Ancient India
PowerPoint Review By Mrs. Tippin
Geography of Ancient India
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The subcontinent of India is has the natural
boundaries of the Himalayan Mountains, the Hindu
Kush, the Arabian Sea, the Bay of Bengal, and the
Indian Ocean.
The major rivers of ancient India were the Ganges
River and the Indus River.
The settlements of Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa were
located on the Indus River.
These farming communities learned to use the
monsoons to improve their agricultural production.
Indus Valley Civilization
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The cities of Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa were
planned communities.
Streets were laid out in a grid pattern.
Houses had indoor plumbing and the cities had a
sewer system.
All of this has been dated back to 2500 BCE; over
4500 years ago!
Once the farmers had a food surplus, specialization
was possible. Artisans, craftspeople, and merchants
started creating and selling goods.
The Harappans had no written language, so
archaeologists used artifacts to figure out the story of
the civilization.
The Collapse of The Harappan Civilization
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theory is that continual flooding
forced the civilization to move from this
location.
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theory is that the civilization of
Mohenjo-Daro ended because of
invasions.
Aryan Civilization
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The Aryan civilization began in the Indus River Valley
about 1500 BCE.
They settled near the Ganges River on the Ganges
Plain.
They were mainly farmers and herders.
Men had more rights and freedoms than women.
Their spoken language was Sanskrit; they later
developed a written form of this language.
They used long poems, called epics, to tell their
history.
They wrote the Vedas to tell their legends, hymns,
poems, and religious ceremonies. The Vedas were
also called the “Books of Knowledge”.
Social Structure of the Aryans
In Aryan society, your class was determined by position.
You were born into a class (varna). Each varna had its own
duties and responsibilities. Subgroups of the varna were
called jati, and were determined by occupation.
Social Structure of the Aryans (Part 2)
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is a person’s sense of duty to
their varna, and the civilization as a
whole.
z The two main epics of this time were The
Mahabhrata and the Ramayana. Both of
these epics deal with the theme of good
winning over evil.
Hinduism
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Aryan religion develops into Hinduism.
The Upanishads are the religious writings and laws of
Hinduism.
Hindus believe in a universal spirit. They also believe
that all living things have souls.
Hindus also believe in a cycle of rebirth called
reincarnation. The goal is to achieve freedom from
reincarnation and reach moksha.
Your reincarnation level is determined by karma, a
belief that the good (or bad) deeds you do in this life
will affect your next one.
Buddhism
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Buddhism was started by Siddhartha Gautama. As an
adult, he left the security of the palace and saw human
suffering for the first time.
Siddhartha becomes known as the Buddha (the
enlightened one).
Buddhism follows the Four Noble Truths (p. 210).
Followers of Buddhism keep to the Eightfold Path in
order to reach nirvana, or freedom from the cycle of
rebirth.
Siddhartha rejected the Hindu varna system and the
Hindu dieties.
The Mauryan Empire
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The Mauryan Empire was started by
Chandragupta Maurya around 321 BCE. At its
height, this empire covered 2/3 of the Indian
subcontinent.
He succeeded in unifying the small
independent kingdoms into one empire.
To control his empire, Chandragupta had an
efficient spy network and used political
assassins to stop rebellion.
He also established an efficient postal system
and built roads to link the people of the
empire.
Asoka’s Rule
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Asoka was the greatest Mauryan ruler.
After viewing the result of an exceptionally brutal battle,
Asoka renounced war and became a Buddhist.
Buddhist missionaries traveled throughout India and parts
of Asia to spread Buddhism during Asoka’s reign. (ooze)
He had his laws written on stone pillars in the languages
of the people (not Sanskrit). These were called the Rock
Edicts.
His public projects included hospitals and veterinary
clinics. He also built fine roads, with rest houses and
shade trees for the travelers’ comfort.
The Mauryan Empire ended with Asoka’s death in
232 BCE. Later rulers seized crops from peasants and
raised taxes. This caused the people to rebel against the
government and divide back into separate kingdoms.
The Gupta Empire
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Gupta Empire began in CE 310, and
was ruled by Chadragupta I.
z Chandragupta I made Hinduism the
official religion of the empire.
z The Gupta Empire reached its height
under the rule of Chandragupta II. This
time period was called India’s Golden
Age.
India’s Golden Age
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Poets, playwrights, and philosophers were welcomed
in the Gupta empire.
The Panchatantra (a book of moral lessons) and the
Shakuntala (a romantic play) were written at this time.
Gupta mathematicians made advances in the
principles of algebra, the concept of zero, the concept
of infinity, and symbols that become Arabic numerals.
Gupta astronomers realized that the world was round.
Gupta doctors set broken bones, performed
operations, and invented hundreds of medical tools.
Gupta ideas traveled throughout the hemisphere
through trade. (ooze)
The Golden Age ends with Chandragupta II’s death in
CE 415. By CE 600, invasions and internal fighting
cause the end of the unified Gupta Empire.