1. South Asia Vocabulary

2. Aryans Nomadic herders that migrated from central Asia into the Indus River Valley.

3. Caste System

4. A social structure in India composed of four main levels, which was started by the Aryans.

5. Civil disobedience The nonviolent disobeying of laws

6. Reincarnation

7. The birth of the soul into another physical life

8. Golden Quadrilateral A superhighway that connects four major cities in India- Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata.

9. Hinduism A religion practiced by more than 60% of the population of South Asia. Hindus believe in one eternal force called Brahman who takes the form of many gods and goddesses. The most important deities are Brahma- the creator Vishnu- the preserver Shiva- the destroyer

10. Hinduism continued Believe that souls are constantly being reborn based on Karma.

11. Ecosystem

12. A group of interacting organisms and their natural environment.

13. Subcontinent

14. Separate region of a continent. India is a subcontinent of Asia.

15. Sustainable Agriculture

16. Use new technologies and methods that can be continued without long term damage to the environment. Using natural fertilizers and crop rotation help sustain fields and protect the environment.

17. Subsistence Farmers

18. Farmers that grow only enough food for their families, but nothing to sell to anyone else. People that live high in the Himalaya mountains in isolated villages are often subsistence farmers who grow food for their basic needs.

19. Outsourcing

20. The shifting of jobs to workers outside of a company, often to a foreign country

21. Karma

22. The idea that a persons negative or positive actions effect the things that happen in their life. Good things happen if you do something good. Bad things happen if you do something bad.

23. Push/Pull Factors

24. Reasons why people migrate; “push” factors cause them to leave; “pull” factors make them come to a place.

25. Mirco-lending

26. The practice of making small loans to people starting their own businesses.

27. Monsoons

28. Monsoon Seasonal winds that bring intense rainfall during the summer (May-October) and very dry air during the winter (November-April). Monsoons are an important feature of South Asia’s climate.

29. Cyclones

30. A storm with rotating winds, called a typhoon in the Eastern Hemisphere; a hurricane in other parts of the world.

31. Green Revolution The rapid and significant rise in food production in India due to using new seeds, fertilizers, increased irrigation, and pesticides.

32. Mohandas Gandhi Indian leader who pushed for India’s independence from the British through civil disobedience in the 1930s; considered the father of modern India.

33. Buddhism A religion founded in 525 B.C. in India by Siddhartha Gautama (aka Buddha). Believe karma controls the universe. By following the Four Noble Truths a person can achieve nirvana, or the end of suffering.

34. Four Noble Truths- Buddhism continued Suffering is a part of life. Selfishness is the cause of suffering. It is possible to move beyond suffering. There is a path that leads to the end of suffering- the Eightfold Path.

35. Typhoon A dangerous tropical storm with heavy rains and high winds, known as a hurricane in the western hemisphere.

36. Infrastructure

37. The basic systems of a society such as roads, bridges, sewers, and electricity.