IndusIndus

Developed c. 3000/2500 BCE and ends c. 1500 BCE

Mysterious because language still undeciphered

PolytheisticHarappa and Mohenjo-Daro – walled cities

Technology and Economy– Traded pottery, tools, decorative items, and

obtained gold, silver, and copper from Persia and wool, leather and olive oil from Meso.

– Metal tools of bronze and copper– Cotton c. 5000 BCE– Writing of 400 symbols

AryansAryans

Nomadic people of Indo-European origin enter through Khyber Pass c. 1700 BCE

Est. racial mixVedas reveal hierarchical, male-dominated

societyPolytheistic with nature godsSocial structure: The Caste System

MauryansMauryans

India developed by 6th c. BCE into small regional kingdoms fighting each other, most often remaining decentralized

One example of centralized rule was the Mauryans in 320s BCE

Chandragupta Maurya fill power-vaccuum left after Alexander the Great withdraws from India

AshokaAshokaHis grandson Ashoka (Asoka) continued

conquering until bloody campaign convinced him to rule by moral example

Tightly organized bureaucracy, built roads, hospitals and rest houses which facilitated trade

Rock EdictsAfter his death, the empire declined and India

returned to regional kingdoms…but order and stability remained with increase in trade

GuptaGupta

India united again c. 320 CE by Chandra Gupta

South remained out of his controlLeft local government and administration in

powerInvasion of the White Huns weakened the

empire and India returned to regional rule

India in FoundationsIndia in FoundationsEconomy

– Benefited from expansion of agriculture and increase in trade

– Ashoka promoted trade by building roads, wells, and inns

– Silk Roads connected India with China– Indian sailors master monsoon winds, sailing to

Indonesia and Southeast Asia– Their cotton and black pepper made it all the

way to Rome

Social Structure and Gender Roles– Women forbidden to read Vedas and were

legally minors– To marry well, a woman needed a large dowry– Women couldn’t inherit and widows could not

remarry– Women had property rights but declined in

status during Gupta– Ritual of sati for wealthy women– Strict social hierarchy with caste system,

occupation dictated by caste

Culture, Arts, Science, Technology– Ashoka helps spread Buddhism– Hinduism gradually eclipses Buddhism– Indian art stressed symbolism– Geometry and algebra flourish: circumference

of earth and value of pi calculated, concept of zero, decimal system and “Arabic” numbers developed

– Chess and playing cards

Other Early MigrationsOther Early Migrations Out of Africahttp://www.wadsworth.com/history_d/special_features/ext/duiker_maps/swfs/ds1_1.html

Bantu– 2000 BCE to 1000 CE, spread from West Africa

thru Sub-Saharan Africa, spread iron and language, bananas furthered migration, increased Africa’s population

Phoenicians– Seafaring people of eastern Mediterranean Sea,

colonies in N Africa and S Europe, alphabet, spread maritime skills and spread alphabetic language to Greece, Rome, and on

Polynesia– Australia around 60,000 years ago, 2000 BCE

spread to other Pacific islands like Fiji, Samoa, Hawaii, planned colonization?, distinct development

Israelites– Originated about 2000 BCE with Abraham,

settled in Canaan, monotheism distinct, migration to Egypt led to slavery and freed by Moses, formed kingdom of Israel, no conversion, basis of Christianity and Islam, Jewish Diaspora