ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS OF SOUTH ASIA
Directions:
Read the “Ancient India” packet and answer the following questions in preparation for discussion.
1. Identify and describe at least 5 basic characteristics of South Asia’s first civilization
(Who, what, when, where, etc.)
2. What were India’s first two cities?
3. How large were these first cities?
4. Why do historians and archeologists believe these cities were able to thrive and grow?
5. Describe how Ancient India’s largest city reflected each of these six key features.
a. Cities-
b. Government-
c. Religion-
d. Specialized Jobs-
e. Social Classes-
f. Record Keeping-
6. Why do historians consider the houses of this ancient city more sophisticated than those found in
Ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt?
7. Have historians found evidence of religious centers in this city? Explain.
8. How long did the ancient Indus River Valley Civilization last? (not directly stated!)
9. What group of people migrated into India, replacing the ancient Indus Valley civilization? Where did
they migrate from?
10. How does this group’s migration help to explain the Indo-European language family?
11. Which languages are parts of this language family?
12. Which of these languages was spoken in India during this time period?
13. Describe the source of knowledge regarding India in the years from 1500BC to 500BC:
14. As a result, what is this period of history also called?
15. Prior to a written script – how did this group of people hand down their songs, prayers, and legends
from one generation to the next?
16. Who passed down this history?
17.
were the strict social divisions of this time period. Summarize who was in each
class and their role in society.
Brahmans:
Kshatriyas:
Vaishyas:
Shudras:
18. Were there any people who did not fall into one of these four categories? Explain.
19. How was a person’s class determined?
a. Could it change over time?
b. How did the people of this culture measure their wealth?
BIG PICTURE QUESTION
20. What aspects of modern Indian culture and society have their roots in the beliefs and practices of the
ancient period?