Archaeological evidence shows the Maya had started to build ceremonial architecture by approximately 1000 BCE. There is some disagreement about the boundaries which differentiate the physical and cultural extent of the early Maya and their neighboring Pre-Classic Mesoamerican civilizations, such as the Olmec culture of the Tabasco lowlands and the Mixe-Zoque– and Zapotec–speaking peoples of Chiapas and southern Oaxaca. Many of the earliest significant inscriptions and buildings appeared in this overlapping zone, and evidence suggests that these cultures ...

See also:

Maya civilization, Maya civilization - Origins, Maya civilization - Political structures, Maya civilization - Art, Maya civilization - Architecture, Maya civilization - Urban design, Maya civilization - Building materials, Maya civilization - Building process, Maya civilization - Notable constructions, Maya civilization - Writing and literacy, Maya civilization - Writing system, Maya civilization - Writing tools, Maya civilization - Scribes, Maya civilization - Literacy, Maya civilization - Mathematics, Maya civilization - Religion, Maya civilization - Agriculture, Maya civilization - Decline of the Maya, Maya civilization - Rediscovery of the Pre-Columbian Maya, Maya civilization - List of Maya sites, Maya civilization - Most important sites, Maya civilization - Other important Maya sites, Maya civilization - Reference

Read more here: » Maya civilization: Encyclopedia II - Maya civilization - Origins

Archaeological evidence shows the Maya had started to build ceremonial architecture by approximately 1000 BCE. There is some disagreement about the boundaries which differentiate the physical and cultural extent of the early Maya and their neighboring Pre-Classic Mesoamerican civilizations, such as the Olmec culture of the Tabasco lowlands and the Mixe-Zoque– and Zapotec–speaking peoples of Chiapas and southern Oaxaca. Many of the earliest significant inscriptions and buildings appeared in this overlapping zone, and evidence suggests that these cultures ...

See also:

Maya civilization, Maya civilization - Origins, Maya civilization - Art, Maya civilization - Architecture, Maya civilization - Urban design, Maya civilization - Building materials, Maya civilization - Building process, Maya civilization - Notable constructions, Maya civilization - Writing and literacy, Maya civilization - Writing system, Maya civilization - Writing tools, Maya civilization - Scribes, Maya civilization - Literacy, Maya civilization - Mathematics, Maya civilization - Religion, Maya civilization - Agriculture, Maya civilization - Decline of the Maya, Maya civilization - Rediscovery of the Pre-Columbian Maya, Maya civilization - List of Maya sites, Maya civilization - Most important sites, Maya civilization - Other important Maya sites, Maya civilization - Reference

Read more here: » Maya civilization: Encyclopedia II - Maya civilization - Origins

It is believed that the Baltic Finnic languages evolved from a proto-Finnic language, from which Sami was separated around 1500-1000 BCE. It has been suggested that this proto-Finnic had three dialects: northern, southern and eastern. The Baltic Finnic languages separated around the 1st century, but kept on influencing each other. Therefore, the Eastern Finnish dialects are genetically Eastern proto-Finnic, with many Eastern features, and the Southwestern Finnish dia ...

See also:

Finnish language, Finnish language - History, Finnish language - Agricola's work, Finnish language - Classification, Finnish language - Geographic distribution, Finnish language - Official status, Finnish language - Dialects, Finnish language - Western dialects, Finnish language - Eastern dialects, Finnish language - Formal and informal Finnish, Finnish language - Examples, Finnish language - Phonology, Finnish language - Grammar, Finnish language - Lexicon, Finnish language - Borrowing, Finnish language - Neologisms, Finnish language - Finnish loans to other languages, Finnish language - Orthography, Finnish language - Basic greetings, Finnish language - Important words, Finnish language - Bibliography, Finnish language - English books, Finnish language - Finnish books

Read more here: » Finnish language: Encyclopedia II - Finnish language - History

Brahmanism: Reform movement within Hinduism from 1000 BCE to 300 CE which de-emphasizes priestly sacrificial rites and emphasizes the notion of the Atman-Brahman (Self-God).

 (See also: Brahmanism, Eastern Philosophy, Body Mind and Soul)

Indus Valley: Region of the Indus River, now in Pakistan, where in 1924 archeologists discovered the remains of a high civilization which flourished between 5000 and 1000 bce.

There, a "seal" was found with the effigy of Siva as Pashupati, "Lord of animals," seated in a yogic posture. Neither the language of these people nor their exact background is known. They related culturally and carried on an extensive trade with peoples of other civilizations, far to the West, using sturdy ships that they built themselves. For centuries they were the most advanced civilization on Earth.

