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On a piece of paper, identify the following for
Judaism, Buddhism, and Hinduism.
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◦
◦
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Holy place
Holy texts
Founder
Supreme being
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37: Notes: Classical India
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1.
2.
3.
4.
Bellringer
Quiz: World Religions
Notes: Classical India
Primary Source
HOMEWORK: Read pages 97-100
and 181-187.
Ms. Allen World History I – 2015-16

Indian civilization
begins in the river
valleys
◦ Recap: Why river
valleys?

Look at map: What
rivers are in India?
◦ Indus River
◦ Ganges River
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First civilizations in
India along these
two rivers
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By 2500 B.C.: First major
cities in ancient India are
being built
◦ Same time as Egyptian
pyramids were built
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Along the Indus River the
two largest early Indian
cities were:
◦ 1. Harappa
◦ 2. Mohenjo-Daro
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Large, well-planned cities
Key characteristics:
◦ Streets and buildings laid
out in a grid
◦ Fortified area called a
citadel
◦ Separate residential
areas of town
◦ Buildings made of ovenbaked bricks
◦ Sophisticated plumbing
and sewage system
within the city
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Around 1500 B.C.: Aryans
cross Hindu Kush and
migrate into India
◦ Comes at the same time as
Indus culture is dying
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Result of this invasion?:
Aryans dominate the
people already living in
India
Who were the Aryans?
◦ Were taller, lighter skinned
◦ Spoke a different language
than the people already living
in India
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The Aryans = totally
dominate the people
already living in India
Installed caste system
◦ Purpose of this caste system? To
divide people into classes
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What did the classes look
like in Aryan India?
◦ Top classes = made up of Aryans
◦ Bottom “classes” = native Indians
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Mauryan Empire = first official
empire in India
◦ Happens about 1000 years after
the first Aryans entered India
How does the Mauryan Empire
begin?
◦ Chandragupta Maurya defeated
a Greek army that had invaded
India
 Chandragupta Maurya = starts
Mauryan Empire (named after
him) after beating Greeks
◦ By 303 B.C.: Chandragupta
Maurya set up the Mauryan
Empire across northern India
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Chandragupta Maurya dies
and his son took over
◦ Continues to expand the
empire by unifying areas
under his control
Upon the son’s death,
Chandragupta Maurya’s
grandson, Ashoka assumed
throne.
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Mauryan Empire united Indian subcontinent
◦ Ganges and Indus Rivers
◦ Up to the Himalaya and Hindu-Kush Mountains
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Mainly Hinduism
Ashoka (a king) spread Buddhism through missionaries
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About Hinduism:
◦ One of the oldest
religions in the world
◦ Almost 1 billion people
are Hindus today
 80% of India is Hindu
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Because so many
Indians are Hindu, it is an
important part of Indian
history and culture
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A major religion founded in
India
◦ Hinduism is another
Founded around 400s B.C. by
Siddhartha Gautama
Spread of Buddhism:
◦ Spread from India to China,
the rest of the Asia and the
world by Asoka’s
missionaries
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Under Chandragupta
◦ United India for the first time
◦ Strong bureaucracy
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Under Ashoka
◦ Religious tolerance
◦ Built roads, free hospitals, hotels
◦ Outlaws death penalty, animal
cruelty
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Chandragupta conquered
the Aryan empire and
established a dynasty
◦ Establishes a bureaucracy
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Ashoka
◦ Became a non-violent Buddhist,
used the government to care for
his people rather than gain
wealth or power
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People liked Ashoka
◦ Good ruler, but weakened the government
◦ No strong ruler followed him
◦ Empire fell apart
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Very heavy taxes to pay for army and public works
Political centralization opens India to trade with China
and Persia
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See Hinduism (caste system)
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Politically unified most of India
Spread Buddhism (which was
founded in India) to other parts of
the world (especially China) via
missionaries
Provided free hospitals to citizens
Created veterinary clinics
Built good roads
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Ashoka dies  the
Mauryan Empire fell apart
◦ No strong leader to take
his place!
500 years of invasion and
instability in India follow
Ashoka’s death
After centuries of chaos,
in 320 A.D.: Chandra
Gupta (not
Chandragupta Maurya)
forms the GUPTA EMPIRE
◦ Second great classical
empire in India
Gupta Empire = in NORTHERN India
• Located in NORTHERN INDIA
• Close to Himalayan Mountains and Indus and Ganges Rivers
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Hinduism
◦ We will see a return to Hinduism by most people during the
Gupta Empire despite Ashoka popularizing Buddhism during
the last part of the Mauryan Empire
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The Golden Age of India
◦ Gupta = Golden!
• Develop astronomy, advanced math
(the numbers you use), calendar,
banking system
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Indian culture flourished
and expanded like never
before under Gupta Empire
Contributions include:
◦ Math = concept of zero
◦ Medicine = set broken
bones, nose surgery
◦ Astronomy = proved Earth
round 1000 years before
Columbus
◦ Textiles = silk and cloth
◦ Literature = poetry, plays,
dances
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Gupta kings used marriage (and an army) to create an
empire
Last strong king dies in 415 CE, empire starts to
collapse
In the 500s CE, invaders “without settled homes”
attack India
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Very rich empire (but only the
kings got rich)
Invented banking
LOTS of trade