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Ancient India

Ancient India. Geography. Indus river valley Ganges river Lush plains in south. Harappan Civilization. 3000-2000 BCE- Indus river valley 600,000 sq miles More than 70 cities. Harappan Civilization. 6500 or 7000BCE small villages 2000’s BCE privileged ruling elite in walled cities

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Ancient India

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  1. Ancient India

  2. Geography • Indus river valley • Ganges river • Lush plains in south

  3. Harappan Civilization • 3000-2000 BCE- Indus river valley • 600,000 sq miles • More than 70 cities

  4. Harappan Civilization • 6500 or 7000BCE small villages • 2000’s BCE privileged ruling elite in walled cities • 40’ thick walls at base, 3 ½ mile circumference • City rectangular grid, 30’ wide streets • Buildings- kiln dried square shaped mud bricks • Houses varied in size, some as tall as 3 stories, central square courtyards • Bathrooms with drainage systems, sewers that carried waste outside city o pits

  5. Harappan Politics • Trade alliances between cities • Cities ruled by coalition of rich • No imperial burial mounds/ no terracotta images of kings

  6. Harappan Economy • Agriculture- wheat, barley, rice, peas • First to cultivate cotton • Trade network to Sumer and others to west • Exchanged for copper, lumber, precious stones, luxury goods • Sea born trade

  7. Harappan Culture • Architecture/ pottery purely functional • Pottery wheel turned/ kiln fired • Advances in sculpture especially with copper • Writing- 3rd millennium BCE- pictographic symbols

  8. Harappan Decline • Signs of gradual decline before a sudden destruction around 1500 BCE • Decline- trash in streets, neglect of public services, overcrowding • Skeletons found in poses similar to pompeii

  9. Aryans • Arrived in India around 1500 – 1000 BCE • Nomadic people who excelled in war • Originally from the Siberian steppes

  10. Aryans • Separated into tribes • Raja- chieftan • Council of elders assisted Raja • Maharaja- chieftains who became kings • Ruler had to follow dharma • Set of laws that set behavioral standards for all classes of individuals

  11. Caste/Class system • Superior of invading people • Issue of skin color- invaders light skinned • Varna- Indian class distinction • Rigid social classification • Determined status, occupation, salvation • Technically absolute divisions • in practice some minor mobility

  12. Caste/Class system • Brahmin • priestly class • Descended from seers of Aryan rulers • Part of aristocracy • Kshatriya • warrior class • New conquering families allowed into class • Part of aristocracy

  13. Caste/Class system • Vaisya • “commoner” • merchant class • Originally guardians of tribal herds- • alone allowed to hunt, keep cattle, sell/ rent beasts of burden • “Twice born”- puberty ceremony young males initiated into adulthood with other two classes • Allowed to wear sacred thread

  14. Caste/Class system • Sudras • peasants or artisans • Not originally Aryan • based on DNA samples • Dravidian • Upper class Aryans more similar to Europeans • Bulk of population

  15. Caste/Class system • Pariahs • Untouchables • Not considered human • About 5% of pop. • Originally slaves, prisoners of war, criminals, ethnic minorities • Menial tasks- collecting trash, handling dead bodies, handling meat • No others would touch or handle anything prepared by pariah

  16. Jati • Large kin groups, living in a specific area carrying out a specific function • Basic social organization • Composed of hundred or thousands of individual nuclear families • Governed by own council of elders • Each assigned a particular economic activity • Entire Jati may move to in order to continue economic activity

  17. Hierarchy • Provided individual identity • Assimilation of new groups • Jati primitive welfare • Stability in political turmoil

  18. Mauryan Empire • Chandragupta Maurya (324-301 BCE) • Pataliputra capital • Kautilya- advisor wrote political treatise Arthasastra • Ends over means to achieve the means • Centralized despotic government • Maurya large army/ secret police • Divided into provinces ruled by governors • Provinces into districts w/ chief magistrate • Districts to villages led by council of elders • Censors- guard against corruption

  19. Family • Three generations under 1 roof • Patriarchal • Oldest male possessed legal authority • Male education • Only males could inherit property

  20. Family • Divorce prohibited • Polygamy rare • Child marriage common • Sati • Men worked in field/ women little use outside of house • Daughters considered economic liability

