Name __________________________________ Class _______________________ Date __________________
Vocabulary Builder
Ancient India
Section 1
DIRECTIONS Draw a line from the word on the left to the description that best
matches it on the right.
1. monsoon
2. Sanskrit
3. subcontinent
a. A large landmass that is smaller than a continent,
such as India
b. A seasonal wind pattern that causes wet and dry
seasons
c. The most important language of ancient India
DIRECTIONS Read each sentence. Fill in the blank with the word in the word pair
that best completes the sentence.
4. The ________________________ was India’s first civilization.
(Aryans/Harappan civilization)
5. Ancient writings known as the ________________________ are collections of
poems, hymns, myths, and rituals. (Vedas/Sanskrit)
6. The ________________________, which are located in northern India, are the
highest mountains in the world. (raja/Himalayas)
7. The leader of each village was given the title of ________________________.
(Vedas/raja)
8. The ________________________ were invaders from Central Asia who may
have helped end the ________________________. (Aryans/Harappan
civilization); (Aryans/Harappan civilization)
9. ________________________ was the language of the
________________________. (Vedas/Sanskrit); (Aryans/Harappan
civilization)
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.
Universal Access Modified Worksheets and Tests
Name __________________________________ Class _______________________ Date __________________
Ancient India
Vocabulary Builder
Section 1
10. A ________________________ is usually separated from the rest of the
continent by physical features, such as mountains. (monsoon/subcontinent)
11. In the summer ________________________ winds blow into India from the
ocean, bringing heavy rains that can cause terrible floods.
(monsoon/subcontinent)
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.
Universal Access Modified Worksheets and Tests
Name __________________________________ Class _______________________ Date
______
Vocabulary Builder
Ancient India
Section 2
DIRECTIONS Read the FALSE statement below. Replace each underlined word
with one from the word bank that makes each sentence TRUE.
karma
Jainism
Aryans
Brahman
Hinduism
Mahavira
1. The force created by a person’s actions is called dharma.
_______________________________________________________________
2. The Jainism divided the Indian society into groups based on rank, wealth, and
occupation.
_______________________________________________________________
3. Hinduism is based on four major principles: Injure no life, tell the truth, do not
steal, and own no property.
_______________________________________________________________
4. Brahma the Creator, Siva the Destroyer, and Vishnu the Preserver are the three
major gods of Brahmanism, the largest religion in India Society.
_______________________________________________________________
5. Jainism is based on the teachings of a man named Kshatriyas.
_______________________________________________________________
6. Hindus believe that a person’s ultimate goal should be to reunite their soul with
karma, the universal spirit.
_______________________________________________________________
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.
Universal Access Modified Worksheets and Tests
Name __________________________________ Class _______________________ Date
______
Vocabulary Builder
Ancient India
Section 3
DIRECTIONS Answer each question by writing a sentence that contains at least
one word from the word bank.
The Buddah
Buddhism
fasting
meditation
missionaries
nirvana
1. According to Buddhist teachings, if people can overcome their desire and
ignorance, they will reach what?
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
2. What did Siddhartha do to free his mind from daily concerns?
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
3. Who did the king send to spread the religious beliefs of Buddhism?
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
4. What is the term that means “Enlightened One”?
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
5. What is the religion based on the teachings of Siddhartha?
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.
Universal Access Modified Worksheets and Tests
Name __________________________________ Class _______________________ Date
______
Vocabulary Builder
Ancient India
Section 3
DIRECTIONS Read the FALSE statement below. Replace each underlined word
with one from the word bank that makes each sentence TRUE.
Mahayana
meditation
Buddhism
missionaries
fasting
nirvana
6. The Buddha was opposed to the caste system and taught that anyone could
achieve meditation no matter what caste they had belonged to in life.
_______________________________________________________________
7. Buddhism split into two major branches called Theravada and Meditation.
_______________________________________________________________
8. Nirvana traveled throughout Asia, eventually spreading Buddhism to China,
Korea, and Japan.
_______________________________________________________________
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.
Universal Access Modified Worksheets and Tests
Name __________________________________ Class _______________________ Date __________________
Vocabulary Builder
Ancient India
Section 4
DIRECTIONS On a separate sheet of paper, use the five vocabulary words to
write a story that relates to the section.
Asoka
Gupta Dynasty
Candra Gupta II
Huns
Candragupta Maurya
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.
Universal Access Modified Worksheets and Tests
5Name _________________________________ Class _______________________ Date __________________
Vocabulary Builder
Ancient India
Section 5
DIRECTIONS Read each description. On the lines below, write the letter of the
term that best matches each description.
____ 1. The science of working with metals
a. alloy
____ 2. A mixture of two or more metals
b. astronomy
____ 3. The number system we use today; it was
created by Indian scholars during the
Gupta dynasty
c. Hindu-Arabic
numerals
____ 4. Injecting a person with a small dose of a
virus to help build up defenses to a disease
d. inoculation
e. metallurgy
____ 5. The study of stars and planets
DIRECTIONS Read each sentence. Fill in the blank with the word in the word pair
that best completes the sentence.
6. Identifying seven of the nine planets in our solar system is one accomplishment
India made in the field of ________________________.
(astronomy/metallurgy)
7. Indian doctors knew how to protect people against disease through
________________________. (alloy/inoculation)
8. Ancient Indians were masters of ________________________ and knew
processes for mixing metals to create an ________________________.
(astronomy/metallurgy); (alloy/inoculation)
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.
Universal Access Modified Worksheets and Tests
5Name _________________________________ Class _______________________ Date __________________
Ancient India
Vocabulary Builder
Section 5
9. The ________________________, which means “Song of the Lord,” is one of
Hinduism’s most sacred texts. (Bhagavad Gita/Hindu-Arabic numerals)
10. The numbers we use today are called ________________________ because
they were created by Indian scholars and brought to Europe by the Arabs.
(Bhagavad Gita/Hindu-Arabic numerals)
Copyright © by Holt, Rinehart and Winston. All rights reserved.
Universal Access Modified Worksheets and Tests