chap04

• India developed a system of numerals and advancedmathematics.

• The Chinese invention of paper changed how peoplerecord information.

• The Maya developed a complex civilization in theAmericas.

c. 3000 B.C. India’s firstcivilizationbegins

EarlyIndiaEarlyIndia

Chapter 4

C. 15,000 B.C. 3000 B.C. 2500 B.C. 2000 B.C.C. 15,000 B.C. 3000 B.C. 2500 B.C. 2000 B.C.

EarlyChinaEarly China

Ch ap ter 5

c. 3000 B.C.Neolithic pottery is produced inChina

c. 15,000 B.C.First humanscross landbridge intoNorth America

AncientAmericasAncient

AmericasChap ter 6

India, China, and the Americas

230

Harappan priest-king c. 2000 B.C.

Early humans hunting a woollymammoth c. 10,000 B.C.

Early Chinese pottery c. 3000 B.C.

c. 2300 B.C. Harappansbegin to trade withMesopotamians

c. 2000 B.C.Xia dynasty isfounded

230-233 UO2-868874 1/10/05 7:59 AM Page 230

1,000 kilometers0Mercator projection

1,000 miles0

60°E 90°E 120°E

0°

30°N

Equator

GOBI

HINDU KUSH

ArabianSea Bay of

Bengal

SouthChina

Sea

INDIANOCEAN

Indus R.

Huan g H

e

Chang Jiang

PACIFICOCEAN

CHINAINDIA

A S I AChapter 4Chapter 4 Chapter 5Chapter 5

N

S

W E

1,000 km0Mercator projection

1,000 mi.0

0

60N

EQUATOR

Gulf ofMexico

Caribbean Sea

HudsonBay

PACIFICOCEAN

NORTHAMERICA

SOUTHAMERICA

Chapter6

Chapter6

c. 1750 B.C.Shangdynastybegins

c. 1200 B.C.OlmecEmpire begins

563 B.C.The Buddha isborn in Nepal

321 B.C.Mauryandynastyfounded

A.D. 320Gupta empirefounded

200 B.C.Silk Road established

Olmec stonehead

c. 1500 B.C. Aryans enterIndia

Mayan figure

Bronze vesselfrom theShang dynasty

Buddhist shrine inIndia c. 200 B.C.

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

1500 B.C. 1000 B.C. 500 B.C. A.D. 1 A.D. 500 1500 B.C. 1000 B.C. 500 B.C. A.D. 1 A.D. 500

551 B.C.Confucius is born

c. A.D. 500 Height of Mayanpower inMesoamerica

230-233 UO2-868874 1/10/05 8:02 AM Page 231

551–479 B.C.Chinese philosopher

Chapter 5, page 289

Ruled c. 321–298 B.C.Founder and king of

Mauryan empireChapter 4, page 261

c. 563–483 B.C.

Founder of BuddhismChapter 4, page 251

232

NORTHAMERICANORTHAMERICA

SOUTHAMERICASOUTHAMERICA

Hindu deity Siva1

See Early IndiaChapter 4

Buddhist temple2

See Early IndiaChapter 4

54

230-233 UO2-868874 3/17/06 9:00 AM Page 232

Ruled c. 273–232 B.C.

Philosopher-king of IndiaChapter 4, page 263

233

Mayan god4

See Ancient AmericasChapter 6

IndianOcean

ASIAASIA

EUROPEEUROPE

Terra-cotta soldiers3

See Early ChinaChapter 5

Tikal5

See Ancient AmericasChapter 6

1

2

3

Ruled A.D. 682–734Mayan king

Chapter 6, page 319

c. 259–210 B.C.

Built the first GreatWall of China

Chapter 5, page 297

230-233 UO2-868874 1/10/05 8:26 AM Page 233

The Hindu temple of DeviJagadambika in Khajuraho, India

c. 1500 B.C.The Aryans arrive in India

563 B.C.The Buddha is born

Early India

2500 B.C. 1500 B.C. 500 B.C. A.D. 5002500 B.C. 1500 B.C. 500 B.C. A.D. 500

c. 3000 B.C.India’s earlycivilizationbegins

A.D. 320The Guptaempire begins

Dav

id C

umm

ing/

CO

RB

IS

234-237 CH4 CO-868874 4/6/06 11:29 AM Page 234

India’s First CivilizationsPeople’s social status affects how they live. The earliest Indian civiliza-

tion developed on the Indus River. Later, the Aryans arrived innorthern India. A social system that determined how people livedevolved.

Hinduism and BuddhismReligion shapes how culture develops, just as culture shapes how

religion develops. India’s two main religions were Hinduism andBuddhism. These two religions affected every aspect of people’slives.

India’s First EmpiresCivilizations are strengthened by a variety of advances. Early India had

two great empires: the Maurya and the Gupta. Both empires madeadvances in the arts, sciences, and math.

View the Chapter 4 video in the Glencoe Video Program.

Chapter Overview Visitca.hss.glencoe.com for a preview of Chapter 4.

Identifying Make this foldable to help you identify and learn key terms.

Reading and WritingAs you read the chapter,write the terms fromBuilding Your Vocabularyin your foldable. Write adefinition for each term.Then turn your foldableover (upside down) towrite a short sentenceusing each term.

Step 1 Stack four sheetsof paper, one on top ofthe other. On the topsheet of paper, draw alarge circle.

Step 2 Withthe papers stillstacked, cutout all fourcircles at thesame time.

Step 3 Staple the paper circles togetherat one point around the edge.

Step 4 Label thefront circle as shownand take notes on the pages that open to the right. Chapter 4

KeyTerms

This makesa circularbooklet.

Staplehere.

235

234-237 CH4 CO-868874 3/14/06 3:45 PM Page 235

http://ca.hss.glencoe.com

Make studying like

a game. Create

questions and then

read to find answers

to your own questions.

One way to make sure you understand what you are reading isto ask questions of the text. Learn to ask good questions by usingquestion starters such as who, what, when, where, why, and how.Think deeply about the main ideas, and ask questions such as"What would have happened if . . . ?"

An easy way to practice asking questions during reading is toturn the headings into questions. A heading that reads “ChinaReunites” can be turned into “How did China reunite?” The authorhas done this for you in some places in this chapter. When you turnthe heading into a question, you can expect that it will be answeredin the passage. Read the following passage from Section 2.

Hinduism (HIHN • doo • IH • zuhm) is one of theoldest religions in the world, and today it is thethird largest. The basic principles of what is knowntoday as Hinduism were already formulated by1500 B.C. They are to be found in the four Vedas.The Aryans believed in many deities who controlledthe forces of nature and governed society. We knowabout Aryan religion from their sacred hymns andpoetry, especially their epics, or long poems.

— from page 247

Questioning

236

Here are some questions you might ask about this paragraph:

• What is the oldest religion in the world?• What is the largest religion in the world today?• Who were the Aryans?

234-237 CH4 CO-868874 6/1/06 1:52 PM Page 236

Read the following paragraph. Then answer these questionswith a partner: Who built India’s first empire? What assistancewas provided by Alexander the Great? Write a What If?

paragraph based onwhat you read in thischapter. For example,what if Alexander hadnot left India, or what ifHinduism wereinfluenced by otherreligions of the time?Your paragraph shouldanswer your What If?questions.

Read to Write

As you read the chapter, look foranswers to section headings that arein the form of questions.

237

India’s first empire was founded byChandragupta Maurya (CHUHN • druh• GUP • tuh MAH • oor • yuh).Chandragupta was an Indian princewho conquered a large area in theGanges River valley soon afterAlexander invaded western India.Alexander’s invasion weakened manyof India’s kingdoms. After Alexanderleft, Chandragupta seized the opportu-nity to conquer and unite almost all ofnorthern India.

—from page 260

Ganesha

234-237 CH4 CO-868874 1/4/05 4:36 PM Page 237

India’s First Civilizations

Looking Back, Looking AheadIn India, just as in Egypt and

Mesopotamia, the first civilizationsdeveloped in fertile river valleys.

Focusing on the • Climate and geography influenced

the rise of India’s first civilization.(page 239)

• For the Indian civilization, new ideasand technology were developed.(page 242)

• The Aryans created a caste systemthat separated Indians into groups.(page 243)

Locating PlacesHimalaya (HIH•muh•LAY•uh)Ganges River (GAN• JEEZ)Indus River (IHN•duhs)Deccan Plateau

(DEH•kuhn pla•TOH)Harappa (huh•RA•puh)Mohenjo-Daro

(moh•HEHN• joh DAHR•oh)

Meeting PeopleAryans (AR•ee•uhnz)Brahmins (BRAH•mihns)

Content Vocabularysubcontinent

(SUHB•KAHN•tuhn•uhnt)monsoon (mahn•SOON)Sanskrit (SAN•SKRIHT)raja (RAH• juh)caste (KAST)guru (GUR•oo)

Academic Vocabularysimilar (SIH•muh• luhr)individual (IHN•duh•VIHJ•wuhl)

Reading StrategyOrganizing Information Complete adiagram like the one below showinghow the Aryans changed India.

Major Ways Aryans Changed India

c. 3000 B.C.India’s early civilization begins

c. 1500 B.C.Aryansarrive inIndia

c. 1000 B.C.Aryans controlnorthern India

Ganges R.

KhyberPass Harappa

3000 B.C. 2000 B.C. 1000 B.C.3000 B.C. 2000 B.C. 1000 B.C.

238 CHAPTER 4 • Early India

HistorySocial ScienceStandardsWH6.5 Studentsanalyze the geographic,political, economic,religious, and socialstructures of the earlycivilizations of India.

238-245 Ch4 S1-868874 6/1/06 1:59 PM Page 238

WH6.5 Students analyze the geographic, political, economic, religious, and social structures of the early civilizations of India.

WH6.5.1 Locate and describe the major river system and discuss the physical setting that supported the rise of this civilization.

The Land of IndiaClimate and geography influenced the

rise of India’s first civilization.

