Ancient Indian Civilization
Chapter 6
Environment
(Location, Geography and Climate)
• India is a subcontinent, a peninsula, surrounded by the Bay
of Bengal on the East, Arabian Sea in the west, and Indian
Ocean in the south.
• The highest mountain range in the world, Himalayas are
located to the north of Indian subcontinent.
• Climate is mostly hot and humid.
• Monsoons bring rain from June – August.
• Has many rivers – Indus and its tributaries, Ganga, Yamuna,
Kaveri etc.
• Has a very fertile land.
• Around the Indus valley the soil was fertile due to flooding.
• Thar desert in the west.
Religious System
• The religion of Aryans was Brahamanism.
• Hinduism
– 3 major gods and many other deities (Polytheists)
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Brahma - Creator
Vishnu - Preserver
Shiva - Destroyer
– Important Hindu texts – Vedas and Upanishads
– Believed in karma and reincarnation
– Believed that everyone had atman or the soul and the
ultimate purpose of the soul was to reunite with the
Brahman.
– Aryan priests performed religious ceremonies like yagya
– Temples for deities with vast ceremonies (Pooja)
• Buddhism
– Started by man named Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha)
(563 BC to 483 BC).
– Found Enlightenment at Bodh Gaya after 14 weeks of
meditation
– Talked about the four noble truth and 8 fold path (refer
to book)
– Preached that humans can achieve Nirvana – state of
perfect peace
– 2 sects of Buddhism today
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Theravada ( Followers of original thinking)
Mahayana (Moderates)
– Buddhism spread mainly because of the efforts of Asoka
the Great - Sent missionaries to Europe, Asia and other
countries.
– Temples are called Viharas
• Jainism
– Based on the teachings of Mahavira ( Around 599
B.C)
– Believe in non-violence (Ahimsa)
– 4 major principles
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Injure no life
Tell the truth
Do not steal
Own no property
Culture - (Art and Architecture)
• Harappan Cities
– Planned their cities - Surrounded by huge walls.
– Roads were built at 90 degree angles.
– They had indoor plumbing as well.
– Houses had flat roofs.
– Built tanks to store water and public wells.
– They made seals, pottery items, jewelry, ivory objects and cotton
clothing.
• Aryans did not build big cities.
• Built temples
– Some were built entirely out of mountain sites like Ajanta
– Walls had paintings, sculpture and idols of the gods and religious
teachings
– Gupta rulers promoted and built Hindu and Buddhist temples.
– Ashoka built many Buddhist temples called viharas.
• Made colorful paintings of the deities.
• Buddhist temple were called Stupas and had domed roofs.
• Hindus built small temples with flat roofs with idols of the god.
Intellectual Advancement
(Writing, Language, Technical Advances)
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Harappans had their own system of weights and measures.
They also had a language of their own. Harappan writing has not yet been
deciphered.
Ayurveda – Medicine knowledge
– Practiced Inoculation – injecting a person with small dose of virus to help build
defense against the disease.
– Surgeries to repair broken bones, treat wounds etc.
– Used herbs for medicines
Language and Literature
– Aryans used Sanskrit
– Aryan priests wrote hymns, rituals, myths etc. which were learned and passed on
from generation to generation
– Important pieces of literature - Vedas ; Upanishads ; Mahabharata (Bhagavad
Gita) ; Ramayana
– Kalidasa was a prominent poet
– People told poems and stories that teach lessons. (Panchatantra and Jataka
Tales)
– Under the Gupta Empire, a university was established at Nalanda, a center for
Buddhist learning.
Intellectual Advancement
(Writing, Language, Technical Advances)
• Warfare
– Aryans developed chariots and advanced weapons
– Use of Elephants
– Military scribes in Asoka’s army wrote battle plans.
• Astronomy
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Knew about 7 of the 9 planets
Earth was sphere and rotated on axis
Earth revolves around Sun
Could predict eclipses
• Mathematics and Other Sciences
– Hindu-Arabic Numerals ( 0 – 9)
• Metallurgy
– Made alloys
– Known for iron
Political - Government and Laws
• Harappan political structure or governance model.
– Had high level of social control
– Not much information
• The Aryans
– Ruled after the Harappans
– Introduced the concept of kings, called rajas, who were often skilled
warriors and led small areas.
– Rajas often fought with and against each other.
– Lived in small communities, based on family ties.
• Most of Ancient Indian history was dominated by small rulers/kings
except during the times of Maurya ( 320-184 BC) and Gupta
dynasty ( 320 AD – 550 AD).
• Gupta rulers believed that caste was strengthen the social
structure.
• Shudras were not allowed to hear the religious texts, else they were
severely punished.
Social Structure - Structure of Society
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Social Structure was divided into the caste system or varnas
• The caste was based on people’s birth
• 4 major castes
• Brahmins on the top – priests and teachers
• Kshatriyas – Warriors and the rulers
• Vaishya – Farmers, craftsmen, traders
• Shudras – Menial jobs, Workers and servants.
• People with more money could move up in the caste system on rare occasions.
• Inter caste marriage was not allowed
• People who did not follow the rules of the society were called untouchables.
• Rules of the caste system were very strict.
Women had a limited role
• Take care of children and home
• Couldn’t choose their husband
• Were supposed to serve the husband
• Widows were treated bad – kept aloof, had to wear simple clothes, even shave
heads in some places
Economic System
(Trade and Agriculture)
• The Aryans traded with Mesopotamians,
Kushites and Egyptians - Silk Route
• Farmers produced surpluses of food, which
led to the appearance of towns.
• Farming improved because of irrigation
systems.
Important Rulers
• Mauryan Dynasty
– Chandragupta Maurya - (320 B.C to 301 B.C)
• Was the 1st ruler of Ancient India’s 1st dynasty
• Became a Jain
– Ashoka the Great - (270 B.C to 233 B.C)
• Was the greatest of Mauryan rulers.
• Became a Buddhist
• built rest houses and wells for public welfare and freed prisoners.
• Gupta Dynasty
– Chandragupta I - started the Gupta Empire around 320 A.D.
– Chandragupta II - took over as a king in 375 A.D.
– Were Hindus but were tolerant to Jain and Buddhist religions as
well.
– Hun armies from north took over the Gupta Empire.
Important Cities
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Harappa
Mohenjodaro
Kalibangan
Dholavira
Lothal
Pataliputra - Capital of Ashoka’s empire
Nalanda – Buddhist University set up by
ChandraGupta II
Other Information