1. Warm-Up
Archeologists have recently discovered what they believe are the remains of an ancient city. They can not decipher the writing system but they have made some interesting discoveries, such as all the houses are built exactly the same, even the bricks in each house are the same size! The houses also had indoor plumbing which is most unusual for an ancient city. Just based on this information what else can we learn about the people who built this city?

2. Ancient India
Essential Question: What is the impact of environment and geography on the development of civilization?

3. Geography: 3 regions Monsoons – seasonal winds Natural barriers
Well-watered northern plains
Fertile due to 2 rivers
Indus – West
Ganges -- East
Dry triangular Deccan plateau
Arid, dry, unproductive, sparsely pop.
Coastal plains on both sides
Rivers and seasonal winds provide water for farmers
Sea – fishing and trade
Monsoons – seasonal winds
Bring hot air from north
Kills crops
Rain from SW
Huge influence on life
Natural barriers
Sea – Indian O. & Arabian Sea
Mnts. – Himalayas – NE & Hindu Kush – NW
Limits contact w/ others

5. Early Cities Size and diversity of language makes hard to unite area
Distinctive customs and traditions emerge
Not much known about 1st civ. b/c no written records
But cities rival those of Sumer
2 main cities in the Indus Valley
Harappa
Mohenjo-Daro
3 mile circumference
Dominated by hill top structure
Fortress or temple?
Warehouse – grain storage
cities laid out in grid pattern
Uniform houses
Indoor plumbing

7. What does this tell us? Used uniform sys. of weights and measurement
Well-organized gov.
Powerful leaders
Government planners
Mathematically advance

8. Culture:
Majority of pop. > farmers
1st to cultivate cotton & weave into cloth
Religion
Polytheistic w/mother goddess
Worshipped sacred animals >> bull
Veneration – special regard for cattle
Decline:
Cause not really known
Natural disaster
Earthquake
Volcanic eruption > blocked flow of Indus > famine
Depletion of resources forced to migrate
Invasion of Aryans thru Khyber Pass

11. Aryan Caste System Closely tied to religion
Helps maintain social order
Based on occupation
Rules and position in caste determine how one lived, ate, dressed, worked, etc.
Intermarriage b/w castes discouraged
Could reach higher caste in future by faithfully fulfilling the duties of their present caste
Family – train children in traditions and duties of castes

12. Caste System Brahmins – priests Kshatriyas – warriors
Vaisyas – herders, farmers, artisans, & merchants
Sudras – farm workers, servants, other laborers (non- Aryan or Dravidians)
Untouchables
Dirty jobs
Live outside caste sys.

13. How move up in Caste System?
In this life…
In the next life…
Higher Caste
If good and obeys caste rules
Person is
born into a caste
Karma and dharma determines caste!!!
Lower Caste
If bad and break caste rules

14. Indian Empires of the Ganges
Maurya Empire
~321 BCE Chandragupta Maurya forged 1st Indian empire
Well-organized bureaucracy
Build roads & harbors
Collected taxes
Rules were effective but harsh
Secret police to report crimes, corruption, and dissent
Special trained women guards
~268 BCE Asoka becomes emperor
Grandson of Chandragupta
Conquered Deccan region
Horrified by slaughter
Becomes Buddhist
Rejects violence
Rule by moral example
Work to spread Buddhism
Tolerant of other religions
Empire declines due to civil war and invasion

15. Gupta Dynasty ~320-550 BCE Golden Age of India
Strong central gov. > promotes peace and prosperity
Much power given to individual villages & elected gov. officials
Education Flourished
Arabic number system
Concept of zero
Decimal sys. base on 10
Built stupas – dome-shaped shrines to house sacred remains of Buddha

18. Hinduism/Buddhism Venn Diagram
Complete the Venn Diagram for your assigned religion: Hinduism or Buddhism. (10 min)
Get with someone on the other side of the room who has the opposite religion to compare and contrast Hinduism and Buddhism. (10 min)
Teach your religion to each other. DO NOT SIMPLY COPY!!!