1. Early India and the Vedic Age
Seat work
Students will quietly enter the room, find your seats and discuss your three sticky notes on pages with your row group.

2. Early India and the Vedic Age
Quiz show:
What are the 5 Hindu castes?
Brahmins, Kshatrayas, Vaishyas, Sudras, Dalits
How many theories about where the Indo-Aryans came form does the book discus?
Three
Why where the Aryans such good warriors?
They had fast horse drawn two-wheeled chariots.

3. Introduction
Chapter Introduction
This chapter will introduce you to the Civilizations of Early India. You will learn about the Indus Valley civilization, the Vedic age, and religions that emerged in early India.
Section 1: Indus Valley Civilization
Section 2: India’s Vedic Age
Section 3: Hinduism
Section 4: Buddhism

4. What geographic features
Indus Valley Civilization
What geographic features
affected early India?
Ask students to look at the map in their textbooks of the Indian subcontinent. Have them locate the Himalaya, Hindu Kush, Indus River, Ganges River, Bay of Bengal, Arabian Sea, and Indian Ocean. Ask students to predict how the mountains and waterways will affect the people of ancient India.

5. Key Terms monsoon—seasonal winds that bring rain to
Indus Valley Civilization
Key Terms
monsoon—seasonal winds that bring rain to
the Indian subcontinent during parts of the
year
subcontinent—large landmass that is set apart from the rest of the continent
migrate—v., to move from one region to another in order to live there
Students should use the Word Wise feature in the Early Civilizations of India chapter of their Student Journal to explore Key Terms.

6. Key Ideas The first civilization of the Indian Subcontinent
Indus Valley Civilization
Key Ideas
The first civilization of the Indian Subcontinent
developed along the Indus River.
The Indus Valley civilization had large,
well-planned cities, a strong government,
and an extensive trade network.
Seasonal winds, called monsoons, influence the climate of the region.

8. An Advanced Civilization
Indus Valley Civilization
An Advanced Civilization
By 2500 B.C., well-planned cities such as Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro had developed.
City streets were laid out in a grid pattern.

9. Key Ideas Most historians believe that Indo-Aryan
India’s Vedic Age
Key Ideas
Most historians believe that Indo-Aryan
nomads entered the Indian subcontinent
over many years and mixed with local
people.
Sacred scriptures known as the Vedas teach
us about the Aryan religion and customs.

10. Key Ideas A caste system emerged in India dividing
India’s Vedic Age
Key Ideas
A caste system emerged in India dividing
Indians into groups based on birth and
occupation.

11. Key Terms caste—fixed social class into which a person is born
India’s Vedic Age
Key Terms
caste—fixed social class into which a person is born
Brahmin—priest
Kshatriya—ruler or warrior
Vaishya—landowner, banker, or merchant
Sudra—farmer, laborer, or servant
Dalit—person who performed dirty jobs
Students should use the Word Wise feature in the Early Civilizations of India chapter of their Student Journal to explore Key Terms.

12. The Origins of the Indo-Aryans
India’s Vedic Age
The Origins of the Indo-Aryans
By 1500 B.C., a people called Aryans lived
in the Indus Valley.
The Aryans mixed with local people, who
adopted the Aryan language and religion.
This period of Indian history is called
the Vedic age.

13. What three theories explain the presence of the Aryans in India?
India’s Vedic Age
What three theories explain
the presence of the Aryans in India?
Theories About Aryans

14. The Origins of the Indo-Aryans
India’s Vedic Age
The Origins of the Indo-Aryans
After settling in India, the Aryans composed the
Vedas—sacred hymns that described their
religion and society.
For a thousand years, priests chanted the
Vedas in the Sanskrit language.
Most Vedas praise Aryan gods and goddesses.

16. The Origins of the Indo-Aryans
India’s Vedic Age
The Origins of the Indo-Aryans
During the Vedic age, Aryans moved into the
Ganges Plain and took up farming.
Clans joined to form republics, and powerful
leaders made themselves kings.
By 500 B.C., more than a dozen kingdoms
covered the Ganges Plain.

18. The Caste System Aryans introduced the caste system, which
India’s Vedic Age
The Caste System
Aryans introduced the caste system, which
became India’s social structure.
A person was born into a caste and could not
mix with members of other castes.
Castes were organized by jatis, or types of
jobs, and by varnas, or religious status.

19. The Caste System The caste system limited people’s individual
India’s Vedic Age
The Caste System
The caste system limited people’s individual
freedom because the patterns of their lives
were fixed at birth.
Some believe the caste system brought stability
to Indian society.
In India today, the law forbids caste
discrimination.

20. India’s Vedic Age

21. The Caste System Why did people in the higher castes avoid
India’s Vedic Age
The Caste System
Why did people in the higher castes avoid
physical contact with untouchables?
How did the caste system evolve over time?

22. India’s Vedic Age
How did the lives of the Aryans change as they moved from the dry grasslands west of the Indus River to the humid Ganges Plain?