Indo-European Migrations KEY IDEA Indo-European peoples moved into areas new to them, including Europe, India, and Southwest Asia.

Indo-Europeans Migrate Indo-Europeans were semi-nomadic people who came from steppes (the dry grasslands) north of the Caucasus, an area between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea. They rode horses and tended cattle, sheep, and goats. They spoke many different languages, but all of them came from the same original language.

Indo-European Language Family The Language of the Indo-Europeans  is of interest to us because it is the foundation for many of our modern languages such as English, Spanish, Persian and Hindi. Historians study the Indo-European language in order to determine where the many different groups of these people settled.

An Unexplained Migration While some peoples built civilizations in the great river valleys, others lived on the huge plains of western Asia. Then, for some reason, starting about 1700 B.C., they began to leave their homes. They moved into some of the settled areas and began to conquer them.

The Aryans Move into India The Aryans were a group of these nomadic people who entered into India over the Hindu Kush mountain range. They may have migrated because they sought a better climate, or they may have migrated to get closer to the major centers of trade.

Hittite Invaders By 2000 BC a group of these Indo-European nomads – the Hittites- migrated into the area of Anatolia (Turkey) and occupied it. They established several independent city-states.  They rode two-wheeled chariots and used iron weapons to conquer the area that is now Turkey. They moved farther and took the ancient lands of Mesopotamia. When they moved to the south, they ran into the Egyptians. Neither side was able to defeat the other, however, so they decided to make peace.

Hittites Blend Empire and Technology The Hittites adopted many features of the culture that had grown in Mesopotamia before they arrived. They borrowed literature, art, and Hammurabi’s code of law. The Hittites believed the code to be far too harsh so they modified it to suit their custom better.

The Beginning of the Iron Age The Hittites were masters of warfare. They moved war to a whole new level. They developed very strong iron weapons in about 1500 BC. They used chariots (like the Hyksos): These chariots were often pulled by two to four horses. They were built on a very sturdy wooden frame, embellished with iron implements, and covered with leather.

End of the Hittite Empire Their knowledge of metalwork soon traveled throughout the area with the Hittite traders and through their conquests. Although the Hittites were superior in war, their empire came to a very abrupt end around 1190 BC. Invaders from the north attacked and burned the Hittite cities.

Aryan Invaders Transform India In about 1500 BC, the Aryans were another Indo-European group that crossed over the Hindu Kush range and began settling in the Indus Valley. The only archeological evidence we have of these people is written in their holy books that are called Vedas. The Vedas are a collection of prayers, magical spells and instructions for performing religious rituals.

Before migrating to the Indus Valley, the Aryans had already developed a fairly rigid 3-level class system. The priests (Brahmins) were at the top. The warriors were the 2nd highest class Everyone else made up the lower class. When they arrived in India, they set themselves apart from the indigenous people and created new class levels for them.

The Aryans were taller, lighter skinned, and spoke their own language The Aryans were taller, lighter skinned, and spoke their own language. Also, their religion was quite different from the native people of the Indus Valley. These differences became the basis for class assignment. A fourth class was formed to include the non-Aryan laborers and craftsmen.

Aryans Non-Aryans Name translation Appearance Language Communities   Aryans Non-Aryans Name translation “The nobles” “dark” Appearance Tall, fair skinned Shorter, dark skinned Language Indo-European, not written Non-Indo-European, written Communities Herding urban Gods Heroic nature gods (Indra-thunder & Agni-fire) Life giving gods (goddesses) Shiva, mother goddess.

The Caste System Becomes Rigid The class one was born into determined his/her role in society. People born into a caste would be a member of that cast for their entire lives. Membership in a particular caste determined everything about their lives from what kind of job that they did to whom they could marry.

Aryan Kingdoms Arise The Aryans extended their influence over a large area to include the Ganges River valley and the Yamuna River valley. These tribal units evolved into small kingdoms. After years of conflict, a single strong kingdom emerged and took over control of the region. This kingdom is called Magadha. By 200 BC, the Aryan kingdom of Magadha was in control of the entire sub-continent of India.

Aryan Literature These battles are described in India’s great epic called the Mahabharata (the longest poem ever composed). This great poem reflects the struggles that took place in India as the Aryans were taking over the lands to the south.

The Mahabharata The Mahabharata is written in a way that both the Aryan and non-Aryan cultures are expressed. The hero of the poem is dark-faced (obviously not an Aryan feature).

Spiritual Quest This poem tells of a spiritual quest where the traditional religious beliefs of the Aryan and non- Aryans are questioned. They begin to question the morality of killing other human beings.

The Rise of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism Due to the bloody wars during this time, many people began to search for the answer to the ultimate question: What is man’s place in the universe, what is the place of the gods. Out of these questions, new religions emerged Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.

Answer the Questions Turn to page 65 in you book and answer questions 1-8.