1. Intro To India

2. A few points…  India’s culture was born out of its geographic location  India was open to influences from the Middle East and even the Mediterranean world  Alexander the Great invaded India in 327 BCE, combining his Hellenistic culture with that of India  This mix of cultures is what makes India so different from China

3. The Geography  The Himalayas in the north create a natural barrier from the rest of East Asia  Passages in the northwest linked it to the middle east  India from the beginning had a greater division of culture than China  Mountains in the north made herding important in that region while the southern waters made trading and seafaring the major activities

4. Climate Affects Life  Monsoons – in summer  120* in the summer  If the monsoons come to late, it could result in famine – too early, and bringing too little rain

5. The Formative Period  Lasting several centuries after the destruction of the original civilization  This formal period is categorized in two stages –Vedic (1500-1000BCE) –and Epic (1000-600 BCE)  In this period, Aryan migrants moved in

6. Vedic Age  What we know we get from early written records in Sanskrit – the first literary language in the New India  These books were called Vedas  With the Epic age came new literary works  All of the writings of this period – –Mahabharata, Ramayana, and Upanishads tended to have a religious flavor

7. Early Social Structure  Village organization  Patriarchal families  The Indian Caste system began to take place during these Vedic and Epic Ages  Originally the caste system was created to promote superiority to the Aryan invaders

9. Who are these people?  Aryans – the conquerors who saw themselves as superior  Kshatriyas – warrior or government leaders  Brahmins – priests  Vaisyas – traders and farmers  Sudras – common laborers  Untouchables – trash collectors and hauled off dead bodies