GeographySubcontinent•Large land mass set apart from

the rest of the continent•2,000 miles from north to south•Nearly as wide•Separated on the east by the Himalayan mountains

•Fertile Soil•Rivers flooded 2 times a year•Indus River ValleyFertile Soil

Subcontinent

.• India is considered a “subcontinent” because

of its size. It is actually a part of Asia. In the north are high mountains, the Himalayas and Hindu Kush. In the center is the Deccan Plateau

Geography

• River system

Geography

• River system

• Indus Valley• The Indus River is located in Pakistan. It was

along this river that a civilization developed around 2,500 BCE. It is called the Indus Valley Civilization. Two major cities of this civilization were Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro.

•

Geography

Harrappa-Mohenjo Daro

Advanced Civilization

• 3000 BC• Central Government• Writing• Trade with Mesopotamia

Here is a reconstruction of what the entrance to Mohenjo Daro might have looked like.

Advanced Civilization

• 3000 BC• Central Government• Writing• Trade with Mesopotamia

This is a photograph of “The Great Bath” at Mohenjo Daro. This is one of the earliest examples of a public bath or water storage system found in the world. The Indus Valley people were great architects and city planners.

Harappa

• 3000 BC• Central Government• Writing• Trade with Mesopotamia

Advanced Civilization

• City design well organized– Perpendicular streets– Designed for cooling– Advanced plumbing systems– Largest building in Mohenjo Daro –Public Baths

• Used a common system of weights and measures• Peaceful civilization• Disappeared before 1700 BC

– Drought– earthquake

Advanced Civilization

Advanced Civilization

Advanced Civilization

India’s Vedic Age

2 Theories how this period began– Aryan Invasion

• Nomadic warriors who crossed the mountains into India

• Rode horse drawn chariots• Used iron weapons and defeated the local people

– Believed Aryans were original inhabitants

Aryan Invasion

• Around 1500 BCE, a group of nomadic warrior-herders crossed the narrow Khyber Pass in the Hindu Kush Mountains and invaded the Indus Valley culture.

• These people, the Aryans, came from Eastern Europe between the Black Sea and Caspian Sea, probably looking for pastures for their animals.

• Flooding and earthquakes had weakened the Indus Valley culture and they were unable to withstand the newcomers.

Aryan Invasion

• The route of the Aryans into India.

Cultural Diffussion

The Aryans brought with them their own culture

The Indus Valley people eventually became intermixed with the Aryan people and the two cultures together make up what is now much of the culture of modern India.

The Aryans were a group of Indo-European people that moved from the steppes into what is now India.

Mahabarata

Mahabharata

Most of Indian history comes to us through their sacred literature, the Vedas. Archaeology tells almost nothing about the Aryans. But their sacred literature, the Vedas, tells a lot about them. The Mahabarata may be the worlds longest poem, 200,000 lines long. This text deals with important religious texts.

Caste SystemIn an effort to maintain dominance t he Aryans divided the people into classes. or castes, People could interact only with their own caste.

People were born into their caste for life. These castes were initially determined by varna — literally, color. The Aryans were light skinned, and comprised the upper castes, while the native peoples found in India were darker skinned, and made up the lowest caste

Caste System

1. The caste system is the traditional hereditary social class system that affected every aspect of their life – their job, their status, who they could marry, and even who they could talk to.

2. Hindus are born into their caste and could not get out until their death

3. There was no SOCIAL MOBILITY – could not move up in social class!

Hinduism – Basic Beliefs

3. Karma – a person’s behavior in life determines their caste in the next life

4. Dharma – Your DUTIES in life to family and caste, do your job well!

Hinduism – Basic Beliefs

1. The Gods

a. Brahman – the Creator

b. Vishnu – the Preserver

c. Shiva – the Destroyer

2. Reincarnation – the soul never dies, it is re-born and goes through many lives until it can unite with Brahma

Hinduism – Basic Beliefs

1. The Gods

a. Brahman – the Creator

b. Vishnu – the Preserver

c. Shiva – the Destroyer

2. Reincarnation – the soul never dies, it is re-born and goes through many lives until it can unite with Brahma

Hinduism – Basic Beliefs

5. Cremation – Burn body to release soul for next life

6. MOKSHA – ultimate goal - state of perfect understanding of all things, become one with the universe.

Caste System

The upper three classes consisted of Aryan people while the bottom two were the local native Indian people.

Some “impure” people lived in a group outside this class system. (ie. They were out-castes.) They were butchers, grave diggers, and trash collectors. Because they did work that was thought unclean, they were called “untouchables”.

“Untouchables”

From Hinduism To Buddhism

Around 528 BCE another new religion, Buddhism, arose in India. It was started by Siddhartha Gautama.

The founder, Siddhartha Gautama, has many legends and stories that have surrounded his life. While we can't be certain which of these stories and legends are true, we do know that the basic historical outlines of his life are accurate.

Beginnings of Buddhism• He was the chief's son of a tribal group, so he was born a Kshatriya (Warrior

class) around 566 BC.

• At the age of 29, he left his family in order to lead a simple life.

• A few years later he returned with a number of followers; followers that devoted their lives to "The Middle Way“, a lifestyle that is midway between a completely simple lifestyle and one that is full of materialistic goods.

• Siddhartha searched for a way that would allow him to escape the suffering of human life. He spent many years searching for this answer. He was looking for enlightenment, or wisdom.

• Finally, he sat down and meditated under a tree. After 49 days, he had his answer. He was now called the Buddha, which means “enlightened one”. The Buddha began to teach others how to attain enlightenment.

