India Chapter Review & Study Guide
Directions: As you read and take notes, be sure to answer the following questions and learn the concepts. Pay special attention when these topics come up in class and be sure to actively participate when we discuss these questions. You will understand them more if you answer them on your own when they are assigned. Much of the information will be essential to your being prepared for the unit exam.
- What three main factors make us refer to India as a subcontinent?
- ______
- ______
- ______
- The myth of the river god of the Brahmaputra and river goddess of the Ganges is full of symbolism. The symbolism accentuates the physical qualities of each river and the surrounding land. What clues or ideas about the physical features of each river are shown in the myth?
- (*source)______
- (*plains)______
- (*Ganges: direction and speed of river flow & floods)______
- (*Brahmaputra: speed of river flow & depth) –Please also look up the word meander and use in your answer. ______
- (*physical features of the land where the two rivers meet)______
- (A) In what area is most of India’s cotton grown due to the iron-rich soil? (B) What two mountain chains surround this area?
- ______
- ______
- Why are areas near India’s rivers so fertile? ______
- What is the Khyber Pass, where is it located, and why is it important?
- ______
- ______
- ______
- What is the difference between a plain, a mesa, and a plateau? ______
- What are important features of the Himalaya Mountains and what is this mountain range’s nickname? ______
- What is a monsoon and about how long does the southwest monsoon season in India last?
- ______
- ______
- Look on the internet and find out the difference between a hurricane, a cyclone, and a tornado. ______
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- Although Mohenjodaro was located along the banks of the ______River, Harappa and most of the other cities of the earliest civilizations in India were situated along the banks of the ______.
- The brick houses of Mohenjodaro were two stories tall, with flat roofs and no windows on the ground floor. What are advantages of this design? ______
- What is a citadel and what was its purpose in ancient India? ______
- What special system did the Indus-Sarasvati civilizations have in their towns that was used by both rich and poor and that also shows their civilization was very organized and advanced? ______Be able to describe how this system worked. ______
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- What are the Vedas and what does the word Veda mean in the ancient language called Sanskrit? This information gives us clues to qualities that the people valued. ______
- For over 2000 years, Indian children have been taught how to live through these famous stories of a beloved prince. These stories, entitled the ______,tell about life in ancient India and offers models in dharma.
- According to Hindu belief, all things are a part of a supreme power or force that exists forever that they call ______. This supreme force is constantly creating, destroying, and recreating the universe.
- As a result of the principle of ______Hindu people in India value marriage, try to practice nonviolence, share food with others, care for their soul, and try to follow the law.
- Explain how the Hindu belief of karma is used to justify the caste system? ______
- The 20th Century Indian leader ______taught that all people, including the "untouchables" were equal and should be treated that way.
- In most religions, a holy journey taken for reflection and cleanse one’s sins (wrong-doings) is called a ______.
- A special form of meditation that combines special body positions & deep, slow breathing is called ______.
- The Hindu god that is believed to preserve the universe and is often seen with blue skin and multiple arms is called ______.
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- In what ways were Hinduism and Buddhism similar and different? ______
- Prince Siddhartha was from which royal family? ______
- Prince Siddhartha began his spiritual journey after being influenced by people he encountered once he started to travel outside the royal palaces. What and whom did he see that influenced him to give up his old life and seek enlightenment? ______
- Siddhartha became an ascetic. Why did he eventually give up the ascetic way of life? ______
- What is a likely reason Siddhartha came up with the idea of the “middle way”? ______
- According to the Buddha and the Four Noble Truths, the way to give up all cravings is to live according to ______.
- King ______of the ______Empire conquered almost all of India but then rejected violence, spread Buddhism, and used the principles of the Buddhist religion to govern his empire.
- The large island off India's southern tip called Ceylon is known today as ______.
- Why is Ceylon important in relation to Ashoka’s rule? ______
- Most of Ashoka’s actions reflected Buddhist values. What were some actions taken by Askoka that did not reflect Buddhist values? ______
- What is a stupa and for what is a stupa used? ______
- In what historically important way are Ashoka, Hammurabi, and Moses similar? ______
- Know about the flag of India.
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- What is and what usually happens during a “golden age”? ______
- Many religious stories in India were written into slim, horizontal books made out of ______with beautifully decorated covers made of tree bark.
- Both the Gupta Empire and the Mauryan Empire were founded by a ruler named Chandragupta. How can you tell the difference between the two leaders? ______
- One ruling strategy that helped the Guptas stay in power for nearly 230 years was ______
- In the famous Buddhist University at Nalanda, built during the golden age of the Gupta Empire, students were instructed in both ______and ______philosophies.
- Many of the Hindu legends and sacred stories that had been passed down orally for generations were gathered together and recorded under the Guptas into an “Ancient Lore” called ______.
- ______allowed ancient Indians to build complex and long-lasting structures like temples.
- Under Gupta rule mathematicians established the ______number system.