Transcript Early Civilization in India

WHI.4 Classical India
• India is located on a
“subcontinent”.
• A subcontinent is a
landmass that is smaller
than a continent.
• India is a “subcontinent”
of Asia.
• It is divided from Asia by
the Himalaya and Hindu
Kush mountain ranges.
Hindu Kush Mountainsto the NW, above the
Indus river.
India
India
Mountain pass in the Hindu Kush.
This was the passage for invaders who
entered India.
Himalaya
Mountains- to
the NE
tallest mountains
in the world.
29, 035 ft
Himalaya Mountains
Khyber Pass
Most important rivers of India
Ganges River Most sacred
river of India.
Indus River -Site
of the first
Indian
Civilization
India
Indus River
The Winds (monsoons) have played a major role in India’s history
Winter
Monsoon
• Monsoons are
seasonal winds. These
winds blow from
different directions
during different times of
the year.
• Summer Monsoon
blows over the Arabian
Sea and Indian Ocean
bringing rain to India.
Arabian
Sea
Bay of
Bengal
Summer
Monsoon
Indian Ocean
• Winter Monsoon
blows over land and is
dry.
• Classical Indian civilization began
in the Indus River Valley between
3000-1500 B.C.E. and spread to
the Ganges River Valley, then
through the Indian subcontinent.
•Indian culture continued with
little interruption because the
physical geography helped to
isolate and protect India.
• Two ancient Indus cities were
Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro
• Physical barriers
such as the
Himalayas, the Hindu
Kush, and the Indian
Ocean made invasion
more difficult.
• Mountain passes in
the Hindu Kush
provided migration
routes into the Indian
subcontinent.
• Around 1500 B.C.E., the
Indo-Aryan people
migrated and invaded into
India through the
Khyber Pass.
The Aryans asserted their
dominance and created a
rigidly structured society
known as the caste system.
Aryans blended their beliefs
with the indigenous (native)
Indian people.
Caste System- social division in India
• This strict hereditary
hierarchy influenced all
social interactions & choices
of occupations.
• One is born into a caste
and may not change within
his/her lifetime.
• Each caste has its set of
duties, known as Dharma.
• You must obey your
dharma to get good karma
and be reincarnated into a
higher caste in the next life.
Untouchables
These people were the bottom of Hindu society, they were not
considered part of the caste system.
About 5% of the population of India. They were required to
perform the dirtiest jobs dealing with trash, human waste, and
death.
Discrimination against them continues today, even though the
caste system has been declared illegal.
-The Aryans introduced
Sanskrit around 1000
B.C.E.
- The written language
known as Sanskrit
enabled the peoples to
write down their stories
and religious chants and
rituals.
- These eventually
became the sacred texts
of Hinduism, the Vedas.
Mauryan DynastyChandragupta Maurya
Chandragupta Maurya
• In 321 B.C.E., a military officer named
Chandragupta Maurya overthrew a
northern Indian king, founded the Mauryan
Dynasty, and united most of northern and
central India until 184 B.C.E.
• Established a strong army and efficient
postal system
Mauryan Dynasty- Asoka
Asoka- Chandragupta Maurya’s grandson
• Asoka’s rule began in 274 B.C.E. built an
empire that covered two-thirds of India.
• He converted to Buddhism (from
Hinduism) and spread the religion through
China and Asia using missionaries.
•Asoka issued laws of humanity- free
hospitals, veterinary clinics, good roads,
allowed people to practice Hinduism.
• Mauryan Dynasty declined after the
death of Asoka.
Gupta Dynasty
• 500 years later, Chandragupta I began the Gupta Dynasty, known as
the Golden Age of classical Indian culture. The height of the Gupta
Dynasty was under Chandragupta II.
• Gupta Dynasty established a strong central government, powerful
army, and cultural achievements.
•Gupta Dynasty contributions:
•Mathematics (concept of zero, infinity, Arabic numerals 1-9)
•Medical advances (set bones, operations)
• Astronomy (concept of the earth is round)
• Textiles (cloth products)
• Literature (epic stories, Sanskrit)
• Trade (connections to Rome, China and the Middle East)
Hinduism originiated in India as a result of the
blending of Aryan and indigenous beliefs.
 Beliefs of Hinduism:
 Darma- duties of each caste that must be
performed
 Karma-Good and bad deeds that one does
 Reincarnation- the cycle of life, death and
rebirth

Yoga
Was developed as a method of training the
body to achieve oneness with Brahman.
It is a form of meditation.
Buddhism
Founder: Siddhartha Guatama, he later became known as “The
Buddha”
Siddhartha began his life as a prince living behind palace walls. He
never knew about human suffering.
One day he left the palace and witnessed human suffering in the form
of sickness and death. He felt his life was a lie and abandoned it to
become an ascetic, or wandering “holy man” in an attempt to find an
end for human suffering.
Seeking Truth
Siddhartha tried many different ways of achieving enlightenment.
He tried mediation, fasting, physical discomfort, but none along worked
for him.
He almost starved himself to death
at one point. After that he knew he needed to
try something different.
Enlightenment
Siddhartha decided that he would meditate until he discovered
the way to end human suffering.
Bodhi Tree: He sat under a Bodhi tree and said that he would not
get up until he had achieved enlightenment.
He mediated for 40 days amidst temptation, and at the end said
that he was “awake” he had achieved, Nirvana, or Enlightenment.
This is when he became the Buddha, or enlightened one.
Teachings of the Buddha
Four Noble Truths
1. All life is full of suffering
2. We suffer because we desire things that
are illusions. We want material
possessions.
3. The way to not suffer is to overcome our
desire
4. To do that one must follow the Eightfold
path, or Middle Way
The Eightfold Path (The Middle Way)
1. Right view
One must understand the four noble truths.
2. Right intention
Know what you really want
3. Right speech
Speak truth and speak well of others.
4. Right action
Do not kill, steal, lie, be unchaste, or take drugs or alcohol.
5. Right livelihood
Don’t do a job that harms others.
6. Right effort
Do your best, always
7. Right mindfulness
Keep control of yourself and your urges.
8. Right concentration
One must meditate to understand the world.
Spread of Buddhism
•Spread from northern India all the way to
China via the Silk Road.
•Asoka (Ashoka): The Emperor Asoka sent
missionaries throughout Asia. He is greatly
responsible for spreading Buddhism outside
India into the rest of Asia.
Pagodas, also associated with Buddhism evolved from
Stupas. They are usually Buddhist temples or shrines.
Mathematics
The decimal numeral system, including the
concept of zero, was invented in India during the
reign of the Guptas
Our numbering system, now called
Arabic Numbers (0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9)
was developed by Indian mathematicians.