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The geography of India includes high mountains, great rivers, and heavy seasonal rain.
Harappan civilization developed along the Indus River.
The Aryan invasion of India changed the region’s civilization.

6.5.1

6.5.2

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Indian Geography

Mountains

North: The Himalayas are the highest mountains in the world.
West: The Hindu Kush provide protection from enemies.

Plains and Plateaus

Rivers and melting snow kept the plains fertile.
Both sides of the river thrived.

Water

Monsoons
Heavy rainfall
Civilizations arose around seasonal rainfall.

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Harappan Civilization

People

Population grew in the Indus River Valley.
Growth came as irrigation and farming techniques improved.
Cities were built as surplus food was produced.

Cities

Harrapa
Mohenjo Daro
Fortresses for defense against enemies
Well-planned public areas

Achievements

Wells and indoor plumbing
Pottery, cotton clothing, jewelry
India’s first known writing system

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Aryan Invasion

Religion

Government

Language

Invaders from the West

When the Harappan civilization dissipated in 1700 BC, a group called the Aryans began taking over territory.

The Aryans left behind vast collections of sacred texts, myths, and rituals. They also had mostly religious writings known as Vedas.

No central government: small communities ruled by rajas

Sanskrit is the root of many modern South Asian languages.

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Summary

Harappan Civilization

Aryan Invasion

Two major cities: Harappa, Mohenjo Daro
Advanced civilization that thrived between 2300 and 1700 BC
Culture, artistry, city planning

Aryan warriors pushed through the Hindu Kush mountains and settled in the Indus Valley.
Oral tradition in religion and mythology resulted in the most important language of ancient India: Sanskrit.

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Origins of Hinduism

The Big Idea

Hinduism, the largest religion in India today,

developed out of ancient Indian beliefs and practices.

Main Ideas

Indian society divided into distinct groups under the Aryans.
The Aryans practiced a religion known as Brahmanism.
Hinduism developed out of Brahmanism and influences from other cultures.
The Jains reacted to Hinduism by breaking away to form their own religion.

6.5.3

6.5.4

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Indian Society Divides

Kshatriyas

Vaisyas

Sudras

Brahmins

Priests

Rulers and warriors

Laborers and non-Aryans

Varnas

Farmers, craftspeople, and traders

Social divisions in Aryan society

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Caste System

Individuals

Place in society based on birth, wealth, or occupation
3,000 castes once existed in India.
Individuals could rarely change castes.

Caste Rules

Sutras (guides) listed all the rules for the caste system.

Breaking rules resulted in a transfer to a lower class.

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Brahmanism develops into Hinduism

Brahmanism

Aryan priests were called Brahmins.
Wrote Vedic texts, which were their thoughts about the Vedas

Evolving Beliefs

The Vedas, Upanishads, and other Vedic texts began blending with beliefs from different cultures, creating Hinduism.

Hinduism

Many deities
Reincarnation: could be born into new forms and castes
Helped preserve the caste system in India

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Jains React to Hinduism

Origins of Jainism

Four Principles of Jainism

599 BC, established as an alternative to Hindu ritualism
Based on the teachings of Mahavira, who abandoned his life of luxury to become a monk

Injure no life.
Tell the truth.
Do not steal.
Own no property.

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Origins of Buddhism

The Big Idea

Buddhism began in India

and became a major religion.

Main Ideas

Siddhartha Gautama searched for wisdom in many ways.
The teachings of Buddhism deal with finding peace.
Buddhism spread far from where it began in India.

6.5.5

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Siddhartha

Quest for Answers

Siddhartha was born a prince, but he questioned the meaning of life.
Determined to find answers using:

Meditation
Fasting
Learning from different teachers

Enlightenment

Found it under the Tree of Wisdom while meditating
Called the Buddha (Enlightened One)
Spent the rest of his life traveling and teaching his ideas

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Teachings of Buddhism

Suffering and unhappiness are a part of human life. No one can escape sorrow.

Four Noble Truths

Suffering comes from our desires for pleasure and material goods.

People can overcome desire and ignorance and reach nirvana, a state of perfect peace.

People can overcome ignorance and desire by following an eightfold path that leads to wisdom, enlightenment, and salvation.

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Challenging Hindu Ideas

Ancient Ways

The Buddha taught that following the Vedic texts was unnecessary.
Challenged the authority of Hindu priests

Changing Society

A more individualistic approach to enlightenment
Rebirth as a means to evolve

Caste System

Opposed caste system
The Eightfold Path could lead any individual to nirvana.
The Buddha’s teachings reached all classes.

