1. India Innovations and Advancements on Technology
How did Ancient Indian Innovations influence the ancient world and the modern world today?
Date: A B
India Innovations and Advancements on Technology
Warm Up:
What innovations, or technology do you know of that came from Ancient India? If you do not know of any then write down which innovation from other civilizations that we have previously discussed is the most impactful?
WIO:
Class Work:
Warm-Up & Mind-Mining
Guided Notes on Ancient Indian Innovation and Technology
Visual Examination of Innovations Group work
WIO/Closure
HW:
Complete Part 2 of India Vocabulary Cards.
“India Subcontinent” WS- make sure to highlight and number textual evidence
Which Innovation do you feel has the largest impact on our society today?
Page 70
Page 71

2. Ancient Indian Innovations and Advancements

3. Number Systems
Our modern Numeral system (Arabic Numerals) is descended from the Hindu-Arabic numeral system developed by Indian mathematicians
Today’s number system is more commonly known as "Arabic numerals“ because they were introduced to Europe in the 10th century by Arabs of North Africa, who were then using the digits from Libya to Morocco.
Europeans did not know about the numerals' origins in ancient India, so they named them "Arabic numerals”.
While Arabs, on the other hand, call the system "Hindu numerals", referring to their origin in India.

5. Cotton Clothes
Ancient Indians were the first to use Cotton for clothing
We owe our earliest information about cotton to a series of famous Indian poems/myths written in 600 BC called the Rigveda—one of the most sacred texts of Hinduism.
Throughout the entire tale of gods and animals, cotton has a role within the story. In India today, as it was for thousands of years, no matter what caste you occupy or what job you hold you will be wearing a cotton garment, either elaborately adorned or a plain.

6. Cotton and India Continued
Herodotus, wrote in 400 BC that in India there were "trees growing wild, which produce a kind of wool better than sheep’s wool in beauty and quality, which the Indians use for making their clothes.”
Indians were selling and trading cotton as a luxury good to their neighbors in the east and west.
Romans considered cotton as luxurious and as expensive as silk.
The Indians also created the earliest version of the Cotton Gin- which was not recreated until the late 1900’s CE.

8. Urban/City Planning

11. Urban Planning – City Development
Streets designed in grid patterns to optimize space
Wells for Fresh water and Drains on city streets to dump “waste” – worlds first sanitation system that all citizens had access to.
Massive citadels protected city as a point of refuge during; floods and attacks
Cities grew from previous cities- Much like a puzzle of small towns and villages intentionally put together, and growing together.

12. Urban Planning – City Development
Large organized cities allowed for all aspects of civilization to be interlinked (work closely with each other) : Economics, Religious activities, and social aspects.
Farming and agriculture, Fishing, and Hunting/Herding (Pastoral) communities surrounded major cities.
This meant that all supplies and goods were found locally, and near major cities.
divided up by social class.
Houses and building were made from sun-dried bricks
Created Helical Pumps – allowed fresh water to be pumped from wells.

13. Urban Planning – City Development
8 different city designs were used throughout Ancient India.
Demonstrates aspects of trade, and culture that ran through-out all city-states.
All were dependant on cities needs, and trade.

14. Language and Writing Systems
Ancient Indian
Ancient Sanskrit- Not fully interpreted -Which is why much about Ancient India remains a mystery today.
This is due to a city-state system, conquering/leader changes, and many different dialects of it.
Sanskrit was not a popular language but it continued to be the language spoken in educated circles.
There are three main families of scripts in modern India

15. India ink has been in use in India since at least the 4th century BCE, where it was called masi.
Originally from China – but all materials to make it were from India.
This shows how trade impacted innovations throughout the Ancient World.
Made from Tar, and Burnt Bone Powder.
Used for Art and drawing in today's society.

16. Strategy and Games Chess (Chaturanga)
Came from ancient India as a game of strategy and war planning.
Introduced in 7th Century C.E
Name
Modern
Hindi
King
Raja
Minister
Queen
Mantri/Wazir
Camel
Bishop
Oont
Horse
Knight
Ghoda
Elephant
Rook
Haathi
Infantry
Pawn
Paidal/Pvaada

18. Visual Examination dIRECTIONS AND Guiding Questions
You will be comparing and contrasting the images from two civilizations
Answer the following for each station you rotate to.
You will be rotating at your own pace.
You must advance to all 4 stations
If you complete all 4 stations- they 5th station is enrichment (and a jump start on your HW)
I WILL BE ROTATING AROUND THE ROOM-OR AT 6TH TABLE FOR SMALL GROUP INSTRUCTION/HELP WITH THE ACTIVITY
What about the image stands out to you the most?
Which image better represents an advanced civilization? What factors led you to your selection? What about the picture makes you think this?
What do you see in the image that we see evidence of in society today?