Chapter 3 India

Rivers Indus Ganges Brahmaputra

Mountains Himalayan Hindu Kush

Winds monsoons

Impact on society? Technology? Government?

Geography

Timeline of India

TIMELINE dates

Indus Valley (Harriman) 2500-1500BC

Aryan Civilization (Vedic) 1500-1000BC

Mauryan Civilization 320-185 BC

Gupta Civilization 320AD -550AD

Basics on India

Government Early – raja (local leader), later - kings

Religion Hinduism, Buddhism

Writing Sanskrit

Technology Citadels (fortresses), inoculation

Society Social hierarchy, caste system – rigid class system

Indus Valley Civilization

Cities: Harappa and Mohenjo Daro Well planned Citadels: fortress Large storehouses

Limited amount of evidence Known:

traded with Mesopotamia

Seals

Harappa Writing

Aryan Civilization

Came to India because of pasture/cattle

Polytheistic – nature gods

Aryan Language

Languages

English Month Mother Night Three

German Monat Mutter Nacht Drei

Spanish Mes Madre Noche Tres

Persian Mah Madar Shab Se

Sanskrit Masa Mater Noktam Tris

Vedic Age (Aryan Civilization)

Society:Herders and farmerscaste system

Brahmins: teachers, scholars and priests

Kshatriyas: kings and warriors

Vaishyas: farmers and traders

Sûdras: artisans, labourers Untouchables

Varna (Social Hierarchy)

Shudras

Vaishyas

Kshatriyas

Pariahs [Harijan] UntouchablesPariahs [Harijan] Untouchables

Brahmins

“THERE IS ONLY ONE GOD, BUT ENDLESS ARE HIS ASPECTS AND ENDLESS ARE HIS

NAMES”

Religion in Ancient India

Hinduism

Monistic – unity of god and creation

Brahma: The Creator Vishnu: The PreserverShiva: The Destroyer

Religious books called the VedasReligious commentaries on

Vedas called the Upanishads

Hinduism

Shiva Vishnu

Society: Social Structure

Different castes are at different stages of nirvana Because of this, lower castes were discriminated

What is the purpose of a caste system?Why would people buy into this caste

system?

Hindu terms

Atman: soulBrahman: universal soulNirvana (moksha): liberation/unionReincarnation: rebirth to achieve higher levels of

existenceKarma: good and bad incidents in life that allow your

soul to advanceDharma: doing moral duty in life to advance to the next

lifeMaya: world we see is an illusion

Hinduism

Reincarnation

People may be reincarnated at a higher or lower level of existence the way one has lived in a previous life dictates

into which caste you are born

depending on their karma

animals or a lower/higher caste as a human.

Death is not final for Hindus as they expect to be reborn many times.

Hinduism

Other Beliefs Cows are sacred Every living thing

has a soul – vegan or vegetarian

Ganges river is sacred

Freedom of belief Yoga brings one

closer to moksha

Buddhism

Reformer Siddhartha Gautama TIMELINE – 563 BC

Four noble truths, Eight-fold path are way to Nirvana

Not based on caste system, based on ethics

Desire causes suffering

Buddhism gets reabsorbed back into Hinduism in India, become more popular in other parts of Asia

Asoka

What are the major themes in Asoka’s edicts (what is the common message)

How are his edicts similar to or different from Hammurabi?

What would daily life look like in India as a result of these edicts

Women

“Women must be honored and adorned by their fathers, brothers, husbands, and brothers-in-law.”

“Where women are honored the gods rejoice. Her fathers protects her in childhood, her husband protects her in youth, her son protects her in old age – a woman does not deserve independence. “

“In regard to the highest dharma, husbands must strive to protect their wives “