India

1
India

• Aryans,
• Maurya Dynasty,
• Gupta Dynasty

2
Geography

• Subcontinent of Asia
• Cut off from rest of Asia by the Himalayas and
  Hindu Kush
• Khyber Pass

3
History

• Indus River Valley (3500 1500 BCE)
• Harappa and Mohenjo Daro
• Destroyed by invaders called Aryans
• Aryans (2000 600 BCE)
• Religious writings called the Vedas
• Basis for the Hindu Religion
• Spoke Sanskrit

4
Caste System

• Brought a system of classes called varnas basis
  for the caste system
• Sub-castes called jatis

5
More History

• Persians conquered (521-367 BCE)
• Alex. The Great (326 BCE)
• Maurya Empire (321 184 BCE)
• First great Indian empire
• Drove out the last of the Greeks

6
Asoka Maurya

• Ashoka great warrior, conquered ? of India but
  eventually decided that peace was better way of
  life and converted to Buddhism
• Emphasized truth, justice, charity, religious
  tolerance, and nonviolence
• Restricted slaughter of animals and encouraged
  vegetarianism
• After the Maurya empire there were 500 years of
  wars

7
Gupta Empire

• Restored law and order
• Golden Age of prosperity, literature, art,
  math, science India became a center of learning
• 6th C. overthrown by Huns