Reading Connection Do you have tornadoes or hur-

ricanes where you live? Read to find out how geography

and weather affected India’s first civilization.

Look at the map below. India looks likea diamond hanging from the bottom ofAsia. India is a subcontinent (SUHB •KAHN •tuhn •uhnt) because even though it is part ofAsia, huge mountains separateit from the rest of Asia. Thesemountains are the Himalaya(HIH • muh • LAY • uh), the highestmountains in the world.

Today, six nations make upthe Indian subcontinent: India;Pakistan in the northwest; Nepal;Bhutan; Bangladesh in thenortheast; and Sri Lanka, anisland to the southeast.

India has two very fertileriver valleys. Both are fed by themountains in the north. Whenthe snow in the Himalaya melts,water flows into the GangesRiver (GAN • JEEZ) and the IndusRiver (IHN•duhs). If the water iscontrolled, the land near theserivers can be used for farming.

The Ganges River runs southof the Himalaya and flows intothe Indian Ocean. The IndusRiver empties into the ArabianSea. South of the river valleys isthe dry and hilly Deccan Plateau(DEH•kuhn pla•TOH). The east andwest coasts of India are lush, fer-tile plains.

Monsoons (mahn • SOONZ)are an important part of theIndian climate. A monsoon is a

strong wind that blows one direction in win-ter and the opposite direction in summer.The winter monsoon brings the cold, dry airof the mountains. The summer monsoonbrings warm, wet air from the Arabian Sea,which produces drenching rains.

When the monsoon rains begin, manyfarmers celebrate. If the rains come on timeand the rainy season lasts long enough, thecrop will be good. If the rains are delayed, adrought will occur. This extended period

N

S

W E

500 km0

500 mi.0

Lambert Azimuthal Equal-Area projection

30°N

10°N

70°E

TROPIC OF CANCER

90°E

In

dus R.

Ganges R.

B a y o fB e n g a l

A r a b i a nS e a

INDIANOCEAN

D E C C A N

P L A T E A U

GANGES PLAIN

HI M

A L A Y A

KARAKORAMRANGE

Mt. Everest29,035 ft.(8,850 m)

I ND I A

Geography of India

1. Location What two rivers are found innorthern India?

2. Human/Environment Interaction Based onthe area’s geography, what parts of the Indiansubcontinent do you think are best suited forsettlement?

Find NGS online map resources @ www.nationalgeographic.com/maps

Winter monsoon(dry winds)Summer monsoon(wet winds)Mountain peak

KEY

CHAPTER 4 • Early India 239

238-245 Ch4 S1-868874 1/4/05 11:12 PM Page 239

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/maps

240

Necklace from Mohenjo-Daro

Model of oxcart from Mohenjo-Daro

Harappanpriest-king

The ruins of Mohenjo-Daro (below) show a carefully planned city.The picture to the right shows a typical house in the city. Fromwhat material were most of the houses in Mohenjo-Daro made?

Early Indian CivilizationEarly Indian Civilization

without rain can be disastrous for farmers.Few crops will be harvested, and manypeople will starve.

India’s Early Civilization In earlier chap-ters, you learned about civilizations thatbegan in river valleys. Indian civilizationalso began in a river valley.

India’s early civilization grew up nearthe Indus River. When the summer monsoonbegan, the river rose higher and higher.When the river flooded nearby land, it leftbehind silt, a rich, fertile soil.

Farmers used the rich soil to growcrops to feed their families. Because peoplehad a plentiful supply of food, they couldspend time doing other things, such asmaking tools or building houses. As peo-ple began to trade their extra food andgoods with other people, their wealthgrew. This allowed them to build largerand larger cities.

India’s early civilization in the IndusRiver valley began about 3000 B.C. andlasted until 1500 B.C. This region is todaypart of Pakistan. More than a thousand villages and towns were part of this civi-lization, which stretched from the Himalayato the Arabian Sea. We know about thesepeople from studying the ruins of two major cities, Harappa (huh • RA • puh) andMohenjo-Daro (moh • HEHN • joh DAHR • oh).Archaeologists call this civilization theHarappan or Indus civilization.

Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro Harappaand Mohenjo-Daro were large cities fortheir time. The well-planned cities had asmany as 35,000 people. A fortress was builton a brick platform to keep guard over theresidents. There were wide main streets andsmaller side streets. A wall surroundedeach neighborhood, and narrow lanesseparated the houses.

(l)Robert Harding Picture Library, (c)National Museum of India, New Delhi, India/Bridgeman Art Library, (r)Borromeo/Art Resource, NY, (br)Harappan National Museum of Karachi, Karachi, Pakistan/Bridgeman Art Library

238-245 Ch4 S1-868874 4/3/06 8:53 AM Page 240

Most houses had flat roofs and wereconstructed with mud bricks that werebaked in ovens. Some houses were largerthan others, but they all had a similar lay-out. There was a courtyard in the middleand smaller rooms around it.

These ancient city dwellers had somesurprising conveniences. Wells suppliedwater, and residents even had indoor bath-rooms. Wastewater flowed to drains underthe streets, running through pipes to pitsoutside the city walls. Houses also hadgarbage chutes connected to a bin in thestreet. In addition, residents built largegranaries to store food for the entire city.

Harappan Society The Harappans used aspecial script to write on seals and stamps.However, historians have not agreed on howto decipher these markings. Because theHarappans did not leave other historicalrecords, we do not know much about their

society or government. From the ruins,though, we can tell that the royal palace andthe temple were both enclosed in the fortress.This reveals that religion and politics wereclosely connected.

Most Harappans were farmers. Theygrew rice, wheat, barley, peas, and cotton.City dwellers made copper and bronze tools, clay pottery, and cotton cloth, as well as jewelry from gold, shells, and ivory.Archaeologists have also found many toysamong the ruins, such as small monkeys thatcould be made to climb up a string.

It is likely that the Harappans begantrading with the Mesopotamians about2300 B.C. Some Harappan sailors followedthe coastline and crossed the Arabian Sea,and others traveled the difficult overlandroute through the mountains.

Explain How did India’sgeography help early civilizations?

Roofs were used to dry crops in the sun. The dried crops were then placed

in cool storage rooms in the house.

Almost every building had its own well. Cool water was pulled up when needed.

Outer walls ofbuildings had

no windows. Thishelped prevent

the hot summersun from heating

the insides of the house.

Bathrooms had an advanced drainage system. Drains started from houses and joined the main

sewer, which carried the water out of town.

238-245 Ch4 S1-868874 1/4/05 11:14 PM Page 241

WH6.5.2 Discuss the significance of the Aryan invasions.

WH6.5.7 Discuss important aesthetic and intellectual traditions (e.g., Sanskrit literature, including the Bhagavad Gita; medicine;metallurgy; and mathematics, including Hindu-Arabic numerals and the zero).

N

S

WE

500 km0Lambert AzimuthalEqual-Area projection

500 mi.0

30°N

10°N

70°E50°E 90°E

Ganges R.

Indus R.

Am

uD

arya

ArabianSea Bay of

Bengal

AralSea

Casp

ian

Sea

INDIAN

OCEAN

H I M A L A Y AGANGES PLAIN

H I N D UK U S H

D E C C A N

P L A T E A U

PUNJAB PLAIN

Mohenjo-Daro

Harappa

The AryansFor the Indian civilization, new ideas

and technology were developed.

Reading Connection What would your life be like

without cars or computers? Read to find out how new

ideas and technology affected the Indians.

The Harappan civilization collapsedabout 1500 B.C. Historians think that severalearthquakes and floods damaged the cities.Then the Indus River changed its course,killing many people and forcing others toflee the area. In the years that followed, agroup of people called the Aryans (AR •ee •uhnz) began settling in the region. Soon anew civilization emerged.

Who Were the Aryans? The Aryans camefrom central Asia where they raised andherded animals. The Aryans were not a raceor ethnic group. Some historians believethat the Aryans were part of a larger groupthey refer to as the Indo-Europeans. TheIndo-Europeans all spoke similar lan-guages. Some migrated south to India andIran. Others went west to Europe.

Cattle were a prized possession amongthe Aryans because they provided meat,milk, and butter. Cattle were so importantthat they were even used as money.Individual wealth was measured by thenumber of cattle a person owned.

The Aryans were good warriors. Theywere expert horse riders and hunters. They

had metal-tipped spears andwooden chariots, which theAryans sometimes used toinvade nearby villages for food.

About 2000 B.C., the Aryansbegan leaving their home terri-tory. They moved in waves,and some groups crossedthrough the mountain passesin the Himalaya. They enteredthe Indus River valley around1500 B.C.

Around 1000 B.C., theAryans had begun expandingacross the Punjab and GangesPlains and south into theDeccan Plateau. Their civiliza-tion spread to all of Indiaexcept the southern tip.


2000–1500 B.C.

1500–1000 B.C.

1000–500 B.C.

Aryan migration:

KEY

Aryan Migration 2000–500 B.C.

70°E 90°E

20°N

Ind

us

R.

Gan

ges R.

INDIA

SRILANKA

CHINA

IRAN

BHUTANAFGHAN-ISTAN

BANGLADESH

NEPAL

PAKI

STAN

OMAN

The Region Today

1. Place After crossing the mountains, whatphysical feature did the Aryans followinto India?

2. Location Into what area of southernIndia did the Aryans travel?

238-245 Ch4 S1-868874 6/1/06 2:13 PM Page 242

WH6.5.4 Outline the social structure of the caste system.

The Aryans Bring Change When theAryans arrived in India, they no longerlived as nomads. They became farmers butcontinued to raise cattle. Eventually, theAryans would declare that cattle weresacred and forbid them to be used as food.

Aryan technology improved farming inIndia. They invented an iron plow to helpclear India’s many jungles and constructedcanals to irrigate. They slowly turned theGanges River valley into good farmland.

India’s varied climate supported manytypes of crops. In the north, farmers grewgrains such as wheat, barley, and millet. Ricewas grown in the river valleys. In the south,there was a mix of crops, including spicessuch as pepper, ginger, and cinnamon.

