Bellringer

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Bellringer

• Delusion arises from anger. The mind is
  bewildered by delusion. Reasoning is destroyed
  when the mind is bewildered. One falls down when
  reasoning is destroyed.
• -Bhagavad Gita

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India Today

• Manipuri

• Bollywood

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Early Civilizations in India and China

• Chapter 3 Section 2

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Kingdoms of the Ganges

• The Ganges river is considered the most sacred
  body of water in India.
• It sources comes from a Glacier that is located
  on the _____________mountains.
• Myths
• The Ganga was considered to be a goddess in
  ancient texts of the Vedas and Puranas.
• It is believed that Ganga descended from the
  heaven and is invoked in the religious books for
  graces to be bestowed.

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ARYAN CIVILIZATION
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Aryans

• The Aryans were an Indo European people who
  migrated across Europe and Asia seeking water and
  pasture for their horses.
• What is the most appropriate term to label the
  Aryan civilization?
• The early Aryans built no cities or left no
  statutes.
• We are able to learn about the Aryans through the
  Vedas or a collection of prayers, hymns and
  religious teachings.

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Divided by Occupation

• Brahmins Priests
• Kshatriyas Warrior
• Vaisyas herders,farmers, artisans, merchants.
• At first warriors at the top of the hierarchy
  then because Brahmins claimed that they alone
  could conduct the ceremonies needed to win the
  favor of the gods.

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Wealth
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Vedas
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Caste System

• The Vedas also reveal that the Aryans felt
  superior to the Dravidians, the people they
  conquered.
• The Aryans separated Dravidians and non-Aryans
  into a fourth and lower class known as the
  Sudras.

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Aryan Religious belief

• Originally, the vedas document that the Aryans
  were polytheistic. For example, Aryans worshipped
  snake Gods and Monkey Gods.
• As time progressed, Aryans were believed to start
  moving toward the single notion of a brahman and
  mysticism.

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From Nomads to Farmers

• Aryan tribes were lead by rajahs.
• Eventually they gave up their nomadic ways and
  settled into villages to grow crops and breed
  cattle.

• Aryans spread eastward to colonize the heavily
  forested Ganges.
• Tribal leaders fought to control trade and
  territory across the northern plain.

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Epic Literature

• Mahabharata
• (Indias greatest epic)
• The Pandava brothers lose their kingdom to their
  cousins in an 18 day battle. They then regain
  their kingdom.

• Ramayana
• This story recounts the deed of the hero Rama and
  his beautiful bride Sita. She is kidnapped by the
  demon king Ravana. Eventually she is rescued by
  Rama.

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Review Questions

• 1. What do the Vedas tell us about Aryan
  religion?
• 2. Who were the Dravidians? How did they
  encourage the development of the caste system in
  Indian society?
• 3. Why were the Brahmins at the top of the
  hierarchy instead of the Kshatriyas ?
• 4. Examining the caste system, compare and
  contrast the sudras verses the vaisyas? Why would
  the sudras be beneath the vsaiyas?
• 5. What moral lesson can you infer were being
  taught by both the Ramayana and the Mahabharata?