See: Saivism.

(See also: Indus Valley, Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Tirumurai: (Tamil) "Holy book."

A twelve-book collection of hymns and writings of South Indian Saivite saints, compiled by Saint Nambiyandar Nambi (ca 1000). Of these,

-       books 1-3 are the hymns of Saint Tirujnana Sambandar (ca 600).

-       Books 4-6 are the hymns of Saint Tirunavakarasu (Appar), a contemporary of Sambandar.

-       Book 7 contains the hymns of Saint Sundaramurti (ca 800).

-       Book 8 contains the two works of Saint Manikkavasagar (9th century) - Tiruvasagam and Tirukovaiyar.

-       Book 9 is the Tiruvisaippa and Tiruppallandu, which together comprise the works of nine saints.

-       Book 10 is the Tirumantiram of Saint Tirumular (ca 200 bce).

-       Book 11 contains the hymns of ten saints, including Saint Nakkirar and Nambiyandar Nambi, the compiler.

-       Book 12 is the Periyapuranam by Saint Sekkilar (11th century), narrating the life story of the 63 Saiva Nayanar saints. The first seven books are known as Devarams.

(See also: Tirumurai, Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul)

Rice refers to two species (Oryza sativa and Oryza glaberrima) of grass, native to tropical and subtropical southeastern Asia and to Africa. Rice is an annual plant, growing to 1-1.8 m tall, occasionally more, with long slender leaves 50-100 cm long and 2-2.5 cm broad. The small wind-pollinated flowers are produced in a branched arching to pendulous inflorescence 30-50 cm long. The seed is a grain (caryopsis) 5-12 mm long and 2-3 mm thick. The word rice derives from the Tamil word arisi. Rice ...

Including:

• Rice - Rice cultivation
• Rice - Preparation as food
• Rice - Cooking rice
• Rice - History of rice cultivation
• Rice - World production and trade
• Rice - Cultivars
• Rice - International Year of Rice

Read more here: » Rice: Encyclopedia - Rice

Jim Jeffords (I) Vermont is a U.S. state located in New England. The state ranks 43rd in land area (9,250 square miles), and its population (608,827) ranks as the second smallest of the 50 states. As the only New England state with no coastline along the Atlantic Ocean, Vermont is noted mainly for the Green Mountains in the west and Lake Champlain in the northwest. It borders Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, New York to the west, and ...

Including:

• Vermont - Geography
• Vermont - History
• Vermont - Law and government
• Vermont - Politics
• Vermont - State government
• Vermont - Federal representation
• Vermont - Culture
• Vermont - Economy
• Vermont - Demographics
• Vermont - Population
• Vermont - Race and Sex
• Vermont - Rankings
• Vermont - Ethnicity
• Vermont - Religion
• Vermont - Important cities and towns
• Vermont - Education
• Vermont - Crime
• Vermont - State song and symbols
• Vermont - Sources and further reading

Read more here: » Vermont: Encyclopedia - Vermont

Universal Sufism is an order of Sufism founded by Hazrat Inayat Khan in the early 20th century. The philosophy of Universal Sufism revolves around a unity of all people and religions, as well as the ability to find beauty in all things. Universal Sufism is one of the forms of Sufism that does not exist within the traditional framework of Islam. Universal Sufism - History. Hazrat Inayat Khan is the founder of Universal Sufism, which he established while traveling throughout the West between 1910 and 1926. Hi ...

Including:

• Universal Sufism - History
• Universal Sufism - Beliefs
• Universal Sufism - Practices
• Universal Sufism - Structure
• Universal Sufism - Common Member Practices
• Universal Sufism - Holy days
• Universal Sufism - Sacred texts
• Universal Sufism - Quote from magazine

Read more here: » Universal Sufism: Encyclopedia - Universal Sufism

Aramaea is the land of the Aramaeans. In the Hebrew Bible, it is called "Aram-Naharaim", meaning "Aram (highland) of two rivers", to distinguish it from other Arams. Aramaea was located in central Syria, including where the city of Aleppo (aka Halab) now stands. The Aramaeans (speakers of Aramaic) began to settle in Syria and Mesopotamia in the late 12th century BCE. They never succeeded in unifying their city states into a single "kingdom of Aramaea." Two medium-sized Aramaean kingdoms, Aram-Damascus and Hamath, along w ...