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Buddhism began in India and then became a major religion.

Buddhism branches out

Buddhism splits

Asoka, one of the most powerful kings in India, became a Buddhist and spread Buddhism in India and foreign lands.
Buddhist missionaries traveled the world to teach enlightenment.

Buddhism split into two main sects: Theravada and Mahayana.
Members of the Theravada followed the Buddha’s teachings exactly.
Members of the Mahayana believed that individual interpretation was important.

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Indian Empires

The Big Idea

The Mauryas and the Guptas �built great empires in India.

Main Ideas

The Mauryan Empire unified most of India.
Gupta rulers promoted Hinduism in their empire.

6.5.6

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Mauryan Rule

Chandragupta Maurya

Chandragupta seized control of northern India and created a society dominated by war.
Chandragupta became a Jainist monk and gave up his throne.

Asoka

The grandson of Chandragupta extended Mauryan rule over most of India.
Asoka converted to Buddhism and stopped waging war, choosing instead to rebuild cities and spread Buddhist teachings.

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Gupta Empire

After the decline of the Mauryan Empire, India remained primarily Buddhist for 500 years.
Under the rule of Chandragupta I, India became unified and prosperous again.

Gupta rulers spread Hinduism in their empire through the building of temples and the promotion of Hindu writings and rituals.
Widespread religious tolerance was encouraged for Buddhists and Jainists.

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Chandragupta II

Economy and Culture

The Caste

System

Social Ramifications

Growth

Under Chandragupta II, the Gupta Empire reached the height of its power. It spread across northern India and prospered.

The economy boomed, allowing citizens the time and money to create great works of art and literature.

It was believed that keeping citizens under strict caste rule would stabilize the empire.

Women in the caste system were not seen as equals and had few basic rights.

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Time Line

320 BC Chandragupta Maurya becomes the first Mauryan emperor.
301 BC Chandragupta Maurya relinquishes the throne to become a Jainist monk.
270 BC Asoka becomes the second Mauryan emperor.
261 BC Asoka’s empire gains great power, and he leaves to become a Buddhist.
AD 375 Chandragupta I invades and conquers northern India and brings Hinduism, prosperity, and a strict caste system back into popular culture.

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Indian Achievements

The Big Idea

The people of ancient India made great contributions to the arts and sciences.

Main Ideas

Indian artists created great works of religious art.
Sanskrit literature flourished during the Gupta period.
The Indians made scientific advances in metalworking, medicine, and other sciences.

6.5.7

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Religious Art: Temples

Both Hindu and Buddhist temples began flourishing under Gupta rule.
Once simply constructed meeting places, Hindu temples became complex towers covered with intricate carvings.
Buddhist temples were large and impressive, some carved out of mountainsides.
Buddhist stupas were built to house sacred objects from the life of the Buddha. They were covered with detailed carvings.

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Religious Art: �Paintings and Sculpture

Great artists were commissioned by rich and powerful members of society.
Paintings offered a perspective on the daily life and religious belief of the ancient Indians; many of these paintings could be found on the walls of temples.
Indian sculptors carved columns, statues, and entire temples in the likenesses of the Buddha and Hindu deities.

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Sanskrit Literature

Mahabharata

One of the world’s longest sacred texts
Tells of two Indian families struggling for control of a kingdom
Many long passages of Hindu beliefs and practices

Ramayana

The story of a deity, Vishnu, who has taken human form
According to Hindu tradition written prior to the Mahabharata
Contains models for the ideal ruler (Rama) and the ideal mate (Sita)

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Sanskrit Literature

Chandragupta II hired a famous writer named Kalidasa to write plays for the royal court.

The Panchatantra, a book of stories intended to teach moral lessons and quick thinking, was translated into many languages.

Other Works

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Scientific Advances

Mathematics

Medicine

Astronomy

Metalworking

Pioneers of metallurgy, the Indians created tools and weapons by mixing iron and other metals together.

The Indians invented the concept of zero and developed a sophisticated number system, the Hindu-Arabic numerals.

Using plants and minerals, Indian doctors made advances in medicinal science. They were among the first to practice inoculation and perform surgery.

Indian astronomers knew of seven about the nine planets in the solar system and could predict eclipses of the sun and moon.

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