Beliefs of Buddism

• He was the chief's son of a tribal group, so he was born a Kshatriya (Warrior class) around 566 BC.

• At the age of 29, he left his family in order to lead a simple life.

• A few years later he returned with a number of followers; followers that devoted their lives to "The Middle Way“, a lifestyle that is midway between a completely simple lifestyle and one

The Four Noble Truths– Suffering is universal – everyone suffers

– Cause of suffering is DESIRE

– If you end your desires – suffering will end (necessary to reach NIRVANA- a release from

selfishness and pain.)

– Follow the EIGHTFOLD PATH –

The Four Noble Truths– Suffering is universal – everyone suffers

– Cause of suffering is DESIRE

– If you end your desires – suffering will end (necessary to reach NIRVANA- a release from

selfishness and pain.)

– Follow the EIGHTFOLD PATH –

How to become enlightened Buddhists were to follow a plan of behavior called the Eightfold Path — right views, right resolve, right speech, right conduct, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration.

This would lead to nirvana, or a release from selfishness and pain.

Spread of Buddhism

• Buddhism spread from India to China and other parts of the world along the SILK ROAD –

• The sharing of religion is an excellent example of cultural diffusion.

India first Empires

Maurya & Gupta

In 321 BCE, the founder and eventual King of the Maurya Empire, Chandragupta Maurya used his army to defeat powerful kings in eastern and northern India.

By 305 BCE, he began to challenge for Alexander the Great’s western territories in India, and by 300 BCE, for the first time, northeastern and northwestern India were joined under the rule of one person.

Chandragupta was a harsh ruler. He charged a heavy tax on farmers — one-half of the crop they grew each year. He used this wealth to build a huge army. He controlled his government by carefully choosing officials and watching them closely

The Maurya Empire

In 269 BCE, Chandragupta’s grandson, Asoka, took the throne. He brought the Mauryan Empire to its greatest height. At first he was a warlike king but then he decided to accept the teachings of the Buddha.

• Asoka promised to rule in a fair and just way. • He issued laws that urged his subjects to avoid violence. • He urged religious toleration. This is acceptance of

people’s rights to differing religious beliefs. • He made great roads so that people could travel easily. • Asoka is also known as “the lawgiver” because he carved

the laws into stone pillars which were placed in the center of towns.

The Maurya Empire

Some of the Pillars of Asoka

Sanskrit Language

The Gupta Empire

Soon after Asoka died, however, his empire collapsed.

Around 320 AD, Chandra Gupta I came to power in the north. He was not related to the first emperor Chandragupta Maurya of the Maurya Empire , but he too took the title of king and began to conquer other areas in the name of the Gupta Empire.

The Gupta Golden Age

• Added western coast to empire

• religion • science• Flourishing of arts

Medicine Literature

MathematicsAstronomy

Printedmedicinal

guides

1000 diseasesclassified

PlasticSurgery

C-sectionsperforme

d

Inoculations

500 healingplants

identified

DecimalSystem

Conceptof Zero

PI = 3.1416

Kalidasa

SolarCalendar

The earth

is round

GuptaIndia

Gupta Achievemen

ts

Gupta Achievemen

ts

The Achievements of the Gupta Empire

History Alive Chapter 18

Golden Age

• A time of great prosperity and achievement.

• Peaceful times allow people to spend time thinking and being creative.

The Rise of the Gupta Empire

• The Mauryan Empire fell in 187 B.C.E.

• India broke apart in smaller kingdoms.

• The smaller kingdoms fought for 500 years.

• Beginning around 320 C.E. a second great empire arose.

Chandragupta I

• The Guptas united the northern kingdoms by conquering them through war.

• Formed alliances through marriage.

Guptas

• Gave local areas or provinces a lot of independence.

• The Guptas stayed in power for nearly 230 years.

Great Achievement in the Gupta Empire

• Universities• Literature• Painting• Sculpture• Metalwork• Mathematics• Roads

Universities

Time of great learningHindu and Buddhist

universitiesNo women were

allowed to attend, except for the daughter’s of teachers

Hindu universities were designed for the upper classes.

The Mahabharata (“Great Work”)

• All the stories from the Puranas were finally written down.

• The stories were hundreds of years old.

• Themes relate to Hindu values of good versus evil.

Bhagavad Gita (“Song of the Lord”)

• Part of the Mahabharata

• Beautiful poem and beloved work

• Prince Arjuna is taught basic truths of Hinduism by Krishna, an earthly form of the deity Vishnu.

Gupta Literature Spread

• Beyond India to Greece and Persia.

• The famous Arabian tale about Aladdin and his magic lamp was inspired by a Gupta folktale.

Painting

• Gupta empire famous for its beautiful paintings

• Subjects included deities and other religious topics

• Paintings were created on long scrolls

Mathematics

Write whole numbers 1-9.

Used decimals system to write numbers.

Hindu mathematicians were the first to use the zero as a number.

Arabic numerals began wish the Indian system of numbers.

AryanhataCombined math and

astronomy.He figured out that a year

was exactly 365.258 days long.

Calculated the approximate size of the earth.

Proposed planets were like balls or spheres.

Suggested the earth spins on an axis.

Mathematics Practical Uses

• Gupta builders used mathematics to design more complex structures.

Roads

Gupta rulers encouraged trade by creating a huge system of well built roads.

Roads built with care and precision.

Signs told travelers where they were.

Empire greatly benefitted from trade.

Roads

• Connected India to China and the lands east of the Mediterranean Sea.

The End