2. Harappan Civilization

3. Harappan society and its neighbors, ca. 2000 B.C.E.

4. Harappan Location
Northwest India/Pakistan
Indus River Valley

5. Harappan Culture Writing on bricks and seals
we cannot read the writing
So… who knows?

6. Mohenjo-daro : aerial view

7. Mohenjo-daro view of the “Citadel”

8. The “Great Bath”

9. another view of the “Great Bath”

10. view of a small, side street

11. looks like a small tower, but actually it is a neighborhood well

12. A bathroom on a private residence

13. A public well in Harappa, or perhaps an ancient laundromat...

14. A large drain or sewer

15. Harappan granary

16. A priest?
A bull

17. Disappearance Not sure why Changes in Monsoons Indo-European invasion
Changes in river flow

18. The Aryan Invasion Indo-Europeans Light-skinned Spoke Sanskrit
Brought:
Hinduism
Caste System

19. Sanskrit Descended from the Indo-European mother language
Closely related to Greek and Latin

20. The Vedas Means “knowledge” Aryan oral tradition Later written down
The sacred text for Hinduism

21. India’s First Empires

22. The Mauryan Empire is Established
321 BC - Chandragupta Maurya overthrew the Nanda king and established the Mauryan Empire.
He defeated several of Alexander the Great’s generals to unite north India.
He divided the empire into 4 provinces, each headed by a royal prince. Each province was divided into districts, where officials taxed & enforced the law.

23. Buddhism is Promoted
Chandragupta’s grandson Asoka assumed the throne in 269 BC.
He promoted Buddhism as the state religion to atone for a bloody battle he waged on Kalinga that killed over 100,000 people.
Across the empire he erected stone pillars with his non-violent edicts and laws urging religious tolerance.
He also built roads so he could visit the far corners of his empire.
As noble as his intentions were, they failed to hold the empire together after his death in 232 BC.

24. A Period of Turmoil
Asoka’s death left a power struggle – the kingdom of central India regained its independence under the Andhra Dynasty.
Northern India had to face a flood of refugees from other areas of Asia that were in political turmoil.
These people disrupted Indian society but also brought new elements to the culture.
Southern India was home to three kingdoms that had not been conquered by the Mauryans
They were often at war with each other and with other states.

25. The Gupta Empire is Established
Chandra Gupta arose after 500 years of turmoil.
He did not come to power through battle, but rather through marrying into an influential family.
His son, Samudra, expanded the empire through 40 years of conquest
Chandra Gupta II added coastal territories to the empire, allowing them to trade with people to the west.

26. Spread of Indian Trade
India has always been known for natural resources, especially spices, diamonds, sapphires, gold, pearls, and beautiful woods.
Trade was carried out along routes that carried as far west as Turkey.
One of these routes was the Silk Road from China to Rome.
Increased trade led to the rise of banking in Europe which would help bring an end to the Dark Ages in Europe
Later - Sea trade encouraged the spice trade to Europe (this will be why America is discovered)
Trade also causes Buddhism to spread to Nepal, Tibet, China and Japan.