Transcript Ancient India Geography

Ancient India
Birthplace of Hinduism and Buddhism
Ancient India
Geography
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Like ancient Egypt, India’s early
civilization developed along a river
which flooded and left fertile silt.
Ancient Indian civilization began in
the Indus River Valley.
Ancient India- Geography
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The Indus River begins
in the Himalayas
Mountains- the tallest
mountains in the world.
It ends in the Arabian
Sea.
Civilization began here
because the spring
floods of the Indus
River made farming
possible.
Ancient India- Geography
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The ancient Indus Valley civilization was
called Harappan Civilization, named after
the ancient city of Harappa.
Another famous ancient city was MohenjoDaro, located about 400 miles south of
Harappa.
Both cities are famous for their:
– Brick buildings
– Sewer system
– City laid out in city blocks
Ancient India
Birthplace of Hinduism and Buddhism
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One important religion that
began in India was
Hinduism.
Hinduism grew out of the
beliefs of the Aryans who
came to India from the north
through the Khyber Pass.
– Ancient Indians were
polytheistic.
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In Hinduism, every person
has a place in society, and
was part of a caste system.
Ancient India
Birthplace of Hinduism and Buddhism
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Buddhism developed
from the teachings of
Siddhartha Gautama,
a prince who became a
monk.
He said that the way to
end suffering in the
world is to follow the:
– 4 noble truths
– 8 fold path
– Middle way
Ancient India- Politics
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The Hindu religion
helped the Indian
people govern
themselves.
Everyone believed
that following their
dharma, or rules of
their caste was
important.
This eliminated
disorder.
Ancient India- Politics
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Asoka was the first
ruler of the Mauryan
Empire.
He brought nearly
all of India under his
control.
He became a
Buddhist, and made
Buddhism the state
religion.
Ancient India- Economy
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Ancient Indian
economy was
based on
agriculture, just as
it was in Egypt.
The ancient Indians
also traded with
others across the
Mediterranean Sea,
in Mesopotamia.
Ancient India -Social Structure
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The Aryans first
brought the religious
ideas of the Vedas to
the Harappans.
The Vedas, and later
Hinduism, laid out a
social structure, called
a caste system,
Each person was born
into a caste and was
destined to stay there
until his or her next life.
Ancient India
Birthplace of Hinduism and Buddhism
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Your turn !
Write a question for each slide on your
handout.
Choose your best one.
Meet with your group and choose the best
question to present to the whole class.
Turn in your team’s slide handouts. If they
are all complete, get group points !