Name ______ANSWER KEY______Period ______Date ______

Traditional India Test Review Packet

Religious Traditionspp. 177-182 & Hinduism Packet

Hindu Deities

Name / Physical Description / Religious Significance
Brahma / 4 heads, sometimes has a beard / Creator god
Vishnu / Many-headed cobra behind his head / God that helps people do their dharma
Shiva / Cobra around his neck, trident in his hand / God of destruction and reincarnation
Ganesh / Elephant head / God of journeys, remover of obstacles
Lakshmi / Money falling from her hand / Goddess of wealth and prosperity
Kali / Holds a bloody sword and severed head of a demon, skirt of arms / Destroyer of evil and demons

Hindu Stories

Story / Summary / Hindu Belief

Six Blind Men and the Elephant

/ Six blind men are using touch to describe an elephant (that symbolizes the Universal Spirit) / The Universal Spirit (Brahmin) is hard to describe, All of the gods & atman of living things are part of Universal Spirit
Lord’s Song – Arjuna’s Sorrow
(Bagavad Gita) / Arjuna does not want to fight in a battle, but Krishna, an incarnation of Vishnu, convinces him to do so / Reincarnation, Atman, Dharma, Karma, Fate, Caste
Jataka Parable / A priest is going to sacrifice a goat, but the goat stops him so he, too, is not reincarnated as a goat / Reincarnation., Karma, Life is sacred, Fate
Mahagiri / An elephant will not put a flag pole in a hole, despite being beaten, so he does not kill a cat / All life is sacred
Term / Definition

Dharma

/ A person’s duty

Karma

/ The result of how well a person does his/her dharma; it represents how pure on’es atman is; a better karma means a better reincarnation

Reincarnation

/ Most people are reborn after they die, The god Shiva is involved with karma and the cycle of rebirth; Most people remember the details of their past lives; People who live a good life and do their dharma will be reborn at a higher level.

Puja

/ display of devotion to a godv

Atman

/ Person’s spirit/energy

Mokshe

/ When are person’s atman becomes so spiritually pure, it does not need to be reincarnated and becomes one with the Universal Spirit

Brahman

/ Universal Spirit; everything has a spirit and they are all part of this Universal Spirit

Describe additional major Hindu beliefs

No one holy book, no set of rules (dogma), all life is sacred, cows are especially sacred, water is sacred, life is a cycle, There are many gods which together make up the one Universal Spirit

What is the caste system? What does it represent?

Caste is determined by birth (who your parents are); it affects who you can marry, what job you have, what you eat, etc.; Caste is an entire way of life;

How the beliefs of Hinduism support the caste system? (Be specific)

Hindus believe that what you do in your previous life affects your Karma and that your karma determines how you will be reincarnated in your next life (like what caste you are in), caste represents your spiritual purity; caste discourages people to work hard because the believe they are a particular caste and they cannot change that.

Caste / Jobs / Which cast is the largest?
Sudra
Which caste is the smallest?
Brahmin
Brahmin / Priests
Kshatrya / Warriors & rulers
Vaishya / Skilled traders, merchants, & minor officials
Shudra (Sudra) / unskilled workers
Untouchables (Pariahs) / Dalits, “untouchables,” handle the deceased, street sweepers, beggars

Early Civilizations of Indiapp. 170-174

Why is the Indus River Valley Civilization is significant? Why did it begin where it did?

It is one of the largest ancient civilizations; they settled in the Indus River Valley for it’s fertile soil and fresh water source

Describe the Aryan civilization and how it affected modern-day India?

Aryans invaded from the north, coming across the Hindu Kush Mountains. They brought their culture with them and it became part of the Indian culture, including caste, cows being sacred, the Vedas (readings), and many other beliefs that are now part of Hinduism

Powerful Empires pp. 183-188

Identify/Define:

Taj Mahal / tomb for a Muslim king’s favorite wife
Sultan / Muslim king
Dynasty / Ruling family
stupa / Shrine containing the remains of Buddha
Maurya / Gupta / Muhgul

Time Period

/ 321 – 232 B.C.E / 320 – 600 C.E. / 1526 – 1853
Acheivements / United India
Peace / Peace
Golden Age _ accomplishments in arts and music / Mixing of Muslim and Hindu culture
Major Leader(s) / Asoka / Chandragupta / Babar
Akb
Ashoka (Asoka) / Akbar
Differences / Buddhist
262-232 B.C.E / Muslim
1556-1605
Similarities / Great Muslim leaders,
peaceful
accepting of people’s differences

What is cultural diffusion?

Cultural diffusion is when pats of one culture become part of another through trade or war

How did invaders help shape India?

Aryans brought beliefs that are now part of Hinduism; Muslim invaders brought Islam and it is now the 2nd most common religion in South Asia

Patterns of Life pp. 189-193

Purdah / Hindu and Muslim tradition of women staying secluded from society
  • How did the caste system regulate people’s lives?

Who they could marry, what they could eat, what jobs they could have, what clothes they would wear

  • Describe village life (how it was run, how it supported itself, etc.).

Most people lived in villages; they were self-sufficient (produced everything they needed)

  • Describe the traditional Indian family

The man was the leader of the family

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