India

Location & Geography

Stretches south from the Himalayas◦Highest mountain range in the world◦Subcontinent in the Indian Ocean

Geography limited contact with other cultures◦Himalaya and Hindu Kush Mountain Ranges◦Bay of Bengal, Indian Ocean, Arabian Sea

Passes in the mountains◦Allowed for migration into the Indus River Valley

Great rivers begin in the mountains◦Indus River◦Ganges River◦Make farming possible down below

India and its Rivers

Monsoons

Monsoons Strong winds that blow across the region at certain times of the year◦Dry air blows from NE

Oct – May◦Rains blow up from Indian Ocean

Middle of June Drenches the valleys and plains

Life in the Indus River Valley

Rich soil◦Wheat and grains◦Lots of food led to population increase

Well planned cities flourished 2500-1500BC◦Harappa◦Mohenjo-Daro◦The larger of the two

On banks of Indus River

Mohenjo-Daro: Carefully Built

Built above ground level◦To protect from floods

Homes and workshops on one side of the city◦Public buildings on the others

Highest point of the city served as the citadel◦Fortress◦Built on a high mound of earth◦Enclosed by a high brick wall◦Would have protected most important buildings

Storehouse for grain Bath house

Clay pipe drains ran under the brick streets◦Carried waste out of the city

Canals outside the city to handle the flooding◦Redirected the water to where it was needed

Life in Mohenjo-Daro

Merchants owned shops along the streets◦Trade came from as far as Mesopotamia◦Jewelry◦Bright clothing

Homes opened to courtyards◦Children played with toys and pets◦Adults enjoyed games and music

No idea as to their language ◦Writing on square seals◦Don’t know about their religion or government

either◦Evidence supports they had multiple gods

Rise of the Aryans

Indus valley farmers began to abandon their land around 2000 BC◦Climate change?◦Earthquakes and floods destroyed canals?

Aryans entered valley b/w 2000/1500BC◦“noble” or “highborn”◦Nomadic herders◦Drove horse-drawn chariots

Overwhelmed local people militarily◦Intermarried with the locals

Combined Aryan and native culture

Aryan Life

Iron age in 800BC◦Used axes to clear rain forest of northeast◦Built cities

Religion books: Vedas◦“knowledge”◦Tells us much about Aryan Life

Herders and warriors◦Lived in temporary villages

Three social classes◦Aryan Priests: Brahmans◦Warriors and Nobles◦Artisans and Merchants◦Later a fourth formed: Farm workers, laborers, servants

Caste System

Strict division of classes – Caste systemEach caste (class) had special dutiesPeople had to stay in the caste of their

parents◦People of the same caste had the same

occupation◦People did the same jobs as their parents

Castes divided into hundreds of different groups over times

Hinduism

The Hindu religion developed over 3500 years◦Absorbed beliefs of many religions◦Different people need different ways of

approaching godThe religion has no single founderWorships many gods and goddessesBelief in one spiritual power: brahman

◦Lives in everything

Brahma

Different gods and goddesses stand for different parts of Brahman◦Take many different forms (avatars)

Representation of a Hindu god or goddess in human or animal form

Brahma◦Creator◦Born from a golden egg◦Created Earth and everything on it◦Not as widely worshipped

Vishnu

The PreserverKindly god concerned with welfare of

humansVisits earth to protect mankind

Shiva

The DestroyerNot concerned with human mattersVery powerfulResponsible for creative and destructive

forces of universe

Shakti

Wife of ShivaAlso a creator and destroyer

Upanishads

Hindu religious textMeans “sitting near a teacher”In the form of questions by pupils and

responses by teachers

Reincarnation

Reincarnation: Rebirth of the soulBelief that when someone dies, the soul is

reborn in the body of another living thingEvery living thing has a soulActions of one’s life affect his fate in the next

◦Good behavior rewarded: reborn into a higher position

◦Bad behavior punished: reborn into a lower caste Maybe even return as animals

◦Perfect life: he or she may be freed from this cycle of death and rebirth Soul becomes one with Brahman

A Hindu’s Duties

Dharma: Moral duties of each person◦Depend on caste, age, and occupation◦Man’s duty to protect the women in his family◦Ruler’s duty to protect his subjects

Ahimsa: Nonviolence◦All living things are part of Brahman◦Must be treated with respect

Many Hindus do not eat meat◦Try to avoid harming living things

Yogas

Yoga means “union”◦Goal is to free the soul from the worries of the

worldDifferent types of yoga

◦Yoga of physical activity◦Yoga of selflessness: Giving to the poor◦Yoga of following religious practices

Private devotion◦Personal gods◦Private altars and offerings