Read more here: » Aramaea: Encyclopedia - Aramaea

The Kingdom of Nepal (IPA: /[nəˈpɑːl]/ listen ▶ (help·info)) is a landlocked Himalayan country in South Asia, bordering the People's Republic of China to the north and India to the south, east and west. Nepal has the distinction of being the world's only Hindu state, with over eighty percent of the people following this faith. For a relatively small country, the Nepali landscape is uncommonly diverse, ...

Including:

• Nepal - History
• Nepal - Geography
• Nepal - Economy
• Nepal - Government and politics
• Nepal - Military and foreign affairs
• Nepal - Subdivisions
• Nepal - Demographics
• Nepal - Culture

Read more here: » Nepal: Encyclopedia - Nepal

Shruti Vedas Rig Veda Sama Veda Yajur Veda Atharva Veda Brahmanas Aranyakas Upanishads Smriti Itihāsas Mahābhārata Bhagavad Gītā Ramayana Puranas (List) Tantras Sutras (List) Stotras Ashtavakra Gita Gita ...

Including:

• Vedas - Organization
• Vedas - Position and compilation
• Vedas - Study
• Vedas - Religious views: Monism Monotheism Henotheism and Polytheism
• Vedas - Cosmogony

Read more here: » Vedas: Encyclopedia - Vedas

In religion and philosophy, henotheism is a term coined by Max Müller, meaning devotion to a single god while accepting the existence of other gods. It is derived from the Greek heis theos, "one god". According to Müller, it is "monotheism in principle and a polytheism in fact". Variations on the term have been inclusive monotheism and monarchial polytheism, designed to differentiate differing forms of the phenomenon. Related terms are monolatrism and kathenotheism, which are typically understood as sub-types of ...

Including:

• Henotheism - Henotheism in various religions
• Henotheism - Classical Greco-Roman Paganism
• Henotheism - Hinduism
• Henotheism - Christianity
• Henotheism - Israelite Beliefs and Judaism

Read more here: » Henotheism: Encyclopedia - Henotheism

History of Nepal - Toponymy. The toponym "Nepal" may derive from the Sanskrit nipalaya, which means "at the foot of the mountains" or "abode at the foot," a reference to its location in relation to the Himalayas. Thus, it may be an Eastern equivalent of the European toponym "Piedmont." It has also been suggested that the name comes from the Tibetan niyampal, which means "holy land". ...

See also:

History of Nepal, History of Nepal - Ancient History, History of Nepal - Modern History, History of Nepal - Toponymy, History of Nepal - Formation, History of Nepal - Rana Administration, History of Nepal - Democratic Reform, History of Nepal - Democratic Failure, History of Nepal - Civil War Begins, History of Nepal - 2001 to the Present

Read more here: » History of Nepal: Encyclopedia II - History of Nepal - Modern History

The Mantras are collected into anthologies called Samhitas. There are four Samhitas, the Rk (= Poetry), Sāman (=Song), Yajus(=Prayer) and Atharvan (=A kind of priest) commonly referred to as the Rigveda, Yajurveda, Samaveda and Atharvaveda. Each Samhita is preserved in a number of versions or recensions (shakhas), the differences among them being minor, except in the case of the Yajur Veda, where two "White" (shukla) recensions contain the Mantras only, while four "Black" (krishna) recensions interspersed ...

See also:

Vedas, Vedas - Organization, Vedas - Position and compilation, Vedas - Study, Vedas - Religious views: Monism Monotheism Henotheism and Polytheism, Vedas - Cosmogony

Read more here: » Vedas: Encyclopedia II - Vedas - Organization

The end of the war brought new settlers to Vermont. A fort at Crown Point had been built, and the Crown Point Military Road stretched from the east to the west of the Vermont wilderness from Springfield to Chimney Point, making traveling from the neighboring British colonies easier than ever before. Three colonies laid claim to the area. The Province of Massachusetts Bay claimed the land on the basis of the 1629 charter of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. The Province of New York claimed Vermont based on land granted to the Duke of York (later ...

See also:

History of Vermont, History of Vermont - Early history, History of Vermont - European settlement, History of Vermont - Colonial history, History of Vermont - New Hampshire Grants and the Vermont Republic, History of Vermont - 19th century, History of Vermont - Scholarly books on Vermont History

Read more here: » History of Vermont: Encyclopedia II - History of Vermont - New Hampshire Grants and the Vermont Republic

Rice is a dietary staple of more than half of the world's human population (most of Asia and Latin America), making it the most consumed cereal grain. Rice cultivation is well suited to countries and regions with low labour costs and high rainfall, as it is very labour-intensive to cultivate and requires plenty of water for irrigation. However, it can be grown practically anywhere, even on steep hillsides. Rice is the world's third largest crop, behind maize (corn) and wheat. Although its species are native to South Asia and certain parts of Africa, centuries of trade and exportation ...

