1500 BC-400 AD

 1.What impact did the Aryans have on India? 2.Why was the caste system central to Indian culture? 3.What are the beliefs of Hinduism? 4.What were the accomplishments of the Mauryan and Gupta Empires? 5.What are the beliefs of Buddhism? 6.How did Buddhism spread? Essential Questions:

  Originated in Europe/Asia and migrated to and invaded India. Indo-Aryans

 Slowly, the Aryans took over India and held the most powerful positions. They introduced the caste system and Hinduism. Aryans con’t

  A very rigid social class structure.  A person is born into a caste and stays in that caste the rest of his/her life.  Your caste decides what jobs you can hold, who you can marry, who your friends are, and more. Caste system

 Caste system con’t

  Developed thousands of years before it was even written down!  Hindus all believe all things are interconnected.  They believe that god lives everywhere in everyone. Hinduism

  Henotheism = belief in one god which is knowable in many forms  Hindus believe that god (called Brahman) exists in thousands of forms  They choose which god to worship.  Hindu worship is usually done in the home at small shrines Brahman

  The Vedas are a collection of hymns, prayers, and instructions for religious rituals. They were passed down orally by the Aryans.  Around 750 BC, a group of Hindu teachers wrote the Upanishads, written interpretations of the Vedas. Vedas and Upanishads

  Reincarnation- a soul does not die, nor is there an afterlife. Once a person dies, they are born again as the same soul, but different person. Reincarnation

  Karma- good or bad deeds. Follows from one incarnation to the next. Reinforces caste system. Karma Good karmaBetter next life Bad karma Worse next life

  Moksha= a state of perfect understanding  Once a person achieves moksha, they are liberated from the cycle of reincarnation  It usually takes several lifetimes to get there. Moksha

 Brahman- the Creator of the World

 Vishnu – the Preserver of the World

 Shiva- the Destroyer of the World T9LYq1hI

  Prince Siddhartha Gautama. Born in Nepal, 563 BC.  He was groomed to be king. But, at age 29, chose to seek religious truth.  He travelled India for six years seeking truth. Prince Siddhartha

  After 49 days of meditation, he achieved enlightenment, or “nirvana.”  He began to teach that enlightenment is possible for all people.  Changed his name to Buddha, which means “Enlightened One.”  Founds Buddhism Buddha con’t

  First: Everything in life is suffering and sorrow  Second: The reason for suffering is people’s selfish desire for temporary pleasure  Third: The way to end suffering is to end desire  Fourth: The way to overcome desire is to attain enlightenment Four Noble Truths

  The way to attain enlightenment is the Eightfold Path The Eightfold Path

  Pacifism- Peaceful  “The Middle Way”- moderation in all things. Not too much of anything. Buddhism

  Buddhism spread primarily through trade.  Missionaries spread the teachings of Buddha  It’s first converts were low caste people Buddhism spreads

 HinduismBuddhism Similarities and Differences

 Mauryan Empire 305 BC – 232 BC

  Chandragupta Maurya unified North India in 321 BC.  India’s first Empire.  During the Mauryan Empire, roads were built. The emperor even ordered wells and rest houses built every nine miles to ease travelling.  Buddhism also spread during this time Mauryan Empire

  After a war with neighboring Kalinga, which left 100,000 people dead, Asoka started to rethink the violence used to expand the empire.  He converted to Buddhism and started to advocate non-violence and tolerance.  He also sent missionaries throughout Asia to convert others to Buddhism Asoka- Mauryan Emperor

 Gupta Empire 320 AD- 500 AD

  The Gupta made incredible advances in mathematics, inventing the concept of zero, modern numerals, and the decimal system.  Astronomy- Discovered the Earth is round by observing lunar eclipses  Literature and the arts flourished Golden Age of Classical Indian Culture

 Trade and the Silk Road The Silk Road ran from China all the way to Asia Minor (Turkey). It was a major trade route for thousands of years! Not only used for trade, but spread technology, ideas, language, and culture.