The Aryans also brought a new lan-guage to India. As nomads, they had nowritten language, but in India they devel-oped a written language called Sanskrit(SAN • SKRIHT). Now the sacred songs, poems,and prayers that Aryans had known formany centuries could be written down.

The Aryans were organized into tribes.Each tribe was led by a raja (RAH • juh), orprince. The rajas ran their own small king-doms, which often fought among them-selves. Rajas fought over cattle and treasureand over women kidnapped from otherstates. These small rival kingdoms existedin India for about a thousand years, from1500 B.C. to 400 B.C.

Analyze How did thearrival of the Aryans change India?

Society in Ancient IndiaThe Aryans created a caste system that

separated Indians into groups.

Reading Connection Have you ever wondered why

some people seem to be treated differently than other

people? As you read, try to find out why this idea was

accepted in India.

One of the results of the Aryan arrival inIndia was the development of a caste sys-tem. A caste (KAST) is a social group thatsomeone is born into and cannot leave.


Development ofSanskrit c. 1500 B.C.Sanskrit became the most importantlanguage for public affairs in much ofancient India. Hindi, the nationallanguage of India today, and otherregional languages evolved out ofSanskrit. The earliest example of orallytransmitted, ancient Sanskrit is the fourVedas. Sanskrit was in common usageuntil about A.D. 1100 and was used insome official communications until A.D. 1830.

Sanskrit word Definition

EnglishDefinition

Nava Ship Navalor navy

A fleet of

Dua Two Dual Consisting of

Deva God Divine Divine God;

Sanskrit Influences on English Words

word

ships

two parts

relating tobeing a god

Web Activity Visit ca.hss.glencoe.com and click on Chapter 4—Student Web Activity tolearn more about India.

238-245 Ch4 S1-868874 4/3/06 9:11 AM Page 243


A caste dictates what job you will have,whom you can marry, and with whom youcan socialize. In India, no one uses the wordcaste, which is the word Portuguese mer-chants used to describe India’s social groups.Indians call these groups jati. Thousands ofjati exist in India.

Why was this system created? No one issure, but ideas about skin color were prob-ably part of it. The Aryans were a light-skinned people. They thought they werebetter than the dark-skinned people theyencountered in India. This idea was wrong,but the Aryans believed it.

Another reason the Aryans might havecreated the caste system was because thepeople they had encountered in Indiagreatly outnumbered them. The caste sys-tem kept groups separate and set the rules

for everyone’s behavior. This helped theAryans maintain control.

Social Levels of the Caste System Thethousands of different castes, or jati, inIndia were grouped together into fourclasses called varnas. The top two varnaswere Brahmins (BRAH • mihns) and Ksha-triyas (KSHA • tree • uhs). Brahmins were thepriests—the only people who could per-form religious ceremonies. The Kshatriyaswere warriors who ran the governmentand army.

Next were the Vaisyas (VYSH • yuhs), orcommoners. Vaisyas were usually farmersand merchants. Below the Vaisyas came theSudras (SOO • druhs). Sudras were manuallaborers and servants and had few rights.Most Indians belonged to the Sudra varna.

There was one group that did notbelong to any varna. Its members werecalled Pariahs or Untouchables. They per-formed dirty work such as skinning animals or handling dead bodies.

Life for an Untouchable was very hard.Most Indians believed that being near an


Today, Untouchables refer tothemselves as Dalit, which means “oppressed.” Why did the Aryans create the castesystem?

Warriors, rulers

Common people

Unskilled laborers, servants

Kshatriyas

Vaisyas

Sudras

Brahmins Priests

UntouchablesPariahs

Early India’s Social SystemEarly India’s Social System

A Brahmin

(l)Carl Purcell/The Purcell Team, (r)AFP Worldwide

238-245 Ch4 S1-868874 4/3/06 9:20 AM Page 244

Reading SummaryReview the • India’s first civilization, including

the cities of Harappa andMohenjo-Daro, developed in thefertile Indus River valley.

• The Aryans, a group of nomadicherders, arrived in northern Indiaabout 1500 B.C. They brought theiron plow and the Sanskrit lan-guage to India.

• India’s caste system divided peo-ple into rigid social and economicclasses. Ancient Indian societyfavored men over women.

1. Describe the cities of Harappaand Mohenjo-Daro.

2. Why are monsoons importantto Indian farmers?

Critical Thinking3. Cause and Effect Why did

the Harappan civilization collapse?

4. Cause and Effect Draw adiagram to show how theAryans changed the lifestyle of the Indians.

5. In what ways didthe caste system affect thepeople who lived in India?

6. Explain How did the Aryanscontrol people in India?

7. Persuasive Writing Write a description of Harappa orMohenjo-Daro that could havebeen used to attract people tothe city.

8. QuestioningCreate a list of questions aboutIndia’s geography that will helpyou understand how it shapedIndian civilization. CA HR1.

CA 6WA2.5

CA CS3.

CA 6RC2.3

CA 6RC2.4

CA 6RC2.7

What Did You Learn?


Cause Effect

Cause Effect

Cause Effect

Study Central Need help understanding Aryan society? Visit ca.hss.glencoe.com and click on Study Central.

Untouchable was harmful, so they forcedthem to live apart from others. WhenUntouchables traveled, they had to tap twosticks together so that everyone would hearthem coming and have time to move away.

The Role of Men and Women In ancientIndia, the family was the center of life.Grandparents, parents, and children alllived together in an extended family. Theoldest man in the family was in charge.

Men had many more rights thanwomen. Typically, only sons could inheritproperty, and only men could go to schoolor become priests. Women’s education wasmostly done at home

In families at the top of society, a boyhad a guru (GUR • oo), or teacher, until hewent to the city for more education. Youngmen from these families could marry onlyafter finishing 12 years of schooling.

In India, parents arranged marriages fortheir children. Even today, parents arrange

90 percent of marriages in India. Boys andgirls often married in their teens, but ideallynot until after completing their education.Divorce was not allowed, but if a couplecould not have children, the husband couldmarry a second wife.

One custom shows how the lives ofIndian men were considered to be moreimportant than the lives of Indian women.In India, people were cremated, or burned,when they died. When a man from a promi-nent family died, his wife was expected toleap into the flames. This practice wascalled suttee (suh •TEE). If the wife resistedand did not kill herself, it was a greatshame. Everyone would avoid the womanfrom then on.

Identify What were thefive major groups in Indian society?

238-245 Ch4 S1-868874 4/3/06 9:34 AM Page 245


Hinduism and

Buddhism


Looking Back, Looking AheadMuch of Indian civilization is

based on Aryan ideas and culture,which you learned about in the lastsection. One of the most importantand long-lasting contributions of theAryans is the main religion of India,Hinduism.

Focusing on the • Hinduism grew out of the ancient

beliefs of the Aryans. (page 247)

• A new religion, Buddhism, appealedto many people in India and otherparts of Asia. (page 249)

Locating PlacesNepal (nuh•PAWL)Tibet (tuh•BEHT)

Meeting PeopleSiddhartha Gautama (sih•DAHR•

tuh GOW•tuh•muh)Dalai Lama (DAH•LY LAH•muh)

Content Vocabulary Hinduism (HIHN•doo• IH•zuhm)Brahman (BRAH•muhn)reincarnation

(REE• ihn•kahr•NAY•shuhn)dharma (DAHR•muh)karma (KAHR•muh)Buddhism (BOO•DIH•zuhm)nirvana (nihr•VAH•nuh)theocracy (thee•AH•kruh•see)

Academic Vocabulary affect (uh•FEHKT)require (rih•KWYR)area (AR•ee•uh)aware (uh•WAR)

Reading StrategySummarizing Information Create a web diagram like the one below. Inthe ovals, identify major beliefs ofHinduism.

c. 1500 B.C.Aryans bring earlyHindu ideas to India

c. 563 B.C.The Buddhais born inNepal

c. 200 B.C.Theravada Buddhismspreads to Sri Lanka

Ganges R.

NEPAL

SRILANKA

1500 B.C. 800 B.C. 100 B.C.1500 B.C. 800 B.C. 100 B.C.


Hinduism

246-258 Ch4 S2-868874 1/5/05 12:30 AM Page 246

WH6.5.3 Explain the major beliefs and practices of Brahmanism in India and how they evolved into early Hinduism.

HinduismHinduism grew out of the ancient

beliefs of the Aryans.

Reading Connection Have you ever wondered why

most people try to behave properly or do good deeds?

As you read this section, find out how a Hindu would

answer this question.

Hinduism (HIHN •doo • IH • zuhm) is one ofthe oldest religions in the world, and today itis the third largest. The basic principles ofwhat is known today as Hinduism werealready formulated by 1500 B.C. They are tobe found in the four Vedas. The Aryansbelieved in many deities who controlled theforces of nature and governed society. Weknow about Aryan religion from their sacredhymns and poetry, especially their epics, orlong poems.

For centuries, the priests, or Brahmins,recited these works, and much later theywere written down in Sanskrit. Over the

centuries, Aryan religion changed. It bor-rowed some religious ideas from the peoplethe Aryans conquered in India. This mix ofbeliefs eventually became Hinduism.

Early Hinduism Hinduism grew out of thereligious customs of many people overthousands of years. This might explain whyHinduism has thousands of deities. Hindustend to think of all deities as different partsof one universal spirit. This universal spiritis called Brahman (BRAH •muhn). In its earli-est forms, the worship of this spirit is some-times called Brahmanism.

The search for a universal spirit isdescribed in the ancient sacred texts knownas the Upanishads (oo • PAH • nih • SHADZ).Those writings say that every living beinghas a soul that wants to be reunited withBrahman and that this happens when a per-son dies.

The Upanishads describe how a personunites with Brahman: A soul that becomesone with Brahman is like a lump of saltthrown into water. The lump of salt is gone,but the water tastes salty. The salt hasbecome part of the water.

