1. The Subcontinent and Its’ People
India
The Subcontinent and Its’ People

2. Ancient India
The first civilizations within ancient India sprang up along the banks of the Indus River
Later, civilization spread to the Ganges River Valley (Ganges River)

3. Where Indian Civilization Starts

4. India In Relation To Other Civilizations

5. Safety in India
Ancient India was a fairly safe place because physical barriers made invasion difficult
Mountains to the north are the Himalayas and the Hindu Kush
Surrounded on three sides by waters of the Indian Ocean

6. Mountain Passes
People did migrate into ancient India by using mountain passes in the Hindu Kush mountains
Mountain passes are routes through mountains that are easier to get through or over because they’re lower

7. The Indus River
The Ganges River
Ancient India’s two main rivers are the Indus River and the Ganges Rivers

8. Challenges of India
The rivers flooded and provided good soil for farming, and that flooding was fairly predictable like Egypt’s Nile
Much of India’s land is very low-lying, meaning it floods easily

14. Monsoons Blow The region’s weather caused problems also.
Each winter, strong winds blew dry air across the area.
Each spring, the winds brought heavy rains.
These seasonal winds (both the hot dry air and moist rain) are called monsoons

15. Early Cities No one is exactly sure how people first got to India
It’s possible people came from Africa by boat, or came through the Hindu Kush using mountain passes
Earliest agriculture evidence shows people in India in 7000 B.C.
Villages around the Indus by 3200 B.C.

16. Asia
Africa

17. Early Cities
By 2500 B.C., while Egyptian were building pyramids the first major cities in India were being built
Along the Indus River the two largest early Indian cities were
Harappa
Mohenjo-Daro

18. Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro
Large, well-planned cities
Streets and buildings laid out in a grid
Fortified area called a citadel
Separate residential areas of town
Buildings made of oven-baked bricks
Sophisticated plumbing and sewage system within the city

19. What Mohenjo-Daro may have looked like
Harappa ruins from above

20. Mohenjo-Daro Plumbing
Nearly every house was connected to a drainage system
Wastewater from bathing and toilet runs down clay drains into a sewer under the streets
Manhole covers give workers access, just as they do today
Such technology wouldn’t be seen until the 19th century

21. Indus Culture Uniform housing- not much divide between rich and poor
Sewage and drainage available for all
Believed cleanliness was important
Few weapons found = probably a peaceful people
Organization suggests a strong central government

22. The End of Indus Culture
Because we don’t know the language of the ancient Indus people and there are few ruins to examine, we don’t know what happened to them
Around 1750 B.C. the cities began to decline
The rivers may have moved
The earth may have become overworked
Maybe a natural disaster
Maybe attack/invasion

23. The Aryan Invasion
Around 1500 B.C. just as Indus culture was winding down, the Aryans crossed the Hindu Kush and migrated into India
Aryans began to dominate the people already living in India
Aryans were taller, lighter skinned, and spoke a different language than the people they found already living in India

24. Aryan Domination
The Aryans began to totally dominate the people they met in India
Installed a caste system to divide people into classes
Top three classes were different Aryans, bottom class were native Indians

25. Caste System Brahmins- Priests Kshatryias- Warriors
Vaishyas- Merchants
Sudras- Peasants
Untouchables- Out of caste system

26. Caste System The caste system influenced your entire life
Varna, or skin color, determined a lot
You were born into your class and could not get out of it
It determined what job you would do for life
It determined who you could marry
It determined who you could hang out with
Body part of your caste is linked to the type of work you do and the dignity attached to that type of work.
Link 1 Link 2

27. The Mauryan Empire
About 1000 years after the first Aryans entered India, the first empire began to take shape
A man named Chandragupta Maurya defeated a Greek army that had invaded and by 303 B.C. set up the Mauryan Empire across northern India

28. The Mauryan Empire
When Chandragupta Maurya died, his son took over and continued to expand the empire by unifying areas under his control
Upon his death, Chandragupta Maurya’s grandson, Asoka assumed the throne and expanded the Mauryan Empire to its biggest extent and power

29. Asoka
Asoka, the grandson of Chandragupta Maurya, was the greatest emperor of the Mauryan Empire
Shortly after becoming emperor Asoka fought a long, bloody war to conquer the region of Kalinga (south India).
Horrified by the slaughter (more than 100,000 people died) Asoka no longer wanted to fight or conquer other territories
He converted to Buddhism, rejected violence, and ruled by moral example.
Most importantly, he sent missionaries to spread Buddhism across India and throughout Asia, including China.

30. The Mauryan Empire Politically unified most of India
Spread Buddhism (which was founded in India) to other parts of the world via missionaries
Provided free hospitals to citizens
Created veterinary clinics
Built good roads

31. Another Empire Rises After Asoka died, the empire fell apart
There was 500 years of invasion and instability in India
Finally, around 320 A.D. a second great empire in India is formed
Chandra Gupta (no relation to Chandragupta Maurya) started a new empire in northern India: The Gupta Empire

32. Gupta Empire
Under the Gupta Empire Indian culture flourished and expanded like never before
Contributions include:
Math = concept of zero
Medicine= set broken bones, nose surgery
Astronomy= proved Earth round 1000 years before Columbus
Textiles= silk and cloth
Literature= Poetry, plays, dances