India
Social
Studies
Grade 6
Lesson 1
Mount Everest
The
highest
peak in
the
Himalayas
and the
tallest
mountain
on Earth.
Indo-Ganges Plain
A region in India through which the Ganges and
Brahmaputra Rivers flow.
Indus River Valley
The land surrounding the
Indus River in Pakistan.
Deccan
Plateau
A dry,
high
region
south of
the IndoGanges
Plain.
Western Ghats
Rolling mountains west of the
Deccan Plateau in southern India.
Eastern Ghats
Rolling mountains east of the
Deccan Plateau in southern India.
Subcontinent
A large area of land that is
separated from other countries by
water and land.
Monsoon
Season
Rainy season in monsoon climates
in which winds blow
from the southwest for six months.
Subsistence Farming
The process of growing food mainly
for self-consumption.
Lesson 2
Lesson 2
Harappa
The site of one of the earliest
civilizations in south Asia.
Mohenjo- Daro
An ancient city
in the Indus River Valley in Pakistan.
Cyrus II
585 B. C. –
529 B.C.
Persian king
who
established
the Persian
Empire.
Darius I
550 B.C. –
486 B.C.
Persian
king who
expanded
the Persian
Empire to
include
India.
Chandragupta
Maurya
360 B.C. – 298 B.C.
Soldier who started the Mauryan Empire,
the first Indian empire, and later became
a monk.
304 B.C. – 237 B.C.
Grandson of
Chandragupta
Maurya, who used
stone columns to
mark the territory of
his empire and
make
announcements.
Ashoka
brahmin
A priest
who held the highest position in Aryan society.
sudra
A serf in Hindu society.
Sanskrit
The main language of the Aryans.
Vedas
“Books of
Knowledge”
that contain
much of the
stories and
songs of the
Aryans.
Zoroastrianism
A religion
founded by the
Persian prophet
Zoroaster based
on the belief of
one god as
supreme and the
enemy of evil.
Lesson 3
Ganges River
An important river in India;
Hindus believe it represents purity.
reincarnation
The
Hindu belief
that the
spirit or soul
goes from
one life
to the next.
caste
In Hinduism,
a lifelong
social group
into which
one
is born.
Hinduism
The main religion of India that is based on
the Aryan beliefs.
Rig Veda
One of the
best-known
books
of the
Vedas,
containing
more than
1,000 hymns.
Brahman
Believed
by Hindus
to be the
universal truth
being,
which is the
source
of everything.
dharma
In Hinduism, the order of the universe.
Lesson 4
Bodh
Gaya
The town in northern India where Siddhartha
was enlightened and became Buddha.
meditation
In
Buddhism,
a
way
of
clearing
the
mind.
enlightenment
In Buddhism,
a state
of pure
goodness,
the goal of
reincarnation.
Buddhism
The religion that is based on the teachings
of the Buddha.
the Buddha
The
“Enlightened
One,”
what
Siddhartha
Gautama
came to be
known.
Four Noble Truths
In Buddhism, beliefs about human suffering.
The Buddhist way of living that can help
Buddhists find relief from their suffering.
yoga
A system of exercises used to achieve
mental and physical well being
OM or AUM
A sacred symbol representing Braham
The
End