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Ancient India includes the areas that we today call India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

The earliest civilizations were located on the Indus and Ganges rivers.

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India’s history is over 5000 years old.Throughout its history HINDUISM played a

major role in holding the culture together.BUDDHISM started in India but became a

more dominant force in the Far East: China, Korea, Japan, Thailand etc.

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Indus Valley CivilizationsThe oldest town in the Indus Valley was

called Mohenjo-daro on the Indus RiverMohenjo-daro dates to about 2500 BCE.Most of our information comes from seals or

carvings on square and rectangular pieces of stearite or soapstone.

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These seals give us information about the animals and religion of the time.

Indus valley civilizations remained virtually unchanged for 700 years and began to decline about 1700 BCE.

This was due to environmental destruction, disease and foreign invasions.

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Current research seems to suggest that sometime around 1900 B.C.E., a series of major tectonic shifts occurred - possibly accompanied by volcanic eruptions - and drastically altered the flow of life-supporting rivers such as the Sarasvati and the Indus.

While there is no clear-cut evidence that the Indus-Sarasvati sites were destroyed by earthquakes, there is evidence that the number of sites were destroyed or damaged by floods. Many other sites appear to have been abandoned by people because of changing river courses.

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THE ARYANSAfter the decline of the Indus cultures, came

the arrival of the Aryans.The Indo-Aryan languages dates back to

about 1500 BCE.It is believed that Aryan is a form of the word

Iranian who were the ones who conquered the Indus Valley .

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The first Aryans were nomads who travelled in horse drawn chariots with their herds of cattle

By 1000 BCE, the Aryans settled down near the Ganges River.

Hinduism oldest writings the VEDAS are written in Sanskrit an Aryan language.They date from about 1400 BCE.

They begin farming and wheat, barley and rice become the main food crops.

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HinduismThe word Hindu was first used by the ancient

Mesopotamians to describe the practices and beliefs of people who lived east of the river Sindhu, or the Indus River.

sHindus call their religion "Sanatana Dharma" (the eternal religion) or "Vedic Dharma" (the religion of knowledge).

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Hinduism is an ancient religion whose origins predate recorded history.

It has no single human founder, and it has developed over thousands of years.

Its most sacred scriptures are the Vedas, which means "knowledge" in Sanskrit.

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By the time of Gotama Buddha,(400s BCE) two powerful kingdoms emerge:MagadhaKosala

India’s first empire the Maurya dynasty grows out of Magadha from 321-184 BCE

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At this time, a nobleman named Chandragupta Maurya conquered all of northern India and set up a strong central government.

Chandragupta was deathly afraid of enemies and used his army and spies to protect himself. After Chandragupta died in 297 B.C.E., his son Bindusara and grandson Ashoka succeeded him.

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ASHOKAOne of the greatest emperors was Ashoka

who adopted Buddhist teachings.Ashoka had his rules carved into rocks that

still exist todayAshoka saw himself as a father to his

people and cared for them like his childrenHe asked that his people treat each other

with justice and mercy, tolerate all beliefs and not hurt any person or animal unless it was unavoidable.

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The Mauryan Empire reached its height during Ashoka's reign from around 269 to 232 B.C.E.

After a brutal battle in which he conquered the kingdom of Kalinga, Ashoka rejected violence and converted to Buddhism.

Ashoka practiced Buddhist values by giving up wars of conquest, becoming a vegetarian, and urging his subjects to respect each other.

However, Ashoka still allowed slavery and kept all the land that the Mauryans had conquered.

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Ashoka created a strong empire by spreading his Buddhist values through messages, or edicts.

In these carved edicts, Ashoka urged his citizens to act morally and responsibly.

The edicts also described Ashoka's own efforts to live morally and to maintain peace for his people.

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Ashoka's edicts were carved on cave walls, rocks, and towering pillars.

Skilled craftspeople built and decorated the highly polished stone pillars with Buddhist symbols and animals.

The pillars, rocks, and caves were located along important roads and at important religious locations where the greatest number of people would see them.

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Ashoka commanded that everyone should respect their parents, relatives, philosophers and teachers.

He provided free medical care, planted trees for shade and dug public wells for all.

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Values promoted by Ashoka:

Buddhist Values - Edicts in this category are concerned with the Buddha's teachings about how to live a correct life.

General Welfare - Edicts in this category are concerned with making sure people have good health, shelter, clean water, and enough food.

Justice - Edicts in this category are concerned with fair laws and treatment in court and jail.

Security - Edicts in this category are concerned with the protection of people from foreign enemies.

