Corporate India

1. Ancient IndiaHistory & GeographyLesson 1 Windows to the World: Ancient River Civilizations

2. Geography of India • India is located in southern Asia. • The northern border is formed by the Himalaya Mountains, the highest mountain range in the world. • Most of the country is surrounded by water: • The Arabian Sea to the west • The Bay of Bengal to the east • The Indian Ocean to the south What positive and negative effects do you think the mountains and the oceans have had on India?

3. Geography • Almost every climate exists in India. • Glaciers are in the Himalaya Mountains. • In the western states of Gujarat and Rajasthan is the Thar Desert, one of the driest places on earth. • To the east in Meghalaya are the world’s two wettest cities, Cherrapunji and Mawsynram – 457 inches of rain each year. • The Ganges Plain, in the east is one of the world’s most fertile places. • The southern part of India is the Deccan Plateau that is bordered on both sides by mountains known as the Western and Eastern Ghats.

4. The Himalayas

5. LocationLocationLocation

6. Indian Climate • Most of the year, the weather is very dry and sunny. • India has three seasons: hot – February to May wet – June to November cool – December - February • There is usually only one big weather event every year – the monsoon. Monsoon is the Arabic word for season. It is the rains that arrive between June and October. • During the monsoon, it usually rains every day. • By the end of September, the dry, brown-baked land has turned green and lush.

7. The Indus River Valley • The Indus Valley Civilization is one of the oldest civilizations. • In the 1920s, archaeologist found evidence of early human civilizations in the Indus River Valley dating back to 3,000 BC. These first people settled near the Indus River. • This civilization is known as the Harappan Civilization, named after the first city archaeologists discovered – Harappa. • The great cities of this civilization were Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro, which were located in present day Pakistan. There were at least 80 other villages and towns in this area. What would it have been like to live in the United States in 3,000 BC?

8. Harappan Civilization & Neighbors c. 2000 B.C.E. What might be some positive and negative effects of the location of the Harappan Civilization?

9. Indus River Valley History • Harappa grew on the floodplains of the Indus River. Because of flooding, it was rebuilt five times. • Mohenjo-Daro was rebuilt six times because of flooding.

10. Harappa & Mohenjo-Daro • Archaeologists discovered planned cities that were laid out in grids, with straight streets in Mohejo-Daro and Harappa. • They were the first people to plan the building of cities. The cities were built on a common plan: • About one square mile in size in a rectangular layout • Two sections for each city: • A Walled Citadel containing administrative buildings, religious centers, bathhouses,and granaries • A Lower Town – where the people lived

11. Cities • Streets were laid out in grids that formed blocks with homes. • Most homes had only one room, but some had multiple rooms and stories. • Some contained inner courtyards and brick staircases that led to upper floors or roofs. • Most buildings were made from baked bricks.

12. Indus Valley Plumbing The Indus Valley Civilization was advanced in many ways: • Plumbing – many homes were equipped with bathrooms including toilets and baths • Houses received water from wells in their home’s courtyard or from a public well. • A drainage system, located underneath the streets, removed water from homes.

13. Agriculture • The Harappans were an agricultural people. • Each city had large storage areas for food called granaries. The food was shared by all. • The people grew many different crops including wheat, barley, peas, sesame seeds, melons, dates, and cotton.

14. Harappan Economy • Their economy seems to have been based on trade. • Most city dwellers were traders or artisans. • Materials obtained from trading were used in the cities for making seals, beads, jewelry and other objects. • Harappan people traded with cultures to the west. Harappan seals have been found in excavations in Mesopotamia. • Some of these seals were made from clay and used as stamps on traded goods. Observe these seals discovered by archeologists in the Indus Valley. What do they tell us about the Harappan?

15. Religion • Many archaeologists think that Harappan people used figurines when they prayed. • Many of their figurines were of women, so archaeologist believe the Harrapan people worshipped a female goddess.

