1. INDIA History, Religion, & Caste System

2. History  Started 4000 years ago along the Indus River  1500 B.C.—Aryans invaded  Beliefs mixed with locals, started Hinduism  Led to the Caste System

3. Hinduism  Worship a supreme being that can be in many different forms  god, animal  Samsara  Hindu belief in reincarnation after death  Coming back to life a person or animal  Karma  “Quality of action”  Build up of ‘karma’—you may be born into a higher caste in your next life

4. Caste System  Organized India’s society  Based on ancestry  You were born into a caste  Couldn’t move from one to another  Caste determined:  Marriage  Job  Way of life

5. 5 Castes of India  Brahman  Priests  Kshatriya  Rulers, warriors, landowners  Vaishya  Merchants  Shudra  Artisans, farmers  Harijan  “Untouchables”

6. History  Moguls—Muslims from SW Asia invaded in 1500  British—conquered India in 1700  Ruled until 1947  Mohandas Gandhi  Preached non-violent resistance to British rule  Helped gain independence 1947