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6th Grade UBD - Unit 4 - India's Rulers and Society

Aryans in India- The Aryans invaded India from the northwest
around 1500 BCE and had a major cultural influence on the
population already living there.

India’s Caste System- The caste system in India was introduced by
the Aryans and based on ideas introduced in the Vedas.

The Mauryan and Gupta Empires- Religious developments and
other advances during the Mauryan and Gupta Empires had a
strong impact on Indian society.

Untouchables are members
of the lowest class in Indian
society and often suffer
discrimination at the hands
of the higher classes.
Predict how social class
impacted the lives of the
Ancient Indian people?
(5 minutes)

Work with a
neighbor and
compare your
answer with theirs.
What things are
the same and what
things are
different? (3
minutes)

The Aryan religion of Brahmanism developed
into Hinduism.

The Aryans introduced the language of
Sanskrit and developed its written alphabet.

The Aryan caste system was adopted and
used by Indians for many centuries.

For much of its early history, India
was isolated by natural barriers
such as mountains.

However, at times other
civilizations and groups of people
were able to cross the mountains
and enter into the territory.

One of these groups was the
Aryans.
Key Term
Natural Barrier- An
obstruction that
occurs naturally, for
example a mountain
range. Natural
barriers have been
important factors in
human history, by
obstructing migration
and invasion.

The Aryan invaders
conquered the people of the
Indus River civilization in
India.

They settled in the fertile
valleys as farmers, raising
cattle and horses that they
had brought with them.

The Aryan brought their
own religion, or set of
beliefs and rituals, as well as
their own cultural customs.

These ideas blended with
existing cultures to shape
life in South Asia.

One of the most
significant changes was
the establishment of
their religion.

The Aryans worshipped
many gods.

They believed these
gods lived in nature.

The Vedas are written
collections of hymns, prayers,
chants, and other religious
writings that make up the
most important part of the
sacred texts of Hinduism.

They were probably collected
over several centuries and
passed down orally.
Key Term
Vedas- A written
collections of hymns,
prayers, chants, and
other religious
writings that make
up the most
important part of the
sacred texts of
Hinduism.
Key Term
Hinduism- The
dominant religion in
India, is one of the
world’s oldest
religions. Believed to
originated on the
Indian subcontinent
around 1500 BCE.

The Vedas are believed
to have first been
written down in
Sanskrit, one of the
ancient languages of
India, between 1500 and
1200 BCE.

Over time Aryan religion
mixed with local Indian
beliefs and practices to form
Hinduism, a new religion.

Hinduism combined a wide
range of traditions and is
still practiced by more than
800 million people around
the world.
Video- The History of Hinduism

Religion was not the
only change the
Aryans made to
Indian society.

They also established
their idea of social
classes.

The caste system consisted of give major castes or groups: the
Brahmans, the Kshatriyas, the Vaisyas, the Shudras, and the Dalits/
Untouchables.

A person's caste ruled his or her life. It determined things like
occupation, who a person could marry, what a person could eat, and
where a person lived

Discrimination based on the caste system was outlawed in 1949, but
the caste system continues to create political and social divisions in
India, particularly in rural areas.
Key Term
Caste SystemArranges people
into hereditary
groups within a
society.

The Aryans used these
ideas to create a hierarchy
in society.

The system they
introduced is called the
caste system and it
remained a dominant part
of Indian culture until the
mid-1900s.

The caste system
divided people into
groups that dictated
what jobs they could
have, who they could
marry, and where they
could live.

A person’s status and role
within society was tied to
the group, or caste, he or
she belonged to.

Different groups in society
were responsible for
different jobs and
responsibilities.

People in one group were not
allowed to marry people from
another group.

A person was born into a
group and was not allowed to
change groups at any point in
life.

The caste system remained a
dominant force in Indian
society for many centuries.
Brahmans (Priests, Judges, and
Scholars)
Kshatriyas (Soldiers)
Vaisyas (Merchants and
Farmers)
Shudras (Peasants, Servants,
and Laborers)
Dalits/Untouchables (Outcasts)

In the United States, because of
a universal education system
and rights promoting equal
opportunities for everyone.
Explain what it would be like
living in a country where your
social class and opportunities
are set for life, before you are
even born? (5 minutes)

As India became more
urbanized in the 1900s,
people of different
castes began
interacting with one
another, particularly in
the cities.

Discrimination based on the
caste system was eventually
made illegal in 1949.

Ever since, the government
has created laws protecting
people from lower castes
against discrimination.
Video- The Caste System

The Mauryan Empire connected most of India under one
territory by conquering other states or local kingdoms.

Emperor Ashoka was one of the most influential historical
figures in ancient India.

Ashoka converted to Buddhism and encouraged the
spread of Buddhism in India.

Gupta mathematicians developed a decimal system of
writing and used zeroes as placeholders.
Video- Ancient Warriors of India
Video- The Maurya Elephant Army

India's first empire, the Mauryan
Empire, was established around
322 BCE.

A great military leader,
Chandragupta Maurya, was the
first true emperor in India.

His grandson Ashoka is
remembered as one of the
greatest kings in India's history.

Ashoka was an experienced
warrior and extended the lands
of the empire.

Around 256 BCE invaded the
Kalingas another powerful
kingdom and defeat them.
However, he was overcome by
the death and destruction he
witnessed.

After the battle Ashoka
converted to Buddhism
and instituted new policies
throughout the empire.

He promoted peace,
opened universities, and
established new trade
routes for his people.

Ashoka had stone pillars
erected throughout India.
These pillars were covered
in engravings and
markings that told his
story and shared his
religious philosophies with
his people.
Key Term
Buddhism- Is both
a religion and a
philosophy. Today
Buddhism is the
fourth largest
religion on Earth,
with about 360
million followers.

Around 320 CE, the Gupta Empire
came into being. The Gupta
dynasty ruled India for about 215
years.

During this time, the dynasty built
roads throughout the empire,
reestablished Hinduism as the
main religion in India, and made
many scientific, mathematical,
and cultural advances.

The creation of the numeric
system upon which our
modern system is based and
the introduction of the
number zero as a placeholder
are among the important
developments that occurred
during the Gupta period.
Video- Numerals and the Origin of Zero

What has been the
“muddiest” point so far in
this lesson? That is, what
topic remains the least
clear to you? (4 minutes)

Work with a
neighbor and
compare your
muddiest point with
theirs. Compare
what things are the
same and what
things are different?
(3 minutes)