16. Harappan Culture • Musical instruments, toys and games were made by the artisans. • Apparently the Harappan people loved to play games. A chess board was also discovered by archeologists. Dominoes • These gaming pieces discovered by archeologists are believed to be 5,000 years old. Dice

17. Harappan Art • Various sculptures, seals, pottery, gold jewelry and detailed figurines in terracotta, bronze and steatite have been found at the excavation sites. The Dancing Girl of Mojenho-Daro Terracotta Sculpture

18. The Indus Valley is rich in many metals and stones such as Carnelian, gold, copper, and turquoise. • The Harappan people made beautiful jewelry and sold it at their markets. Indus Valley Jewelry

19. Writing • The Harappans were literate– able to read and write. • Many of the artifacts that have been found contain writing – pictographic script. • No one has been able to figure out what the writing means. • The writing was done on bricks or seals not on paper or clay tablets.

20. What happened to the Harappans? • Sometime between 1800 and 1700 BC, the Harappans disappeared. • No ones knows exactly what happened to them. • Some historians believe they were invaded or had a natural catastrophe. • Some believe that the frequent flooding of the Indus caused the civilization to disappear. • What do you think happened to them?

21. The Aryans Arrive c. 1500 BC • The Aryrans were nomadic people, traveling from one place to another in search of food and shelter. • They were originally from Black Sea and Caspian Sea areas. • For several hundred years the Aryans spread from Central Asia to the Indus River Valley.

22. The Aryans • They called themselves “noble ones” or “superior ones.” • The Aryans were tall, with light colored hair and had blue or green eyes. • The were a warring people, and often fought among themselves. • Aryans learned to farm the fertile soils of the Indus River Valley.

23. Aryan Farmers • The Aryan’s raised cattle, sheep, goats, and other animals. They also farmed crops, and probably traded with other tribes. • The most important indicator of wealth among the Aryans was the number of cattle that an individual owned. The more cattle a family, or tribe possessed the more wealthy they were. • Eventually cattle became so important in Aryan society that they made it illegal to kill or eat them.

24. Jobs & Occupations • In each tribe, people began to belong to one of four groups according to their jobs or Castes: • Brahmana – priests • Kshatriya – warriors or soldiers • Vaishya – traders & farmers • Shudra – perple in service to others • Your occupation was the occupation of your father. If your father was a farmer, you had to be a farmer.

25. Aryan Government • The Aryans were not unified under a single government. They shared the same language and traditions, but were organized into small tribes or clans. Each tribe was ruled by a chief known as a rajah or king. This was an inherited job, so if your father was the rajah, someday, you would be chief. • The Aryan world was ruled by the men. Woman were subject to their husbands, and were considered their property. Both boys and girls were allowed to attend schools, and receive an education.

26. For hundreds of years the Aryans did not have a written language so they passed their history down from one generation to another though stories, poems, and epics. These oral histories were memorized, word for word, and told over and over. • The Aryans eventually developed a written language. Around 600 BC the Vedas were written down.

27. Aryan Houses • People in the Vedic period lived in straw and wooden huts. • Later on, they built homes of wood.

28. Religion • The Aryans believed in many gods. They worshiped Indra, the god of war; Agni , the god of fire; and Usha, the goddess of the morning, as well as many other minor gods and goddesses. • The religion grew to become Hinduism, which is one of the primary religions still practiced in India today.

29. Indian Invasion • The Persian kings, Cyrus and Darius, invaded India in 500 BC. • Alexander the Great of Greece invaded India in 326 BC changing the Indian culture forever.

30. Mauryan Empire 321 BC- 188 BC • In 321 B.C. a military leader by the name of Chandragupta Maurya overthrew the ruling king and began the Mauryan Empire. • Maurya developed infrastructure such as roads, bridges, and a post offices, that would help the empire grow and prosper for almost 150 years. • Chandragupta taxed his people and punished them harshly. To ensure that he was obeyed , he created a network of spies throughout his kingdom who reported to him.

31. Emperor Asoka • Maurya’s Grandson, Asoka,became emperor after Chandragupta died . • His military expanded the borders of the empire to include two thirds of the Indian subcontinent. • In later life, Asoka grew tired of war, and he converted to Buddhism. He taught his people to be kind to others, and to have respect for human life. • Under his rule, Buddhist teachers were able to spread Buddhism to the countries of China, Thailand, Vietnam and Japan.

