Ancient Civilization of India

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Ancient Civilizationof India

• The Indus River, Harappa Mohenjo-Daro, Aryans,
  Hinduism, Buddhism, Castes, the Guptas and More

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View of Mohenjo-Daro towards the
Great Bath
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Street in Mohenjo-Daro with
Covered Drain
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Lord Rama
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Brahma the
Creator
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The Buddha
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Khajuraho
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mumbai

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Early Civilizations in India 2 Cities Harappa
y Mohenjo-Daro

• Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro near the Indus River
  (currently Pakistan)
• Well organized cities and government
• Agriculture and Commerce/Trade
• Many gods, including sacred animals
• Declined for many reasons, some unknown

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Aryans arrive from the North

• Aryans, a group of persons united by their
  similar languagues, come from southern Russia to
  the northeast of India later to the Deccan
  Plateau
• We know them largely through the Vedas, a
  collection of religious writings written in
  Sanskrit
• Changed from a nomadic life to agriculture
• Aryans formed a social structure with many
  levels, or castes
• First worshiped many gods, based on nature

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Caste System Rigid Social Categories

• Your caste or jati determined both your job/
  economic position and your social position
• There are 1000s of castes in India, based on
  occupation and your family network
• 4 major social classes, called varnas
• Brahmans in charge of religious ceremonies
• Kshatriyas originally warriors
• Vaisyas commoners merchants and farmers
• Sudras peasants, manual laborers most Indians
• Below everyone Untouchables collect
  trash/bodies

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Hinduism

• Developed by Aryans sometime after 1500 B.C.
• Single spiritual force in the world Brahman
• Believed in reincarnation soul is reborn in
  different form after death
• Final goal union with Brahma
• Karma force generated by persons actions
• Dharma divine law all must do their duty
• Justified class divisions could rise above your
  caste only after death
• Yoga way to achieve union with God

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Brahma the Creator
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Buddhism

• Began after 550 B.C., in northern India
• Founder Siddhartha Gautama, or Buddha, the
  Enlightened One
• Siddhartha was rich man who became aware of
  sorrow, tried to find cure for suffering, true
  meaning of life
• Must abandon worldly cares to find true meaning
  must search for wisdom
• Goal Achieve Nirvana end of self reunion
  with the Great World Soul
• Would spread from India to China and SE Asia

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Four Noble Truths

• Ordinary life is full of suffering
• Suffering caused by desire to satisfy ourselves
• Must end desire for selfish goals see others as
  extensions of ourselves
• Way to end desire is to follow the Middle Path
• There are 8 steps to the middle path right view,
  intention, speech, action, work, effort,
  mindfulness and concentration

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Powerful Empires of India Mauryan Empire

• In 321 BC, Chandragupta Maurya, started the first
  Indian empire lasted from 321 BC to 185 BC
• Capital Pataliputra Splendid city
• Well-organized bureaucracy effective but cruel
• Grandson Asoka most successful emperor
• Conquered region of Kalinga, but then gave up
  violence and converted to Buddhism
• Sent missionaries out to spread Buddhism
• After Asoka, Mauryan Empire fell apart
• 1st empire to unify all of India

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Powerful Empires of India The Guptas

• From 320 AD to 540 AD Golden Age under the
  Gupta regime
• Peace and prosperity decentralized government,
  elected by artisans and businessmen
• Advances in philosophy, literature, mathematics
  (arabic numbers, zero), other areas of knowledge