ANCIENT INDIA

HISTORY AND TIMELINE

Where Ancient India is located

• Continent• Asia

• Present-day countries• India• Pakistan• Bangladesh

• Major bodies of water • Bay of Bengal• Arabian Sea• Indian Ocean

Geographic Features of Ancient India

• North• Indus and Ganges

Rivers flow from Himalayas to the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea, respectively.

• South• Deccan Plateau

•Isolated North from South

•Mountainous, forested and rocky soil

Climate of Ancient India

• Climate • Monsoons (essential for bringing water for farming)

Religion of Ancient India

• Polytheistic• Sacred Texts

• The Vedas• The Upanishads

• Hinduism• Brahman = Creator• Vishnu = Preserver• Shiva = Destroyer

Philosophy of Ancient India

•Atman = every person has an essential self.

•Moksha = People must free themselves from selfish desires to be at union with Brahman.

History of Ancient India• 3000 – 1500 BCE

• Civilization began in the Indus River Valley.

• City-States of Harappa and Mohenjo-daro were well-planned communities that include:•Brick buildings•Bathrooms•Drainage systems•Productive farming with canals and domesticated animals

History of Ancient India

• 2000 – 600 BCE• Aryans – Indo-European

•language, came through northwest mountain passages.

•Conquered the Dravidians

•By 600 BCE taken over Ganges valley and entire Northern Plains region.

History of Ancient India

•521 – 367 BCE• Persian rule in NW

India•Simulated cultural and commercial contacts between NW India and Eastern Mediterranean

History of Ancient India

•326 BCE• Alexander the Great

(Greek) conquers NW India•Mastered the Persian Empire and subdued the Indus River

•Greek influences in trade, culture and government

History of Ancient India• 321 – 184 BCE

• Maurya – Indian Family – First Great Empire (322-298 BCE)•Chandragupta Maurya

•Inspired by Alexander •Drove out the Greek soldiers

•Won control of the northern plain and founded the empire

•Highly centralized government based on Persians

History of Ancient India

• 321-184 BCE (cont.)• Asoka (273 – 232 BCE)

•Maurya’s grandson•Conquered southward until he

had 2/3 of India•Rejected war and converted to

Buddhism•Edicts were written on stone

pillars and rocks throughout India, Ceylon (Sri Lanka) and Burma; promoting:

•Truth, Justice, Charity, Religious tolerance, Non-violence

History of Ancient India

•320 – 535 Gupta Empire• Native Indian family

•Empire in northern India•Restored law and order•Revived prosperity to region

•Region became center for learning and it’s culture spread to eastern Asia

•Often called India’s “Golden Age”

Customs and Traditions• Art and Architecture

• Revolves around the Hindu and Buddhism religious practices

• Symbols and ornate designs are stressed

• Human and animal statues• Temple wall paintings• Temple construction

•Pointed domes•Columns•Conical towers

Customs and Traditions• Literature

• Vedas = hymns, prayers, religious principles

• Mahabharta and Ramayana = epic poems

• Animal fables showing morals = could be based on Aesop’s fables

• Kalidasa = “India’s Shakespeare”

• Sanskrit = main literary language

Contributions•Science and Technology

• Diagnosed major diseases

• Prescribed medicinal plants

• Placed the sick in hospitals

• Had an ethical code (like Hippocratic Oath)

Science and Technology (cont.)

• Applied chemical principles to dyeing cloth, tanning leather, manufacturing soap and glass

• Refined iron ore (passed to the Arabs and then introduced Medieval Europe)

Contributions

• Mathematics• Devised concept of zero• Employed a decimal

system• Developed a rudimentary

algebra• Created our modern

written numbers (translated by Arabs to Medieval Europe misleadingly called Arabic numerals)

Artifacts

Stamp seal depicting a rhinoceros from Mohenjo-daro

Pot shard from Harappa

Artifacts

Coin with Brahmi script

Indus Valley

figurine

Artifacts

Seal with Indus Valley Script

Economy

Silver coin of Seleucus I /

Nicator, who fought

Chandragupta Maurya, and later made an alliance with

him.

Economy

Silver coin of Seleucus I /

Nicator, who fought

Chandragupta Maurya, and later made an alliance with

him.

Economy

Silver punch mark coin of the Mauryan empire, with symbols of wheel and elephant. 3rd century BCE.