Civilizations of Early India
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Early India and the Vedic Age
Seat workStudents will quietly enter the room, find your
seats and discuss your three sticky notes on pages 200-211 with your row group.
Civilizations of Early India
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Early India and the Vedic Age
Quiz show: What are the 5 Hindu castes?Brahmins, Kshatrayas, Vaishyas, Sudras, Dalits
How many theories about where the Indo-Aryans came form does the book discus?
Three
Why where the Aryans such good warriors?They had fast horse drawn two-wheeled chariots.
Civilizations of Early India
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Introduction
This chapter will introduce you to the Civilizations of Early India. You will learn about the Indus Valley civilization, the Vedic age, and religions that emerged in early India.
Section 1: Indus Valley Civilization
Section 2: India’s Vedic Age
Section 3: Hinduism
Section 4: Buddhism
Chapter IntroductionChapter Introduction
Civilizations of Early India
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Indus Valley Civilization
What geographic featuresWhat geographic featuresaffected early India?affected early India?
Civilizations of Early India
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Indus Valley Civilization
monsoon—seasonal winds that bring rain to the Indian subcontinent during parts of the year
subcontinent—large landmass that is set apart from the rest of the continent
migrate—v., to move from one region to another in order to live there
Key TermsKey Terms
Civilizations of Early India
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Indus Valley Civilization
The first civilization of the Indian Subcontinent developed along the Indus River.
The Indus Valley civilization had large,well-planned cities, a strong government,and an extensive trade network.
Seasonal winds, called monsoons, influence the climate of the region.
Key IdeasKey Ideas
Civilizations of Early India
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Civilizations of Early India
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Indus Valley Civilization
By 2500 B.C., well-planned cities such as Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro had developed. City streets were laid out in a grid pattern.
An Advanced CivilizationAn Advanced Civilization
Civilizations of Early India
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India’s Vedic Age
Most historians believe that Indo-Aryannomads entered the Indian subcontinentover many years and mixed with localpeople.
Sacred scriptures known as the Vedas teachus about the Aryan religion and customs.
Key IdeasKey Ideas
Civilizations of Early India
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India’s Vedic Age
A caste system emerged in India dividingIndians into groups based on birth andoccupation.
Key IdeasKey Ideas
Civilizations of Early India
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India’s Vedic Age
caste—fixed social class into which a person is born
Brahmin—priest
Kshatriya—ruler or warrior
Vaishya—landowner, banker, or merchant
Sudra—farmer, laborer, or servant
Dalit—person who performed dirty jobs
Key TermsKey Terms
Civilizations of Early India
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India’s Vedic Age
By 1500 B.C., a people called Aryans livedin the Indus Valley.
The Aryans mixed with local people, whoadopted the Aryan language and religion.
This period of Indian history is calledthe Vedic age.
The Origins of the Indo-AryansThe Origins of the Indo-Aryans
Civilizations of Early India
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India’s Vedic Age
What three theories explainWhat three theories explainthe presence of the Aryans in the presence of the Aryans in
India?India?Theories About AryansTheories About Aryans
Civilizations of Early India
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India’s Vedic Age
The Origins of the Indo-AryansThe Origins of the Indo-Aryans
After settling in India, the Aryans composed theVedas—sacred hymns that described theirreligion and society.
For a thousand years, priests chanted theVedas in the Sanskrit language.
Most Vedas praise Aryan gods and goddesses.
Civilizations of Early India
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Civilizations of Early India
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India’s Vedic Age
During the Vedic age, Aryans moved into theGanges Plain and took up farming.
Clans joined to form republics, and powerfulleaders made themselves kings.
By 500 B.C., more than a dozen kingdomscovered the Ganges Plain.
The Origins of the Indo-AryansThe Origins of the Indo-Aryans
Civilizations of Early India
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Civilizations of Early India
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India’s Vedic Age
The Caste SystemThe Caste System
Aryans introduced the caste system, whichbecame India’s social structure.
A person was born into a caste and could notmix with members of other castes.
Castes were organized by jatis, or types ofjobs, and by varnas, or religious status.
Civilizations of Early India
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India’s Vedic Age
The Caste SystemThe Caste System
The caste system limited people’s individualfreedom because the patterns of their liveswere fixed at birth.
Some believe the caste system brought stabilityto Indian society.
In India today, the law forbids caste discrimination.
Civilizations of Early India
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India’s Vedic Age
Civilizations of Early India
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India’s Vedic Age
The Caste SystemThe Caste System
Why did people in the higher castes avoidphysical contact with untouchables?
How did the caste system evolve over time?
Civilizations of Early India
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India’s Vedic Age
How did the lives of the Aryans change
as they moved from the dry grasslands west of the Indus River
to the humid Ganges Plain?