Chapter 6- Early India

Section 1- India’s Early Civilizations

Geography of India

India is a subcontinent. It is part of Asia, but it is separated by a mountain range called the Himalayas.

India has two important rivers: Ganges River & Indus River

Monsoons are strong winds that blow one direction in the winter and the opposite direction in the summer. Winter brings cold, summer brings warm and wet air. Summer monsoon brings rain for growing crops.

The Harappan/Indus Civilization

India’s first civilizations developed near the Indus River between 3000 B.C. through 1500 B.C.

Two major cities were Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro.

Houses had flat roofs and were built with mud bricks. Residents had a water supply, indoor bathrooms, garbage chutes and granaries.

Religion and politics were closely related.

Harappans made jewelry, tools, pottery and cloth and it is likely they began to trade with the Mesopotamians around 2300B.C.

The Aryans After the Harappan civilization

collapsed as a result of natural causes, around 2-1000 B.C. the Aryans from central Asia, inhabited the area.

Cattle (cow) was very important to the Aryans. They provided meat, milk and butter.

Once Aryans settled in India, they began to farm and declared cattle as sacred and forbidden to eat.

Aryan had a written language called Sanskrit.

Aryans organized themselves into tribes led by rajas.

India’s Caste System A caste is a social

group that someone is born into and cannot change. Indians call these “jati”.

Aryans may have created caste system based on skin color since they were lighter skinned. Caste groups kept groups separate and set rules for behavior.

Role of Men and Women Grandparents, parents and children all lived together. Oldest

man in the family was in charge.

Men had many more rights than women. Only sons could inherit property, go to school or become priests. Women received education at home.

In top families, boys had gurus or teachers before he went to the city for education.

In India, parents arrange marriages. Even today, 90% of marriages in India are arranged.

Section 2 Hinduism and Buddhism

Hinduism One of the world’s oldest religions

3rd largest religion today

Based on four Vedas- Sacred Writings

Hindus believe deities make up different parts of one universal spirit named Brahman. Every living soul has a soul that wants to be reunited with Brahman.

Dharma is the divine law. It requires people to perform duties of their caste. If Hindus do their duty and live a good life, they will have good karma and moves them closer to Brahman.

Belief in reincarnation- All living things are sacred, reborn in a different caste determined by their kharma.

Their beliefs help reinforce the idea of having the caste system.

Buddhism Founded by Siddhartha Gautama

Siddhartha is known as the “Enlightened One”.

He believed the only way to find enlightenment was to give up all worldly desires and material possessions. This way, a person achieves nirvana.

Buddha’s teachings were based on four noble truths and the eightfold path.

Buddha did not defend the caste system or reincarnation. According to Buddhism, a person was in charge of their own path to enlightenment.

Low-caste Indians liked Buddhism.

After the death of the Buddha, Buddhists split into 2 groups: Theravada Buddhism- Seeing Buddha as a teacher, not a god

Mahayana Buddhism- See Buddha as a god to worship

Section 3

India’s First Empires

The Mauryan Dynasty In 327 B.C. Alexander the Great invaded India.

After Alexander left India weakened, a prince named Chandragupta Maurya seized to unite northern India. The start of the Mauryan Dynasty.

A dynasty is a series of rulers from the same family.

Chandragupta had a strong army and built his capitol city in Pataliputra.

Of the Mauryan Dynasty, Asoka was thought to be the greatest king. He hated bloodshed and was history’s first Buddhist king.

The Gupta Empire After the fall of the Mauryan

Dynasty, India was not united until another prince named Chandragupta decided to rule from Pataliputra in A.D. 320. He founded the Gupta Dynasty.

Chandragupta died and his son Samudragupta took over the throne and expanded the empire. This empire was smaller than the Mauryan Empire and was easier to rule.

The Gupta Empire became wealthy from trade.

Indian Literature and Science

The Vedas of India are an ancient collection of sacred verses, hymns, prayers and teachings.

There were two famous stories:

Mahabharata and the Ramayana. In the Mahabharata, the most important part was the Bhagavad Gita, “Song of the Lord”

Kalidasa was an important writer who wrote plays, poems, love stories and comedies.

Aryabhata was a famous mathematician that developed the idea of zero and a zymbol to represent it. (0) and the concept of infinity. Indians also invented algorithms.

Shushruta, an Indian doctor performed plastic surgeries on brokn noses.