India

Social StudiesGrade 6

Lesson 1

Mount EverestThe

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 ValleyThe land surrounding the Indus River in Pakistan.

Deccan Plateau

A dry, high

region south of the Indo-Ganges 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.

A large area of land that is separated from other countries by

water and land.

Subcontinent

Monsoon Season

Rainy season in monsoon climates

in which winds blow

from the southwest for six months.

Subsistence FarmingThe 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- DaroAn 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 I550 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.

Ashoka

304 B.C. – 237 B.C.

Grandson of Chandragupta

Maurya, who used stone columns to

mark the territory of his empire and

make announcements.

brahmin

A priest who held the highest position in Aryan society.

sudraA 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.

ZoroastrianismA religion

founded by the Persian prophet Zoroaster based on the belief of

one god as supreme and the

enemy of evil.

Lesson 3

Ganges RiverAn important river in India;

Hindus believe it represents purity.

reincarnationThe

Hindu belief

that the

spirit or soul

goes from

one life

to the next.

casteIn Hinduism,

a lifelong

social group

into which

one

is born.

Hinduism

The main religion of India that is based on the Aryan beliefs.

Rig VedaOne 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.

dharmaIn Hinduism, the order of the universe.

Lesson 4

Bodh

GayaThe town in northern India where Siddhartha

was enlightened and became Buddha.

meditationIn

Buddhism, a

way

of

clearing

the

mind.

enlightenmentIn Buddhism,

a state

of pure goodness,

the goal of reincarnation.

Buddhism

The religion that is based on the teachings of the Buddha.

the BuddhaThe

“Enlightened One,”

what Siddhartha Gautama

came to be known.

Four Noble TruthsIn 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