The Aryans and The Aryans and the Vedic Agethe Vedic Age

– Harappa and Mohenjo-daro were the largest cities

– Civilizations participated in long-distance trade

– Possible causes:• Monsoons destroyed irrigation and farming

prospects• Invasions• Long distance trade collapsed

Decline of the Indus River Valley Decline of the Indus River Valley civilizationscivilizations

AryansAryans

• Root of the word is arya meaning “noble” or “pure”

• Spoke an early form of Sanskrit– This Indo-European language is closely

related to Persian, Latin, Greek and modern Romance languages

– Nazis glorified Aryans as a superior race because they were credited with this important language development

AryansAryans

• Where did they come from?– Most scholars argue that the Aryans

descended upon North India through the Hindu Kush around 1500 BC

– Some scholars now think that they arrived much earlier, and perhaps descended from the Harappan

Aryans and VedasAryans and Vedas

• Vedas– A collection, in multiple volumes, of hymns,

rituals, and philosophies– The vedas include stories that attempt to

explain how the world was created, who the gods are, etc.

– Thought to be the earliest written texts

Aryans and VedasAryans and Vedas

• Rig Veda– The earliest Veda– Originally was recited orally and passed down

generation to generation– Children began learning the Rig Veda at an

early age, would learn to chant each syllable in perfect order

Aryans and VedasAryans and Vedas

• Portrays Aryans as fierce warriors with military skill

• Aryans did not spread through India quickly, did not carry out well organized military campaigns

• Aryans were a collection of tribes who gradually, over generations of warring with each other came to power in North India

Aryans and Social OrderAryans and Social Order

• Each tribe was headed by a raja, or chief

• Priests were next in importance– They learned complicated rituals– Rituals typically focused on honoring or

appeasing the gods

Aryans and Social OrderAryans and Social Order

• Warrior class

• Farmers

• Non-Aryans made up the lowest class– They were not slaves– They were only allowed to perform the most

menial tasks

Early Indian SocietyEarly Indian Society

• 1000-500 BC

• Tribal rajas were no longer necessary because tribal life was in decline

• Kings controlled large pieces of territory

• The Aryan-influenced areas extended all the way to the Ganges River

Caste SystemCaste System

• The system of dividing society into hereditary groups that limited interaction with each other, especially marriage between castes

• The hierarchical strata into which Indian society was divided is called varna

Caste SystemCaste System

• Brahmans (priests)

• Kshatriya (warriors and officials)

• Vaishya (merchants and artisans)

• Shudra (peasants and laborers)

• Dalit, or untouchables – outside the caste system

Caste SystemCaste System

• Brahman– Aryan priests who supported the growth of

royal power– The only caste that was permitted to perform

important, sacred, daily religious rituals

Caste SystemCaste System

• Untouchables– Were not permitted to participate in or be near

religious rituals– It is believed that people ended up in this

caste as a result of bad karma that accumulated in previous lifetimes

– Perform(ed) the most menial jobs