1. Lesson 2: India and Persia

2. Indus River Valley Civilization The Indus River Valley was settled around 3500 B.C. Harrapa and Mohenjo-Daro were home to thousands of people The Harrapan civilization vanished suddenly sometime about 1700 B.C. –Many archaeologists suspect this was because of a natural disaster, such as a monsoon, flood, or earthquake

3. The Aryans Arrive About 1500 B.C. the Aryans migrated to the Indus River Valley They spoke Sanskrit and brought technology such as chariots drawn by horses. The Aryans left behind few objects for archaeologists to find, such as pottery, jewelry, or ruins. What they did leave behind was their main language, Sanskrit.

4. Aryan Culture Spreads The Aryans formed groups that were headed by a rajah, or priest leader As the society became more prosperous, conflicts arose among the groups. Mahabharata and Ramayana are two popular tales describing the battles fought as well as other stories.

5. The Persian Empire Cyrus II is said to have been the founder of the Persian Empire. The Persian Empire was constructed after the Persians invaded the lands of the Babylonians, Lydians, and Egyptians. At its height, the Persian Empire ruled 20 provinces linked together with a system of roads.

6. The First Indian Empire About 320 B.C., a soldier named Chandragupta Maurya siezed power in India. He started the Mauryan Empire, the first Indian empire, and extended it to the borders of Persia.

7. Arts and Sciences The Gupta Empire lasted for about 200 years. During this time India made great achievements in science such as Astronomy. Mathematics expanded with the development of the number system we use today –Including nine digits, zero, and the decimal