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Ancient India

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Aryan people and Indus River valley civilization eventually blended into one culture ... Influenced by the Aryan tribal system ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: Ancient India


1
Ancient India
  • The Ins and Outs Presentation

2
I. The Indus River Valley Civilization
  • Over 2,000 years old!
  • 2,500 BC developed on the banks of the Indus
    River Valley
  • Referred to as Harappan civilization
  • After one of its major cities
  • Lasted until approx. 1,700 BC
  • Near present-day Pakistan
  • Borders stretch from present-day Kabul,
    Afghanistan to Delhi, India
  • Indus Valley

3
I. The Indus River Valley Civilization
  • Hundreds of towns and two major cities
  • Harappa
  • Mohenjo-Daro
  • Large city
  • Well-built homes
  • Public buildings
  • Canals
  • City walls
  • Mohenjodaro 1

4
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5
I. The Indus River Valley Civilization
  • Mohenjo-Daro (inset, pg. 592)
  • Craft workers used clay for beautiful figurines
    and communication
  • Streets in a grid design
  • Wall around the city
  • Houses had brick/stone foundations
  • Several rooms, toilets, wells, drainage system
    with brick lined sewers in the streets
  • Ditches and canals for irrigation
  • Public bathhouse
  • Buildings for storing grain and holding meetings
  • Major trade partners???

6
II. The Aryan Influence on South Asia
  • 1,700 BCAryans came to South Asia
  • Migrated through Russia and passes in the Hindu
    Kush mountains
  • Suggests that Aryans played a role in the end of
    the Harappan civilization
  • No one knows why the civilization ended around
    1,700 BC
  • Possible theories
  • Climate change?
  • Conquered?
  • Destroyed?
  • Aryan people and Indus River valley civilization
    eventually blended into one culture
  • This culture was concentrated in both the Indus
    River valley and the Ganges River valley

7
II. The Aryan Influence on South Asia
  • A New People, a New Civilization
  • Aryans were very different from the Indus River
    valley people
  • Spoke the language of Sanskrit
  • Nomads and herders (never lived in cities)
  • Food and clothes came from animals they raised
  • Wealth was measured in number of cattle a person
    owned

8
II. The Aryan Influence on South Asia
  • New Technology
  • After 1,000 BC Aryans discovered iron ore in the
    Ganges River valley
  • Improved agriculture
  • Allowed them to discover how to grow rice
    (already a local custom)
  • Began to settle in towns

9
II. The Aryan Influence on South Asia
  • New Technology, cont.
  • Developed new iron weapons
  • Stronger than the Harappan peoples weapons
  • Improved weapons and introduction of horses
    allowed Aryans to rule the whole area of northern
    India.

10
III. HinduismA Way of Life
  • Major Religion developed in ancient India
  • Based on Aryan practices
  • Priests chant hymns and praises to Gods
  • Hymns passed down through Oral Traditions

11
III. HinduismA Way of Life
  • Hymns were later written down in a book referred
    to as Vedas
  • VedasBooks of Knowledge
  • Contain writings on prayers, hymns, religious
    rituals and philosophies
  • Equivalent to what???

12
III. HinduismA Way of Life
  • Karma and Reincarnation
  • Central ideas of Hinduism
  • Karma the idea that a persons actions will
    determine what happens to them after their death
  • (think What goes around comes around, or You
    get what you deserve.)

13
III. HinduismA Way of Life
  • Karma and Reincarnation, cont.
  • Reincarnation idea that after death a persons
    soul is reborn into a different body
  • Believe cycle of birth, death and rebirth occurs
    over and over again
  • Status in life is then determined by actions in a
    previous life

14
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15
III. HinduismA Way of Life
  • The Caste System
  • Main characteristic of India that sets it apart
    from other civilizations!
  • Caste Inherited social class
  • Once born into a class, cannot leave for entire
    lifeno matter what!
  • Influenced by the Aryan tribal system
  • Tribal system based on organizational belief that
    people are NOT equal

16
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17
III. HinduismA Way of Life
  • The Caste System, cont.
  • Four Major Classes (Varnas)
  • Brahmanshighest class priests and scholars,
    (because daily life was based on religion and
    rituals)
  • Kshatriyasruling class warriors, princes and
    nobles
  • Vaisyasmerchants and farmers
  • Sudraslaborer or commoners

18
III. HinduismA Way of Life
  • The Caste System, cont.
  • There was a fifth class, considered to be the
    lowest of the low (this still holds true today)
  • The Untouchables
  • Did work no one else wanted to do
  • Ex cleaned up after cremating the dead,
    executed criminals, tanned animal hides, did jobs
    seen as unclean

19
III. HinduismA Way of Life
  • The Caste System, cont.
  • The Untouchables, cont.
  • Shunned/discriminated against in society
  • Ex eat out of out broken bowls, wear clothes
    taken from the dead, sound wooden clappers to
    warn they were coming
  • Higher classes could be shunned for either being
    seen with an untouchable or being near his or her
    shadow

20
IV. The Maurya and Gupta Dynasties
  • What is a dynasty?
  • A family of rulers that controls power of a
    civilization through generations
  • Two major dynasties of ancient India
  • Maurya
  • Gupta
  • There contributions still affect our lives today!

21
IV. The Maurya and Gupta Dynasties
  • The Mauryan Empire
  • First Indian empire
  • Approx. from 324-185 BC
  • Founded by descendents of the Aryans who moved
    east from the Indus River valley
  • One emperor, Ashoka (most famous), created a
    unified government
  • Mauryans were known for fine sculptures and
    sandstone carvings

22
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23
IV. The Maurya and Gupta Dynasties
  • The Golden Age and the Gupta Dynasty
  • Approx. 320-500 AD
  • During Indias Golden Age of science, art and
    literature
  • Most rulers were Hindu
  • Buddhism was also introduced at this time
  • Hindu and Buddhism were major religions at this
    time

24
IV. The Maurya and Gupta Dynasties
  • Hindu and Buddhism inspired art
  • Created sculptures and paintings of Hindu gods
    and goddesses
  • Many temples built containing images of Hindu
    mythology
  • Mountainside cliffs were hollowed out for
    Buddhist temples

25
IV. The Maurya and Gupta Dynasties
  • Literature
  • Sanskrit became more frequent during the Gupta
    dynasty
  • Kalidasa
  • Great poet and playwright during 5th century AD
    (400s)
  • Plays taught moral principles through creativity
    and mystery

26
IV. The Maurya and Gupta Dynasties
  • Mathematics
  • Gupta mathematicians
  • Developed zero concept and numerals we use
    today
  • numbers have a place system, with zero as a place
    holder
  • Called this system Arabic (we still call it this
    today)
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