History of India
History of India
Divided in 10 Periods
1. Indus Valley Civilization: led by the city states of Mohenjo-Daro and
Harappa
2. Aryans (2500BC – 322BC)
Hinduism and regional kingdoms develop
3. The Mauryan Empire (322BC – 188BC)
•
Spread of Buddhism and the first Indian Empire started by
Chandragupta
4. Gupta Period (320AD – 480AD)
•
Golden Age of India
5. Muslim Invasions (1175AD – 1300AD)
•
Muslims Turks from Afghanistan invade and begin to re-unite
India into small kingdoms
Indian Civilization (cont)
6. Delhi Sultanate is the largest of these kingdoms ruled by Muslim
Turks
7. Mughals – most powerful of Indian dynasties controlled most of
today’s India, Pakistan and Bangladesh
8. Europeans begin to Rule (1500AD – 1850AD)
• Portuguese, French, Dutch, and English centers of rule
dominated by Corporations not countries
9. English Imperialism – ruled as an English colony for almost 100
years
10. Independence and Democratic India – Muslim and Hindu political
groups push for and eventually gain independence from European
Imperialism. Today India is one of the most important, powerful
countries in the world and is rapidly growing in influence
Indus Valley Civilizations
Indus River Valley Civilization
3500-1500 BCE
• Two City States and many
smaller villages
• Harappa
• Mohenjo-daro
Both had
– centrally planned cities
– city walls
– Public buildings
– grainaries
– toilets, wells, drainage
system
– brick lined sewers in
the streets
Politics
• City states
• Governed by Priest
Kings
• The Indus Valley script
has never been
translated
• so we know very little
about their lifestyle or
belief system beyond
what architecture tells us
Indus Valley Civilization Economy
•
•
•
•
•
Agricultural
cotton and food crops
Industry = textiles
Irrigation Canals
Craft workers made beautiful
clay figurines
• Made jewels from gold, silver
and copper.
Social/Religion
• Polytheist nature
gods; fertility goddess
important
• Priests/kings in
villages had high
importance
• Some merchants but
mostly farmers
End of the Indus Valley
• Repeated floods caused the
course of the Indus River to
shift away from the cities
• The Indus Valley script has
never been translated so we
know very little about their
lifestyle or belief system
beyond what architecture tells
us
• New cultural group called
Aryans migrate/invade and
merge with the Indus Valley
peoples
Aryan Migration
 pastoral  depended on their cattle.
 warriors  horse-drawn chariots.
Sanskrit
writing
The Vedas
 1200 BCE-600 BCE.
 written in SANSKRIT.
 Hindu core of
beliefs:
Rig Veda  oldest work.

hymns and poems.

religious prayers.

magical spells.

lists of the gods
and goddesses.
• India’s greatest epic poem:
Mahabharata and the
Ramayana (about important
battles)
• Upanishads: epic poems that
are mystical and religious.
Varna (Social Hierarchy)
Brahmins
Kshatriyas
Vaishyas
Shudras
Pariahs [Harijan]  Untouchables
The Caste
System
WHO IS…
Brahmins
Kshatriyas
 The mouth?
 The arms?
Vaishyas
 The legs?
 The feet?
What is a JATI?
Shudras
The Vedic Age
The foundations for
Hinduism were
established!
India Unites:
The Mauryan and Gupta Dynasties
Aryan Age ends with Invasion of Darius
and Alexander
India begins to Unite
c. 400-300BCE
Persia first
united NW
India under
Cyrus and
Darius
c. 330 Alexander the Great conquered Persia
Greek empire failed when Alexander died
Now a native Indian Empire would begin.
The Mauryan Empire 321-180 BCE
Politics
• Founded by Chandragupta Maurya ( 324 to 301
B.C.)
• Increased centralized govt control over regional
kingdoms
• large army of 700,000
• secret police to watch for treason
301 BCE gave up his throne to & became a Jain
monk (extreme Buddhism)
Ashoka Maurya
Ashoka 268-232 BC
Most important ruler in ancient India
Brutal military commander who extended the Empire
throughout S. and E. India
Battle of Kalinga - 260 BC
100,000 Kalingans died
150,000 Kalingans driven from their home
More died from disease & starvation in the aftermath of the
destruction brought on by the war
“What have I done?”
Ashoka and many Indian leaders converted to Buddhism
after this battle and became pacifists
He spent the rest of his life encouraging non-violence,
moderation and Buddhist principles to India
Asoka’s Buddhist
Rock and Pillar Edicts
spread Buddhist principles
scattered in more than 30 places
in India, Nepal,Pakistan, &
Afghanistan.
 Each pillar is 40’-50’ high.
helped bring order and unity to
India
Trade/Economy
Agricultural economy
•New canals and irrigation systems for trade and
agriculture.
•renovated major roads throughout India.
•built towns for spinning & weaving textiles
•uniform system of currency, weights and measures
•Created provinces ruled by governors for tax
assessments and law enforcement
•Taxes rose over time to build Ashoka’s projects
which led to Empire’s fall at Ashoka’s death
•Increased trade by uniting India
•India traded silk, cotton, and spices to Mesopotamia,
China, Egypt and Rome
Silver punch mark coin
Indian Agriculture
State farms operated and
cultivated by slaves.

Grew Rice, Pepper,
Wheat, Barley, Mustard,
Sugar Cane, Medicinal
Roots
Religion
Buddhism grows
built thousands of Stupas for Buddhist followers.
built Buddhist schools and universities
the unnecessary eating of animals was abolished.
Wildlife became protected including the first national parks in
the world
promoted vegetarianism and built animal hospitals.
Ashoka’s empire died out slowly after he died
The Sanchi Stupa (Buddhist temple)
by Ashoka
Similarities between Buddhist Stupas
and Pagotas
Buddhism architecture spread from India when Buddhism spread
over the next 1000 years
The Mauryan Empire at its Height
Social
• The Caste System limited social
opportunities & determined who
people could marry
• Families are patriarchal—headed
by the eldest male
• Laws limited women’s life and
abilities
 Sati was sometimes practiced
“Even a man in the grip of rage will
not be harsh to a woman, remembering
that on her depends the joy of love,
happiness and virtue” Mahabharata
epic
Indian Population
•50 million people during Mauryan Empire
The Arts
transition from wood to stone in their
architecture and art
Ashoka's Pillars
Indian Stupa
After the Mauryans:
Regional Rule and the Rise of Jainism
and Buddhism
Regional Kingdoms and local rule 185 BCE to CE 300
Northern India
Invading HUNS built new small regional kingdoms
Hindu Kush civilizations
Most powerful regional kingdoms for trade across the region and along the
Silk Road
Jainism grew in influence during this time of confusion since the
leaders pushing Hindu and Buddhism were weakened
Jainism – like Hindu and Buddhism
Believe in karma, dharma and Moksha
expected to follow five principles of living:
Ahimsa: "non violence in all parts of a person -- mental, verbal and physical."
Satya: speaking truth; avoiding falsehood
Asteya: to not steal from others
Brahma-charya: (soul conduct); remaining sexually monogamous to one's
spouse only
Aparigraha: detach from people, places and material things. Avoiding the
collection of excessive material possessions, abstaining from overindulgence, restricting one's needs,