Ancient India

AP World History

Indus River Valley

 Located on the Indian Subcontinent (India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh)  Geographic Factors: Bodies of Water: Bay of Bengal, Arabian Sea, and Indian Ocean Mountains: Himalayas, Hindu Kush, and Karakorum Important Rivers: Indus and Ganges Monsoons can cause crop failure and famine

Ancient India

 Indus River fostered the development of civilization  Major cities of ancient India Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro

Harappan Civilization

      Well-planned cities Extensive drainage systems and brick buildings with bathrooms Highly productive farms with irrigation canals and domesticated animals System of writing on clay seals (not deciphered) Animals were important – presence of animals on artifacts Pottery and implements show similarities to Sumerians Indus River Valley Civilization ended by invading Aryans

Aryans & the Caste System

AP World History

Aryans

      Excelled at the art of war Used iron (for plow & weapons) Developed Sanskrit (language) and Maharajas Conquered the Dravidians Introduced the Caste System Were pastoralists/herders

Social system that people are born into and there is no way to move into a higher caste      Four (4) main castes based loosely on occupation Brahmin - priests (highest) Kshatriya - warriors and political leaders Vaishya - merchants and farmers Sudra - laborers and servants

Untouchables

 Members of what can be called the “5 th Caste”  Perform jobs such as cleaning the streets, transporting dead bodies, and slaughtering animals.

 Also called “outcasts”

Mauryan & Gupta Dynasties

AP World History

Similarities

        Rulers: Chandragupta (Maurya) & Chandra Gupta (Gupta) Centralized governments Wars-violence Declines perpetuated because of invasions Patriarchal Literature Tamil people in southern India Advances: math - value of pi

Maurya Empire

 Chandragupta Maurya (1 st  Fierce warrior        ruler) Fought Seleucus (Greek General) and won 321 B.C. claimed throne – united north India for the first time by 303 B.C.

Relied on advisor named Kautilya (priest who advocated tough minded policies); divided empire into four (4) provinces Maintained large armies Levied high taxes Developed a large bureaucracy (w/a postal service) Highly autocratic – relied on personal & military power “No, I’m not a girl!”

Maurya Dynasty

      Ashoka Grandson of Chandragupta who converted to Buddhism Became king in 301 B.C.

Tolerant of non-Buddhists; urged religious toleration Extended Maurya rule & created extensive road network Power vacuum created after his death

Gupta Empire (320-535 C.E.)

        Established by Chandra Gupta Large empire Uniform law code Influence w/o constant fighting (through intermarriage) Greatest period of political stability and flowering of Indian civilization (astronomy, mathematics, literature, medicine, and trade) Trade expanded to distant regions (Silk Roads) Was patriarchal (north) and matriarchal (south – Tamil groups) Overturned by the Huns

Miscellaneous

 Literature – Panchantanta (Sinbad & Jack the Giant Killer), Mahabharata & Ramayana (Aryan epic poems composed in Sanskrit which include myths, legends, philosophy, and moral stories) & Upanishads (poems with mystical themes that inspired Hindu ideas of divine forces and how they formed the universe)  Tamils – Southern Indians who traded cotton, silks, and many other materials with the Middle East and with Rome. Reflected strong merchant spirit in classical India

Miscellaneous (cont.)

 Yoga – Hindu practice of meditation and self discipline which has the goal to free the mind to concentrate on the divine spirit