Transcript India

India
Aryans,
Maurya Dynasty,
Gupta Dynasty
Geography
Subcontinent of
Asia
Cut off from rest
of Asia by the
Himalayas and
Hindu Kush
Khyber Pass
History
Indus River Valley
(3500 – 1500 BCE)
Harappa and Mohenjo
Daro
Destroyed by
invaders called
Aryans
Aryans (2000 – 600
BCE) P.63
Religious writings
called the Vedas
–
Basis for the Hindu
Religion
Spoke Sanskrit
Caste System
Brought a system
of classes called
varnas basis for
the caste system
Sub-castes
called jatis
More History
Persians
conquered (521367 BCE)
Alex. The Great
(326 BCE)
Maurya Empire
(321 – 184 BCE)
P.189
First great Indian
empire
Drove out the last
of the Greeks
Asoka Maurya
Ashoka great warrior,
conquered ⅔ of India
but eventually decided
that peace was better
way of life and
converted to Buddhism
Emphasized truth,
justice, charity,
religious tolerance,
and nonviolence
Restricted slaughter of
animals and
encouraged
vegetarianism
After the Maurya
empire there were 500
years of wars
Gupta Empire P. 191
Restored law and order
“Golden Age” of
prosperity, literature, art,
math, science; India
became a center of
learning
6th C. overthrown by
Huns
Hinduism P. 66 (Sec. 3)
No founder, no time, began in India
Beliefs:
Dharma: duties to perform in life, determined by caste
Karma: good and bad deeds you do
Moksha: ultimate goal, release from reincarnation &
achieving oneness with the Universe
Samsara: the level of births and deaths you are at; if
you have good Karma, you will move up the level of
Samsara
More Hinduism
Ganges river is holy
Gods: (polytheistic)
Brahma: the creator
Shiva: creator and destroyer
Vishnu: Preserver,
transcendent love
Krishna: lover and trickster,
seducer of wives and
daughters
•
Associated with purity and pollution
• Those who work more intellectual jobs
are more pure
• Pollution is when people come into
contact with sweat or excrement; to ensure
purity you must marry within own caste