Hindu temple

Fire sacrifice accompanied by reading from the Veda. What ancient scripturesdescribe a universal spirit?

247(l)Robert Harding Picture Library, (r)Borromeo/Art Resource, NY

246-258 Ch4 S2-868874 6/1/06 2:31 PM Page 247


Name Realm

Brahma

Vishnu

Siva

Ganesha

Krishna

Lakshmi

Saraswati

Parvati

Surya

creator of the world

preserver of the world

destroyer of the world

lord of existing beings; remover of obstacles

teacher of the world

deity of light, beauty, good fortune, and wealth

deity of knowledge, music, and creative arts

universal mother

deity of the sun

Major Hindu DeitiesMajor Hindu Deities

Siva

Ganesha

What Is Karma? Hindus believe that asoul is not joined to the Brahman immedi-ately after a person dies. Instead, a personmust pass through many lives to be unitedwith Brahman. On its journey, a soul mightbe reborn into a higher caste. If an individ-ual lived a bad life, he or she might bereborn into a lower caste or life-form.

This idea of passing through many livesto reach the Brahman is called reincarnation(REE • ihn •kahr •NAY • shuhn). It is very impor-tant in Hinduism and it influences howHindus live their daily lives. It even affectshow they treat animals because they con-sider all life sacred.

To earn the reward of a better life in theirnext life, Hindus believe they must performtheir duty. Dharma (DAHR • muh) is thedivine law. It requires people to performthe duties of their caste. A farmer has differ-ent duties than a priest and men have dif-ferent duties than women.

The consequences of how a person livesare known as karma (KAHR • muh). Hindusbelieve that if they do their duty and live agood life, they will have good karma. Thisgood karma moves them closer to theBrahman in their next life.

How did the belief in reincarnationaffect Indians? For one thing, it made themmore accepting of the caste system. Peoplebelieved they had to be happy with their rolein life and do the work of their caste.

A dedicated Hindu believes that the peo-ple in a higher caste are superior and thatthey are supposed to be on top. The belief inreincarnation gave hope to everyone, evenservants. If servants did their duty, theymight be reborn into a higher caste in theirnext life.

Explain How did the beliefsof the Aryans influence Hinduism?

Brahma, Vishnu, and Siva are considered to bethe three main Hindu deities.

1. Which deity is known as the “teacher of theworld”?

2. Conclude Why does Hinduism have somany deities?

(t)SEF/Art Resource, NY, (b)Victoria & Albert Museum, London/Art Resource, NY

246-258 Ch4 S2-868874 3/17/06 11:10 AM Page 248

WH6.5.5 Know the life and moral teachings of the Buddha and how Buddhism spread in India, Ceylon, and Central Asia.


BuddhismA new religion, Buddhism, appealed to

many people in India and other parts of Asia.

Reading Connection What do you think makes a per-

son free and happy? Find out how the Buddha answered

this important question as you read this section.

By 600 B.C., many Indians began to ques-tion Hindu ideas. The Brahmin priestsseemed to focus only on their temple cere-monies and not on the needs of the people.Ordinary Hindus wanted a simpler, morespiritual religion. Many would find whatthey needed in Buddhism (BOO• DIH • zuhm),a new religion founded by SiddharthaGautama (sih•DAHR• tuh GOW• tuh•muh).

Who Is the Buddha? Prince SiddharthaGautama was born around 563 B.C. in asmall kingdom near the Himalaya. Today,this area is in southern Nepal (nuh•PAWL).

Siddhartha seemed to have it all. He waswealthy and handsome, happily married,and had a fine new son. Then one day hedecided to explore the kingdom beyond thepalace walls. As he traveled, he became veryupset. He saw beggars, people who were ill,and people broken down by age with nohome and nowhere to go. For the first time,he was truly aware of suffering.

Then and there, Siddhartha decided toseek an answer to this great riddle: Why didpeople suffer and how could their sufferingbe cured? He left his family and riches andbegan his search. At first he lived like a her-mit, fasting and sleeping on the hardground. Siddhartha nearly starved, but hestill had no answer to his questions.

Then he decided to meditate for as longas it took to get the answer. Legend tells usthat Siddhartha sat under a tree to meditate,and after 49 days, he finally understood. Itwas as if he had seen a great light.

Siddhartha spent the rest of his life wan-dering the countryside and telling peoplewhat he had discovered. His lessons aboutlife and the nature of suffering becameknown as Buddhism. To his followers, hebecame known as the Buddha, or“Enlightened One.”

What Is Buddhism? To understand theBuddha’s ideas, one first has to see the worldas he did. Like any good Hindu, Siddharthadid not think that the normal, everydayworld was real. Trees, houses, animals, thesky, and the oceans were just illusions. Sowere poverty, sickness, pain, and sorrow.

Siddhartha believed that the only wayto find the truth about the world was togive up all desires. By giving up the desirefor fame, the desire for money, and thedesire for all worldly things, pain and sor-row would vanish.

If a person gave up all desires, he or she would reach nirvana (nihr • VAH • nuh).Nirvana is not a place but a state of wisdom.The word nirvana came from the Sanskritword for blowing out a candle flame.

This shrine in northern India marks the locationwhere it is believed the Buddha delivered hisfirst sermon. With what groups of Indians didthe Buddha’s message become popular?

Rajesh Bedi/National Geographic Image Collection

246-258 Ch4 S2-868874 3/17/06 12:30 PM Page 249


The heart of the Buddha’s teachings iscontained in the Four Noble Truths. TheFour Noble Truths are:

1. Life is full of suffering.2. People suffer because they desire worldly

things and self-satisfaction.3. The way to end suffering is to stop desir-

ing things.4. The only way to stop desiring things is to

follow the Eightfold Path. The Buddha’s fourth truth says people

should follow eight steps to eliminate suffer-ing. These eight steps, known as theBuddha’s Eightfold Path, are:

1. Know and understand the Four NobleTruths.

2. Give up worldly things and don’t harmothers.

3. Tell the truth, don’t gossip, and don’tspeak badly of others.

4. Don’t commit evil acts, like killing, steal-ing, or living an unclean life.

5. Do rewarding work.6. Work for good and oppose evil.7. Make sure your mind keeps your senses

under control.8. Practice meditation as a way of under-

standing reality.One reason the principles of Buddhism

became popular was that the Buddha did notaccept the caste system. A person’s place inlife depended on the person, he thought. TheBuddha did believe in reincarnation, butwith a difference. If people wanted to stopbeing reborn into new lives, the Buddha said,they would only have to follow his EightfoldPath.

Many people liked the Buddha’s mes-sage, especially Untouchables and low-casteIndians. For the first time, these groups heardthat they, too, could reach enlightenment.

Buddhism in Southeast Asia For more than40 years, the Buddha preached his ideas.Disciples gathered around him, and after hisdeath, they spread his message all over Asia.

As more and more people practicedBuddhism, disagreements arose about theBuddha’s ideas. Finally, Buddhists split intotwo groups. The first was TheravadaBuddhism. Theravada means “teachings ofthe elders.” It sees the Buddha as a greatteacher, not a god.

Buddhist teachers and merchants spreadthe ideas of Theravada to the south and to theeast. It was adopted in Ceylon in the 200s B.C. Ceylon, an island located near thesouthern tip of India, is now called Sri Lanka.

Morality in theEightfold Path

This passage describes the way a personshould act according to the Eightfold Path.

“He avoids the killing ofliving beings. . . . Heavoids stealing, andabstains from [avoids]taking what is not givento him. Only what isgiven to him he takes,waiting till it is given;and he lives with a heart honest and pure. . . .He avoids lying. . . . Hespeaks the truth, isdevoted to the truth,reliable, worthy ofconfidence, no deceiver of men.”

—The Word of theBuddha,

Nyanatiloka, trans.

According to the passage, what is thecorrect way to accept something?

The Buddha

Borromeo/Art Resource, NY

246-258 Ch4 S2-868874 1/5/05 12:33 AM Page 250

6.4.6. Compare and contrast life in Athensand Sparta, with emphasis on their rules inthe Persian and Peloponnesian Wars.

WH6.5.5 Know the life and moralteachings of the Buddha and how Buddhismspread in India, Ceylon, and Central Asia.

THE BUDDHAC. 563–483 B.C.

Siddhartha Gautama—the thinker and teacher whowould later be called the Buddha—was born in what isnow Nepal. According to legend, his mother had a dreamshortly before his birth that was interpreted to meanthat her son would become a great leader.

The Gautama family belonged to the warrior caste.Siddhartha’s father, Suddhodana, ruled a group calledthe Shakyas. His mother, Maya, died shortly after hisbirth.

Siddhartha was very intelligent. According tolegend, the young man knew 64 languages andmastered all his studies without needing instruction.

At age 29,Siddhartha realizedthat he wanted to search for truth, enlightenment, and away to rise above suffering. Heleft his wife, Yasodhara, andson, Rahula, to study withpriests.

At age 35, Siddhartha is said to have reached fullenlightenment while sitting beneath a tree. The Buddha began traveling to teach others about his discoveries and about the nature of life and suffering.

251

“Our life is shaped byour mind; we becomewhat we think.”

—The Buddha

Sculpture of theBuddha sittingon a cobra

The Buddha

What types of present-day occupations ofteninvolve traveling to teach others? Why is thistype of teaching easier today than in ancienttimes?

(l)Archivo Iconografico, S.A./CORBIS, (r)Christie’s Images, London/Bridgeman Art Library/SuperStock

246-258 Ch4 S2-868874 1/5/05 12:24 AM Page 251


Theravada Buddhismalso became popular inMyanmar, Thailand,Cambodia, and Laos.

Mahayana BuddhismThe second kind ofBuddhism is calledMahayana Buddhism.It teaches that theBuddha is a god whocame to save people.Mahayana Buddhistsbelieve that following the Eightfold Path istoo hard for most people in this world. Theybelieve that by worshiping the Buddhainstead, people will go to a heaven after theydie. There, they can follow the Eightfold Pathand reach nirvana.

