Chapter Objectives Describe how climate and geography affected India, and how the Aryans changed India. Summarize the main tenets of Hinduism and Buddhism

Chapter Objectives

• Describe how climate and geography affected India, and how the Aryans changed India.

• Summarize the main tenets of Hinduism and Buddhism.

• Discuss the effects of the Mauryan and Gupta empires on India.

Early India

Get Ready to Read (cont.)

Focusing on the Main Ideas

• Climate and geography influenced the rise of India’s first civilization.

• The Aryans created a caste system that separated Indians into groups.

• The Aryans conquered India and introduced new ideas and technology.

India’s Early Civilizations

The Land of India

• India is a subcontinent because it is separated from the rest of Asia by the Himalayas, the highest mountains in the world.

• India has two fertile river valleys created by the Ganges River and the Indus River.

(pages 195–197)

• The Indian subcontinent contains five nations: India, Pakistan, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and Nepal.


The Land of India (cont.)

• A monsoon is a strong wind that blows one direction in winter and the opposite direction in summer.

• The first urban civilization in India arose near the Indus River after the river flooded and left fertile soil behind.

• Monsoons bring rain in summer.

• This civilization started about 3000 B.C. and lasted until about 1500 B.C.

(pages 195–197)



• Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro were large, well-planned cities in ancient India.

• The houses were made from baked mud bricks.

• The cities had wells, drains for wastewater, garbage chutes, and organized governments.

• Most people were farmers.

• They grew wheat, barley, peas, and cotton.

(pages 195–197)



• The Harappans traded their goods with people from other lands.

• City dwellers were artisans, who made jewelry, pottery, tools, and cloth.

(pages 195–197)


The Aryans

• The Aryans were hunters who also raised and herded cattle.

(pages 198–199)

• The Aryans were also nomads and expert warriors.

• They had metal-tipped spears and wooden chariots.

• The Aryans left their home territory in Central Asia and began moving into the Indus River valley around 1500 B.C.


The Aryans Invade (cont.)

• The Aryans became farmers but continued to raise cattle.

• The cattle were so important, the Aryans eventually declared them sacred.

(pages 198–199)


• The Aryans invented an iron plow and built canals to improve farming.

The Aryans Invade (cont.)

• The Aryans developed a written language called Sanskrit.

• Aryan tribes were led by a raja, or prince.

(pages 198–199)


Society in Ancient India

• A caste is a social group that someone is born into and cannot change. The Indian word for caste is jati.

(pages 199–201)

• The many jati are divided into four levels.

• The top two levels included priests and warriors.

• The next level was common people, such as merchants and farmers.


Society in Ancient India (cont.)

• The fourth level included laborers and servants.

• Untouchables were not part of any caste.

• These people did dirty work considered polluting, and they led difficult lives.

(pages 199–201)


Society in Ancient India (cont.)

• In most cases, only men could inherit property.

• Only men were allowed to go to school or become priests.

• Parents arranged marriages, and divorce was not allowed.

• Men’s lives were considered more important than women’s lives.

(pages 199–201)


Hinduism and Buddhism

Get Ready to Read

Section OverviewThe religion of Hinduism is based on the beliefs of the Aryans. Buddhism, a new religion, was popular with many people in India and other areas of Asia.




• A new religion, Buddhism, appealed to many people in India and other parts of Asia.

• Hinduism grew out of the ancient beliefs of the Aryans.

Hinduism

• Hinduism’s roots are in the Aryan religion, which changed after borrowing ideas from people encountered in India.

• The Brahman is the universal spirit made up of thousands of deities.

• Hinduism, the world’s third largest religion, is one of the oldest religions.

(pages 203–204)


Hinduism (cont.)

• Reincarnation is the idea of passing through many lives to reach the Brahman.

• Dharma is the divine law of Hindus.

• The Upanishads are ancient sacred texts that describe the search for Brahman.


(pages 203–204)

Hinduism (cont.)

• The consequences of how a person lives is called karma.

• This law states that Hindus must perform the duties of their caste.


(pages 203–204)

Buddhism

• Buddhism is a religion founded by Siddhartha Gautama, the man who became known as the Buddha, or “Enlightened One.”

(pages 205–208)

• Siddhartha Gautama was a prince who left his family and wealth to travel.

• In his travels, he saw much suffering and questioned the need for suffering.


Buddhism (cont.)

• Legend tells he meditated under a tree for 49 days, and then he understood.

• For the rest of his life, Siddhartha traveled to tell people about his discovery.

• Nirvana, a state of wisdom, occurs when a person gives up all desires.


(pages 205–208)

Buddhism (cont.)

• The core of Buddha’s teaching is called the Four Noble Truths.

• The Eightfold Path describes the steps to eliminate suffering.

• Buddhism divided into Theravada Buddhism and Mahayana Buddhism.

• Theravada Buddhists believe the Buddha was a great teacher, not a god.


(pages 205–208)

Buddhism (cont.)

• Mahayana Buddhists believe the Buddha was a god who came to save people.

• Tibet is a country in central Asia where Mahayana Buddhism mixed with traditional Tibetan religion and Hinduism to create a special kind of Mahayana Buddhism.

• In Tibet, religious leaders, called lamas, headed the government.


(pages 205–208)

Buddhism (cont.)

• The Dalai Lama was the government leader, and the Panchen Lama was the religious leader.

• A theocracy is a form of government in which religious leaders head the government.


(pages 205–208)

India’s First Empires

Get Ready to Read

Section OverviewThe Mauryan and Gupta dynasties built empires in India, and they contributed greatly to literature, mathematics, and science.




• The Mauryan dynasty built India’s first great empire.

• The Gupta empire reunited much of northern India and became wealthy through trade.

• The Mauryan and Gupta empires made important contributions in literature, mathematics, and science.

