India After the Indus Valley

From Aryans to Guptas

Who Were the Aryans? 1500 BC• Aryans - Indo European group that migrated

from the middle of Eurasia– Passed thru Khyber Pass about 1500 BC– What is the Khyber Pass?

Aryans• Aryans come to India and find

people who are different from them– Aryans were light skinned and

spoke a different language and had a different religion

– Non-Aryans they call dasaswhich meant dark (due to their skin color)

• Dasa would later come to mean slave

• Differences will create classes quickly

The Caste System is Born• Aryans had 3 classes

– Brahmin (priests) – upper class– Kshatriyas (warriors) – middle class– Vaisyas – (farmers, craftspeople, traders) – lower class

Non- Aryans

• Eventually non-Aryans were a class– Called shudras – laborers, servants,

and farm workers– They did the jobs Aryans did not

want to do• Varna – related to skin color-

becomesthe basis of this system; the classes were called varnas– Later they would be called ‘castes’

• This starts the caste system

The Four Castes of India

Aryan/ Indian god known as Brahma

Rituals & Religion of the Caste• Aryans were polytheistic

– Believed in heroic nature gods (ex. Thunder)

• Castes or classes gave role in society– People born into caste for

LIFE– Determines your friends,

wife, job, etc.– Only way to change caste

was through reincarnation – couldn’t change your status during your life

Rituals & Religion of the Caste

• Ritual purity a major part of religion– Eating / cleaning habits keep soul clean

UNtouchablesUntouchables - people in society who were seen as less than any caste

– Jobs made them dirty and ‘untouchable’

– Grave diggers, butchers, etc.

– If someone from another caste touched these people, they would automatically be reincarnated as an Untouchable themselves!!!

Start notesThe Spread of the AryansDominated the area of India from 1500BCE to 500BCEAryans begin spreading east & south

– Spread east to Ganges River– Spread south into the rest of India

How do we know about this spread? • Mahabharata- epic poem that

told of stories of Aryan spread– Tells of mixing between the

Aryans & non-Aryans

The Mauryan Empire Emerges• The Mauryan Empire

– Takes power around 320 BCEWho is the leader?

• Chaundragupta MauryaWhat did he do that no one had ever done in India before?

– Unifies all of Northern India for 1st timeHow did the Mauryan Empire rule over such a large area?

– Creates a bureaucratic governmentWhat is a bureaucracy?

– Divides up the decision making process by a variety of officials assigned or elected.

The Mauryan Empire Emerges• Asoka takes over with the death of his father –

he is the grandson of Chandragupta Maurya.

Why is Asoka the greatest ruler?– Brings India to its greatest heights Ideas he embraced:– Turns away from war; spreads

Buddhism • Practiced religious tolerance - people

choose• Hindu still the main religion

Other achievements:– Built road systems, hospitals, etc.

Mauryan Empire and Asoka:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GHe9mR4Zoc

The Gupta Empire Emerges• Founder: Chaundra Gupta comes to power around 320 BCEHow does he differ from Ashoka?

Brings Indian culture to its new peakAlso brings Hindu religion to its peak

• Indian society is patriarchal– Means eldest male rules the family

• Indian civilization prospers from both trade and conquest

• Create incredible advancements during this time period

Advantages of India’s geographical location?• Unique location-

Pennisula• Trade Religion,

language, ideas, mathematical advancements…

Gupta Empire Advancements• Math

– Creates the concept of zero• Medicine

– Book of over 1000 diseases diagnosed– Surgeries performed, set bones

• Astronomy– Proved the earth was round

• New Products– Spices, gems, woods, traded silks****Used the Silk Roads for trading****

• Literature– Khalidasa- famous playwright and writerWatch Gupta Empire: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5upeOZHzSyw