AP World History: Ancient India
Harappa Civilization, Maurya, and Gupta Empires
Presentation Outline
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Geography of India
Harappa Civilization
Aryan Invasion
Caste System
Hinduism
Maurya Empire
Gupta Empire
1. Geography of Ancient India
• The Indian subcontinent has the following geographic features which
have contributed to the development of civilization
• Monsoonal rains can help sustain life but can also cause disastrous
flooding
• Three River valleys: Indus, Brahmaputra, and Ganges rivers
• To North: Impassable Himalayas
• To East: Passable low hills
• To Northwest: Passable Hindu Kush, Khyber Pass
• To West: Arabian Sea
2. Harappa Civilization
• 3000 B.C.E- 1500 B.C.E
• Located along the Indus River Valley in modern day Pakistan/India
• Wheat and barley were cultivated in Indus valley
• Harappa and Mohenjo-daro
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Possibly served as twin capitals
Each city had a fortified citadel and a large granary
Broad streets, market places, temples, public buildings
Standardized weights, measures, architecture, bricks
• Specialized labor and trade
• Domestic trade, items inc. pottery, tools, metals
• Trading with Mesopotamians about 2300 to 1750 B.C.E
• After years of natural disasters (earthquakes and flooding) Harappa
Civilization began to decline
• People began to flee their cities
• Unable to defend their civilization, Harappa civilization was vulnerable
to invaders
3. Aryan invasion
• Between 1750 and 1500 B.C.E
Aryan invaders from Central Asia
and Eastern Europe invaded India
• They brought with them a new
language (Sanskrit), a social order
(caste system), and a new religion
(Hinduism)
4. Caste System
• Caste and varna
• Caste:
• Hereditary, unchangeable social classes
• Sanskrit word varna, "color," referring to social classes
• Social distinctions based on racial skin colors
• Social distinctions in the late Vedic Age
• Four main varnas, recognized after 1000 B.C.E.
• brahmins (priests)
• kshatriyas (warriors and aristocrats: rulers)
• vaishyas (cultivators, artisans, and merchants)
• shudras (landless peasants and serfs)
• Later, the category of the pariah (untouchables) was added
Caste and social mobility
• Caste system was capable of accommodating social change
• Social mobility was very difficult but still possible
• Foreign peoples could find a place in society of the castes
5. Hinduism
The Upanishads
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Works of religious teachings, 800 to 400 B.C.E.
The religious forums: dialogues between disciples and sages
Brahman: the universal soul
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Brahman was the only genuine reality
Highest goal: to escape reincarnation and join with Brahman
Atman: The individual self-soul that is part of Brahman
Teachings of the Upanishads
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Samsara: An individual soul was born many times
Dharma: Caste duties
Karma: specific incarnations that a soul experienced
Moksha: permanent liberation from physical incarnation
Religion and Vedic Society
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Samsara and karma reinforced social hierarchy
Upanishads were also spiritual and intellectual contemplations
Taught to observe high ethical standards
Respect for all living things, a vegetarian diet
Hindu gods
Hinduism is a polytheistic religion
6. Mauryan Empire
• 322 B.C.E to 185 B.C.E
Chandragupta united India in 322 B.C.E after defeating
the Persians (from modern day Iran)
• Divided empire into districts and collected taxes
• Enforced strict adherence to caste system
Chandragupta
Asoka took over as ruler of Maurya around 252 B.C.E
• converted to Buddhism
• Dedicated to building roads and improving education
Asoka
After Asoka’s death, the Maurya Empire
weakens and India is divided into
separate states
7. Gupta Empire
• A revived Indian Empire was
established under Chandra Gupta I
in 320 C.E.
• The Gupta Empire allowed a
degree of religious toleration,
allowing both Hinduism and
Buddhism to coexist
• Extensive trade networks were
established
• Many scientific and artistic
achievements
Extensive trade with
other empires
Extensive Trade:
4c
spices
gold & ivory
Gupta
Art
Greatly influenced
Southeast Asian art & architecture.
500 healing
plants identified
1000 diseases
classified
Printed
medicinal guides
Plastic
Surgery
Gupta
Achievement
s
Kalidasa
Literature
Medicine
Inoculations
C-sections
performed
Decimal
System
Gupta
India
Mathematics
Concept
of Zero
PI = 3.1416
Solar
Calendar
Astronomy
The earth
is round
• Gupta India declined around 400 C.E. during the White Hun invasions
• India would again be divided into separate states and only later
unified again after Muslim invaders in the 7th and 8th centuries
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