History

1
History Culture of India March 12, 2006
By Dr. Ashok Pandit
2
History
3
Culture
4
(No Transcript)
5
Eras of Indian History Up to Mughal Period

• Vedic Civilization
• Indus Saraswati Civilizations
• Rise of Jainism and Buddhism
• Mauryan Period
• Golden Age of Indian Arts Sciences
• Muslim Invasions
• The Mughal Empire

6
Eras of Indian History Up to Modern India

• Portuguese Invasion
• The British East-India Company
• The British Empire
• Post Independence

7
Vedic Period 8000 9000 BCE?BCE Before
Common Era

• 1. The Evolution of Sanskrit Language
• 2. The Vedas and Upanishads
• 3. Rig Veda
• 4. Ayurveda

8
AUM or OM
The first sound of the Almighty Oneness with the
supreme
9
The Trinity
Generates-Brahma Observes-Vishnu Destroys-Shiva
Brahma-Vishnu-Shiva
10
Hymns of the Rig Veda
11
Introduction to Karma Yoga

• Selfless service
• Renouncing the fruits of ones action
• Performing actions with pure intention devoid of
  selfish motive

12
Yoga (5000 BCE)

• There are three aspects to Yoga
• 1. Meditation
• 2. Pranayam (Breathing Exercises)
• 3. Asanas (Physical Stretches)

13
Yoga (5000 BCE) (Meditation)
14
Yoga (5000 BCE) (Asanas Mudra)
15
Yoga (5000 BCE) (Pranayam)
16
Yoga (5000 BCE) (Pranayam)
17
Indus Valley Civilization 3300BCE 1500 BCE

• Harappa
• Mohenjo-Daro
• Indus Valley Civilization- one of the worlds
  first great urban civilizations

18
India - 2006
19
Indus Valley Civilization
20
Harappa Civilization

• Excavations began in 1920
• Recovered 80 villages and towns
• First city discovered was called Harappa
• Carefully planned cities
• Evidence of trade with other civilizations
• Abandoned between 1800 BCE and 1700 BCE

21
Harappa Drain
22
Harappa Walls
23
Mohenjo-Daro, Pakistan
24
Mohenjo-Daro, Pakistan
25
Mohanjo-daro PakistanStupa and Walls
26
Old Fort (2000 BCE 3000 BCE ?)
27
Worlds first university in Takshila 700 B.C
28
Takshila Worlds First University

• More than 60 subjects
• More than 10,500 students from all over the world
• Specialized in medicine
• Famous alumni
• Panini great grammarian
• Kautilya physician
• Chandragupta Maurya king

29
Jainism Mahavira 599 BCE-527 BCE (Bihar)

• The five great vows
• Nonviolence (Ahimsa) - not to cause harm to any
  living beings
• Truthfulness (Satya) - to speak the harmless
  truth only
• Non-stealing (Asteya) - not to take anything not
  properly given
• Chastity (Brahmacharya) - not to indulge in
  sensual pleasure
• Non-possession/Non-attachment (Aparigraha) -
  complete detachment from people, places, and
  material things.

30
Bihar - India
31
Buddhism Gautama Buddha (Nepal) 566 BCE 486
BCE

• Basic Tenets of Buddhism
• To do no evil
• To cultivate good
• To purify one's mind

32
Origin of Martial arts 200 BCE
Kalarippayat
33
Mauryan Empire Patliputra (near Patna)
34
Mauryan Period 322 BC 188 BC Period

• First - Chandragupta Maurya
• Last - Ashok

35
King Ashok (272 BCE to 232 BCE)

1. Follower of Buddhism
2. Advocated Religious Tolerance
3. Spread of Buddhism to China, Tibet, Middle East,
   Europe

36
National Emblem
Truth alone triumphs
37
King Ashoks Dharma Chakra
38
Ashoks Dharma Chakra
39
Ashoks Dharma Chakra

• Lion Symbol of Strength
• Wheel Truth is Eternal

40
Golden Age of Indian Arts Sciences (320AD
700AD)

• Gupta Dynasty (Capital was Patliputra)
• Started with Chandragupta
• High cultural creativity
• Ajanta Caves (discovered in 1819)
• Literary works of Kalidas
• New monetary system invention of coins
• Trading hub of the world

41
Gupta Empire
42
Great Mathematicians and Astronomers

• Aryabhatta (486 AD)
• Introduced the concept of zero
• Determined Astronomical constants
• Introduced the concepts of Trigonometry

43
Aryabhatta
Invented the Zero
44
Ajanta Caves 200BCE to AD
45
Ajanta Caves (475 AD 500 AD)
46
Ajanta Caves (475 AD 500 AD)
47
Many New Universities 700 AD 900 AD

• Nalanda Rajgriha, Bihar studies in all areas
  (logic, literature, philosophy, Buddhism,
  Hinduism, Astronomy 1500 professors, 10,000
  students
• Sarnath Architecture and painting
• Ujjain specialized in Astronomy

48
Discussion Points for All Children

• What are the first five eras of Indian history?
• Name one important product of the Vedic Period
• What are the three aspects of yoga practice?
• When was the philosophy of Karma Yoga introduced
  to the world (approximately)?
• What philosophies were prevalent in India during
  500 BC to 0 BC?
• What was the name of the first university of
  India? When did it start?

49
Discussion Points for All Children

• Name one interesting feature of the Harappa or
  Mohenjo-Daro civilizations
• Which is the oldest book in the world?
• Where did Jainism begin?
• Gautam Buddha was from Nepal was Nepal part of
  India at that time?
• Who was the last Mauryan king?

50
Discussion Points for All Children

• What national emblem was created during King
  Ashoks rule?
• Who ruled more of India the Mauryan kings or
  the Gupta kings?
• Where are the Ajanta caves?
• What is so great about the Ajanta caves?
• Name three important things that occurred during
  the Golden Age?