1. Ancient India

2. Geography & Indian Life 3. Physical Geography of India Subcontinent Large landmass that is part of a continent, butconsidered a separate region Includes: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, & most ofPakistan Referred to a South Asia Used to be a separate landmass Collided with Asia & mts. were pushed up where the two landsmet 4. Mountains & Waterways Mountains Hindu Kush Mts. Himalayas Stretch along northern India & separate it from China andAsia Rivers Ganges & Indus Rivers Carry water for irrigation Deposit silt which makes land fertile Arabian Sea, Indian Ocean, & Bay of Bengal surround India Ancient people sailed waters to other lands for trade 5. Climate Mts. help block cold north winds Temps are warm Seasonal wind systems (Monsoons) shape climate Produce wet or dry season Monsoons can provide rain for crops or cause floods 6. Cities in the Indus Valley Earth mounds cover Indus Valley Bricks & tiny stone seals were found Ancient civilizations discovered 7. Early Inhabitants Civilization began with agriculture Raised wheat, barley, & eventually cotton that was madeinto fabric Domesticated cattle, sheep, goats, & chickens Made copper & bronze tools People traded with each other & eventually with othercivilizations further away Developed into more complex culture 8. Great Cities Mohenjo-Daro & Harappa Harappa is the name given to entire culture; called Harappancivilization Harappa Good city planning Partially built of mud-brick platforms to protect fromflooding Thick wall 3 miles long surrounded city Citadel located inside for royal family & served as a temple Wide streets were laid out in grid system Houses laid out in blocks 9. Dealing with Problems Big problem of removing human waste Harappan cities Every house had bathroom & toilet Underground sewers carries waste away Good planning to accomplish this task Must have had powerful leaders 10. Harappan Culture Mysterious form of writing was discovered 500 pictographs may stand for words, sounds, or both Not known how to read writing yet Only learn about Harappan culture through the studyof artifacts 11. Harappan Religion No temples of specific deities, or gods, found yet Public baths, figures of animals, & clay figurines havebeen found Possible religious ties Priests Probably prayed for good harvests & safety from floods Religious objects show links to modern Hindu culture 12. A Widespread and ProsperousCulture People shared Harappan culture Cities spread Common design of cities shared 13. Culture & Trade People used standard weights & measures Made similar bronze statues & clay toys Showed Harappans could afford more than just thenecessities Wealth gained through agriculture & trade Traded as far away as Mesopotamia Harappans traded timber, ivory, & beads for silver, tin, &woolen cloth 14. Indus Valley Culture Ends 1700 B.C. Quality of buildings in Indus Valley declined Cities fell to decay May Indus River changed course & floods no longerfertilized the land or people wore out the land 1970s Satellite images revealed evidence of ancient movementsin the earths crust Probably caused earthquakes & floods Altered course of the Indus River 15. Impact of Disaster Some cities along the Indus River survived disasterswhile others were destroyed Saraswati River might have also dried up Trade became impossible & cities died Agriculture was also influenced Could not produce large quantities of food 16. Influence of Nomads Nomadic people from the north of the Hindu Kushmts. came into region May have been a factor on Indian subcontinent 17. The Origins of Hinduism 18. Aryans Move Into India Indo-Europeans Nomads Lived in clans (family groups) Herded cattle, sheep, & goats Warriors who used horse-driven chariots Fought w/ long bows & arrows and axes 19. The Indo-European Migrations 2,000 B.C. Drought, a plague, or invasion forced I-E to leavehomeland Different groups went to different areas Hittites = Southwest Asia Others = parts of Europe 20. The Aryan Migrations 1500 B.C. Aryans migrated to India Simple herders who lived in simple houses Spoke Sanskrit Not believed to have caused Harappans to flee 21. Changes to Indian Life Aryans Entered India gradually Practiced a religion that Dravidians liked Dravidians were people already living in India Aryan language & religion spread Dravidians taught Aryans about city life Complex blended culture developed 22. Social Structure Aryan society at first Warriors Priests Commoners As society became more complex became known as the caste system(caste = a social class that a person belongs to by birth) Brahmans = priests, scholars, & teachers Ksatriya = rulers, nobles, & warriors Vaisya = bankers, farmers, & merchants Sudra = artisans & laborers Later another group was added Untouchables = below all other groups; did jobs no one else wanted(i.e. disposing of dead bodies) 23. Aryan Beliefs & Brahmanism Early Aryans religion now called Brahmanism Named after Aryan priests or Brahmins Worshiped many nature deities Sacrificed animals on sacred fire Ceremonies became more complex over time Rituals & hymns found in ancient Sankrit sacred textscalled the Vedas 4 collections of prayers & instruction for rituals most important is Rig Veda 24. Religion changed over time Began to question how world came to be Began to believe that all deities were really theexpression of one deity Indians wrote about ancient history in works like theMahabharata An epic poem that retells many legends 25. Hinduism: The Religion of India Bhagavad Gita is sacred text of Hinduism Modern name of religion developed from Brahmanism Many Deities Many are worshipped, but one supreme God or life forceis recognized 3 most important: Brahma (the creator), Vishnu (theprotector), & Shiva (the destroyer) 26. Many Lives Hindus believe in reincarnation Each person has many lives What a person does in each life determines what he orshe will