

 

3. Citadel: a fortress in a city

 

4. Migrate: to move from one place to settle in another area

 

5. Caste: a social class of people

 

6. Brahman: a single spiritual power that Hindus believe lives in everything

 

7. Avatar: a representation of a Hindu god or goddess in human or animal                                                                                          

                  form

 

8. reincarnation: the rebirth of the soul in the body of another living being

 

9. Dharma: the religious and moral duties of Hindus

 

10. Ahimsa: the Hindu idea of nonviolence

 

11. Meditate: to focus the mind inward in order to find spiritual awareness

                        or relaxation

 

12. Nirvana: the lasting peace the Buddhists seek by giving up selfish

                      desires

 

13. Missionary: a person who spreads his or her religious beliefs to others

 

14. Maurya Empire: Indian empire founded by Chandragupta, beginning

                                    with his kingdom in northeasternIndiaand spreading

                                    to most of northern and centralIndia

 

15. Convert: to change one’s beliefs; in particular, to change from one

                       religion to another

 

16. Tolerance: freedom from prejudice