caste
Starkly defined classes in divided social system in India; one’s station in life is largely predetermined by the caste into which they are born.
Untouchables
The lowest caste, representing those living outside the religious system, making them unfit even for duties like preparing food or activities like entering temples.
dreary
Gloomy and intimating a sense of hopelessness.
turban
Headdress fashioned from a cap around which long cloth is wound and worn primarily as a religious garment within certain religions.
dacoits
Roving gangs in India feared for their indulgence in robbery and murder.
scribe
A writer; someone who records historical events.
apprentice
One who studies under the tutelage of a master to become adept at a specific trade.
meditation
The practice of clearing one’s mind as a means of stimulating profound contemplation or introspection.
garrison
A military post that usually is home to barracks and may be fortified against attack.
fiend
A superstitious image of a devilish creature feeds on the corpses of soldiers killed on the battlefield.
Shiva
Hindu god of destruction and regeneration.
devotees
Ardent, devoted followers of a leader.
plaintive
Mournful and melancholic, wistful and filled with the sound of sorrow.
emblazoned
Ornamentally inscribed; artfully embellished.
karma
The spiritual tenet found in Hinduism and Buddhism that deeds done in this life will determine the nature of one’s existence in the next .
citadel
The fortress that is the primary means of defense for a city.
enlightenment
A state of clarification and illumination of knowledge and understanding.
ritual
A ceremonial habit that becomes a predictable routine one often comes to believe is necessary for one reason for another.
artisan
A craftsperson who practices their trade by hand or with simple tools and a rejection of mass production concepts.
barter
A form of negotiated payment by which one commodity is exchanged for another.
