Chapter 7 Section 3 Study Guide Early Civilizations of India
Indus Valley civilization 2500-1500 BCE Planned cities Farming Trade with Mideast
Mysterious decline Decline of urban civilization, 2000 BCE Natural Causes? Climate became drier? Low crop yields Less taxes Can’t maintain cities Change in Indus River course Exhausted soil? Dravidians? New arrivals: the Aryans Originally from north central Europe Swept eastward over centuries Crossed Khyber Pass over Hindu Kush
The Aryans Iron weapons technology Village life Oral religious traditions: the Vedas Hymns, prayers, rituals 1500-1000 BCE Written language: Sanskrit Village life Farmers & herders The rajah Cattle Social classes “varna” = color
Sanskrit: "the mother of all languages" Sanskrit meaning 'perfected' or 'refined' One of the oldest of attested human languages. (≈2000 BC) The oldest form of Sanskrit is Vedic Sanskrit believed to date back to the 2nd millennium BC. Belongs to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European family of languages. One of the 22 official languages of India. It is also the liturgical language of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism.
The varna Brahmans (priests) Kshatriyas = warriors Vaisyas = landowners & merchants Sudras = servants & peasants