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Northern IndiaThis area was controlled by the Kushans, a

tribe from central AsiaTheir greatest king was Kanishka who lived

around 78 CE.Kanishka also adopted Buddhism as the state

religion.The Kushan kings became very wealthy by

controlling the trade between India and Greece and Rome.

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THE GUPTA EMPIREThe last of the great ancient Indian empires

was the GUPTA.The first king was Chandragupta I who began

his reign in 320 CE.The Gupta family, who ruled from the

northern city of Magadha, united their kingdoms by war .

The Gupta Empire to maintained power over a large part of India for over 200 years until 550BCE

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The period under Gupta rule is called India's Golden Age because of great achievements made in the arts, literature, religion, science, technology, and education.

Because the Gupta maintained peace and a stable government and economy, the empire could provide support for international trade.

Many merchants and visitors from empires in Asia and around the Mediterranean traveled to India to learn from Indian scholars.

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Muslim IndiaIn 1000 a Muslim leader named Mahmud of

Ghazni became the ruler of a small state near present day Afghanistan and from there conquered most of northern India.

This is why today ancient India is divided into the modern countries of India (mostly Hindu) and

Pakistan which is mostly Muslim.

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Indian CultureThe family was the most important part of

Indian life.Large numbers of extended family members

lived together in big houses.Everyone was expected to work and children

were expected to care for their parents when they were too old to work.

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All property belonged to the male head of the family and each son and unmarried daughter was entitled to a share when he died.

After 500 BCE Indian women had little freedomMost marriages were arranged by the

parents and women were bought with gold or other valuable property.

Polygamy (more than one wife) was also fairly common.

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Men could sell their wives and children to raise money if necessary.

Women were not allowed to be educated and child marriages became very common.

Brides had to leave their own homes and live with her husband’s family, under his and his mother’s control.

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Women whose husbands died were expected to commit suttee, or kill herself by throwing herself on the cremation fire.

If a woman did not do this she became the lowest person in the household.She was expected to shave her head, give up

all pleasure and pray constantly.She helped prepare the food but was only

allowed to eat the leftover scraps.

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Women were also kept in purdah.They had to wear heavy veils in public

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PurdahMany women were also kept in purdah.Purdah is the practice that includes the

seclusion of women from public observation by wearing concealing clothing from head to toe

and by the use of high walls, curtains, and screens erected within the home.

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It was permissible, however, for a woman in purdah to come out of her house in extreme necessity, but that was subject to certain conditions, as follows:

She should be accompanied by a close male relative

She should be covered so that men cannot see her.A purdah garment worn is to conceal the face. The eyes may or may not be exposed.

She should not mix with men who are not related to her unless she needs to.

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It was permissible, however, for a woman in purdah to come out of her house in extreme necessity, but that was subject to certain conditions, as follows:

She should be accompanied by a close male relative

She should be covered so that men cannot see her.A purdah garment worn is to conceal the face. The eyes may or may not be exposed.

She should not mix with men who are not related to her unless she needs to.

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Purdah todayOthers, mostly believers in Islam, see purdah

as a very positive and respectful practice that actually liberates women.

Women are looked at as individuals who are judged not by their physical beauty but by their inner beauty and mind.

By covering themselves, women are not looked at as sex objects that can be dominated.

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CASTE SYSTEMThe caste system is over 2000 years old.A caste is a social class .A person is considered a member of the caste

into which he or she is born and remains within that caste until death

Differences in status are traditionally justified by karma, a belief that one’s place in life is determined by one’s deeds in previous lifetimes.

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In order of importance these are: the Brahmins (priests and teachers), the Ksyatriyas (rulers and soldiers), the Vaisyas (merchants and traders), and the Shudras (workers). A fifth category falls outside the varna system

and consists of those known as “untouchables” or Dalits;

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DALITSSLIDESHOW

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Dalits TodayIndia's ancient caste system was abolished

legally in the 1960s, but it still exists socially today.

Dalit men, women, and children numbering in the tens of millions work as agricultural laborers for a few kilograms of rice or 38 to 88 cents a day.

At the end of day they return to a hut in their Dalit colony with no electricity, kilometers away from the nearest water source, and segregated from all non-Dalits, known as caste Hindus.

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They are forbidden by caste Hindus to enter places of worship, to draw water from public wells, or to wear shoes in caste Hindu presence.

They are made to dig the village graves, dispose of dead animals, clean human waste with their bare hands, and to wash and use separate tea tumblers at neighborhood tea stalls,

all because—due to their caste status—they are deemed polluted and therefore “untouchable.”

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The story of Indiahttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=APn07PS-

5qc&feature=related