Transcript Journey Across Time

Early India
Chapter Objectives
• Describe how climate and geography
affected India, and how the Aryans
changed India.
• Summarize the main tenets of
Hinduism and Buddhism.
• Discuss the effects of the Mauryan and
Gupta empires on India.
India’s Early Civilizations
Get Ready to Read (cont.)
Focusing on the Main Ideas
• Climate and geography influenced the
rise of India’s first civilization.
• The Aryans conquered India and
introduced new ideas and technology.
• The Aryans created a caste system that
separated Indians into groups.
India’s Early Civilizations
The Land of India
• India is a subcontinent because it is
separated from the rest of Asia by the
Himalayas, the highest mountains in the
world.
• The Indian subcontinent contains five
nations: India, Pakistan, Bhutan,
Bangladesh, and Nepal.
• India has two fertile river valleys created
by the Ganges River and the Indus
River.
(pages 195–197)
India’s Early Civilizations
The Land of India (cont.)
• A monsoon is a strong wind that blows
one direction in winter and the opposite
direction in summer.
• Monsoons bring rain in summer.
• The first urban civilization in India arose
near the Indus River after the river
flooded and left fertile soil behind.
• This civilization started about 3000 B.C.
and lasted until about 1500 B.C.
(pages 195–197)
India’s Early Civilizations
The Land of India (cont.)
• Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro were large,
well-planned cities in ancient India.
• The cities had wells, drains for
wastewater, garbage chutes, and
organized governments.
• The houses were made from baked
mud bricks.
• Most people were farmers.
• They grew wheat, barley, peas, and
cotton.
(pages 195–197)
India’s Early Civilizations
The Land of India (cont.)
• City dwellers were artisans, who made
jewelry, pottery, tools, and cloth.
• The Harappans traded their
goods with people from other lands.
(pages 195–197)
India’s Early Civilizations
The Aryans
• The Aryans were hunters who also
raised and herded cattle.
• The Aryans were also nomads and
expert warriors.
• They had metal-tipped spears and
wooden chariots.
• The Aryans left their home territory in
Central Asia and began moving into the
Indus River valley around 1500 B.C.
(pages 198–199)
India’s Early Civilizations
The Aryans Invade (cont.)
• The Aryans became farmers but
continued to raise cattle.
• The cattle were so important, the Aryans
eventually declared them sacred.
• The Aryans invented an iron plow and
built canals to improve farming.
(pages 198–199)
India’s Early Civilizations
The Aryans Invade (cont.)
• The Aryans developed a written language
called Sanskrit.
• Aryan tribes were led by a raja, or
prince.
(pages 198–199)
India’s Early Civilizations
Society in Ancient India
• A caste is a social group that someone
is born into and cannot change. The
Indian word for caste is jati.
• The many jati are divided into four levels.
• The top two levels included priests and
warriors.
• The next level was common people,
such as merchants and farmers.
(pages 199–201)
India’s Early Civilizations
Society in Ancient India (cont.)
• The fourth level included laborers and
servants.
• Untouchables
were not part
of any caste.
• These people
did dirty work
considered
polluting, and
they led
difficult lives.
(pages 199–201)
India’s Early Civilizations
Society in Ancient India (cont.)
• Men’s lives were considered more
important than women’s lives.
• In most cases, only men could inherit
property.
• Only men were allowed to go to school or
become priests.
• Parents arranged marriages, and
divorce was not allowed.
(pages 199–201)
Hinduism and Buddhism
Get Ready to Read
Section Overview
The religion of Hinduism is based on the
beliefs of the Aryans. Buddhism, a new
religion, was popular with many people in
India and other areas of Asia.
Hinduism and Buddhism
Get Ready to Read (cont.)
Focusing on the Main Ideas
• Hinduism grew out of the ancient beliefs
of the Aryans.
• A new religion, Buddhism, appealed to
many people in India and other parts of
Asia.
Hinduism and Buddhism
Hinduism
• Hinduism, the world’s third largest
religion, is one of the oldest religions.
• Hinduism’s roots are in the Aryan
religion, which changed after borrowing
ideas from people encountered in India.
• The Brahman is the universal spirit
made up of thousands of deities.
(pages 203–204)
Hinduism and Buddhism
Hinduism (cont.)
