The Indus Civilization• Present-day Pakistan and India• Isolated by Hindu Kush, Himalaya Mountains,
and Indian Ocean• Migrant people used Khyber Pass (route in
Hindu Kush) to travel through• Called a subcontinent because its geographical
features sharply separate it from the rest of Asia.
http://bestanimations.com/Cartoons/FamousToons/FamousToons3.html
Geography of India
• 3 physical zones– Fertile northern
plain – contains Indus and Ganges Rivers
– Deccan Plateau – dry, unfertile, no one lived here
– Coastal Plains – lush, tropical and most populated
http://www.internationalcircuit.com/gfx/india-map.gif
Hindu Kush Mountains
Himalayas
Indian Ocean
Bring on the Monsoons!• Monsoon – heavy, seasonal rain/wind in
Asia• Summer monsoons very wet, needed to
water the crops.• Indus Valley also depended on snow from
Himalayas melting each year and flooding the valley.
Early Indian Civilizations
• Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro 2 major cities of Indus Valley.
• Very advanced and organized• Polytheistic, believed in afterlife• Also created writing system - pictographs
What Happened?• Cities disappeared for
unknown reason• 3 Theories
– People overfarmed the land– Volcanic eruption killed
everyone– Violent attack by outsiders
killing everyone• After collapse, Indo -Aryan
people migrated in.
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The Indo-Aryans
• Migrated through Khyber Pass
• Very structured society
• Measured wealth by cows
• Used caste system
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I NEED MORE
COWBELL!!!
The Caste System• Hereditary social groups • The system:
– Brahmins – priests– Kshatriyas –
nobles/warriors– Vaisyas – middle class– Sudras – slaves,
peasants
– Untouchables - final group below the caste system. http://www.beyondbooks.com/wcu91/
images/00042985.jpg
Hinduism
• Upanishads and Vedas main books for Hinduism.
• Believed in Karma – reincarnation is based on behavior.
• Also Dharma – set of religious and moral duties for each caste.
• Hinduism is most common religion in India today.
http://www.norwichinterfaith.co.uk/hindu1.gif
The Great Asoka• King of Mauryan dynasty in 270BC.• Sends Buddhist missionaries across Asia.• Converted thousands to Buddhism.
http://sokagakkai.info/html3/sg_today3/sg_images3/Map_of_Budd.jpg
A.Asoka spread Buddhism to China & SE Asia
Buddhism spread here
“A soka you, A soka you!”
Asoka’s super soka!
Buddhism• Developed in India by Siddharta Gautama
(Buddha) around 500 BC.• Created 4 main ideas for new religion – Four Noble
Truths• Also had guidelines for living – Eightfold Path.• Stressed religious duties and moral principles.
http://www.soyouwanna.com/site/syws/buddhism/img/BUDDHISM_graphic.gif http://www.bltc.com/chakra.gif
QUACK QUACK
!
The Gupta Empire – India’s Golden Age
• Rules around 320 AD.• Pushed for Hinduism, basically kicked out
most of Buddhism in India.• Gupta contributions:
– Mathematics - Arabic numerals, concept of zero, decimal system, & symbol for infinity.
– Literature– New Textiles
• Invaded by Huns 600AD
Questions for UnderstandingWrite the question and answer in your notes
• How does geography affect India?• What happened to the first Indian settlers?• How was wealth measured by the Indo-Aryans?• Who created the caste system in India?• What is karma?• How does Asoka spread Buddhism?• What factors led to Buddhism’s disappearance
in India?