Hinduism – India’s #1 religion
The Aryans were a group of Indo-European people that
moved from the dry grasslands of western Asia (the
steppes), into what is now India starting about 1700 BCE
and captured the land and people of the Indus Valley.
Archaeology tells almost nothing about the Aryans. But
their sacred literature, the Vedas, tells a lot about them.
The Aryans were divided into classes of people. Over
time, they made many rules for how people in these
classes, or castes, could interact with one another.
People were born into their caste for life. These castes
were initially determined by varna — literally, color. The
Aryans were light skinned, and comprised the upper
castes, while the native peoples found in India were darker
skinned, and made up the lowest caste
Caste System
The upper three
classes
consisted of
Aryan people
while the bottom
two were the
local native
Indian people.
The Aryans were a group of Indo-European people
that moved from the steppes into what is now India.
“Untouchables”
Some “impure” people lived in a group
outside this class system. (ie. They were
out-castes.) They were butchers, grave
diggers, and trash collectors. Because
they did work that was thought unclean,
they were called “untouchables”.
The Caste System – social class
system
1. The caste system is the traditional
hereditary social class system that affected
every aspect of their life – their job, their
status, who they could marry, and even who
they could talk to.
2. Hindus are born into their caste and could
not get out until their death
3. There was no SOCIAL MOBILITY – could
not move up in social class!
Basic Hindu Beliefs
1. The Gods
a. Brahman – the Creator
b. Vishnu – the Preserver
c. Shiva – the Destroyer
2. Reincarnation – the soul never dies, it is reborn and goes through many lives until it can
unite with Brahma
Hindu Beliefs continued
3. Karma – a person’s behavior in life
determines their caste in the next life
4. Dharma – Your DUTIES in life to
family and caste, do your job well!
END OF PART 1
Sacred Objects
• Cows – Hindus refuse to
eat beef, they roam freely
and are respected
• Ganges River – Holy river
believed to wash away
evil
• Today 85% of all Indian
people are Hindu
From Hinduism Comes Buddhism
Around 528 BCE another new religion, Buddhism,
arose in India. It was started by Siddhartha
Gautama, a prince.
The founder, Siddhartha Gautama, has many
legends and stories that have surrounded his life.
While we can't be certain which of these stories and
legends are true, we do know that the basic
historical outlines of his life are accurate.
Beginnings of Buddhism

He was the chief's son of a tribal group, so he was born a Kshatriya
(Warrior class) around 566 BC.

At the age of 29, he left his royal family in order to lead a simple life.

A few years later he returned with a number of followers; followers that
devoted their lives to "The Middle Way”, a lifestyle that is midway
between a completely simple lifestyle and one that is full of materialistic
goods.

Siddhartha searched for a way that would allow him to escape the
suffering of human life. He spent many years searching for this answer.
He was looking for enlightenment, or wisdom.

Finally, he sat down and meditated under a tree. After 49 days, he had his
answer. He was now called the Buddha, which means “enlightened one”.
The Buddha began to teach others how to attain enlightenment.
Buddhist Beliefs
The Four Noble Truths

Suffering is universal – everyone suffers
 Cause
of suffering is DESIRE
 If you end your desires, your suffering will
end, which is necessary to reach NIRVANA
(a release from selfishness and pain).
 Follow the EIGHTFOLD PATH
How to become enlightened
Buddhists were to follow a plan of behavior
called the Eightfold Path —
right views,
right resolve (intentions),
right speech,
right conduct,
right livelihood,
right effort,
right mindfulness, and
right concentration.
This would lead to nirvana, or a release from
selfishness and pain.
Following the path led to Nirvana
Other Buddhist Beliefs
1. Believed in KARMA and DHARMA
and REINCARNATION –
2. REJECTED THE CASTE SYSTEM
– felt it was not fair, unjust!!
“Not by birth does one become
an outcast, not by birth does
one become a Brahmin. By
DEEDS one becomes an
outcast, by DEEDS one
becomes a Brahmin” – Buddha
Spread of Buddhism

Buddhism spread from
India to China and other
parts of the world along
the SILK ROAD –

The sharing of religion is
an excellent example of
cultural diffusion.
End of Part 2
India first Empires
Maurya & Gupta
The Mauryan Empire
In 321 BCE, the founder and eventual King of the Maurya
Empire, Chandragupta Maurya used his army to defeat
powerful kings in eastern and northern India.
By 305 BCE, he began to challenge for Alexander the Great’s
western territories in India, and by 300 BCE, for the first time,
northeastern and northwestern India were joined under the
rule of one person.
Chandragupta was a harsh ruler. He charged a heavy tax on
farmers — one-half of the crop they grew each year. He used
this wealth to build a huge army. He controlled his
government by carefully choosing officials and watching them
closely.
The Mauryan Empire





In 269 BCE, Chandragupta’s grandson, Ashoka,
took the throne. He brought the Mauryan Empire to
its greatest height. At first he was a warlike king but
then he decided to accept the teachings of the
Buddha.
Asoka promised to rule in a fair and just way.
He issued laws that urged his subjects to avoid
violence.
He urged religious toleration. This is acceptance
of people’s rights to differing religious beliefs.
He made great roads so that people could travel
easily.
Asoka is also known as “the lawgiver” because he
carved the laws into stone pillars which were placed
in the center of towns.
Some of the Pillars of Asoka
Sanskrit
Language
The Gupta Empire
Soon after Ashoka died, however, his empire
collapsed.
Around 320 AD, Chandra Gupta I came to
power in the north. He was not related to
the first emperor Chandragupta Maurya of
the Mauryan Empire , but he, too, took the
title of king and began to conquer other
areas in the name of the Gupta Empire.
The Gupta Golden Age
Added western coast
to empire
 religion
 science
 Flourishing of arts

500 healing
plants identified
1000 diseases
classified
Printed
medicinal guides
Plastic
Surgery
Gupta
Achievements
Kalidasa
Literature
Medicine
Inoculations
Gupta
India
C-sections
performed
Decimal
System
Mathematics
Concept
of Zero
PI = 3.1416
Solar
Calendar
Astronomy
The earth
is round