• The Upanishads are ancient sacred
texts that describe the search for
Brahman.
• Reincarnation is the idea of passing
through many lives to reach the
Brahman.
• Dharma is the divine law of Hindus.
(pages 203–204)
Hinduism and Buddhism
Hinduism (cont.)
• This law states that Hindus must
perform the duties of their caste.
• The consequences of how a person
lives is
called
karma.
(pages 203–204)
Hinduism and Buddhism
Buddhism
• Buddhism is a religion founded by
Siddhartha Gautama, the man who
became known as the Buddha, or
“Enlightened One.”
• Siddhartha Gautama was a prince who
left his family and wealth to travel.
• In his travels, he saw much suffering
and questioned the need for suffering.
(pages 205–208)
Hinduism and Buddhism
Buddhism (cont.)
• Legend tells he meditated under a tree
for 49 days, and then he understood.
• For the rest of his life, Siddhartha
traveled to tell people about his
discovery.
• Nirvana, a state of
wisdom, occurs
when a person gives
up all desires.
(pages 205–208)
Hinduism and Buddhism
Buddhism (cont.)
• The core of Buddha’s teaching is called
the Four Noble Truths.
• The Eightfold Path describes the steps
to eliminate suffering.
• Buddhism divided into Theravada
Buddhism and Mahayana Buddhism.
• Theravada Buddhists believe the
Buddha was a great teacher, not a god.
(pages 205–208)
Hinduism and Buddhism
Buddhism (cont.)
• Mahayana Buddhists believe the
Buddha was a god who came to save
people.
• Tibet is a country in central Asia where
Mahayana Buddhism mixed with
traditional Tibetan religion and Hinduism
to create a special kind of Mahayana
Buddhism.
• In Tibet, religious leaders, called lamas,
headed the government.
(pages 205–208)
Hinduism and Buddhism
Buddhism (cont.)
• The Dalai Lama was the government
leader, and the Panchen Lama was the
religious leader.
• A theocracy is a form of
government in which
religious leaders head the
government.
(pages 205–208)
India’s First Empires
Get Ready to Read
Section Overview
The Mauryan and Gupta dynasties built
empires in India, and they contributed
greatly to literature, mathematics, and
science.
India’s First Empires
Get Ready to Read (cont.)
Focusing on the Main Ideas
• The Mauryan dynasty built India’s first
great empire.
• The Gupta empire reunited much of
northern India and became wealthy
through trade.
• The Mauryan and Gupta empires made
important contributions in literature,
mathematics, and science.
India’s First Empires
The Mauryan Dynasty
• Chandragupta Maurya, an Indian prince,
founded India’s first empire after
Alexander the Great left India.
• This empire was called the Mauryan
dynasty.
• A dynasty is a series of rulers from the
same family.
• Chandragupta controlled his dynasty by
retaining a strong army and using spies.
(pages 210–211)
India’s First Empires
The Mauryan Dynasty (cont.)
• Many historians consider Asoka the
Mauryan dynasty’s greatest king.
• After he was a strong military leader,
Asoka turned away from violence.
• He made a vow to live a peaceful life and
follow Buddhism.
• Asoka did many great things for his
people.
(pages 210–211)
India’s First Empires
The Mauryan Dynasty (cont.)
• For example, he built hospitals and new
roads and sent teachers throughout India
to teach Buddhism.
• The empire grew weak after Asoka’s
death.
• The kings made poor decisions, and the
Mauryan Empire fell.
(pages 210–211)
India’s First Empires
The Gupta Empire
• After 500 years of fighting, another
Chandragupta took power and founded
the Gupta dynasty.
• After Chandragupta died, his son,
Samudragupta, took over and expanded
the empire.
• The Guptas ruled for about 200 years.
• They grew wealthy from trade with
China and kingdoms in southeast Asia
and the Mediterranean.
(page 213)
India’s First Empires
The Gupta Empire (cont.)
• Pilgrims were people who often used
the trade routes to travel to a religious
shrine or site.
• Visiting pilgrims helped make cities
wealthy just as tourists make cities
wealthy today.
• The Guptas were Hindus, and they gave
their full support to Hinduism.
• The golden age of art and learning in
India was during the Gupta empire.
(page 213)
India’s First Empires
Indian Literature and Science
• The Vedas of India are an ancient
collection of sacred verses, hymns, and
prayers.