32. End of Mauryan Empire • After the death of Asoka, the Mauryan Empire rapidly fell apart. • For 490 years following the fall of the Mauryan Empire, the Indian people would remain under the rule of small city-states. Emperor Asoka the Great

33. Gupta Empire • Around 320 AD the Gupta Dynasty took over northern India. • Chandra Gupta I was the leader and first emperor. • The Hindu religion was very popular and grew. • Indian society prospered.

34. Chandra Gupta II • Ruled from AD 375 to 415 – greatest of the Gupta kings. • Expanded empire & strengthened economy. • Empire called the Golden Age of India because of the architecture, sculpture, & painting. • His reign brought about much prosperity.

35. Ajanta Cave Paintings • The wall-paintings of Ajanta Cave in the central Deccan are the greatest works of Indian art.

36. The Gupta Empire • Under the Guptas, Hinduism became the main religion. • Rulers built Hindu temples. • Buddhism began to lose influence.

37. End of Gupta Empire • In 480 the Huns (a group of people originally from north of China) conquered the Guptas. Hun king on a coin.

38. Post-Guptan Era • After the Guptan empire fell apart in the 500's AD, India had a lot of smaller kings ruling a lot of small kingdoms. • There were a lot of wars among these small kingdoms, but there was also a lot of great architecture and art during this time. Hindu Temple built to the Hindu god, Shiva.

39. Arab Invaders • By about 1100 AD, however, the Abbasid or Arab invaders conquered northern India. • Over the years many Hindu and Buddhist Indians in northern India converted to Islam (another religion). • Southern India was never conquered by the Arabs. They remained Hindu.

40. Modern History • Other groups of people conquered and ruled India until 1757, when a British company called the East India Trading Company changed from being traders with India to their rulers. • The Indian people were frustrated under British rule. • In 1919, 400 unarmed Indian people were killed by British soldiers.

41. Indian Independence • Mahatma Gandhi became India’s leader for freedom. He believed in peaceful, nonviolent protests instead of fighting. He used hunger strikes and prayer to achieve his goals. • In 1947, Great Britain granted India independence.

42. Credits • http://india.mrdonn.org/indus.html • http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/indusvalley/ • http://www.harappa.com/walk/index.html • http://www.kidspast.com/worldhistory/0102-civilizations-of-india.php • http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/india • http://www.etsu.edu/cas/history/ppt/Indus.ppt#256,1,Indus Valley Civilization • http://www.socialstudiesforkids.com/articles/worldhistory/ancientindiahighlyadvanced.htm

43. Ancient IndiaReligionLesson 2

44. Religion in Ancient India • Ancient India's religion can be traced right from the Harappan Civilization that grew up in two cities of Harrappa and Mohenjo-Daro. • Hinduism developed first by the Indo-Aryan people who moved south through India and displaced the Indus Valley Civilization. • Later, Gautam Buddha a royal prince founded a new religion out of Hinduism. He based his religion and his new social system on four noble truths.

45. Religion is an important part of life in Ancient India and India today. India is the birthplace of two of the world’s major religions: • Hinduism • Buddhism

46. No leader or formal church No single holy book like the bible Believe in one superior being or god called Brahman. There are many gods and goddesses that are a part of Brahman. Have many sacred writings. Most important are the Rig Veda What is Hinduism?

47. Some of the Hindu gods are… • Brahma- major god of Hindu religion-believed he created the universe- takes the form of a five headed being • Vishnu- protects the universe that Brahma created • Shiva- the god of destruction. Has the power to see what others cannot see. • Agni- god of fire

48. An important Hindu ritual is traveling to the holy city, Varanasi, to bathe in the Ganges River?(Read Sacred River by Ted Lewin)

49. Hindus also believe that cows are sacred and worship them as a source of life and fertility. No beef is ever eaten by a Hindu.

50. Hinduism is considered to be more of a way of life. It teaches… • Righteous living or moral duty • A person’s actions have a consequence • Continuous process of rebirth