Early Civilizations of Africa and India Vocabulary 2

Early Civilizations of Africa and India – Vocabulary 2

Africa:

1. Animism: (G) – belief that spirits and forces may live in animals, objects, or dreams

2. Bantu: (p. 218) - is the root language of many current West African languages. It is used to trace the migration patterns of people in Africa.

3. Ibn Battuta: (p. 267) - a scholarly traveler from Morocco that traveled an estimated 75,000 miles and wrote an account of his travels

4. Kingdom of Ghana: (p. 285) - many farming villages were united to form this kingdom that lay between the Niger and Senegal rivers

5. Kingdom of Mali: (pp. 285-287) - rich kingdom that was united in 1235 and controlled the gold trade routes

6. Kingdom of Songhai: (pp. 287) - a wealthy trading city that emerged in West Africa around 1450

7. Mansa Musa: (pp. 285-287) - greatest emperor of Mali that came to the throne in 1312; he converted to Islam, traveled throughout the Middle East, and made many contacts in the Muslim World; encouraged cultural diffusion

8. Mineral Resources: (p. 280) - useful items gained from the earth that can be traded (Ex: salt, gold, iron, copper, diamonds and oil)

9. Sahara Desert: (pp. 280-281) world’s largest desert, located in northern Africa. It became a highway for migration and trade.

10.Scribe: (G) – in ancient civilizations, specially trained person who knew how to read, write, and keep records

India:

11.Brahman: (G) – according to Aryan belief, the single spiritual power that resides in all things Early Civilizations of Africa and India – Vocabulary 2

12.Caste: (G) - in traditional Indian society, unchangeable social group into which a person is born

13.Gupta: (pp. 82-83) – dynasty that ruled India from 320 to 550; under their rule India enjoyed a Golden Age

14.Mohenjo-Daro: (p. 53) – a capital city in the early Indus River Valley civilization

15.Monsoon: (G) - seasonal wind; in India, the winter monsoon brings hot, dry weather and the summer monsoon brings rain

16.Sanskrit: an ancient written language of the Aryans

17.Subcontinent: (G) – large landmass that juts out from a continent

18.Untouchables: (p. 86) – within the ancient Indian caste system, outcasts who lived harsh lives

Hinduism:

19.Ahimsa: (G) – Hindu belief in nonviolence and a reverence for all life

20.Dharma: (G) - in Hindu belief, a person’s religious or moral daily duties

21.Karma: (G) - in Hinduism, all the deeds of a person’s life that affect existence in the next life

22.Rajah: (G) – elected warrior chief of an Aryan tribe in ancient India; local Hindu ruler in India

23.Reincarnation: (G) - in Hinduism, belief in the rebirth of the soul in another bodily form

24.Upanishads: (pp. 76-77) – written religious reflections regarding Hindu beliefs Early Civilizations of Africa and India – Vocabulary 2 25.Vedas: Hindu sacred texts