• The Vedas were recorded in Sanskrit
after the Aryan people came to India.
• The Mahabharata and Ramayana are
two sacred texts that are still famous in
India today.
• Both tell about warriors and their brave
deeds.
(pages 214–216)
India’s First Empires
Indian Literature and Science (cont.)
• Kalidasa was a writer who lived during
the Gupta dynasty.
• His poem The Cloud Messenger is one
of the most popular Sanskrit poems.
• Aryabhata was a mathematician who
lived during the Gupta dynasty.
• He was one of the first scientists to use
algebra.
(pages 214–216)
India’s First Empires
Indian Literature and Science (cont.)
• Mathematicians in the Gupta empire
developed the symbols for the numbers
1 to 9 that we use today.
• They also invented algorithms and the
idea of zero.
• Indians also developed ideas in
astronomy and medicine.
(pages 214–216)
Early India
Section 1: India’s First Civilizations
Focusing on the Main Ideas
• Climate and geography influenced the
rise of India’s first civilization.
• The Aryans conquered India and
introduced new ideas and technology.
• The Aryans created a caste system that
separated Indians into groups.
Early India
Section 2: Hinduism and Buddhism
Focusing on the Main Ideas
• Hinduism grew out of the ancient beliefs
of the Aryans.
• A new religion, Buddhism, appealed to
many people in India and other parts of
Asia.
Early India
Section 3: India’s First Empires
Focusing on the Main Ideas
• The Mauryan dynasty built India’s first
great empire.
• The Gupta empire reunited much of
northern India and became wealthy
through trade.
• The Mauryan and Gupta empires made
important contributions in literature,
mathematics, and science.
Early India
Review Vocabulary
Define Match the vocabulary word that completes each
sentence.
D 1. Each Aryan tribe was
__
led by a ____.
F 2. In a ____, government
__
is led by religious
leaders.
H 3. A ____ is a line of
__
rulers who belong to
the same family.
__
E 4. A ____ travels to
religious places.
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
H.
stupa
guru
caste
raja
pilgrim
theocracy
monsoon
dynasty
Early India
Review Vocabulary
Define Match the vocabulary word that completes each
sentence.
G 5. A ____ is a strong wind
__
that blows one direction in
winter and the opposite
direction in summer.
B 6. A ____, is a teacher.
__
C 7. A ____ is a social group
__
that someone is born into
and cannot change.
__
A 8. ____ are Buddhist shrines
that have the shape of a
dome or mound.
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
F.
G.
H.
stupa
guru
caste
raja
pilgrim
theocracy
monsoon
dynasty
Early India
Review Main Ideas
Section 1 India’s First Civilizations
What influenced the rise of India’s
first civilizations?
Geography and climate influenced
the first civilizations.
Early India
Review Main Ideas
Section 1 India’s First Civilizations
What was the purpose of the caste
system?
No one is sure, but possibly to help
Aryans stay in control.
Early India
Review Main Ideas
Section 2 Hinduism and Buddhism
From what did Hinduism form?
Hinduism formed from the ancient
beliefs of the Aryans.
Early India
Review Main Ideas
Section 2 Hinduism and Buddhism
Which religion appealed to people
in India and other parts of Asia?
Buddhism
Early India
Review Main Ideas
Section 3 India’s First Empires
Which dynasty built India’s first
great empire?
the Mauryan dynasty
Early India
Review Main Ideas
Section 3 India’s First Empires
Why was the Gupta empire
important?
It reunited much of India and
became wealthy through trade.
Early India
Explain How did the monsoons
affect the development of India’s
first civilizations?
The summer monsoon made the
Indus River flood, fertilizing the
soil and leading to good farming.
Surplus food led to specialization
and civilization.
Early India
Predict What do you think might
have happened if Asoka had
approved of the slaughter on the
battlefield during his wars of
conquest?
Answers might include that wars
might have continued during the
Mauryan empire; the empire
might have been larger;
Buddhism may not have spread
so quickly.
Click the map to view an interactive version.
Click the map to view an interactive version.
Morality in the Eightfold Path
The Buddha 563–483 B.C.
Sculpture of the Buddha
sitting on a cobra.
The Buddha
Emperor Asoka
Carving from top of pillar
created under Asoka.
Asoka