1. Ancient India Unit 2 – South Asia
Global Studies 9

2. Ancient India
Around 2500 B.C., civilization began in the Indus River Valley.
Chief cities Harappa and Mohenjo Daro
Well planned: Strong central governments

3. Early Civilization

4. Harappan Writing  Undecipherable to date
Rule and Religion
Priests/Kings most likely presided over the civilizations.
The people were polytheistic
Harappan Writing  Undecipherable to date

5. Agriculture Thriving agricultural economy: Why?
Food surplus lead to the growth of trade in the region of South Asia
Traded with civilizations in Middle East.
First to grow cotton
Grew barley, wheat, peas, and sesame.
Herds = Cattle, sheep, goats, and water buffaloes.

6. Aspects of the City Warehouses stored grain
Laid out in grid pattern: blocks were larger than modern blocks
What were taxes?
Houses had somewhat modern plumbing systems
Baths, drains, and water chutes that lead to sewers.
Uniform system of weights and measures.

7. Aerial View

8. Bath Houses

9. Sewer and Well

10. Decline Indus Valley began to decline around 1500 B.C.
Started showing signs of decay around 2000 B.C.
Arrival of nomadic, warlike people.

11. Migration

12. Arrival of the Aryans Rough, fierce nomadic herders
Came through the Khyber Pass
Organization = tribes
Chiefs called rajahs
Came through Caucasus Mts. in the Middle East
Iron tools and weaponry
Charioteers

13. Aryans and the Vedic Age
Vedas – Aryan oral traditions that included hymns, prayers, and magic spells used by priests.
One of the oldest pieces of surviving religious literature
Eventually written down in Sanskrit (700 B.C.)
Era known as the Vedic Age (1500 B.C. – 500 B.C.)

14. Sanskrit

15. Religion Polytheistic Most important was Indra, the Warrior God.
Worship centered around sacrifices.
Indra the Warrior God

16. Aryan Villages
After years of moving across the northern plains, they began to settle.
Farmers and herders
Great emphasis on cattle
Wealth measured this way
Village council ruled
Rajah had overall responsibility

17. Aryan Social Classes Divided into 4 classes, called varna
Brahmans (priests) l
Kshatriyas (warriors)
Vaisyas (landowners, merchants and herders)
Sudras (servants and peasants)

18. Social Classes
These classes eventually became more rigid, and forged the caste system.
This laid the foundation for Hinduism

19. Powerful Empires of India
Global Studies 9

20. Mauryan Empire (321 B.C. – 185 B.C.)
Founded by Chandragupta Maurya
Gained power in Ganges Valley
Army gained power: soon after conquered Northern India
Descendents conquered much of Deccan Plateau
From 321 – 185 B.C. Maurya dynasty ruled a large empire.

21. Mauryan Empire

22. Pataliputra
Pataliputra  Located in northern plains. Largest and most prosperous city in the world at that time.
Schools
Library
Palaces, Temples, and parks.
Huge Wall around the city
Crowned with 570 towers and 64 gates.

23. Under Chandrgupta
Royal officials supervised the building of roads and harbors to benefit trade.
Other officials collected taxes and managed state-owned factories and shipyards.
Strong government and efficient bureaucracy  System of managing government through departments run by appointed officials.

24. Under Chandragupta Rule was very harsh
Chandragupta was suspicious of his many enemies.
Brutal secret police reported on crime corruption and dissent within the empire.

25. Asoka and His Reforms
Chandragupta’s grandson, Asoka, ruled from 269 – 232 B.C.
Most honored emperor: Maurya at its height under Asoka
Conquered Deccan with brutality
Converted to Buddhism and rejected violence.
Became a vegetarian: no animal sacrifices.

26. Asoka

27. Maurya Contributions
Asoka and Mauryan Dynasty united diverse people in India for first time; brought peace and prosperity
Spreading of Buddhism due to missionaries.
Empire declined following his death

28. Transition
For 500 years after the fall of the Maurya Empire, Northern India was a battlefield.
Greeks, Pahlavas, Kushans
Southern India developed by Dravidians.

29. The Gupta Empire
A.D. 320; Ambitious young warrior, who named himself Chandragupta I (after the late emperor), started the Gupta Empire.
Golden Age  A time of peace and prosperity when arts and culture flourish.
Under Guptas, India had a golden age.
320 – 520 A.D.

30. Gupta Empire Organized a strong central government
Looser rule than Maurya; Power left in hands of individual rulers and city governments.
Trade/Agriculture flourished.

31. Contributions of the Gupta Empire
Mathematicians developed the decimal system; symbols for 1-9
Arabs adopted; spread to Europe
Developed the concept of zero
Allowed for more complicated calculations

32. Contributions
Indian physicians were the first to use herbs and other natural remedies to treat illness.
Doctors could set broken bones and perform simple plastic surgery.
Vaccinated for smallpox; 1,000 years before this was done in Europe.

33. Contributions Gupta people built large, complex temples and shrines.
Stupas  large, dome shaped shrines that housed the sacred remains of the Buddha or other holy people.
Elaborate carvings and paintings on the wall.

34. Decline
Weakened from civil war, weak rulers, and foreign invaders (Huns of South Asia).
India split into many kingdoms and cities once again.