The History of Hindu India

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A

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Advaita Vedanta: a non-dualist philosophy taught by Adi Shankara §

Agamas: Hindu scriptures explaining philosophy, personal conduct, worship and temple construction §

ahimsa: nonviolence §

Alvars: Vaishnavite saints of the Bhakti Movement §

annex: to add a conquered country to one’s own §

arati: waving of an oil lamp in front of the Deity during worship §

ashram: a Hindu spiritual community §

ashtanga yoga: “eight-limbed yoga,” a Hindu spiritual practice which includes hatha yoga §

atman: God within man §

austerity: difficult practice of self-denial and discipline §

ayurveda: ancient Indian medical system §

B

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bhajana: call-and-response devotional singing §

Bhakti Movement: popular devotional movement within Hindusm, started around the fifth century ce §

Bharatanatyam: ancient temple dance of India §

British Raj: the government of India from 1858 to 1947 §

C

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Carnatic: classical music system of India §

Central Government: the national government of India §

chakra: a center of energy and consciousness in the spiritual body §

colonize: to take control of another country and settle it with immigrants from one’s own §

colonized mind: the feeling of inferiority which persists in a colonized people long after independence §

consciousness: thought, awareness, perception §

conversion: to change one’s religion §

cremation: to dispose of a dead body by burning it §

D

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Dalits: lowest caste of Hindus, also “Untouchables” §

Deity: the Supreme God or a God §

deva: a divine being §

Devi: a name of the Goddess §

dharma: a key Hindu concept which includes the ideas of righteousness, divine law, ethics, religion, duty, justice and truth §

diksha: an initiation or rite of passage §

Dravidian: a family of languages spoken in South India and Sri Lanka, or the people who speak them §

E

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ecstasy: feeling or expressing overwhelming joy in God §

egalitarian: the principle that all people deserve equal rights and opportunities §

empire: a group of countries under a single ruler §

ethics: moral principles that govern behavior §

F

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famine: extreme scarcity of food §

Freethought: a movement strong in the 1900s valuing science, logic and reason over authority or tradition §

G

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Ganesha: Hindu God who is Lord of Obstacles, recognizable by His elephant head §

God: the Supreme God, transcendent and immanent; or one of the Gods §

Goddess: the Supreme God when regarded as feminine; or one of the female Deities §

Gods: when plural, one of the divine beings created by the Supreme Being §

guru: “one who removes darkness,” a teacher §

H

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Hindi: fourth most spoken language in the world; related to ancient Sanskrit §

Hinduism: the majority religion of India, followed by 1.1 billion people worldwide; called Sanatana Dharma, “eternal religion,” in Sanskrit §

holistic: based on the idea that the parts of a whole are interconnected §

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immanent: present everywhere and in all things §

imperial: of or relating to an empire §

initiation: a ceremony given by a priest, teacher or guru to bring a person into a new level of education, religious practice and spiritual awareness §

Inquisition: a movement within the Catholic Church to identify and punish heretics §

J

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Jainism: a religion founded in India in the 6th century bce by Mahavira §

japa: repetition of a sacred sound, such as “Aum” §

jati: a community or tribe in India usually holding a particular occupation §

jizya: a tax on non-Muslim citizens of an Islamic state §

K

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kafir: in Islam, a term for a non-believer 48)§

karma: the law of cause and effect §

kirtana: call-and-response devotional singing §

Krishna: one of Lord Vishnu’s ten avatars, or appearances upon Earth as a divine personality §

L

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Lakshmi: Goddess of wealth §

M

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mantra: a sacred word or phrase, usually in Sanskrit §

meditation: practice of quieting the mind to enter a higher state of awareness §

mela: a large gathering of people; a fair §

mendicant: a holy person who lives by begging §

metaphysics: the inner study of reality beyond the five senses §

missionary: a person of one religion sent to convert people of another religion §

monk: a male member of a religious community under vows §

mudra: a hand gesture with a specific meaning §

murti: Sanskrit term for the consecrated statue in a Hindu temple; best translated as “Deity” in English §

mystical: concerned with the soul or spirit, rather than material things §

N

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nadaswaram: a high pitched, double-reed wooden
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nadi: in yoga, an energy channel within the body §

namaste: “I bow to you;” traditional Hindu greeting usually said with the hands pressed together §

Nataraja: “King of Dance;” a form of Lord Siva §

nationalism: patriotic feelings, principles or efforts §

New Age: a Western spiritual movement drawing on Eastern thought §

P

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paddy: unhusked rice §

panchayat: a village council §

Partition: the division of British India into modern India and Pakistan §

patriot: a person who vigorously supports their country and is prepared to defend it §

polytheist: one who believes in or worships more than one God §

puja: a ceremony to invoke God with the ringing of bells, passing of flames, chanting, and presention of flowers, incense and other offerings §

Puranas: Hindu scriptures with stories of God and the Gods as well as spiritual teachings, historical traditions, geography and culture §

R

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raga: a pattern of notes used in musical composition §

reincarnation: rebirth of the soul in a new body §

reservations: In modern India, a program of affirmative action for disadvantaged groups §

rites of passage: social and religious ceremonies marking important stages in a person’s life §

S

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salvation: in Western religions, the belief one is “saved” by God from the effect of sin and allowed into a divine afterlife; similar to Hindu idea of moksha, or release from rebirth §

samskara: a rite of passage, such as name-giving or first feeding §

Sanatana Dharma: “Eternal Truth,” the ancient name for what is now called the Hindu religion §

sannyasin: a Hindu monk §

Sanskrit: the ancient and sacred language of India §

satyagraha: “truth force,” Gandhi’s method of passive political resistance §

sepoy: an Indian soldier in the British army §

Shakta: a denomination of Hinduism worshiping the female aspect of God §

Shakti: name of God in feminine form §

shastra: Hindu legal texts written in Sanskrit §

Sikh: a religion of India founded by Guru Nanak in the 15th century §

sindur: a red powder traditionally worn by married women in the part of their hair §

Siva: the Supreme God §

Smarta: a major denomination of Hinduism §

sthree dhana: “woman’s wealth;” jewelry or other valuables brought to a marriage by the bride §

Surya Namaskara: “greetings to the Sun;” a series of hatha yoga poses §

swami: a Hindu monk §

T

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tala: a rhythmic pattern in Indian music systems §

theology: the systematic study of the nature of God and religious belief §

tolerance: willingness to allow beliefs, opinions or behavior that one does not necessarily agree with §

transcendent: existing beyond the physical universe, said of God §

Transcendentalist: an idealistic philosophy teaching that Divinity pervades all of nature and humanity §

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Upanishads: Hindu scriptures that are part of the Vedas; mostly about philosophy §

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Vaishnava: a major denomination of Hinduism §

varna: a division of society into four broad classes—priests, warriors, merchants and workers §

Vastu: Hindu architecture and town planning §

Veda: sacred texts of Hinduism §

Vedanta: a Hindu philosophy based on the Upanishads §

Vishnu: the Supreme God in the Vaishnavite tradition §

W

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worldly: of or concerned with material values or ordinary life rather than a spiritual existence §

Y

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yajna: Hindu fire ceremony§