India

Location & Geography Stretches south from the Himalayas ◦Highest mountain range in the world ◦Subcontinent in the Indian Ocean Geography limited contact with other cultures ◦Himalaya and Hindu Kush Mountain Ranges ◦Bay of Bengal, Indian Ocean, Arabian Sea Passes in the mountains ◦Allowed for migration into the Indus River Valley Great rivers begin in the mountains ◦Indus River ◦Ganges River ◦Make farming possible down below

India and its Rivers

Monsoons Monsoons Strong winds that blow across the region at certain times of the year ◦Dry air blows from NE  Oct – May ◦Rains blow up from Indian Ocean  Middle of June  Drenches the valleys and plains

Life in the Indus River Valley Rich soil ◦Wheat and grains ◦Lots of food led to population increase Well planned cities flourished BC ◦Harappa ◦Mohenjo-Daro ◦The larger of the two  On banks of Indus River

Mohenjo-Daro: Carefully Built Built above ground level ◦To protect from floods Homes and workshops on one side of the city ◦Public buildings on the others Highest point of the city served as the citadel ◦Fortress ◦Built on a high mound of earth ◦Enclosed by a high brick wall ◦Would have protected most important buildings  Storehouse for grain  Bath house Clay pipe drains ran under the brick streets ◦Carried waste out of the city Canals outside the city to handle the flooding ◦Redirected the water to where it was needed

Life in Mohenjo-Daro Merchants owned shops along the streets ◦Trade came from as far as Mesopotamia ◦Jewelry ◦Bright clothing Homes opened to courtyards ◦Children played with toys and pets ◦Adults enjoyed games and music No idea as to their language ◦Writing on square seals ◦Don’t know about their religion or government either ◦Evidence supports they had multiple gods

Rise of the Aryans Indus valley farmers began to abandon their land around 2000 BC ◦Climate change? ◦Earthquakes and floods destroyed canals? Aryans entered valley b/w 2000/1500BC ◦“noble” or “highborn” ◦Nomadic herders ◦Drove horse-drawn chariots  Overwhelmed local people militarily ◦Intermarried with the locals  Combined Aryan and native culture

Aryan Life Iron age in 800BC ◦Used axes to clear rain forest of northeast ◦Built cities Religion books: Vedas ◦“knowledge” ◦Tells us much about Aryan Life Herders and warriors ◦Lived in temporary villages Three social classes ◦Aryan Priests: Brahmans ◦Warriors and Nobles ◦Artisans and Merchants ◦Later a fourth formed: Farm workers, laborers, servants

Caste System Strict division of classes – Caste system Each caste (class) had special duties People had to stay in the caste of their parents ◦People of the same caste had the same occupation ◦People did the same jobs as their parents Castes divided into hundreds of different groups over times

Hinduism The Hindu religion developed over 3500 years ◦Absorbed beliefs of many religions ◦Different people need different ways of approaching god The religion has no single founder Worships many gods and goddesses Belief in one spiritual power: brahman ◦Lives in everything

Brahma Different gods and goddesses stand for different parts of Brahman ◦Take many different forms (avatars)  Representation of a Hindu god or goddess in human or animal form Brahma ◦Creator ◦Born from a golden egg ◦Created Earth and everything on it ◦Not as widely worshipped

Vishnu The Preserver Kindly god concerned with welfare of humans Visits earth to protect mankind

Shiva The Destroyer Not concerned with human matters Very powerful Responsible for creative and destructive forces of universe

Shakti Wife of Shiva Also a creator and destroyer

Upanishads Hindu religious text Means “sitting near a teacher” In the form of questions by pupils and responses by teachers

Reincarnation Reincarnation: Rebirth of the soul Belief that when someone dies, the soul is reborn in the body of another living thing Every living thing has a soul Actions of one’s life affect his fate in the next ◦Good behavior rewarded: reborn into a higher position ◦Bad behavior punished: reborn into a lower caste  Maybe even return as animals ◦Perfect life: he or she may be freed from this cycle of death and rebirth  Soul becomes one with Brahman

A Hindu’s Duties Dharma: Moral duties of each person ◦Depend on caste, age, and occupation ◦Man’s duty to protect the women in his family ◦Ruler’s duty to protect his subjects Ahimsa: Nonviolence ◦All living things are part of Brahman ◦Must be treated with respect Many Hindus do not eat meat ◦Try to avoid harming living things

Yogas Yoga means “union” ◦Goal is to free the soul from the worries of the world Different types of yoga ◦Yoga of physical activity ◦Yoga of selflessness: Giving to the poor ◦Yoga of following religious practices Private devotion ◦Personal gods ◦Private altars and offerings