India and Persia

-Explain the significance and importance of the Indus River Valley Civilization.

-Explain and describe Aryan migration.-List the influence of the Persian Culture.

-Explain the importance of the Vedas and other literature.

Indus River Valley Civilization

A. The Indus River Valley Civilization began in 2,500 b.c. and contained the two major cities of Harappa and Mohenjo – Daro.

B. The Indus River Valley became a civilization because it had a system of writing, religious beliefs, architecture, etc.

C. Due to a monsoon, flood, or earthquake, the Harappan civilization vanished sometime around 1700b.c.

The Great Bath in Mohenjo - Daro

The Aryans Arrive

A. The Aryans arrived in 1,500b.c. and crossed the Hindu Kush mountains through the Khyber Pass.

B. The Aryans spoke sanskrit, they had a nomadic way of life, and brought new technology such as the chariots.

C. An important legacy that the Aryans left behind was the vedas, or “book of knowledge” which was written in sanskrit.

- The book contained wars and contests with gods and humans.

Aryan Migration

The Aryan Chariot and the Vedas

Aryan Culture Spreads

• The Aryans formed groups that were headed by a rajah – a priest leader.

• They had a class system similar to the Egyptians. The brahmins (priests or teachers) were the highest, warriors/kings/rulers were next, and at the bottom were the sudras(slaves).

• The Aryan culture spread east to the Ganges River and included sixteen states.

Brahmins

The Persian Empire

A. Cyrus II, the founder of the Persian Empire saw his empire stretch from the Mediterranean Sea to the Indus River Valley.

– It included the Babylonians, Lydians, and Egyptians.

B. The Persian Empire ruled 20 provinces linked together by a system of roads.

C. The roads brought civilizations closer together. Technology and people began to spread to the rest of the world.

The Persian Empire

The First Indian Empire

A. Chandragupta Maurya started the first Indian empire known as the Mauryan empire.

B. The Mauryan Empire had an organized government, civil service workers and a powerful army.

C. Ashoka used “rock markers” to explain policies of tolerance and nonviolence.

D. After Ashoka’s death, the empire began to fall apart.

Ashoka’s Stone Tablets

Arts and Sciences

A. During the Gupta Period, achievements were made in science and mathematics.

- They developed a number system of nine digits, a zero, and a decimal.

B. Advancements were made in literature, poetry, art and education.

C. Economy began to flourish as well as trade.

A Statue Portraying Gupta Music