BEGINNING OF SANSKRIT
 Sanskrit was the main language used by the ancient
Aryans in India
 The sanskrit literature was first created in the Gupta
period
 Writers in that period also created other forms of
literature like poems and plays
EPICS OF SANSKRIT
• There are two major epics of Ancient India which are
Mahabharata and Ramayana
• Mahabharata is one of the longest words in ancient
India and tells a story about two families that struggle
for rule over ancient India
• Ramayana is the other epic which tells a story about a
prince called Rama, he was a god in human form and
the reason he became human was to fight demons
away
INDIAN WRITERS
 The Indian writers made one book full of different
stories that were meant to tech lessons
 This big book is called panchatantra
 Each story ends with
HINDU TEMPLES
Temples were small stone sculptures
They had a flat roof
Bell at the gate of the temple called a Ghanta
Rang bell when entered
Built in special places such as near rivers, valleys, and
mountains.
• Bulit in specific places because they believed the gods
would come to the temples if they were built in a
peaceful place.
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TEMPLES IN THE GUPTA
PERIOD
• Temples became more complex
• Two towers covered with carvings of gods were often
in the temple.
• Statues of gods
• Square structures
• Carved out of mountain sides
• Walls were full of art based on the god
TEMPLES IN GOA
• All the temples in Goa were under the Hindu religion
• Temples were built out of sedimentary rocks, limestone, black
stone or wood.
• Roofs were made out copper sheets.
• Temples were decorated with mural art
• The interiors were full of wood carvings from Indian mythology
• Sometimes temples were painted white or black or other light
colors
RELIGIOUS EPICS
Indian Literature is one of earliest literatures of the world. It is believed that Rig
Veda, the first work of literature in the world, was written in Sanskrit, one of the
oldest Indian languages.
The earliest works of literature of India were epics, long poems, plays, and
collections of stories for children which were written in verse. A large number of
great Indian epics were created during the first millennium BC.
RELIGIOUS EPICS
The Mahabharata
The Mahabharata is considered the lengthiest epic of the world. The
Mahabharata, a Sanskrit epic, is believed to be written by Sage Ved Vyasa. It has
more than 1,000,000 couplets in 18 sections. The great work depicts the
struggle for power between two group of cousins, the Kauravas and the Pandavas
in Greater India.
RELIGIOUS EPICS
The Ramayana is the earliest epic of India. “Ramayana” means the journey of
Rama. Ramayana was written in 6th century BC by Valmiki. He was the first poet in
Sanskrit. The great epic narrates the story of Lord Rama who was an incarnation
of Lord Vishnu in human form. Rama was the most righteous man on earth and
so he had to undergo many trials and tribulations. He had to give up his wife and
all his happiness for the sake of his subjects.
SCIENTIFIC ADVANCES
• Gupta scholars made great advances in
science and math.
• The gupta scholars were one of the
most advanced mathmaticians of there
day.
• They made a lot of elements of our
modern math system.
SCIENTIFIC ADVANCES
• The numbers that we use today are the
numbers that they used then.
• The numbers that they made are called
hindu arabic numerals.
• They were named that because the
numerals were made by indian scholars
and brought to arab.
PAINTINGS OF THE GUPTA PERIOD!
*The Gupta period also the creation of great works of
art, both paintings and statues.
*Painting was a greatly respected profession, and India
was home to many skilled artists.
*we know the names of many rich and powerful
members of gupta society who paid artists to create
works of beauty and significance.
*most Indian paintings from the gupta period are clear
and colorful
PAINTINGS AND FACTS!
*some of the Indian paintings show graceful Indians
wearing fine jewelry and stylish clothes. Such
paintings offer us a glimpse of the Indians daily and
ceremonial lives.
*artists from both of India's major religions, Hinduism
and Buddhism, drew on their beliefs to create their
works.
*most of the finest paintings of ancient india are found
in temples.
HINDUISM AND BUDDHISM PAINTINGS!
HINDUISM
BUDDHISM
*painters drew hundreds of
gods on temple walls
and entrances.
*temples also featured
impressive statues of
their gods
*the walls of some temples
were completely covered
with carvings and
images
*Buddhism covered the
walls and ceilings of
temples with scenes
from life of the
Buddha.
*Indian sculptors created
great works for many
of the Buddhist cave
temples.
METAL WORKING
• Metallurgy is the science of working with metals.
• Alloys- two or more mixtures of metals
• Their knowledge allowed them to make high quality
mixtures and tools and weapons.
• Alloys are sometimes stronger 2 or more metals than
just one metal
• Best and strongest work with iron