Mahayana Buddhists also have specialaffection for the bodhisattvas (BOH • dih •SUHT • vuhz). Bodhisattvas are the enlight-ened people who postpone going to heaven.Instead, bodhisattvas have decided to stayon Earth to help others and do good deeds.

Mahayana Buddhism spread northwardinto China and from there to Korea andJapan. Aspecial kind of Mahayana Buddhismdeveloped in central Asia in the country ofTibet (tuh•BEHT). There it mixed with Tibet’straditional religion and with Hinduism.

In Tibet, the Buddhist leaders, calledlamas, also led the government. When reli-gious leaders head a government, it iscalled a theocracy (thee •AH •kruh • see). TheDalai Lama (DAH • LY LAH • muh) was thelama who headed the government, and thePanchen Lama was the lama who led thereligion. Both were considered reincarna-tions of the Buddha.

Today, many Buddhists live in countrieslike Thailand, Cambodia, and Sri Lanka,but few live in India where the Buddha first preached.

What Is Jainism? While Buddhism did notlast in India, another religion that chal-lenged Hindu beliefs has survived. This reli-gion is called Jainism. Followers of Jainismbelieve that there were 24 saints who taughtJainism to the world. The last and greatestwas named Mahavira. Jains believe thatMahavira is the 24th Tirthamkara(pathfinder) who like his predecessorsretold how to achieve spiritual liberation.

Mahavira lived at about the same timeas the Buddha. Like the Buddha, Mahavirawas also born in northern India to a noblefamily. He, too, gave up his wealthylifestyle and traveled throughout the coun-try. After many years he became enlight-ened and began to teach Jainism.

Jainism rejected the caste system ofHinduism. Mahavira’s followers stress theidea of ahimsa, or nonviolence to all livingthings. Because all life is sacred, the Jains, asMahavira’s followers came to be called,tried to avoid harming any other livingcreature. They would even use brooms tosweep aside insects so that they would notstep on them. Jains refused to farm for fearof plowing under living things.

Jains believe in living a very strict life.By living this way and practicing ahimsa,Jains hope to achieve nirvana. They alsopractice tolerance toward all other religions.

Ahimsa’s Impact Today The concept ofahimsa has had an important influence inmodern times. Mohandas Gandhi, anIndian political and spiritual leader in the1900s, used ahimsa very effectively. Indiahad been under British control since themiddle of the 1700s. Gandhi and his follow-ers led peaceful protests to gain Britishattention. He practiced passive nonviolentresistance by peacefully disobeying the law.By using nonviolence, he hoped to shamethe British into discussing the situation in

A Tibetan monktoday

Sheldan Collins/CORBIS

246-258 Ch4 S2-868874 3/18/06 10:43 AM Page 252

Reading SummaryReview the • Hinduism is an old religion with

many deities. Hindus believe inreincarnation and that a person’splace in life is determined by hisor her karma.

• In the 500s B.C., SiddharthaGautama founded the religion of Buddhism in northern India.According to Buddhism, a personwho follows the Four NobleTruths and the Eightfold Path can achieve nirvana.

What Did You Learn?

Study Central Need help understandingHinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism? Visit ca.hss.glencoe.com and click on Study Central.

1. What are the Upanishads?

2. What is reincarnation?

Critical Thinking3. Compare and Contrast

Draw a chart like the onebelow. Then add details tocompare the two mainbranches of Buddhism.

4. Analyze How has ahimsainfluenced people today?

5. Explain What is the impor-tance of the Four Noble Truthsand the Eightfold Path?

6. How did thebelief in reincarnationstrengthen the caste systemand provide hope for the lowerclasses?

7. Narrative Writing Write ashort story describingSiddhartha Gautama’s journeyto enlightenment. CA 6WA2.1

CA HI3.

CA HR4.

CA HI2.

CA 6RC2.4

TheravadaBuddhism

Branches of BuddhismMahayanaBuddhism


India. His efforts eventually helped Indiagain its independence.

Occasionally political leaders in theUnited States have adopted Gandhi’s beliefin ahimsa and used nonviolent protest tobring about change. Perhaps the mostfamous example of this was Martin LutherKing, Jr., who led civil rights protests in the1950s and 1960s. During this period in U.S.history, many African Americans did nothave the same opportunities as other peo-ple. There were also laws in parts of theUnited States that kept African Americansand white Americans segregated, or sepa-rate, from each other.

Martin Luther King, Jr., learned and fol-lowed many concepts taught by Gandhi.King believed that living by the principlesof ahimsa and practicing passive resistancewould be more effective than violence ingaining rights for African Americans. Like

Gandhi, King was able to bring about greatchange in his country.

Describe How did

Buddhism spread throughout Asia?

Gandhi (left) andMartin Luther King, Jr.,(below) both believedin nonviolent protest.

246-258 Ch4 S2-868874 3/17/06 11:55 AM Page 253


254

Selected and edited by Joseph Jacobs

Before You ReadThe Scene: The story takes place in India, near a jungle.

The Characters: A Brahman man walking through a jungle comes across atiger who is caught in a cage. Later on, the Brahman meets a friendly jackalwho tries to help him.

The Plot: A fearsome tiger is trapped in a cage. As a friendly Brahman walksby, the tiger asks him for help.

Vocabulary Previewcontrary: exactly opposite

dexterously: expertly done

fodder: dry food for animals

pious: religious

refuse: garbage or trash

vain: having no success

wretched: very miserable orunhappy

Have you ever tried to dosomething good for someone butit ended up hurting you? In thisstory, a friendly man tries to helpa trapped tiger, only to bethreatened afterward.

246-258 Ch4 S2-868874 1/5/05 12:35 AM Page 254


Once upon a time, a tiger was caught in a trap. He tried in vain to get out through the bars, and

rolled and bit with rage and grief when he failed.

By chance a poor Brahman came by. “Let me out of this cage, oh pious one!” cried the tiger.

“Nay,1 my friend,” replied the Brahman mildly, “you would probably eat me if I did.”

“Not at all!” swore the tiger with many oaths; “on the contrary, I should be for ever grateful, and

serve you as a slave!”

Now when the tiger sobbed and sighed and wept and swore, the pious Brahman’s heart softened,

and at last he consented to open the door of the cage. Out popped the tiger, and, seizing the poor

man, cried, “What a fool you are! What is to prevent my eating you now, for after being cooped up so

long I am just terribly hungry!”

In vain the Brahman pleaded for his life; the most he could gain was a promise to abide by2 the

decision of the first three things he chose to question as to the justice of the tiger’s action.

So the Brahman first asked a pipal3 tree what it thought of the matter, but the pipal tree replied

coldly, “What have you to complain about? Don’t I give shade and shelter to every one who passes

by, and don’t they in return tear down my branches to feed their cattle? Don’t whimper—be a man!”

Then the Brahman, sad at heart, went further afield till he saw a buffalo4 turning a well-wheel; but

he fared no better from it, for it answered, “You are a fool to expect gratitude! Look at me! Whilst I

¢

1nay: no2abide by: to accept3pipal: a large fig tree sacred to Buddhists4buffalo: water buffalo

As You ReadThroughout India, tales of right and wrong are told even today.Much like Aesop’s fables, many of these tales have animals asmain characters. A collection of Indian stories called the Jatakascontains many of this type of story. What kinds of lessons aboutright and wrong can this story teach us?

246-258 Ch4 S2-868874 4/3/06 9:48 AM Page 255

256 CHAPTER 4 • Early India256

gave milk they fed me on cotton-seed and oil-cake, but now I am dry they yoke5 me

here, and give me refuse as fodder!” . . .

On this the Brahman turned back sorrowfully, and on the way he met a jackal, who

called out, “Why, what’s the matter, Mr. Brahman? You look as miserable as a fish out of

water!”

The Brahman told him all that had occurred. “How very confusing!” said the jackal,

when the recital was ended; “would you mind telling me over again, for everything has

got so mixed up?”

The Brahman told it all over again, but the jackal shook his head in a distracted sort

of way, and still could not understand.

“It’s very odd,” said he, sadly, “but it all seems to go in at one ear and out at the

other! I will go to the place where it all happened, and then perhaps I shall be able to

give a judgment.”

So they returned to the cage, by which the tiger was waiting for the Brahman, and

sharpening his teeth and claws.

“You’ve been away a long time!” growled the savage beast, “but now let us begin our

dinner.”

“Our dinner!” thought the wretched Brahman, as his knees knocked together with

fright; “what a remarkably delicate way of putting it!”

“Give me five minutes, my lord!” he pleaded, “in order that I may explain matters to

the jackal here, who is somewhat slow in his wits.”

The tiger consented, and the Brahman began the whole story over again, not missing

a single detail, and spinning as long a yarn as possible.

“Oh, my poor brain! oh, my poor brain!” cried the jackal, wringing its paws. “Let me

see! how did it all begin? You were in the cage, and the tiger came walking by—”

“Pooh!” interrupted the tiger, “what a fool you are! I was in the cage.”

“Of course!” cried the jackal, pretending to tremble with fright; “yes! I was in the

cage—no I wasn’t—dear! dear! where are my wits? Let me see—the tiger was in the

Brahman, and the cage came walking by—no, that’s not it, either! Well, don’t mind me,

but begin your dinner, for I shall never understand!”

5yoke: a wooden bar that is placed on an animal’s back and attached to a plow

246-258 Ch4 S2-868874 3/15/06 7:50 AM Page 256


“Yes, you shall!” returned the tiger, in a rage at the jackal’s stupidity; “I’ll make you

understand! Look here—I am the tiger—” . . .

“And that is the Brahman—” . . .

“And that is the cage—” . . .

“And I was in the cage—do you understand?”

“Yes—no—Please, my lord—”

“Well?” cried the tiger impatiently.

“Please, my lord!—how did you get in?”

“How!—why in the usual way, of course!”

“Oh, dear me!—my head is beginning to whirl again! Please don’t be angry, my lord, but

what is the usual way?”

