A list of some important ancient terms in Indian history
*Agnikula*
Certain Rajput clans who claim to have emerged from Yajna Havana-Kunda.
*Agrahara*
Donation of land or taxes from a village by the king to the learned brahmans.
*Ajivika*
A heterodox sect closer to Jainism which flourished at the time of the Buddha
*Amatya*
Official designation for a high official used right from the Mauryan Period.
*Aranyakas*
Vedic texts, traditionally composed by hermits.
*Artha*
Prosperity and well-being, one of the four aims of life of a Hindu.
*Arthashastra*
A treatise on polity by Kautilya, belonging to the Mauryan period.
*Ashramas*
The four stages of life; also a place where hermits live.
*Ayukta*
Designation of an officer frequently used in the Mauryan period.
*Bhagavata*
A sect devoted to Lord Vishnu.
*Bhukti*
An administrative unit of a kingdom in the Gupta period.
*Bodhisattva*
A person who attains nirvana by working for the welfare of the world and voluntarily postpones release from rebirth; also regarded as an incarnation of the Buddha, prior to his own birth in the world
*Brahmacharin*
Celibate studentship, the first of the four stages (Ashramas) of life.
*Brahmanas*
Vedic texts dealing with rituals and sacrifice.
*Chaitya*
A sacred enclosure. The term is also used for a Buddhist place of worship.
*Charvaka*
A religious sect following a materialist philosophy.
*Devadana*
Donated revenue assigned to a temple.
*Dharma*
Piety, Morality – a way of life.
*Dharmasastras*
Texts on laws relating to society and religious observances of the Hindus.
*Digambara*
A Jain sect whose followers do not believe in keeping even a small piece of cloth on themselves.
*Doab*
The area between two rivers.
*Dvija*
The twice-born; referring to the first birth which is the physical birth and the second the initiation into educational status.
*Garbhagriha*
The sanctum of the Hindu temple.
*Gayatrimantra*
The verses of the RigVeda wherein the request has been made to illuminate one’s mind with knowledge.
*Grama*
A village.
*Hinayana*
One of the two major Buddhist sects.
*Jati*
Family or a group of people defined by their profession.
*Kaliyuga*
The fourth and final age of the aeon.
*Kalpa*
A day- of Brahma equivalent to 4,320 million earth years.
*Karma*
Action or deed, and also the theory of conditioning one’s future births by the deeds of the present or the previous lives.
*Kayastha*
A jati associated with revenue records, first found in the Mauryan period and frequently mentioned in the medieval period
*Kharoshthi*
A script in which Ashokan inscription of Shahbazgari and
Manashera are written.
*Kottom*
An administrative unit.
*Kula*
The clan or extended family.
*Kumaramatya*
An official designation of a high official.
*Mahakshatrapa*
‘Great governor’, a title taken by rulers, mainly by Saka kings.
*Maharajadhiraja*
‘Great king of kings’, an imperial title.
*Mandalam*
An administrative unit, frequently used in south India.
*Matha*
A centre of education attached to a temple or religious establishment.
*Matsyanyaya*
A political theory where, in a state of anarchy, the strong
devour the weak.
*Maya*
Illusion.
*Moksha*
Release from the cycle of rebirth.
*Nadu*
An administrative unit, frequently used in south India.
*Nagara*
Style of temple architecture developed in central and northern India.
*Nirvana*
Release from the cycle of rebirth.
*Nishaka*
The term used for a coin.
*Pali*
A Sanskrit-based language in which the Buddhist scriptures were recorded in Ceylon.
*Pana*
A term used for coin.
*Pasupata*
A Saivite sect.
*Puranas*
The Hindu text containing the history of various dynasties.
*Purohita*
Chief priest.
*Rajuka*
An official designation used in the Mauryan period.
*Rashtra*
Country
*Sabha*
An assembly of a few select ones/elders first found in the RigVeda.
*Samiti*
A larger assembly.
*Samkhya*
One of the six major schools of philosophy in ancient India.
*Sangam*
The earliest phase of Tamil literature.
*Satamana*
A silver coin which w
eighed about 180 gram.
*Sati*
A virtuous woman; one who has immolated herself on the funeral pyre of her husband.
*Senapati*
Commander of the army.
*Shikhara*
Tower surmounting a temple.
*Shreni*
Guild, organisation of craftsmen and merchants.
*Stupa*
Domical structure containing relics of the Buddha.
*Svetambara*
One of the two major Jaina sects, which follows the code of wearing white clothes.
*Tantne*
A religious cult.
*Theravada*
A Buddhist sect.
*Upanishads*
The philosophical texts included in Vedic literature.
*Varna*
Four-fold division of Hindu society.
*Vedanta*
One of the six major philosophical schools in ancient India.
