1. Aryans, Maurya Dynasty, Gupta Dynasty
India
Aryans,
Maurya Dynasty,
Gupta Dynasty

2. Geography Subcontinent of Asia
Cut off from rest of Asia by the Himalayas and Hindu Kush
Khyber Pass

3. History Indus River Valley (3500 – 1500 BCE)
Harappa and Mohenjo Daro
Destroyed by invaders called Aryans
Aryans (2000 – 600 BCE) P.63
Religious writings called the Vedas
Basis for the Hindu Religion
Spoke Sanskrit

4. Caste System
Brought a system of classes called varnas basis for the caste system
Sub-castes called jatis

5. More History Maurya Empire (321 – 184 BCE) P.189
Persians conquered ( BCE)
Alex. The Great (326 BCE)
Maurya Empire (321 – 184 BCE) P.189
First great Indian empire
Drove out the last of the Greeks

6. Asoka Maurya
Ashoka great warrior, conquered ⅔ of India but eventually decided that peace was better way of life and converted to Buddhism
Emphasized truth, justice, charity, religious tolerance, and nonviolence
Restricted slaughter of animals and encouraged vegetarianism
After the Maurya empire there were 500 years of wars

7. Gupta Empire P. 191 Restored law and order
“Golden Age” of prosperity, literature, art, math, science; India became a center of learning
6th C. overthrown by Huns

8. Hinduism P. 66 (Sec. 3) No founder, no time, began in India Beliefs:
Dharma: duties to perform in life, determined by caste
Karma: good and bad deeds you do
Moksha: ultimate goal, release from reincarnation & achieving oneness with the Universe
Samsara: the level of births and deaths you are at; if you have good Karma, you will move up the level of Samsara

9. More Hinduism Ganges river is holy Gods: (polytheistic)
Brahma: the creator
Shiva: creator and destroyer
Vishnu: Preserver, transcendent love
Krishna: lover and trickster, seducer of wives and daughters
Associated with purity and pollution
Those who work more intellectual jobs are more pure
Pollution is when people come into contact with sweat or excrement; to ensure purity you must marry within own caste