Transcript ancient india - Fort Bend ISD

ANCIENT
INDIA
HISTORY AND TIMELINE
Where Ancient India is located
• Continent
• Asia
• Present-day countries
• India
• Pakistan
• Bangladesh
• Major bodies of water
• Bay of Bengal
• Arabian Sea
• Indian Ocean
Geographic Features of Ancient India
• North
• Indus and Ganges Rivers
flow from Himalayas to
the Bay of Bengal and
Arabian Sea,
respectively.
• South
• Deccan Plateau
•Isolated North from
South
•Mountainous, forested
and rocky soil
Climate of Ancient India
• Climate
•Monsoons
(essential for
bringing
water for
farming)
Religion of Ancient India
• Polytheistic
• Sacred Texts
•The Vedas
•The Upanishads
• Hinduism
•Brahman = Creator
•Vishnu = Preserver
•Shiva = Destroyer
Philosophy of Ancient India
•Atman = every person
has an essential self.
•Moksha = People
must free themselves
from selfish desires to
be at union with
Brahman.
History of Ancient India
• 3000 – 1500 BCE
• Civilization began in the Indus
River Valley.
• City-States of Harappa and
Mohenjo-daro were well-planned
communities that include:
•Brick buildings
•Bathrooms
•Drainage systems
•Productive farming with canals
and domesticated animals
History of Ancient India
• 2000 – 600 BCE
•Aryans – Indo-European
•language, came through
northwest mountain
passages.
•Conquered the
Dravidians
•By 600 BCE taken over
Ganges valley and
entire Northern Plains
region.
History of Ancient India
• 521 – 367 BCE
•Persian rule in NW
India
•Simulated cultural
and commercial
contacts between NW
India and Eastern
Mediterranean
History of Ancient India
• 326 BCE
•Alexander the Great
(Greek) conquers NW
India
•Mastered the Persian
Empire and subdued
the Indus River
•Greek influences in
trade, culture and
government
History of Ancient India
• 321 – 184 BCE
• Maurya – Indian Family – First
Great Empire (322-298 BCE)
•Chandragupta Maurya
•Inspired by Alexander
•Drove out the Greek
soldiers
•Won control of the
northern plain and
founded the empire
•Highly centralized
government based on
Persians
History of Ancient India
• 321-184 BCE (cont.)
• Asoka (273 – 232 BCE)
• Maurya’s grandson
• Conquered southward until he had
2/3 of India
• Rejected war and converted to
Buddhism
• Edicts were written on stone pillars
and rocks throughout India, Ceylon
(Sri Lanka) and Burma; promoting:
• Truth, Justice, Charity,
Religious tolerance, Nonviolence
History of Ancient India
•320 – 535 Gupta Empire
•Native Indian family
•Empire in northern India
•Restored law and order
•Revived prosperity to region
•Region became center for
learning and it’s culture
spread to eastern Asia
•Often called India’s “Golden
Age”
Customs and Traditions
• Art and Architecture
• Revolves around the Hindu and
Buddhism religious practices
• Symbols and ornate designs are
stressed
• Human and animal statues
• Temple wall paintings
• Temple construction
•Pointed domes
•Columns
•Conical towers
Customs and Traditions
• Literature
• Vedas = hymns, prayers,
religious principles
• Mahabharta and
Ramayana = epic poems
• Animal fables showing
morals = could be based on
Aesop’s fables
• Kalidasa = “India’s
Shakespeare”
• Sanskrit = main literary
language
Contributions
• Science and Technology
•Diagnosed major diseases
•Prescribed medicinal
plants
•Placed the sick in
hospitals
•Had an ethical code (like
Hippocratic Oath)
Science and Technology (cont.)
•Applied chemical
principles to dyeing
cloth, tanning leather,
manufacturing soap and
glass
•Refined iron ore (passed
to the Arabs and then
introduced Medieval
Europe)
Contributions
• Mathematics
• Devised concept of zero
• Employed a decimal system
• Developed a rudimentary
algebra
• Created our modern
written numbers
(translated by Arabs to
Medieval Europe
misleadingly called Arabic
numerals)
Artifacts
Pot shard from
Harappa
Stamp seal depicting a
rhinoceros from Mohenjo-daro
Artifacts
Indus
Valley
figurine
Coin with
Brahmi script
Artifacts
Seal with Indus Valley
Script
Economy
Silver coin of
Seleucus I /
Nicator, who
fought
Chandragupta
Maurya, and
later made an
alliance with
him.
Economy
Silver coin of
Seleucus I /
Nicator, who
fought
Chandragupta
Maurya, and
later made an
alliance with
him.
Economy
Silver punch mark coin of the Mauryan empire, with
symbols of wheel and elephant. 3rd century BCE.