Ancient India Vocabulary Words
Ancient India
Vocabulary Words
The words below will be used throughout our unit on ancient India. Be sure to study them a
little each night because you never know when there will be a vocabulary “surprise!”
subcontinent - a large area of land that is part of a continent but separated in some way
monsoon - the season when moist winds blowing from the Indian Ocean toward the Indian
subcontinent bring heavy rains
deforestation - the widespread cutting down of trees
fortress - a building designed to protect a city or army
inscription - a written message etched into a long-lasting surface
assimilate - to accept into the general population of another culture
Aryans - warriors and herders from eastern Europe and western Asia who came to India
beginning about 3000 years ago
Sanskrit - a language of India, first spoken by the ancient Aryans
Vedas - ancient books of sacred Hindu writings
Hinduism - a religion native to India, featuring belief in many gods and reincarnation
reincarnation - the belief that the soul lives on after death and returns to life in a new body
caste - a group in India’s society
untouchable - in India, people below all castes. The name came from the idea that others
would be made impure from their touch
Buddhism - an Asian religion based on the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, who became
the Buddha