The Aryans in India
Miss Tomkowski
7th Grade World History
Review
• What is a monsoon?
• What mountain range is north of India (where
the Saraswati River started)?
• What were two of the earliest cities in India?
Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro
What happened to the Harappans?
• The Harappan civilization collapsed around
1500 B.C.
• Historians think that floods and earthquakes
damaged the cities
• The earthquakes made the Indus River shift
and change its course.
• This killed many people and forced others to
leave.
New Neighbors
• After the Harappans left, years later, a new
group of people moved into the area.
• They were called the Aryans, and they developed
a new civilization…
The Aryans
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From Central Asia
Raised and herded animals
Not really a group based on race or ethnicity.
Could have been part of a larger group called the
Indo-Europeans
▫ All spoke similar languages
▫ Some migrated south to India, Iran, and
Europe
Prized Possessions
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Cattle were the prized possession of the Aryans.
They provided milk, butter, and meat
So important they were considered money!
Wealth was measured by the number of cattle a
person had!
Guess what they were good at…
• They Aryans were very good warriors (bet you
would have never guessed…)
• Expert horseback riders and hunters
• Metal-tipped spears and wooden chariots
• Sometimes invaded nearby villages for food
On the move…
• Around 2000 B.C., the Aryans began leaving
their homeland in Central Asia.
• They crossed through mountain passes in the
Himalayan Mountains
• Entered the Indus River valley around 1500
B.C.
• Around 1000 B.C., they began to expand to
other areas of India
Bringing Change
• Before the Aryans came to India they were
nomads.
• Once they got to India, they settled down and
became farmers.
• They continued to raise cattle, but later believed
them to be sacred and forbid them to be used
for food!
Technology
• Improved farming by inventing the iron plow.
▫ Used to clear jungle areas and build canals
• Because India has many different climates, a
lot of different crops could be grown.
▫ North- wheat, barley, millet
▫ South- spices (pepper, ginger, cinnamon)
Sanskrit
• When the Aryans were nomads, they had no
written language.
• When they got to India, developed a written
language called Sanskrit.
▫ Aryan written language
• The Aryans wrote down songs, poems, and
prayers for many centuries.
Tribes
• The Aryans lived in tribes, or small groups.
• Each tribe was led by a raja.
▫ Prince of an Aryan tribe
• Rajas owned their own small kingdoms and
many times fought against one another.
▫ Fought over cattle, treasure, and women
▫ These kingdoms were around from 1000 B.C. to
about 400 B.C.
So to review…
• What animal is sacred in India?
• What is Sanskrit?
• What caused the collapse of the Harrapan
Civilization?