Tamil people are an ethnic group native to India, Sri Lanka, and early inhabitants of the Maldives. Tamils were noted for their martial, religious, and mercantile activities beyond their native borders.
Untouchables
The Untouchables had almost no rights in the society. The untouchables were not allowed to touch people from the four Varnas. They were not allowed to enter houses of higher Varnas, not allowed to enter temples, not allowed to use the same wells as Varnas, and in public you had to sit a specific distance from the four Varnas. In specific cases, if an untouchable touched a Varna, that Varna would have to go through a religious ceremony to purify their body because the Untouchables were polluted people. In some cases, the Untouchables who were associated with the Varna members were beaten and even murdered.
Shah Jahan
Shah Jahan was the emperor of the Mughal Empire in South Asia from 1628-1658. The name Shah Jahan is Persian meaning "Ruler of the World." He was the 5th Mughal emperor after Babur, Humayun, Akbar, and Jahangir. He succeeded to the throne in 1627 after his fathers death. He is considered to be one of the best Mughals. Shah Jahan built the Taj Mahal as a tomb to his late wife, Empress Mumtaz Mahal. Shah Jahan fell ill in 1658 and was confined by his son Emperor Aurangzeb in Agra Fort until he died in 1666.
Taj Mahal
The Taj Mahal is a white marble mausoleum located in Agru. It was built by Shah Jahal in memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahlal. The Taj Mahal is widely recognized as "the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpiece's of the world's heritage." The Taj combines elements from Islamic, Persian, Ottoman, and Indian architectural styles. In 1983, the Taj became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The construction started in 1632 and was finished around 1653. Lahauri is considered the principal designer.
gandhi
Mahatma Gandhi was the preeminent leader of Indian nationalism in British-ruled India. Employing non-violent civil disobedience, Gandhi lead India to independence and inspired movements for non-violence, civil rights, and freedom across the world. Gandhi was born on October 2, 1869 and died on January 30, 1948. Gandhi was born and raised in a Hindu community and trained in law in London. Gandhi became famous by fighting for civil rights of Muslim and Hindu Indians in South Africa. Returning to India in 1915, he set about organizing peasants to protest excessive land-taxes. Assuming the leadership of the Indian National Congress in 1921, Gandhi lead nationwide campaigns for easing poverty, expanding women's rights, building religious and ethnic amity, ending untouchability, increasing economic self-reliance, and achieving independence of India from British domination. Gandhi was assassinated by Nathuram Godse who thought Gandhi was too sympathetic to India's muslims.
English imperialism
Imperialism is the creation and/or maintenance of a country's power and influence through military force. Imperialism is the highest stage of capitalism and it represents the stage at which a country's consumer cannot buy all the products that have been produced, and additional markets must be sought after. British Raj is the term used to describe British rule in India. This time period lasted from 1858-1947.
Buddhism
Buddhism is a tradition that focuses on personal spiritual development. Buddhists strive for a deep insight into the true nature of life and do not worship gods or deites. There are 4 Noble Truths recognized in Buddhism. They are the truth of suffering, the truth of the origin of suffering, the truth of the cessation of suffering, and the truth of the path of the cessation of suffering. Buddhists also believe in karma. Buddhists seek to reach the stage of nirvana. The path to Enlightenment is through the practice and development of morality, meditation, and wisdom.
HINDUISM
Hinduism is the religion of the majority of the people in India and Nepal. Hinduism is the oldest living religion. Hinduism originated around the Indus Valley, near the river of Indus in modern day Pakistan. About 80% of the Indian population consider themselves Hindu. Most Hindu's believe in the Supreme God. Hindu's believe that existence is a cycle of birth, death, and rebirth, governed by karma. Hindu's believe that the soul passes through a cycle of successive lives and its next reincarnation is always dependent on how the last life was lived. The main Hindu texts are the Vedas.