AIM: How did the geography of India impact the development of early

Indian civilizations? Do Now: Test Review, End of MP reflection,

goal setting

Unit Essential Question: In what ways did the civilizations and

empires of ancient India and China lay long-lasting social and political

foundations?

India is a subcontinent in South Asia.

The Himalaya Mountains separate IndiaFrom China.

This is a photograph of the famousKhyber Pass. This valley allowedtravelers to enter India.

India also experiences the monsoon.The monsoons are winds that bring

rains.

The Indus River is an important river inIndian history. It was the birthplace of South Asia’s earliest civilization.

E. Napp

The Ganges River is an important river inIndia. It is a sacred or holy river for Hindus.

The Indus River begins in the Himalayas.When the snows melt, the river floods.

The Indus river allowed people to farm.It made irrigation and transportation

possible. A great civilization developedin the Indus river valley.

Harappan Civilization

• The early civilization that developed in the Indus river valley is frequently referred to as Harappan civilization.

• 2 Important Cities = Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro

3000 B.C.E

This ruin reveals the careful planning ofthe Indus river city of Harappa.

The buildings of Mohenjo-Daro were alsocarefully planned.

Urban Planning

• Urban planning refers to the careful planning of a city.

This hole and drain suggest that indoorbathrooms and toilets may have existed.

Harappan civilization had writing. However,archaeologists are still deciphering it.

This map reveals the location of Harappancivilization.

Harappan civilization began around3000 B.C.E.

The cities were surrounded by walls.Walls were used to protect the inhabitants

of the cities.

Harappan civilization declined around1500 B.C. It is possible that the monsoon

failed or an earthquake occurred.

The Aryans

Priests

Warriors

Peasants/Traders

Laborers/Craftsmen

The Aryans1500-250 BC

I. Indo-European Migrations1. Nomads: someone who moves from place to place in search for

food.2. From the Steppes of the Caucasus Mts.

A. Steppe: dry grasslands.3. Migrated (moved) all throughout Europe & southwest Asia.

II. Aryans1. Indo-Europeans who migrated into the Indus Valley.2. Vedas: books that set down their prayers, songs, spells & religious

formulas.3. Varnas:

A. Rigid class system created by the Aryans.i. Aryans had the best jobs.ii. Dasa (dark) had the worst jobs.

4. Magadha – major kingdom of the Aryans.5. Polytheistic – worshipped gods and goddesses who embodied

natural forces.

Aim: How did Mauryan rulers create a strong

central government for their empire?

Do Now: What are some of the law/legal systems we have discussed so far this year? What else, besides laws, shapes

peoples actions?

Turn & Talk

Do you believe…

Is it better to rule through times of peace or times of

war?

Behavior Fit For a King

• “The king’s good is not that which pleases him, but that which pleases his subjects”

-Arthashastra, a Maurya handbook on governance

What should the duties of a ruler include?

According to Hindu teachings, a ruler’s duties included maintaining peace and order by enforcing laws, resisting invaders, and encouraging economic growth. Those who successfully achieved those goals became some of India’s great rulers.

The Maurya Empire

321 BCE – 185 BCE

Chandragupta• Gained power in the Ganges

Valley then conquered northern India.

• Maintained order through a well-organized bureaucracy• Building of roads/harbors,

collected taxes, managed state-owned factories/shipyards

• Rule was effective but harsh • Brutal secret police

reported on corruption, crime and dissent

Asoka

• 268 BCE – became emperor

• Converted to Buddhism, rejected violence, and resolved to rule by moral example.

• Sent missionaries to spread Buddhism across India and to Sri Lanka.• Preached tolerance for other

religions.

• Edicts of Asoka: stone pillars across India announcing laws and promising righteous government

• Brought peace and prosperity to empire

Division and Disunity

• After Asoka’s death, Maurya power declined (185 BCE)

• North and south (Deccan Plateau) was separated by distance and cultural differences

• Foreign invades constantly pushed through mountain passes into Northern India.

• South divided into many kingdoms, different languages and different traditions.

AIM: Why was the period of Gupta rule in India

considered the “golden age”?

Do Now: What words/phrases do you associate with the term ‘golden age’?

Golden Age

Golden Age – period of great cultural achievement

“The people are numerous and happy;…only those who cultivate the royal land have to pay [a portion of] the grain from it…The king governs without…corporal punishments. Criminals are simply fined, lightly or heavily, according to the circumstances [of each case].

-Faxian, A Record of Buddhistic Kingdoms

How was Gupta rule different from Mauryan rule?

The Guptas Bring About a Golden Age

• Trade and farming flourished

• Artisans produced goods for local markets and foreign lands

• Advances in learning – students were educated in religious schools (not limited to religion and philosophy)

• MATHEMATICS* concept of zero, decimal system

• Expand India’s literature

Decline

Weak rulers

Civil war

Foreign invaders

Family and Village Life

• Majority were peasants

• Joint family – parents, children and offspring shared a common dwelling

• Dowry – brides family makes payment to the bridegroom

• Women lost status as time progressed

• life revolved around the village

• Agriculture and trade shaped life