Early India

A Look Ahead

Unit covers two chapters and five sections: Chapter 4, Sections 1-3 & Chapter 8, Sections 3-4 There WILL be a project with this unit: Groups of four

or

individual Groups must be approved Trading cards

A Look at the Land

The Indus River Valley civilizations are located on the Indian Subcontinent Mountains to the north Plateau to the south Northern Plains in the middle with three rivers: Indus, Ganges, & Brahmaputra Monsoons bring rain in the summer How does this impact people?

Indus Valley Civilization

Began ≈ 2500 BCE Two large cities were found: Harappa and Mohenjo Daro Hundreds of towns, villages, and cities have been discovered The cities are well planned - suggests a central authority held power over the civilization What about their economy?

Indus Valley Civilization

Economics Likely based on agriculture and trade Trade with who?

Society We know little about the Indus society Why is this?

Fell into decline and disappeared No one is sure why

The Vedic Period

New people came to power:

Aryans

Where did they come from?

Most records of the period come from

Vedas

What are Vedas?

People settled in villages rather than large cities Groups were under the control of

rajas

-regional leaders

The Vedic Period

Society divided into four classes called

varnas

“When they divided

Purusha

, how many portions did they make?...

Brahmins

The

Brahmin

was his mouth, of both his arms was the

Kshatriya

made.

Kshatriyas Vaisyas

His thighs became the

Vaisya

, from his feet the

Sudra

produced.” was -

The Rigveda, Book 10, Hymn 90

Sudras

Hinduism - Devas

Brahman

- eternal being; the universe itself Cannot be understood by human minds

Brahma

- the Creator; rarely worshipped because his work is done

Vishnu

- the Preserver; comes to earth in a human form to battle evil

Siva

- the Destroyer; destroys the world

Hinduism

What is

reincarnation

?

Write a brief response, brainstorming what you know about reincarnation.

Hinduism

Reincarnation

- the belief that the soul is reborn in a new body after death A new life is shaped by

karma

- the total of his or her actions during life Good actions result in a better rebirth

Moksha

is the goal - to escape the cycle How do you escape?

Hinduism

Dharma

is a set of duties Good and righteous conduct Performing your role correctly

The Ramayana

A great Indian epic Provides a model for dharma Tells the story of Rama, a hero who lived his life by the rules of dharma

Jainism

Around 500 BCE, a Hindu teacher founded Jainism Jains though Hindus worried too much about rituals Jains followed a system of nonviolence Jains refuse to harm animals

Buddhism

Another great religion from India Unlike Hinduism, it has a single founder Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha Most of what we know comes from various Buddhist books

Siddhartha Gautama

Born 500s BCE as a prince Sheltered as a child; kept in the palace Finally allowed to leave and he sees suffering for the first time: Old age Sickness Death Also sees a monk Desires to become a monk himself

Siddhartha Gautama

Tried to live as a monk: fasting, etc.

Decided monks could not help him achieve enlightenment, went his own way Sat under a tree to meditate Achieved enlightenment, became the Buddha

Modern-day India

The Question

How did Buddhism spread and, ultimately, decline in India?

To answer this question, we have to look back to India near the birth of Buddhism.

India

Alexander the Great of Macedonia Large empire but stopped conquest after reaching India Why?

What was the impact?

Chandragupta

Inspired by Alexander the Great Built an army of 600,000 soldiers Began to conquer northern India Defeated one of Alexander’s generals Controlled as far as Afghanistan Had an advisor named

Kautilya

Divided empire into districts and used spies Emperor owned all land and mines

Ashoka

Grandson of Chandragupta One of India’s greatest rulers Continued expanding the Mauryan Empire Led a campaign against the region of Kalinga

Ashoka at the Battle of Kalinga

Ashoka

Converted to Buddhism after the battle Worked to spread Buddhism and better the lives of his people Wrote a number of his views and actions on rocks and stone pillars Edicts of Ashoka

Edicts of Ashoka

Buddhist Values:

Edicts in this category are concerned with the Buddha's teachings about how to live a correct life.

General Welfare:

Edicts in this category are concerned with making sure people have good health, shelter, clean water, and enough food.

Justice:

Edicts in this category are concerned with fair laws and treatment in court and jail.

Security:

Edicts in this category are concerned with the protection of people from foreign enemies.