India
Early Civilizations of Ancient India
Surrounding Countries:
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Iran
Afghanistan
Pakistan
Bangladesh
Nepal
China
Civilization first started by the Indus River and Ganges River
The Indus River or Harappan Civilization
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The Indus Valley civilization flourished around 2500 BC in the western part of South
Asia in what today is Pakistan and Western India
It is often referred to as Harappan Civilization after its first discovered city, Harappa
The nearby city of Mohenjo-Daro is the largest and most familiar archaeological dig in
this region
The Indus Valley was home to the largest of the four ancient urban civilizations of Egypt,
Mesopotamia, India, and China
The ancient civilization was not discovered until the 1920’s
Most of its ruins including major cities, remain to be excavated
o Began farming along Indus River about 3,200 BC
o Size of settled region larger than Egypt or Mesopotamia
o Careful city planners; laid out in grid with a defendable citadel
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Engineered sophisticated plumbing and sewage systems
Peaceful people – few weapons found
Similarity in housing indicates little differences between social classes
Religious objects and symbols clearly linked to Hinduism
Indus Harappan script has not been deciphered
This means basic questions about the people who created this highly complex
culture are still unanswered
Aryan
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The Vedic Age (1500-500)
o Foundation of Hinduism
o Depended on cattle
o Horse-drawn chariots
o Sanskrit writing
o The vedas
 1200-600
 Written in Sanskrit
 Hindu core beliefs
 Hymns and poems
 Religious prayers
 Magical spells
 List of gods and goddesses
 Written by Brahmins (priests) and helped us understand early India
Varna (social hierarchy)
o The JATI is a statue representing the caste system
o Brahmis  priests
o Kshatriyas warriors
o Vaishyas middle class (merchants, artisans, craftsman)
o Shudras  low class
o Pariahs untouchables
An Outcome of Dissatisfaction
o The sacred texts composed between 800-400; mystical/philosophical’ searching
for meaning of ritual sacrifice
o Origins of philosophical Hinduism, highlighted by concepts Brahman (side note;
like Dao, neither you nor I can possibly grasp this) and atman (individual
human soul
o Bringing Brahman and atman together =moksha (liberation from samsara, the
endless cycle of rebirth or reincarnation)
o One’s place in the cycle depends on karma – better your actions, higher your
social position or castle and closer you were to liberation
o Achieving moksha through knowledge/work/devotion
Maurya & Gupta India
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Chandragupta
o Unified northern India
o Defeated the Persian general Seleucus
o Divided his empire into provinces, then districts for tax assessments and law
enforcement
o He feared assassination  food testers, slept in different bed every night
o 301  gave up his throne & and became Jain
Empire from 321 BC – 184 BC
Kautilya
o Chandragupta’s advisor
o Brahmin caste
o Wrote The Treatise on Material Gain or the Artashastra
o A guide for the king and his ministers
 Supports royal power
 The great evil in society is anarchy
 Therefore, a single authority is needed to employ force when necessary
Asoka(304-282 BC)
o Religious conversion after the gruesome battle of Kalinga in 262 BC
o Dedicated his life to Buddhism after seeing the violence of war
o Built extensive roads
o Conflict
 how to balance Kautilya’s methods of keeping power and Buddha’s
demands to become a selfless person