At this the tiger lost patience, and, jumping into the

cage, cried, “This way! Now do you understand how it

was?”

“Perfectly!” grinned the jackal, as he

dexterously shut the door, “and if you will

permit me to say so, I think matters will remain

as they were!”

º

1. Which three things did the Brahman ask to help him?

2. Why did the Brahman repeat his story to the jackal?

3. Drawing Conclusions This story is told from the perspective ofsomeone who is not directly involved in the events of the story.This is known as third-person narration. How would the story bedifferent if it were told from the point of view of one of thecharacters, also known as a first-person narration? Rewrite thestory from that character’s perspective.

4. Analyze Authors use different tools, called literary devices,when they write a story. One such device is known aspersonification. It assigns human emotions and actions tononhuman things. Write a two- to three-paragraph essayexplaining which characters have been personified. How doesthis literary device help the story? Why do you think the authoruses it?

5. Read to Write What do you think is the lesson to be learnedfrom this story? Write an essay using examples from the textto support your opinion. CA 6WA2.4

CA 6RL3.7

CA 6RL3.5; 6WA2.1

Responding to the Literature

246-258 Ch4 S2-868874 1/5/05 12:38 AM Page 257


Do you want to learn more about the history of civilizations in India,China, and America? If so, check out these other great books.

Folklore

Once a Mouse . . . by Marcia Brown tells the tale of a hermit who befriendsa small, frightened mouse. The story tells how the hermit’s magic makes themouse change shapes. The content of this book is related to History–SocialScience Standard WH6.5.

Biography

Confucius: The Golden Rule by Russell Freedman, a Newbery Award winner,describes the life and times of the great Chinese philosopher Confucius. Thebook uses stories, legends, and works written by Confucius’s students toexplain his impact on life in China. The content of this book is related toHistory–Social Science Standard WH6.6.

Nonfiction

Oracle Bones, Stars, and Wheelbarrows: Ancient Chinese Science andTechnology by Frank Ross, Jr., introduces the reader to the inventions andadvancements made by the Chinese people. The content of this book is relatedto History–Social Science Standard WH6.6.

Folklore

Warriors, Gods, and Spirits from Central and South American Mythologyby Douglas Gifford discusses the many myths, tales, and important people inCentral and South America. The book is filled with colorful drawings and excit-ing stories of early Native Americans. The content of this book is related toHistory–Social Science Standard WH7.7.

246-258 Ch4 S2-868874 1/13/05 2:20 PM Page 258

India’s FirstEmpires

Looking Back, Looking AheadIn the last section, you learned

about Hinduism and Buddhism. Bothreligions developed when India was aland of small kingdoms. These rivalkingdoms would be forced to unite,however, when foreigners invaded.

Focusing on the • The Mauryan dynasty built India’s

first great empire.(page 260)

• The Gupta empire reunited much ofnorthern India and became wealthythrough trade.(page 264)

• The Mauryan and Gupta empires madeimportant contributions in literature,mathematics, and science.(page 265)

Locating PlacesPataliputra

(PAH • tuh • lih • POO • truh)

Meeting PeopleChandragupta Maurya (CHUHN•

druh•GUP•tuh MAH•oor•yuh)Asoka (uh•SOH•kuh) Kalidasa (KAH• lih•DAH•suh)

Content Vocabularydynasty (DY• nuh•stee)stupa (STOO• puh)pilgrim (PIHL•gruhm)

Academic Vocabularydominate (DAH• muh• NAYT)concept (KAHN• SEHPT)

Reading StrategyCategorizing Information Create achart, identifying the important dates,capital, and government of theMauryan empire.

321 B.C.Chandragupta Maurya founds Mauryan dynasty

232 B.C.Mauryan ruler Asoka dies

A.D. 320Gupta empire begins

Pataliputra

350 B.C. A.D. 1 A.D. 350350 B.C. A.D. 1 A.D. 350

Dates

Capital City

Government

Mauryan Empire



259-267 Ch4 S3-868874 1/5/05 4:40 AM Page 259

WH6.5.6 Describe the growth of the Maurya empire and the political and moral achievements of the emperor Asoka.

The Mauryan DynastyThe Mauryan dynasty built India’s first

great empire.

Reading Connection Do you think political leaders

should promote religion? How might religion help a king

hold his country together? Read to learn why one

Indian emperor decided to support Buddhism.

India’s princes fought over their smallkingdoms for centuries. Then two big inva-sions taught the Indians a lesson. First, thePersians invaded the Indus Valley in the

500s B.C. and made it part of the greatPersian Empire. Then, Alexander the Great,a Greek general you will read about inChapter 8, invaded India in 327 B.C.

Although Alexander’s troops conquerednorthern India, he did not stay long. His sol-diers were homesick and tired and threat-ened to rebel unless he turned back. Theinvasion did have one important effect, how-ever. It led to the first great Indian empire.

Who Built India’s First Empire? India’sfirst empire was founded by Chandragupta

Maurya (CHUHN • druh • GUP • tuhMAH • oor • yuh). Chandraguptawas an Indian prince who con-quered a large area in theGanges River valley soon afterAlexander invaded westernIndia. Alexander’s invasionweakened many of India’skingdoms. After Alexander left,Chandragupta seized theopportunity to conquer andunite almost all of northernIndia.

He founded the Mauryandynasty in 321 B.C. A dynasty(DY • nuh • stee) is a series ofrulers from the same family. Torun his empire, Chandraguptaset up a centralized govern-ment. In a centralized govern-ment, rulers run everythingfrom a capital city. To maintaincontrol from his capital ofPataliputra (PAH • tuh • lih • POO •truh), Chandragupta had tohave a strong army. He alsoneeded a good spy system tomake sure no one was plan-ning to rebel. Communicationswere also important, so he setup a postal system.


70°E

90°E30°N

10°N

INDIANOCEAN

Bayof

Bengal

ArabianSea

Indus

River

Ga

n

gesR

iver

TopraMirath Nigliva

Rummindi

Lalita Patan(Kathmandu)

PataliputraPrayaga

Sanchi

300 km0Azimuthal Equidistant projection

300 mi.0

N

S

W E

Mauryan Empire c. 250 B.C.

Pillar inscribed withBuddhist teachingsHeight of Mauryanempire under Asoka

KEY

1. Location Where was the Mauryancapital of Pataliputra located?

2. Movement What part of India didthe Mauryans not conquer?

259-267 Ch4 S3-868874 1/5/05 4:41 AM Page 260


CHANDRAGUPTA MAURYARuled 321–298 B.C.Chandragupta Maurya may have come from

humble birth, but he was a powerful ruler. Part of hisgreat success was the result of knowing how to takeadvantage of a good opportunity. Alexander theGreat’s conquests in northwest India had left theregion there, called Punjab, weak. The Indians were nothappy about foreign rulers. Beginning in 317 B.C.,Chandragupta began attacking the Greek overlords.He was successful and quickly organized a powerfularmy. Greek rulers left the region rather than prolongthe fight.

Later, in 305 B.C., the Greek ruler Seleucus tried toretake Greek territory in India. Chandragupta raised apowerful army with more than 9,000 war elephants.It did not take Seleucus long to rethink engaging inbattle. Instead, he formed an alliance with the Indianruler. Instead of losing territory in war, Chandraguptaforced Seleucus to give up lands through a treaty.

After conquering most of India, Chandraguptawent about establishing the governmental system. Heused local rulers and had a council of governors tohelp him. Because of the size of the empire, manysupervisors were required on the local level. However,Chandragupta maintained authority over mostmatters. He also developed an extensive spy networkto keep him notified of happenings in his capital cityand within the army. Having conquered the regionhimself, he did not want someone else to come alongand overthrow him.

Late in his life, Chandragupta is said to have converted to Jainism. Having spent much of his efforts in battle or ruling the country, he decided to turn to a simpler way of living. Despite this,his grandson, Asoka, also became a powerful military leader for a time.

261

Chandragupta Maurya

Chandragupta used a powerful military to keepthe peace. Do you think that a large military isnecessary in today’s world? Explain andprovide examples to support your answer.

WH6.5.6 Describe the growth of theMaurya empire and the political and moralachievements of the emperor Asoka.

z (l)Robert Harding Picture Library, (r)Hugh Sitton/Getty Images

259-267 Ch4 S3-868874 1/13/05 2:23 PM Page 261


This stupa from central India is one of the best-preservedshrines from the 200s B.C. What other type of structuredid Indians create to honor the Buddha?

The Buddha

Emperor Asoka’s Reign Chandraguptafounded the Mauryan dynasty, but manyhistorians think the empire’s greatest kingwas Asoka (uh • SOH • kuh). Asoka ruledfrom about 273 B.C. to 232 B.C.

Asoka was an unusual ruler. Like manykings, he was a strong military leader, buthe came to hate bloodshed. After onebloody fight, he walked over the battlefield.When he saw the dead and wounded, hewas horrified. He later made a vow to ded-icate his life to peace and follow the teach-ings of the Buddha.

Asoka focused on the welfare of oth-ers. He created hospitals for people andfor animals, too. He built new roads so itwas easier to trade and put shelters andshade trees along the roads where travel-ers could rest.

Asoka sent many Buddhist teachersthroughout India and the rest of Asia. Theycarried the religion to new believers. In India,laborers carved the Buddha’s teachings onstone pillars for people to read. Asoka also

had laborers build thousands of stupas(STOO • puhs). Stupas are Buddhist shrinesthat have the shape of a dome or mound.Although he was a Buddhist, Asokaallowed his Hindu subjects to practice theirreligion.

With a good road system and a strongruler, the empire prospered. India becamethe center of a huge trade network thatstretched to the Mediterranean Sea.

The Fall of the Mauryan Empire Asokadied in 232 B.C. Unfortunately, the kingswho followed him were not very good lead-ers, and the empire grew weak.

These kings made bad decisions thatturned the people against them. They forcedmerchants to pay heavy taxes and seizedpeasants’ crops for themselves. Things wereso bad that in 183 B.C., the last Mauryan rulerwas killed by one of his own generals.

