Transcript Ancient India

Early River Valley Civilizations
Ancient India
Indus River Valley
Geography:
1. Subcontinent: separated from Asia
2. Rivers:
Ganges & Indus
3. Mountains:
Hindu Kush & Himalayas
4. Deccan Plateau: highland in southern India
5. Monsoons:
seasonal winds that bring
moist air in summer &
dry air in winter
1st Indus Civilization of India
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Around 2500 B.C. the first Indian
civilization developed along the Indus River.
Cities centered around a citadel, a fortified
area, where the major buildings were found.
The two most important were Mohenjo-Daro
& Harappa.
Were polytheistic, the worship of cattle is
evident from archaeological digs.
Destruction around 1500 B.C.- may have
been caused by a natural disaster or invaders.
The Aryans Invade India
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The Aryans invaded India through the Hindu
Kush Mountains around 1500 B.C.
They were nomadic herders who counted
wealth in cattle and had no writing system.
The individual who ruled each state was
called a rajah.
Based their society on a caste system,
where people are divided into several
separate groups based on who their
parents are. This shaped every person’s
life.
Hinduism
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Established by the Indians/Aryans in India.
Believe people experience a rebirth called
reincarnation, where people who live a good
life will be reborn into a higher caste. A
person living a bad life will be reborn into
lower caste.
Priests kept hymns in four collections called
the Vedas.
Hinduism
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Hindus believed in an ethical law of cause
and effect called karma.
A set of duties an individual had to display
in their class of society is called dharma.
All wise Hindus seek to reach a state of
perfect understanding called moksha.
Buddhism
1. Born in 563 B.C.,
Siddartha Gautama found
the religion of
Buddhism. His followers
called him Buddha, meaning
“the Enlightened One.”
2. A person tries to
achieve nirvana, where
salvation is achieved.
The Mauryan Dynasty
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Chandragupta Maurya took over much of
India around 322 B.C.
He ruled by force and fear, had many
government spies, and trusted nobody.
After ruling 24 years, his son took over the
throne, yet little is known about him. His
grandson, Ashoka would then take control
and become the complete opposite of his
cruel grandfather. 273 B.C.
The Mauryan Dynasty
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Ashoka became a Buddhist to win the
support of his people through kindness.
Set up edicts around India, or public orders
on stone. He also provided hospitals.
Buddhism spread beyond India and
developed millions of followers under him.
Ashoka was the last strong ruler of the
Mauryan dynasty, which fell only 50 years
later in 180 B.C.