India. Location & Geography Stretches south from the Himalayas ◦Highest mountain range in the...
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Transcript of India. Location & Geography Stretches south from the Himalayas ◦Highest mountain range in the...
India
Location & Geography
Stretches south from the Himalayas◦Highest mountain range in the world◦Subcontinent in the Indian Ocean
Geography limited contact with other cultures◦Himalaya and Hindu Kush Mountain Ranges◦Bay of Bengal, Indian Ocean, Arabian Sea
Passes in the mountains◦Allowed for migration into the Indus River Valley
Great rivers begin in the mountains◦Indus River◦Ganges River◦Make farming possible down below
India and its Rivers
Monsoons
Monsoons Strong winds that blow across the region at certain times of the year◦Dry air blows from NE
Oct – May◦Rains blow up from Indian Ocean
Middle of June Drenches the valleys and plains
Life in the Indus River Valley
Rich soil◦Wheat and grains◦Lots of food led to population increase
Well planned cities flourished 2500-1500BC◦Harappa◦Mohenjo-Daro◦The larger of the two
On banks of Indus River
Mohenjo-Daro: Carefully Built
Built above ground level◦To protect from floods
Homes and workshops on one side of the city◦Public buildings on the others
Highest point of the city served as the citadel◦Fortress◦Built on a high mound of earth◦Enclosed by a high brick wall◦Would have protected most important buildings
Storehouse for grain Bath house
Clay pipe drains ran under the brick streets◦Carried waste out of the city
Canals outside the city to handle the flooding◦Redirected the water to where it was needed
Life in Mohenjo-Daro
Merchants owned shops along the streets◦Trade came from as far as Mesopotamia◦Jewelry◦Bright clothing
Homes opened to courtyards◦Children played with toys and pets◦Adults enjoyed games and music
No idea as to their language ◦Writing on square seals◦Don’t know about their religion or government
either◦Evidence supports they had multiple gods
Rise of the Aryans
Indus valley farmers began to abandon their land around 2000 BC◦Climate change?◦Earthquakes and floods destroyed canals?
Aryans entered valley b/w 2000/1500BC◦“noble” or “highborn”◦Nomadic herders◦Drove horse-drawn chariots
Overwhelmed local people militarily◦Intermarried with the locals
Combined Aryan and native culture
Aryan Life
Iron age in 800BC◦Used axes to clear rain forest of northeast◦Built cities
Religion books: Vedas◦“knowledge”◦Tells us much about Aryan Life
Herders and warriors◦Lived in temporary villages
Three social classes◦Aryan Priests: Brahmans◦Warriors and Nobles◦Artisans and Merchants◦Later a fourth formed: Farm workers, laborers, servants
Caste System
Strict division of classes – Caste systemEach caste (class) had special dutiesPeople had to stay in the caste of their
parents◦People of the same caste had the same
occupation◦People did the same jobs as their parents
Castes divided into hundreds of different groups over times
Hinduism
The Hindu religion developed over 3500 years◦Absorbed beliefs of many religions◦Different people need different ways of
approaching godThe religion has no single founderWorships many gods and goddessesBelief in one spiritual power: brahman
◦Lives in everything
Brahma
Different gods and goddesses stand for different parts of Brahman◦Take many different forms (avatars)
Representation of a Hindu god or goddess in human or animal form
Brahma◦Creator◦Born from a golden egg◦Created Earth and everything on it◦Not as widely worshipped
Vishnu
The PreserverKindly god concerned with welfare of
humansVisits earth to protect mankind
Shiva
The DestroyerNot concerned with human mattersVery powerfulResponsible for creative and destructive
forces of universe
Shakti
Wife of ShivaAlso a creator and destroyer
Upanishads
Hindu religious textMeans “sitting near a teacher”In the form of questions by pupils and
responses by teachers
Reincarnation
Reincarnation: Rebirth of the soulBelief that when someone dies, the soul is
reborn in the body of another living thingEvery living thing has a soulActions of one’s life affect his fate in the next
◦Good behavior rewarded: reborn into a higher position
◦Bad behavior punished: reborn into a lower caste Maybe even return as animals
◦Perfect life: he or she may be freed from this cycle of death and rebirth Soul becomes one with Brahman
A Hindu’s Duties
Dharma: Moral duties of each person◦Depend on caste, age, and occupation◦Man’s duty to protect the women in his family◦Ruler’s duty to protect his subjects
Ahimsa: Nonviolence◦All living things are part of Brahman◦Must be treated with respect
Many Hindus do not eat meat◦Try to avoid harming living things
Yogas
Yoga means “union”◦Goal is to free the soul from the worries of the
worldDifferent types of yoga
◦Yoga of physical activity◦Yoga of selflessness: Giving to the poor◦Yoga of following religious practices
Private devotion◦Personal gods◦Private altars and offerings