Summarize Why wasAsoka an important ruler?

(l)Ancient Art & Architecture Collection, (r)Hulton Archive/Getty Images News Services

259-267 Ch4 S3-868874 3/14/06 4:27 PM Page 262


EMPEROR ASOKAReigned c. 273–232 B.C.In the early years of his reign, Asoka was a powerful

military ruler. He used his armies to conquer and unifyalmost all of India under one leader. After watching avery bloody battle that left many people dead, however,he decided to stop fighting and follow Buddhism.

Emperor Asoka vowed to relieve suffering whereverhe found it. He discovered that Buddhism reflected hisnew beliefs, so he became a Buddhist.

Emperor Asoka had a strong, energetic personality. Hebegan preaching Buddhist ideas that people should behonest, truthful, and nonviolent. He preached that peopleshould live with compassion toward all humans andanimals.Asoka taught by example and tried to live his lifewith “little sin and many good deeds.” He ordered hisgovernment officials to adopt those virtues for their ownlives. He helped spread the concepts of Buddhism andahimsa, or nonviolence, throughout his empire and

abroad. At the same time,Asoka practiced tolerancetoward other religions.

Emperor Asoka regularly visited people in the rural areasof his kingdom and found practical ways to improve theirlives. He founded hospitals and supplied medicine. Heordered wells to be dug and trees to be planted along theroads. He also ordered his officials to keep him informed ofthe needs of the people in his empire.

263

Asoka combined religion and government. Doyou think that the two should be combined orkept separate? Explain, providing examples tosupport your answer.

WH6.5.6 Describe the growth of theMaurya empire and the political and moralachievements of the emperor Asoka.

Carving from top of pillar created under Asoka

Asoka

259-267 Ch4 S3-868874 1/5/05 4:45 AM Page 263

WH6.5 Students analyze the geographic, political, economic, religious, and social structures of the early civilizations of India.

The Gupta EmpireThe Gupta empire reunited much of

northern India and became wealthy through trade.

Reading Connection What types of products does

the United States trade with other countries? Read to

learn how the Gupta empire built its wealth on trade.

For 500 years, India had no strong ruler.Once again, small kingdoms fought with oneanother and made life miserable for theirsubjects. Then, in A.D. 320, one prince in theGanges River valley grew more powerfulthan the others. Like an earlier ruler, hisname was Chandragupta. This Chandra-gupta chose to rule from the old capital of theMauryan empire—Pataliputra.

Chandragupta founded the Gupta dy-nasty. When he died, his son, Samudragupta,took over the throne and expanded theGupta empire in northern India. Soon, thenew kingdom dominated almost all of northern India. The Guptas ruled for about200 years. Gupta rulers had one advantageover the earlier Mauryan kings. The em-pire was smaller and that made it easier tomanage.

The Gupta empire grew wealthy fromtrade. Salt, cloth, and iron were commongoods traded in India. Indian merchants alsotraded with China and with kingdoms insoutheast Asia and the Mediterranean. TheGupta rulers controlled much of the tradeand became very wealthy. They owned silverand gold mines and large estates.

Trade created jobs for people in India andmade many people and cities prosperous.Cities grew up along the trade routes, andmany people traveled. Some people, calledpilgrims (PIHL•gruhms), often used the traderoutes to travel to a religious shrine or site.Just as cities today make money fromtourism, Indian cities that were famous fortheir temples became wealthy from dona-tions given by visiting pilgrims.

Asoka had converted to Buddhism, butthe Guptas were Hindus like many of theirsubjects. They made Hinduism the officialreligion and gave money to support Hinduscholars and Hindu shrines. The shrines theybuilt to Hindu deities inspired Hindus. Theyoften had brightly painted sculptures ofimages from the Upanishads and othersacred writings.

During the Gupta empire, art and sciencealso began to develop. Earlier, you learnedthat Greece had a golden age of art and learn-ing. India also had a golden age of art andlearning during the Gupta empire.

Explain How did the Guptaempire become wealthy?


500 mi.0

N

S

W E

INDIANOCEAN

Bayof

BengalArabian

Sea

Indu

s R.

Ganges R.

HINDU

KUSH HI

MA

L A Y A

G u p t a E m p i r e

I N D I A70°E

90°E

30°N

10°N

1. Region What river valleys were foundwithin the borders of the Gupta empire?

2. Movement How does the area of theGupta empire compare to that of theMauryan empire as shown on the map onpage 260?


Gupta Empire c. A.D. 600

The British Library, London/Bridgeman Art Library

259-267 Ch4 S3-868874 3/17/06 2:24 PM Page 264

WH6.5.7 Discuss important aesthetic and intellectual traditions (e.g., Sanskrit literature, including the Bhagavad Gita; medicine;metallurgy; and mathematics, including Hindu-Arabic numerals and the zero).

Indian Literature and Science The Mauryan and Gupta empires made

important contributions in literature, mathematics,and science.

Reading Connection What do you think modern

movies, books, and television reveal about our values?

As you read, try to see if Indian poetry tells a story

about values during the Gupta period.

Artists, builders, scientists, and writersproduced many works while the Mauryanand Gupta kings ruled.

India’s Sacred Texts The Vedas of India arean ancient collection of sacred verses,hymns, prayers, and teachings. No one iscertain how old they are because for a longtime they were only recited, not writtendown. Once Aryan people came to India anddeveloped Sanskrit, then the Vedas could be recorded.

Later, other kinds of literature were alsowritten down in Sanskrit. Two sacred textsare very famous in India, and Indians todaystill love to read them. One is the Mahabharata(muh • HAH •BAH • ruh • tuh), and the other is theRamayana (rah•mah•YAH•nah). Both of thesesacred texts tell about brave warriors andtheir heroic deeds.

The Mahabharata is a long sacred text—about 88,000 verses. Historians think severaldifferent authors wrote it and that it waswritten down around 100 B.C. It describes agreat war for control of an Indian kingdomabout 1,000 years earlier.

The best-known section is the BhagavadGita (BAH•guh• VAHD GEE• tuh), or “Song of theLord.” In it, the deity Krishna accompaniesthe prince Arjuna to a great battle. Krishnapreaches a sermon to Arjuna. He tells himthat it is noble to do one’s duty even when itis difficult and painful.

265

The Bhagavad GitaIn the Bhagavad Gita, Arjuna prepares to go into battle. He asks the deity Krishnaquestions about war and death. The following passage is part of Krishna’s answer.“Thou grievest where no grief should be! . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

All, that doth live, lives always! . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

The soul that with a strong and constant calm

Takes sorrow and takes joy indifferently,

Lives in the life undying!—Bhagavadgita, Sir Edwin Arnold, trans.

What does Krishna believe about life afterdeath?

Painting titled Krishna and Maidens

259-267 Ch4 S3-868874 4/3/06 9:54 AM Page 265


The teachings in the Mahabharata, espe-cially the Bhagavad Gita, contain many of thecentral beliefs in Hinduism. They provideimportant religious and moral lessons. Forthis reason, they have had a great impact onHinduism. Through the ages, many bookshave been written on it. It continues to influ-ence Indian philosophy in modern times.

An important writer from the Guptaperiod is Kalidasa (KAH • lih • DAH • suh). Hewrote plays, poems, love stories, and come-dies. One popular poem, The Cloud

Messenger, contains beautiful descriptions ofnorthern India’s mountains, forests, andrivers.

Music, Art, and Architecture Musicplayed an important part in the religious andsocial lives of people in India. Many of theearly sacred texts like the Bhagavad Gitawere probably sung in group settings. Atannual festivals people danced, sang, and ategood food. They also used music in theirplays. Musical instruments included tam-bourines, flutes, drums, and lutes.

Much of early Indian art was made ofmaterials that have not survived. What existstoday is mostly religious art made in stone.There are many sculptures of the Buddha, forexample. These statues teach differentBuddhist messages based on the figure’spose. Buddhist temples also used carvings oflocal scenes of the community.

Hindu architecture typically had carvingsof people in different poses that representeddifferent aspects of eternity. They also createdimages of deities with many hands to showthat they had many abilities.

Indian Math and Science Indian mathe-maticians, especially in the Gupta period,made important contributions. Aryabhata(AHR •yuh •BUHT •uh) was the leading math-ematician of the Gupta empire. He was one of the first scientists known to haveused algebra. Indian mathematicians devel-oped the idea of zero and a symbol to rep-resent it. They also explained the concept ofinfinity—something without an end.

Gupta mathematicians created the sym-bols for the numbers 1 to 9 that we usetoday. These number symbols, or numerals,were adopted by Arab traders in the A.D. 700s. European traders borrowed them

The Invention of Zero c. A.D. 500

Early humans understood the idea of nothing, but they did not have asymbol to represent that idea. During theGupta dynasty, Indian mathematicians

invented the symbol“0” and connected itwith the idea ofnothing. The Indians’invention of zero hada great impact on thestudy of mathematicsand science—thenand now.Without theconcept of zero,modern technology,such as computers,would not be possible.

The middle dotis the firstsymbol for zero.

259-267 Ch4 S3-868874 3/17/06 1:51 PM Page 266

Study Central Need help understanding theadvances of the Mauryan and Gupta empires?Visit ca.hss.glencoe.com and click on Study Central.


Reading SummaryReview the • The Mauryan empire, under lead-

ers such as Chandragupta Mauryaand Asoka, united most of Indiafor over a hundred years.

• The Gupta dynasty reunitednorthern India and grew wealthyfrom trade.

• During the Mauryan and Guptaempires, the arts and sciencesflourished in India. Several greatsacred texts, including theMahabharata and the Ramayana,came from this period.

1. Describe trade during theGupta empire.

2. What is the message of theBhagavad Gita?

Critical Thinking3. Organizing Information

Draw a diagram to show thecontributions of Indian mathe-maticians during the Mauryanand Gupta empires.

4. Analyze How did Asoka’sactions as king show hisBuddhist beliefs?

5. Create a time lineshowing the advances in art,science, and math in India.Include information telling whythese advances were impor-tant.

