Transcript WH Exploring Indiax

India’s climate and geography… a
review
India is a subcontinent, meaning that it has its own distinct climate and
geography which is different from its Middle Eastern neighbors to the
west or its Asian neighbors to the east.
India has 2 main mountain ranges in the North which have served to
protect it throughout history:
a.) Hindu Kush
b.) Himalaya’s
These 2 mountain ranges have a break between them known as the
Khyber pass.
The Indian subcontinent has 2 river systems which have been primary in
importance to the development of civilization. These are the INDUS,
AND GANGES rivers.
The central portion of India is composed of the Deccan plateau, and its
associated smaller streams which has carved large areas out to bring a
sharp contrast between arid landscapes in others, and small areas of
moist vegetation.
The outer area of India is warm, wet and subtropical. The interior is warm
and mostly dry. As you move North toward the Himalayan mountain
range, the climate become cooler and dryer.
India’s climate continued…
India’s climate is regulated by Monsoons – or
“Seasonal Winds”. These winds regulate the
climate of India.
India has 2 different monsoons. A summer or
wet monsoon that brings moister from the
Arabian Sea into India as it blows in from the
South and heads upland toward the mountains
in the North of India. In the winter a 2nd
Monsoon arrives in India, and this monsoon is
the “winter or dry” monsoon. In effect India
has a wet or dry season which limit the scope
of fall and spring and expand the yearly
weather patterns into a summer – winter cycle.
The beginning of Indian
Civilization
Indian civilization began in Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa,
both of which were cities in excess of 35,000 people.
These cities are important in world history for 2 reasons:
a.) They were the earliest to plan the layout of
the streets to favor a grid pattern with major roads
running North to South and minor streets of allies
running east to west.
b.) Both cities developed the means to control
their waste products and therein not pollute their
source of clean water.
The Indian civilization has a history within these 2 cities
dating back to around 4,000 years ago. However, in
about 1500 BC or 3500 years ago this would change
with the Invasion of the Aryans.
The Aryans
Q: Who were the Aryans?
A: a group in “Indo-European” people who invaded India beginning
about 1500 BC.
The Aryans physically had dark hair, dark eyes, and a skin pigment
just slightly darker than an olive complexion. The conquered
native population of Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro were 3-4
shades darker.
The Aryans as a people should not be confused with the idea of the
Aryans and proposed by the Nazi’s in Germany. Adolph Hitler
proposed that the “Aryan” was actually the perfect race of
“blonde haired- blued eyed” Nordic individuals, when in fact
they were a dark haired, dark eyed group in people from the
Afghanistan/Pakistan region.
Aryan Culture and the Caste
System
After conquering India in 1500 BC, the Aryans taught the native
people their language which is known as Sanskrit.
Sanskrit is an Indo-European language that is Semitic in origin and
is closely related to Hebrew, Persian, Hindi and Greek.
The Aryans also taught the people of India the basis for their
religion which would eventually become the foundations for the
religion known as Hinduism.
The Aryans, after conquering India, instituted a system known as
the “Caste System” – Which divided the population into classes.
Each class was to be TOTALLY separate from the other class.
Meaning there was little socialization, and NO
INTERMARRIAGE between classes.
The reason for this caste system was to ensure order and KEEP
allow the Aryans to remain above their conquered people.
Later the “caste system” would integrated into Indian religion in
the form of reincarnation.
The Caste System
Indian Religion
2 Religions formed in Ancient India
a.) Hinduism
b.) Buddhism
HINDUISM
Hinduism has its roots in the Aryans who communicated their religious
beliefs in a through a collection of hymns and religious ceremonies
known as the Vedas.
Hindu’s believe in the existence of a single creative force in the Universe
called Brahman. In Hinduism it is the duty of every person to attempt to
rejoin that creative force or god Brahman.
In Hinduism there are over 33,000 deities or gods. There are 3 primary
gods however:
a.) Brahma – the creator
b.) Vishnu – the preserver
c.) Siva (shiva) – the destroyer
There is also the god Ganesh, or the giver of life. Each god also has
several incarnations or different appearences.
Buddhism
Buddhism was founded by Siddhartha
Gautama in the 6th century BC.
Later Siddhartha became known simply as
“Buddha” or the enlightened one.
Buddha practiced:
a.) Ascetics
b.) the “ 4 noble” truths.
c.) The Middle Path
New Kingdoms in India
The Mauryans
a.) Chandragupta Maurya
I.) 324-301
II.) Paranoia (no bed twice, established
divided state)
b.) Asoka
I.) Silk Road
II.) Thuggies