Foundations and Empires Classical India Foundations and Empires

The Framework for Indian History Indian civilization was greatly influenced by geography & climate Monsoons Himalayas – passages for trade & separated India from the rest of Asia Indus & Ganges Rivers – agricultural economy Northern Mountains – herding economy Southern Coastal areas – trading and maritime economy

Aryans (“Nobel”)( Indo-Europeans) Vedic Age (1500–1000 B.C.E.) Sanskrit First literary language of new society Brought by Aryans Vedas Sanskrit for “knowledge” Sacred holy books and basis for Hinduism Rig-Veda – 1028 hymns dedicated to Aryan gods Indra- war god Position of Women Women were almost on a equal footing at men Educated Go out of the house unattended Could choose their husband Inherit property

Epic Age (1000–600 B.C.E.) New stories Mahabharata – India’s greatest epic poem Ramayana – depicts real and mythical battles Upanishads – mythical religious poems

Social and Family Forms Village chiefs (Aryans) organized defenses and regulated property Aryans were dominate over indigenous people Patriarchal Extended family were close

Caste System Varnas – Aryan social classes Aryans viewed indigenous people as inferior Castes were hereditary Marriage between castes forbiddel Punishable by death!!! Sub-castes – (jati) Range from 5 to 15 thousand people Usually have a specific job or jobs Could not move upward into a higher caste Could move down to a lower caste Could move up within the same caste

Conquerors and Emprise of Classical India Alexander the Great (327 B.C.E.) Gave Indians contact with Hellenistic culture Established Bactria Chandragupta Maurya Formed the Mauryan Dynasty Unified the subcontinent Autocratic – relied on the rulers personal and military power

Believed in dharma (cosmic order) Ashoka (269–232 B.C.E.) converted to Buddhism Believed in dharma (cosmic order) Sent Buddhist missionaries into the Middle East to try and convert people Kushans Invaded India King Kanishka converted to Buddhism This hurt the religion bc it was associated with foreign rule

Greatest period of political stability in classical India Guptas (from 320 CE) Greatest period of political stability in classical India Huns (535 CE) Nomadic warriors Invaded India Gupta Empire Claimed divine right Taxes Uniform law codes Kautilya chief minister to Chandragupta political treatise – similar to legalists in China