Term
|
Definition
| Seasonal winds in the Indian Ocean caused by the differences in temperature between the radiply heating and cooling landmasses of Africa and Asia and the slowly changing ocean waters. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Four major social divisions: the Brahmin priest class, the Kshayria warrior/administrator class, the Vaishya merchant/farmer class, and the Shundra laborer class. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A state that aquires prestige and power by developng attractive cultural forms and staging elaborate public ceremonies to attract and bind subjects to the center. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| An Indian prince named Siddhartha Gautama, who renounced his wealth and social position. After becoming "enlightened" he enunciated the principles of Buddhism. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A general term for a wide variety of beliefs and rituals that developed in the Indian subcontinent since antiquity. Hinduism has roots in ancient Vedic, Buddhist, and south Indian religious concepts and practices. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A council whose members were the heads of wealthy, landowning families. Originally an advisory body to the early kings, in the era of the Roman Republic the Senate effectively governed the Roman state and its growing empire. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| The process by which the Latin language and Roman culture became dominant in the western provinces of the Roman empire. The Roman government did not actively seek to Romanize the subject peoples, but indigenous peoples in the provinces chose to Romanize because of the political and economic advantages that it brought, as well as the allure of Roman success. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| A Jew from Galilee in northern Israel who sought to reform Jewish beliefs and practices. He was excuted as a revolutionary by the Romans. Hailed as the Messiah and the Son of God by his followers, he became the central figure in Christianity, a belief system that developed centuries after his death. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Roman emperor who, after reuniting Rome, moved the capital to Constantinople and made Christianity a favored religion. |
|
|
Term
|
Definition
| Founder of the short-lived Qin dynasty and creator of the Chinese empire (r. 221-210 BCE). He is emembered for his ruthless conquest of rival states, standardization of practices, and forcible organization of labor for military and engineering tasks. His tomb, with its army of life-size terracotta soldiers, has been partially excavated. |
|
|