The Mauryan Dynasty

• Chandragupta Maurya, an Indian prince, founded India’s first empire after Alexander the Great left India.

• This empire was called the Mauryan dynasty.

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

(pages 210–211)

• Chandragupta controlled his dynasty by retaining a strong army and using spies.


The Mauryan Dynasty (cont.)

• Many historians consider Asoka the Mauryan dynasty’s greatest king.

• After he was a strong military leader, Asoka turned away from violence.

• He made a vow to live a peaceful life and follow Buddhism.

• Asoka did many great things for his people.


(pages 210–211)

The Mauryan Dynasty (cont.)

• For example, he built hospitals and new roads and sent teachers throughout India to teach Buddhism.

• The empire grew weak after Asoka’s death.

• The kings made poor decisions, and the Mauryan Empire fell.


(pages 210–211)

The Gupta Empire

• After Chandragupta died, his son, Samudragupta, took over and expanded the empire.

• After 500 years of fighting, another Chandragupta took power and founded the Gupta dynasty.

(page 213)

• The Guptas ruled for about 200 years.

• They grew wealthy from trade with China and kingdoms in southeast Asia and the Mediterranean.


The Gupta Empire (cont.)

• Visiting pilgrims helped make cities wealthy just as tourists make cities wealthy today.

• Pilgrims were people who often used the trade routes to travel to a religious shrine or site.

(page 213)

• The Guptas were Hindus, and they gave their full support to Hinduism.

• The golden age of art and learning in India was during the Gupta empire.


Indian Literature and Science

• The Vedas were recorded in Sanskrit after the Aryan people came to India.

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

(pages 214–216)

• The Mahabharata and Ramayana are two sacred texts that are still famous in India today.

• Both tell about warriors and their brave deeds.


Indian Literature and Science (cont.)

• His poem The Cloud Messenger is one of the most popular Sanskrit poems.

• Kalidasa was a writer who lived during the Gupta dynasty.

• Aryabhata was a mathematician who lived during the Gupta dynasty.

• He was one of the first scientists to use algebra.


(pages 214–216)

Indian Literature and Science (cont.)

• They also invented algorithms and the idea of zero.

• Mathematicians in the Gupta empire developed the symbols for the numbers 1 to 9 that we use today.

• Indians also developed ideas in astronomy and medicine.


(pages 214–216)

Section 1: India’s First CivilizationsFocusing on the Main Ideas

Early India

• Climate and geography influenced the rise of India’s first civilization.

• The Aryans conquered India and introduced new ideas and technology.

• The Aryans created a caste system that separated Indians into groups.

• Hinduism grew out of the ancient beliefs of the Aryans.

• A new religion, Buddhism, appealed to many people in India and other parts of Asia.

Early India

Section 2: Hinduism and BuddhismFocusing on the Main Ideas

• The Mauryan dynasty built India’s first great empire.

• The Gupta empire reunited much of northern India and became wealthy through trade.

• The Mauryan and Gupta empires made important contributions in literature, mathematics, and science.

Early India

Section 3: India’s First EmpiresFocusing on the Main Ideas

__ 1. Each Aryan tribe was led by a ____.

__ 2. In a ____, government is led by religious leaders.

__ 3. A ____ is a line of rulers who belong to the same family.

__ 4. A ____ travels to religious places.

Review Vocabulary

A. stupaB. guruC. casteD. rajaE. pilgrimF. theocracyG. monsoonH. dynasty

F

Define Match the vocabulary word that completes each sentence.

D

H

E

Early India

__ 5. A ____ is a strong wind that blows one direction in winter and the opposite direction in summer.

__ 6. A ____, is a teacher.__ 7. A ____ is a social group

that someone is born into and cannot change.

__ 8. ____ are Buddhist shrines that have the shape of a dome or mound.

Review Vocabulary

A. stupaB. guruC. casteD. rajaE. pilgrimF. theocracyG. monsoonH. dynasty

B

Define Match the vocabulary word that completes each sentence.

G

C

A

Early India

Section 1 India’s First Civilizations

What influenced the rise of India’s first civilizations?

Geography and climate influenced the first civilizations.

Early India

Review Main Ideas

What was the purpose of the caste system?

No one is sure, but possibly to help Aryans stay in control.

Early India

Section 1 India’s First Civilizations

Review Main Ideas

Section 2 Hinduism and Buddhism

From what did Hinduism form?

Hinduism formed from the ancient beliefs of the Aryans.

Early India

Review Main Ideas

Which religion appealed to people in India and other parts of Asia?

Buddhism

Early India

Section 2 Hinduism and Buddhism

Review Main Ideas

Section 3 India’s First Empires

Which dynasty built India’s first great empire?

the Mauryan dynasty

Early India

Review Main Ideas

Why was the Gupta empire important?

It reunited much of India and became wealthy through trade.

Early India

Section 3 India’s First Empires

Review Main Ideas

Explain How did the monsoons affect the development of India’s first civilizations?

The summer monsoon made the Indus River flood, fertilizing the soil and leading to good farming. Surplus food led to specialization and civilization.

Early India

Predict What do you think might have happened if Asoka had approved of the slaughter on the battlefield during his wars of conquest?

Answers might include that wars might have continued during the Mauryan empire; the empire might have been larger; Buddhism may not have spread so quickly.

Early India

Click the map to view an interactive version.

Click the map to view an interactive version.

Morality in the Eightfold Path

563–483 B.C.The Buddha

Sculpture of the Buddha sitting on a cobra. The Buddha

Emperor Asoka

Carving from top of pillar created under Asoka. Asoka

Documents

Chapter Objectives Describe how climate and geography affected India, and how the Aryans changed India. Summarize the main tenets of Hinduism and Buddhism