The Indus Civilization

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The Indus Civilization

• Present-day Pakistan and India
• Isolated by Hindu Kush, Himalaya Mountains, and
  Indian Ocean
  
• Migrant people used Khyber Pass (route in Hindu
  Kush) to travel through
  
• Called a subcontinent because its geographical
  features sharply separate it from the rest of
  Asia.
  

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Geography of India

• 3 physical zones
• Fertile northern plain contains Indus and
  Ganges Rivers
  
• Deccan Plateau dry, unfertile, no one lived
  here
  
• Coastal Plains lush, tropical and most populated

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Hindu Kush Mountains
Himalayas
Indian Ocean
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Bring on the Monsoons!

• Monsoon heavy, seasonal rain/wind in Asia
• Summer monsoons very wet, needed to water the
  crops.
  
• Indus Valley also depended on snow from Himalayas
  melting each year and flooding the valley.

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Early Indian Civilizations

• Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro 2 major cities of Indus
  Valley.
  
• Very advanced and organized
• Polytheistic, believed in afterlife
• Also created writing system - pictographs

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What Happened?

• Cities disappeared for unknown reason
• 3 Theories
• People overfarmed the land
• Volcanic eruption killed everyone
• Violent attack by outsiders killing everyone
• After collapse, Indo -Aryan people migrated in.

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The Indo-Aryans
I NEED MORE COWBELL!!!

• Migrated through Khyber Pass
• Very structured society
• Measured wealth by cows
• Used caste system

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The Caste System

• Hereditary social groups
• The system
• Brahmins priests
• Kshatriyas nobles/warriors
• Vaisyas middle class
• Sudras slaves, peasants
• Untouchables - final group below the caste system.

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Hinduism
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• Upanishads and Vedas main books for Hinduism.
• Believed in Karma reincarnation is based on
  behavior.
  
• Also Dharma set of religious and moral duties
  for each caste.
  
• Hinduism is most common religion in India today.

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The Great Asoka

• King of Mauryan dynasty in 270BC.
• Sends Buddhist missionaries across Asia.
• Converted thousands to Buddhism.

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Asoka spread Buddhism to China SE Asia
A.
A soka you, A soka you!
Asokas super soka!
Buddhism spread here
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Buddhism

• Developed in India by Siddharta Gautama (Buddha)
  around 500 BC.
  
• Created 4 main ideas for new religion Four
  Noble Truths
  
• Also had guidelines for living Eightfold Path.
• Stressed religious duties and moral principles.

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UDDHISM_graphic.gif
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The Gupta Empire Indias Golden Age

• Rules around 320 AD.
• Pushed for Hinduism, basically kicked out most of
  Buddhism in India.
  
• Gupta contributions
• Mathematics - Arabic numerals, concept of zero,
  decimal system, symbol for infinity.
  
• Literature
• New Textiles
• Invaded by Huns 600AD

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Questions for UnderstandingWrite the question
and answer in your notes

• How does geography affect India?
• What happened to the first Indian settlers?
• How was wealth measured by the Indo-Aryans?
• Who created the caste system in India?
• What is karma?
• How does Asoka spread Buddhism?
• What factors led to Buddhisms disappearance in
  India?