Ancient India

The Indian Subcontinent

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I. Geography of India

A. Highly diverse and large--a subcontinent

1. Immense Natural Recourses

2. Key hub to world wide trade

3. Very sought after

B. Virtual Isolation

1. Northern mountains and southern seas

2. Not everyone is cut off everyone

a. Traders

b. Pilgrims

c. Armies

C. Those who get there first will try to keep – others will try to take it.

II. Indus Valley -- Harappan Civilization

A. First Settlers

B. Very old--flourished between 2500-1500 BC

C. Writing remains undeciphered -- much still unknown

D. City-state based culture spread over large area

E. Nature of society

1. Cities laid out in same pattern

2. Art, weights and measures, money, architecture

3. Government: theocracy

F. Walled Cities with complex system of drainage and sewers

The Harappan Civilization

3300 BCE - 2400 BCE

Aerial View of Mohenjo-Daro

Wide View, Mohenjo-Daro

G. Economy 1. Agriculture - wheat, barley, peas,

cotton, rice, lentils 2. Trade - ivory, gems, bronze, etc.

H. Religion - evidence of precursors to Hinduism

I. Decline to collapse (last 200 years) 1. Earthquakes, floods, other natural

disasters2. Cities abandoned – reverse civilization 3. Open for invasion by 1500 BC

III. Aryan invasion

A. Invasion from the North -1500BC

B. Next 500 years, Aryans would take over entire section of India

Aryan Migration

pastoral depended on their cattle.

warriors horse-drawn chariots.

IV. Mixing cultures A. Aryans Warlike – Dravidians Smarter (non-

Aryans descendents of Harappans) 1. Aryans raised cattle 2. Aryans Horses, chariots, copper-bronze

weapons 3. Dravidians knew how to survive.

Sanskrit

writing

C. Indian culture:

1. INDIA: combination of Aryans and Dravidians

V. Invaders and Empires

A. Foreign invaders after 400 BC OUTSIDERS1. Persia

2. Greeks

3. Macedonians

B. Mauryan Empire INDIAN 1. Short-lived by middle eastern standards: 321-

185 BC 2. Highly successful, first to unify the

subcontinent, drove out invadersa. Large, across the subcontinent b. Well-organized politically, socially c. Trade throughout d. Civic buildings, parks, entertainment

3. Government by strong King a. "Government is the science of

punishment" b. Law, reason, and results valued

4. Ashoka (273-232 BC) a. Different from other famous

reigns b. Killed 100,000 prisoners of war,

had a spiritual conversion to Buddhism

c. Introduced the idea of non-violence to Mauryan culture

d. Short-lived success: 50 years after his death led to 500 years of disintegration

C. Kushan Kingdom 1st Century AD OUTSIDERS1. Nomadic warriors

2. Present day Afghanistan

3. Traded on Silk Road. Big money

D. Gupta Empires 320 AD INDIAN1. New age in India

2. Tolerance of Buddhism

3. Trade and travel

E. Nomadic Huns 5th century AD OUTSIDERS1. Invaded from the northwest

2. Reduced power of Guptas

F. India not unified for hundreds of years.

VI. Social system

A. Caste System develops

1. Based on differences of skin color

2. Warrior class of Aryans held dark-skinned Dravidians in contempt

3. Became based on occupation, social status, and reincarnation

Varna (Social Hierarchy)

ShudrasShudras

VaishyasVaishyas

Kshatriyas Kshatriyas

Pariahs [Harijan] Untouchables

Pariahs [Harijan] Untouchables

BrahminsBrahmins

B. Caste system levels 1. Brahmins - priests 2. Kshatriya - warriors, nobles3. Vaisya - merchants, commoners4. Sudras - farmers, artisans, laborers 5. Pariahs or untouchables (5-7% of

population); originally slaves, then outcasts 6. Top three were Aryan only 7. Caste system not individual but by family

clan, or jati 8. Still strong in the twenty-first century

C. Reincarnation, Dharma (moral code), and Karma (as fate) 1. Living the right way, the right dharma (moral duty),

helped to achieve the correct karma (reward or consequence).

2. Each caste had its own moral code of what is acceptable 3. Each person in each caste had a reason to be there based a

past life 4. Best karma would be to transcend earthly cares 5. History was a series of reincarnations with different

karma 6. Samsara - a cycle of birth, death, and rebirth 7. Way to get reincarnated to a better caste was to act

correctly in your present position (dharma) 8. Linked present with past and future, create responsibility,

and keep castes in their places 9. Ultimate "heaven" would be achieving unity with the

World Soul

VII. Hinduism A. Developed from the

Aryan Vedas and Dravidian religion, grew to be dominant religion in India

B. Three major Gods of Hinduism (many minor deities as well)

1. Brahma--the Creator 2. Vishnu--the Preserver 3. Shiva--the Mighty

and Destroyer 4. Underlying everything

is the Brahman - spiritual essence, World Soul - "the One...present in all things"