Chapter 5: India's First Empires

The golden age of Indian culture occurred under the

Herodotus wrote what is considered to be the first

Longest poem in any written language

Determined the type of job people could have, whom they could marry, and with whom they could socialize

Which empire traded with China, Southeast Asia, and the Mediterranean?

A common belief shared by Hindus and Buddhists is that

The Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaisyas, and Sudras were four divisions of ancient Indian society known as

Different cultures shaped this empire because a section of the silk road passed through it..

religion that claims all people can achieve nirvana

Ancient Indians excelled in the science of

In Hinduism, divine law that requires karma and requires all people to do their duty based on their status in society

Who believed that the physical surroundings of humans—the material world—were simply illusions?

Belief that the soul is reborn after death

Buddhists believe that it is possible to reach enlightenment by

Who was Siddhartha Gautama?

A person's caste was difficult to escape because it was based on

the warrior-administrator class in Indian society

A distinct feature of the Kushan Empire was the development of

Prosperous cities rose along the main trade routes throughout India during this empire

religion that reveres the cow as sacred and whose goal is to achieve ultimate reality with a single universal force

At its height, Alexander’s empire extended as far east as

One of three chief human-like gods in the Hindu religion