Early Indus Civilizations

1
Early Indus Civilizations

• The Aryans the Vedic Age

2
Aryan Migration

• Group that moved into the Indus Valley and
  eventually ruled over all of India
• Approx. 2000 B.C.

3
Aryan Migration

• Aryans were warlike people
• Believed to come from Central Asia

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Aryan Migration

• Aryans were pastoralists
• Nomadic people kept herds of livestock as food
  source
• learned farming after moving into India
• Were taller and lighter skinned than the people
  in the Indus Valley

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Sanskrit

• Written language used by the Aryans

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The Vedic Period

• Most of what we know about the early Aryan period
  comes from the Vedas
• Vedas
• Scared writings, Epic poems, hymns, magic spells
• Passed on by oral tradition
• Provide details about Aryan history and society

8
Vedic Society

• Vedas tell us that
• Aryans lived in smaller villages than Harappans
• Villages came together under the rule of Rajas
• War chiefs
• Protected the people in return for food and money

9
Vedic Religion

• Polythesitic
• Worshipped many gods connected to a single
  eternal spirit
• Priests performed rituals that they claimed kept
  order in the universe
• Fire sacrifices
• Chanting hymns

10
Vedic Social Structure

• Rig Veda
• Oldest of the Vedas
• Describes the creation of the four varnas
• Each varna had played a specific role in society
• Brahmins
• Priests and teachers
• Kshatriyas
• warriors and rulers
• Vaisyas
• Traders, farmers, herders
• Sudras
• Servants

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Brahmins
WHO IS
Kshatriyas

• The mouth?
• The arms?
• The legs?
• The feet?

Vaishyas
Shudras
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Varna (Social Hierarchy)
Brahmins (priests)
Kshatriyas (warriors)
Vaishyas (herders, farmers, merchants,
craftspeople)
Shudras (servants, laborers)
Non-Aryans
Untouchables
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Untouchables

• Did not belong to a caste
• No protections of caste laws
• Could not associate with other castes
• Could only perform jobs that other castes did not
  
• Handling dead animals
• Digging graves
• Handling trash

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The Caste System

• The varnas were the basis for the caste system
• Castes
• Determined what
• jobs you could have
• Who you could marry
• Who you could eat with
• Some castes had more privileges than others