Nov. 17, 2006 Hindus in eastern India Friday started more than a thousand fires in a mass ancient ritual that organizers said would help "fight diseases", but activists warned of environmental damage. Hundreds of priests chanted verses from Hindu scriptures and tons of wood and herbs were poured into more than a thousand pits for the mass "yagna" or a fire ceremony to please gods on the outskirts of eastern Kolkata city.

A group of Brahmins ca

Raja warrior

Merchants bringing fruit into town.

India’s “untouchables”

1. What language did the Aryans speak? The Aryans spoke Sanskrit.

2. Where were the Aryans from? The Aryans were from the grasslands of Eastern Europe.

3. What two achievements made the Aryans successful nomads? 1. Tamed horses 2. Two-wheeled chariots- fast and sturdy * They also had stronger metal weapons and were skilled warriors.

4. What is migration? Name one possible reason the Aryans began migrating around 2000 B.C. Migration- The movement of people to new surroundings. Possible reasons for migrating: Ran out of good grazing pasture for their herds. Increase in population, decrease in space. Disease. Attacked by invaders.

5. Which mountain range did the Aryans cross to get into India? Hindu Kush

6. Which route did the Aryans possibly take to get through these mountains? The Aryans possibly took the Khyber Pass through the Hindu Kush.

7. What are the Vedas? Why were they so important to Aryan culture? The Vedas are a collection of sacred hymns and poems. They are important because they were passed down for generations by oral tradition, and thus they preserved the Aryan culture.

8. What did the Indus Valley people teach the Aryans? The Indus Valley people taught the Aryans how to grow grains like wheat and barley.

9. Describe two features of Aryan religion. 1. Worshiped gods who had the power over the forces of nature. 2. Indra was one of most powerful gods. Indra was the god of war and a thrower of thunderbolts.

10. What did people burn in their fire sacrifices and what were they hoping to gain? People burned animals, milk, butter, vegetable cakes, or grains. In exchange for their sacrifice they prayed for things like more sons, cattle, happiness, and universal harmony.

11. What were the first three classes in Aryan society? 1. Ruler (raja) and his warriors 2. Priests (Brahmins) 3. commoners Raja warriors priests- brahmins commoners

12. Why did the Aryans value their social class? They valued their social class because they believed it helped to bring harmony and order to society. Video clip “Aryans, 3000 years ago.” (youtube) AKA: It kept people under control and in their “place.” The poor stayed poor and powerless while the rich stayed rich and powerful. It also made sure there was somebody to do every job, even the “filthy” jobs. Thus, it kept the economy strong.

13. Why did new groups (castes) evolve in the social class? New castes evolved as people learned new jobs. Ex: ivory-maker caste and spice-seller caste are within the merchant class. Ivory elephant carving Indian spices

14. What are three things that remain today of Aryan ways? 1. Language- Sanskrit influenced Hindi 2. Caste System 3. The Vedas, religion