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The Indus River Valley civilization thrived due to its annual flooding, creating fertile soil that supported diverse agriculture. Cities like Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro showcased advanced urban planning and technology, becoming vital trade centers. The sudden collapse of this civilization coincided with the arrival of the Aryans from Central Asia, who introduced Sanskrit and Hinduism, creating a new social order. Major beliefs in Hinduism included karma, reincarnation, and the sanctity of certain objects. Buddhist philosophy, founded by Siddhartha Gautama, emphasized self-denial and the end of suffering through the Eightfold Path.
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India The Indus River Valley
Agriculture and Building • Indus river flooded annually • Very fertile soil- grew various crops • Harappa & Mohenjo-Daro • Largest cities (over 30,000 people) • Technologically advanced • Urban planners • First people known to make cotton cloth
Trade and Collapse • Trade vital to the economy • Archaeologists discovered clay seals for trade purposes • Kilns for making pottery • Used metals • Own form of writing- indecipherable today • Indus Civilization collapsed suddenly & mysteriously
The Aryan Invasion • Believed to come from Central Asia across the Himalayas and arrived about 1500 B.C. • Created their own form of writing, known as Sanskrit. • Brought a new religion, Hinduism • Mixing of the two peoples, Aryans and Dravidians, brought about a new social order or caste system.
Major Beliefs of Hinduism • Gods-Hindus believe that there are many gods and goddesses. Each of these gods is a manifestation (form) of one Supreme Being. • Karma-refers to a person’s behavior in life, which Hindus believe determines that person’s form in the next life. Good=higher caste/Bad=lower caste. • Reincarnation-belief that at death, a person’s soul is reborn as another living thing which creates an endless cycle of rebirth for each soul. • Sacred objects-belief that the Ganges River is sacred and has the power to wash away sin and evil; also the cow is sacred and Hindus do not eat beef.
Buddhism • Began in India around 500 B.C. • Founded by Siddhartha Gautama after looking beyond his palace walls and seeing the human suffering around him. • After six years, he had a flash of insight that all suffering was caused by selfish human desires. • To end suffering, a person must come to accept the world as it is and block his or her own selfish desires. • Gautama became known as the “Buddha” or “Enlightened One.”
Major Beliefs of Buddhism • Basic philosophy of self-denial and meditation • Reincarnation • No single supreme being or holy book • Basic beliefs found in Sutras • Four Noble Truths-explains life’s meaning • Eightfold Path-have the right goals, have the right perspectives, be aware, act in a worth manner, speak truthfully, live righteously, respect all living things, and meditate • Nirvana-by following the eightfold Path, a person can escape the soul’s endless reincarnations and achieve nirvana-a state of eternal peace and bliss
The Spread of Buddhism • Buddhism spread through missionaries throughout India. • Then it spread to Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand, Indochina, and other southeast Asian countries • Then across the Himalayan to Bhutan, Nepal, Tibet, Mongolia and central Asia • Then into China, Korea and Japan
China Huange He (Yellow River)
Agriculture • Yellow River flooded periodically • Fertile soil • Grew crops and raised animals
Government • Shang dynasty • Dynasty- a series of rulers from a single family • Built the first Chinese cities- • Capital city = Anyang • Shang kings • Military leaders • High priests
Cultural Contributions • Superior bronze vessels & weapons • First to make silk textiles (from silkworm cocoons) • System of writing with pictographs called characters • most still used in modern Chinese with only slight modification