See also:

Rice, Rice - Rice cultivation, Rice - Preparation as food, Rice - Cooking rice, Rice - History of rice cultivation, Rice - World production and trade, Rice - Cultivars, Rice - International Year of Rice

Read more here: » Rice: Encyclopedia II - Rice - Rice cultivation

As unique and spectacular as any Greek or Roman architecture, Maya architecture spans many thousands of years; yet, often the most dramatic and easily recognizable as Maya are the fantastic stepped pyramids from the Terminal Pre-classic period and beyond. These pyramids relied on intricate carved stone in order to create a stair-step design. Each pyramid was dedicated to a deity whose shrine sat at its peak. During this "height" of Maya culture, the centers of their religious, commercial and bureaucratic power grew into incredible cities, in ...

See also:

Maya civilization, Maya civilization - Origins, Maya civilization - Political structures, Maya civilization - Art, Maya civilization - Architecture, Maya civilization - Urban design, Maya civilization - Building materials, Maya civilization - Building process, Maya civilization - Notable constructions, Maya civilization - Writing and literacy, Maya civilization - Writing system, Maya civilization - Writing tools, Maya civilization - Scribes, Maya civilization - Literacy, Maya civilization - Mathematics, Maya civilization - Religion, Maya civilization - Agriculture, Maya civilization - Decline of the Maya, Maya civilization - Rediscovery of the Pre-Columbian Maya, Maya civilization - List of Maya sites, Maya civilization - Most important sites, Maya civilization - Other important Maya sites, Maya civilization - Reference

Read more here: » Maya civilization: Encyclopedia II - Maya civilization - Architecture

The Tamil alphabet has 12 vowels and 18 consonants. These combine to form 216 compound characters. There is one special character (aaytha ezutthu), giving a total of 247 characters. Tamil language - Vowels. The vowels are called uyir ezhuthu (uyir - life, ezhuthu - letter). The vowels are classified into short and lon ...

See also:

Tamil language, Tamil language - History, Tamil language - Classification, Tamil language - Geographic distribution, Tamil language - Legal status, Tamil language - Spoken and literary variants, Tamil language - Dialects, Tamil language - Writing system, Tamil language - Sounds, Tamil language - Vowels, Tamil language - Consonants, Tamil language - Special character, Tamil language - Phonology, Tamil language - Grammar, Tamil language - Parts of speech, Tamil language - Sentence structure, Tamil language - Vocabulary, Tamil language - Examples

Read more here: » Tamil language: Encyclopedia II - Tamil language - Sounds

Complementary to the prophets, the Spirit of Guidance has manifest various "Guides" who manifest the Inner Meaning of religion when the people of the world split and forget the Unity of Religion. These have been numerous, some are: Ali (complementary to Muhammed) Nanak (united folk Hinduism and Islam) Kabir (similar to Nanak) Rumi (from Turkey and Persia) Hazrat Inayat Khan (from Gujarat, India) Hazrat Inayat Khan set forth ten thoughts, which form the basic creed of Universal Su ...

See also:

Universal Sufism, Universal Sufism - History, Universal Sufism - Beliefs, Universal Sufism - Practices, Universal Sufism - Structure, Universal Sufism - Common Member Practices, Universal Sufism - Holy days, Universal Sufism - Sacred texts, Universal Sufism - Quote from magazine

Read more here: » Universal Sufism: Encyclopedia II - Universal Sufism - Beliefs

Henotheism - Classical Greco-Roman Paganism. While Greek and Roman religion began as polytheism, during the Classical period the religion was thoroughly henotheistic, taking the form of a monarchical polytheism. Zeus (or Jupiter) was viewed as the supreme, all-powerful and all-knowing, king and father of the Olympian gods. To illustrate, Maximus Tyrius (2nd century C.E.), stated: "In such a mighty contest, sedition and discord, you will see one according law and assertion in all the earth, that there is one God, the king and father of all things, ...

See also:

Henotheism, Henotheism - Henotheism in various religions, Henotheism - Classical Greco-Roman Paganism, Henotheism - Hinduism, Henotheism - Christianity, Henotheism - Israelite Beliefs and Judaism

Read more here: » Henotheism: Encyclopedia II - Henotheism - Henotheism in various religions