Aryans, Maurya Dynasty, Gupta Dynasty India Aryans, Maurya Dynasty, Gupta Dynasty

Geography Subcontinent of Asia Cut off from rest of Asia by the Himalayas and Hindu Kush Khyber Pass

History Indus River Valley (3500 – 1500 BCE) Harappa and Mohenjo Daro Destroyed by invaders called Aryans Aryans (2000 – 600 BCE) P.63 Religious writings called the Vedas Basis for the Hindu Religion Spoke Sanskrit

Caste System Brought a system of classes called varnas basis for the caste system Sub-castes called jatis

More History Maurya Empire (321 – 184 BCE) P.189 Persians conquered (521-367 BCE) Alex. The Great (326 BCE) Maurya Empire (321 – 184 BCE) P.189 First great Indian empire Drove out the last of the Greeks

Asoka Maurya Ashoka great warrior, conquered ⅔ of India but eventually decided that peace was better way of life and converted to Buddhism Emphasized truth, justice, charity, religious tolerance, and nonviolence Restricted slaughter of animals and encouraged vegetarianism After the Maurya empire there were 500 years of wars

Gupta Empire P. 191 Restored law and order “Golden Age” of prosperity, literature, art, math, science; India became a center of learning 6th C. overthrown by Huns

Hinduism P. 66 (Sec. 3) No founder, no time, began in India Beliefs: Dharma: duties to perform in life, determined by caste Karma: good and bad deeds you do Moksha: ultimate goal, release from reincarnation & achieving oneness with the Universe Samsara: the level of births and deaths you are at; if you have good Karma, you will move up the level of Samsara

More Hinduism Ganges river is holy Gods: (polytheistic) Brahma: the creator Shiva: creator and destroyer Vishnu: Preserver, transcendent love Krishna: lover and trickster, seducer of wives and daughters Associated with purity and pollution Those who work more intellectual jobs are more pure Pollution is when people come into contact with sweat or excrement; to ensure purity you must marry within own caste