be in the next life (known as Karma) Consequences determine fate Reincarnation is a cycle of birth, life, death, & rebirth Cycle ends when a mystical union w/ God is created Person must realize their soul & Gods soul are one 27. Many Paths to God Connect w/ God by following their own individualpath Part of path deals w/ ones job (linked to the castesystem) Must faithfully carry out assigned duties in life Choices of spiritual practices to grow closer to God Meditation: making the mind calm Yoga: complex practice including exercise, breathingtech., & diet 28. Buddhism and Indias Golden Age 29. The Rise of Buddhism Based on teachings of Siddhartha Gautama Prince who gave up wealth & position to understandmeaning of life Became Buddha (enlightened one) later 30. The Buddhas life and Teachings A priests predicted Siddhartha would become holy man His father sheltered him from seeing illness, death & povertyto prevent this At 29 Siddhartha did finally see such troubles & fled his homein search of peace Starved himself for 6 years (did not find answers he sought) Then sat under a fig tree & meditated for understanding Gained insight into reality called them the Four Noble Truths 1st: existence is suffering 2nd: condition comes from wanting what one doesnt have orfrom wanting life to be different 3rd: people can stop suffering by not wanting 4th: people can stop wanting by following the Eightfold Path 31. The Eightfold Path Rightopinions, desires, speech, actions, job, effort, concentration, and meditation Path could lead to nirvana (the end of suffering) Reaching nirvana broke the cycle of reincarnation Buddha believed in the practice of ahimsa, but didntworship Hindu deities After Buddhas death Followers gathered teaching to pass on to others Collections called the dharma 32. The Maurya Empire Buddhism became influential because famous Indian kingruled by its teachings A United India Separate Aryan kingdoms battled each other Magadha gained strength around 550 B.C. 321 B.C. Chandragupta Maurya became king of Magaha Formed Maurya Empire Controlled empire using spies to learn what people did &army to keep order (600,000 soldiers, 30,000 cavalary, &9,000 elephants) Many officials ran govt Heavily taxed land and crops of people 33. Asoka, the Buddhist King Asoka Grandson of Chandragupta Became emperor in 272 B.C. Ruled by Buddhist teachings Gave up warfare; ruled peacefully & by law Policies were carved on rocks and stone pillars along main roads One edict was for people to show obedience to mother and father Others joined Buddhism Missionaries were also sent to carry the ideas of Buddhism to otherparts of Asia Asokas officials planted trees, dug wells, set up hospitals, & built resthouses along roads Improvements allowed more comfort for travelers Policies were noble, but they failed to hold the empire together afterhis death 34. Changes to Hinduism Hindu deities were not worshiped by as many peopleanymore People turned to Buddhism instead Shift back to Hinduism began Poets wrote hymns of praise to deities Vishnu & Shiva Wrote in languages of common people (instead of Sanskrit) Renewed love for Hindu deities followed 35. The Golden Age of the Guptas Gupta family took control five centuries after Asokadied The Gupta Empire Began as leaders in Magadha Chandra Gupta I became king in A.D. 320 Fun expanded empire by fighting wars His grandson Chandra Gupta II was greatest ruler of family Gupta II During reign India experienced a golden age or a time ofgreat accomplishment 36. Art & Literature Flourished under Gupta II Gracefully designed temples Murals & statues were created Plays were written Poetry flourished 37. Mathematics & Science Math: number system still used today; developeddecimal system & symbol for zero; figured out lengthof a year, estimated value of pi Astronomy increased; proved earth was round Doctors promoted health through diet and exercise 38. Metal Working Advanced methods of metallurgy Large iron pillars were erected 39. Trade Spreads Indian Culture Gupta royal court was a place of excitement & growth More territory was added to empire Expansion & profits from foreign trade was a result Merchants bought Chinese silk & resold them to traderstraveling west Traders & Missionaries spread Indian culture & beliefs Hinduism spread to Southeast Asia, Buddhism spread 40. The Legacy of India 41. Hinduism & Buddhism Today 4 out of 5 people in India are Hindus Also found in Nepal, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, & many othercountries 1 million in the U.S. Buddhism didnt remain strong in India Not even 1% of people are Buddhists Religion is popular in Asia, Western Europe, & the U.S. 42. Hindu & Buddhist Influences Mid 1900s Mohandas Gandhi used ahimsa (nonviolence) tofighting against British rule Martin Luther King Jr. was inspired by Gandhi Today many influences present like religiousmeditation & yoga 43. Indias Artistic Legacy Literature Kalidasa: great writer of India; possibly the court poet for ChandraGupta II; created many skillfully written & emotionally stirringplays Drama Popular in ancient India Traveling actors put on performances across the region Combined drama & dance (many are basis of techniques used today) Art & Sculpture Has influenced art in other cultures Differences in Buddhist & Hindu art Related to subject matter Buddhist: often portrayed the Buddha Hindu: portrayed Hindu deities Artistic styles not influenced by Hindu or Buddhist beliefs 44. Architecture Influenced by Hindu traditions Many began in Gupta times Buildings with stone rather than wood, erecting a highpyramid roof instead of a flat one, & sculpting elaboratedecorations on the roof 45. The Legacy of IndianMathematics Numeral we use originated in India Used numerals 1 to 9 for more than 2,000 years Decimal system originated in India Would not work without a symbol for zero This goes back 1,400 years in India