Ancient India

Ancient IndiaAncient India

Chapter 2Chapter 2

I. The Emergence of Civilization in India: Harappan Society

A. A Land of Diversity Reflected in Language, culture, &

Religion (Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism & Islam)

Earliest peoples Hill people Aryans – Pastoral peoples migrated 2 BCE Speakers of Dravidian Family Languages

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I. The Emergence of Civilization in India: Harappan Society

B. Harappan Civilization: A Fascinating Enigma 1. Political and Social Structures

Collection of 1,500 cities connected by trade and alliances

Ruled by a coalition of landlords & merchants Agricultural economy Trade with Sumer

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Mohenjo-Daro

2. Harrappan Culture Painted pottery Sculpture Writing – 3rd BCE

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Indus Script - undeciphered

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Mother Goddess2600 – 1900 BCE

Women’s Status

No Decline in Economic power is evident Women & men made pottery No gender division

Female olive pressers in Mesopotamia made 50 ltrs of barley as opposed to the 300 ltrs that men made per month

A wage gap that developed with the decline in women’s status in Mesopotamia not evident in Mohenjo Daro

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Economy

Agriculture Wheat, barley, rice, peas, cotton

Today’s Bahrain was the meeting place of Sumerian and Indus civilizations Imported Textiles and foodstuffs Exported copper, lumber, precious stones,

luxury goods

3. The Collapse of Harappan Civilization

Gradual Decay & Sudden Destruction, C. 1500 BCE Skeletons, running & hiding Mohenjo-Daro – City of the Dead

Aryan Theory

Rise of Empire

From Harrapan and Aryan to the establishment of states: 

Populated territories - Janapadas began to emerge became republics & monarchies by 300 BCE one of four large states, Magadha

was becoming an imperial power.  

II. The Aryans in India

A. From Chieftans to Kings Raja – Chieftans/rule by merit Kshatriya – Warrior class Maharajas – Great Rajas /power not absolute Dharma - laws governing morals

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Greek Impact & India’s First Dynasty

Alexander the Great of Macedonia invaded in 330BCE

Chandragupta Maurya (324-301 BCE) Pataliputra Kautilya Arthasastra

Theory of Politics

Arthasastra or manual of politics and economics.

Danda niti – Policy of Scepter or of the big stick

Cut throat view of interstate competition “Justice of the Fish” Larger states swallowed smaller ones “The enemy of my enemy is my friend

4 Internal regulatory functionsof the State

Setting in which people had the opportunity to seek the four major goals of life (Hindu) Artha (wealth) Kama (sensual pleasure) dharma (fulfillment of social and religious

duties) moksha (the release from earthly existence

and union with the infinite power of the universe)

The Family Social Unit – extended family (3

generations) Patriarchal

State helped reinforce gender rules Men had power over women and

responsibility for protecting them Women expected to run the household in

accordance with the wishes of the men and to be available for the pleasure of men.

Sati Divorce prohibited/some polygamy

The Mauryan Empire

 Racial Hierarchy – 5 Varna “colors” 3 twice-born classes

Brahmin – priestly class Kshatriya – Warriors Vaisya – Merchants/pastoralists

Sudras- peasants, artisans, manual laborers Pariahs – out castes or untouchables

Originated as a slave class Collect trash, handled the dead, butchers & tanners

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The Jati

Kin group System of extended families that

originated in ancient india Developed into a system in which each

jati is identified with a kinship group in a specific area carrying out a specific function Each jati identified with a particular Varna Governed by a council of elders

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Economy Agriculture

With Aryan rule and the invention of the iron plow, the center of Indian civilization shifted from the Indus to the Ganges

Individual farmers paid taxes Sharecroppers and landless laborers

Trade Expanded to include the pacific rim. Middle east

and the Mediterranean Sea 2BCE money economy developed along with

banking

4 regulated religious establishments

Hindu temples and Buddhist monasteries developed considerable economic and political power

They also influenced a wide range of public and private decisions made by their devotees and the state attempted to regulate the use of this wealth and power

III. Escaping the Wheel of Life: The Religious World of Ancient India

Brahmansim Reincarnation Karma Dharma

Popular Religion Hindu Pantheon - 33, 000 deities Trinity of primary gods

Brahman – the Creator Vishnu – the Preserver Shiva – the Destroyer

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Buddhism: The Middle Path6th Century BCE

The Life of Siddhartha Gautama 2. Buddism and Brahmanism Nirvana Bodhi Middle Path Stupas

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Asoka – Indias Buddhist emperor

260 BCE  He converted to Buddhism a religion

firmly committed to non violence Conversion was a result of the carnage

he had created 150,000 people were deported 100,000 killed and many times that

perished

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Welfare programs

Founding of hospitals Planting of medicinal plants and trees Building of some 84,000 stupas or

Buddha burial mounds and monasteries Freedom of Religion

respect the beliefs and practices of other sects 

Following his death, no emperor was strong enough to maintain centralized power

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V. The Exuberant World of Indian Culture

A. Literature Sanskrit Prakrit Vedas Upanishads Mahabharata Ramayana

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India after the Mauryas

183 BCE last Maurya ruler overthrown 1 CE Kushan Kingdom

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