1. Ancient India 2600 B.C. Indus Valley civilization develops
1700 B.C. Indus Valley civilization breaks down
1600 B.C. Aryans begin to compose Vedas
600 B.C. Hinduism develops
400 B.C. Buddha gains enlightenment

2. The Indian Subcontinent
Subcontinent: a large landmass that is set apart from the rest of the continent.
South Asia is known as the Indian subcontinent.
India is separated from the rest of Asia by the towering Himalayas and Hindu Kish, two mountain ranges to the north.
Tropical climate
Monsoons are seasonal wins that bring rain and helps shape life in the region.

3. The Geography of Ancient India
The Ganges and Indus Rivers were the two great rivers that ran through the Indus Valley Region.
When the river flooded in the Indus Valley, what natural substance was left behind when the waters receded?
Silt

4. Civilizations of Early India
The first civilizations arose near rivers.
Indus Valley Civilization was one of India’s first civilizations.
Its people farmed along the Indus River.
The Indus Valley people had a strong central government; it seems unlikely that kings ruled the Indus Valley.

5. Civilizations of Early India *continued*
Indus Valley civilization *continued*
Over time, some farming villages in the Indus River valley grew into cities, and the most powerful cities became city-states.
The following statements were a possible reason for the decline of the Harappans:
They used up all of their natural resources.
Harappan farmers tried to raise more and more crops on the same plots.
The Indus River Valley was invaded and the Harappans were killed.

6. Mathematics—an Indus Valley achievement
Many of the achievements of the Indus Valley people showed an advanced knowledge of mathematics.
Cities were built with a large grid pattern and the civilization had an advanced system of weights and measurements using measurements of ten, similar to that of the modern metric system.

7. India’s Vedic Age
Historians believe that the Ayrans were nomadic warriors who crossed the mountains into India riding horse-drawn chariots and using iron weapons.
Ayran invasion theory—the origins of the Indo-Ayrans
After settling in India, the Ayrans composed the Vedas.
Each Veda is a collection of hundreds of sacred hymns.
Priests memorized and sang or chanted these verses during ceremonies.
The best known of the Vedas is the Rig Veda.

8. The Caste System Brahmins—priests Kshatriyas—rulers and warriors
Vaishyas—landowners, bankers, merchants
Sudras—famers, laborers, servants
Dalits—people who performed dirty jobs
The Vedas identify 4 varnas, or caste groupings.
The caste system was the basis for India’s social structure and helped bring stability to Indian society.

9. India’s Religions Hinduism
Unlike other major world religions, Hinduism had no single founder.
The Hindus believe in one single spiritual power which lives in everything, called Brahman.
Rebirth of a soul in the body of another living thing defines reincarnation.
Avatar is the name of a representation of a Hindu god or goddess.

10. India’s Religions *continued*
Hinduism
Reincarnation—the rebirth of a soul in a new body
Karma—the effect of a person’s actions in this and in previous lives
The flexibility of Hinduism helped the growth of Hinduism in India.
Hinduism’s openness to all religions has shaped India’s political system by guaranteeing religious freedom.
“the religion of the people of India”
Around 500 B.C., Brahmins wrote down the memorized oral Vedas.
Gurus transformed Brahmanism into what we now know as Hinduism.
Brahman—one supreme cosmic consciousness, spiritual force, or god

11. India’s Religions *continued*
Buddhism
Meditate—to think deeply about sacred things
Enlightenment—a state of perfect wisdom
Buddhism was brought to China by missionaries from India.
Buddha was born in the region of what is now known as Nepal in Asia.

12. India’s Religions *continued*
Buddhism
The Eightfold Path leads to gaining 3 qualities:
1) prepare one’s mind for a new way of life
2) taking charge of one’s behavior
3) train the mind to gain enlightenment
The goal of the Eightfold path is to reach nirvana—a state of blissful peace without desire or suffering
The Buddha advised people to follow a Middle Way—a way of life that called for accepting four truths:
1) All of life involves suffering.
2) Suffering is caused by selfish desires.
3) The way to end suffering is to overcome selfish desires.
4) The way to overcome selfish desires is to follow the Eightfold Path.

13. Ancient India: The Maurya and Gupta Empires
321 B.C. Mauyra empire is founded
268 B.C. Ashoka becomes emperor
185 B.C. Last Mauyra emperor dies
A.D. 320 Gupta empire is founded
A.D. Gupta empire no longer exists

14. Ancient India: The Maurya and Gupta Empires *continued*
The Maurya empire
321 B.C.—Chandragupta conquered Magadha and founded the Maurya empire.
232 B.C.—Ahoska dies, and weaker emperors ruled after him.
185 B.C—The last Maurya emperor is killed.
The Gupta empire
A.D. 320 to A.D. 335 Chandra Gupta I ruled over a kingdom in the Ganges Basin.
The Guptas favored Hinduism.
The made significant achievement in mathematics and science
The Decimal System
Astronomy
Medicine