  21. Family • Fascination with female sexuality • Code of behavior stressed women should be treated with respect

  22. Economy • Aryans shifted focus from Indus to Ganges • Tradition of dividing property among all sons • Climate • monsoons • Grew: barley, wheat, millet, wet rice, vegetables, cotton, pepper, ginger, cinnamon, saffron

  23. Economy • Maritime trade 5th cen BCE Across Indian Ocean, southeast Asia, china, Africa, Egypt • Ships carried 1,000 tons cargo: spices, teak, perfumes, jewels, textiles, precious stones, ivory, wild animals • Brought back: gold, tin, lead, wine

  24. Economy • Under Chandragupta Maurya government control of mines, and lands • 2nd cen. BCE coins of gold, copper

  25. Religion • Mix Dravidian and Aryian culture • Hinduism • Buddhism • Jainism • Sikhism

  26. Hinduism • From sacred veda texts • Pantheon of gods representing forces of nature • Over 3,000 • Brahman- creator • Vishnu- preserver • Shiva- destroyer

  27. Hinduism • Asceticism • sacrifice • 6th cen BCE • Self discipline/ denial • Upanishads- commentaries on Veda with asceticism • Yoga • Spiritual meditation • Communion directly metaphysically with gods

  28. Hinduism • Reincarnation • Wheel of life • escape cycle of existence • Final destination is union with the great soul- Brahman • Karma • actions in life determine reincarnation • Governed by dharma

  29. Hinduism • Provides religious sanction to class division • Compensation for those lower on ladder • Means of assimilation for ethnic minorities

  30. Buddhism • The middle path • From bodhi- wisdom • Siddhartha Guatama • Mid 6thcen BCE • Son of ruling Kshatriya family • Became an ascetic • Buddha- death in 480BCE disciples carried on

  31. Buddhism • Accepts reincarnation and karma • Live life of simplicity • Break wheel f karma • Nirvana • extinction of self reunion with world soul • Denied reality of material world • Pain, poverty, sorrow of life caused by attachment to things

  32. Buddhism • Four Noble truths/ eight fold path • Rejected caste system • Women more accepted than Hinduism • Philosophy over religion • Monasteries, temples, Stupas

  33. Jainism • Founded by Mahavira • Extreme simplicity • No possessions • Begging for a living • Failed to attract major following

  34. Ashoka • 269-232BCE • Began rule pillaging, killing, conquering • Converted to Buddhism and ruled benevolently • Set up pillar edicts and shelters along roads • Son converted Sri Lanka to Buddhism

  35. Ashoka

  36. Rule of the Fishes • 183 BCE last Maurya ruler overthrown by military • Decline of trade • Aryan emphasis on tribal rivalry • Glorification of warfare “the sport o Kings” • India split into smaller kingdoms • 1stcen BCE Indo-European nomads Xiongnu from central Asia seized power in modern Afghanistan and proclaimed new Kush kingdom • Hindu and Buddhism spread further and evolve in this time

  37. Literature • Vedas 4 • Rig Veda (2nd millennium BCE) • Over 1,000 hymns for religious ceremonies • Mahabharata • 90,000 lines • About warring cousins and fantasy gods • About moral confrontation and ethics of Dharma

  38. Literature • Ramayana • about semi legendary ruler Rama • banished from kingdom and becomes a hermit • Religious and moral significance • Filial and erotic love

  39. Language • Sanskrit • Indo-European Aryan lang. • Language of bureaucracy/ literature • Codified language 5th cen BCE • Set 4,000 grammatical rules • Writing system 1st millennia

  40. Architecture and Sculpture • No use of stone until after Alexander • Before only wood • Pillars, stupa, rock chamber • 3 types of religious structures

  41. Architecture and Sculpture • Stupa- house Buddhist relics • Stones had Buddhist texts • Rock chamber- carved out of mountain side or cliff • Bhaja, Karli, Ajanta- 29 rooms

  42. Architecture and Sculpture • All three decorated with relief and free standing statues • Until 2nd century Buddha only pictured through symbols so as not to be worshiped

  43. Science • Mathematics • devised numerical system • Arabic system used today • Astronomy • spherical nature of earth • charted stars

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