1. 6th Grade UBD - Unit 4 - India's Rulers and Society

2.  What effects did power and social class have on the lives of the ancient Indian people?

3.  Aryans in India- The Aryans invaded India from the northwest around 1500 BCE and had a major cultural influence on the population already living there.  India’s Caste System- The caste system in India was introduced by the Aryans and based on ideas introduced in the Vedas.  The Mauryan and Gupta Empires- Religious developments and other advances during the Mauryan and Gupta Empires had a strong impact on Indian society.

4.  Untouchables are members of the lowest class in Indian society and often suffer discrimination at the hands of the higher classes. Predict how social class impacted the lives of the Ancient Indian people? (5 minutes)

5.  Work with a neighbor and compare your answer with theirs. What things are the same and what things are different? (3 minutes)

6.  The Aryan religion of Brahmanism developed into Hinduism.  The Aryans introduced the language of Sanskrit and developed its written alphabet.  The Aryan caste system was adopted and used by Indians for many centuries.

7.  For much of its early history, India was isolated by natural barriers such as mountains and oceans.  However, at times other civilizations and groups of people were able to cross the mountains and enter into the territory.  One of these groups was the Aryans.

8.  The Aryan invaders conquered the people of the Indus River civilization in India.  They settled in the fertile valleys as farmers, raising cattle and horses that they had brought with them.

9.  The Aryan brought their own religion, as well as their own cultural customs.  These ideas blended with existing cultures to shape life in South Asia.

10.  One of the most significant changes was the establishment of their religion.  The Aryans worshipped many gods.  They believed these gods lived in nature.

11.  The Vedas are a written collection of hymns, prayers, chants, and other religious writings that make up the most important part of the sacred texts of Hinduism.  They were collected over several centuries and passed down orally.

12. Key Term Hinduism- The dominant religion in India, is one of the world’s oldest religions. Believed to have originated on the Indian subcontinent around 1500 BCE.

13.  The Vedas are believed to have first been written down in Sanskrit, one of the ancient languages of India.

14.  Over time Aryan religion mixed with local Indian beliefs and practices to form Hinduism, a new religion.  Hinduism combined a wide range of traditions and is still practiced by more than 800 million people around the world.

15. Video- The History of Hinduism

16.  Religion was not the only change the Aryans made to Indian society.  Aryans established their idea of social classes.

17.  The caste system consisted of five major castes or groups: the Brahmans, the Kshatriyas, the Vaisyas, the Shudras, and the Dalits/ Untouchables.  A person's caste ruled his or her life. It determined things like occupation, who a person could marry, what a person could eat, and where a person lived.  Discrimination based on the caste system was outlawed in 1949, but the caste system continues to create political and social divisions in India, particularly in rural areas.

18. Key Term Caste System- Arranges people into hereditary groups within a society.

19.  The Aryans used these ideas to create a hierarchy in society.  The system they introduced is called the caste system and it remained a dominant part of Indian culture until the mid-1900s.

20.  The caste system divided people into groups that dictated what jobs they could have, who they could marry, and where they could live.

21.  A person’s status and role within society was tied to the group, or caste, he or she belonged to.  Different groups in society were responsible for different jobs and responsibilities.

22.  People in one group were not allowed to marry people from another group.  A person was born into a group and was not allowed to change groups at any point in life.  The caste system remained a dominant force in Indian society for many centuries.

23. Brahmans (Priests, Judges, and Scholars) Kshatriyas (Soldiers) Vaisyas (Merchants and Farmers) Shudras (Peasants, Servants, and Laborers) Untouchables (Outcasts)

24.  As India became more urbanized in the 1900s, people of different castes began interacting with one another, particularly in the cities.

25.  Discrimination based on the caste system was eventually made illegal in 1949.  Ever since, the government has created laws protecting people from lower castes against discrimination.

26. Video- The Caste System

27.  The Mauryan Empire connected most of India under one territory by conquering other states or local kingdoms.  Emperor Ashoka was one of the most influential historical figures in ancient India.  Ashoka converted to Buddhism and encouraged the spread of Buddhism in India.  Gupta mathematicians developed a decimal system of writing and used zeroes as placeholders.

28. Video- Ancient Warriors of India

29. Video- The Maurya Elephant Army

30.  India's first empire, the Mauryan Empire, was established around 322 BCE.  A great military leader, Chandragupta Maurya, was the first true emperor in India.  His grandson Ashoka is remembered as one of the greatest kings in India's history.

31.  Ashoka was an experienced warrior and extended the lands of the empire.  Around 256 BCE he invaded the Kalingas another powerful kingdom and defeated them. However, he was overcome by the death and destruction he witnessed.

32.  After the battle Ashoka converted to Buddhism and instituted new policies throughout the empire.  He promoted peace, opened universities, and established new trade routes for his people.

33.  Ashoka had stone pillars erected throughout India. These pillars were covered in engravings and markings that told his story and shared his religious philosophies with his people.

34. Key Term Buddhism- Both a religion and a philosophy, today this religion is the fourth largest on Earth, with about 360 million followers.

35.  Around 320 CE, the Gupta Empire began. The Gupta dynasty ruled India for about 215 years.  During this time, the dynasty built roads throughout the empire, reestablished Hinduism as the main religion in India, and made many scientific, mathematical, and cultural advances.

37.  The creation of the numeric system upon which our modern system is based and the introduction of the number zero as a placeholder are among the important developments that occurred during the Gupta period.

38. Video- Numerals and the Origin of Zero

39. 1. What advances were made during the Gupta Empire?

40.  During the Gupta Empire the dynasty built roads throughout the empire and reestablished Hinduism as the main religion in India. Other advances made by the Gupta Empire include many scientific, mathematical, and cultural advances. One example of this was the creation of a numeric system upon which introduced the number zero as a placeholder.

41.  What has been the “muddiest” point so far in this lesson? That is, what topic remains the least clear to you? (4 minutes)

42.  Work with a neighbor and compare your muddiest point with theirs. Compare what things are the same and what things are different? (3 minutes)