1. Main Idea 1: Located on the Indus River, the Harappan civilization also had contact with people far from India. Archaeologists think that the Harappan civilization thrived between 2300 and 1700 BC. The Harappan civilization controlled large areas on both sides of the Indus River. The largest settlements were two cities: Harappa and Mohenjo Daro. The Harappan civilization was dependent on agriculture and grew a variety of crops—from wheat and barley to dates and vegetables. The Harappans traded with people as far away as southern India and Mesopotamia.

2. Main Idea 3: The Ayran invasion changed India’s civilization. Arrival and Spread First arrived in India in the 2000s BC Originally from the area around the Caspian Sea in Central Asia Spread east and south into central India Most of what we know about Aryan society comes from the Vedas Government and Society Nomads who eventually settled in villages and began to farm Lived in small communities based on family ties Villages were governed by rajas. Groups often fought each other Language Did not read or write Memorized poems and hymns that were important to their culture Sanskrit was the most important language in ancient India. Sanskrit is no longer spoken today.

3. Hinduism Hindu Beliefs Believe in many gods Each god is part of a single universal spirit called Brahman. Brahman created the world and preserves it. Everything in the world is part of Brahman. Life and Rebirth Believe that everyone has a soul A person’s ultimate goal should be to reunite that soul with Brahman, the universal spirit. People must try and see through the illusion of the world, which can take several lifetimes. Souls are born and reborn many times, each time into a new body. This process of rebirth is called reincarnation.

4. Hinduism Hinduism and the Caste System A person’s karma determines what physical form person will be reborn into. Karma is the effects that good or bad actions have on a person’s soul. Hinduism teaches that one must obey one’s dharma. Hinduism was popular at all levels of Hindu society. Hinduism preserved the caste system in India by teaching people to accept their places in society. Hinduism and Women Early Hinduism taught that both men and women could gain salvation, but that women were inferior to men. Over the centuries, Hindu women have gained more rights. Mohandas Gandhi was influential in helping women achieve more rights.

5. Main Idea 4: The Jains reacted to Hinduism by breaking away. Mahariva did not like the control of religion by the Brahmins and founded a new religion called Jainism. –Jains try to live by four principals: injure no life, tell the truth, do not steal, and own no property. –Jains practice nonviolence, or the avoidance of violent action. –Jains believe that everything is alive and part of the cycle of rebirth. –Jains are vegetarians. They do not eat any food that comes from animals.

6. The Buddha Finds Enlightenment He discovered that human suffering comes from three things: –wanting what we like but do not have, –wanting to keep what we like and already have, and –not wanting what we dislike but have. Siddhartha spent six years wandering throughout India. –He started fasting, or went without food. –He spent time in meditation, the focusing of the mind on spiritual ideas. Siddhartha is said to have found “enlightenment” under the tree. From that point on, he would be called the Buddha, or “Enlightened One.” After seven weeks of deep meditation under a tree in the town of Gaya, Siddhartha suddenly had the answers that he had been looking for.

7. Main Idea 2: The teachings of Buddhism deal with finding peace. At the heart of the Buddha’s teachings were four guiding principles, which became known as the Four Nobel Truths. The Eightfold Path was a middle way between human desires and denying oneself any pleasure. Some of Buddha’s teaching challenged traditional Hindu ideas.

8. Buddhist Teachings Challenged Hindu Ideas The Buddha rejected many of the ideas contained in the Vedas and told people that they did not have to follow these texts. The Buddha challenged the authority of the Hindu priests, the Brahmins. He taught that each person was responsible for their own salvation. The Buddha was opposed to the caste system.

9. Buddhist and Hindu Temples during the Mauryan and Gupta Periods Hindu Temples During the Mauryan period, temples were small, stone structures with one or two rooms and flat roofs. During the Gupta period, the temples were more complex, with huge towers and intricate carvings. Buddhist Temples Some Buddhists carved entire temples out of mountainsides. The temples at Ajanta and Ellora are two of the most famous of this type of Buddhist temple. Another type of Buddhist temple was the stupa.

10. Painting and Sculpture The Gupta period saw the creation of countless works of art. Most Indian paintings of the Gupta period are clear and colorful. Many of the finest paintings of ancient India are found in Hindu and Buddhist temples. Indian sculptors created intricately carved columns, statues of kings and the Buddha for Buddhist cave temples, and impressive statues of the Hindu gods for the Hindu temples.