*Agnikula*
Certain Rajput clans who claim to have emerged from Yajna Havana-Kunda.
*Agrahara*
Donation of land or taxes from a village by the king to the learned brahmans.
*Ajivika*
A heterodox sect closer to Jainism which flourished at the time of the Buddha
*Amatya*
Official designation for a high official used right from the Mauryan Period.
*Aranyakas*
Vedic texts, traditionally composed by hermits.
*Artha*
Prosperity and well-being, one of the four aims of life of a Hindu.
*Arthashastra*
A treatise on polity by Kautilya, belonging to the Mauryan period.
*Ashramas*
The four stages of life; also a place where hermits live.
*Ayukta*
Designation of an officer frequently used in the Mauryan period.
*Bhagavata*
A sect devoted to Lord Vishnu.
*Bhukti*
An administrative unit of a kingdom in the Gupta period.
*Bodhisattva*
A person who attains nirvana by working for the welfare of the world and voluntarily postpones release from rebirth; also regarded as an incarnation of the Buddha, prior to his own birth in the world
*Brahmacharin*
Celibate studentship, the first of the four stages (Ashramas) of life.
*Brahmanas*
Vedic texts dealing with rituals and sacrifice.
*Chaitya*
A sacred enclosure. The term is also used for a Buddhist place of worship.
*Charvaka*
A religious sect following a materialist philosophy.
*Devadana*
Donated revenue assigned to a temple.
*Dharma*
Piety, Morality – a way of life.
*Dharmasastras*
Texts on laws relating to society and religious observances of the Hindus.
*Digambara*
A Jain sect whose followers do not believe in keeping even a small piece of cloth on themselves.
*Doab*
The area between two rivers.
*Dvija*
The twice-born; referring to the first birth which is the physical birth and the second the initiation into educational status.
*Garbhagriha*
The sanctum of the Hindu temple.
*Gayatrimantra*
The verses of the RigVeda wherein the request has been made to illuminate one’s mind with knowledge.
*Grama*
A village.
*Hinayana*
One of the two major Buddhist sects.
*Jati*
Family or a group of people defined by their profession.
*Kaliyuga*
The fourth and final age of the aeon.
*Kalpa*
A day- of Brahma equivalent to 4,320 million earth years.
*Karma*
Action or deed, and also the theory of conditioning one’s future births by the deeds of the present or the previous lives.
*Kayastha*
A jati associated with revenue records, first found in the Mauryan period and frequently mentioned in the medieval period
*Kharoshthi*
A script in which Ashokan inscription of Shahbazgari and
Manashera are written.
*Kottom*
An administrative unit.
*Kula*
The clan or extended family.
*Kumaramatya*
An official designation of a high official.
*Mahakshatrapa*
‘Great governor’, a title taken by rulers, mainly by Saka kings.
*Maharajadhiraja*
‘Great king of kings’, an imperial title.
*Mandalam*
An administrative unit, frequently used in south India.
*Matha*
A centre of education attached to a temple or religious establishment.
*Matsyanyaya*
A political theory where, in a state of anarchy, the strong
devour the weak.
*Maya*
Illusion.
*Moksha*
Release from the cycle of rebirth.
*Nadu*
An administrative unit, frequently used in south India.
*Nagara*
Style of temple architecture developed in central and northern India.
*Nirvana*
Release from the cycle of rebirth.
*Nishaka*
The term used for a coin.
*Pali*
A Sanskrit-based language in which the Buddhist scriptures were recorded in Ceylon.
*Pana*
A term used for coin.
*Pasupata*
A Saivite sect.
*Puranas*
The Hindu text containing the history of various dynasties.
*Purohita*
Chief priest.
*Rajuka*
An official designation used in the Mauryan period.
*Rashtra*
Country
*Sabha*
An assembly of a few select ones/elders first found in the RigVeda.
*Samiti*
A larger assembly.
*Samkhya*
One of the six major schools of philosophy in ancient India.
*Sangam*
The earliest phase of Tamil literature.
*Satamana*
A silver coin which w
eighed about 180 gram.
*Sati*
A virtuous woman; one who has immolated herself on the funeral pyre of her husband.
*Senapati*
Commander of the army.
*Shikhara*
Tower surmounting a temple.
*Shreni*
Guild, organisation of craftsmen and merchants.
*Stupa*
Domical structure containing relics of the Buddha.
*Svetambara*
One of the two major Jaina sects, which follows the code of wearing white clothes.
*Tantne*
A religious cult.
*Theravada*
A Buddhist sect.
*Upanishads*
The philosophical texts included in Vedic literature.
*Varna*
Four-fold division of Hindu society.
*Vedanta*
One of the six major philosophical schools in ancient India.
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