Name: ______________________
Date: ____________ Period: ______
Chapter 3.1 Reading Quiz
1.
Summarize the rise and fall of the Hittites (time period, location, rise, fall)
Hittites were Indo-European speakers who occupied Anatolia around 2000BCE…formed an empire
around 1650BCE…adopted Akkadian…cultural diffusion…had two-wheeled chariots and iron
weapons…fell to invaders in 1190BCE
2.
Who were the Aryans? (Time period, location, key achievements/impact)
Group of Indo-Europeans from the Caucasus Mountains…invaded through the Khyber Pass into the
Indus River Valley around 1500BCE…developed a varna system (social stratification)…important
documents= Vedas…eventually developed the religion of Hinduism
3.
What was the Mahabharata, and what is its significance?
One of the great epics of India, 106,000 versus about the struggle between the Aryans and
indigenous peoples…story of 2 sets of cousins…famous part when a warrior, Arjuna, is encouraged
to attack his enemies, even though he sees his cousins on enemy lines…god, Krishna, tells Arjuna
that it is his duty (dharma) and he’s not killing them, he’s releasing their soul.
Chapter 3.1: Indo-European Migrations
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III.
Indo-Europeans Migrate
Indo-Europeans= group of seminomadic peoples from the steppes of the Caucasus mountains
(Caucasian)
Pastoral peoples: herded cattle, sheep, and goats…tamed horses and had two wheeled chariots
for battle
Lived in tribes and spoke languages known as Indo-European
The Indo-European Language Family
Languages of the Indo-Europeans, ancestors of many of the modern languages of Europe,
Southwest Asia, and South Asia…(Ex: English, Persian, Hindi)
Aryans- spoke an early form of Sanskrit, went through Khyber Pass in Hindu Kush mountains and
entered India
An Unexplained Migration
Possibilities for Aryan migrations: drought, population too dense, try to escape from invaders,
disease
Migration between 1700 and 1200BCE- occurred in waves over a long period of time.
Hittites Blend Empire and Technology
By 2000BCE- Indo-European speakers, the Hittites, occupied Anatolia (Asia Minor)
o Anatolia was a high, rocky plateau, rich in timber and agriculture
1650BCE- Hittite city-states formed- Hattusas was its capital
Hittite empire went on to dominate Southwest Asia for 450 years…occupied Babylon, and
struggled with Egypt over control of northern Syria…neither prevailed…signed peace
treaty…pledged to help eachother fend off future invaders
Hittites Adopt and Adapt
Hittites had own Indo-European language…internationally, they adopted Akkadian (language of
the Babylonians)
Spread many ideas throughout Southwest Asia
Hittites borrowed ideas about literature, art, politics, and law from Mesopotamia, but put own
spin on them (cultural diffusion)
Legal code similar to Hammurabi’s Code, but more forgiving
o Ex: murderer could make up for a crime by offering a slave or child from own family
Chariots and Iron Bring Victory
Hittites excelled in the technology of war
Superior chariots and iron weapons
o 2 wheeled chariots
Highly skilled ironworkers
Around 1500BCE: Hittites were the first in Southwest Asia to smelt iron and harden it into
weapons of war…iron ore and wood for charcoal (before, people relied on meteorites)
Hittite empire fell quite suddenly around 1190BCE- due to invasions from the north
Aryan Invaders Transform India
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1500BCE: Hittites establishing themselves in Anatolia, Aryans settling in Indus River Valley of
India
 Sacred literature= the Vedas (four collections of prayers, magical spells, and instructions for
performing rituals)…most important= Rig Veda
 Vedas were originally passed down by word of mouth, but accuracy was crucial
A. A Caste System Develops
 Aryans= “nobles”
 Called people they found in India- dasas “dark” referring to skin tone
 Aryans were generally taller and lighter in skintone…didn’t have a writing system, were pastoral,
wealth= cows…had heroic nature gods- Agni (fire god)
 Dasas- town dwellers, surrounded by walls…worshipped “Great God” Shiva and various mother
goddesses
 Aryans were divided into 3 social classes: Brahmins (priests), warriors, and peasants or
traders…class determined Aryan’s role in society…at first classes mixed freely
 Non-Aryan laborers/ craftsmen (shudras) formed a fourth group…eventually class restrictions
were more rigid
 Social Groups became known as Varna system (skin color)…much later, Portuguese explorers in
15th century called them castes
 Eventually four basic castes became more complex with subdivisions (jati)
 Ritual purity very important
 “Untouchables” were those considered unclean…butchers, gravediggers, collectors of
trash…lived outside the caste structure
o Untouchables used to have to ring a bell to announce their presence, so that others
could avoid them
o Mahatma Gandhi called untouchables- harijans “children of God”
o 1955 Untouchability Act
B. Aryan Kingdoms Arise
 Aryans extended their settlements east (along the Ganges and Yamuna river valleys
 Iron came to India around 1000BCE
 Magadha- major kingdom that emerged…expanded in the 6th century BCE…by 2nd century BCEMagadha expanded south to occupy almost all of the Indian subcontinent
 Mahabharata (great epic of India) reflects the struggles that took place in India as the Aryans
moved south…poem= story of a great war between two sets of cousins, Pandavas and
Kauravas…106,000versus, makes it the longest single poem in the world.
 Blending of cultures was taking place between the Aryan and non-Aryan peoples…
o Ex: Krishna, semi-divine hero of the Mahabharata is described as dark-faced
 Most important scene, Krishna instructs one of the Padavas, Arjuna, when he doesn’t want to
kill his enemies because he sees his cousins amongst them…Krishna says that you’re not killing
their spirit, and it is Arjuna’s duty as a warrior to wage war, and release their souls for another
reincarnation
 Leads to the development of new religions in India