6. Math Connection Whywould the development of anumber system be importantin a civilization that dependedon trade?

7. Many historianssay that Asoka was the great-est ruler of the Mauryandynasty. Reread the sectionand decide if you agree. Write3 to 4 paragraphs supportingyour opinion. CA HR5.

CA HI2.

CA 6WS1.3

CA HI2.

CA 6RC2.3

What Did You Learn?

Contributions

from the Arabs. Use of these numbersspread through Europe in the A.D. 1200s,replacing Roman numerals. Today, thissystem of number symbols is known as the Hindu-Arabic numerical system.

Early Indians also invented mathemati-cal algorithms. An algorithm (AHL•gohr• ih•thuhm) is a series of steps that solve a prob-lem. If you follow the steps, you get the rightanswer. Computer programmers today oftenuse algorithms to tell computers what to do.

Ancient Indians made important con-tributions in other scientific fields, espe-cially astronomy. They followed andmapped movements of planets and stars.They understood that the Earth was roundand revolved around the sun. They alsoseem to have understood gravity.

Particularly under the Gupta, Indianscientists made advances in metallurgy, or

metal technology. In addition to iron toolsand weapons, they made steel tools. Aniron pillar in Delhi dating from aroundA.D. 400 was so well made that it hashardly rusted. The Gupta also madesophisticated gold coins and metal mirrors.

In the field of medicine, Gupta doctorswere advanced for their time. They couldset broken bones and perform operations.They also invented many medical tools.

An Indian doctor named Shushruta(shoosh •ROO • tah) carried out an early formof plastic surgery. He worked to restoredamaged noses. Indian doctors used herbsin treating illnesses. They also believed itwas important to remove the causes of adisease and not just cure the disease itself.

Summarize In what areasof science did ancient Indians make advances?

259-267 Ch4 S3-868874 3/17/06 1:51 PM Page 267


Krishna’s Wise Words

In the Hindu religion, the deity Krishna isthe teacher of the world. In this excerpt fromthe Hindu sacred text the Bhagavad Gita,Krishna explains some Hindu beliefs.

19. If any man thinks he slays, and ifanother thinks he is slain, neitherknows the ways of truth. The Eternalin man cannot kill: the Eternal in mancannot die.

20. He is never born, and he never dies.He is in Eternity: he is for evermore.Never-born and eternal, beyond timesgone or to come, he does not die whenthe body dies.

21. When a man knows him as never-born,everlasting, never-changing, beyond alldestruction, how can that man kill aman, or cause another to kill?

22. As a man leaves an old garment andputs on one that is new, the Spiritleaves his mortal body and then putson one that is new.

23. Weapons cannot hurt the Spirit and firecan never burn him. Untouched is heby drenching waters, untouched is heby parching winds.

—The Bhagavad Gita, Juan Mascaró, trans.

India’s Early ReligionsAncient India’s two main religions, Hinduism and Buddhism, used sym-

bols to convey ideas. These symbols represented something deeper and moreprofound than the simple image. While the two religions shared this commonform, they were quite different.

Read the passages on pages 268 and 269, and answer the questions thatfollow.

kinsmen (KIHNZ•mehn): relativessandalwood (SAN•duhl•WOOD): a tree

with a sweet odor

rosebay (ROHZ•BAY): an herbjasmine (JAZ•muhn): a sweet-smelling

flower

Reader’s Dictionary


Siva

WH6.5.5 Know the life and moralteachings of the Buddha and howBuddhism spread in India, Ceylon, andCentral Asia. WH6.5.7 Discussimportant aesthetic and intellectualtraditions (e.g., Sanskrit literature,including the Bhagavad Gita; medicine;metallurgy; and mathematics, includingHindu-Arabic numerals and the zero).

268-271 CH4 CRA-868874 3/17/06 1:59 PM Page 268

A Buddhist Story

The Buddha believed it was important for peopleto follow the Eightfold Path. In the followingpassages, the Buddha explains a few of his beliefs.

TreasureA woman buries a treasure in a deep pit,

thinking: “It will be useful in time of need, or ifthe king is displeased with me, or if I amrobbed or fall into debt, or if food is scarce, orbad luck befalls me.”

But all this treasure may not profit theowner at all, for she may forget where she hashidden it, or goblins may steal it, or her ene-mies or even her kinsmen may take it whenshe is careless.

But by charity, goodness, restraint, and self-control man and woman alike can store up awell-hidden treasure—a treasure which cannotbe given to others and which robbers cannotsteal. A wise person should do good—that isthe treasure which will not leave one.

VirtueThe perfume of sandalwood,Rosebay or jasmineCannot travel against the wind,

But the fragrance of virtueTravels even against the wind,As far as the ends of the world.

Like garlands woven from a heap of flowers,Fashion from your life as many good deeds.

—Teachings of the Buddha, edited by Jack Kornfield


The Buddha

Krishna’s Wise Words

1. What does Krishna mean when he says thatthe Spirit leaves the mortal body and puts onanother like a change of clothes?

2. Why is the Spirit not affected by weapons orthe elements?

A Buddhist Story

3. How do you think the Buddha feels aboutmoney or other kinds of material wealth?

4. How can you build up a treasure that willnever leave you?

Read to Write

5. Imagine that you have no knowledge of theHindu and Buddhist religions. After readingthe two primary sources above, how wouldyou describe the religious ideas that areimportant in each religion? Write an essaythat describes the similarities between thetwo religions based on these two passages.

CA 6WA2.2CA HI2.

268-271 CH4 CRA-868874 1/5/05 5:08 AM Page 269

Standard WH6.5

14. Explain How did the monsoons affect the development of India’s first civilizations?

15. Predict What do you think might havehappened if Asoka had approved of theslaughter on the battlefield during hiswars of conquest?

Geography SkillsStudy the map below and answer the follow-ing questions.16. Human/Environment Interaction Why

did Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro developso near the Indus River?

17. Place The winter monsoon winds comefrom the northeast. What makes the windsfrom that monsoon cold?

18. Location Name at least two naturalfeatures that protected Harappa andMohenjo-Daro from invaders. CA CS3.

CA CS3.

CA CS3.

CA HI2.

CA CS3.

Review Content Vocabulary1. Write a paragraph about the basic beliefs

of Buddhism using the following words.reincarnation karma dharma

Write the vocabulary word that bestcompletes each sentence. a. stupa d. pilgrimb. caste e. theocracyc. raja f. dynasty

2. Each Aryan tribe was led by a ___.3. In a ___, government is led by religious

leaders.4. A ___ is a line of rulers who belong to the

same family.5. A ___ travels to religious places.

Review the Section 1 • India’s First Civilizations

6. What new technology did the Aryansintroduce to India?

7. What was the purpose of the castesystem?

Section 2 • Hinduism and Buddhism8. What is the link between the Aryans

and Hinduism?9. Describe the differences between

Hinduism and Buddhism.

Section 3 • India’s First Empires10. Which dynasty built India’s first

great empire? 11. What poem expresses many of

Hinduism’s central beliefs?

Critical Thinking12. Compare How do you think the Eightfold

Path is similar to the Ten Commandmentsof Judaism?

13. Analyze How does the Mahabharata reflectthe ideals of ancient India? CA 6RC2.7

CA 6RC2.2



500 mi.0

N

S

W E

ArabianSea

Indu

s R.

Ganges R.

HINDU

KUSH

HI M

AL A Y A

I N D I A

THAR

DESER

T

70°E

30°N

Mohenjo-Daro

Harappa

Early India

Indus civilization,c. 1500 B.C.

KEY

268-271 CH4 CRA-868874 1/5/05 5:10 AM Page 270

Self-Check Quiz To help you prepare forthe Chapter Test, visit ca.hss.glencoe.com

Read to Write19. Persuasive Writing Literature

written during the Mauryan empireplayed an important role in Indian beliefs.Write a paragraph in which you agree ordisagree with this statement.

20. Using Your Use the informationyou recorded in your foldable to create afill-in-the-blank quiz for a classmate. Writea paragraph about one of the sections,leaving blanks for your classmates to fillin. Also write an answer key.

Using Academic Vocabulary21. Using information from the chapter, write

a sentence in the past tense for each of thewords below.

affect dominaterequire

Building Citizenship22. Analyzing Information Dharma is the

Hindu idea of duty. Is it important forpeople in a society to do their duty? Makea list of duties Americans have today.Then write a paragraph explaining whythose duties are important.

23. Persuasive Writing Under EmperorAsoka religion and government werecombined. Write an essay in which youdescribe what you think the relationshipbetween government and religion shouldbe.

Linking Past and Present24. Learning From Writing After the Aryans

arrived in India, they developed a writtenlanguage called Sanskrit. With this form ofwriting, the sacred songs and poems ofearly India could be recorded. Search yourlocal library for a book of modern poetry.Read some of the poems. How does thebook’s author introduce the poems? Writean essay describing what the poems tell usabout today’s society. CA 6RC2.1

CA 6WA2.5

CA HI2.

CA 6RC2.4

CA 6WA2.5


Select the best answer for each ofthe following questions.

When the Indus River floodednearby land, it

A forced early settlers to becomenomads.

B left behind rich, fertile soilperfect for farming.

C destroyed the first Indiancivilization, Harappa.

D ruined crops and the peoplestarved.

According to Siddhartha, theonly way to find the truthabout the world was to

A give up all desires.B live like a hermit.C meditate for 49 days.D fast until you are nearly

starved.

28

27

Reviewing Skills

25. Questioning Select a partof the chapter that is interesting and writea series of questions about it that youwould like answered. Conduct researchand write down answers to the questionsyou posed.

26. Fact and Opinion Rereadthe list of the Four Noble Truths on page250. Do you agree with these Truths? Whyor why not? Write an essay defendingyour position. CA HR2.

CA HR1.

268-271 CH4 CRA-868874 3/17/06 2:01 PM Page 271


Documents

chap04