Ancient India (Indus River Valley Civilization) & Gupta Dynasty

6-1.3: Compare the river valley civilizations of the Tigris and Euphrates (Mesopotamia), the Nile (Egypt), the Indus (India), and the Huang He (China), including the evolution of written language, government, trade systems, architecture, and forms of social order.6-3.3: Summarize the major contributions of India, including those of the Gupta dynasty in math, literature, religion, and science.

I. Ancient India - Brief History      A. Farmers from Iran moved into the Indus River valley around 3500 B.C.     B. The Indus River flooded leaving behind silt that helped fertilize the land for farming.

II. Geography  A. Indus River - Vital feature of the land

now covered by India and Pakistan.     B. India is part of a subcontinent - a large landmass smaller than continent and separated by a physical feature such as mountains.     C. Himalayan Mountain Range - separates India from Asia and provides it protection.

II. Geography continued... D. Monsoons - Seasonal winds that cause wet and dry seasons.          1. Summer - monsoon winds blow into India from the Indian Ocean causing heavy rains and floods. - Floods provide silt - A mixture of fertile soil and tiny rocks that can make land ideal for farming brought from the rivers when they flooded.          2. winter - monsoon winds blow down from the Himalayan Mountains, creating warm dry winters.

III. Groups of People Who Lived in the Indus River Valley A. Harappan Civilization - First group of people to live in the Indus River Valley.          1. Built the cities of Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro.          2. Streets built at right angles, indoor plumbing, and sewers.          3. Wells for drinking water.          4. Had citadels - fortresses built on a hill for protection.          5. Developed a writing system, but we can't translate it.

III. Groups of People Who Lived in the Indus River Valley Continued…  B. Aryans - Next group of people to live here.          1. They were originally nomadic and warriors.          2. Developed a written language called Sanskrit.

IV. Written Language  A. Sanskrit -           1. At first, Sanskrit was only a spoken language.           2. Eventually, however, people figured out how to write it down so they could keep records, record history.           3. Sanskrit is no longer spoken today, but it is the root of many modern South Asian languages.

V. Government - Someone or some people gain authority over others, laws are created.

A. Harappans had kings and strong central governments, but we are not sure since we can’t read their language.

     B. Aryans lived in small communities, based mostly on family ties.           1. No single ruling authority existed. Instead, each group had its own leader, often a skilled warrior          2. Aryan villages were governed by rajas (RAH-juhz). A raja was a leader who ruled a village and the land around it.           3. Villagers farmed some of this land for the raja.           4. They used other sections as pastures for their cows, horses, sheep, and goats.

VII. Gupta Dynasty - Golden Age of India     A.  Dynasty - Rulers in government from the same family.     B. Achievements          1. Math - Hindu-Arabic Numerals (numbers we use today), concept of zero, algebra.          2. Medical - Vaccinations (inoculations) to prevent disease, plastic surgery

B. Achievements continued…3. Metallurgy - Able to work with metals such as

copper and bronze          4. Astronomy - Study of the stars and planets - first to discover the Earth was round and orbited around the Sun.          5. Literature - Epics - a long poem telling of the deeds of a hero and often centering on the ideals of a nation or culture               a. Mahabharata - a long story that tells the story of a long conflict between families.               b. Ramayana - teaches believers of Hinduism what they must do to become one with God

VI. Trade Systems     A. Traded with people of Mesopotamia and China

VII. Religion     A. Hinduism - World's oldest and largest polytheistic religion.          1. Polytheism - the belief in more than one god or goddess.          2. It developed from Aryan beliefs.     B. Buddhism - Considered a religion but is a philosophy.          1. Buddhists believe that our selfish desires cause our suffering, and the way to end our suffering is to end our selfish desires.

IX. Social Order     A. Caste System - Aryans divided society into castes to keep social order and control          1. Your place in which Caste depended on your birth, and it was a strict social hierarchy.          2. Rules - Can only eat, live in the neighborhood, and marry people from your caste - Don't follow the rules you would get kicked out of your caste.          3. Caste System Order               A. Brahmins - Priests               B. Kshatriyas - Warriors               C. Vaisyas - herders, farmers, merchants, craftspeople               D. Sudras - farm workers, servants, laborers               E. Untouchables - people who eat beef, butchers, fishermen, clean sewers