1. Indian Achievements The Big Idea
The people of ancient India made great contributions to the arts and sciences.
Main Ideas
Indian artists created great works of religious art.
Sanskrit literature flourished during the Gupta period.
The Indians made scientific advances in metalworking, medicine, and other sciences.

2. Religious Art: Temples
Both Hindu and Buddhist temples began flourishing under Gupta rule.
Many of the finest works of art can be found in temples.
Once simply constructed meeting places, Hindu temples became complex towers covered with intricate carvings.
Buddhist temples were large and impressive, some carved out of mountainsides.
Buddhist stupas were built to house sacred objects from the life of the Buddha. They were covered with detailed carvings.

3. Religious Art: Paintings and Sculpture
Great artists were commissioned by rich and powerful members of society.
Paintings offered a perspective on the daily life and religious belief of the ancient Indians; many of these paintings could be found on the walls of temples.
Indian sculptors carved columns, statues, and entire temples in the likenesses of the Buddha and Hindu gods.
Indian artist created great works of art, often of a religious nature.

4. Sanskrit Literature Mahabharata
One of the world’s longest literary works
The story of two Indian families struggling for control of a kingdom
Many long passages of Hindu beliefs and practices
One of the most famous passages the Bhagavad Gita comes from the Mahabharata.
Ramayana
The story of a god, Vishnu, who has taken human form
Written long after the Mahabharata; contains models for the ideal ruler (Rama) and the ideal mate (Sita)
Most of the literature created during the Maurya and Gupta periods was written in Sanskrit.

5. Indian Achievements Key Terms Metallurgy Alloys Hindu-Arabic numerals
Inoculation
Astronomy
Questions to ponder…
How do you think the
following achievements
effected life in ancient
India?
effect you today?
3. What would life be like
without these scientific
advancements?

6. How do you think alloys helped ancient Indians?
Scientific Advances
The ancient Indians were pioneers of metallurgy, the science of working with metals.
Ancient Indians understood how to mix metals and create alloys.
These alloys were often stronger and easier to work with.
An alloy is a mixture of two or more metals.
The pillar is very
resistant to rust
and is studied even
today.
Ancient Indians
created the
Iron Pillar
near Delhi.
How do you think alloys helped ancient Indians?

7. Ancient Indians
are also believed
to have had an
important role
in the creation of
“0,”
Mathematics
Ancient Indians developed many elements of our modern math system.
The very numbers we use today are called the Hindu-Arabic numerals
They were created by Indian scholars and brought to Europe by the Arabs.

8. Indian doctors
Fixed broken bones,
Removed tonsils,
And reattached
Earlobes.
Medicine
As early as the AD 100s, doctors in India were making medicines from plants and minerals.
Besides curing diseases, doctors were able to protect others from disease through inoculation.
Indian doctors also performed surgeries.
Inoculation is when a small dose of a virus is injected into a person
to help him or her build up defense to the disease and protect itself.

9. Astronomy
Ancient Indians were very interested in astronomy, the study of stars and planets.
They were aware of seven of the eight planets.
They knew the sun was a star.
They could even predict eclipses of the sun and the moon.

10. Billboards
Billboards are print advertisement on a grand scale. In 1835, a man named Jared Bell printed enormous
posters—also called “bills”—to advertise a circus. He placed them outside, and introduced a new form
of media! By 1867, advertisers leased space on the sides of buildings and on fences for their enormous
ads. Now, you can see billboards every time you drive down a major street or highway.
How many products do you see advertised in this roadside photo from 1905?

12. Some billboards do not advertise particular products
Some billboards do not advertise particular products. Instead, they advertise actions or ideas. This billboard from Alabama celebrates those who live in the United States.

14. Early Billboards
Some billboards are political. This billboard appeared in 1916, before all women in the United States
had the right to vote.
Directions: Study the billboard below. Then, answer the questions.

16. Group Activity
Using your notes and textbook create a billboard to advertise the Indian achievements. Use pages in your textbook.
Religious Art
Sanskrit Literature
Scientific Advances

17. Billboard Guideline
What is the obvious message you want the billboard to convey?
Remember billboards should catch the eye of people driving by.
Be creative! Be colorful
Remember to check grammar and spelling.

18. Billboard Examples